We arrived at the hospital and sat, waiting for the receptionist to call us up. We hadn't been sitting for TOO long, but MAN was it boring... Makes me wish I had another Daring Do book to pass the time with...

"Ah, good afternoon, Ms. Dash!" a stallion called toward me. I looked up to see the doctor who watched over me after I'd broken my wing performing stunts this one time.

"Hey, Doc!" I greeted, somewhat happy to see him. "How's it hangin'?"

"A bit busy, but I really can't complain. How's that wing of yours?"

"Feeling like I never broke it!" I boasted, shaking my right wing at him.

"Hm, yes... But I'm pretty sure you broke the left one, no?"

"I... um... I don't remember. I haven't been feeling any pains or aches in either one, so I guess I'm golden."

"Yes, good to hear, good to hear... Say, you haven't been keeping up that bad habit of marauding foals' books, have you?" At that, I froze in complete embarrassment, my jaw dropping like Applejack off a ladder as I stared at the cream-colored stallion who'd just taken a shot at me. It didn't help that I heard some of the girls laughing at me along WITH the doctor.

"Talk about a low blow... I thought I told him not to bring that up...!"

"It ISN'T a foals' book..." I mumbled at him through gritted teeth before taking a second to breathe and relax. "*sigh* It's Daring Do. And No, no I haven't been doing that. My friend Twilight owns the entire series."

"Oh, well that's good. How is she, anyway?" As much as I LOVED making small talk with ponies who publicly humiliate me, I wasn't necessarily in the best mood to continue this pointless conversation. So, I just cut to the chase.

"She's... Okay, I guess. Hey, did Princess Celestia show up here at all?"

"Why, yes, actually. Funniest thing, too. She hurried in, carrying this unconscious tan stallion on her back when--!"

"Dash, comma Rainbow!" the receptionist called before my doctor could talk my ear off.

"I'm up. Sorry to cut it short like this, but something really important is going on."

"I understand. I need to stroll on home anyhow. We'll talk some other time, huh?"

"Fat chance..."

"Uh, sure. Bye!" Without giving him a chance to respond, I flew over to the desk and was just about to ask my question when the Princess stepped out with a bandaged-up Gillian next to her.

"Princess!" Most of the group called as we cantered around her. Comet OH-SO shockingly ran up to her ex-colt-friend, alarmed beyond words at the fact that he looked like a mummy. He even groaned like one, too. I resisted the urge to laugh, given that it was neither the time nor the place.

"Ah, so you have arrived," she calmly replied.

"Yeah. We just got here," I told her. "As you see, we've already brought the other criminal..." I said, gesturing toward Comet, who was too busy scolding the mummified unicorn stallion to hear me.

"Yes, I commend you for your efforts."

"Ah, it was nothin'. She gave herself up willingly. What's up with him, though? Was he hit that hard?"

"I'm afraid so. Gillian suffered quite a considerable amount of damage from Ty's wrathful blast. There is a series of awful burn marks all over his coat and, according to the physician, at least two of his ribs suffered minute, yet painful fractures from the initial impact. He also mentioned something about various joints, muscles, and tendons across his body receiving near-lethal doses of electrical current. It would appear that he could've been roasted from the inside out."

"Wh... whoa..." I was speechless at what she told me happened.

"Holy horsefeathers, Ty... I didn't know you had that in you..."

"So wait... How's 'e even able t' WALK if THAT'S what happened to 'im?" A.J. asked in an equal amount of shock.

"Truth is, he wouldn't have. At least, not for a few weeks. It would've taken an extensive operation to repair the majority of the damage inflicted upon him. I'd rather he and Comet be taken into custody as soon as possible so that I may deal with other pressing issues that have arisen in the time I'd spent in Ponyville. So, I opted to feed him just enough of my own energy to allow him consciousness and limited mobility as his natural healing process received a small jump start."

"You... you gave him energy??" I asked in total surprise.

"I didn't cast the same spell on him that I did Ty, if that's what you're wondering. That spell has proven to be far too dangerous. I instead chose a standard healing spell that would only partially rejuvenate him. He'll have plenty of time to recuperate naturally in his cell. Speaking of which, it's best that we depart to the library this instant. I fear Ty's condition may not be as salvageable as Gillian's..."

"Not as salvageable...?" Lyra asked behind me, seeming just as scared as I felt.

"I'm afraid so. He was a bit worse off. Come, I will explain on the way there..." with that, we all left the hospital together (except we had to walk extra slowly so that Comet could keep up while she held Gillian. She didn't look too happy about her unspoken assignment, though...). On the way, Celestia explained in detail what she meant by her last statement.

I sat in Twilight's room and, after sending Fluttershy down with her, contemplated the recent goings-on of this morning... The rescue by Rainbow... The wrestling match that wound up almost turning into a murder scene... which prompted me to reminisce about everything else that happened beforehand... The Heat fiasco, the arguments, the kidnappings, so on, so forth... Aching all over like nobody's business, I opted to lie down, feeling increasingly fatigued. With so much that happened, and in such a short span of time, I was ready to pass out...

"Ty...?" Sadly, I wouldn't get to rest just yet, as a distraught-looking Twilight came in, seeming to have been weeping again as I took note of the stains under her eyes.

"Hey, baby... *Yawn* Wha'ss wrong...?" I asked, sensing a melancholy inflection in her voice.

"I... I need to talk to you..."

"She really seems worried all of a sudden..."

"What's on ya mind?"

"It's... it's about what happened earlier..." she said, which sent a chill down my spine as I temporarily shifted off my drowsiness to hear her out.

"What's up?" I warily asked.

"I... um... Are... you okay?"

"...I'm not in the best condition, but I feel like I could be... Why?"

"You... don't feel as if you'd suddenly lose consciousness again? Or possibly fall asleep and... and not wake up?"

"Uh... No... I'm pretty beat up an' unbelievably tired, but I don't think I'd jus' lose consciousness from takin' a nap..."

"Are you sure? I-I mean, your heartbeat doesn't feel at all out of the ordinary? Are you breathing properly in that it doesn't hurt to inhale?"

"Okay, now she's scarin' me..."

"No... There's still all the aches an' pains around my arms, legs, an' chest, but they ain't feelin' nearly as bad as before. I have you t' thank for that..."

"You're welcome... I... I just want you to know that... that I love you... okay?" she informed, which WOULD have been sweet if she didn't sound like I was still teetering on the brink of death.

"Okay...? Twi, what's this about? You was fine five minutes ago..."

"I know, but... *sigh* I-I just want to be absolutely sure you're alright..."

"Yea, but... what's got you so down all of a sudden?" we sat in a short bout of silence before she began.

"...When I was preparing lunch, I... reflected on what transpired this morning..."

"Mm-hmm..." I mumbled as she'd gotten my attention.

"...And I realized that when I was healing you... that... I... that YOU... had a significant chance of not making it..."

"Oh, I see... I guess it must've overwhelmed her... Poor girl... This is my fault, though... I need t' make it up to her..."

"Yea, but... you saved me... right?" I asked, contemplating a method in which to relieve the lavender mare of her stress while simultaneously trying to contain my own discomfort with her suddenly-dissonant attitude.

"I... I don't know..." she dismally replied, sending yet another chill down my spine. How could she not be sure she'd kept me alive?? I mean granted, her spell wasn't perfect, but it had to be enough...

"Wh-what? Well what is there not t' know? I might still be hurt, but I'm not coughin' up blood o-or breathin' funny... All I feel is the bodily injuries I picked up since I got here Friday..." I reasoned, notably frightened by the unicorn's uncertainty.

"Yes, but I don't know if what I did for you is enough or if I just wound up postponing a horrific event. It... it frightens me not feeling sure I've done all that I could to help you..."

"Twilight... I'm fine... or at least, I will be. Thanks t' you. I know that whatever healin' spell you cast on me, will keep me from kickin' the proverbial bucket. I have faith in it. More importantly, I have faith in you..."

"...Thank you..." she simply said, although I saw the uncertainty in her worrisome facial expression.

"Yea, i'ss gonna take a lot more than 'I'm fine, so don't worry' t' calm her nerves... Knowin' her, her mind mus' be completely scattered about this whole thing... She doesn't deserve to feel so miserable... if anything, I do. I'ss my fault she's like this..."

"Come 'ere... There's somethin' I need t' confess..." I solemnly told her as I propped myself up against the wall.

"Yes? What is it?" the unicorn asked as she climbed onto my lap and made herself comfortable, all the while being unnecessarily careful not to make any sudden moves that she feared would harm me.

"Listen..." I began, bringing a hand to caress her chin. "I understand how stressed out you been over what happened. I'm aware that you've been through a lot, an' it tears me up t' see you so distraught because of it. But I KNOW you'll be alright... That I'LL be alright..." I assured her before I had a most damning epiphany. "An'... Y'know what? I'm sorry... VERY sorry... I haven't exactly been the most helpful t' you in ya time o' strife..."

"What do you mean?" she asked in a slight sense of confusion.

"Allow me t' clarify... Between not figurin' out you were in heat until Comet spelled it out for me, us buttin' heads over how t' handle her an' Gillian when they came here for you an' tryna help Fluttershy out with her uh... thing... rather than try an' pinpoint any changes regardin' your mood, to the things I did against your wishes that caused me t' wind up the way I am now..."

"None of that is your fault alone, though. I should've told you from the beginning that I'd underwent my estrus cycle. I understand you not necessarily being well-informed enough of equine bodily function to pick up the signs right away. It's just that I didn't know how to break the news to you for fear that you would either say no or be too afraid to assist me... Evidently, neither of those scenarios was true... I should've trusted you a bit more than I did... Other than that, neither of us knew those two were here until it was too late when they got ahold of you. I also know we've had a couple of spats over Fluttershy within the last few days, but I should've been in better control of myself; despite the heat..."

"I'ss noble o' you t' not blame me, but I am still in part responsible for my own injuries. I volunteered t' help A.J., I went t' Fluttershy's when you told me t' stay put, I ran away after you lost your temper about the talk with her last night for fear that you might've lashed out at me again if you saw me..."

"But... That--!"

"Skippin' ahead a little, I'm the one who agreed t' the bet I pretty much KNEW was gonna go sour... an' I'm the one who lost it when you an' Fluttershy urged me t' stay calm. A lotta the things that happened, now that I realize it, were my own fault. I really don't blame you for bein' upset with me. Speakin' o' which... Fluttershy?" I called to the mare I'd caught peeking in through the doorway.

"Yes...?" she asked as she timidly approached us.

"I owe you an apology, too. Both o' y'all warned me not t' get mad, but I did anyway. I... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay... It isn't completely your fault. Besides, Gillian hurt Twilight. I would've been upset too..." the pegasus nobly admitted.

"Yea, but I don't think tha'ss an acceptable excuse for ignorin' your warnin'. Especially after what I told you back in the woods about jus' wantin' t' wrap it up..."

"Yes... I know... I can still sort of understand your frustration, though. Believe me, I know it's very hard keeping calm in such a stressful situation."

"Yea, but I feel like I coulda handled things better... In fact, I KNOW I coulda handled it better..."

"That doesn't mean everything was your fault, though," Twilight interjected, intent on disallowing me from believing I was entirely to blame. "In essence, it's just the way things played out... Everypony involved was hurt in some way or another... even Gillian, the main reason behind the majority of our turmoil."

"I understand. Still, you shouldn't need t' feel guilty over what happened t' me... Tha'ss somethin' I should be thinkin' about. I don't like even the thought o' bein' the reason you're constantly sobbin' your eyes out; whether i'ss cuz you thought I was unfaithful when I got too scared t' admit t' you that I rubbed down Fluttershy, or because I charged headfirst into a fight I wasn't prepared for, or because I wasted a Princess's gift an' used it like a rage-fueled fireball to attack someone I had a vendetta against... Those are things I did, an' those are things I alone should be feelin' guilty about; ESPECIALLY because they made you upset, Twilight..."

"But..." Twilight began, but seemed to falter as she stared at me.

"...and as for you, Fluttershy..." I continued, turning my gaze toward the pegasus mare in question. "I'm sorry for your emotional troubles... I'm also sorry for causin' 'em... I know we've talked again an' again about your feelin's an' how they translate t' how much concern you showed for me this entire time... However, my past actions don't exactly exhibit that I took int' consideration yours OR Twi's feelin's when I committed 'em..." I admitted before turning my gaze up toward the ceiling, resting my head against the wall. "I almost wonder if I'M the real bad guy here..."

"You are NOT the bad guy," the yellow mare sternly rebutted as she trotted up beside me, staring intently into my eyes. "Only somepony who truly cared about my feelings would try to go out of their way to help me sort them out. You're not to blame for how I feel. It's ME who should be sorry... for... for even having these feelings in the first place..."

"We've been over that, though... You don't hafta feel guilty..." I countered.

"I know, but it's... it's as painful as it is wrong... to covet something that belongs to somepony else... especially when you know you're not allowed to have it... if that doesn't sound vain or self-centered." I merely nodded in understanding while Twilight seemed to be listening closely to everything her fellow mare had to get off her chest. "It also isn't fair to either of the two of you that something as selfish as a silly little crush like mine places an unnecessary burden on your relationship..."

"Wow..."

"Fluttershy, you're not puttin' any burdens on our relationship..." I began. "Plus, you already explained to me why you... f-feel the way you do... It isn't your fault..." I continued, trying to formulate some kind of rebuttal that would explain to her that she wasn't wrong in any way... but I couldn't. The flurry of pulse-pounding guilt and paralyzing uncertainty that draped over me like a tarp froze me, trapping my thoughts as I stared at her.

"If anything, I'M the one to blame..." Twilight commented, breaking me out of my guilt-induced stupor. "He wouldn't have even known about it if I didn't blab it out in the first place... But with how upset I was already feeling about him going to your house, plus the fact that I wasn't necessarily in the best condition to handle your confession to me..."

"That was the heat talkin', I'm sure. Le'ss... just agree that we all got a part t' play..." I concluded, seeing as I'd rather not play Hot Potato with conviction over Fluttershy's feelings. I'd already had enough to feel terrible about. "In any case, I still didn't listen when the two o' you told me not t' play int' that stupid wager OR when both o' y'all told me not t' lose my temper despite knowin' how y'all woulda felt, which are prime examples of how self-centered I'd been..."

"You were only trying to put an end to his scheme in the only ways you thought were necessary... And don't forget that he's the one who pushed you into fighting him the first time. Plus, you saved me from Mr. Gillian after you were done." Fluttershy countered.

"Oh yeah... How'd I forget about that?"

"I'm sure you would've been able to move out of the way if you didn't need to save me first... and maybe he would've made his Pinkie promise and not done anything else after Princess Celestia arrived..."

"I guess... but that still doesn't justify not listenin' t' you. You wouldn't-a been targeted like that in the first place if I didn't agree t' fight."

"It's okay. We all make mistakes. Plus, I'm sure you were only acting on impulses in the heat of the moment a short while ago. As odd as it might sound, I'm sure you only attacked him after finding out what he did to Twilight because you... you... love her..." she seemed to have trouble uttering her last statement, which I took note of as her facial expression changed to one of visible shame as she shuffled her fore hooves around each other, looking away and blushing. I got the idea that she was trying to say that my actions, while brash, meant well, but it wasn't enough for me to feel completely at ease for what happened. But then there was this crush issue to figure out... and I had not a single, even remotely-viable answer to it.

"Tha'ss true I guess... but... Fluttershy, I..." I had nothing to respond with that wouldn't come off as wrong in an effort to rid her of her crush-stricken bashfulness. I couldn't just flat-out tell her I loved her, too... It wouldn't sound right, even though I would've meant it in a platonic way. Both she and Twi might've taken it the wrong way if I just said that. But then, I truly did care for her... I mean, she HAD shown me a lot of compassion and understanding since we met; a large sum of it being displayed within the past few days. If I didn't care, she likely would've picked up on it and abandoned her feelings... But considering what she's admitted to me thus far and how I reacted to it...

"Fluttershy...?" Twilight asked after a brief, yet tense moment of silence.

"Yes?"

"There's something I need to ask you... Forgive me in advance if it sounds personal or intrusive, but I'd like a clear, concise answer..."

"Um... Okay...? What's the question?"

"How do you feel about him?" the unicorn asked, shocking both Fluttershy and I.

"H-how do I feel??" she frightfully echoed Twilight's inquiry. "About...?" she glanced at me, then at Twilight before ducking slightly behind her mane.

"Yes. How... do you honestly feel?" the unicorn enunciated, although with a sensible tone of unease.

"Well, I... um... You already know I... kind of... sort of... l-like... him..." she admitted, blushing as she sat on her haunches next to us and looked away at the floor.

"Twilight...? What are you gettin' at...?" I asked. She didn't answer or even acknowledge that I'd asked her a question. She climbed off of me to better examine our reasonably petrified friend.

"How much do you like him?"

"...A lot..." Fluttershy admitted, though unable to face the mare she was answering. Still, those simple words made my own heart skip a beat.

"Man, I knew it... Nothin' I tried worked... Aww man..."

"Do you... feel like you... like you would be happy...? You know... If you were with him instead of me?" Twilight questioned, further alarming us as Fluttershy's blush deepened.

"Twi... Wha...?" I began to ask, but trailed off. I wanted to say something, but... something inside me told me that she wouldn't be asking something like this without reason. Plus, I was a bit curious as to where the unicorn was headed with this, so I stayed silent.

"I... I don't know for sure... Maybe..." was Fluttershy's answer. If these injuries didn't do me in, then I was positive that the practically tangible death grip of the figurative invading octopus tentacles that was the tension building up in this room would've become the very next contestant.

"I... I see..." was all Twilight replied with before everything went eerily quiet. I swore I could hear not only MY heartbeat, but the voluminous heartbeats of the two mares standing beside me as we sat, awkwardly waiting for someone to proceed this conversation past this point.

"I honestly woulda taken a much less... straightforward approach than this... But then... what I tried didn't necessarily work, so maybe she has some kinda plan...?"

"I... have a proposition to make to you."

"A... proposition...?" Fluttershy asked in astonishment.

"A what?" I followed up, equally as swept by her statement as Fluttershy.

"Yes. We'll talk more about it later, but for now... you seem a bit tired. Why don't you have a seat...?" she trailed off as she turned toward me, smiling with a strangely... genuine, friendly sense of certainty in her action. "...Right here," she proffered, gesturing her hoof to my side.

"What?? Twilight, you--!" I tried to utter in disbelief

"I know it's unorthodox of me, but... she did come a long way for you... I'm no Cadence, but I can tell she really likes you..."

"I... I came to check up on both of you, though," the yellow mare hastily countered, flustered beyond belief. "I care for both of you, and I just wanted to make sure you were alright..."

"Yea. Besides, this is somethin' I'd expect you t' be the last of anyone t' suggest. Why w--?"

"Because..." she interrupted, seeming to anticipate my question before I'd asked it. "We're all friends here... I don't want there to be any tension between any of us; especially not because of romance-related reasons, which I'm aware can be quite perilous if left unchecked... No book I've read has necessarily taught me how to handle a situation like this, and at this point, I feel as if trying to talk somepony out of their feelings and hoping they'll simply mask or abandon them wouldn't be ideal... for any of us."

"Yea, but i'ss not like we can conventionally solve this sorta thing so easily without some kinda sacrifice or consequence..."

"I know. That's why I figure that we should formulate a way to work things out that would, in a sense, benefit all three of us. It's part of the proposition I'm contemplating..."

"But... Twilight, I couldn't... You two belong with each other," Fluttershy nevrously spoke up. "You don't have to make any compromises for me... Besides, I came here to make sure you both were okay. You're my friends, and friends care for and look after one another."

"I know, and we greatly appreciate you going out of your way, Fluttershy. I'm... WE'RE simply returning the favor." she explained. "...that is, if it's okay with you..." she added, turning toward me for confirmation.

"Uh, I still ain't followin', but you've always been right before..." I agreed, though still a bit discombobulated.

"I only hope you know what the hell you're doin'... Cuz I sure don't..." Though a bit reluctant at first, Fluttershy eventually built up the mettle to trot toward me and make herself comfortable at my side. I was generous enough to lift my arm and wrap it around her to show that I was willing to follow through, but I was still dumbfounded as to why Twilight of all ponies would suggest such a thing...

"Twi... What is this about? What is this 'proposition' you're thinkin' about makin'?"

"I'll explain it soon," she answered as she walked around and made herself comfortable at my other side. "For now, I'm more worried about if you're actually okay or if you're still... um..."

"Twilight... I am fine. There's no more need t' cry or feel upset. My body hurts a lot, but it hurts worse t' see you in such a bad emotional state because of it. Like you said, you should be happy you were able t' heal me..."

"More like we ALL should... Sheeit..."

"Yes, but I'm still not absolutely certain I've done eno--!"

"Twilight, stop. You never sold yaself short before. Don't start now," I advised, stroking the mare's frizzy, yet silky mane, eliciting a quiet, contented sigh out of her as she laid her head down on my thigh. "Besides, you're scarin' me with all this doom-an'-gloom thinkin'..."

"I know, and I'm sorry... I just want to make absolutely sure you're in a stable physical condition..."

"I am like... give or take, sixty-five percent okay, Twi... Maybe an even seventy since you're here..." I joked, eliciting a very slight chuckle out of her. "Tha'ss more than good enough for me, considerin' what coulda happened... *sigh* Y'know, I'm VERY lucky t' have you with me... You've saved me at least twice this weekend, you dealt with a LOTTA stress I naively thought woulda ended after we uh... did our thing... and you've somehow managed t' put up with it all without completely losin' your mind like I did... You truly are the greatest, Twilight Sparkle... but honestly, I think what you in particular need more than anything right now... is rest."

"Hm... *yawn* yeah... but are you irrefutably, undeniably, unquestionably, completely one hundred and two percent certain you'll be okay?" she asked, strongly insisting that I somehow double-check my condition. At that, I stared into her eyes to see that she'd still been somewhat doubtful of her magic's ability to keep me stable... Actually, 'somewhat' might be a HORRIBLE understatement.

"Twilight, I'll be fine. Seriously. You don't need t' worry. Hey, if you're still unsure, I will Pinkie Promise that I won't slip away from you... I love you too much t' let myself die so abruptly. An' if that ain't enough, then I will do whatever it takes t' prove t' you that I will not leave you... Jus' don't ask me t' do it right now, cuz I feel like somebody dropped a piano on me..."

"Believe me, I know the feeling..." she quipped, finally lightening up a bit as she snuggled herself closer to me.

"Oh yea... I'm still wonderin' how you're okay after that... *Ahem* but I digress. My point is, no more cryin', no more worryin', no more sadness an' gloom... Despite what came close t' happenin', I'll recover, an' I'll be there for you, no matter what... Seriously, I will Pinkie Promise on that, so SHE can kill me dead if I d--!"

"No, no... I trust you enough that you wouldn't go back on your own word... But you'd better not get yourself in trouble like this again, Ty... Do you know how egregiously nerve-wracking and flat-out terrifying it is losing your mind over someone you love when they're in danger?"

"I... think I got an idea..." I semi-joked.

"While you're in heat?" she added, checkmating me in an instant.

"Touche, Twi..."

"... Okay, maybe I DON'T have an idea... I got more makin' up t' do than I thought... How's about I start now...?" I politely inquired, bringing my hand to her back.

"Sounds good..." she permitted, shooting me a small, yet sweetly relieving grin as she laid her head down on my leg. "Make sure you pay extra attention to my lower back. I'm feeling unusually tense down there..." she added with a wink as she fully relaxed on me, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"She better watch it. I'm one o' the few things on this body that AIN'T injured... Plus, I--!"

"I know. In due time, my friend... but ONLY if she wants to... AND if the rest o' me isn't too beat up t' move around... Plus, I'm sure she's still mad at me. So no promises..." With that, I found a pattern of petting the beautiful mare in the way she requested despite how much it hurt to move my arms; and believe me, it HURT! Every movement felt like someone had ripped them off and used them as baseball bats before giving them back. Still, no amount of physical torment I endured would keep me from putting a smile on Twilight's pretty little face. It unsurprisingly didn't take long before she dozed off on me, snoring lightly as she went out like a light on my leg.

"Jeez, she must've been exhausted... *yawn* Maybe even more than I am..." With that, I planted a small, sweet kiss on the unicorn's cheek before I painstakingly wrapped my arm snugly around her and turned to Fluttershy, who'd still been awake, smiling sweetly at me.

"Oh! Wow, I almost forgot she was here. I'm sure that musta been awkward for her..."

"Oop... S-sorry 'bout that... I--!"

"No need to apologize," she countered right away. "I'm just glad everything is finally okay between you and her..."

"Oh trust me, I ain't outta the woods with her jus' yet," I joked, though I wasn't actually joking. "I'm sure she's really gonna lay it on me when she feels more revitalized. I'm still in a lotta trouble with her."

"Oh."

"I'm... evidently not outta the woods with you either..." I continued. "Any thoughts as t' why she suggested this...?" I asked my winged friend. She simply looked at me, having just about as good an idea as I did (which was none) about Twilight's 'proposition.'

"I have no idea..." she curiously replied before allowing herself a bit of comfort in tucking herself in under my arm. "I'd have never thought she'd suggest something like this... I just hope she's actually okay with this... Are you?"

"I'm not complainin'... but I AM as confused as you are. For HER t' say for you t' sit so close... What could be runnin' through her mind, I wonder...? I also wonder what this proposition o' hers could be..."

"I don't know either... but, Twilight usually has the answer, so maybe she has an idea..." Fluttershy replied, seeming content in her current position. I could tell that, despite how unusual this was, she'd had no visible objections, given that she had Twilight's consent, as well as my own. I couldn't say I did either, but mainly because I just wanted to sleep. All this emotional crap about near-death experiences and romantic feelings between friends wasn't necessarily helping to relieve my already-addled mind. Still, it was sort of... nice to have Fluttershy there...

"I'll take your word for it..." was all I could think to reply with. Taking the arrangement for what it was, I rhythmically stroked the compassionate mare's long, straight, velvety pink mane a few times, causing her to coo softly as she lay down and closed her eyes, smiling contently as I grazed my hand over her back, being careful to avoid her wings.

"Eh, why not...? You deserve one too..." Soon after, I let myself drift off into a much-appreciated slumber...

*Grrrrr* But not before I remembered why I sent the yellow mare downstairs in the first place.

"Oh, right... I guess lunch can wait..."

"So THAT'S why his condition isn't as soluble???" Pinkie asked out of nowhere although neither I, nor anypony else, understood why. Nopony talking was even ON the subject as we were on our way to the library.

"Pinkie Pie, the Princess explained everything ten minutes ago. Why are you JUST asking her about it now?" I questioned.

"I was just waiting for the focus of the story to come back to us again," she explained, throwing me for the loop of a lifetime... as if she hadn't done that enough already. "I thought it would've taken her longer to tell us that Ty's physical condition would just need a closer inspection because Twilight's magic might not be strong enough to completely heal him, but since that's all she said, I decided to wait for when it was your turn to narrate again so that I could say it!" the rose pink pony said. "Nah, I think I'm more of a tickle-me pink," the TICKLE-ME pink pony added. "There ya go, Dashie!"

Okay, NOW this is starting to freak me out. How the hay did she...? Y'know what? I'm NOT even gonna ask. All I ever get is an answer that makes ten more questions pop up when it comes to Pinkie Pie, so no. Nuh-uh. I'm not gonna go there. Not again. ANYWAY, back to the story... *AHEM* So, thinking she was just talking into thin air, we all just stared at her, not even Princess Celestia having a clue who she was talking to or why she was staring into the sky like there was another me there... Just thinking about if she somehow knew the future in a different way than her Pinkie Sense or if she literally was just talking to me at the time or if she was talking to me just now... it makes my head hurt.

"...Err, in any case..." Rarity thankfully spoke up. "How are you holding up back there, Ms. Gazer?"

"As well as... ngh! I'm able to be...!" the cerulean mare complained as she had the mummified Gillian leaning on her for support. "I don't suppose it'd... be too much trouble to ask... for a little help?" At that, she got mixed reactions from everypony, with good reason. No one wanted to help a couple of criminals like them after what they put us through. Buuut, Comet in particular DID say she was sorry, and she hadn't necessarily given us a reason to doubt her in particular... Even with that though, it took a moment for anypony to decide whether or not they'd voluntarily come into contact with Gillian that wasn't in the form of strangling him for being such a jerk. Eventually...

"I shall offer to you my aid, to lessen the tension you have displayed," Zecora stepped up to the plate, taking Gillian's other foreleg and wrapping it around her neck. Kudos to her, because I don't think even I would have done it without needing to be convinced.

"Th...thanks... zebra..." the bandaged-up stallion weakly muttered, sounding even more pitiful than he looked.

"Zecora's my name, and keep your thanks; I did not forget your heinous pranks," she commented, seeming pretty angry about it herself. No stone left unturned with this guy... Anyway, while we were on our way to the library, I started getting this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first I didn't know why, but then I remembered who we were missing...

"Fluttershy... I sure hope you're okay. I hope you aren't hurt too badly..." I didn't know what to think when I realized that she never came back to us. I couldn't imagine her seeing the two of them in the middle of some gushy emotional moment and running off crying about it, but I didn't rule that out as a possibility taking into account how sensitive she could be at times... and all things considered, I wouldn't put it past her to be at least a little bit hurt by it. I know she's a grown mare and that she could take care of herself and all that, but... I still couldn't help but get a little uneasy about her at times. As a filly-hood friend of mine, I was almost always looking out for her. At the same time, she's had her moments where she's proven to be able to handle herself in situations where I thought she couldn't. I guess I didn't HAVE to worry about her, but I suppose old habits die hard...

But anyway, we reached Twilight's house before I knew it, with Celestia stepping up to knock on the door. At first, there was no answer, which didn't seem too odd, given what Twilight must've been doing, but... then it dragged on for a full minute, which worried everyone.

"Twilight?" The Princess called as she knocked again. Again, no answer. "Twilight, it's us. We've come to see how you were doing." Still, everything was silent, scaring everypony stiff.

"You don't think that...? That we're--?" Lyra was about to ask, the fear-stricken tone in her voice delivering the gist of what she was about to ask.

"No way," A.J. interrupted, seeming to know what the mint green unicorn was implying. "Ain't no way Twi couldn't-a been able t'..."

"Twilight, darling? W-we're here for you if you need us..." Rarity worriedly announced, tears already forming up in her eyes. Celestia knocked one more time, which we got no answer to yet again. At this point, even I was starting to get a little bit worried. Celestia's face suddenly got really serious, seeming to half-expect there to be something gruesome on the other side of the door.

"She's alright. She's got to be," I reasoned. "I-I mean, this is Twilight. She can do anything. There's no way Ty could be... be..." before I got the chance to finish my thought, the door opened and standing there in front of us was none other than...

"Fluttershy??" the majority of us shouted in alarm.

"*Yawn* Oh, hello everyone..." she calmly greeted us.

"You're still here?" I asked, not so much for the fact that she was still at the library, but more so because she looked like she'd just woken up from a nap. Her mane was a little frizzy and she was smiling like she'd just gotten out of the spa.

"Yes, of course."

"Were... you asleep?"

"Y-yes..." she sheepishly admitted, smiling with a slight blush.

"What exactly went on in here?"

"Where's Twilight?" Spike asked.

"She's upstairs with Ty. Please, come inside."

"How are they doing?" Celestia asked as we all stepped in.

"At first, they were both really upset about everything that happened, but we all talked it out and now they should be feeling a little better. We were all asleep for a little, but then I heard you all come to the door."

"Guess that explains why it took so long for anyone to answer the door..."

"Asleep? Both of them?" the Princess questioned again.

"Mm-hmm. Ty wasn't healed completely and still isn't feeling very well. Twilight was really worried about him after she partially fixed him up."

"Partially?"

"Yes. She said that she used up almost all of her energy trying to heal him, which seemed to only be enough to fix some of his injuries. I got here a short time after she was finished. We all had a short discussion about what happened and after that, we um... we cuddled together and dozed off." That last part got my full attention in an instant.

"Cuddled together??? What in the...??"

"Please don't be too upset with him, Princess. He didn't mean to harm anypony. He was only trying to do the right thing..."

"I assure you, I understand the circumstances of the events that have come to pass. I am merely here to check up on his condition before I escort these two back to Canterlot," Celestia reasoned, turning toward Comet who, along with Zecora, was still holding Gillian up for support.

"*GASP!* Oh... my...!" Fluttershy gasped in a reasonable amount of surprise at the sight of him.

"Yes, I will need to have a word with him regarding his aggressive outburst once he is able to speak. For now, I must see to it that Twilight was able to bring his condition up to speed..." With that, the Sun Princess made her way up the stairs while the rest of us stayed downstairs and waited.

"So..." I began toward Fluttershy. "Are... you okay?"

"Of course I am, Rainbow," she happily replied, surprising me a little. "And before you ask, no I didn't walk in on them. They were both down here when I showed up."

"Well THAT'S a relief."

"Oh, okay. Good."

"How's Twilight? Is she okay?" asked Spike.

"She's alright," Fluttershy assured. "She just needs some rest is all. She's been through a lot, and it's really taken its toll on her."

"Might I ask what it was you discussed with them?" Rarity questioned curiously.

"Hmm... Nothing in particular. Mostly just things about what happened and how it made everypony feel up to this point," the yellow mare replied. "But... what happened to him?" she asked, pointing toward Gillian.

"Accordin' t' Celestia, this 'un took a wallop of a hit from Ty..." Applejack answered. "Said there's bruises an' contusions all over 'im. Not t' mention he can hardly walk on 'is own, on account o' the blast he took bein' caused by Celestia's magic..."

"Oh..." was all she said as she approached the only stallion in the room. She stayed silent as she got a good look at him for herself. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Mr. Gillian..." she apologized. "I hope that you'll learn your lesson and maybe change your ways if you're ever given another chance."

"...How?" he asked, which alarmed some of us. "How... is it that... you're... ngh! apologizing to me...? After all that's... happened...?"

"Because even with as much as you've done to my friends, I expect you to have learned at least something about why the things you did were wrong. I also think that it might not have come to this if you didn't insist on terrorizing everypony to achieve your goal. On the other hoof, your goal was at least somewhat understandable. You weren't completely wrong in trying to set yourself and Ms. Comet free. You were wrong in how you went about it."

"You're just wasting your breath on him, you know..." Comet bitterly remarked, taking Fluttershy aback. "All he'll do with your advice is find some way to twist your words and turn it into some sort of justification for his motives."

"That can't be true... I--!"

"Trust me, when you've been manipulated by someone like him for as long as I have, you tend to pick up on it when the light is shone upon you. Just like how he told me he loved me... when we were standing atop this library's balcony. You can see how much that confession was worth when he told me to get lost while he was holding your friend captive in the woods... Even worse, it becomes clearer when you take into consideration his willingness to continue this harebrained scheme without my assistance. I admire your magnanimity, Fluttershy, but Gillian only knows how to use and control. He is a puzzle only a specially-trained doctor can solve..."

"But... he can't be incurable. I mean, I know he's done a lot of mean things to all of us... Especially you, Comet, but... deep down inside, there must be some sense of--!"

"Save it, cupcake..." Gillian muttered as he slowly, painfully took his legs from around the necks of the pony and zebra he'd been using as crutches. "It's clear... that no one here is gonna... ngh! believe you... Besides... where I'm going, there'll be nary a need for any kind of frivolous reformation procedures. I will admit, it's... nice being shown SOME compassion after what just happened to me, but... truth is, I really DID bring it on myself. I-- agh! I'm sure no one could've predicted your friend would've learned how to harness magic... much less use it in such a violent manner... and considering how much I've pissed him off..."

"If you knew you were making him angry, why didn't you just stop?" I asked.

"Obviously, I... didn't expect someone who ISN'T a unicorn to nearly kill me with magic," he answered sounding just as smug as ever. "Whatever the case, he and I... are even... he got what came to him for humiliating me in public... and I got mine for trying to court his girlfriend in the woods..." that sent shockwaves of anger coursing through me the instant I heard that. This... SNAKE! How could he??

"You WHAT!!??" Comet shouted, clearly past her boiling point. Her horn even began to flicker with traces of her magic, she was so ticked off.

"Ooh... Did I let that slip?" he asked in a tone of shame I couldn't tell was real or fake.

"You... you wretched PIG!!" Comet shouted as she prepared to launch herself at him, being stopped by Zecora, Applejack, and myself. "I should vaporize you where you stand!! You heartless sack of slag!!" she put up QUITE the fight in trying to attack him. He backed away, not even DARING to say or do anything that might provoke us to let her go. Considering what he did to her, I would've let her go anyway.

"What, may I ask is going on down here?" Princess Celestia questioned as she came back down the stairs. Her presence caused Comet to cool herself down, but given that she was hardly in any mood to be calm, she fell into a fit of crying that even I couldn't help but feel a little disheartened for. The Alicorn looked around, seeming to be trying to register exactly what happened, but I could only assume she got enough of a clue in the form of watching Comet break down in front of us. "I suppose I should get you two going posthaste." With that, she walked over to Comet as the rest of us stepped back. "Gillian, to my side."

"...A-as you wish, Your Majesty..." he shakily complied, limping toward Celestia in what seemed to be a mix of his physical pain and his notable fear of his ex-special somepony.

"They are still asleep, but our human comrade should wake up feeling much more like his old self," she let us know. "I personally made sure of it. I must take my leave now. Farewell, my little ponies." Still a bit stunned and appalled at what just happened, we simply nodded, seeing her off as she disappeared in a golden flash, taking both Comet and Gillian with her. After a short, awkward silence, someone spoke up.

"Gosh..." Lyra whispered. "I don't know about any of you, but... THAT... was actually kinda painful to watch..."

"Agreed," Rarity followed up. "It never is a good thing to watch a relationship unravel in such a destructive manner... even if it WAS between two ne'er-do-wells. Poor Comet Gazer..."

"Yeah, but I'm sure he'll get what he deserves," I added in, trying to lighten up the mood a little. "We should be a bit more worried about the two ponies upstairs right now."

"I agree with Dashie," Pinkie added in. "We should make sure they're okay." With that, we all made our way upstairs to be greeted with the sight of one human, passed out with a certain purple unicorn lying down, sleeping with her head resting on his back leg while one of his... uh... forelegs-- if that's what those things are-- was on her back.

"Aww, they're adorable... in a strange, xenophilic sort of way..." Rarity commented in a mix of adoration and uncertainty.

"That they are," Lyra agreed. "But... now that everything is finally over, what do we do now?"

"It isn't over just yet," Spike disagreed. "We still have to explain to everypony why there was a giant, rampaging alien running around town and scaring the daylights out of everyone he came across." The little guy had a VERY good point.

"That's true..." I agreed. "But the only ones who'd be good enough at explaining everything are these two and the Princess. But they're asleep, and Celestia is back in Canterlot dealing with Gillian and Comet. What can WE do?"

"...I s'pose WE could give it a shot explainin' what he is..." Applejack suggested.

"A viable idea, Applejack, but we hardly know a thing about what Ty is to even begin..." Rarity countered. "What could WE tell the townsfolk that wouldn't send them into yet another state of pandemonium?"

"We could probably start by telling everypony that he's our friend," Fluttershy advised. "I think that before we told them about him being a human, we could let everypony know that he was only trying to stop Gillian from trying to hurt Princess Celestia."

"That is a suitable point from which to begin," Zecora began. "But there lies a deeper issue within..."

"How much deeper?" asked Spike.

"Deeper in that, now that it comes to mind, a lot of ponies DID see Twilight get... romantic with him a few hours ago," I reasoned referring to the point where she jumped up and made out with him right after I rescued him from captivity. At that, I got a collective "Ohhh..." out of everypony else. "I mean, we already DID let everypony know he's on our side... right, Pinkie?"

"Absotively, Posilutely!" she answered.

"Right... but then I think it'd be up to them to figure out how to explain why exactly it is that Twilight is in a relationship with someone who isn't a pony."

"It shouldn't be THAT big a deal though, right?" Spike countered. "I mean, a lot of ponies know about me liking Rarity... What would be the difference?" Oh how naive you are, Spike...

"Well... in layman's terms, Spikey-Wikey..." Rarity uneasily began. "There's a difference between harboring feelings of attraction toward a different species and... well, actually engaging in romantic activity with a member of a different species."

"...I'm still not following."

"You'll get it when yer a mite more mature, Spike..." A.J. answered, to which he rolled his eyes in contempt, given he didn't like it much when his age was brought into play.

"So... I suppose while we wait for them to wake up, we should go and get a head start on our crowd control methods?" Lyra asked.

"Definitely," I agreed. "But before we go out there, we should decide who's going where..." With that, we spent a relatively small amount of time mapping out a game plan for which areas around Ponyville each of us would go to in order to inform the townsponies that Ty wasn't a dangerous monster despite what they saw. We also went over exactly what to tell them so that they wouldn't be alarmed by what they heard. Before long, we set out and journeyed to our separate locations to accomplish the new mission...