"Rest assured, Miss Sparkle and Mr Balance, we have everything prepared for the coming of this menace you have described to me," The Mayor stated calmly from behind her desk, organizing her stack of papers. "All of Ponyville will be warned of this evacuation protocol posthaste."

"Thank you Miss Mayor," Twilight expressed gratitude, nodding in satisfaction. "Hopefully we will be able to stop this threat to not just Ponyville, but all of Equestria, before he comes here."

"I have every confidence in you and your friends abilities," The aged Earth Pony said sincerely, matching Twilight's small smile. "Thank you, again, for bringing this matter to my attention a short while ago."

After that, we departed the office and Town Hall. It was easy to convince the good ol' Mayor about the looming threat that was Tirek. She hardly dismissed the notion of a monster that would do terrible things to her town and all ponykind. I breathed a sigh of relief after Mayor Mare informed us that she will inform everyone of the upcoming situation, and they were prepared to evacuate to a safe haven, guarded from magical senses that I hoped not even Tirek would sense should he invade the town.

You have done the best you could, Specter stated gently.

"Still feel like I should go after him before it's too late..."

Twilight, of course, heard my mutter from walking beside me.

"I told you, you're not confronting Tirek alone." Twilight shook her head, her voice firm and determined, "You can't face everything by yourself, Jack, not while you have me and the girls who can help you."

With a weak grin, I looked at the stern alicorn. "Sorry..."

"Don't be. You're just being protective of your friends." Twilight smiled, as though the notion was something she admired, which was probably true.

Still. "I just don't want you and the others-"

"To get hurt. I know. But we feel the same way. I feel the same way." Purple eyes locked on mine, halting my movements along with Twilight's own. "I've... We've almost lost you too many times to count now, and we don't want to risk ever losing you again."

"Even though I won't be on this world indefinitely?" Oh, that was the wrong thing to ask, by Twilight's sudden saddened gaze at the reminder. "Sorry I didn't mean to-"

Twilight held up a hoof, prompting me to shut up. Looking away, the mare shook her head on the ground, "No, you're right, who knows how long it'll be before you leave us..." Or me, were the unspoken words I could hear from her tone. And that along brought my own sadness, recalling the conversation with Shining and Cadence a week ago. Twilight then had a grin, looking back up at me. "Good thing then we don't have an exact estimate; it could be months before you go."

Even I could tell that expression was forced. "Twilight..."

"We should help the girls set up the picnic for Pinkie and her sister." The tone asked for me to drop it. Twilight motioned her head forward. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

Respecting her wishes, I left the subject alone, for now anyway. Instead, remembering what happened this morning, I softly rubbed my own belly as we walked. "Hopefully we won't have to consume so much rock candy again."

That, at least, got a smile from the mare I adored more than anything else.