Jak is woken up by a sneeze. He slowly sits up and rubs his itchy nose. “Hmm, someone must be talking about me.” He looks over to Twilight, who is still sleeping like a foal. He smiles softly to himself before slowly maneuvering himself out of the bed. He tip hooves out of the room and gently makes his way past his room and down the stairs. Time for some breakfast, he thought to himself. He walks down to the kitchen and pulls out some eggs from the refrigerator. As he cracks them into the mixing bowl, he hears a soft rapping at the front door. “Coming,” he calls out before setting down the egg carton and walks tiredly to the door.
“Hello, Jak,” Jaq says as the hero open the door. “A pleasure seeing you again. How's life treating you?”
Jak glares at the newcomer. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Jaq flips her mane back over her shoulder, “Oh, nothing. I just wanted to let you meet my new associate, Distorted Truth. Distorted, say hi.”
For the first time, Jak notices the black earth pony stallion next to his nemesis. “Good, I've been looking for a fight.” He cracks his neck as he gets ready.
“Oh, no, no, no. I didn't come here to fight. I just came here to talk. Mind if we come in?”
“Why the fuck would I do that?”
“Aw, come on don't be like that. We just need to talk. We can do it over some tea.” She gives him her most disarming smile.
Jak sighs, defeated. “Come in.” He steps back from the door to allow the mare and the stallion to enter. “Follow me.” He leads the pair into the kitchen, and they see the open carton of eggs next to the mixing bowl.
“Oh, are you making eggs?” Jaq says as she sits down. “I'll have some of those along with the tea.” She wiggle her rump to get more comfortable in the seat.
Jak leers at the light purple mare. “Don't make yourself too at home. As soon as you are done talking, you're out of here.”
“Well then I guess I will have to talk as slow-lyyyy aaaaaas, pooossiblllllllle.”
Jak wheels around to face her, “Do that and I will punch you in the face.” He puts the kettle onto the stove to boil.
“Now, now there is no need for violence.” She looks at Distorted Truth. “Please, Distorted, you are making me uncomfortable, standing there like that. Please, sit down.” The black stallion nods once and takes a seat at the table. “Now, Jak, I wish to talk to about the Rift Gate.”
Jak's ears perk up at the mention of the gate. He stays focused on the kettle so as to not let Jak see his eyes fill with hope. “What about it?”
“My team of scientists has located it. Soon enough I will be able to go through it, and I will destroy it and leave you stranded here. Then, my victory will be complete. You will never be able to see your beautiful Keira again.”
Jak turns around angrily. “You wouldn't dare!”
“Oh, but I would.” Jaq claps her hooves together happily. “You see, I am what you goody four horseshoes call evil, and, being as such, I am entitled to do whatever I want.”
Jak's eyes start to turn black as the tea kettle starts to whistle. “Well, Distorted,” Jaq say flippantly, “I believe that is our cue to leave.” She looks to Jak one last time. “You have one month. On the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, I will go through the Rift gate and leave you here. Good luck.” She lights up her horn and envelops Distorted and herself in a light blue aura. The next instant, they are gone.
Jak hears hoofsteps coming down the stairs. Soon, Twilight appears at the entrance to the kitchen. She looks at the whistling kettle. “Oh, you're making tea? Thank you.” She looks to Jak and sees his stricken look. She walks up to him and places a hoof on his cheek. “Jak, what's wrong?”
A single tear rolls down his cheek. “I'm never going home. I'll never see my friends again.”
Twilight pulls him into a hug. Jak buries his muzzle in her coat. “Hey, it's going to be OK. What happened?”
“Jaq came by. She says she is going to destroy the Rift Gate at the Grand Galloping Gala.”
Twilight freezes. She knows about the Rift Gate. She knows it was the only way to go back to Jak's home world. She also knows that Jak, if given the chance, would head back there in a heart beat. Yes, she loves him, and she knows that he loves her, but this is not his world. She has been hoping that he would stay for his love of her, but it just is not meant to be. She squeezes him tightly as her own tears start streaming down her face. “We'll find it, I swear to you, Jak, we will get you home.”
Jak looks up and stares Twilight in the eyes. “How?”
Twilight smiles at him. “We will search for it, of course. I will use all my magic resources to find it. I swear it, by the love I have for you.”
Jak breaks into a grin. “I love you, too, Twilight, and thank you.”
Her loving smile turns into a sly grin. “There is one thing we have to do first, though.”
Jak looks at her confusedly. “Uh, what's that?”
“We get to get you fitted for a tuxedo for the gala.”
“A what now?”