Only The Penitent Mare Will Pass
"Begone, foul beast!"
Inferno Radiance, Priestess of the Eternal Flame, raised the Holy Scepter of Razdon into the air, channeling the arcane power stored within it to launch a fireball the size of her head at the Abyssal Wolf that loomed before her.
The giant, pitch-black monster howled in pain as her spell struck true. Snarling, it lunged at Inferno, its vicious claws leaving a deep scratch along her left arm. Inferno fell to the ground, clutching at her wound.
"We must not let this creature get the best of us," she gasped out at her ally in the war against the Darkness. "Player Two, use the Windigo's Horn to cast the Spell of Hoarfrost and send it back to Tartarus!"
Player Two stared at Inferno Radiance, her body still as a corpse. "Fine," she grumbled, pointing the Horn at the Abyssal Wolf and staring impassively as it was consumed by ice. "Are we done yet?"
"Starlight? You okay?"
Sunset turned to face her girlfriend as the TV speakers played out a little victory ditty and the screen faded into the next cutscene. Starlight stared listlessly ahead as Scarlet Inferno and Player Two confronted the Void Summoner in his throne room.
"Yeah." Starlight's boredom was clearly etched onto her beautiful face as she mindlessly mashed the Start button on her controller. "So we just need to kill this guy and then we're finished, right?"
Sunset sighed and paused the game, setting her own controller down. "We don't have to keep playing if you don't want to."
"Oh, really? Okay!" It took a significant amount of self-control for Sunset to keep the smile on her face as Starlight immediately dropped her controller, her entire demeanor brightening up like a kid who'd just been let out of class ten minutes early.
Something must still have shown through her gritted teeth, though, as Starlight quickly followed that up with, "I mean, we can keep playing. As long as you're having fun, that's all that matters."
"No, it's fine." Sunset went through the motions of shutting down the gaming system while she spoke. "I want both of us to have fun when we're together. Besides, I'm sure we can find something else to do that we'll both like."
"Well, we could always go back to what we were doing yesterday..." Starlight's hand brushed lightly against Sunset's leg, sending a small shiver up her spine. "These human bodies are a lot of fun to play with."
"Mhmm." A soft coo escaped from Sunset's lips as Starlight began to softly explore her body with her hands.
Starlight leaned in for a kiss, and for the next few minutes, Sunset lost herself in her girlfriend's velvet lips. Despite being in a human body, Starlight still had all of her skills when it came to driving her wild, and Sunset soon found herself lightheaded with desire as Starlight slowly began to pull her shirt up.
Sunset considered whether or not she wanted to stop Starlight from taking things further. On the one hand, Starlight was a phenomenal kisser, and lust was already making Sunset's clothes feel far too hot and uncomfortable. She had no doubts that she and Starlight could rock each others' worlds if given half a chance, and her bed was starting to look really nice.
On the other hand, they'd already spent most of yesterday fooling around, and with Starlight having to go back to her world tomorrow, Sunset wanted to do something with her girlfriend outside of the bedroom. Playing Journey to Tenochtitlan together seemed like the perfect idea for a lazy day in, but Starlight apparently wasn't much of a gamer.
Starlight had reacted to Sunset's suggestion that they go on a virtual adventure with about the same enthusiasm as she had when Sunset had a brought up going on a road trip together a few weeks ago. Still, Sunset had hoped that maybe she'd get into it once she started playing, but they'd only gotten a few minutes into their adventure before "Player Two" was obviously just following the motions and doing whatever Sunset told her too, which wasn't really fun for either of them.
It was weird, because Journey to Tenochtitlan was exactly the kind of thing that Sunset thought would be up Starlight's alley. An adventure across a land of witches and dragons and all sorts of cool magic was basically a standard date for them, but without the constant threat of actual death. So why didn't Starlight want to play?
"Umm, Sunset?" A confused frown from Starlight brought Sunset out of her reverie. "You okay there? You kinda zoned out for a bit." Sunset noted that she was holding her top down while Starlight was trying to pull it up, and that her girlfriend had stopped peppering kisses down her neck.
Sunset shook her head. "Sorry, I was just thinking about some stuff."
"Oh?" Starlight smiled. "What's cooking in that beautiful brain of yours?"
"I was just wondering why you didn't like playing Journey to Tenochtitlan with me."
Starlight scoffed. "Oh, you're still thinking about that? I get that you like playing those electronic games, but I'm not really interested in fake adventures."
For some reason, her dismissive tone grated at Sunset. "You know, I put a lot of work into your character," she said, annoyance seeping into her tone. "I spent hours poring over different ability descriptions online trying to find something you'd like before I found that Frost Mage build. I thought you'd appreciate it after you told me about how you learned Ice Magic last week in the Frozen North with the Snowponies."
"I don't know why you put so much effort into a dumb game," Starlight retorted. "We've gone on actual journeys to dangerous new places before and fought actual monsters that could destroy Equestria if we didn't stop them first. There's no need to play pretend."
"Well, I don't see the Map telling us to go to Lemuria or Derecho right now, so excuse me for trying to do something that's close to the only things we have that resemble dates and not just marathon sex-sessions!" Sunset snapped, the anger quickly overtaking lust as the source of the heat spreading across her skin.
"Don't try to tell me you didn't enjoy those," Starlight snapped back.
"It's not about enjoying them, it's about me wanting to have an actual date with you that doesn't end with us giving up on whatever we're doing and having sex!" At this point, Sunset was yelling, but she really didn't care. "Every time I try to set up something nice for you, you just give up and say it's boring after a few minutes and try to seduce me! I booked a strip at the fencing club and you walked out after the first bout! I spent ages finding beginner sheet music so that you could learn how to play the guitar, and you barely even touched any of the instruments before you gave up!"
"That's rich coming from you! Every time you come over to Equestria, all you want to do is study magic. You didn't even wait for the wind to get strong enough before you decided that you didn't like flying kites, even after I went through all that trouble making a phoenix-shaped kite for you. You just wanted to go back to the library to read up on Star Swirl's fifth spell or whatever. I don't know why you don't just date Twilight if all you want to do is read!"
"Maybe I should date Twilight! At least she understands how much magic means to me, and I actually have fun with her when she comes over here to visit! She'd probably make a better girlfriend than you!" As soon as the words slipped out, Sunset slammed a hand over her mouth, her anger cooling like it'd been doused with a bucket of ice.
Starlight flinched as if struck before her own eyes turned colder than ice. "Well, if that's how you feel, then I won't stand in the way of your true love." Starlight stood up and smoothed out her clothing, her demeanor completely detached and professional. "I guess I'll see you around. Have a nice life, Sunset."
Sunset sat on the couch and watched as Starlight walked out of her house. The whole world felt like a dream, and no matter how much she wanted to call out to her girlfriend and beg her to come back, the words just wouldn't form on her lips, her mind unwilling to lie to her lover.
The door closed behind Starlight, leaving Sunset alone in the house. She sighed and turned on her TV. Well, at least she had time to finish the game now. It'd go a lot faster without having to drag a newbie along for the quest, anyway.
Somehow, that thought did little to comfort her.
Three days later, Sunset's gaming marathon was interrupted by a knocking at her door.
She paused the game and walked over to greet her visitor, mulling on who it could be. Her friends were out of town for Spring Break except for Applejack, but she was stuck on the farm. Maybe she'd come over to hang out for a bit? Sunset didn't really feel up to it, but maybe spending some time out of her apartment would be good for her.
She checked the peephole and cursed, before plastering a fake smile on her face. "Hey, Twilight," she said as she opened the door. "What brings you all the way here from your vast kingdom? Tired of playing Princess with your subjects?"
Twilight playfully rolled her eyes. "I'm always tired of playing Princess," she said, a teasing smile lighting up her eyes. "I should get you to take over for me for a week while I take a vacation."
"You know, a few years ago I'd literally have killed for that," Sunset replied, a little bit of actual cheer returning to her. "But I'm reformed now, so you'll have to find someone else to dump your workload on."
"Darn. Maybe I should go dig up Tirek from Tartarus and see if he wants a job." Twilight let out the cutest giggle before holding her arms out for a hug.
Sunset allowed herself to be pulled into Twilight's embrace, taking some comfort in the friendly gesture. "So, what's up?"
"It's the Map," Twilight said as she released Sunset.
"Again?" Sunset's head tilted in confusion. "It hasn't even been a month since the last time."
A shrug as Twilight's smile faded. "It's unusual, but I'm sure it has a good reason for calling you and Starlight." She seemed to falter over that last word, staring up worriedly at Sunset as she finished.
The melancholy that had plagued her for the past few days returned with a vengeance. "Me and Starlight, huh?" Sunset said hollowly. "Where's it telling us to go now?"
"Mount Peytral."
Sunset tensed. "I see." For a moment, she wondered what the consequences of introducing the Cutie Map to her sledgehammer would be. As satisfying as she would find that experience, it was probably best not to go around assaulting artifacts of Harmony. No matter how tempted she was.
"So, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, sure." Sunset closed the door behind her, and the two of them set off for Canterlot High and the portal on foot.
Sunset waited in awkward silence for Twilight to say whatever it was she was obviously working up the courage for. It took about five minutes before the princess turned towards her while waiting at a stoplight. "So..." she trailed off, her voice rising in pitch as she nervously fidgeted with a lock of her hair.
"Yeah?" Might as well get it over with now, Sunset thought to herself.
"Are you and Starlight doing okay?" Genuine concern radiated from Twilight, and even though Sunset's heart weighed a ton at the moment, she still smiled in relief that she had a true friend who cared about her and wasn't just looking for gossip.
"Not really," she replied honestly. "What did Starlight tell you?"
"Not much," Twilight admitted. "She hasn't really been talking to anyone since she got back. All I got was that you two had a fight and now you're not talking to each other? Or you're not together at all? I'm not really sure which one it was."
"Me neither. We had a pretty big fight that just sort of came out of nowhere." Sunset barked out a bitter laugh. "Well, not nowhere. More like, a lotta small things building up over time until it explodes into something big. I said some stuff I wish I could take back."
As the memories returned, Sunset found herself looking at Twilight in… the same way that she had before. It was funny; she and Twilight got along really well, and Twilight was really pretty in both worlds, but Sunset just didn't have that same burning desire that she had for Starlight towards her. Twilight would always be the good friend and mentor who had pulled her out of the darkness, and that was it.
"I'm sure you two will be able to work out your differences in time. You've both grown and learned so much since I first met both of you, and I have no doubt that you'll be able to overcome this obstacle if you set your minds to it."
Maybe it was because she reminded her of Princess Celestia too much.
"Thanks, Twilight," Sunset said, smiling indulgently at the pep talk. "You're right; no matter what happens, we're still going to be friends." Even if they had nothing in common besides kicking tail and… other things involving tails.
"So, how's everything else going on this side of the portal?" Twilight asked as the school building came into view.
"It's pretty exciting," Sunset replied. "We're starting to get responses from the colleges we applied to. I've already gotten into the same schools as the other Twilight, so I'll definitely have a roommate if I decide to stay here."
"Have you thought about the offer I made you?"
Sunset nodded. "A lot, actually. Going back to Equestria permanently would be… amazing. And it's good to know that you'll have a job lined up for me if I go back. But all my friends are on this side of the portal, and there's definitely a lot of good I could do here with the other Twilight if we put our heads together."
"I understand." They were almost on the school grounds, now. The air positively crackled with magic that had permeated the school after all the different incidents that had taken place there. "Long distance friendships are hard to maintain."
"Yeah. That won't change even if I stay here. It's not like everyone is going to end up at the same college, assuming we all go to college in the first place."
"Still, if there's anything I've learned since I moved to Ponyville, it's that friendship isn't always easy, but it's worth fighting for. You'll just have to make time for each other, and find new ways to create wonderful memories together."
"You're right." So many things were changing, and Sunset wasn't going to let herself be left behind, no matter what she decided. "Thanks, Twilight. I needed to hear that."
"Anytime, Sunset." They stopped in front of the portal. "Ready to see what the Map has in store for you this time?"
"I'm always ready."
Sunset stepped forward, and the world disappeared in a kaleidoscope of colors.
"So, what do you think is wrong at Mount Peytral this time?"
The deafening silence that had hung over Sunset and Starlight for the past few hours since they'd boarded the train came crashing down as Sunset spoke.
Her current-and-or-former marefriend looked up at her in surprise. "Huh?"
"I said, why do you think the Map sent us to Mount Peytral again?"
Starlight shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't visited since the Map sent us there the first time at the beginning of the year. Maybe there's another ancient artifact that they need us to retrieve from a booby-trapped cave being guarded by a dragon."
"Heh, I wouldn't mind another chance to practice fighting somecreature with magic resistance. Last time was pretty fun."
"I almost got eaten last time," Starlight said flatly.
"But you didn't." A smug grin spread across Sunset's face. "Because I saved you with my daring heroics. Although, if you count what we did together afterward..."
A rolled-up newspaper appeared out of thin air and bapped Sunset on the snout. "Bad Sunset," Starlight admonished, clearly trying to fight back a grin. Unfortunately, she won, and went back to frowning. "Sunset, do you ever get tired of being the Map's brute squad?"
"Hey, I resent that comment! We do a lot of research and quick thinking on our missions!"
Starlight waved a hoof dismissively. "You know what I mean," she said. "Whenever the Map has a friendship problem that requires a lot more force or spelunking than usual, they send us."
"Well, yeah." Sunset rolled her eyes. "Can you imagine Rarity or Fluttershy trying to fight off a dragon to save a town?"
A snort escaped from Starlight before she could suppress it. "That wouldn't end well for either of them. Although, Fluttershy can be scary when she gets mad."
"Yeah." The mood in the cabin settled back down into awkward silence for a moment. "So, are you getting tired of going on these missions?"
"I don't know." Starlight got up and began pacing back and forth as the landscape flew by outside the window. "Before, I was okay with it because I got to spend time with you, and we had a lot of fun together. But now..."
And there was the cause of the uncomfortable tension that had plagued them since Sunset had come back to Equestria. "You know, from what I've heard about the Map, there's a chance that it's sending us to Mount Peytral to fix… us."
"I've thought about that," Starlight replied. "I don't think it's a coincidence that we're getting sent back to the place where we hooked up right after we have a big fight. Maybe there's something there that it wants us to learn."
"Maybe." Sunset finally built up enough courage to broach the subject directly. "So, about that fight..." Her throat closed up as Starlight stared at her warily. "I — I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said about Twilight. That was really mean of me."
"It was, yeah," Starlight retorted. "You know how much it hurts when ponies compare us. It's not easy living under her shadow, even if she's nice about it."
"I know better than most ponies." That was the part of the argument she was the least conflicted about. "I guess even after I reformed, I never stopped learning the best ways to hurt people."
"Ah, that I get better than most ponies." A small smiled played on Starlight's lips.
"So, will you accept my apology?" Sunset reached out a hoof towards Starlight.
There was a moment of hesitation, and for a second Sunset was worried that Starlight was going to tell her to take that hoof stick where the sun didn't shine.
"Of course I will." Starlight took her hoof, and Sunset almost sighed with relief. "Whatever happens, I want us to still be friends."
"I want that too." It was so nice to hold Starlight's hoof again. The two of them hadn't touched each other since Sunset's arrival, and the physical contact was calming in a way that Sunset hadn't thought possible until now.
"I'm glad." Another pause. "So, about the other thing..."
Starlight pulled away from Sunset. "Right, yeah. Are you still mad at me for not wanting to play your game with you?"
"A little, yeah." Sunset turned away from Starlight to stare out the window. She could see the Hinnylaya Mountain Range in the distance, where Mount Peytral was located. "It's just, I went through all that trouble of trying to make a character that felt like what you did here in Equestria. You seemed to have fun whenever the Map sent us on some friendship mission where we needed more firepower than words to solve the problem, and I wanted to find a way to capture that experience between missions."
"But it's not the same, though," Starlight said. "It's just a game. I don't get how you can play that and not compare it to the real thing."
"Well, you need to have a good imagination and be good at creative thinking to get it, I guess."
Starlight's eyes narrowed. "Are you implying something?"
"I — sorry." That word was going to get thrown around a lot today, it seemed. "I'm just on edge. I shouldn't have lashed out like that. It's just, I was really hoping that this would be the thing we could share together, since everything else doesn't seem to be working out. Journey to Tenochtitlan was my last idea, and I kinda panicked when you weren't interested in it."
"Well, there's definitely one thing we can do together that we'll both enjoy. A lot." Starlight's eyes smoldered as her voice turned low and husky.
"Please, Starlight, I'm trying to be serious here." Even if she was tempted to melt into her marefriend's arms and forget all about her troubles.
"Fine." Starlight pouted. "I'm sure we'll find something eventually. We've got plenty of time to explore our relationship."
"Except that I need to decide what I'm going to do after I graduate," Sunset pointed out. "I — I was thinking of coming back to Equestria. Twilight's already got a job lined up for me if I want it, and I'd get to spend more time with you."
Starlight beamed. "That's great! We can finally be together all the time."
"But I don't want to leave my friends behind either, and I feel like there's so much more I can do to help that world." Twilight had built a purely electromechanical device to measure magic before meeting Sunset. The things they could do together... "Equestria's going to be fine without me, the occasional friendship crises aside. But between me and the other Twilight, we could change the human world for the better, forever. We could make history."
Starlight frowned. "Then you aren't coming over?"
"I don't know." Sunset threw up her forelegs in exasperation. "I love you. If we were going steady, then I'd be okay to leave my life behind to be with you. I've got a couple friends in Equestria, and at the end of the day, it's still my home. But if we don't have anything to do together, if our relationship is just going to fade away after the passion dies off, then I don't want to end up resenting you for making me make this decision."
"So what, you want to know for sure that we'll work out before you decide?" Starlight shook her head. "You know that's not how it works."
"Yeah, I know. But I want to know that there's at least a chance for us. And I don't know if I see that now."
Starlight nodded, the pain in her heart clearly showing in her eyes. "I don't know what to say. We've talked a bunch, and there haven't really been any intersections when it comes to interests, except maybe learning friendship and magic, but that's not something I want to do all day long. I get enough of that from Twilight."
"I get it. Even though I like being with you, I don't want to force this if we aren't the right fit for each other."
The two lovers stared at each other for several moments. Sunset tried to think of something, anything, that she could say to salvage this. But at the end of the day, she couldn't accept a relationship built on passion and shared thrill-seeking. She needed more.
"So this is how it ends, huh?" Starlight smiled sadly as she broke the stalemate, a hint of tears in her eyes. "Not with a bang, but with a whimper?"
"I guess. We had a good run," Sunset whispered, her own tears threatening to spill over.
"Yeah." Starlight and Sunset leaned forward to nuzzle each other one last time before retreating to their own corners of the cabin, a mournful silence falling over them as they continued their journey onwards.
"Okay, so the friendship problem is definitely more than just getting us to make up."
"You think?"
Sunset and Starlight stood in the middle of the town square of Mayapone — also known as The Peytral Village — staring up at the ornate fountain in front of them. A fountain that was very conspicuously missing the centerpiece that was supposed to rest on a pedestal surrounded by statues of ponies from all three tribes.
"They lost the Chalice of Souls again?" Sunset pressed a hoof against her face. "It hasn't even been a year! How do you lose a priceless artifact twice in one year?"
"Considering how often the Princesses get knocked out, I'm not even that surprised anymore." Starlight glanced around the empty streets. "Let's just focus on finding it. Again."
"Right, okay. The mayor's house is that way, if I'm remembering right." Sunset pointed towards the nicest house in the village. "We should talk to her and see what's going on."
"The library's near there too. We can do some research after we talk to the mayor to try and figure out why somepony might have stolen it. Again. It's not supposed to work if you take it too far away from Mount Peytral."
The two of them set out in the direction of the mountainside, towards the mayor's house. Mayapone was built around two-thirds of the way up the mountain, on a flat piece of land that jutted out much like Canterlot. As Sunset and Starlight neared the house, the door opened to reveal a greying old mare.
"Sunset, Starlight, thank Celestia you're here!" the mare called out in a thin, panicked voice.
"Golden, what's going on?" Sunset asked. "Where's the Chalice?"
"It vanished yesterday," Golden Wish replied. "Somepony managed to bypass the wards on it and absconded with our most precious treasure under the cover of night. Please, you have to help us! You know our village cannot survive without the blessings of the Chalice."
"Don't worry, we've got this." Sunset glanced over at Starlight, who nodded firmly. "Now, is there anything else you can tell us about the theft? Any clue about where they might've taken the Chalice—?" Sunset's questioning was interrupted as a massive wave of arcane energy suddenly washed over her, her horn lighting up in a sympathetic response.
Next to her, Starlight winced as her own horn similarly flashed with magic. "What in Celestia's name was that?"
"I don't know, but whatever it was, it came from the other side of the mountain." Sunset stared grimly up at what had to be the origin of the magical shockwave. "I'm gonna guess that's where the Chalice is, unless we've got two magical incidents happening at the same time."
"My magical reckoning is a bit fuzzy, but I think that it came from the cave where we found the Chalice the first time."
"Sounds about right. Well, I guess we have our lead now. We should head out before whoever is doing that finishes whatever plan they have for the Chalice."
"Let's get going, then. We've already got the gear we need to get around the mountain." Sunset and Starlight said their goodbyes to Golden Wish, and together they left Mayapone, preparing to make the treacherous climb around Mount Peytral.
Far above the rooftops, a raven took flight, making its own journey back to its master.
"Oh, right, I forgot about this ledge."
Halfway up the path to the other side of Mount Peytral, the pair of adventurers found their journey stymied by a wide chasm that promised a long fall with a very short stop at the bottom for anypony who failed to cross it.
"You think we can teleport across it?" Starlight asked, idly kicking a pebble and watching as it tumbled down the sheer cliff face.
"That's probably a bad idea," Sunset replied. "The ledge bends around the mountain, so we don't have line-of-sight. I know you've gotten really good at teleporting, but I'm still a bit out of practice, and I don't want to end up inside the mountain."
"So, self-levitation then?"
"Yeah." Arcane light surrounded both ponies as they lifted themselves into the air and floated over the chasm.
"This is a lot less stressful than the first time," Sunset remarked as the passed the halfway point and the other side of the ledge came into view.
"I told you the ground wasn't stable," Starlight said as she floated beside her. "But no, you didn't want to take a longer way or use up your magic before you got to the top of the mountain."
"Last time, there was a dragon guarding the cave, and we needed all our strength to fight him. Besides, if the ledge hadn't collapsed, I wouldn't have gotten to play the hero and save you from plummeting to your doom."
"It was pretty impressive," Starlight admitted. "And the adrenaline and the near-death experience gave me the courage to confess my feelings to you, so I guess it worked out."
Sunset smiled. "I was so happy I almost tripped and fell off the cliff, which would've been really awkward. I told myself I was going to tell you how I felt about you after the mission, but you beat me to —"
Another pulse of magic struck her right in the horn, and her levitation spell fizzled out.
A half-second later, gravity returned with a vengeance.
"Ahhhh!" Sunset desperately tried to reignite her horn, but flashes of power still fired off at random from it, canceling her attempts at spellwork.
Just as she was about to fall past the ledge, something caught her flailing arms and began to pull her up.
Sunset scrabbled at the rocky face of the cliff as she was dragged back up to level ground by a pair of pink forelegs. She collapsed gratefully on the other side of the chasm next to Starlight, barely resisting the urge to kiss the solid rock beneath her hooves.
"Phew." Starlight wiped a few drops of sweat off her brow, a relieved smile on her face. "That was close. I guess this time I get to save you."
Sunset chuckled. "I guess so." As adrenaline coursed through her veins, Sunset thought that Starlight had never looked more beautiful than she did now, standing over her with her mane slightly tousled and her coat matted with sweat. "Now I have to tell you how I feel about you, right?"
The light in Starlight's eyes quickly vanished. "I already know," she whispered. "It just wasn't enough."
"I — right." Sunset good cheer vanished as well. They were just friends now, no matter what they felt about each other. It wasn't a good idea to change that. "Let's keep going. I don't want to find out what happens if we don't get to the Chalice in time." It was for the best that they stayed as just friends.
It didn't make it hurt any less, though.
Sunset winced as she felt her connection to her magic cut off. "Okay, looks like the anti-magic enchantments on the cave are still working."
"Great," Starlight said dryly. "At least we know what to expect this time."
The remainder of the climb had, thankfully, been very uneventful. The easy banter they'd shared had dimmed after the reminder of the love they'd shared near the chasm, but they were still friends, and the excitement of adventure had loosened both their lips.
Now they stepped into the mouth of the cave, where the Chalice had once been hidden long ago before it had been recovered and used to found Mayapone. It had briefly returned earlier this year when a dragon had stolen it and hidden it in its original location, but Sunset and Starlight had quickly sorted that out.
As they continued onwards, the walls of the cave narrowed, forcing to them to walk in single file with their coats almost scratching against the rock on either side of them.
"The first trap should be coming up soon, right?" Sunset asked as she trudged on ahead, the light from her headlamp illuminating the way.
"Yeah. It should show up just after the cave widens again." Sure enough, the path before them opened up to allow a bit more breathing space.
Sunset tensed as she glanced around the walls and ceiling of the narrow chamber they were entering. Her ears swiveled around as she waited for the telltale sign of…
"Now!" she called out as she heard a whooshing sound, dropping down to her belly.
Above her, something flew past the top of her head, fast enough that she couldn't even see what it was. It landed with a splat against the wall.
"Thanks for the warning," Starlight said as she turned around to observe the remnants of the projectile.
Cream dripped from the chunks of fluffy payload in thin trails along the rough surface of the cave walls. Bits of fruits and chocolate lay in a gooey pile on the floor, coated in a thick layer of icing. And sticking out from a jagged crevice was a solitary birthday candle with a blackened tip.
Sunset walked up the high-velocity artillery cake and took a cautious sniff. "Hmm, it used strawberry this time," she noted approvingly. "One day, I really have to sit down and figure out how the enchantment keeps creating these cakes. They don't feel like magical constructs."
"Whatever," Starlight muttered, heading towards the next part of the cave. "I'm just glad that I didn't end up with my face covered in pastry this time."
"I had a lot of fun licking it off you last time," Sunset said with a smirk. "I think that was when we had our first kiss."
"It was." Starlight's eyes clouded over with memory. "It was one hay of a kiss. Still not the best one we've had, though."
"Nope. We've gotten a lot better at kissing since the first time." And Starlight had just the most beautiful, kissable lips. Sunset could almost feel how soft they'd be pressed against hers, how they'd open up to let her tongue dart in to tease her before things got really heavy.
She shook her head to clear out those thoughts. That wasn't going to happen again anytime soon, and they had a mission to focus on.
The next chamber was large enough that Sunset could hear the echoes of their own hoofsteps reflecting off the walls. A series of enchanted lamps illuminated the interior, revealing a heavy slab blocking a doorway and a grid of polished tiles on the floor, each marked with a different letter.
"The password is 'Luna,' right?" Sunset asked as she approached the giant keypad.
"Yeah, with a 'v,' because Pony Latin is weird and mashed those two letters together."
Sunset searched for the tile with the letter "L" on it. "I don't even remember what the riddle for this thing was anymore. Something about following the path of light in the darkness and a prophecy about returning to this land a changed mare?"
"Yeah." Starlight let out an amused snort. "Remember when we thought the prophecy predicted that we'd be the ones trying to get through here, and tried to spell out our own names in Pony Latin?"
Sunset chucked as she jumped from "L" to "V." "In our defense, Corvscans Stellarvm, the riddle fit both of us really well, too. I think that was the moment when I realized just how similar we were. Evil past, trying to use our darker nature for good, adventures in parallel or alternate worlds, elaborate guilt complexes."
A returning snicker echoed back from Starlight as Sunset moved towards the "N." "For a moment, I actually thought you were some kind of clone of me that the Mirror invented. I almost said that it was really nice of it to create the perfect marefriend for me."
"We were like two peas in a pod," Sunset said with a nod as pressed down on the "A." The stone slab slid open with a loud groan, revealing a dimly-lit corridor. "Alright, there's the path to the last trial. You ready to go?"
"Sure."
The final obstacle to the Chalice was located less than a hundred hooves down the corridor. Sunset and Starlight soon found themselves overlooking a massive chasm that was far too wide to leap across for even the most athletic earth pony.
"I wonder if this Leap of Faith trial was built before or after the Legend of Somnambula?" Sunset mused, peering down into the infinite blackness below them.
"It's hard to say," Starlight replied as she placed one hoof onto the invisible bridge between the two sides of the gap. "It's not the most original trap, so it's possible that there's no connection between them. You just need a bridge and a cloaking spell to hide it."
"I guess you're right." Sunset followed close behind, doing her best not to look down. The vertigo that had come from standing on something unseen over a hole you couldn't even see the bottom of had not been fun the last time she was here.
They continued at a slow but steady pace across the gap, both of them focusing on the exit straight ahead. "So, what's the plan once we get into the central chamber?" Sunset asked as they approached the halfway point of the bridge.
"Assuming the seal that blocks the anti-magic enchantment is still there, we'll have access to our magic back," Starlight replied. "Between the two of us, we can probably just blast whoever is — whoa!"
Starlight's hoof met air and she pitched forward, her tail swatting at Sunset's muzzle. Sunset reacted on pure instinct, grabbing her around the barrel and pulling her back. The two of them fell backward, thankfully without rolling over the side of the bridge.
"Whew." Starlight twisted around so that she was facing Sunset. "That was close. Thanks for saving me. Again."
Sunset tried to shrug. "It's what I do."
"Yeah, it is." A curious look came over Starlight's expression before it quickly shifted to one of desire. She started to lean in closer, and Sunset was very suddenly aware of how nice the unicorn mare's body felt pressed against her, all of Starlight's exquisitely soft curves molding against her as the heat radiating from her coat scorched Sunset with need.
Some rational part of her brain was telling her to push her away, to tell Starlight that they'd broken up and that this was just the adrenaline talking. The rest of her vetoed that motion with extreme prejudice, and Sunset slowly lifted her head up to meet Starlight in a passionate kiss.
The threat of falling off the narrow surface they rested on lent both caution and a sharp note of danger that only served to heighten her senses. Every careful yet firm caress, every movement of their tongues, was seared into her mind as Sunset let her lust for this beautiful, sexy, sensitive, and brilliant mare take over for just a little while.
Eventually, logic and common sense regained some ground, and Sunset forced herself to pull away from Starlight's muzzle, a regretful void already forming in her heart.
"We shouldn't have done that," Sunset muttered as the two of them carefully extricated themselves and returned to a standing position.
"Says you." A single hoof cautiously poked ahead at the spot where Starlight had fallen through. "Have you ever heard of friends with benefits? I think it's a concept we could have a lot of fun… experimenting with." Starlight's sultry tone turned serious. "By the way, it's just a small gap where the bridge seems to have crumbled. You can step right over it."
"Alright." Sunset mimicked Starlight's hoof placements as they continued forward at a much more cautious pace. "Also, one, I think you're spending too much time with Twilight. That line was just bad. And two, I don't want our relationship to be only physical. I want all of you, and if I can't have that, I'm not going to torture myself with just sleeping with you. You really think you'd be okay with that?"
Starlight sighed. "No, I guess not." They'd reached the other end of the chasm. A plain stone door was all that stood between them and the chamber where they'd first found the Chalice. "Alright, let's take a moment to rest and plan out our avenues of attack."
"Sure." Sunset sat down next to Starlight, trying very hard to ignore how nice she looked, or smelled, or tasted, or anything else that would weaken her resolve.
It was time to finish this and go back to their lives. Separately.
The door to the Inner Sanctum of the Chalice of Souls swung open with a crash, revealing a stallion wrapped in a roiling mass of dark magic that nearly obscured his entire body, making him look like he was made of shadows given form. Next to him, the Chalice of Souls rested on a small bed of velvet, surrounded by various arcane implements and glyphs drawn on the floor.
"Ah, how kind of you to finally join me, heroes." The stallion's voice had a strange layered quality about it, as if multiple voices were speaking at once in a deep, raspy voice.
"The Pony of Shadows?" Starlight's head tilted in confusion. "Stygian, is that you?"
"The Shadows, they recognize you," the stallion said. "You ripped them from their former host and banished them to Limbo. A fragment of them survived, however, and stayed within the Well of Shades until I discovered it."
"And you are?" Sunset asked.
"Equinox Flare, Magus Extraordinaire of Darkness, at your service." Equinox gave a mocking bow as he ignited his horn. "I'm so glad you responded to my invitation. It would have been such a shame if I'd wasted all that magic on sending out those pulses."
"You wanted us to find you?" Sunset tensed, preparing for a trap. She sensed Starlight doing the same.
"Of course." Flames made out of shadow began to swirl around Equinox. "The Ritual demands a sacrifice, after all."
There was a brief surge of magic as the flames raced towards the two mares. Sunset and Starlight leapt out of the way just in time, charging their own horns as they prepared to do battle.
"You cannot stand against The Shadows!" Whips of pure black materialized from the aether, slamming down on both of them. Starlight conjured a shield to protect them as Sunset lashed out of a spear of arcane fire.
"Mirror protocol!" Sunset shouted as the spear found its mark, making the stallion shriek in rage and the shadows writhe and shrink as they struggled to contain the damage.
Starlight didn't ask any questions, quickly teleporting beside Equinox as Sunset readied another blast of magic. This time, Equinox raised up a shield to defend himself, but instead of shooting at him, the blast went wide, striking a reflecting barrier conjured up by Starlight and bouncing off it to strike the stallion from the side.
A tentacle of darkness lashed out towards Starlight, knocking her over. Sunset instantly dove towards her, a makeshift shield protecting them from Equinox's assault until they could get away from the reach of his shadows.
"Enough!" Equinox's horn glowed once again, darker than it had before. "This ends now!"
"Yes, it does." By unspoken agreement, Sunset and Starlight touched their horns together, opening themselves up to each other's reservoirs. It was a deeply intimate experience, a joining of souls that Sunset would normally have savored, but at the moment she forced herself to compartmentalize and focus on weaving a spell with Starlight to take out the shadow-infested stallion.
Before they could finish casting, however, a weaker blast of magic fired out from Equinox's horn, missing the bonded unicorns by several hooves.
"Your aim needs work," Starlight taunted as she prepared to fire their combined spell at Equinox.
"On the contrary, my shot found its mark exactly."
Sunset felt a searing pain in her horn, and then the world faded into nothingness.
"Ah, I see you've awakened."
Memories of her fight with Equinox rushed back into Sunset's mind as she returned to consciousness. Her eyes snapped open to reveal the same chamber they'd been fighting in, and she instinctively reached out for her magic, only to find that it was blocked.
At the same time, she became aware that she'd been placed into a sitting position, with her back legs bound together by a length of rope, her forelegs tied up in front of her, and her barrel bound together with that of another pony — Starlight, she assumed — so that they were back-to-back and facing away from each other.
"What did you do to us?" Sunset hissed as she felt Starlight stirring from behind her.
"A desperate gambit." Equinox was crouched on the floor, repairing some of the runes that had been damaged in the fight. "I did not account for the fact that the Shadows had not recovered their full strength."
He pointed at the entrance to the chamber. Sunset turned to see half of a magic circle above the doorway, the other half having been blown to bits.
"When I destroyed the seal that protected this chamber from the enchantment that nullified horn-casting in the rest of the cave, the backlash from the magic we were wielding rendered us all unconscious. However, your unity proved to be your downfall, as combining your magics only served to amplify the shock, buying me precious minutes to awaken before you."
Equinox finished up the last glyph before picking up a knife, the shadows around him continuing to swirl and undulate. "I should have broken the seal from the start. After all, it only prevents magic channeled from the horn — my Shadows would still have consumed you. Fortunately, I was able to prevail, but I shall have to learn to temper my arrogance in the future."
"That's good. Humility is an important quality to have as a friend." Sunset's relief was palpable as she heard Starlight speak, and she took comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone.
"Yes, quite." Equinox walked over to Sunset. "Now then, if we're quite finished with that little aside, it is time to begin the ritual."
He placed the tip of the knife over Sunset's chest. "As a scholar, I believe you'll find the process quite fascinating." The cold metal traced a circle across her fur, drawing a nervous shudder from Sunset. "I'm going to cut out your heart and that of your lover, and with the hearts of two mages whose magic is matched only by their devotion for one another, I shall corrupt the Chalice of —"
"Wait wait wait." Sunset had never seen a shadow glare at her before, but her interruption of Equinox's monologue seemed to have succeeded in annoying them as well as the stallion. "If you're doing a corruption spell, then it's important that the hearts be from two ponies who are… together, on top of being powerful magic users, right?"
"Yes, of course," Equinox replied, annoyance leaking into his voice. "That is why I chose the two of you. I knew that once I stole the Chalice, you would be called upon to retrieve it —"
"Starlight and I broke up." It hurt to say it out loud so bluntly, and at that moment, Sunset almost wanted Equinox to cut her heart out to end her agony. Almost.
Equinox's eyes widened. "But why? Time and again, you have answered the call to arms together to right the wrongs of this world. Any fool could see the desire you hold for one another, and you fight as if your minds were one, with a synchrony that only joined souls could achieve."
"That's kinda the problem." Sunset sighed as she wriggled her hooves, trying to loosen her bonds. "We have great chemistry when we're on a mission, but we don't seem to have anything in common when we're on a regular date."
"Sunset!" Starlight hissed. "Do you have to air out all our personal business in front of the crazy stallion who's trying to kill us?"
"I just want to understand." Equinox stepped back and dropped the knife. "You seemed to be the perfect couple from what my spies reported about your prior missions."
"Well, yeah, but that's because the stuff that got us together — wanting to make up for our pasts, using the fact that we're not as nice as Twilight and the other elements when it comes to problem-solving to our advantage, and just enjoying the thrill of adventuring — doesn't really apply when we're not saving Equestria," Starlight explained. "And like, sure, we're both scared of the future and want to learn as much as we can about friendship, but those don't exactly make for great date ideas.
"I didn't want to admit it, but Sunset had a point." Starlight's words ripped a new hole in Sunset's heart. "I think Sunset is beautiful and smart and funny and brave and all sorts of other great things, but we just don't have any common interests. We keep trying to introduce each other to the things we like to do, but it's usually pretty obvious within the first few minutes that one of us isn't having fun."
Equinox rolled his eyes, and even the shadows around him made a rearing motion that managed to convey a sense of exasperation. "Well, if you're going to go about your relationship like that, then certainly it's doomed to fail. A relationship requires more than simply throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks." He shook his head. "It seems to me as if you expect love to be easy. A common enough misconception given the circumstances in which you came together.
"The truth is, love is a commitment, a promise to try and make things work." Equinox pointed at Starlight. "You are a student of the Princess of Friendship, and are employed within her school, no?" He waited for Starlight to nod be continuing. "Then tell me this: have you ever encountered two friends who seemed to be as different as the night is to the day?"
"Sure." Starlight snickered. "I'm kinda friends with Celestia and Luna, so I literally know two friends like that."
"And how did those friends come to find ways to spend time together?"
"Well, I told them to look past their differences and see what makes them the same, and to try and see things from the other person's perspective, to try and understand why they enjoy what they enjoy and how they can fit themselves into that."
"Such a task is not easy, yes?"
"Of course not. It takes time and effort and — oh." A pause from Starlight. "Huh, I guess I never thought of it that way."
"What way?" Sunset asked, beginning to feel a little left out in this lesson.
"Friendship and romance, they're not that different, right?" Starlight didn't wait for a response to her rhetorical question before continuing to speak. "And friendship isn't always easy..."
"...But it's worth fighting for." Sunset tried to smack herself with her hoof before remembering that she was tied up. "We've been so focused on how similar we are that we just expected to fit naturally without having to work at it. But the truth is, every relationship needs both ponies to make an effort to be together. Even the ones where it doesn't look like it from the outside."
"I'm sorry," Starlight said before Sunset could say anything more. "I know that you were excited to play that game with me the other day, and I shouldn't just have dismissed something you like."
"I'm not innocent of that myself," Sunset admitted. "How about after this, we sit down and have a nice long talk about the stuff we like to do, and see if we can't figure something out that appeals to both of us."
"I'd like that." Another pause. "So, does this mean we're a couple again?"
"I'd like to try being your marefriend again, if you'll have me. Really try, this time."
"Me too. Even if it doesn't work out this time, I want to know that I didn't just run away because it was hard."
"Wonderful!" Equinox clapped his hooves together, sending sparks of dark magic flying everywhere. "I'm so glad we resolved that. Now we can continue with the ritual." He picked up the knife from the floor with his teeth and began walking towards the two bound mares.
Sunset gulped. "Right, you were trying to kill us."
"Quite. Playing the role of relationship counselor was amusing, but all things must come to an end." The blade glinted wickedly in the torchlight. "With the renewed strength of your love, and the power of the magic that resides within your souls, I shall become more powerful than even the Alicorns."
"About that." Sunset wriggled her hooves. "You might be a good mage, but you obviously never learned how to tie a knot properly. The Filly Scouts would be ashamed."
With a slight flourish, the ropes around Sunset's forelegs came loose, sliding down onto the ground. "Push me!" Sunset commanded as Equinox reared back in surprise.
Starlight didn't question her, pushing against the ground with her back legs to drive Sunset forward. Sunset used the momentum to uppercut Equinox, causing him to drop the knife in his grip and allowing it to fall into Sunset's hooves.
As their foe staggered back, Sunset took the opportunity to free herself before tossing the knife over to Starlight, who began doing the same.
"So, fun fact," Sunset said conversationally as she stood up to face Equinox. "The Mirror transfers some types of muscle memory between transformations. It just takes a bit of time for it to stick. I'm going to guess that you're the kind of stallion who thinks his horn can win any fight he gets into, right?"
She pawed aggressively at the ground as she stretched out her aching limbs. "I used to be like that, before I got stuck in a world without magic. I've learned a lot about fighting since then."
Equinox snarled. "None can defeat the might of the Shadows."
"You really need to get some better lines." With that, Sunset charged forward, dodging and weaving against the onslaught of dark energy that the being possessing Equinox was throwing out until she reached the stallion himself.
True to her word, Equinox weakly raised a hoof to defend himself, which Sunset easily knocked away to deliver a stunning blow between the eyes, knocking him out instantly and causing the shadows around him to vanish.
Sunset took a moment to check that he wasn't feigning unconsciousness before returning her attention to Starlight. Her friend — whether or not they were more remained to be seen — had already cut through the ropes binding her legs together, and was staggering to her hooves.
Starlight glanced past Sunset at the fallen form of Equinox. "Aww, you took him out already?" she said, pouting.
"Sorry," Sunset replied as she held out a hoof towards Starlight, who gratefully used it to support herself as she got up. "I didn't want to risk those shadow things doing something nasty while we didn't have any magic. You think you can replicate the seal to block the anti-magic enchantment? It'd be a lot easier to move this lump and the Chalice if we could use magic to get back."
"Sure." Starlight picked up one of the pieces of chalk that Equinox had left lying around and began drawing on a medium-sized rock she'd found in the cave.
"So… what do you want to do after this?" Sunset ventured carefully as she swept the room to make sure that there weren't any traps left behind by Equinox. "I know we just had that big heart-to-heart, but I think it's pretty clear that we're a lot better at the big impressive moments than the smaller stuff."
"We are, but we won't get better at the small stuff unless we practice." Starlight walked over to the broken seal in order to get a better look at it. "Tell me why you liked playing that game on your TV."
"Huh?" Sunset glanced up sharply at Starlight, her train of thought derailed by the sudden change in topic.
"I want to understand why you enjoy the things you do," Starlight explained. "Your friends mentioned that you were a pretty big fan of these virtual games, and I want to know what you get out of them."
"Hmm." Sunset took a moment to think about her answer. "I guess it's because it lets me live out the fantasies that I can't, even in Equestria. I mean, yeah, it's not real, and the magic doesn't make any sense, but it's nice to be able to just cast spells by pressing a button instead of having to study them for days first. It's fun to be able to jump into a fight without having to worry about collateral damage or getting hurt permanently.
"And until the Map called the two of us here the first time, it was the only way for me to feel like I was going on an epic quest. You have no idea how much I missed being able to do that when I was stuck in the human world." When she put it like that, it sounded really sad. Sunset braced herself for Starlight's pity and attempts to sound supportive.
"I never thought of it like that. I guess if you can't do something in real life, using a simulation to kinda experience an idealized version of it can be pretty fun." Starlight let out a dark chuckle. "Better than what I did with Sunburst the first time he came to visit me in Ponyville."
"So, you get it?" Sunset asked hopefully.
"Yeah, I get it now." Starlight completed the seal, and Sunset suddenly felt a great pressure lifting from her horn. "It actually sounds like a lot of fun when you put it that way."
Sunset grabbed Equinox and the Chalice with her telekinesis and walked towards the door. "If you want, Journey to Tenochtitlan 2: Return of Ahuizotl is coming out next week. We can go over the character creation stuff together and see if there's something there for you."
"I'd love that."
The couple shared a quick kiss before they headed out of the chamber, ready to return to the light and face any trials that might arise, be they epic or mundane.
"Your reign ends now, vile necromancer!"
Frost Nova, High Magus of the Endless Seas, touched her hand to the Amulet of Boreas that she wore around her neck, unleashing its true power and summoning a Spirit Eagle to rip and tear at her foe, Gloomhorn The Dread Necromancer.
Gloomhorn staggered back as he was assailed by the Eagle, but his fel magic made short work of the construct. "Foolish mortals," he declared, conjuring a spear of calcified darkness in his hand. "Death shall consume you!" He flung the spear at Nova with superhuman strength.
Nova's eyes widened as she realized she couldn't dodge the magical projectile. She braced herself for its impact, only to find it blocked by a large shield.
"You no hurt magic lady!" A beast of a woman who towered over Nova yelled as she lowered her shield and ran towards Gloomhorn with her axe. "Grog smash!"
"Gahhh!" the necromancer cried out as steel cut through all his enchantments and met flesh. "No, I cannot fall! I am the greatest mage who ever lived!"
"Axe no care about magic." Grog struck again, and Gloomhorn fell, his reign of terror finally at an end.
"You saved me," Nova breathed as she approached the warrior.
"Grog always there for Nova," Grog said simply, hefting up her axe. "We go deeper now?"
"Actually, it's getting pretty late," Sunset said as she yawned. "We should probably call it a night and get some sleep."
Starlight pouted. "Aw, but I want to find out who hired Gloomhorn and smash him with my axe!"
"It's a school day tomorrow, and I've got a big test coming up."
"You're going to ace it anyways. Please?" After all this time, Sunset should really have gotten better at resisting her girlfriend's puppy-dog eyes, but she still found her heart melting at the sight.
"Alright, fine. But only until we finish this dungeon."
"Yay!" Starlight planted a big kiss on her cheek, and for a moment Sunset was tempted to try and distract Starlight away from the game by other means.
But right now, she was having too much fun playing the Mage to Starlight's Barbarian, and she didn't want it to end either.
"So, you still up for kite fighting Saturday with Trixie and Maud?" Starlight asked as they resumed the game. Grog had graciously volunteered to journey further into The Plagued Cavern, and Frost Nova was following a safe distance behind her.
"Of course," Sunset replied. "I've been practicing all week for it."
"Good. Trixie won't ever let me hear the end of it if we lose to — oh!" An owlbear leapt at Grog, hissing and screeching as it tried to eviscerate her.
"Grog smash puny halfbreed!" Owlbear met axe, and became owl and bear. "Phew. You were right about this, Sunset. It's a great way to let off some steam without blowing up the library."
Sunset smiled. "I knew you'd like it. Glad we could find some common ground."
Hand in hand, the two adventurers journeyed deeper into the unknown depths, eager to explore the wondrous world they had discovered.
