There was warm stone under her hands as she crouched there on all fours. The false Equestria had gone up in smoke once Daybreaker had vanished, leaving Sunset humanoid but still demonic in another passageway. Spike raced over to her, leathery nose sniffing and prodding her as he worriedly asked a ceaseless flow of questions. It so resembled Twilight that Sunset let out a giggle, before pushing him away gently. “I’m fine, Spike. It was all an illusion—I think whatever mind is doing this is…looking for something other than to kill me. Maybe trying to see how I feel and operate? Or make me trap myself?”

“It was still scary! It smelled real! Why did you call that other pony Twilight? Why did she smell kinda like Twilight?”

Staggering to her feet and brushing gravel off her knees, Sunset tried to explain. “Because the two worlds have different versions of the same people. Princess Twilight is the one who stopped me from being a bad person and from the ‘bad magic.’ She’s…a Twilight who is a pony like me and grew up with magic and has a lot of friends. Our Twilight is the Twilight who grew up human with a close family, and a love of science.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Does that mean there's another me?”

“There is, and I've met him. He's a baby dragon instead of a dog, and instead of being Princess Twilight’s friend and protector…he’s actually her son, because she hatched his egg…though he looks after her too. And before you ask, a dragon is a creature who hatches small but grows up to be a giant fire-breathing, flying lizard.”

Silence from Spike had her worried, until he finally barked happily. “Oh good! Then he’s worthy of being a Spike! I was afraid he was going to be one of those small diggy prey creatures…or worse, a cat!”

Sunset chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with cats, Spike. They're just different from dogs is all.”

“Cats are rude and mean.”

She arched her brow. “And some dogs are stupid, brainless, bark machines that drool on everything. That doesn't make all dogs bad. Not every cat is mean—I’ve met some who were quite sweet and affectionate.” Like the elderly street cat she had taken in for about a year before it had passed away…or the alley cats who had shared food scraps with her that first winter. Sunset had certainly preferred them to the mangy street dogs who had growled at her and tried to steal whatever food she managed to scrounge up.

“I still don't like cats,” Spike grumbled.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset let it go. “Objection noted.” She scanned the area. “This is nothing like the tunnel we were in before.” They were standing in a chamber that had a dozen exits, at various levels, with thick columns holding up the ceiling. “What can you tell me?”

Spike turned in a slow circle. “Twilight is over here now…but lots closer, I think? She doesn't feel as far anymore.”

She was afraid of that. “…that means this place is a labyrinth and it can move and change on its own…or at least at the direction of whoever controls it.” The teen’s shoulders slumped. “That means it can play more games with us.”

“But why?” Spike asked.

Blue-green eyes looked at him. “Why what?”

“Why play with us? How is that play? It was…mean….and it was mean to you. Why? It's not doing anything to me.”

That made her pause. “…I…don't know,” Sunset answered honestly. “That first illusion, the one that had me completely lost in it…that was a trap. This though? Its…its like it wants something from me…or wants me to do something…but I don't know what…and I’m not sure it knows either. It's digging into my memories and feelings…pulling up things that I barely even remember, constructing elaborate illusions out of what it finds…”

Sunset shivered. “The trap part makes sense, at least--Hell is a prison for demons, a place to cage them and keep the world safe from them…and I…” The former bully swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “I…I’m still a demon, by the measurement of that sort of thing. The Elements fixed the dark magic, but…that part of me is still here. It’s…” she flexed her taloned hands. “That's why I look like this…” Admitting it out loud was painful, and it made her queasy. “It’s part of the reason…I may not be able to leave.”

Whining, Spike nosed her arm. “But…what about Twilight? She needs you. She’s your mate. You belong with your mate and your pack.”

His simple declaration made her throat feel tight. “I know, Spike…but it may not be up to me. I won't give up, and I’ll still try, but I already knew this might be a one way trip…and I’m…okay with that, if I can send Twilight home.”

The dog absorbed that. “If it tries to keep you, l’ll come back to help. Twilight needs her mate. She needs Sunset-Protector-Fire, and it's my job to make sure she has what she needs.”

Sunset leaned over to hug him. “Thanks, Spike. You're the best dog I know. Now let's go find our girl.”

“Okay! This way!” He trotted ahead when she released him, towards a seemingly random passage. She was already jogging after him when she felt reality shift six steps to the right and everything went sort red, then black, then she lost consciousness.

Sunset jolted awake with a start, her body doing its best to jack knife into a sitting position. This was halted by the warm body curled up half on top of her, and she only succeeded in jerking a few inches off the mattress with a gasp of air, before dropping back to the pillows, panting like she'd run a marathon. The form with her stirred from the sudden commotion, and in a moment, hands were cupping her face gently. “Shhh…breathe, Sunny…it's okay.”

Turning into the touch, Sunset inhaled the scent of old books and honeysuckle, the scent soothing and familiar, and let her racing heart and ragged breathing slow to a normal rhythm. Once it had, Twilight scooted up to brush her lips lightly with a kiss. “Nightmare?” she asked, though there was a sense that it was more confirmation than question.

“…memories…” she said after a minute, her arms winding around Twilight to assure herself that the dark haired woman was solid and real.

Purple eyes remained focused on her, and Twilight pressed deeper into her embrace. “Which ones?”

The redhead drew in her scent again, savoring it. “The Games,” she responded roughly. “Hell. I was back there. Trying to get to you…”

Another soft shushing sound, and Twilight kissed her again, just as soft and loving as the first time. “You did, and I’m here and alive because of you,” she reassured. “You and Spike…you saved me, Sunny, all those years ago. That's just a bad dream now, a memory of a nightmare that you beat.”

Sunset clung to her like a drowning mare to a life preserver, letting lavender fingers stroke her hair and scratch at her scalp. It grounded her in the present, as the dream faded to the background where memories lived, and eventually the tension melted out of her in favor of the quiet happiness of intimacy and the love Twilight was whispering into her skin.

Blue-green eyes watched in the darkness of their bedroom; it was still early, and Twilight looked tired. “…sorry I woke you.”

“Like I haven't done the same to you, Sunset?” Twilight kissed her nose. “It's alright. We have the day off—plus I might’ve taken into account my body’s current needs and scheduled an hour nap after lunch.”

Laughing fondly, the former unicorn sat up slowly, bringing her companion into her lap in the process. “Such a nerd…but you're my nerd.”

Twilight shifted against her, resting a cheek against her collarbone. “Mmmhmm. All yours…and you're my unicorn, even when you're a sweaty unicorn.” Her nose wrinkled up.

“Are you saying I stink?” Sunset asked with a snort of suppressed laughter.

There was a pause. “Yes. You're all sweaty from your nightmare.”

Taking a chance to sniff herself, Sunset winced. “Oof. Okay, point taken. I’m a gross, stinky mare. Is there room in your schedule for an early shower?”

A finger drew patterns on her skin. “Room? Sunny, you should know by now that ‘leisurely shower with my wife’ is a nice hour long block on any holiday itinerary.”

“Right,” Sunset giggled, savoring the way the word still made her heart flutter. “How could I forget…” Scooching, she shifted to swing her legs off the bed and adjust her grip on Twilight to something more stable. “And on ‘Wife Appreciation Day’ too.”

Arms snaked around her neck. “Shame on you, Sunset Shimmer, forgetting something so important.”

Heat bubbled pleasantly in her core, and she flashed a hint of fangs as she stood up, carrying the smaller woman in her arms easily. “I suppose I’ll just have to make it up to you, Sparky,” she purred in one lavender ear. “What do you think?”

Twilight let out a little squeak, and nodded. “…I…I like this plan. It's a good plan.”

It was nice to know she could still make her partner flustered, even after all their time together. Sunset carted her off to their bathroom, and soon they lost themselves in a haze of steam and pleasure.

Sunset stepped up behind Twilight, letting her eyes rove over bare skin reflected in the bathroom mirror as the other woman dried her hair with a towel. She couldn't help but slide her arms around her wife, pressing against her back as she rested her hands on Twilight’s stomach, one index finger tracing at a faint but darker line of skin that had grown more visible in the last two weeks.

Twilight leaned into her touch, but rested hands over hers and stilled the restless movement. “I promise, Sunny, it's normal.”

“You sure?” Sunset asked worriedly. “That doesn't happen in mares.”

The arched eyebrow made her feel sheepish. “Sunset, mares have thick body hair—it's entirely possible that it does, but you wouldn't be able to tell.” Then she poked the amber skinned woman in the side. “Although, should I be concerned with how up close and personal you’ve apparently been to other mares?”

Snorting, she wrinkled her nose. “Please. My handful of trips back to Equestria under Twi’s remit have had you with me for this. You know exactly which mares I’ve seen, and considering they were mostly doctors, they saw a lot more of me than I did of them.”

“I still saw the most.” Twilight’s grin was impish, and she was definitely pleased to have distracted Sunset. “Not that I’m complaining. You are a very pretty pony.”

Sunset flushed, and chose to nibble on her wife’s ear. “You aren't so bad yourself in a pony body. I might’ve won a bet with myself about how fetching you would be.”

Twilight twisted in her arms, mostly so she could kiss her. “Mmm…and what did you win from yourself?”

“The choice to walk behind you through Twi’s tacky treehouse. You have amazing hindquarters in both worlds.” Sunset captured her mouth hungrily, felt Twilight press into it, and for a fleeting moment considered dragging her back to bed and keeping her there until dinner.

Unfortunately, her lover pulled away after a minute, brushing her hand against Sunset’s cheek. “We should get dressed, Sunny. I believe you promised to take me out for breakfast before we hit the museum.”

She sighed, but acquiesced, stepping away to saunter back into the bedroom. “I did promise, didn't I? Breakfast at your favorite restaurant, the new science exhibit at the museum in Everton, and a picnic lunch at the overlook, if I remember right.” The former unicorn could feel the eyes on her backside, and she very pointedly bent over to root through the dresser drawers. Behind her, she heard Twilight’s breathing speed up, and counted it as a small win and adequate consolation for not being able to cart Twilight back to bed and make her scream.

“…t-that’s right,” Twilight agreed, her voice catching. “…and dinner tonight at Mom and Dad’s…so we can tell them the news.”

Her reaction made Sunset smirk and shift her weight as she made a slooooow show of getting dressed. A brief glance over her shoulder showed Twilight was staring…not as flustered as she had been when they were teenagers, but still with definite interest in what was in front of her. She also had done nothing to dress herself.

As she snugged the jeans up over her hips and did the button, Sunset turned towards her partner. “Are you going to breakfast like that? I wont mind the view, but our next stop would be jail and your folks would have to come make bail for us both.”

Twilight hit her in the face with a pillow.

Sitting back in her seat, Sunset sipped at her coffee and took the moment to watch Twilight. She had finished her breakfast of french toast, fruit, and eggs at a measured pace, but her wife was still working her way through a platter loaded up with super thick waffles, eggs, hashed browns, several servings of breakfast meats, and a side of fruit. Intellectually, she knew Twilight needed the extra calories, but part of her wondered where she put it—and coming from someone whose magic necessitated well above the recommended two thousand calories a day all the cereal boxes mentioned, that said something.

Her dark haired partner paused to take a drink, and smiled over the top of her glass at Sunset. Under the table, a foot slid up Sunset’s jean covered calf teasingly until it reached her knee, then threatened to creep towards her inner thigh. Sunset leaned forward, and under the table, hidden by the tablecloth, amber hands grasped that foot gently. Blowing a kiss at Twilight, she started massaging her ankle, watching the smile become an expression of bliss. “You were on your feet too long yesterday, weren't you?”

“…I had to be. We had to finish up the project, and make the presentation, and then I was with HR for several hours to finalize the details of my sabbatical…and I had two classes last night that were both labs.” Twilight nibbled on a strawberry. “I’m just a little worn and sore.”

Working her thumbs into the arch of that foot, she felt the tension. “You need to take breaks, Sparky. Even just five minutes helps you, you know that. The last thing I want is for you to overdo it and fall.”

She scowled at Sunset, but it wasn't truly angry. “Yes, Mom,” she stressed, sticking her tongue out after.

Sunset let her foot go, wondering if she’d pushed too hard on the subject. “…sorry…I just don't want you to get hurt.”

“Neither do I,” Twilight said with soft affection. “I do appreciate your concern, and I’ll be more mindful…but I read those books too, Sunny, and I’ve calculated for everything. I’ll be okay.” She flicked a waffle crumb across the table. “It's sweet that you are like this.”

That prompted her to look away with a shrug. “I have no clue what I’m doing, and I don't exactly have anyone I can ask yet. I've kind of been going at this blind, and those books you gave me…didn't really help much.”

Twilight polished off the last of her breakfast. “And after tonight, I’m sure Mom and Dad will be ecstatic to give you any advice you ask for. And then some you didn't.”

Sunset chuckled. “Your mom is going to have manticore kittens, you know that right?”

“Yes, that's why it's only the four of us at dinner tonight.” She raised a hand to flag down the server. “And since I don't want to panic about that right now, let's hit the museum!”

Listening with half an ear to Twilight expositing on the detailed backstory behind a particular scientific discovery of the prehistoric giant towering over the rest of the room, Sunset smiled. They had spent the last several hours touring the latest exhibits, including one of a bunch of dead royals from ancient Egypt and all their grave goods, and Twilight was vibrating from pure excitement and knowledge overload. Sometimes, Sunset felt she enjoyed these museum dates more for the way Twilight acted than for the locations themselves—though in some cases, learning more about the human world was absolutely fascinating. Like when it came to their prehistoric creatures; Sunset liked comparing it to the somewhat limited paleontological record she could recall from Equestria, and seeing where it overlapped and differed was a rather curious point of conjecture in her discussions with both Twilights.

“So if this guy was a prey animal…do I want to know what was trying to eat him?” Sunset joked. “Or should I just assume Earth had dragons once upon a time and this was basically their favorite snack?”

Twilight shook her head. “No dragons, not like you're thinking of, but it's likely the young ones were preyed on by all kinds of predators—from the eggs we found, they were only about this big when they hatched.” She held her hands apart by only a foot or so. “They had a lot of growing to do in their first few years of life.”

“I’ll say,” Sunset murmured, trying to reconcile the baby size with the huge bones overhead. “I think this guy is smaller than the current dragon lord, actually. I've heard he's pretty enormous.”

Her wife tilted her head quizzically. “I thought ponies had little to no contact with dragons. Spike notwithstanding.”

One hand waggled in a maybe gesture. “Not sure if it's changed, but I know when I was a filly, Celestia would have private, one on one meetings with the dragon lord every decade or so. Mostly to make sure polite borders were maintained. Dragons are a bit…inconvenient to have as neighbors.”

She gestured to the model of the vicious looking, human sized meat eaters in the next exhibit. “Okay, these guys were in that movie Dash showed me. They were smart, right?”

The dark haired woman beamed at her as she launched into explaining Deinonychus and its relatives.

They had chosen a great day for their lunch. The overlook had been sparsely populated, and they had managed to find a quiet spot on a patch of grass under some shady trees to eat the sandwiches in the cooler. Now they were enjoying the sunshine and contemplating Twilight’s scheduled ‘naptime,’ and whether or not they could get away with it right there on the grass. Twilight was leaning back against the broad tree shading them, and Sunset had packed up their lunch things so she could lay down with her head in Twilight’s lap. Her rough night was catching up with her.

Fingers carded through her hair. “Tired?” Twilight asked.

“Kind of…”

“Nightmare really took it out of you this time,” she commented. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sunset nuzzled into her shirt briefly, letting Twilight’s scent fill her nose. “Did you bring ice cream?”

Slim fingers toyed with her forelock. “Not today, but I know Mom has some for dessert tonight.”

“Good enough,” the redheaded woman responded with a faint smile that fell quickly, as she brought her mind back to the memories. “…I was…back in Hell, with Spike, trying to rescue you. Hell was…getting into my head…” She shuddered, and pressed her face against Twilight’s middle again, half hiding from reality in the faint warmth, familiar scent, and loving embrace. “Its hard to shale the feeling of still being there…”

Twilight hummed in her throat, her hands still stroking through fiery locks. “Then walk me through the memories,” she coaxed. “Take me on the journey, so you can see that its over. That you succeeded, and I’m here and this is real. That I love you and you love me, and we’re happy with our lives…that the monster is long behind us.”

Sunset whined, hiding in the fabric for several minutes, feeling those fingers and hearing the humming in her ears, and letting it all just wash over her. Finally she rolled onto her back, looking up at her partner’s worried expression. “…okay.” Amber fingers caught lavender and she squeezed tightly for support as the memories were dragged to light. “Spike and I landed together…it was dark and heavy and just awful, but he could lead us to you. So we walked…” She recounted the hallucination of the past that never was…how it wrecked her, how it fell apart because it didn't mesh, but how it still hurt to acknowledge as pure fantasy and wish fulfillment…and a trap.

The dark haired woman had heard it all before, but she treated the story with seriousness and concern. “You didn't deserve to have your emotions used like that…and…its okay to have wanted her to love you and adopt you. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be loved, Sunny. Everyone deserves love, especially children.” Purple eyes were thoughtful. “Is it possible your own anxieties over everything brought this back to the surface?”

“Maybe?” Sunset lifted their linked digits to her lips. “I’m still more than a little terrified I’m going to fail—a distant immortal princess is not exactly the best role model.”

Smiling, Twilight pressed a palm to Sunset’s cheek. “I have complete faith in your abilities, Sunset Shimmer. You have yet to fail those you care about, and I cannot see you starting now.”

“You have far more trust in me than I have in myself.”

“I always will. You are always there when I need you most.” Twilight brought their hands up to mimic Sunset’s affectionate gesture. “After the fake history and Novo…then what?”

Her eyes shut in remembered anger and pain. “Daybreaker. It was the false Equestria with a corrupted Celestia…she burned everyone and everything. Killed her sister, almost killed Twi…but I interfered. I jumped in the way of a deadly fireball—I think you humans are rubbing off on me.” She recounted the fight, the argument of perspectives, the offer Daybreaker made…the way she had called Sunset her daughter, and how she’d not only turned it down, but taken her apart verbally. “I was so angry…it was like a twisted version of what I wanted more than anything as a filly…it was shallow and wrong and just…”

Twilight soothed her with kisses and affection. “It's over, Sunny. You beat that illusion. You realized the flawed argument and showed how far you had come….but you need to realize it wasn't real. It was all just an illusion, a deception. You can let it go now.”

A wet laugh bubbled up. “You know me, Sparky: Mommy issues for days. Run away, before it's too late!”

“You can have all the mommy issues in the world, Sunset, but I still love you. You’re my very best friend.”

She watched Twilight’s face, searched her eyes and found only truth. “You are a huge sap, nerd.”

“I have every reason to be.” This time she leaned down and Sunset met her halfway for a kiss. “Now, keep going. Tell me what happened next.”

Sunset sighed and prepared to tell her the rest of the story for probably the hundredth time since it happened—this was Twilight’s go to for helping her ground herself in reality rather than memory, whenever it manifested as nightmares that left her uncertain. “We figured out after that that Hell was…being rearranged around us…that its physical shape was…transitive and fluid. Spike could still find you though, so we kept going…” The former unicorn trailed off, frowning.

“And then?”

“….I…can't remember.” Dread settled into her stomach unpleasantly. She knew that she’d passed a long gauntlet and rescued Twilight, but now, focusing on her memories, everything beyond Daybreaker was…indistinct. “I know I succeeded…” Her eyes focused on Twilight’s. “…but I can't remember what exactly happened.”

Sitting up, she turned towards her wife. “Why don't I remember, Twilight?”

Twilight was frowning now, her own eyes looking down. “…I…I don't remember either,” she confessed. “Which makes no sense because I should. Not only was I there…but you’ve told me this story before. Many times.” She met Sunset’s gaze steadily. “And I possess perfect recall.”

Having heard her companion regurgitate entire encyclopedia entries, Sunset knew that was true. Which meant… “…I’m still in Hell,” Sunset whispered, feeling a wrenching sense of loss. “This…isn't real.” The words burned in her chest, her throat. They hurt to say, especially with how Twilight’s face fell. “I’m sorry…” she choked out.

Arms enfolded her in a tight hug. “Sunset…no. You don't need to be sorry…” she was warm and she smelled like the real Twilight, of old books and ink and honeysuckle and a touch of electrical wiring, and her voice was perfect…but it was a lie, a beautiful trap meant to keep her enthralled.

Yet even as a trap she was Twilight in so many of the right ways. She held Sunset in that hug, kissing her and pressing their foreheads together. “I won't try to keep you, Sunny. If…if you’re right…then I need you, wherever I am. The real me is waiting for you to get her out of Hell, and back home.”

Sunset choked back a sob. “I…want this to be real,” she admitted brokenly. “I…this is everything I could never hope to even dream about…but it's not…”

“No, it might not be…but…” Twilight smiled at her, wiping the tears away and yet crying herself. “That doesn't mean it can't be someday, if you rescue your Twilight…and I won't keep you from that, no matter how much I want to keep you by my side.”

Blue-green eyes could see the blurring, the distortion of reality at the edges, and she knew it was just a dream. Another trap. “I’m so sorry,” she managed around the lump of coal lodged in her throat. “I have to go to her. To the real Twilight. To my Sparky…but…thank you for…for reminding me why I’m here. Who I’m here for.”

Twilight pulled back, wiping her eyes, and resting a hand against Sunset's chest, right over her heart. “That’s…that's what best friends are for, Sunny. Now go. You’ve got this—I believe in you…and so does she. No matter what she said in anger.”

The dream melted away, and Twilight was the last thing to fade, the end of a wish that pulled from the desires so deep and secret that Sunset had never even known the real depth of them. As she found herself in the dark cave once more, Sunset choked on emotion and she crumpled to the floor with a keening sound, sobbing brokenly into her hands as the loss of a dream she never even realized she’d possessed crashed into her.

Author's Note

*looks up from twisting the knife.*

So...
That happened.

Hooray emotional trauma!

Not a lot to mention here, mostly just feel like the chapter does a lot of speaking for itself.