Sunset let out a startled cry as she brought her arms up to protect herself from the red light, only to realize she was back in the cave-like corridor, Spike beside her. “What...in Equestria was that?” she whispered, checking herself over but finding no damage that hadn't already been there--she was still battered and bruised and scraped up, but nothing that wouldn't heal with a few nights of good sleep. Certainly nothing that would have been put there by being bludgeoned by a cannonball of pure light beyond a faint tingling, prickling sensation on her skin.

--Not sure. It…didn’t hurt, but…you feel that too, don’t you, horn-head?--

She didn’t need to ask what, because it was there, humming under her skin and in her core, a weight and heaviness to her magic in her body that hadn’t been there since she left Equestria, as if it were once more fully connected to her, rather than a walled off energy she could only catch glimpses of. “Yeah…It's like being a unicorn again…but…not. It's…” she paused, searching for the right words. “...too heavy.” A thought occurred, and she didn’t like it. “...Please tell me I didn’t pick up another passenger.”

The voice was silent for a few seconds, then answered, --Not to my knowledge? I think we’d notice if we gained another roommate.--

“Thank the stars for small favors,” she grumbled.

“Sunset-Protector-Fire!” Spike barked out. “Look!”

Her head snapped around to look for a threat, only to realize that the cave system had changed. There were massive doors set into the walls, rounded things of blackened metal and crystal, with tiny windows and bars on them. Cell doors. They had reached the prison part of this nightmare at last, and the faint glow seemed…brighter.

--You know what, I think we can deal with the rest of this insanity later. Sparky has to be here somewhere, and she’s the goal. Everything else comes after her.--

Yeah. She’d just have to add it to the mental list that was growing longer every minute.

On second thought, maybe she should actually write all of it down if they survived Sombra, just so she didn’t forget anything.

“Twilight’s just down here!” Spike bolted down the corridor, towards a door that didn't look that dissimilar to the others. “Here! This one!”

Sunset followed, her heart pounding in her ears. She was still in a demonic form, and she was expecting some last, final attempt by Hell to trap her. As she reached the door, she peered through the window, and felt her anger surge to the surface in a burst of crimson magic. She could see Twilight’s staring face, her body being accosted by dozens of shades, vaguely humanoid, until she was cocooned in layers of darkness like spiritual spider-silk.

“Spike,” she growled. “Move.” Her horn blazed so bright with power it was almost white, and she began weaving a powerful spell in the air in front of her. It began as a ball of flame, but grew rapidly into a twisting, incandescent phoenix shape that bore more than a little resemblance to Philomena.

With a yelp, Spike dove away from the door, allowing her to send the living elemental flame at the barrier with one command: “Burn.”

Burn it did, consuming metal and crystal in white heat, melting part of the wall to molten slag along with it. The whole cave system vibrated, a whisper of wind for the first time stirring the passage and carrying with it a distant wail, as if the realm was in pain, and Sunset let out her own scream of rage in response, drowning out the sound with her own sound of challenge that would have given a even an oversized earth pony stallion pause. Hell had brought this on itself; with as much as it could manipulate the environment, the mind behind it could have opened the door for Twilight.

“Stay here,” she told Spike. “If Hell tries anything funny, howl.”

And then she stepped over the molten rock into the cell, feeling barely more than a passing warmth from it. Her magic continued to course through her, finally free of the shackle that was her human form. She cast again, this time a specialty spell she had crafted for defense, combining her natural telekinesis with more fire, and began ripping the shadow figures off of Twilight’s form. “Get away from her!” the former unicorn hissed, casting the shadows away with extreme prejudice.

—Horn-head, stop! Look!—

The cry pulled her up short, and she realized the shades were cowering back from her magic and rage, faint limbs shielding their vague suggestions of heads from her violence. It…didn’t make sense, given how aggressive Sombra’s shades had been before. These should be trying to attack her, to keep her from Twilight…Even the ones who had bowed to her had not been afraid, only caught in conflicting orders from two different demons.

—They aren't Fearlings…I think they're Sombra’s past victims.— The voice sounded as horrified as she suddenly felt. --The souls of those he’s…taken and consumed over the years, or maybe other people like Sparky…sent here to take his place while he used their bodies.--

Her fire fizzled out, and she stared. There were easily hundreds, possibly thousands of them, all now peeling back from Twilight and making themselves small and non-threatening while they quivered with terror. “Bright starlight and burning ashes,” she whispered. “....how many beings have been sacrificed to that monster’s appetite by Twilight’s Principal?” As her gaze swept them, she realized that most were almost invisible, with no real features…just the suggestion of a humanoid torso with a ghostly tail. Some were more substantial--she saw a few that looked liked…illusions of people, semi transparent but still with the hints of clothing or faces--young, old, rich, poor…a few looked like they might have been teens, and there was one who looked fairly well defined that resembled a hobo.

She could feel them too…misery, fear, despair…

Hopelessness.

They had long since given up, sacrificed and damned and trapped by an evil unlike any she had ever seen before, used to feed his power and dark magic. And unlike Twilight, she couldn't fix them. She couldn't bring them back to life--there were some things that were beyond even the most powerful magic.

She couldn’t save them…and that hurt.

“I’m…sorry…” she breathed, blinking back tears.

--We can't give them back their lives,-- her other side interjected, --but that doesn't mean we have to leave them chained, horn-head.--

“What do you mean?”

--We did it before, in Sparky’s school. The wall. That…thing we ruptured.--

Her mind recalled that moment, where the dark magic had pressed in on her, screaming, until something had burst. “Is…that what we did? That…was…like these?”

--...Yes. And…I think we can do it again…we can…let them go. They…won't be brought back to life…but they’ll go where they should have gone, instead of being trapped.--

“How?” Sunset asked, the words almost a demand.

--You did it with the Sirens, and you did it at the school. Combine the two.--

The Sirens…oh! The tendrils of dark magic! Sunset threw her senses open, drawing on her magic, and suddenly, she could see the chains of darkness that bound them, like a cancerous spider web. This time when she poured her magic into it, the wretched remnants bombarded her with a tremulous, fearful hope, even as her power burned away the ugliness, scorching the hooks until every last one was free of the bindings. Sunset took a shaky breath. “I’m…sorry. I can't take you back…but…you're free now, all of you. Go on,” she whispered. “Get out of here—you don't deserve to be here.”

There was that twisting, popping sensation in her head again, but times a thousand, and the whole crowd of them let out a unified sigh, before winking out of existence, leaving just her and Twilight there.

The other girl was not naked like Sunset was. Instead, she was wearing a crisp white lab coat over fitted slacks and a nice button-down shirt, and serviceable but professional looking shoes. It contrasted with the messy bun her hair was in, with stray pieces having fallen free and the presence of several pens and what looked like a touchscreen stylus shoved into it haphazardly. It was flattering and cute in a way that was so very Twilight--nerdy, absent-minded scientist that she was--and Sunset was struck dumb with the surge of emotion that hit her like a fully loaded train.

She’d made it. She’d found Twilight.

Then Sunset took a second, more serious look at the still form of the girl she’d been through literal Hell to find. Twilight was standing, limp and still, like she was in some kind of trance or sleep, but somehow, the flyaway strands of her hair were shifting, moving faintly in a non-existent breeze, and the edges of shadows on her skin from her clothes and the creepy ambient ‘lighting’ seemed to move as if they were smoke. Sunset frowned, and focused her senses on Twilight, looking for a sign that this was Sombra’s power on the other girl, or some lingering effect from the broken souls, or if it was just yet another game by Hell…and found only the same welcoming presence she remembered from all the times she’d looked the girl over for the dark energies in the real world. It had to be her--even Spike agreed it was, and he hadn’t been fooled before. “Twilight?” she ventured, voice rough.

Twilight blinked and her eyes opened as she came out of whatever…fog she’d been in. It didn't take long for her to focus on Sunset. “Sunny?” she asked, voice shaking. Eyes that seemed to glow in the dark like a distant galaxy in the night sky passed over Sunset’s form, reminding her just how monstrous she looked, especially next to Twilight.

She cringed back, ears flattening and her tail clamping itself down against her backside tightly. “…I…yeah…It's me.” Sunset waited for the horrified reaction to her visage.

Instead, she was sent sprawling to her back painfully as Twilight tackled her in a full-body hug, already sobbing. The redhead wrapped her arms around the smaller form, hugging her tight, and feeling her own tears of relief well up as she pressed her face into dark hair. As she did, she felt the prickle of static discharge against her nose and the hand that came up to the back of Twilight’s head. …She supposed that explained the hair, laughing weakly. Despite the slightly painful sparks of electricity against her skin, it felt…good…in a way she didn't have words for, to have Twilight in her arms again like this.

From her chest, she could hear the litany of apologies, even as Twilight shook in her embrace. “…hey…” she whispered raggedly.

“You’re here, you really came, even after all the things I said! Sunny, I’m so sorry, I didn't—I-I s-shouldn't h-have—I didn't m-mean it! Y-you're the best friend I’ve e-ever had, and…oh, Sunny, I thought that monster k-k-killed you! I thought I…” Twilight broke off and pulled herself up to kiss Sunset, the action bordering on primal and desperate. The redhead returned it just as fervently, a part of her still afraid it would be her last chance to do so for a while, if Hell refused to let her leave.

She was still Sunset Shimmer, after all.

Her magic reacted, already flowing through her veins freely after her little display with the door and the broken souls. The warm embers in her reignited into a wildfire, laced with her love and relief and joy at finding Twilight and knowing that there was still some hope that the human girl she had fallen for cared about her. Where their lips touched, another of those static shocks, the strongest yet, burst in a discharge of energy that should have hurt but didn’t, and it was all that seemed to be needed for the magic to become the very Harmony-touched power that normally manifested with the girls. It raced through her soul, burning brighter and hotter than it ever had, and Sunset let it spill free as a crimson tide--she couldn’t have stopped it even if she wanted to, with as much power as it was. It would have been like trying to restrain the ocean with bare hands. Reality shifted with a bone deep vibration, like the pop of a joint going back into proper alignment. Just as her eyes started to flutter shut, she could see the blood colored flames covering them both, the edges of them turning purple where they touched Twilight. They didn't burn, only tickled over the soul in her grasp, making her girlfriend squirm and break the kiss with a little gasp, eyes wide as she stared at the energy that had filled the room.

“…oh…you are magic,” Twilight whispered in awe, turning a hand over to watch the way the fire danced over her digits.

Sunset sat up with her slowly, her eyes watching as the flaming power burned up a wall of crystals that looked like the very same material Sombra had encased Twilight’s body in in the real world. “…Not exactly…but…kinda? It's…part of what I wanted to explain to you…about me, and Equestria…and the energy you were trying to study…”

“…yeah…Indigo and I figured out it was magic last week.” Twilight sniffled and tucked her head up under Sunset’s chin. “…I really am sorry, Sunset…I…I was awful to you.”

Nuzzling her companion, she puffed a sigh. “It's…I can’t say forgiven yet, because…I think we have a lot to talk about, Twilight. Not just me telling you the things I wanted to, but…about what happened with The Fight…and dealing with what happened today. Someone reminded me that this has been a lot, and it's still not over; there's still a demon king we have to oust from your body, and an army of monsters my friends are holding off to buy me time to get you back there…” She hugged her tight. “…but…I…I…want my best friend back.”

Twilight went quiet and still for a moment, then asked, “…just your best friend?” Her voice sounded small and scared.

“…I…not just that…but…everything else needs to be discussed first…before we…talk about that.” She tipped Twilight’s face up and pecked her lightly on the lips. “I did kiss you back, you know. It wasn't just you accosting my mouth,” she teased, flashing her a half smile.

Lavender fingers clutched at her shoulder. “…okay…you’re right. It’s…been a…day. Week. Month. We…both need time to process and sort our feelings, and…talk.” Twilight flicked her gaze down briefly. “…though…that's not easy when you are naked and also looking like that.”

Flinching, Sunset flicked her ears back a fraction. “…yeah…sorry. I know I look pretty hideous right now.”

“What? Hideous?” Purple eyes stared at her in disbelief. “Sunset…you’re gorgeous…and the…whole…gargoyle…demon…monster…look is…” She licked her lips. “If we weren’t in some terrible nightmare death realm, I’d probably be asking you to reconsider the talking thing and just…take me to bed and do whatever you want to me.” Twilight paused, then added, “I’m still considering it.”

—Hah! Called it!—

“…ponyfeathers.”

Her girlfriend looked confused. “What?”

Sunset groaned. “I think I just lost a bet with myself.” She scowled when Twilight giggled at her words. “I’d be more upset, but…seeing you smile is worth the amount of smugness I’ll be dealing with from her.”

—You just hate that I was right.—

“Shut up, or I swear, I’m going to start playing polka while we sleep.”

—Please. Even we don't hate ourself that much.—

“Don't tempt me.”

Twilight arched a brow. “Is this other self somewhat sarcastic and flirty?”

She eyed her girlfriend. “…there is a lot of innuendo where you're involved, yes,” she admitted.

Another soft laugh. “…we’ve met, I think.” Fingers played with the ends of Sunset’s hair. “There…was a you…that kept showing up when I needed you. I thought it was a projection of my sexually frustrated subconscious but…it wasn't, was it?”

—Yeah, that was us trying to protect her. Hey, Sparky!— the voice interjected. —Also, I’m putting in my half of our vote for skipping talking and going right to bed with her. Just so you know, horn-head.—

It's not being put to a vote. Sunset winced. “…yeah. That was…me. My…other side. It's…complicated. I wanted to protect you, but my head is a bit…messy, so my magic sort of manifested a solution...without my conscious awareness of it. Sorry?”

Arms wound around her and squeezed. “Thank you, Sunset…you have no idea how much it really helped…it saved me in the fight with Polaris. The…shadows. They came alive. I thought I was panicking and seeing things, but…I wasn’t. They were what that monster used on your friends--living shadows.”

“Fearlings,” she corrected. “They’re…like your world’s version of a monster we call Fearlings. Creatures of darkness and terror that live in the shadows of the world.” Sunset grimaced. “The students and teachers were fighting an army of them when I left, trying to buy me time.”

“Oh.”

That…pretty much said it all, and the pair was silent, savoring the contact for a minute, before Sunset nudged her to her feet. “We should get going—I have no idea how long it will take to get out of this place.”

Twilight agreed, separating reluctantly. “Out of curiosity…why are you naked while I’m wearing clothes?”

“Of all the questions you could focus on, that's the first one?”

Her girlfriend shrugged. “It just seems off. I guess I could have asked about why you have your sun symbol tattooed on your hips?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “It's not a tattoo. It's me, my cutie mark.” She rubbed her fingers over the mark on her flank. “All of my…people…have them, and each one is unique, a representation of their deepest, truest self, painted on the flanks when we discover some fundamental truth about ourselves.” She snorted. “Mine happened when I deliberately ignored authority to dive headfirst into a very dangerous situation, heedless of the danger to myself, to help someone I could feel crying out in pain and fear.” That was a nice summary of events. “At least, I earned it somewhere during that little mud-diving misadventure, but that was also like a five hour span, so…maybe I earned it by nearly poking myself in the eye on a branch. Or almost drowning in mud. Or nearly breaking a leg running back through chest deep muck. Hard to say--I was like six and a half at the time...”

“That’s positively fascinating,” Twilight said, fingers stretching out curiously to brush over the edge of the sun shape in the soft, curly fur. It made Sunset shiver pleasantly. “And the nudity? Not that I’m complaining, but…most people picture themselves in clothing.”

She captured the inquisitive fingers before they fried her brain. “We don't have a nudity taboo. Clothing in Equestria is…more about a social statement than a requirement. Most of us go around naked all the time, except in winter, although I have to admit I never needed much more than a scarf except on the really windy days.”

Wide purple eyes went a bit hazy as Twilight seemed to be caught in some sort of daydream that left her cheeks flushed. The voice laughed. —She's probably imagining a whole population of people that look like we do right now, horn-head…all naked.—

“Oh for—” Sunset sputtered. “Sparky, I don't normally look like this. It's not what you are thinking. I highly doubt you’ll find most of my species any more attractive than I find most humans.”

Twilight’s brows pinched together. “Why not? Are you really some kind of writhing mass of tentacles or a slimy blob monster? Or like…a satyr or something? Because you have not been on the internet enough, Sunset Shimmer.”

Her face was on fire, and she blurted, “Tentacles? What? Sparky—I’m a pony, okay?!”

That declaration made Twilight freeze in place. “A pony? Like…clippity-clop clippity-clop, that kind of pony?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “Four legs, hooves, mane and tail, a muzzle, more in love with hayfries than is probably healthy, that kind of pony. A unicorn to be specific, rather than a pegasus or an earth pony.”

All she heard was a squeak, and when she looked down, Twilight was staring at her with an expression of pure wonder. “I’m dating a magical talking unicorn pony?”

“Um…yes?” Had she broken her?

The question was answered a moment later when Twilight kissed her again—it didn't last long, but it staggered her from the force of the embrace and lip-lock. “…if it weren't for the whole faerie principal and shadow demons murdering me, this would be the single greatest day of my existence,” Twilight told her, serious despite the grin on her face.

“…I'm not sure if that says more about me or you,” Sunset joked, as she tugged Twilight towards the door, keeping their hands tightly clasped in the process.

Her eyes went wide as they stepped out into a well lit, smooth corridor made of intermixed black and white marble—the floors were black polished tiles under her feet, but pleasantly warm, the walls and ceiling the rich, gray streaked white marble that made the wide hallway feel bigger. On the walls were crystal mage-lights, made of that same glimmering rainbow streaked crystal, whose light cast colors on every surface while maintaining a noonday brightness. It was about as far as it could get from the earlier cavern system. “What in the name of Nightmare Moon’s star spangled backside happened here?” she breathed.

--Huh. That’s definitely an improvement. This place was depressing before.--

Spike looked up from where he sat guarding the doorway. “Finally! I know I said you should mate with Twilight more often, but maybe you should wait until we get back to the den?”

“Spike?” Twilight dropped to her knees to stare at her now pony sized pet. “What happened to you? You can talk? That wasn’t some kind of hallucination?”

He licked her face. “Nothing happened to me! This is me, because of the Choosing! It's my job to protect you and help you not get lost!” His nose sniffed her insistently. “And I could always talk, I just don't speak two-leg…er…hu-man!”

“Oh…” She scratched his ears and looked up at Sunset. “Is…it permanent?”

Sunset shrugged. “The talking? Or the giant hellhound form?”

“Yes.”

“...I don't think so? According to my other side, coming here is some kind of metaphysical inversion process, so you see a being for who their soul says they are. Your tiny little dog just has…a big soul and magic of his own…some kind of symbiotic species gift that allowed him to bond to you when he was young.”

Twilight eyed her shrewdly, frowning. “…and that's how a unicorn sees herself?” she asked, gesturing.

Horseapples. “I’d rather not get into it now, Sparky.”

“Sunset…”

She shook her head. “Not right now. You can dissect my scars and self-loathing later. Right now I want to know what happened here. Hell didn't look like this when we came in.” The redhead let her gaze scan up and down the crisp, clean hallway. “It was a dark, depressing cave system before. If I wasn't like this, I wouldn’t have been able to see anything at all--it was like being in empty lava tubes in an old volcano.” She stretched her senses uneasily, and realized she could perceive farther up the corridor than she could see, including around several corners. It was…disconcerting in a huge way.

The dog piped up, “It changed after you went in to get Twilight. Everything shook a little, and there was this light that felt some like your Good Thing and some like Twilight’s Good Thing, and now the whole place feels like Sunset-Protector-Fire, and it's not trying to do anything to us anymore.” He licked his nose. “I like it. It feels safe here now. I think it submitted to you, Sunset-Protector-Fire. You’re its leader now.”

“And…that gave the place a makeover?” Her head was starting to hurt, but she really didn’t have the time or energy to devote to tearing into this mystery about Hell’s connection to her and the voice in her head. She had no idea how long they’d been away from the real world, but they needed to find their way home and fast, before Sombra and his army hurt or killed someone. “Right, questions for later…but if I’m able to have a say…” The redhead called out, “Hell, I know we’re not…friends, and you don’t like me much, but…it'd be helpful to have an exit pretty nearby so we can get back and deal with the King of Demons possessing Twilight’s body. I’m happy to do my best to send him back here if you want to fix his cell up and cram him back in here. After what I saw in there, you can subject him to your little marathon emotional yo-yo session all you want!”

“I’ll help!” Twilight called. “Just no more tricks with Sunset!”

The world seemed to shudder, a vibration they could all feel in their feet, and the crystals throwing rainbows on the walls flared brighter in a rapid pulsing, as if the realm heard them both. Behind them, there was a grinding, shifting sound, and they whipped around to see a new entrance to the cell form from the blasted hole Sunset had left. The door was made of the same material as the walls, and had no visible handle.

--Clever. When shut, the door will blend into the wall except for the little window. No more break ins are happening here, it seems like.--

Snorting, the unicorn shook her head. Interesting, but it still didn’t help them find the way out.

Then the world vibrated again, and at the end of the hall, a sign twisted into being on the ceiling, both English letters and the Equestrian glyph for “Exit” with an arrow pointing to the left.

“Huh.” Sunset and Twilight exchanged baffled looks. “…I did not expect that to work. I just hope it's not a trap. Again.”

Twilight hugged her. “Maybe I managed to intimidate it into just wanting us to go rather than deal with both of us?”

She looked down at the girl who was nearly a foot shorter than her demonic form. “…I…sure. Let's go with that.”

“Hey! I can be intimidating!”

Blowing air out her nostrils in a snort, Sunset said, “I’m not saying you can't. I mean, you somehow managed to break into two of its attempts to torture me.”

“…three…” Twilight responded almost too quietly to hear.

Blue-green eyes widened. Three? Which other—oh no…Had Twilight been privy to that illusion of a future? Sunset choked on the thick, unmoving air. “What?”

“Nevermind,” Twilight said quietly, pulling her forward. “We need to leave first—I want my body back before that monster does anything nasty with it.”

The trio headed down the hall, and followed the sign’s indicator. It led them to a glowing white threshold that was almost painful to look at. “Spike?” Sunset asked. “Is…that the way out?”

He sniffed. “Yes!”

Sunset nodded, and scooped Twilight into her arms. “Sunny!” the girl cried. “What are you doing?”

“You’re a soul without a body,” she explained, drawing on her magic to form a protective shell around the universe’s most precious cargo. “I don't want you disappearing before we can put you back. If I keep you tethered to me with my magic…I should be able to prevent that long enough to reunite you with your body.” She dipped her face down and kissed Twilight’s forehead. “Hopefully it works.”

“It will…because I’m not ready to move on yet.” She chewed her lip. “There's a future I want to see happen…and we have to both be there for it. Take me home, Sunny.”

Her heart kicked itself into high gear, and Sunset took a running leap of faith into brilliant, scintillating white.

Author's Note

Sunset: I'm kind of getting used to talking to the voice in my head.

Also Sunset: Please, no more hitchhiking brain passengers. I just managed to reach a friendly understanding with the one I have.

So yeah. Things. Stuff.

Something is going on with Hell. Maybe its had enough?

I'm sure its nothing.

....
....
....

Yeah, okay, I wouldn't believe me either.

...Sunset's getting quite a list of things she's going to have to deal with after this is over, isnt she?

Anyway. That aside.

Its the moment you were all waiting for, the real reunion between the girls....and a little glimpse at some other shit. Like Sunset getting to do some cool fire magic.

"Fuck that door. In particular. Its between me and the girl."

So... now we see what Sombra has been doing with a lot of those souls. Omnomnomnomnom...

Things arent....totally fixed...but...the girls are talking. And they smooched, so...yeah. There's that.

And we have the big reveal to Twilight herself. I'd say she took it well.

She is right though. Sunset clearly has not been on the internet enough. Or in the right places. We all know what people think about Demony Sunset. (To quote a friend "People be THIRSTY.")

I'll admit, it was kinda fun--but definitely challenging--to find the right mix of serious and funny for this one, but I was pretty satisfied with our work. I just hope you folks were as well.

Next time, we come crashing back into what is going on at CHS.

Here's hoping they've held the line, hmm?