Sunset hit the cold ground of a dark room. She quickly pushed up into a crouch and glanced around. Wherever she was, it resembled some sort of castle dungeon; the floor, walls, and ceiling, were all made of grey stone, and the only window was covered with heavy bars and set up high on a wall. The only concessions to modernity were a toilet, sink, and small vanity with a mirror.
She grunted, seeing that the mirror contained an image of Zephyr’s bedroom, rather than a reflection.
After a moment, Sunset felt a vague prickle on the back of her neck, as if she was being watched. She turned slowly, trying to pin down the source of the feeling. Yet she couldn’t.
“I know you’re in here,” Sunset said aloud. “Just let Zephyr go, and this doesn’t have to get messy.”
Laughter sounded from behind her. Sunset whirled in an instant, suddenly seeing the woman from Zephyr’s room again. Only this time, she wasn’t human; she was clearly an earth pony, and she was bound by some kind of straitjacket into a sturdy metal chair set below the window. Again, which hadn’t been there a minute before. A large, almost turban-like garment atop her head seemed to shift and strain against the bonds as she laughed.
“And why wouldn’t I want things to get ‘messy,’ dearie?” The mare giggled before breaking back into full-on manic laughter.
A sound like disembodied laughter skittering around the walls made Sunset draw back a few steps, and glance around. Her skin prickled at what might’ve been a light breeze, but that felt like very light, almost spidery touches. The sensation was almost enticing, and certainly distracting.
More laughter came from the mare. “And right now you’re wondering, how much of this is real? What can I do to you in here? ‘Am I in danger,’ the poor pony cries…”
Something hard slapped at Sunset’s side. She whipped around to try to face it, but stumbled, suddenly feeling her balance was off. She touched a hoof to her head to—
Sunset gasped.
It was a hoof, not a hand.
“W… what’s going on here?!”
The madmare giggled. “First of all, let me introduce myself: I’m the Mane-Iac. The scourge of Maretropolis; the best-tressed mare this side of the apocalypse. And right now, you’re in something that ol’ Zephy tells me is a ‘solo issue.’ It’s all about getting inside of my head.” She added a theatrical wink, spoiled only by her head’s limited range of motion. “And as I think you’ll find, it’s a madhouse in here!”
“How’d you change me back into a pony?” Sunset croaked, trying to keep a hot wave of disorientation from overpowering her.
More laugher was her first reply. “I guess that you and I have similar problems: are we really a pony, or really something else? Maybe we’re all just figments of somepony else’s imagination. See, that’s why I always struggled with multiple-choice questions… why not all of the above?!”
Sunset felt another crawling sensation of uncertainty press down on her gut. But she kept her mind focused on what she at least thought she knew. “I’m real. This comic is real in the sense of existing, and having a connection to Equestrian magic. But whatever you think you’re doing with Zephyr… it’s not real. It can’t be real.”
Mane-Iac’s expression turned both serious, and hard. “Reality’s in short supply here, dearie. You say what you want about Zephyr, but I know the truth: he finds me real. At first it was just talking through the mirror, but now… why, the more real he finds me, the more I get to come out and play with him. Oh, and believe me, he’s got more than just a passing interest in getting those hot, busy fingers all up in my luxurious, limitless locks.”
“I just…” Sunset hesitated, unsure if she should voice her doubts there and then, when the balance of power already seemed to clearly stacked against her. But the notion of reality held deep appeal, given that Sunset’s everyday uncertainties had been dialed up to eleven by suddenly finding herself with hooves again. And so she spoke from her heart, even though the words pained her: “I didn’t know he was so eager to… get physical with somepony. Someone. He seemed so careful with me; so willing to let us go at our own speed.”
“Well, why wouldn’t he, when he can have it both ways?” Sunset looked into the madmare’s unsettling, two-toned green-and-orange eyes, and studied her self-assured grin. “Two realities, dearie; two mares; or two women, if you will. Two potential relationships, each moving independently between the hypothetical and the real. And the more he invests in each, the closer each becomes to being his reality!”
Sunset let her head hang low. “I guess… that’s his decision, in the end. But what you’re trying to do by keeping him here is wrong. I have powers I could use to do terrible things if I wanted, too; I could make all the uncertainty go away with a single touch. But I have to let people choose if I want it to really mean anything. And so I have to let Zephyr choose. Because the reality is…”
She paused, and focused on the sliver of understanding that she felt she’d gained by talking to the Mane-Iac. “The reality… is that you can be real enough for him to choose a fantasy woman over a real one, at least in the short run. But I can’t think that’d be a happy way for anyone to live for the rest of their life. And maybe sometimes, even if you want to be respectful of someone’s choices… maybe they mean enough to you to make it worth going through the pain of giving them a reality check.”
“What are you doing?!” Mane-Iac screeched.
“Focusing on what I know is real,” Sunset said. And indeed, she focused on the question of how she saw herself. A moment later, she stood again—not on four hooves, but on two human feet. And she started walking toward the Mane-Iac. “I know that Zephyr and I have a lot to talk about. I know I’m scared to touch him, or anyone, when I don’t know if I can control my powers. And I’m scared of what other ‘fantasies’ like this he might find more appealing than… just me. Because in some ways, I know I’m a mess.”
“Then go!” Mane-Iac shouted, trying—failing—to push herself and the chair away from Sunset. “Leave Zephy and me to our hirsute happiness!”
In a moment, Sunset stood right in front of the Mane-Iac, close enough to touch her. Yet she hesitated. “What I don’t know is if you’re right; if what he’s really looking for is someone real… or just a crazy fantasy mare, with even crazier hair. But I’m gonna give you just one chance to let me and him go, so we can figure that out together.”
“Or else… what?”
Sunset flexed her fingers. “Or else I’m gonna use my powers to rip open your psyche and take the knowledge of how to get him back. And then I’m gonna have Zephyr’s sister use this comic to line the bottom of a birdcage for a while.”
Mane-Iac swallowed, hard. “You wouldn’t.”
“Lady, I’ve got a power that’s cramping my relationship with a boyfriend who I need to have a serious talk with. And apparently the universe won’t let me take one day off from dealing with crap like this, either. I may like being the ‘good guy,’ but right now, if you really want to push me, I’ve had just about—”
“S… Sunset?”
She turned, seeing the shaggy, wide-eyed face of Zephyr standing behind her. Once again, Sunset felt her stomach churn at the thought of Zephyr having actively been physical with someone else… but before she could stop him, he ran toward her, taking her up into a strong, warm embrace. It was all she could do, then, not to give in and just read his mind.
“Oh, Sunset, I was so scared! I’m…” He pulled back, looking down into Sunset’s eyes with his wide, tear-streaked pools of deep cerise. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
“You go through the mirror first,” Sunset said, gently pushing herself out of his arms. He hesitated for a moment, but then gingerly approached the vanity, climbed up onto it, and pressed his way through. His image shifted and froze for a moment, before dumping back out into the bedroom beyond.
Then Sunset turned back toward the Mane-Iac, who was actively chewing her lip. “Thank you,” she said.
“This isn’t over,” the Mane-Iac said, her voice quivering. “Even if it’s not me next time, something else’ll get the better of your boy-toy and his freaky disposition. Have fun dealing with whatever that is, dearie.”
Sunset heaved a deep sigh. “I’ll tell my friends to take it easy on your comic. Maybe we can get it one of those collector’s bags, or stick it on a nice shelf, or something. But if you ever try to contact us again, I swear… I’ll use the shredder.”
And then she climbed up onto the vanity as well, and let herself fall through the mirror.