//------------------------------//
// Party Crasher 
// Story: My Little Pony Equestria Girls 4: Sunset Shimmer Returns 
// by Hopeful Soul 
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Chapter 5


After catching up with most of her family, Sunset bid them a tearful farewell as she returned to Ponyville to report to Princess Twilight, who quickly invited to take her to one her favorite restaurants in Ponyville. As they sat at one the tables eating daisy sandwiches Sunset did her best to keep her brother rejecting her off her mind.
“Thank you so much for taking me out to lunch, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer said, gratefully.
“Well of course! Anything for a friend.” Twilight smiled.
“A friend whose practically your student.” Sunset pointed out, smirking.
“Yeah, I guess.” Twilight admitted.
The two shared a laugh.
“So, how did it go with the Princess and your family?” Princess Twilight inquired.
“Pretty good, the Princess has forgiven me, along with most of my family…” Sunset said, slowly.
“Most?” Twilight echoed, confused.
“My brother…” Sunset said, slowly. “He’s… taking a little longer to convince that I’ve changed…”
“Oh… I’m sorry.” Twilight apologized. 
“It’s not your fault… it’s really mine…” Sunset told her. “I just gotta figure out a way to get him to see that I’ve changed…”
“You know you can’t force someone to like you, it takes times, your brother will forgive you, he just needs to let go of his anger.” Princess Twilight Sparkle said.
Sunset then began rocking in her seat a bit. “Yeah, well I hope it’s soon…” she muttered as she continued to shake, which was noticed by Twilight.
“Is something wrong, Sunset?” she inquired.
Sunset fidgeted a bit and sighed. “Nothing… it’s just… well after being gone for so long…” she began to say.
“It’s hard to adjust back to being a pony?” Twilight guessed. Sunset nodded in response. “Yeah… I imagine that would be hard…”
“You have no idea… I never knew how much I’d miss walking on two legs, texting, typing, eating with my hands… all of it…” Sunset Shimmer said, depressed. “But still…”
“Still what?” Twilight asked, curiously.
“Well… I’m glad that I finally managed to work things out with my family… sort of… but now that I’m here… I don’t think I want to leave them again…” Sunset Shimmer said, sighing sadly.
“I’m sorry Sunset.” Twilight said, as she put her hoof on Sunset’s. “I wish I could help.”
Sunset smiled. “You already have,” she said, softly before turning away sadly again.
Twilight thought for a minute, then remembered something. “Hey, I almost forgot, Pinkie managed to convince Princess Celestia to have your ‘Welcome Back’ party in Canterlot!” she said, excited.
“Really?” Sunset inquired.
“Yeah, you up for it?” Twilight asked.
“Sure! I always loved Pinkie’s parties in the other world and I’m sure I’ll like the ones in Equestria as well.” Sunset smiled.
“I guarantee you will.” Twilight smiled back. “Trust me, when Pinkie Pie goes big… she goes big.”
Sunset looked at the Princess interested.



Not too long after Twilight had gotten permission from Celestia to have Sunset’s ‘Welcome back to Equestria’ party in Canterlot, Pinkie quickly zipped right over there and got to work. By the time Sunset and Twilight arrived the entire garden area of the castle was full of party people, streamer, decorations, loud music with large speakers and little fireworks not to mention gigantic and colorful balloons, some of which were shaped just like Sunset, who was starstruck at the sight.
“Wow… you were right… when Pinkie goes big she really goes big…” Sunset said, amazed.
“She sure does.” Twilight sighed.
“I wonder how many ponies showed up.” Sunset Shimmer mused.
“Knowing Pinkie… probably all of them.” Princess Twilight smiled, knowingly.
Sunset then spotted her old classmates Moondancer, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lyra Heartstrings nearby and smiled. “Hey, it’s Moondancer and the others! How’d Pinkie know I was acquainted with them?”
“Pinkie just asked the Princess who were previously mean to before you left and gathered most of them here.” Twilight replied. “Course some just slammed the door in her face upon mentioning your name…”
“Yeah… I figured…” Sunset admitted. 
“Well…?” Twilight said, gesturing to the group.
“Well what?” Sunset asked, not getting it.
“Well go over there and talk to them.” Princess Twilight encouraged her.
“Oh, I don’t know… what if they don’t want anything to do with me? What if they don’t accept my apology?” Sunset wondered, worried. She sighed. “Not that I’d blame them…
“You won’t know for sure unless you talk to them.” Twilight pointed out.
“I guess not…” Sunset admitted.
“Yeah, now get over their!” Twilight said, enthusiastically as she pushed her forward.
Sunset Shimmer turned and gave Twilight a comforted smile before she began to trot over to the five ponies up ahead, who quickly scowled upon noticing her.
“Hey Moondancer, everypony.” she said, smiling nervously at the ponies she disrespected last time they met. “How are…”
Before she could finish, Moondancer closed her eyes and turned her back to her.
“Save it.” Moondancer interjected, bitterly. “You didn’t want anything to do with us before, so why should we want anything to do with you anyway?”
The other’s all huffed and turned away in response.
Sunset sighed. “I know I was an awful pony back then, but I just want you to know that I’ve changed and I’m really sorry for how I acted. So… you can go on hating me if you want, but I’ll never hate you and I hope one day… you can forgive me,” she told them.
At that moment, Moondancer opened one of her eyes, along with the other and slowly began to turn to their old acquaintance, looking a bit stunned.
“Wow… you actually sound serious.” Moondancer remarked, amazed. Sunset nodded. Moondancer looked to her friends and they nodded. “I suppose… we could give you another chance… maybe hang out if your free.”
Sunset smiled. “Maybe.”
“Great!” Lyra expressed.
“Yeah, while I admit it’s a little creepy seeing you be nice to us… I’ll take ‘Creepy Sunset Shimmer’ over the old Sunset Shimmer, any day.” Minuette expressed.
Sunset nodded. “Me too.”
“Wanna come with eat with us?” Lemon Hearts offered, eagerly.
“Sure, just gotta have a word with Princess Twilight and her friends first.” Sunset replied.
“Ok, hurry over!” Twinkleshine said as she and the others walked off while Sunset walked over to the Mane Six.
“So? How’d it go?” Twilight asked, interested.
“Great! They were able to forgive me and want to have dinner with me too.” Sunset said, happily.
“Oh, that’s excellent, darling!” Rarity expressed.
“Yeah, I’m so proud of you Sunset Shimmer!” Twilight beamed.
“Coming from you… that means everything, Princess Twilight.” Sunset said, sincerely.
“I’ll bet it does.”
The unicorn jumped and turned to see her older brother standing right behind her. She nearly bugged out.
“Solar Flare!” Sunset gasped.
“Hey, sis,” he said.
“Oh… hey…” Sunset said, slowly. “Everypony, this is my brother Solar Flare. Solar Flare… everypony.”
“Hello everypony,” he said, dully.
“Uh… hi?” Rainbow Dash responded, slowly. Looking a bit unnerved by him.
“Hi!” Pinkie chirped.
“Howdy!” Applejack added, tipping her hat.
“Charmed I’m sure.” Rarity smiled, flirtatiously. “Love the hairstyle by the way.”
“Uh… hello.” Fluttershy muttered, shyly.
“It’s nice to meet you Solar Flare.” Twilight said. “Sunset Shimmer’s told us a lot about you.”
“Yeah, I know who you guys are.” Solar stated. “Everypony knows what you guys have done.”
“Really?” Rainbow asked, surprised, just like the others. Solar nodded while Rainbow turned to the others. “Well, what do you know? Looks like we’re all famous.”
“Pretty cool, except we didn’t even know about it.” Fluttershy admitted.
“So… my sister’s got you buying her little ‘redemption’ façade too, huh?” Solar Flare remarked, lowly which surprised them again.
“It’s not a façade!” Sunset Shimmer protested.
“That’s right! She’s changed!” Twilight added.
“Darn tootin, she did her time and she’s doing her part now.” Applejack stated. “If you can’t see that…”
“Then what? I’m loser? Just like she always said I was? You don’t know a thing about me… or her for that matter.” Solar said, coldly as he walked off again, leaving them stunned. 
“My, what a charmer.” Rarity said, sarcastically. She then noticed Sunset. “Oh! Sorry! I forgot he was your brother for a second.”
“It’s ok, he never was good being around other ponies… thing is I was worse.” Sunset admitted.
“No doubt.” Rainbow muttered, before everypony shot a glare. “I mean… really, that’s a shame.”
“I can’t believe he thinks you’re just faking it!” Pinkie said, displeased.
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “It was pretty rude…” she confessed.”
“Well, he’s probably only seen the bad side of her… her being good is just too foreign to him…” Twilight deduced.
“Exactly.” Sunset nodded. She then gained a determined look. “I’m going to try again.” 
“You sure, sugarcube?’ Applejack asked, concerned.
Sunset turned to her, determined. “I’m sure,” she said before she began to leave.



It took a little while but Sunset finally caught up to her brother, who was nearing the edge of the castle and apparently getting ready to leave for some reason.
“Solar Flare!” Sunset Shimmer called out as he stopped and finally turned to her once she approached him.
“What do you want?” he questioned, apathetically. 
“I just… wait, where are you going? The party’s just started.” Sunset pointed out.
“I have to get to my audition.” Solar answered. “Not that you care, but I’m an actor now.”
“Wow! You’re an actor?” Sunset Shimmer questioned, surprised.
Solar Flare nodded. “Yeah, since I’m the ‘late bloomer’ I had to focus my talents elsewhere, you know?”
“You’re not gonna blame me for that are you?” Sunset questioned.
“No, but you always made Mom and Dad so proud because of your magic, never mind that I was the oldest.” Solar said, bitterly.
“Solar Flare… I’m so sorry about that…” Sunset Shimmer muttered, sadly as she looked away.
“Whatever.” Solar Flare grunted as he turned and began to walk away. Sunset stopped him.
“Please Solar Flare, I’m begging you to forgive me.” Sunset pleaded. “You’ve never heard me beg before so you know that I’m being serious here.”
Her brother paused for a moment and then turned to her with his cold eyes, the resentment in them was apparent. “Maybe, in a hundred moons, I’d consider it,” he said.
Sunset lowered her head while her brother walked away and eventually left the party.



Pretty soon after that, Sunset rejoined the others, who were all eager to hear what had happened between the two siblings.
“So? Did he accept your apology this time?’ Fluttershy inquired.
The fiery haired unicorn shook her head. “No… he still won’t forgive me, even when I begged him to.”
“Boy… your brother is one tough cookie.” Pinkie Pie remarked.
“Guess it runs in the family…” Sunset Shimmer said, depressed. “Ugh! I don’t get it! I can convince some old classmates of mine to forgive me but not my own brother? Why is that?”
“Don’t know, but he’ll come around!” Pinkie beamed.
“That’s what everypony keeps telling me…” Sunset sighed.
“Yeah, now let’s go back and enjoy the party!” Pinkie cheered as she began to lead Sunset back to the others.
Sunset smiled a bit. “Yeah… I guess I could start…”
Before she could go any further, her chest started hurting again and then just afterwards she heard a noise behind her, but saw nothing there.
“What was that?” Sunset asked.
Pinkie looked around, curiously. “What? What was what?” she inquired. The others looked at her curiously as well.
“I thought I heard something…” Sunset Shimmer said, looking around. “And… I’m getting that odd feeling again…”
“What odd feeling?” Fluttershy asked.
“Hard to say… I’ve been having it even while I was in the other world… for some reason my chest hurts, I feel uneasy and think there’s someone watching me…” Sunset expressed. “I thought it would go away once I came here… but it hasn’t…”
“Oh… how creepy.” Rarity expressed, with a shiver.
“The other Rarity thought the same thing…” Sunset pointed out, as she groaned once again.
“Maybe you need to get some rest.” Twilight voiced, concerned.
“Yeah… maybe…” Sunset Shimmer agreed.
“Or maybe she should just roll over and die!”
The voice from out of nowhere was heard by all and made them all jump, startled.
“What was that?” Fluttershy shook, fearfully.
“I don’t know…” Rarity muttered, looking around.
“It sounded like it was coming from every direction…” Twilight observed.
“But how?” Sunset wondered. “It’s impossible!”
“Poor little Sunset, don’t you know that nothing is impossible in this world of ours?”
“Hey, what is this? Show yourself, whoever you are!” Rainbow demanded.
“Why I’ve been hear the whole time, pony. Practically whispering in Sunset Shimmer’s ear.” The dark voice hissed.
“The whole time…?” Sunset echoed, fearfully. 
“You could say that, yes.” The voice confirmed.
Pinkie couched, loudly. “Psycho stalker.”
The villain then spoke to Pinkie, threateningly. “You will be silent!”
“Ok! Sorry! Never mind…” Pinkie said, quickly.
“What is your problem lady?” Rainbow demanded.
“The same as many of you I assume; Sunset Shimmer!” The voice declared. “And I have come to wipe that little pest from your memories!”
Sunset gulped but Twilight stood in front of her. “Not gonna happen!”
“Oh really? Then I’ll just have to get past you to do so…” The dark voice hissed, evilly.
“Just come out already! Let us see your face!” Sunset exclaimed.
“If you insist…”
Everypony turned to the source of the voice, which seemed to be coming right behind them. Just then they saw a strange coming out of the shadows.
The stranger, who was revealed to be female due to her figure, wore a long black robe with a hood and black gloves then stepped forward. She also wore black and pink boots and covered her face with a red Oni mask.
Everypony’s eyes widened in fear and gulped upon seeing the figure, especially upon seeing her mask which scared Fluttershy greatly.
“Happy now?” The stranger asked. Because of the mask, the mysterious woman’s voice was muffled.
“It was you… you were in the human world… you followed me here… you’re the reason I’m so uneasy…” Sunset realized. The masked one in front of her stayed silently. “Why have you been following me? Why?”
“If you want to know that… your gonna have to beat me.” Sunset’s stalker told her. The unicorn could practically see her smirking beneath her mask as she dashed toward her while emitting red energy from her body. Sunset galloped toward her on all fours, emitting golden lightning but when they clashed the villain easily over powered her and knocked her down.
“Not fast enough, dweeb.” The Masked Villain taunted her.
They then began to have a magical laser tag match, with each of them firing magical blasts at each other over and over till the bad guy managed to get a lucky shot and send her rolling across the ground
“Who are you!?” Sunset demanded.
“You know who I am Sunset Shimmer.” The Masked Villain stated.
Sunset quickly got up and began to trot over to her once again, then she teleported a little closer to her, but as soon as she reappeared near the masked woman she was easily knocked aside by her and slammed into a wall.
Sunset weakly raised her head. “I don’t know who you are!”
“Oh, but you do. Deep down you know. We’ve actually been at this a long time you and I.” The villain said, while Sunset slowly got back up. “In fact, we share a bond that you cannot escape. No matter how hard you try, because I’m always… one step ahead.”
“What?” The fiery haired unicorn questioned before she began to feel a painful sensation inside of her that made her groan and place a hoof on her chest. “What… what is this? This… awful feeling…?”
“Time’s up!” The villain declared as she began to race towards the unicorn.
Sunset Shimmer then began to charge toward the masked one also but the horrible feeling inside her acted up once more, causing her to slow down a bit and eventually stop. “Again?” she muttered before she was easily knocked aside once again.
Sunset groaned as she got back up. “Darn it… what is going on?” she wondered.
The masked on chuckled a bit. “Aw, having a little trouble there?” she asked, mockingly.
“What is this pain… coming from my heart…?” Sunset muttered, quietly, as the throbbing continued.
“Now… let’s get this over with quickly, shall we?” The villain suggested as streams of dark magic began to seep out of her and swirl all around Sunset Shimmer.
“What? What’s going on?” she asked, sounding a bit scared.
“It’s the beginning of your end, hope you enjoy it.” The Masked Villain hissed, sinisterly.
The mists then started to get solid and began to squeeze Sunset Shimmer as hard as they could, causing Sunset to choke and squeak before she started to generate a large amount of magic.
“Let. Me. GO!” she yelled as she broke free of the misty binding and fell to the ground, still conscious. 
“I’ll grind your bones to dust!” The Masked One declared, frustrated, as she held up her hand and charged up what appeared to be a red colored magical aura.
Sunset got back up with a groan then charged up her own green  colored magical aura as she faced the villain. “Bring it,” she said.
“Sunset Shimmer! Wait!” Princess Twilight cried before they both fired a magical beam at each other which collided upon impact and created a small explosion.
Just then jets of light coloured by their respective aura, with the masked one’s red beam struggling to overpower Sunset Shimmer’s green beam, both were deadlocked. A criss-crossing golden beams of light surrounded then the duelists and kept everypony back.
“Wha-What’s going on!?” Rainbow exclaimed.
“I don’t know!” Applejack cried.
“Their magic… it’s creating some kind of feedback!” Twilight shouted.
“Feedback?” Fluttershy questioned, surprised.
“It’s like their magical cores are exactly the same!” Princess Twilight explained. “Thus… the resonance.” 
“What does that mean?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“It means…” Twilight began to say before they noticed their magic beams coming to together in a tight white ball before expanding and creating a shockwave that sent everypony flying.
Sometime later, Twilight finally regained consciousness and slowly got back up with a groan. When she looked around she saw that the whole area of the castle was totaled, with cracks and rising towers of smoke all around, and everypony close by was knocked out. She turned to her friends.
“Is everypony alright?” Twilight inquired, concerned.
Applejack got up next and panted. “Yeah… for the most part,” she said as she glanced at all the others were having trouble getting up themselves.
Then parts of the rumble began to shake before Pinkie Pie burst out from underneath some of them.
“Whoo! What a rush! Can we do that again?” Pinkie Pie asked, eagerly.
“Again?” Fluttershy repeated, sounding exhausted. They then spotted Sunset laying on the ground apparently unconscious and beginning to get up.
“Sunset!” They all cried as they rushed over to her, and stopped her from falling.
“Easy there, we gotcha sugarcube.” Applejack assured her.
“Thanks, girls…” Sunset said, tiredly.
“Sunset Shimmer! Are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, concerned.
“Yeah… what was that?” Sunset asked, sounding sore.
“I think  Twilight said it was some kind of… resonance or something.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“A resonance?” Sunset echoed.
“Yeah, it was like your magical energies were the same… but different.” Twilight mused.
“Strange… all I felt was a strange pain in my chest…” Sunset said, rubbing her heart.
That’s when it hit Twilight. “Pain… that’s it! Your strange feeling, the masked visitor, the resonance. The answer’s right in front of us!” she exclaimed. “The stranger’s really…”
Before she could finish, Twilight was suddenly hit by a little bolt of dark magical, which knocked her out cold before she began to levitate upward, thanks to a magical aura.
“Twilight!” They all cried.
Twilight was then pulled forward until she was floating in front of the Masked Woman, who had just appeared in the sky.
“Yes…” she hissed, pleased as she stroked her cheek. “I have you know my pretty.”
The others all rushed over to the edge and looked up at her.
“Give Twilight back!” Rainbow Dash demanded, angrily.
“I don’t think so… but if you hand over the Elements of Harmony I’ll spare her life.” The Masked Woman said.
“The Elements?” Fluttershy echoed, surprised.
“But we don’t have them anymore!” Rarity told the villain.
“Then you’d better go get them back or else or Equestria will have one less Princess in it,” she stated, darkly.
“No!” Fluttershy cried out in despair.
“Give her back!” Sunset Shimmer cried as she began to run toward her once again. The villain fired some more dark magical blasts at her but she easily dodged them this time and leapt toward her. The masked one released Twilight and left her floating high in the air while she swooped down and engaged Sunset.
While Sunset relied primarily on his reflexes and speed to try to overwhelm her opponent with random striking, The villain quickly revealed herself to be a very methodical fighter, using her superior speed to strike at precise spots in order to systemically wear down Sunset Shimmer. She easily defeated Sunset in single combat, quickly pummeling her to the point he was unable to fight back and sent her flying back with an uppercut and then zooming forward and pressing Sunset’s face into the ground.
“It is your destiny to lose to me, Sunset Shimmer.” The villain mocked her again. “Just as it was that certain someone’s destiny… to die that day.”
Sunset’s eyes widened to the size of diner plates. “How do you know about her?” she questioned, horrified.
“Oh, you’d be surprised.” The villain told her before teleporting again, allowing Sunset to stand back up again. The others rushed over to her.
“Sunset Shimmer! Are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, concerned.
“Ugh… I think so…” Sunset muttered as she got up. “But where did the…”
“Up there!” Fluttershy cried as she gestured upward.
The others turned and saw the Masked female Villain appear in the sky again with Twilight right next to her, still unconscious.
“Here’s a little parting gift.” The Masked Woman said, sinisterly as small red streams of energy flew out from all over and start to form a crimson energy sphere in the palm of her hand. She then raised said hand and the sphere began to expand many times its original size. Everypony watched in shock.
“What’s that?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh no… that’s a huge amount of compressed Dark Magic.” Sunset Shimmer said, fearfully.
“What can I say? Karma’s a pain.” The villain said as she condensed the sphere to the size of her body, put both her hands on it and positioned it towards Canterlot. “DIE!”
The masked one then dropped the ball of dark magic towards the city, it fell to the ground making the same sound a firework does when it’s flying into the air only in reverse. When it finally touched ground nothing seemed to happen but in a few seconds a massive red explosion occurred and practically enveloped the city itself.