//------------------------------//
// Revelations 
// Story: My Little Pony Equestria Girls 4: Sunset Shimmer Returns 
// by Hopeful Soul 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 8


It didn’t take any of them very long to run past all the crazy looking rock formations and over the rock wall that was previously in front of them. After getting over that and running through some more deserted looking terrain that soon faced a large and scary looking tower that looked like something out of a horror movie with holes all over and vines wrapped around the bottom. It also glowed with an eerie looking light.
“There it is! The Dark Tower. We made it.” Sunset observed. They all gazed up at the spooky looking toward while lightning flashed all around them.
“Nice touch.” Pinkie Pie told me.
“Pinkie, who are you talking to?” Rainbow asked, confused.
“Uh… nobody.” Pinkie replied, nervously.
“Ok, before we go in everypony gather around me.” Sunset told them. “And take out one of the enchanted comics I asked for before we left too.”
“But why?” Fluttershy inquired.
“Just trust me on this, don’t worry you’ll like it.” Sunset Shimmer assured them.
“Ok…” Fluttershy said, slowly as they all gathered together and placed the comic in the middle.
“Alright… here goes…” Sunset Shimmer said as she began to charge up her magic, which slowly began to surrounded them all. Then the comic began to float up and spin around while glowing a bright light.
“I think it’s working!” Rainbow proclaimed.
“What’s going on!?” Applejack exclaimed as the light consumed them all.
Once the light had finally faded the girls opened their eyes and much to their surprise, aside from Sunset Shimmer herself, they seemed to be wearing the costumes of Fili-Second, Zapp, Radiance, Mistress Mare-velous and Saddle Rage, with Sunset Shimmer wearing the outfit of the Masked Matter-Horn instead of Twilight this time.
“Hey! We’re the Power Ponies again!” Pinkie cried.
“Wow! How did you do that?” Rainbow asked Sunset, stunned.
“Twilight’s not the only one who can do super advanced spells.” Sunset Shimmer smiled, proudly.
“Well, that’s good to know!” Rarity smiled.
“Yeah, now let’s go kick some bad guy flank!” Rainbow Dash declared, determined.
“Assuming she has one…” Pinkie pointed out. 
“Whatever…” Rainbow sighed.
“Rainbow, don’t let your emotions control you.” Sunset told her, calmly. “We have to do this logically.” 
“Ah, who cares about logic anyway?” Rainbow questioned, folding her forelegs.
“Uh… the logic police?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
“The point is… we need a plan to get in and save Twilight, but quietly.” Sunset Shimmer stated.
“Agreed.” Rarity nodded.
“I vote for quiet.” Fluttershy voiced, raising a hoof.
“Me too!” Pinkie said, loudly before they all gave her a look. Her voice then became quiet as she smiled sheepishly. “I mean… me too.”
“Good, now let’s go…” Sunset began as she started to walk forward, but before she could go any further something dropped down right in front of them. After the smoke cleared, the masked menace they were looking for was revealed.
“Looking for me?” she asked.
“Well, so much for quiet…” Rainbow snarked.
“Hand over the Elements of Harmony.” Their masked foe demanded.
“Not happening! We’re here to get Princess Twilight now let her go!” Sunset Shimmer ordered.
“Then I’ll just take them from you once I take you down.” The Masked Villain declared. “I was planning on killing you anyway. It’s time you paid for what you did to me.”
“What!?” Sunset Shimmer questioned. She then felt the pain in her chest again and groaned. “Oh… not again..”
The villain then extended her hand forward and forms a red energy sphere. “Take this!” she shouted as she fired it at Sunset and the others.
“Fiery death, 10 o’clock!” Pinkie Pie cried as they all scrambled to get out of the way before it hit. “Boy, what a hothead!”
The Masked Villain flew up. “You have no idea! And once I have Twilight’s magic I’ll even stronger!”
“And just why do you want her magic so badly?” Rarity questioned.
“Yeah, so tell us, what’s the deal ‘hothead’?” Rainbow Dash questioned, in a taunting manner as she began to buck several rocks at her as well as use her lightning metal to bring down some lightning bolts.
“I want make a certain someone suffer and that requires getting rid of all of you!” The masked lady said as she flew and zoomed through the air as she dodged each of the objects that were being thrown at her.
“Crazy stalker says ‘what’!?” Pinkie said, quickly just as the villain stopped in front of her.
“What?” she asked, confused.
Pinkie Pie snickered. “Too easy!”
As the pink pony zipped off, their enemy growled in frustration before she started blasting at them once again. Though Pinkie used her super speed to dodge each and every one of them while Rainbow and Applejack rushed forward while she was distracted.
“Come on, let’s get her!” Rainbow Dash called out, as she zoomed ahead
“Right, behind ya, RD!” Applejack said as she twirled her glowing lasso as she ran forward.
The Masked Villain then turned around and knocked Rainbow aside while grabbing AJ’s rope and pulling her away.
Fluttershy got mad and assumed her monster form which quickly tried to smash the villain but the being from the other world quickly zapped her, causing her to look singed before turning back to the normal and collapsing. Rarity then used her bracelet to create chain constructs around their foe.
“Chains? Your funny.” The villain practically chuckled before her whole body glowed with intense magical energy and when she finally let it out the shockwave sent Rarity and the still running Pinkie flying.
“Girls!” Sunset cried before the Villain dropped down in front of her.
Sunset and the Masked Villain glared at each other one more time before they both began to race toward each other. Sunset’s horn glowed brightly with her green magical aura while red energy flowed off her opponent as she neared her. As Sunset galloped toward her she attempted to strike her, but the masked one was too quick and smacked her upside the jaw, causing her to spin in mid-air before landing face first into the ground while the villain laughed.
“Pathetic!” she said. “You’re not even fit to shine my boots!”
Sunset growled in frustration as she stood right back up.
“Oh yeah?” Sunset questioned. “Let’s try this then!”
Sunset teleported and then reappeared right in front of the Masked Villain where she head-butted her hard, knocking her to the ground, potentially breaking her mask. They both rolled across the ground once they hit, getting some distance from the others before they both finally managed to get back up. Sunset looked pleased when she saw the crack on her mask.
“Yes!” Sunset smiled before the pain inside her acted up again, causing her to groan and fall to her knees.
The Masked Villain then began to get up. “Why you…”
“What is this? Why am I so uneasy?” Sunset wondered, as the burning sensation inside her continued.
“It doesn’t let up, does it? Deep in your soul.” The Masked Villain mocked her with a chuckle as her mask began to crack. “You are such a fool. Don’t you get it? Whenever we fight, that horrible feeling inside you gets worse and worse every time!”
“It does? What do you know about it?” Sunset Shimmer questioned her.
“Perhaps… there’s a resonance between us, you know what that is, don’t you?” The villain questioned as the crack went all the way to the end.
“Yeah… when two oscillating things come together, and the frequencies match, and one is unstable and can you get parametric resonance.” Sunset replied, slowly.
“Exactly. The two Twilight’s felt it before, but they choose to hide it. I can’t imagine their shock.” The villain said, casually as half her mask finally broke in half and then fell to the ground before shattering, while the other half of it stayed on. Sunset was shocked beyond belief when she saw the exposed part of her face. “Heh, to tell the truth I never saw it coming either…”
Sunset Shimmer continued to looked as she stared at the partially exposed face of her apparently human foe, which happened to look just like hers, who quickly ripped her dark robe right off herself, and revealed herself fully. It was her Human Self, only this Sunset Shimmer had black hair instead of red hair but had the same yellow streaks but also had red eyes instead of green and wore the exact same outfit she wore in the human world, including the jacket which she stopped wearing. She smiled evilly at her counterpart.
“You…” Equestria Sunset gasped, stunned.
“Hello… me.” The other Sunset smirked, evilly.
“But… but I thought you were…” Sunset Shimmer began.
“I’m not… but you’ll soon be!” The Black Sunset Shimmer promised as she threw another ball of red energy at her. Sunset quickly got out of the way before it struck a rock and exploded. As this happened, the unknown villain, now revealed to be the Alternate Sunset Shimmer cackled like a witch while the Equestrian Sunset Shimer looked at her other self in horror.
“Die!” Black Sunset screamed as she fired another dark energy ball at the Good Sunset, which she managed to dodge, despite being shocked beyond belief. “Nice move, just what I’d expect from me.
“How… how can you…?” Good Sunset began.
“Still be here? Word of advise me; when you’re trying to kill someone, make sure she’s really dead!” Black Sunset snapped before she blasted her and knocked her back.
Sunset groaned as she slowly began to get up and at that moment, the others finally arrived on the scene.
“Sunset! We’re here!” Rainbow cried.
“Are you ok?” Applejack asked, as they helped her up.
“Do you have snacks?” Pinkie added.
“Pinkie!” Rarity scolded her.
“What? Just asking.” Pinkie defended.
“Uh… ya’ll? Who is that?” Applejack asked, gesturing to the bad guy hovering above them.
They all looked up and saw the villain’s face for the first time, and they were shocked to see just how much she looked like Sunset Shimmer, aside from the black and yellow hair and the crazy eyes that is.
“Oh my, she looks just like you!” Fluttershy said to Sunset Shimmer.
“But how?” Rarity questioned
“Because she’s…” Sunset began.
“What? Spit it out already!” Rainbow told her.
“Yeah, you’re making me nervous…!” Fluttershy whimpered.
“Aren’t you always nervous?” Pinkie pointed out. Fluttershy gave her a look.
“That Sunset Shimmer isn’t a fake, she’s every bit as real as I am…” Sunset Shimmer said, still looking stunned.
“What!? That’s crazy talk! If she’s the real Sunset Shimmer and you’re the real Sunset Shimmer then…” Applejack began.
“She’s a different Sunset Shimmer, the one from the other world but… I thought she was gone…” Sunset said, sadly.
“ ‘Gone’? What do you mean by ‘gone’?” Fluttershy questioned.
“I… I… did something to her… I thought after I did it… I’d never see her again but…” Sunset began.
“What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“She didn’t tell you? Well I’ll tell you then; after she came to my world, she found me and pushed me through the portal, trying to send me to this place, she wanted to get rid of me! But instead I ended up stuck between dimensions for five years!” Black Sunset revealed. The others all turned to the now guilty looking Sunset Shimmer. “I’m here original sin. Everybody has one, what’s yours?”
The gang all looked shocked and turned to the other Sunset Shimmer.
“Is this true?” Applejack demanded.
Sunset looked nervous… “Well… maybe…” she admitted. They all gasped.
“But why…?” Fluttershy asked, hurt.
“I don’t know… I guess… I thought things would get… complicated if there were two of me walking around so…” Sunset began.
“So you made sure that there was only one of you, by getting rid her.” Rainbow finished, growing angry.
“Yes…” Sunset admitted, shamefully.
“Oh, darling… why didn’t you tell us?” Rarity questioned her.
“Well… we all have our secrets… and I was afraid! I thought if you knew… then you’d go back to hating me again… and I’d be all alone… again.” Equestria Sunset said, sadly.
“Then I guess you don’t know us as well as you thought.” Applejack stated, she turned to Rainbow. “Right?”
Rainbow just lowered her head.
“I’m so sorry… I just wanted the nightmare that was my past to end.” Sunset said.
“Well… looks like it’s just beginning.” Rainbow declared.
Black Sunset lowered herself to them. “You got that right, but it will end with your destruction me.”
“Look… Sunset Shimmer I was wrong to do that to you… I’m sorry…” Good Sunset Shimmer apologized.
“See? Now you respect me. Because I’m a threat. That’s the way both our worlds work, all kinds of people want respect and they will do anything to get it… like me.” Bad Sunset said, sinisterly. “And that means you, also.”
“No! I’m not that person anymore! I swear!” Good Sunset protested.
“You really expect me to believe that?” Black Sunset scoffed. “I wasn’t born yesterday you know!”
“I will vouch for that remark.” Rarity muttered.
“Ok, the truth this time, missy! Why are you trying to kill Sunset here?” Applejack demanded.
“Why? I’ll tell you why. She took my place. She lived my life, for almost five years, while I was trapped in that nightmarish limbo forever, thanks to her!” The other Sunset Shimmer said, bitterly. “This… is merely payback!”
“But this Sunset was defeated a long time ago!” Applejack pointed out. “She’s already paid for her actions and turned herself around, you got it!?”
“Ha! That’s a laugh!” Black Sunset scoffed. “Now out of my way you filthy pony!”
Black Sunset then seemingly backhanded the air but then a shadow hand appeared and backhanded Applejack into a rocky nearby.
“Applejack!” Rainbow cried.
“Boy… she’s evil and racist!” Pinkie remarked.
“A toxic combination.” Rarity stated.
“Sunset Shimmer, please, you don’t have to do this. Stop this now before it’s too late for you!” Sunset begged.
“Ha! Your life is in danger and you’re worried about me? That’s real touching.” Black Sunset remarked. “Maybe you should have shown me the same compassion before you tried to get rid of me, loser.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty strong word to use…” Fluttershy remarked.
“No kidding!” Pinkie Pie agreed.
“Don’t care!” Evil Sunset snapped. “Now prepare to be destroyed!”
“Ooh, prepare? Ok, but… I’m gonna need time to wash my mane…” Pinkie Pie began.
“Enough! It’s just an expression!” Black Sunset Shimmer said, exasperated. “The point is your gonna be finished here and now!”
The Dark Sunset held out her hand and began to rapidly fire energy balls right at the heroes. The blasts hit the ground, or each of the Mane Six on by one, sending them flying except for Sunset who met each of her blasts with some freeze rays before leaping over and landing in front of her now evil counterpart.
“How are you doing this!?” Sunset questioned.
“With supreme satisfaction!” Evil Sunset smiled before motioning a shadow to go and grab her. The unicorn barely managed to dodge it. “Pretty cool trick, huh? Thanks to a Black Crystal I found myself up in that very tower, then time began to catch up with me. Do you have any idea of how painful it is to go through five years’ worth of growth in mere minutes!? Anyway after the pain stopped I let the magic sink in and let my anger and hatred of you influence it, after that I went back through and waited for the right moment to strike!”
“Sounds like me…” Sunset admitted. 
“I know right?” The other her smiled. “Now hold still so I can crush you!”
Sunset continued to run and blast ice beams with her horn to keep the shadow hands at bay when they eventually covered her bright lights began to come out of the cracks in the shadows before they were finally blown apart by an intense pulse of magic.
“You can’t stop me that easily, me.” Good Sunset stated.
“Right back at ya, me. But I’ve got magic to spare and you’re getting tired aren’t you?” Her corrupted counterpart questioned.
Sunset looked at herself and the other, who were weakly picking themselves up. “She’s right… and this spell won’t keep us in these forms for long…” she muttered to herself while the evil Sunset cackled.
“You really are pathetic. It’s no wonder your best friends are all a bunch of animals.” Black Sunset taunted. Then it hit Sunset, those were pretty much the same words she said to Fluttershy before she changed.
“She’s not just the other me… she’s become the old me… the one everybody hated.” Sunset Shimmer realized. “If that’s the case I’ll show you just how much I’ve changed!”
“Oh please! You still seem like the same girl who pushed me through the portal all those years ago!” Black Sunset Shimmer scoffed.
“No! I’ll prove to you that I’m not the same as I was before!” Sunset stated, firmly.
“The prove it then!” Black Sunset challenged her.
“Oh, I intend to!” Good Sunset promised, determined as she began to gallop toward her.
“Sunset wait!” Applejack cried.
The unicorn ignored her friend’s pleas and tackled her alternate self before she began fighting her but it went pretty much the same as it did at the castle, with the human version of her taking advantage of her height, speed and strength as well as predicting her every mood until she knocks her down into the dirt. Sunset groaned while her other self cackled.
“Having a little trouble ‘new me’? I’m not surprised.” Black Sunset Shimmer mocked. “After all, everything is identical about us, course I’m more like the reverse, so you’re bound to lose sooner or later you know.”
“No way! There’s no way I’m gonna lose to the old me! She’s worthless and weak and full of hate!” Sunset Shimer stated, stubbornly.
“Hey!” Her Human self protested, insulted.
Sunset then teleported up and grabbed her other self by wrapping all four of her legs around her body.
“Gotcha!” Pony Sunset declared.
“Not quite, pony!” Human Sunset snapped.
The Evil Sunset then created a dark energy wave that knocked Good Sunset right off  of her and sent her rolling across the ground.
“Sunset! You ok?” Pinkie asked.
“Ugh, now I know how Twilight felt. Because she’s me she knows all my tricks…” Sunset said, a bit frustrated.
“That’s right, past, present, future, we’re exactly the same.” The Evil Sunset Shimmer stated, sinisterly.
“We are not the same! I’m not that evil person anymore!” Sunset proclaimed. “The old Sunset Shimmer that broke everybody’s friendships and bullied anyone that got in her way is finished!”
“Wow… you really hate the old you, don’t you?” Pinkie remarked.
“Yes, I do! I despise her!” Sunset Shimmer stated. “I used to be such a bully, believing I was superior to everyone and not understanding what it meant to be a leader or a friend. But the moment I met Princess Twilight everything changed, I learned what friendship really was, I learned to laugh, how to have fun and to live life to the fullest. Now, do you understand why I won’t let myself lose to the old me?”
The others all exchanged uneasy looks with each other.
“Yeah… we’re starting to…” Rainbow said.
“Heh, it makes sense that you feel that way, considering you were the one who tried to get rid of me! Now you just want to finish the job! Am I right!?” Dark Sunset Shimmer questioned.
“No, I’m gonna rid you of the hatred inside of you, that will be the complete destruction of the old me! Then I’m sending you back where you belong!” Good Sunset Shimmer stated, firmly.
Black Sunset smirked. “But I don’t want you to do that.”
“I’m not asking for your permission.” Good Sunset Shimmer said.
“Regardless, I’ve never felt power like this! It was strong before, but after coming here… it feels like they’re totally unleashed. I like this place.” Black Sunset Shimmer said, grinning sinisterly.
“Yeah, we’ll you’re not staying!” Good Sunset stated.
“And your gonna make me go?” Dark Sunset asked, mockingly.
“If that’s what it takes and if it makes protecting my friends, then yes.” Sunset stated, firmly.
“Ha! You may have everypony liking you now but eventually you’ll lose their trust and then they’ll be afraid of you again!” Black Sunset said as she pounded Good Sunset and sent her flying into a wall and down on her knees. She then began to approach her. “I mean really, do you honestly think there’s a single pony in Equestria or person in the other world that doesn’t despise you deep down?”
Sunset growled and pushed her other self back with her hooves.
“No! That’s not true!” Good Sunset cried.
“Are you kidding? You can deny it all you want but I know, deep in your heart, you loved Flash Sentry, loved and lost him forever!” Black Sunset Shimmer exclaimed as she fired another dark energy beam at Sunset, who blocked it with a shield that soon broke and knocked her back.
Sunset then got up again. “You don’t know me… you never did!” she stated as she fired a green energy beam from her horn and knocked Black Sunset away before she flew back and tried to strike her.
“Why you arrogant, dishonest, twisted little girl!” Black Sunset growled as she kept on trying to punch her Equestria self, who kept on backing away. “You have no place here or anywhere, especially in a group that has friends. You weak little…”
The good Sunset then had enough of her alternate self’s constant taunting and tackled her. They rolled across the ground until Pony Sunset got on top and began to relentlessly pound her other self’s face, and in a weird way… her former evil self also.
“I’m not like you! I’m nothing like you!” Sunset said, furiously as she continuously pounded her doppelganger.
The others then rushed over to her.
“Sunset! Stop!” Applejack shouted. The fiery haired unicorn then froze. “Let it go, sugar… she ain’t worth it…”
“Please Sunset	! Don’t be the monster she claims you to be…” Fluttershy begged. As that began to sink into Sunset her other self chuckled.
“So… this is the part where you kill me again, right?” Black Sunset Shimmer guessed, smirking evilly as Sunset’s fist shook while her corrupted self continued to taunt her. “Come on, hit me again, you know you want to.”
Good Sunset then released her alternate self and backed away in fear, while Black Sunset smiled and flew towards her only to be grabbed by Applejack, using her rope, and flung into a rock.
“You stay away from her you varmint!” she shouted. 
Black Sunset slowly got back up. “Why you…” she began.
“Didn’t you hear? You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!” The superhero dressed farm pony declared as the others stood by her. “Come on girls, time to Power Pony up!”
“Yeah!” They all cried.
The five of them all charged and one by one they landed a blow on the Evil Sunset, Applejack used her legs and her rope, Rainbow used lightning, Pinkie used her speed, Fluttershy used her strength and Rarity flicked her away with a giant hand. She flew into a giant rock, apparently unconscious.
“Had enough?” Applejack asked her.
The now corrupted Human Sunset then opened her eyes and screamed as she flew up higher into the air, and gazed at all the frightened ponies still trying to be brave.
“Why are you defending her!? You know what she’s done to me!” Black Sunset exclaimed.
“Yeah…” Applejack began.
“We know…” Rainbow Dash continued.
“And we don’t care!” Pinkie Pie finished.
“We’re Sunset’s friends and she’s our, we’re not leaving without her.” Fluttershy stated, firmly.
“That’s for sure!” Rarity nodded.
“Girls…” Sunset breathed.
Black Sunset pointed at the other Sunset threateningly. “She ruined my life! And now she's gonna to pay! Do you hear me!? I will get my revenge!!!” she screamed.
“Holy moly, is she obsessed with revenge or what?” Pinkie remarked.
“Whatever, let’s just get her!” Rainbow said as she prepared to fly only for their costumes to suddenly flicker and vanish, causing them to gasp. “Hey! What happened?”
“The spell finally wore off!” Sunset cried.
“Oh… that’s not good!” Fluttershy gulped.
“You have no idea!” Black Sunset Shimmer smirked as she charged up some more dark magical orbs. “Now let’s try this again shall we?”
She then began to try and attack the crowd below with bolts of dark magic that rained down upon them and sent some of them flying. It eventually became too much for the gang to take.
“It’s no use! She’s too strong! Let’s get out of here and regroup!” Applejack cried.
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Rarity said, fearfully as she began to run. The girls all began to quickly run off while the Dark Sunset cackled.
“Go ahead and run! But there’s no place in the world you can run to when it’s… MY WORLD!” she screamed as she got a blast into the sky, creating a red, orange and shockwave that started to spread across the sky slowly while the six ponies trotted away. Sunset then stopped and looked back at her evil human self and tears formed in her eyes before she dashed off again.