//------------------------------//
// Finale, Part 1! Sunsetta Vs. The Final Boss! 
// Story: Maho-Shojo Sunsetta!!! 
// by Vocal Chord 
//------------------------------//



We pick up our story inside the Mikah-Hakim ship, where Sunset Shimmer finds herself waking up...



"Ugh...where am I?"

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes and found herself in a huge metal room. She was still Maho-Shojo Sunsetta, but Lightning Dust was nowhere to be seen. "I don't think I'm on Earth anymore..."

Perhaps it was the single window with a perfect view of Earth that convinced her.

Sunset looked around for a door, finding one on the opposite side of the room. She pushed through it to find a long, narrow corridor leading, probably, into the bowels of the ship.

"Maybe there's an escape pod..." Sunset ran off in search of a way out of the ship.



After what seemed like hours but was only four minutes and nineteen seconds of searching, Sunset found herself completely and utterly lost in a maze of corridors, doors, and dead ends. "Why do they always make spaceships so confusing?" she wondered aloud. "Don't people get lost?" As she turned a corner, she picked up the sound of voices coming from a large door at the end of the corridor. Every instinct in her body told her to run as fast as she could; run and never look back.

Instead, for the sake of advancing the plot, she barged through the solid titanium double doors and onto the bridge of the ship, which was the size of a small football field.

Standing on a platform overlooking Earth through the biggest window Sunset had ever seen were five cloaked figures, all of whom had turned to look at Sunset. The leader appeared to be the one standing in the center, wearing the most exquisite cloak. It was also rather short, and seemed to eminate pure, unbridled rage, as if it was the physical manifestation of hate itself.

It rose an arm and pointed at Sunset.

"Lightning Dust, kill her."

Sunset looked up and saw Lightning Dust preparing to leap at her from an overhanging catwalk.

"Oh, buck."



In the split second before Lightning struck, Sunset closed her eyes. The SSUM appeared in front of her.

"Welcome back, Sunsetta! You've earned 10,000 EXP. Would you like to trade it in for some new moves?"

Yeah, that sounds good, thought Sunset.

"Excellent! You've unlocked: [Solar Sweeper]--Active and [Laser Flame]--Active. Enjoy!"

Sunset opened her eyes and locked on to Lightning Dust, who was drawing closer. "Solar Sweeper," she said, raising an arm. "Let's see what that does."

She swept her arm in front of her, and a crescent of blue fire shot out in front of her like a tidal wave, pushing Lightning backwards. "Y--you couldn't do that before!" said Lightning. "What are you hiding? What's your secret?"

"Like I'd tell you," said Sunset. "Laser Flame!" A narrow beam of flame shot out of her palm, blasting Lightning against the window. "Looks like all I needed to beat you was a bit of an upgrade, Dusty."

"Don't call me Dusty!" Lightning Dust sent a blast of electricity at Sunsetta, who narrowly avoided it.

Sunset retaliated with a fireball aimed at Dust's face. Blinded, Dust stumbled backwards, tripping over the edge of the platform and landing on the floor below, unconscious.

"That's that," said Sunset, turning towards the cloaked figures. "Now, how about showing me the way out--urk!"

The figure furthest to the left lifted Sunset up in a telekinetic field of energy. "I was hoping not to have to resort to intervention," said the central figure in a cold, high-pitched voice. "Finish her, S."

Sunset tried to struggle loose, but the energy field merely shrunk, trapping her tighter. If I don't get out of here *ow!* I'll be crushed! Sunset ran through her options. There weren't any.

"*urk*...let me go!...I'll escape...somehow...*gasp*...tight..." Her lungs were slowly crushed as the field constricted even further, until she was barely able to maintain consciousness.

"You lose, Shimmering Sapphire," said the cold, harsh voice. "Game over."

"H--help..." Sunset released her breath, feeling like she'd never be able to take a second...



"Kami no Taiyo! Transform!"



A figure cloaked in white light burst into the room. "Release Sunset," she commanded, raising a hand. "Or be released from the realm of the living!"

A bolt of white light forced its way through the solid titanium casing of the ship, slamming into the figure holding Sunset, who was immediately released. As the cloaked people stepped back, preparing a counterstrike, the white lady leaned towards Sunset.

"My time to act is not yet come, young one, but yours has. Take the power of the Gold Pentagon! Open your heart, Sunset, and feel all the power of the sun!"

Sunset was lifted up yet again, this time in a sheath of blinding white. As she absorbed the power gifted to her, she felt her strength returning with twice as much force.

She floated back down glowing white, the air around her humming with power.

"I am Maho-Shojo Sunsetta," she proclaimed. "And, catchphrase or not, I am here to end your evil forever!"

"Finish her!" shouted the cloaked mistress, and the battle for Earth, the Sapphire, and the Tome of Time broke loose.