It's 9:30 in the morning in Canterlot City. Sunset Shimmer is enjoying her summer vacation. She's in her apartment texting her friends to see who's available to go to the beach. Sunset notices a glow in the room.
"Twilight?" Sunset walks to the shelf to grab the journal. She opens it to read the message. "We need to talk?" Sunset hears her phone going off. She answers the call. "Hello?"
"Hey, Sunset. It's me, Twilight (Sci-Twi). My family is having a BBQ at the beach. Want to come with us?"
"Yea, uh, when are you going?"
"In five hours. Shining Armor reserved a spot for us at the beach."
"Alright, let me get back at you after I answer this other call."
"Alright, I'll wait for your call," Twilight (Sci-Twi) hangs up the call.
Sunset grabs a pen to reply to Twilight's message. "Alright, Princess. What do you need to talk about?" Sunset sees the message unfolding, which causes her heart to stop beating for a second.
Sunset Shimmer looks at the ceiling in disbelief for what seems like an hour now. She finds it hard to believe that Princess Celestia and Twilight want her to come back to Equestria. Sunset hears a knock on her door.
"That must be the Princess," Sunset walks to the front door and sees Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"It's time to go," Princess Twilight says.
"Not until you tell me what the hay is going on! Why am I'm needed in Equestria so drastically?" Sunset asks, sounding highly upset.
Princess Twilight enters Sunset's apartment. "I'll tell you why," Princess Twilight Sparkle grabs a chair and sits on it.
Sunset Shimmer sits on her couch facing Twilight. "Why is it important for me to come back to Equestria?"
"You remember Spike, right?"
"Yea, your number one assistant. The baby dragon. What about him?"
"He no longer resides in Equestria," Twilight said, going straight to the point.
"What do you mean he no longer resides in Equestria?" Sunset is confused.
"Discord teleported Spike into another world after granting a wish. A world Discord doesn't even know what it features."
"Why would Discord do that? That makes no sense whatsoever."
"Here's the kicker. My friends and I botched our friendship with Spike that he felt unhappy."
"Unhappy? How? What was the cause for Spike to become unhappy?"
Twilight sadly sighs. "It's a long story."
"Apparently, I have all day since you're here," Sunset crosses her arms. "Might as well tell me the whole story."
Twilight spent two hours explaining in full detail how she and her friends messed up their friendship with Spike. All the times' Spike was used, abused, abandoned, and neglected for many years. Twilight goes in full explanatory mode on what each of her friends has done to Spike. Then, Twilight explains the situation Equestria is in right now. Discord deceiving the masses in Equestria with his disguise as Spike and creating a whole new chain of events that made Equestria's life harder to endure. After that, Twilight explains a ruling for all creatures that originated in Equestria to remain, never to seek solace in a new world.
"So, let me get this straight. You want me to give up my happiness for your happiness?" Sunset is livid.
"It's not my fault that you were thrown into the fray like that, Sunset. It was Discord that brought it up. He's good at making ponies suffer from consequences."
"It doesn't matter whose fault it was. What you did is vile, unforgivable. How dare you, the Princess of Friendship, put a baby dragon through all that trauma while preaching what friendship is supposed to be. How dare you!?" Sunset yells at Twilight. "How dare you watch idly while your baby dragon was nearly drowning in a freezing lake!? How dare you make him clean an entire castle all by himself without any help!? HOW DARE YOU REDUCE SPIKE'S LIFE INTO SLAVERY!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP?!"
"I know. What my friends and I did is morbid. That's why we have a chance to fix everything. You are vital for Equestria."
"No! Screw you!" Sunset said. She covers her face in disgust.
"You don't belong here, Sunset. There's a Sunset Shimmer living in this world, and you are robbing her of her life. There's probably a lot of confusion, especially with her age. Have you considered thinking about that?"
"No! Don't do that! Don't guilt-trip me about someone else's life. I made my decision to live here."
"You decided to live someone else's life by coming here. Ruining that Sunset Shimmer on achieving her goals and dreams because someone here is exactly like her. The truth hurts, Sunset. It's time to come home."
Sunset grips her phone. The thought of impersonating someone's life never came across. Thanks to Twilight, a lot of guilty consciousness opened up, a lot of what-ifs pours into her mind. Her hand couldn't stop shaking while she listens to her guilty conscience. Sunset feels a tear come out of her right eye.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Sunset angrily throws her phone against the wall. It shatters upon impact. She falls to her knees and cries a little.
Twilight gives Sunset space for her to cry everything out. Sunset's mind is flooded with a lot of guilt for robbing someone's life now that she thinks about it. She doesn't even know where the other Sunset Shimmer is doing or could be facing under a lot of surveillance. Like in the movies, a government interrogating or experimenting with the original while the copy gets to live freely. After an hour of crying, Sunset made her decision.
"Twilight," Sunset gets up.
"Yes, Sunset?" Twilight approaches Sunset.
Sunset has her eyes closed. "I'll return to Equestria. However, you are not my friend. Neither are those who used and abused Spike so severely."
"I understand. Thank you for making the right decision," Twilight formally says.
"However," Sunset noted.
"What do you mean, however?" Twilight doesn't understand.
"I'm not the only one that originated from Equestria. Three sirens originally came from Equestria that reside here. You need to gather Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk as well."
"Of course. That's the plan." "Then, when the time is right, I'll wipe everyone's memory and allow Sunset to live her life the way she intended. Right now, I gotta stick to the plan on bringing Spike back home by any means necessary."
"If you're wondering where the Sirens are at, they live in a van, traveling around town to sing and find a purpose."
"Where will they be right now?" Twilight asks.
"At a bar where people get drunk to forget their depression. Follow me," Sunset gathers her belongings and puts them in a duffle bag. She gets ready and takes Twilight to the bar.