//------------------------------//
// A terrible Mistake 
// Story: Saving the Sirens. 
// by SkyeSilverwing 
//------------------------------//

It was the sounds of sobbing that drew Sunset Shimmer to the alleyway a few blocks from Canterlot High School.
It had been three days since the Battle of the Bands, and Twilight had returned to Equestria, with promises to return when she was needed, and Sunset and her friends had returned to playing music in their band for the simple fun of it. It always made Sunset feel somehow more complete to sing with her friends and form that magical connection with her old pony self. 
It had been a surprise to her when she had transformed for the first time along with her friends, facing off against the Dazzlings in the Amphitheater in the park near the school. She never would have believed that the magic of friendship had been inside her as well. It felt good to have that connection, both with her friends, and the self she had left behind all those years ago.
Still, sometimes she liked to go for walks on her own, and think about her life, and how it would have changed if she had known then what she knew now. That is what brought her to this alley, and the sound of crying within.
What she found there surprised her. 
Sitting on a low step outside a long disused and boarded up door, Adagio Dazzle held her sobbing sister, Sonata Dusk. Leaning against the wall nearby, their third sister, Aria Blaze, glared at the walls around them.
“There has got to be something we can do, Adagio!” Aria was saying.
Adagio shook her head sadly and continued to gently smooth Sonata’s hair. “There isn’t.” she said, not turning from her attentions to her youngest sister. “I… I am so sorry… I’ve doomed us all.”
Sunset stepped out of the shadow where the girls could see her. 
Aria saw her immediately and glared at her.  “What do YOU want?” she demanded, “Come here to gloat?”
Sunset shook her head. “What did you mean when you said you had doomed yourself?” she asked, looking at Adagio.
The eldest of the three former Sirens looked up at Sunset with a sad look in her eyes. “It was my plan…” she said, “My greed to have back the power that we once held… that caused us to be in the state we are in.”
Sunset looked at the three of them, confused. “Do you mean because we beat you and took away your power?” she asked.
Aria rounded on Sunset.  “Because you broke our heartstones and took away our ability to FEED!” she shouted, stomping over to the girl. “Starswirl the Bearded may have been a big jerk, but at least he didn’t have the stomach to kill us off. You and your bratty friends have sentenced us to STARVE TO DEATH!”
Abruptly, Sonata burst into full on weeping. “I don’t wanna die!” she wailed.
Aria immediately spun to face her sisters, holding her hands out, trying to calm Sonata. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, “It’s not that bad. We can find a way to make it better, right Adagio?”
The eldest of the three looked at Sunset as she spoke. “I don’t know.”
Sunset was shocked. “You… can’t eat like normal people?” she said, surprised.
Aria frowned at her. “What, you thought we would have just kept making everybody around us miserable if we could have avoided it?” she said, then her eyes softened a little. “Life is lonely when you have to hurt everyone just to survive, but we did what we had to, to live.” She sat down and hugged her knees. “Not that it matters anymore.”
Sunset looked stricken. “We… we didn’t know.” she said. “We never would have done something like that on purpose. “
Adagio looked at Sunset with a pained look. “I know.” she said, “But it won’t save us.”
Sunset Shimmer left the Alley with a new destination in mind. She needed to talk to her friends. All of them.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Dear Princess Twilight,
I think we have made a terrible mistake. We need you to come and help us find a way to make it right. Please. We need you.
Your Friend,
Sunset Shimmer.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. 
Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, stared at the words in the book. What could have possibly gone wrong? She nodded to herself, shut the book, and levitated it up into position on the contraption connected to the portal leading to the human world. 
Twilight looked at her faithful dragon companion, Spike. “Spike, take a letter and send it to my friends here in Ponyville, as well as Princess Celestia, letting them know that you and I are going back to the human world for a little while.” She said, “It seems that our friends their need our help with a matter of some urgency. They should take the precautions we discussed while we’re gone.”
As the dragon took care of the dispatch, and the portal hummed to life, Twilight gathered several of the books that she had picked out from the library specifically pertaining to situations that might occur in the human world. Her friends would likely be arriving to see her off, and since the book would not function while it was in use in the human world, they had discussed having one or two of them here around the clock so she could send requests for assistance back through the portal, not to mention making sure that the open portal did not get any unsuspecting humans lost in Equestria.
As Twilight’s Pony friends arrived, she confirmed again that they understood their roles. “Alright, girls,” she said at last, “Spike and I are heading out. Keep in touch.”
Applejack smiled. “You too, Sugarcube.” She said, “And don’t you worry none. We’ll hold down the Castle until you get back.”
Twilight nodded. “Thanks, girls.” She said, “I am glad you are all here for me.”
Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “I just wish we could be there for you.” She said, “Sitting around here is just not something I can enjoy when I know you could be in danger.”
Rarity joined her.  “She is right, Darling.” She said, “As much as I love this castle, even I can’t feel comfortable just sitting here while you go gallivanting off in the other world getting in Celestia knows what trouble.”
Twilight smiled at the two of them. “I know you are worried about me,” she told them, “But we can’t just have two of all of you wandering around on that side of the portal. It would raise too many questions and Principal Celestia is having enough trouble keeping the existence of the portal and magic in general covered up as it is.”
Both of her friends frowned and nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” Rainbow said.
“It still does not stop me from worrying about you, Darling,” Rarity said.
Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry.” She said, "if there is any trouble, I will have the other world versions of you all at my side. And if it comes down to it, I can always call you in to help.”
“Sounds good to me!” Chimed in Pinkie Pie. 
Twilight looked around at all of her friends and smiled. “Don’t you worry,” she said, “I will be back as soon as the problem is solved. Come on, Spike.”
Twilight’s friends wished her well, and together with Spike, she stepped into the portal, unaware of what lay in store.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.