After the Fall Formal, Sunset Shimmer finds herself alienated from her fellow students and haunted by her past transgressions. With the portal back home now closed for another thirty moons, she must utilize all that she knows to learn what the magic of friendship truly means if she's to have any hope of earning her happiness. But fate seems to have other plans…

Magic is growing around the school, and Sunset appears to be connected somehow. To make matters worse, a new student has arrived with the intention of finding this magical source and taking it for herself, which could spell doom not only for Earth but Equestria alike.

Can Sunset Shimmer let go of the past and embrace the meaning behind the magic of friendship before it is too late, or will she lose herself to her inner-demons once again? The clock is ticking…