Even by the usual standards of "bad ideas", this right here was a pretty bad idea. A single pony, all alone, with no backup, no weapons, fumbling around at night in the middle of the Everfree Forest. If somepony were asked "what situation would you most likely be killed in", this would be the answer they'd come up with. And yet, this was where Twilight now walked, with the darkness around her kept at bay only by the bright light of the moon above her, which, thankfully, was allowed to shine down due to the clear skies tonight. The air remained cold and, somehow, seemed to get even more so as she'd entered the forest in earnest. Animal noises could be heard all around her, and with every step she took, she felt more and more alone. Her expression, as one would probably guess, was one of regret, as her eyes drifted to every shadow that seemed to move or flicker.

"Ugh! This is bad! This is very, very bad! What was I thinking?!"

And yet, in spite of that clear unhappiness at being here, on she went, travelling a path that, at the very least, was familiar to her. It was one she'd walked once before, when she journeyed with her brother, Captain Aurora and their respective soldiers, all in order to face a rogue dragon that had taken residence here. Thankfully, she doubted that she'd encounter any dragons on this journey, but that didn't stop her from looking as cautious as she could be. Forward she walked, until, all of a sudden, she stopped, turning her head to the right, looking at a particularly thick-looking collection of trees and undergrowth.

"This place..."

Slowly, she closed her eyes, stretching out her hoof, just short of actually touching the nearest tree. After a brief bout of silence, she shivered, though not from the cold, and opened her eyes once more.

"Yeah...this is the place."

She took a step forward, ready to force her way through whatever ancient and overgrown vegetation she found in this place. However, to her shock, she soon found that this was no longer necessary. For without warning, the vines, shrubbery and branches before her seemed to start moving of their own accord, creaking loudly as they did so. Naturally, Twilight was rather disturbed by this, and took a step or two backwards, watching with shock as the plants continued to move on their own. Soon enough, the movement stopped, and where once there was a near-impassable wall of ancient plant-life, now there was a cleared path exactly in the direction Twilight needed to go. Staring at it for a few moments, the young unicorn blinked slowly.

"Okay...that's definitely strange...though not necessarily foreboding."

And so, with that debatable sense of optimism, Twilight once more resumed her journey, entering the passage that had been made for her, making sure to keep her eyes on every branch and vine, just in case they decided then and there to move back while she was in there. After Twilight had moved far enough within the passage, however, she started to once more talk to herself.

"Okay, Twilight, calm down. It's just a forest...full of self-moving plants...and dangerous animals probably all around me...leading to a known spy from a powerful rival nation. Absolutely nothing to worry about."

Her failed attempt at a pep talk had the expected effect, as both her ears began to droop down slightly. But, she'd already gone this far, so she mentally convinced herself to just keep on moving at this point. What most disturbed her about her current circumstances though was that, unlike her initial time in the forest, this new section appeared to be completely silent, which, strangely, worried her more than where she'd been previously. But, a time soon came when she stopped, squinting ahead to something she'd just spotted.

"Is that...light?"

Her eyes were not deceiving her. There was indeed a small glimmer of light at the end of this passageway. And so, having something to aim for, Twilight doubled her efforts, moving further through the plants, getting a few scratches from stray thorns here and there for her trouble. But soon, she was out at the other side, and when she stepped out, her eyes widened. For she now found herself in a small clearing, almost perfectly circular, with the ancient trees all around. At its centre was what appeared to be a small pond, and the light she'd seen earlier was none other than the light of the full moon reflecting off it. Taking a few further steps inside the clearing, Twilight glanced around, seeing nopony here, and yet soon kept her eyes firmly on the bright water before her.

"Beautiful," she commented.

"Indeed it is."

The sound of the second voice caused Twilight to step back slightly, her eyes darting in every direction around her. She could see nopony, just as always, and yet, there now appeared to be the distinct sound of hooves approaching her, though from which direction she could not say. She prepared herself, ready to flee if necessary, but it seemed as though she didn't have to wait long for whatever or whoever was approaching. For there was now a small rustling in the bushes and branches on the opposite side of the pond from her, causing her to squint her eyes at it. Moments later, a figure emerged, clad in a dark cloak.

"Long time no see."

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"...Trixie?"

The figure raised a hoof, lowering her hood, and showing that, yes, it was Trixie underneath. The blue mare stepped closer to the pond, to Twilight, and formed a small smile.

"It's good to see you again, Twilight."

Twilight paused, then let out a sigh, relaxing her posture a bit.

"Yeah...you too."

But, the moment passed, and her frown from earlier returned to her.

"Why did you call me here?"

Trixie said nothing to that, instead turning her head, to the direction she'd just come from. Twilight opened her mouth to speak again, only to stop when, to her surprise, a second voice was now heard.

"She called you here for a matter of great importance, Twilight Sparkle."

As before, Twilight assumed a more worried stance, watching with concern as another figure emerged from the tree-line. Like Trixie, this person, who sounded like she was also a mare, was likewise clad in a dark cloak, and walked just a bit further than Trixie before stopping. Twilight, seeing this new arrival, frowned.

"Who are you?"

A chuckle was heard, and the new figure raised a hoof, lowering her hood just as Trixie had done mere moments ago. When this was done, Twilight looked upon an unfamiliar face. It was indeed a mare, and a unicorn at that, with light-orange fur and a mane that combined both yellow and red. Seeing Twilight across the pond, the mystery mare smirked slightly.

"My name is Sunset Shimmer...and it's high time we met."