Understandably, a great deal of concern had gripped Twilight, as she stood on one side of that moonlit pond. Staring out at her opposite number, Trixie, and this newcomer, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight suddenly felt very, very alone. For a time, nopony said anything, but, after a good deal of simply staring at one another, the lavender unicorn finally turned her gaze to Trixie specifically.

"I thought it would just be you here."

Trixie rolled her eyes slightly.

"Don't worry, this isn't an ambush, Twilight."

She might have spoken further, but the other mare, Sunset, now took a step forward, speaking in a somewhat more serious tone.

"Tell me...do you know who I am?"

Looking to her, Twilight shook her head.

"You said you were Sunset Shimmer, right?"

Sunset frowned slightly.

"Yes...but I want to know if you know who I am."

Naturally, Twilight seemed confused by this.

"I'm sorry...but I don't understand."

Sunset sighed, looking, strangely enough, disappointed.

"No...of course not. I should have known Celestia wouldn't tell you about me."

To that, Twilight returned the frown.

"What do you know about the Princess?"

Sunset chuckled in response to that.

"Oh, I know more than you could imagine, Twilight. For you see..."

She looked Twilight right in the eye.

"...you are not her first apprentice."

It took a few moments, but Twilight's eyes soon widened with realisation, and she took a step backwards.

"You're...you're...?"

Sunset nodded.

"Yes...Celestia was once my teacher, just as she is to you today."

As one would expect, this was rather shocking information to Twilight, who still looked as though she was struggling to get her head around all of this. But, through all of that confusion, there was one question that seemed to be burning on her lips.

"But...why? Why are you here? With her? With them?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow, never saying a word, as though the answer Twilight sought would simply come to her. And sure enough, it did, as Twilight herself now appeared to be deep in thought over something.

"Princess Celestia, she...she said something. About how Queen Moon took somepony special from her."

Her eyes narrowed onto Sunset.

"It was you she was talking about."

As before, Sunset let out a hearty laugh.

"I see my old mentor has gained a rather selective memory since we parted."

Her serious expression from earlier returned.

"No, Twilight, the Queen never took me. I went to her of my own choice."

Hearing that, Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to be halted by a raised hoof from Sunset.

"Trust me...it's a long story."

For a time, it looked like Sunset was going to say something else, as there was just the tiniest flicker in her eyes. But, the moment was soon passed, and instead, the other mare stepped forward yet again, addressing Twilight in a voice that was louder than before.

"Twilight, as you know, we've been watching you for some time now."

Twilight cast a somewhat irritated glance in Trixie's direction at that.

"Yeah...I know."

Trixie frowned in response to this, but kept quiet as Sunset carried on.

"And what we've learned has been more than enough to interest the Queen."

This time, it was Twilight's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Interest her? How?"

A smirk crept onto Sunset's face.

"Tell me...have you been having odd dreams lately?"

Again, Twilight looked over to Trixie, seeming more confused than irritated this time.

"My dreams? That was information worth sending to your Queen?"

Trixie let out a brief laugh, but soon sighed and shook her head.

"Oh, you have no idea, Twilight."

Looking back to Sunset, Twilight awaited her explanation, which was soon given.

"Out of curiosity...did your dream happen to involve Celestia and Queen Moon? Or perhaps...an additional figure?"

Twilight's eyes widened slightly.

"The...the third alicorn?"

Sunset, upon hearing that, looked back to Trixie.

"So, she did see it."

Twilight let out a grunt of annoyance, causing the other mares to look back at her.

"Okay, will somepony please tell me what's going on here?!"

After giving Trixie another quick glance, Sunset gave Twilight a short nod.

"Alright then. Put simply, that dream you had, of a third alicorn standing between the other two, is not a dream only you have had, Twilight."

Twilight tilted her head to the side, prompting Sunset to continue.

"Anypony who's ever had a true affinity and connection to magic has had that dream at some point in their lives."

Slowly, she glanced down at the reflection of the moon in the pond.

"The third alicorn. The mare of dawn and dusk. The one who stands between. All these titles and more have been given to that mystery mare over the centuries. And many peoples have seen it as a sign of things to come."

Twilight gained a somewhat sceptical look.

"So...is that why you called me here? Why the Queen has an interest in me? She wants me to help her find this mare?"

Sunset stared at Twilight for a time, then Trixie, and the latter gave her a knowing look, which Sunset soon returned. Looking back to Twilight, Sunset carried on.

"The Queen is convinced that the third alicorn will reveal herself in time, with or without your help."

She narrowed her eyes.

"But finding her is not what we called you here for, nor are we here to discuss who or what she is. All the dream proves is that you have a connection to magic far above most others. And that is what has caught the Queen's eye."

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"I may be Celestia's student, but I'm not that special."

Sunset's smirk returned.

"No? So you don't feel it then? This place?"

At first, Twilight was confused. Bu then, after the silence of the moment began to sink in for her, she started glancing around the clearing they were all standing in. She'd felt something about this place, something that had drawn her here to begin with, but now that she was here in earnest, that feeling was stronger. And as she looked around, Sunset kept her eyes on her.

"You do feel it, don't you? This place is but one of many magical focal points in our world. A place that is, for lack of a better term, pure."

Twilight looked to her as she continued.

"Magic gathers here, and those with a real connection to it can feel it, far more than they can in other places. If you can feel it, then your prowess with magic is far greater than even you suspect."

For a time, Twilight considered those words, but afterwards, she let out a long sigh.

"...What do you want?"

Getting back to business, Sunset once more narrowed her eyes.

"The Queen feels that your talents are wasted as Celestia's apprentice. You could be so much more, do so much more. So...she offers you the chance...to learn."

Twilight was, naturally, taken aback by this, but nevertheless stood firm.

"You want me to abandon Celestia? My people? To serve the Queen instead?"

Sunset nodded.

"She's giving you a chance to become far more powerful than you could ever hope to be under your...current teacher."

Looking up at the sky, she continued.

“Myself, Trixie and others, we belong to an elite group of unicorns under her command. The Order of the Stars. We serve as her most able unicorns. Her foremost agents. This is the opportunity she grants to you.”

She frowned.

"And you know that, when she says she can aid your progress, she speaks the truth. You've seen the Queen's abilities, how they go beyond what Celestia can do."

Twilight frowned right back.

"Perhaps...but I can't accept."

Silence returned once more, and the three mares looked to one another from across that pond for a little while. Sunset, looking to Twilight, saw the intent and honesty in her eyes as she'd said that, and so, let out a sigh of her own.

"I see. Well...that's disappointing."

A brief but empty laugh escaped her as she mused on Twilight’s answer.

“I thought like you once. So sure in Celestia.”

She looked back to Twilight.

“You’ll learn...one day.”

But Twilight, ignoring that jab at her mentor, raised a hoof.

"I appreciate that the Queen has that kind of faith in me...but that's not an offer I can just go along with."

Sunset nodded.

"I had a feeling that's what you'd say. Can't say I'm looking forward to delivering the news to her. Although..."

She looked up, to the full moon above them.

"...chances are, she already knows."

Twilight too looked back at the moon, only to look back down as Sunset, after sighing again, began to turn around, heading back over to Trixie.

"Come on, Trix. We've done our part here. Shouldn’t keep the Queen waiting."

Trixie nodded, but, before she could say anything, Twilight stepped forward.

“Wait...that’s it? I say no and you accept it? Just like that?”

Sunset paused, looking back to her with a somewhat dismissive expression.

“I’m not here to force anything, Twilight. I was asked to deliver a message...and it has been delivered.”

She carried on, looking quite certain that this was all she had to say. As for Trixie, she then looked back to Twilight, her expression a mixed one.

"See you around, Twilight."

Twilight nodded back to her, then watched as she started to walk off, leaving Sunset to be the one to speak next.

"The offer stands...if you ever change your mind."

Briefly, Twilight kept silent, but, as she watched them go, she felt compelled to speak out one last time.

"Wait! The vines! The forest letting me in here...how did you do that?"

The other mares stopped, looking back to her with confusion. Then, after a while, Sunset gained a look of realisation, then started to chuckle, much to the continued confusion of the others.

"So...even Zecora is watching all of this," she mused.

She shook her head

“Don’t worry yourself, Twilight. It’s just...one more long story.”

The others had no idea what she meant by that, and so kept quiet as, at long last, Sunset began to head back into the trees, leaving Trixie to give Twilight one final look before she too began to depart. As for Twilight, she stayed where she was, watching as the others walked further and further away. After a time, they were finally gone, leaving her all alone in this place. She stood there, taking in all the sounds of the forest, from the gentle blowing of the wind to the way the water of the pond lapped against its sides. Then, after all of this, she exhaled deeply, looking back to the pond itself, and her reflection.

"...What have I gotten myself into?"