Water poured over the lip of the rock in a smooth curve and roared down into a chasm. Far below, it tumbled and foamed into pool. The rays of the setting sun caused a rainbow to form in the spray.
Three alicorns sat on the edge of the river just upstream of the falls. The watched quietly as a fourth alicorn approached, trotting delicately across the mess of moss that covered the edge of the riverbank. Starlight sparkled in her flowing blue mane and tail, and misted around her deep blue pelt.
The newcomer raked the waiting ponies with an icy blue stare. "In the name of all Equestria, why did you choose to meet here?" She demanded, irritably shaking one forehoof. "It's far too wet, and I can't hear myself think."
Her older sister, a white alicorn with a flowing pastel mane and tail, rose to face her. "Stop complaining, Luna. I chose this place because it's damp and noisy. I have things to say that I don't want any other ponies to overhear."
A pink alicorn, with a pink, purple, and yellow mane, beckoned her with her hoof. "Come sit by me. there's a dry spot right here."
Luna padded across to her and sat down with irritated sniff. "If this is dry, Cadence, then I'm a mule." Turning to her sister, she added, "Well Celestia? What is it?"
"The prophecy has not been fulfilled," Celestia sighed, "The Three have come together at last, but the other two of the ponies might not recognize the third."
"Are you sure we've got the right 'Three' this time?" Luna asked sharply.
"I know we have." The speaker, a purple mare with a midnight blue, purple and pink streaked mane and tail also the youngest of the group, dipped her head respectfully toward the Princess of the Night. "Didn't we all have the same dream on the night the One arrived in Equestria?"
Luna looked deep into the speaker's eyes, "You could be right Twilight. But so much has gone wrong with these Sirens, that it's hard to trust anything now."
"Of course she's right." Celestia twitched her ears, "But if Sonata and Aria don't recognize the One, there could be more trouble. I want to send them a sign."
"WHAT?" Luna rose to her hooves again, waving her horn commandingly as if she held authority over her sister. "Celestia, have you forgotten that this prophecy isn't even ours? It could be dangerous to interfere with it. I think that we should leave it alone."
Twilight blinked, puzzled. "Dangerous?"
"Do you honestly think that it's a good idea to have these Sirens, who are now back in Equestria, to have more power than the stars?" Luna challenged, facing each pony in turn. "More powerful than us, the leaders of this nation." She opened her wings to empathize her argument. "What will become of Equestria if--"
"Have faith Luna." Cadence interrupted gently. "They've changed. These mares are now good and loyal ponies."
"Celestia and I thought that about Adagio when we paired them together!" Luna retorted.
"We won't be wrong again," Celestia promised. "Wherever this prophecy came from, we must trust it, and we must trust our subjects, who look up to us for guidance."
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only turn her head in shock as another pony came crashing through the undergrowth a few feet upstream. A light orange unicorn mare with a fiery mane and tail burst out into the open, and raced towards them.
"Sunset Shimmer!" Luna exclaimed, "What are you doing here? Are you spying on us?"
"We're all friends now," Celestia's former student reminded her. "I guessed why you were meeting, and--"
"This is alicorn business Sunset," Celestia pointed our, with just a hint of a snarl crossing her face.
"No, it's not!" Sunset flashed back at her. "Sonata and Aria are my cousins--their my uncle's daughters." Her green eyes filled with distress. "I care about happens to them, and I grieve for Adagio just as much as you do."
Twilight put a hoof around her friend's shoulder. "She's right, let her stay."
Celestia shrugged, "They aren't your daughters, Sunset." She cautioned with unexpected gentleness. "We can warn them and guide them, but in the end they will go their own way."
"All sons and daughters do that Celestia." Luna commented.
For a few seconds Celestia's expression darkened and her purple gaze was fixed on the distance, as if she saw a lifetime of painful memories streched across the sky. Her horn began to glow in a pale yellow and the sun slipped down below the horizon. Luna's horn lit up in a light blue and the red streaked clouds faded to indigo. In the pool below the waterfall, the whirling foam shone pale in the shadows.
"So what do we do now?" Cadence prompted. "Celestia, you mentioned sending a sign."
"I still don't think that we should get involved." Luna insisted before Celestia could reply. "The third pony is already strong and cleaver, even if we don't know much about her extra talent. If she's the right one, won't she figure everything out by herself?"
"You can't just sit by and do nothing!" Sunset protested, as she dug a shallow hole in the damp ground. "They need your help."
"I'm with Sunset on this one." Cadence agreed with a nod toward the orange unicorn. "If we had meddled more"--she glanced at Luna--"Adagio might not have been lost."
Luna's ears fell flat against her head. "Adagio made her own choices. These ponies have to live their own lives. No pony can do it for them."
"No, but we can guide them," Twilight smiled. "I agree with Celestia, I think that we should send them a sign."
"I can see that you've all made up your minds." Luna sighed, letting her ears perk up again. "Very well, do what you wish."
"I will send them an Omen." Celestia bowed her head: briefly the other alicorns saw her true age and deep wisdom that she carried. "An Omen of the Stars."
"Which pony will you send it to?" Luna asked. "Aria or Sonata?"
Celestia's purple gaze glowed in the pale moonlight as she turned toward her little sister. "Neither," she replied. "I will send it to the third pony."
