The Moon, The Sun, The Sleepers

All hail the Lord of Death,

His reacheth past the realm of living.

Glory beest to the Lady of Darkness,

Her words kind, that lady eyes all seeing.

Lavish thy praises to the King of the Skies,

His throat booming with merriness at every turn.

Love the Master of Disguise,

His faces many, his words knowingly unknown.

Bow to the Seer of the Truth,

His persistence to knowledge a legend amongst peers.

And forget not the Laughing Mage with a broken tooth,

His wonders many, his trusted friends few.

These six art few of many, but those gents beest the circle of power.

And doth not beest hath caught with thoughts against those folk,

Or doth not bethink yourself safe in any tower.

Luna stared intently upon the contents upon the silver plate twenty meters away from her. The plate was flanked by a trio of Unicorn Magi, each a powerful spellcaster and knowledgeable researcher in their own regard. Not even Twilight Sparkle could contend with them, for now. She would have plenty of time to progress her studies.

Each magi muttered as they cast spells upon the pile of purple dust lying within the plate between them, summoning instruments from thin air, conducting experiments, recording results and calculating numbers that Luna could not understand. Celestia had assured her that she was not alone in that regard, the schools of magic had advanced so much since over a thousand years ago that it was simply impossible to remember all but the basic. Best leave it to those who know best to tell us the results, we won't understand the procedure even if they tell us. Though Twilight might. Her sister had added as an afterthought before she left for day court.

Pushing aside such distractions, Luna noticed that the Magi had ceased their spellcasting and were making their way over to her. The red stallion, Under Tone, a known researcher in the field of magic, and most well versed in the study of Necromancy, with permission from the Crown, was the first to dip his head respectfully towards the Night Regent.

"We had compiled our findings upon the evidence procured." He paused unnecessarily. A flair for dramas, just what I need.

"And?"

"It is confusing," The one to reply was not Under Tone, but the black maned blue mare beside him, Swift Seeker, a powerful battle mage directly enlisted by the Equestrian Military, "while the residue does indicate that it was a form of the dangerous, hallucination-inciting drug known as the Mists of Truth, what we discovered is...." She hesistated, looking almost unsure as

"Is...?" Luna prompted. Her patience for the answer was wearing out. Fast.

"The Mists of Truth, or Mot, appears to be processed." This time the white mare, Astral Eye, a starry eyed red-maned young researcher who was rumored to have been at the top of the list of geniuses if not for the existence of Twilight Sparkle, replied. "It was unheard of, Princess Luna, for no where in the history books can I remember such a process ever existed."

"Unless it was unrecorded." Under Tone added, "Or recently invented."

"Both of which are currently unvalidated or require evidence to prove," Swift Seeker interrupted, shooting a mild glare at the red stallion. It was glaringly obvious that they were not on good terms with one another, Luna noted.

"But Princess, what is interesting was that the processed Mot does not incite hallucinations." Astral Eye muttered. "You had stated that you were once a victim of its effects, Princess?"

"Yes." Luna replied, remembering that horrifying moment. A chill always crept up her spine whenever she recalled that terrible incident.

"Then you should know that while the original Mot had been capable of producing those effects, the processed Mot however produces none of those effects. As such, Princess, it could hardly be used as a weapon to incapacitate Shining Armor or Princess Cadence."

"Of course, we could safely say that they did have the original product." Swift Seeker said, and adopted a dire tone as she continued, "however, it would prudent to act as if there were enemies that could overwhelm Princess Cadence and her husband in power alone."

"Though we would have nothing to worry about." Under Tone reassured. For some reason, Luna felt anything but. "Those two are not among the best casters, chances are that the enemy was just a bunch of foalnappers looking to ransom the royal couple. It would be easy to devise a method against their attackers once we know what we're up against."

"Funny," sneered Swift Seeker, her tone unkind. "I recall you saying that when Discord broke free of his prison, again when Princess Celestia warned us about the threat that turned out to be changelings. You came up short both times, are you positive that you could hold up your end of the bargain this time?"

"Hey now," Under Tone's demeanor changed to one of anger, "Those two are exceptions! How were we capable of combating a monster who could bend our magic to his will and another who could position themselves around our key personnel and take them down simultaneously!"

As the two magi bickered, Astral Eye shuffled up to Luna. "Princess? A question, if I may?" Luna nodded, wondering what the young unicorn wished to ask. "Why me? I mean, why not get Princess Twilight to aid in this case? Considering that her family had just been abducted, I would imagine that she would want to be in on the case."

Luna contemplated telling her the reasons that they gave Twilight so as to keep her out of the entire situation. However, as she caught sight of the expression of Astral Eye, Luna decided that the truth might help the mare instead. She was obviously experiencing difficulty when and had a weak sense of confidence in herself. Something Luna herself can understand, having undergone the same situation herself two years ago. She can tell that the mare really needed a confidence boost.

Luna smiled, hoping that it would reassure the young researcher as she had seen her sister did to many others. It worked. "Astral Eye, you were chosen because we decided that you are a better choice than Twilight in this case."

"Twilight is... emotionally compromised." Luna said, choosing her words carefully. It would not do for this child to believe that she was a mere replacement for her better. "She would pour her every being into getting into the bottom of this case, and probably hinder us more than it may normally take. Furthermore, you are a much, much more valuable partner than Twilight in these kind of operations."

"Really, princess?"

"Twilight may be the only pony since Starswirl the Bearded that is very well-versed in almost every school of magic. Except unlike you, she is only a researcher." An overzealous, prone to overworking, researcher. Luna added mentally. "But Celestia had mentioned that she was not exactly well versed in the practical aspects of battle magic, preferring to invest her time in schools like Alchemy, Transmogrification and Astronomy. We needed another participant that could prove to be more useful in both investigative and combat areas."

"There will be a fight, Princess?"

Luna contemplated cautiously before answering, "In the worst case scenario. Yes." Her eye suddenly caught sight of a sudden escalation of event before her, "and in the near future. Yes. Also, you might want to duck."

"Princes- Meep!" Astral Eye dropped to the ground, a fireball missing her by less than an inch.

I should stop them, Luna conceded, a spell forming at the forefront of her thoughts. She would need to put some effort in, at the rate the two were going at, hurling spells that would had evaporated any lesser beings caught between them. Thank the heavens that Twilight would not really resort to using her magic to alleviate her anger. An Alicorn Princess with a lack of control would be the last thing we need now.

Twilight never felt like blowing up a house any more than this very moment in her life, even if it was her library. She was livid with anxiety, anger, distress and possibly every other synonyms she could think of within her very own dictionary. It had been two days, TWO full days since her brother and sister-in-law were foalnapped off their train into who knows where. AND Princess Celestia and Luna had the gall to ask her not to panic and wait for them to sort out the situation instead of allowing her to attend the Conference of Chiefs that was called at the occurrence of such an event.

My family was foalnapped, and I don't get to even know what in the world is going on? Not even the circumstances? Twilight's mind seethed with indignation at the treatment. She would not take advantage of her position as Princess of Equestria, she did not even want this duty in the first place, but now that she was a Princess alongside Celestia and Luna, she should at least be allowed to attend state matters when her family is involved!

"Ummmm Twilight?" Twilight turned her head so fast that it was a miracle to her companion that the neck was still intact. "What?" The Alicorn demanded, Spike stared for amount at his companion, the dragon assistant contemplating his chances at survival if he should choose to reveal to the Alicorn what should be an earth shattering discovery.

In the end, friendship and concern won. "You'll burn that book if you continue to flip its pages with your horn." Spike revealed, mentally bracing himself for a explosion of frustration. This won't end well.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Twilight Sparkle screamed with horror as she noticed the scorch marks she had left on the book. Her horn was apparently burning with anger, literally, and had damaged her books each time she poked it, flipped a page or do whatever she was doing with it. Running over a multitude of repair spells, Twilight mumbled incoherently about burning herself in the thirteenth level of Tartarus as Spike watched silently, his hand clamped firmly over his mouth. It would not do, not at all to tell her it was just a book. If there was one thing Twilight loved more than tests, its books. As such he would not say 'Twilight, it's just a book.' He would not say it...

"Twilight?"

"What?!" The Alicorn snapped. Her eyes growing red, though if it were from stress or from magic, Spike couldn't really tell. Sighing and giving into inevitability, Spike pulled on his best deadpan look and pointed down, right at where Twilight was standing. She looked down and—

Yup, she broke. Spike closed his eye as he was sent flying by a gigantic burst of an kinetic impact spell. Soon, it will all be over, he would have peace and quiet. Soon he would— *Wham*— Are those flying gems he sees?

Twilight had hightailed the heck out of her library the moment she discovered that she had left scorch marks upon. She had been so focused on her burning white hot rage (literally) that she almost set fire to her wealth of knowledge in the library! And her home. There was no way she could allow such a thing to happen. She would sooner gorge her eyes out and eat them then willingly burn a book!

Okay... She's calm. Very very VERY calm. By Celestia's plot!.... Did she just think that? Oh dear.... She should not, should never even try to...

"TWILIGHT!"

"HYEEEEEEEK!" Twilight leaped a full meter into the air. Before plummeting to the ground, legs sprawled out beneath her. Gathering her wits and blushing with embarrassment, Twilight looked up to behold her Assailant.

"Whatcha doing, Twilight?" Pinkie asked, her fluffy pink tail twitching uncontrollably. Twilight focused on the twitching tail for a moment before realizing what it usually meant. Her horn glowed as she conjured a forcefield over her head. Eyes searching the sky furtively for any signs of falling objects.

"Twilight? What are you doing?" Pinkie asked, her brow raised quizzically.

"Falling objects," Twilight continued scanning the skies for any possible signs of an impending doom, "that's what the twitching tail means, right?"

Pinkie Pie looked at her incredulously before bursting out into peals of laughter. "No silly, that's just the twitching  tail. The twitchy tail and shivering back combo means that somepony important is coming to visit Ponyville!"

Twilight ran her gaze over her friend. Sure, she could see the slight trembling of Pinkie's back, but her friend was literally shivering, so it would quite hard to tell if she was for real or not. Well, knowing Pinkie Pie, who was likely as honest as Applejack, Twilight could not do anything but trust in her friend's senses. To do so otherwise would be to invite... some very unpleasant things...

"So who is this... very important pony, Pinkie?"

"I dunno, Twily!" Laughed Pinkie, putting a hoof to her mouth to prevent herself from laughing in Twilight's face. "It's just somepony veeeeeery important, though how important," Twilight blinked as Pinkie donned a detective's hat out of nowhere, she had longed since ceased to question the other pony's antics ever since some traumatizing occurrences... "nopony knows....." Pinkie ended her sentence with a mysterious but light-hearted flair.

Twilight shook her head to rid herself of the sudden dizziness that pervaded her. It's just Pinkie being Pinkie, and besides, she hd learn to trust her logic-defying friend's intuition. More often than not, if Pinkie says something will happen, it happens. No question will be asked.

"So Twily?" Pinkie asked, grinning with a mouth shaped like a crescent moon, "you wanna go meet him together?"

"Uh, no thank you." Twilight managed to squeeze out politely. As much as she would like to aid Pinkie in her quest to Ponyville's important visitor (or Pinkie's important visitor?), she could not trust herself to welcome anypony in her current state.

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Pinkie asked, her voice suddenly solemn. Twilight opened her mouth to reply, wanting to spill out her feelings to one of her closest friends, only to close it when she recalled Celestia's instructions.

Do not leak any information on the ponynapping of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, we do not wish for any reason for the public to panic until we could discern if this is a ransom, or something else.

But could she tell her closest friends? One of the things she had learned while being a student of Celestia was that it would not benefit anypony to keep their feelings bottled up. However, would this be going against Celestia's wishes? What if she did, and somehow Celestia's plans were all invalidated based upon her actions? She would be in trouble, wouldn't she?  Even if she was one of Equestria's princesses, the true authority still lay with Celestia and Luna, at least, not until she received proper training. That would mean they could still punish her if she stepped out of line? Was this stepping out of line? Wha—

"Twilight? You okay?"

Twilight snapped out of her reverie, and almost muttered in the affirmative. However, she caught herself in time. It would be counter productive if she just lie but what would be the best way to ask for advice without bringing up the problem?

"I..." Twilight fumbled for the right words, running the sentence carefully before speaking again, "The princess gave me a really big problem that I don't know how to solve. However, I'm not sure if she could allow any of you girls to come and help me..."

"Why don't you just ask her then?"

"What?" Twilight asked, unable to process what Pinkie just said.

"I said, why don't you just ask Princess Celestia?" Pinkie giggled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Twilight wanted to rebuff that suggestion, she wanted to deny the validity of the statement. However, the more she consider it, the more she believed it to be the proper solution to her conundrum. In face, why had she not thought of it sooner? Twilight beamed brightly at Pinkie.

"Thank you, Pinkie! That really helps!"

"No problemo!" Pinkie's suddenly widened drastically before a pink whirlwind swept her away, or was she became a pink whirlwind and blew away? Twilight cleared her head of such thoughts as she heard the sound of Pinkie greeting a blue pegasi stallion that she had never seen before. From his shades, the camera hanging from his neck and his traveling sack, Twilight gathered that he was most likely a tourist. A tourist who was getting increasingly uncomfortable with the way Pinkie was inquiring whatever she was inquiring, if the way he constantly tries too smooth out his silver mane was any indication. That and the fact that he looked ready to sprint off at any moment. Ah, there he goes.

"Awwwwwww," Twilight almost expected Pinkie's voice to sound out beside her again but could not help but be startled at the unexpectedness of it. "I was so sure he was the one too."

"Maybe if you tone it down a little with the next pony?" Twilight offered. "Perhaps you could have a little more success?"

"Okey-dokey-lokey!"

Twilight turned away from her (literally) bouncing friend and began her trek towards the library. She had a letter to write.

Princess Luna stepped wearily into her apartment. Trying to separate two mages of high distinctions was a lot more difficult than trying to kill them, if she could remember correctly. In fact, some parts of her mane still reeks of burning hair. She truly hoped that she had done it justice by flinging both mages into the dungeons for a day.

"Good evening, Princess Luna. I trust you had a very pleasant day?"

Luna gazed over to the source of the voice, and was relieved to see a green unicorn stallion in a black suit that matches his mane. Throughout the kingdom, Luna had probably as many confidants that she could trust in as the number of hours on a twelve-hour clock. Her secretary, Former TERA (The Equestrian Royal Airfleet) Lieutenant Helix Watcher, was but one of those.

"Almost delightful, Helix." Luna replied, trotting over to the cupboard in her room. Now where did she put those cookies and moonshine?

"I see. However, Princess Luna, I must bring to your attention—"

Ah! Third cupboard from the right. Delish!

"—that the report from Intelligence had reported that the Foalnapper of Princess Cadence, Shining Armor and their entire retinue had been tracked to this place." Helix Watcher unrolled a map of Equestria with a bright red 'X' over the location detailed.

Luna froze, a chocolate chip cookie halfway into her mouth as she turned and carefully scrutinized the location of the map. "Fring ve ay veveird waywowt vof vay zakshen."

"Pardon?"

Luna opted to swallow the chocolate chip cookie first before she issued the order again. "Bring me a detailed layout of the section."

It did not take long before Luna was studying the geographical layout of the map layout indicated by her secretary. If her hunch was right, a meeting of the Heads of the State would be called by her sister, and should an operation be launched to save her niece and her husband, Luna planned to offer whatever little wisdom she have had in military combat to the endeavor.

"Princess Luna, if I may be forgiven for bringing up this topic again. I would hope that you reconsider allowing me to escort you on the  military venture to save the abducted."

"No, I will not. And I'm sorry for your loss." Princess Luna turned as she softly issued the order to her secretary. Helix Watcher had family aboard that train despite the fact that it was not very well known. Even Luna herself had to take two weeks with Helix Watcher's services to even connect the dots. However, Princess Luna could not allow one whose emotion could jeopardize any operation to participate in any military ventures. It would be downright counter productive.

Helix Watcher obviously did not take the news well. He stiffened visibly and gave a low mutter of affirmation before asking for the permission to take his leave. Princess Luna had to give it, however, the sight of her departing secretary filled her with a great amount of remorse and anger.

The ones who had dared to orchestrate this. They will pay.

A light blue Pegasi charged through the cluster of trees of the Everfree forest. His silver mane was disheveled, he had lost his shades and his coat was matted with dirt. Yet he continue to run.

Run away from the Pink Horror.

It had all gone so well, he had planned to enter Ponyville, then take a trip to the Everfree to find a particular plant unique to the Everfree forest. All until the Pink Horror ruined it all.

The pegasi slowed to a halt as he could not detect any other sounds of pursuers, or the pursuer he dreaded. The lack of logic held by that pony was terrifying, and the uncertainty posed by her could not be any more blurred than the mists clouding the mountains of the Frozen North.

Shivering visibly, the pegasi reached into his traveling sack and retrieved a cylindrical container. Pulling its cap free, he shook it slightly and a couple of purple crystals tumbled out. As soon as they left the container, a red crackling aura grabbed hold of them and grounded them into glittering purple powder. Smiling contentedly, the pony closed his eyes as he inhaled the powder. What has it been? Days? Weeks? It had been so long since he had last had his intake of the Mists of Truth.

Well, barring the thousand years imprisonment, that is.

His violet eyes opened, a clarity to them that had not been seen for a long time. Smiling, the Pegasi continued his trek deeper  into the Everfree forest. He had only one goal here, and by the meddling of the one who freed him, it had granted him the time, the opportunity to complete it. The Pink Horror almost jeopardized it all, however, and he was glad to have lost it, he could not say for certain that he would win a combat round with her in his current state.

Overthrowing Celestia and Luna would be a good bonus too.

Enough time had passed to turn the bright afternoon sky to the dark comforting night. Time enough for his walk to take him to the edge of a cliff overseeing a cavern. Spreading his wings, the pegasi jumped off the cliff to glide slowly into the cavern. Even now, he could feel the magical signatures, the power inherent in the very air within the cave.

Well, there it is.

Right before him, in all its majestic glory. With a trunk and branches as white as snow, as hard as diamond. With six gems of differing colors set into it, each thrumming with the faint hum of energy. The pegasi smiled as he landed and beheld that which he came for in all its majestic glory.

The Tree of Harmony.