Underneath the School of Friendship, the Tree of Harmony glowed as she sensed that someone was before her. And she was not one Harmony could ignore.

As her projection blazed into life, her eyes came upon the form of Twilight Sparkle. Or at least a Pegasus version of her. That alone told her who the mare really was.

"I, wasn't expecting you to come back," Harmony said, trying to hide her unease. There was a reason she didn't like being this close to her. One does not like remembering their creator and how insignificantly she was a part of her. Especially when you had become sapient.

Cosmos smiled. "Don't worry. I have nothing for you. But I have questions you must answer."

Harmony bowed her head. "You already know why I'm here. The Everfree Forest is no longer safe. Discord's Plundervines served a purpose, whether they wanted to or not."

Cosmos nodded. "They kept the forest in check. Your lack of the Elements of Harmony upset the balance. Attacking you was the only way to get them back."

Harmony nodded. "I have no love lost for Discord. But it was the only way. The Everfree is becoming too wild. I couldn't stay."

Cosmos nodded, frowning. "This era is ending. Celestia and Luna plan to announce their retirement today. Twilight and her friends have already left for Canterlot. Twilight will need all the help she can get."

"I will help her and her friends as much as I can. But I fear what will come of this. Another is plotting in the shadows," Harmony replied.

Cosmos spat. "Grogar and his Legion of Doom. One has already been taken care of and is no longer of any use to them."

Harmony knew who she meant. Cozy Glow had been turned from her path and set on a better course. Where it would lead none knew. But Harmony hoped it was for the better.

"Then what of Sombra, Tirek, and Chrysalis? I came here hoping it would prevent them from coming after me," she said.

Cosmos nodded, her smile softening. "It will. No harm will come to you here. And even then, I have a plan in place to make them a non-issue when the time comes."

While Harmony was relieved some, it didn't help fully. "And what of Sombra? Twilight and her friends have not faced something like him before."

Cosmos smirked. "I have faith in their friendship. Sombra is nothing but a pathetic hack. A waste trying to be something he is not, based on something far from here."

Her smirk grew. "And they have another that will help them. Whether she knows it now or not."

Harmony knew who she meant. "Twilight's twin. She's been in hiding since her rebirth." She shook her head. "She can't hide forever."

Cosmos nodded. "No, she cannot. No matter what she tells herself to the contrary, she wants friends, she wants to be accepted by Equestria, not seen as a monster or abomination."

"Do you think they will accept her?" Harmony asked.

Cosmos nodded. "I have faith they will. If not only Twilight herself. She is too good to not try and make friends with her."

Author's Note

Hello season 9, and the meat of the story. Yes, this is written knowing where the season is going with Grogar and the Legion of Doom.

Or what's left of it anyway.

Yes, I am making full and total fun of Sombra. Season 3's and 9's premiers failed miserably to make him anything worthwhile to me as a character.

No, I am not sorry at all.

The fact that he is a thinly disguised attempt at making something along the lines of Sauron from the Lord Of the Rings doesn't help. Sauron at least was an interesting character and a very real threat.