Season 10: Dawn of a new generation of Harmony

Chapters

Chapter two: Welcome to Harmony Hallow Village.
Chapter three: Making new friends and seeing a new village.
Chapter four: A tour around town and fitting in.
Chapter five: trouble in town and a tower summons.
Chapter seven: Training with the pillars of harmony, realization of Hero's role.
Chapter eight: Beginning of a journey to harmony and friendship.
Chapter nine: Meeting new friends and protecting the town.
Chapter ten: First intermission and the beginning of a wicked blight.
Chapter eleven: Finishing Hero's training and continuing his journey.
Chapter twelve: Assembly of harmony, planning departure to Canterlot
Chapter thirteen: The end of a mighty foe, arrival to Canterlot
Chapter fourteen: Meeting the princess, assembly of the alicorns.
Chapter fifteen: Finishing training, forming our plan together
Chapter sixteen: Arrival to Mount Aris, reunion with an old foe.
Chapter eighteen: Return to Ponyville, resurgence of an ancient evil.
Chapter nineteen: Revisit the Academy of Friendship, new lessons and new darkness.
Chapter twenty: Second Intermission and first gathering of the vessels.
Chapter twenty-one: Introduction of the Traitorous Nymph
Chapter twenty-two: Welcome to the Crystal Empire.
Chapter twenty-three: Meeting the princess of love and ascension of a new scheme
Chapter twenty-four: Counterfeit and conniver; defending the empire.
Chapter twenty-five: Fighting for the crystal heart.
Chapter twenty-six: Farewell Crystal Empire
Chapter twenty-seven: Journey to Klugetown
Chapter twenty-eight: Exploring Klugetown
Chapter twenty-nine: A reunion with a wily usurper.
Chapter one: It all begins with a dream.
Chapter six: Meeting the ancient pillars of harmony, clarity and fruition.
Chapter seventeen: Return to Ponyville, finishing training.

Chapter two: Welcome to Harmony Hallow Village.

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Chapter three: Making new friends and seeing a new village.

So, is this it for me? Were my efforts all for naught? Am I going to become one of those things now? No, wait... I'm not... I'm waking up... Through the darkness, there was light, and with that light, it had washed over Hero as it was pulling his mind back out from slumber as he awoke.

"Where am I? Am I in a bedroom? Oh yeah, I fainted on a farm. So, I did manage to get away from them."

After a while, the door opened, and a middle-aged mare entered the room. She was an orange mare with a few grey streaks in her mane and was wearing a red and white-plaid neckerchief.

She had blonde hair, a tail, and three apples for her cutie mark. She stood next to the bed Hero was lying on and asked, "Afternoon, sleepyhead. Are you feeling okay? Nice to meet you. My name's Applejack, sugarcube. What's yours?"

"My name is Hero. Were you the one who brought me here?"

"I sure was. I was going out for my morning routine on the farm, and I saw you on the dirt ground, all plum tuckered out. I couldn't just leave you there."

"Well, thanks, Applejack."

"I don't need your thanks; I'm just happy you're doing better. So you looked like you were in a hurry when you passed out. Mind explaining?"

Hero replied, "Can I speak to the chief of this village first? I have something to tell them."

"That would be Starlight Glimmer, sugarcube. She and Sunburst govern this town. They're at the Castle of Friendship over yonder, past our farm, and neck-deep into Town Square."

"There's a great evil about to come, and they need to know about it right now!"

"Well, I can see it in your eyes. You're definitely telling the truth. Fine, but at least have something to eat before you go, alright?"

"Okay, I'm feeling a bit hungry." Applejack led Hero downstairs to the living room, kitchen, and dining room. Everything looked warm and cozy, like a southern home. "Thanks for showing me hospitality. You didn't have to do this, you know."

"Aw, shucks, of course, I did. I couldn't live with myself if I knew I would leave a pony behind. That's not going to happen on my farm," Applejack stated proudly as she walked into her kitchen to prepare their lunch.

"Is it already afternoon? How long was I out?"

"I'd reckon about eight to ten hours. I let you sleep so you'd feel refreshed when you woke up."

"Well, I feel much better now that I've rested. I have a question, but you'd probably think I'm crazy."

"Try me, sugarcube. I've seen a lot of evil in my time here in Equestria."

"Remember that evil that I mentioned before? They're like these weird and creepy shadow creatures. I have no idea what they are or why they're even here. But they just took my town away... and my family too. That's why I was exhausted when you saw me. They were chasing me, probably in this town as we speak."

Applejack had a sorrowful expression on her face as she heard this. "I'm so sorry, sugarcube. You lost your family to these creatures. You're right. Equestria is in danger again. It's as if our efforts to preserve this land for generations were all for nothing."

"What do you mean?" Applejack was beginning to prepare lunch as they spoke. The kitchen was connected to the dining room, so hearing each other wasn't difficult.

"Hun, I'm the Element of Honesty. Together with my friends, we defeated evil wherever it appeared. Twilight needs to be informed of these things you're speaking of."

"Yeah, I agree." Applejack finished making lunch. She had prepared a bowl of what appeared to be soup and apple-flavored bread for herself and Hero. "This looks good, and it smells good, too. What kind of soup is it?"

"Apple-spiced minestrone with sweetened apple bread." Hero then suddenly looked at his bowl with a hint of melancholy as Applejack looked at him quizzically. "Something wrong, sugarcube? You look downright dismayed."

"I-It's just that.. vegetable minestrone with garlic bread was the last meal I had yesterday evening before that horrible night."

"Oh? I didn't mean to rub in those wounds, Hun."

"No, no, It's alright. You didn't know." Hero began to eat as he recalled the words of that robed and mysterious figure from yesterday, "This world has been connected. Tied to the darkness, soon to be completely eclipsed."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. That's what that strange guy in the dark robes said to me before he did something to me. I don't know what it was, but it made me feel... corrupted and not at the same time. It also burned, too." Hero said as he showed the scar on his chest to Applejack.

"Well, if he did anything dangerous to you, you'd better go and see Starlight immediately. She's more knowledgeable about that stuff than I am."

"That guy was the cause of all of this. I know it."

"And I don't doubt you there, sugarcube." Applejack and Hero finished their lunches as she burped slightly, sighing in satisfaction. "That's not bad manners, just good food." She got up, put the dishes in her sink, and dismissed Hero. "I gotta go and till the crops and orchards with Big Mac. You gotta get yourself over to Starlight, pronto."

"Yeah. Can do. And thanks again."

"Not a problem, sugarcube."

Hero left Applejack's home and began walking through a new town. He saw a big sign that welcomed everyone and thought, "So this is Ponyville Central." Then he saw the Town Square that Applejack had mentioned earlier and said to himself, "And that must be the Town Hall."

In the distance, he saw a gigantic castle made of crystal-like material that branched out like a tree. Hero was immediately drawn to it and thought, "Wow, that's a big castle. So that's where Starlight lives, huh? Well, I've come this far. I can't turn back now."

As he approached the castle, he took a moment to appreciate its robust structure. He then came across a large set of double doors made of amethyst and marked the entrance. With some reluctance, he knocked on the left door several times, hoping that Starlight was there and not too busy. Eventually, the right side of the double doors opened up, and Hero was relieved.

An orange dragon with green eyes, a yellow underbelly, and purple scales lined along her back was leaning against the side of the door that remained closed. She asked, "Hey there, what're you doing here?"

"I have urgent news that I need to address; where's the chief of this Starlight lady?" Hero asked as he explained that he had something urgent that needed to be addressed to Starlight.

The dragon, whose name was Smolder, replied, "Name's Smolder, by the way. You're new here, I can tell. Starlight has been busy lately. This better not be a prank." She then led Hero inside to meet Starlight and introduced herself, asking for his name as well.

"Hero. That's what my parents named me," he said.

Smolder giggled and bumped his shoulder with her elbow. "Wow, talk about having massive expectations of someone. I'm only playing with you. Relax."

They soon arrived at the precipice of the castle, standing in front of Starlight's room. "Here we are. Go on then, Hero. Don't be shy," she encouraged him.

"R-Right then, thanks," Hero stuttered nervously as he knocked on Starlight's door.

"Come in," a feminine voice responded, granting him access to enter.

"H-Hey there... are you Starlight Glimmer?" Hero asked.

"Yes. You have the right pony. What seems to be the problem?" Starlight looked up from her sizable pile of paperwork to address him properly. She appeared middle-aged and wore a purple buttoned-up shirt, with her mane tied up in a bun.

"I came to warn you. There's a terrible evil that's coming, and I fear that it's already here."

"Sit, then explain to me what's wrong in every detail." She had a stern look adorning her face now.

"Well, it all started last night. A strange guy attacked our village wearing dark clothing. So, I didn't get to see what he looked like. But he... killed the Tree of Harmony."

"What!?" The short brevity took Starlight aback before she continued. "How? How is that even possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but the horror I witnessed still haunts me. He was not content with just killing the Tree of Harmony; he unleashed an unfathomable darkness that consumed everything and everyone in its path. It was like a black hole that sucked the life out of everything and left nothing but despair in its wake—"

"—My family and our village chief were among the ones who succumbed to this darkness. I was the only one who managed to escape, but not before being relentlessly pursued by dark, shadowy creatures born from the same darkness that consumed my village—.

"—After what seemed like an eternity of running, I stumbled upon a farm, where I was met by a kind-hearted mare named Applejack. I was relieved to have found someone who could help me, and I told her everything that had happened. It was then that she suggested that I should inform you about my ordeal."

"As if all of this wasn't enough, he also inserted a black crystal into my chest, sparing my life for reasons unknown to me. I still carry the scar on my chest as a constant reminder of that fateful night." Hero then bared his chest to Starlight, revealing the black, jagged scar that ran across it. She examined it closely, a look of concern etched on her face, before adjusting the tie on her shirt.

"Okay, I have no idea. But from what you're telling me, it sounds like he wants you for something like he has a plan in mind for you." Starlight approached Hero from her desk to console him. "I give you my most sincere condolences for your loss. That's horrible. Applejack was right to have sent you here. I need to write a letter to Twilight, and she needs to know about this." She then grabbed a blank paper to write a letter informing Twilight. After finishing it, she put a royal seal on it, marking its urgency. Then she used a spell off her horn, and Smolder came in.

"Hi there. What can I do for you, Star? Hey there, Hero." Hero looked at her a bit sheepishly.

"I got this urgent letter that needs to be sent to Canterlot. Can you help me with that?"

"Sure. I got you, no worries." Smolder blew out her purple flames onto the letter, and it vanished. It was on its way to its destination. "Spike's not gonna be happy in the next few moments."

"You know, you could have just flown over there, right? It wouldn't have taken you that long, and Spike wouldn't have to deal with, well... first-class express."

"I know. I could have. But I enjoy messing around with him."

"Smolder. Sometimes, you're just terrible." They both shared a chuckle.

"I know. But he won't hold it against me, especially due to this situation."

"Okay then. As the mayor of this town, thank you for bringing this to our attention. I furthermore grant you permanent residence in this town. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"That's Star's way of saying thank you."

"Way to ruin the moment, Smolder."

"Love you too, Star."

Twilight and Spike sat across from each other, engrossed in a game of chess. After a few minutes, Twilight made a strategic move that left Spike with no option but to concede defeat.

"Okay, Spike. That's checkmate again," she said with a smile.

Spike let out a groan of frustration. "I can't believe I lost again. How do you always manage to beat me?"

"You need to be more careful with your moves, Spike. Your attacks are becoming too predictable," Twilight advised.

Spike nodded in agreement, feeling a familiar sensation in his stomach. "Oh no, not again," he muttered as he let out a belch of green fire. A letter appeared in Twilight's hand, causing her to frown, "Ughnn... I hate it when that happens, Twi."

"I'm sorry, Spike," she said as she read the letter. "This is an emergency message from Starlight. She says we need to gather the rest of the Elements and our friends. Something major has happened," As Twilight finishes reading the letter, a look of horror is etched on her face.

Spike's eyes widened with concern. "Oh no, what's going on?"

"I don't know, but we need everypony here at Canterlot Castle right away," Twilight replied, summoning their friends with a spell.

Chapter four: A tour around town and fitting in.

"I don't have much time before leaving. Twilight just summoned Smolder and me to Canterlot. You'll be fine here. My husband, Sunburst, can look after you. Equestria may have a chance, thanks to you, Hero," Starlight said as she grabbed Smolder's forearm, and they both teleported away.

"Alright then. I'll be sure to look out for him," Hero replied as he walked towards the castle's center and saw two ponies waiting for him.

"Hero, right? Pleased to meet you. The name's Sunburst and this is my daughter, Luster Dawn," said Sunburst, a pony with a long beard who looked like an elder.

"Umm.. is she okay?" asked Hero, noticing Luster Dawn's unease.

"Oh, she's fine. We're trying to help her find some friends. She doesn't think that having friends is important. It's a work in progress," Sunburst replied.

"It's fine, and I'm not here to make her uncomfortable. Maybe I can get a tour of the town," Hero suggested.

"Certainly. But a word to the wise: Pinkie can get a bit... eccentric sometimes. She's not dangerous. But since she's going out to see Twilight, you likely won't meet her yet," warned Sunburst.

"Righto then," Hero said as they left the castle and Town Square.

"This is the Town Hall. This is where our staff manages all the official legal and business affairs." Sunburst then guides Hero to a giant carousel-like building, only to see a unicorn mare coming out quickly. "Hey there, Rarity."

"Oh, hello there, Sunburst, darling. I don't have much time for introductions as I have to get to Twilight's Castle. But I'll see you two later."

"That was Rarity. She's a fantastic seamstress and an even better friend and the Element of Generosity."

"Really? That's kinda cool."

"Yes, it is. Do you remember all of the elements?"

"Y-Yeah, I was told a story like that by my mom... before she left. The fabled story of Equestria's saviors: Kindness, Loyalty, Magic, Laughter, Honesty, and Generosity, right?"

"That's not all of them. The Pillars were the heroes before we were."

"Pillars?"

"Starswirl and his friends."

"Never heard of him or them."

"You haven't heard of the legendary Starswirl the Bearded?" Sunburst was genuinely shocked, which was understandable.

"Nope. Was he powerful?"

"Oh, he certainly was and still is. They sacrificed themselves and were trapped in limbo, so after their seal was broken, we all fought against The Pony of Shadows, so they're here now."

"Can I meet them?" asked Hero.

"Actually, no, you can't. You don't meet them. They meet you. Whenever you're summoned by Starswirl, which is extremely rare, that would mean that Equestria is in danger," replied Sunburst.

"I see," said Hero. They went to other houses and saw all the other cheerful ponies and creatures waving at them as they reached a cottage on the edge of Ponyville.

"This is Fluttershy's home. She's the Element of Kindness," Sunburst explained. Hero saw that Fluttershy was not there, but a few of her animals were. "Well, she would have said hi to us if she didn't have somewhere she needed to be right now."

"Yeah, I get it. For just being an honestly quaint little town, it's surprisingly big," Hero said.

"Dad. When are we going home? I'm honestly not in the mood for a walk around town. I prefer to tend to my studies," Luster interrupted, feeling impatient.

"It'll be okay, Luster. I'll show Hero around the elements' houses and then take you back to the castle," Sunburst assured her.

"You promise?"

"Yes, honey. I promise." Luster seemed satisfied as she tagged along for a bit longer. Eventually, Sunburst and his companions arrived at a house that looked made of gingerbread, even though it was made of bricks. The decoration was so enticing that Hero felt like taking a bite out of the building. Then, he caught a whiff of the delicious aroma of freshly baked goods, which immediately caught his attention.

"H-Holy.. that smells so good."

"I know. That's Sugarcube Corner. This is where Pinkie Pie lives with Cheese Sandwich. The mare that I briefly mentioned before we left the castle. She's already gone, but I can see that Cheese is home. Hey, Cheese!" Then, a slightly orange stallion with a spongy brown mane and confetti strings stuck in it came out. This guy looked like he had just come back from a party.

"Hey there, Sunburst. Who's the new kid?" He gestured over to Hero with his right forehoof.

"His name is Hero. He's been approved for permanent housing by Starlight."

"Well, howdy-do then. Name's Cheese, Cheese Sandwich. Welcome to Ponyville!" He raised his left forehoof as Hero brought out his right one to shake. There was a jolt to his systems as his mane and tail had spiked out briefly, causing Luster to giggle at the display. "Whoops. I forgot to take off the joy buzzer, my bad."

Meanwhile, Hero collapsed onto the grassy ground, dazed with dizzy swirls in his eyes, kicking his left hindleg out as he was knocked out.

Hero woke up inside the lobby of Sugarcube Corner. He blinked his eyes to clear his mind and looked around. "Ugh... oh man. That thing had some serious kick behind it."

"Hey, I'm sorry about that. My joy buzzer has been a bit too peppy as of late. Well, you don't have to worry about falling asleep, right?"

"Geez, I've discovered the opposite to be true."

"Tell you what, then. I'll get you something on the house. Anything you want."

"Well... I don't mean to impose. But if I'm offered, that cinnamon roll looks promising." Indeed, the roll looked fresh on display, and soon it would be all Hero's.

"You're a lucky ducky. We just put that one out on display, too." Cheese then grabbed the cinnamon roll and placed it onto a dish. He brought it over to the table where Hero was sitting. The roll was huge, and there was no way he could eat it all by himself.

"Can I have a knife for it, too?" asked Hero.

"Right, sorry. My bad," replied Cheese. He went back to Hero and gave him the knife. Using magic, Hero cut the roll into four equal parts and took only one piece.

"Here you go. Now, there's one for everyone here," said Hero. The others were surprised, especially Luster, who was initially hesitant but couldn't resist the smell.

"Wow, Hero. That was nice of you," said Sunburst.

"Not a problem," replied Hero.

Sunburst asked Luster, "So, how is it?" as she looked content while sinking her teeth into the soft, warm roll. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Sunburst replied, "Well, thank Pinkie. She made it. It's made with love."

Luster added, "Yeah. I've noticed that. Man, she is skilled."

"I'll say; this sweet roll is delicious," Hero said as he took one bite, then another until his piece was all gone. The other three did the same. When they finished their treats, Sunburst and Luster got up and left the bakery, with Hero following them.

"See you later, Cheese. Say hi to the cake twins and the owners for me." Sunburst said as they left Sugarcube Corner and headed back to Town Square.

"Man, she can make the best sweets. So can Applejack."

"You've tasted her food too?"

"I sure did. She offered me lunch before I went to the castle to warn Starlight." Sunburst asked Hero a question.

"You were the one to mention this great new evil, right? I was just briefly informed and was told to wait for you." They were heading towards a large gathering of clouds with a rainbow-colored set of water flowing from its top and a house atop.

"What's that place up there?" Hero pointed his hoof up to the floating house in the sky.

"That's Rainbow Dash's house. She's the Element of Loyalty." Sunburst said, "Since you've already been to Applejack's, we don't need to go there." Sunburst then led everyone back to the castle just as Hero saw another colossal building adorned by waterfalls next to the court.

"That place looks cool."

"Oh, that's the Friendship Academy." Sunburst explained, "Honey, would you mind one more trip?"

"Because it's the academy itself, not at all. I like it there." Luster Dawn agreed as they made plans for one more place to visit.

At a party, all attendees agreed to visit the academy and see what it had to offer. As they opened the double doors, they were met with a delightful sight of various creatures, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. They took a moment to appreciate the ambiance before moving forward to the Head Mistress's office.

Sunburst, who seemed familiar with the academy, pointed out the office to Hero. "This is the Head Mistress's office," he explained. "If you're planning to visit or enroll as a student, you'll need to come here first."

Hero nodded in understanding and opened the door. The room was spacious, with a big window that allowed natural light to flood the space. It was tastefully decorated with paintings and sculptures adorning the walls and shelves. The desk at the center of the room was made of polished wood and had a nameplate that read "Head Mistress Trixie Lulamoon."

As they walked towards the desk, they saw a blue mare wearing a purple wizard's hat and a matching purple dress. The hat and dress were adorned with yellow stars, and she had a periwinkle-colored mane and tail. She seemed to be in control and was sitting at her desk, ready to welcome them. Hero couldn't help but feel impressed and wondered what the Head Mistress had in store for them.

"Ah. Sunburst. What a delight to see you here. What can the Great and Powerful Trixie do for you today?"

"Must you insist on still using that old title, Trix?"

"But of course, from time to time. It's that little entertainer in me that I cannot get rid of. And I can see that there's somepony new that you've got with you."

"Yes. Trixie, this is Hero. Hero, this is Trixie." Hero and Trixie exchanged a brief look with each other.

"Well, Hero, it's impolite to stare at Trixie. Do you have anything to say, or does Trixie's flair for the performance seduce you?"

"Uh, well... you do look flashy. Very eye-catching."

"Well, that is the general idea of being a performer, getting ponies' and creatures' attention." It seemed that Trixie was delighted to meet Hero. "I can't explain it, Hero. But there's something about you. Like a flair that's unique only to you."

"Really? How can you tell by just looking at me?"

"Trixie knows when she sees a very powerful pony-to-be. And you feel very powerful to Trixie."

"So then, Trixie. Do you think Hero would make a good student here?" Sunburst asked Trixie.

"Well, Sunburst, an education is required to live in this town, ordered by Starlight herself. So I've got no choice but to approve of Hero."

"I see. That is true, and it was one of the more recent laws. So then, Hero. Do you think that you'd like to be a student here?" Sunburst looked to Hero for his input.

"I'm not sure... I guess it'd be okay. I'm not so sure what I'd be able to do here. But, I guess I can give it a chance."

"Awesome. That's a good go-getter attitude."

"Then, by my authority as Head Mistress of this school, I now approve of your inclusion in this School of Friendship."

"Well, thanks. I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem at all. You'll begin your first day tomorrow. How does that sound to you?"

"Sure. I'd like that. So long as Luster here goes with me."

"I've been here much longer than you. Of course, I'm going." She snapped.

"Luster Dawn. Manners. Please be nice to Hero, okay?"

"Okay then. Sorry, Hero. No hard feelings?" She reached out to shake his hoof, and he shook hers in return.

"It's alright, no harm done. I'm just happy that we're getting along."

Chapter five: trouble in town and a tower summons.

Upon their return to the castle, evening had already fallen upon Ponyville. The school had let out for the day, and Hero and the company were waiting in the castle's foyer for Starlight and Smolder, who soon arrived. They teleported to the lobby's center to greet them after their meeting.

"Hero, Sunburst. I have both good and bad news," said Starlight, approaching Sunburst and nuzzling her face into his shoulder as he returned the gesture. "Which would you like to hear first?"

"The bad news," Sunburst replied.

"Things are worse than I thought. For some reason, the great new evil plaguing our land has been confirmed to be slowly progressing toward Ponyville. I have no idea why."

"And the good news?" asked Hero.

"Twilight has informed Starswirl and the Pillars. They're going to take action the moment they discover this evil attacking. Hopefully, we can prevent this disaster from happening, let alone getting worse for everypony."

"We can only hope. So, Hero, your home has been marked on this map." Sunburst gave Hero a map of the entire town. "Here's the key to your home. I pray for safe travels for you and a good night."

Hero thanked everypony and left, making his way out to Town Square. He located his new home, which looked nice and cozy. Hero assumed that this was standard for most housing in Ponyville. The first thing on his mind was sleep as he entered his new bed, which was snug and warm. Hero smiles and tucks himself in as he might get used to this.

Hero found himself in a vivid dream, feeling a mix of sadness and nostalgia. In the dream, he woke up in his old room, which was exactly how he remembered it. He could see the familiar furniture, the posters on the wall, and the moonlight streaming in through the window.

Unfortunately, his sense of comfort was short-lived as he suddenly remembered the horrific event that had taken place in his village. He remembered how the village had been burnt to the ground and consumed by darkness, leaving nothing but ruins and precious memories behind.

Looking up from his bed in his room, he saw the hooded figure that had caused all the destruction standing before him. The figure's face was hidden in the shadows of the hood, but Hero could sense its malevolent presence. The figure looked down at him with a smug expression, pleased with what it had done. Then, within a flash, Hero noticed the room was on fire. The flames were spreading rapidly, and the heat was intense.

Hero's heart raced as he frantically looked around for something to extinguish the fire. He saw a bucket in the corner of the room and rushed towards it, but it was too late. The flames had already engulfed the room, and Hero was trapped. He could feel the heat on his skin and the smoke in his lungs.

After finding no success as the house burned away into rubble and fell apart, all the wreckage deliberately and conveniently missed Hero's head so he could see the damnation wrought upon his home village. The houses were burning, and the ponies were screaming in panic as those shadow creatures hunted down each one.

The enigmatic figure's calloused laughter echoed in Hero's ears as if mocking him and his inability to stop him. Then, the sounds of blood-curdling screams of his family and chief devoured alive by darkness, the floor opened up into an infinite void of darkness as Hero fell through, and the shock of falling into the esoteric abyss woke him up.

The next day, Hero woke up screaming and drenched in sweat from a nightmare. He curled up in the covers and tried to shake off the harrowing experience. After roughly thirty minutes of composing himself, it was morning outside, and he was supposed to attend Friendship Academy for the first time today.

Suddenly, he heard a loud rumbling sound and realized he was hungry. "Oh yeah, I had a big day yesterday and went to bed early. I can't believe I forgot to eat dinner." Someone knocked on his front door, which surprised him since he wasn't expecting any visitors so early in the morning. "I'll be right there," Hero shouted to let the person know he was coming.

"A-Alright then." The voice sounded feminine but shy. As Hero opened the door, he saw the same periwinkle-colored changeling, pink chitin and wings, and blue compound eyes from his dream.

"Um.. hi there. Who are you?"

"Um, my name's Ocellus. It's a pleasure to meet you. And this is Hero's residence, right?" Ocellus asked as she bowed respectfully to introduce herself.

"That would be me, alright."

"Oh, good. I've got this basket for you. It's from Starlight. She told me to give you something to eat in case you forgot dinner." Wow, now that was a convenient coincidence. How did they know that he accidentally skipped dinner last night?

"Um.. thanks. I appreciate it." Hero took the basket and offered her to come in, "You want to have some with me? I don't mind sharing."

"O-Oh um... I don't want to impose. But I guess if you're alright with it, I could. Thanks." Ocellus walked in as Hero set the basket on his table and opened it up. There was a cornucopia of various treats and breakfast-based items here. There was no possible way for Hero to eat all that by himself, "Normally, changelings do not need to eat food as we gather love, but we can digest normal food, especially if there's love put into the dishes."

"Woah. There's a lot of stuff in here. Did Starlight think that I had this big of an appetite?"

"Well, I guess so. She's a bit too generous at times. She told me it was her way of saying thanks for your service to Equestria yesterday. If you don't mind me asking, what did you do?"

"I warned them of a great new evil that's approaching. It's a long story. But this awful guy unleashed these terrible creatures of darkness, and I fear they're already here, even though Starlight said they are approaching." After taking a bite of a blueberry muffin, he explained to Ocellus what he did that Starlight was so grateful for.

"O-Oh, dear. I don't like the sound of that. Do you know what they're called? Every creature should have a name, right?"

"But that's just it. I have no idea. I saw them in my dream, and I still can't believe they exist." After swallowing down what was possibly his fourth bite of muffin, he continued to tell his story.

"I sure wish that Gallus was here to hear this. But he's currently serving as an elite guard to the princess."

"I'm sure she had her reasons for recruiting him. So, who's this princess?"

"Y-You're joking, right?"

"No?" Hero swallowed his last bit of muffin as he sheepishly answered Ocellus's question.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle. You've never heard of her before?"

"Can't say that I have. Why?"

"Well, she and her friends have saved Equestria more times than I can count. She even helped me with finding my friends, too. You've already met Smolder."

"You mean that orange dragon lady?"

"Y-Yeah, her."

"That's right. She did say her name was Smolder, huh? I can't shake this feeling that something terrible will happen today. I don't know when or exactly where. But whatever it is, it can't be a good thing."

"Try not to worry about it; today will be great. Well, time's ticking, and we gotta get to school."

"You're a student there?"

"W-Well, not exactly. I graduated from Friendship Academy, the same as my other friends. I even have the cap, gown, and diploma to prove it."

"I guess we can eat on our way to the school, huh? I don't have anything against that."

"Sure. We could do that." They both made their way out of Hero's home to Friendship Academy.

Ocellus and Hero walked through the bustling morning crowd, making their way to Friendship Academy. "So, you said you graduated from the academy, right?"

"Yes, I did. What would you like to know?"

"Are you working there now?"

"Well, sort of. I work as an assistant secretary for the guidance counselor."

"And who's the guidance counselor?"

"My friend, Silverstream."

"That's great."

"By the way, you mentioned encountering some shadowy creatures?"

"Yes, I did. They were these creepy black shadows with yellow, soulless eyes that seemed to have an endless hunger for life itself."

"That's really creepy."

"Tell me about it. They're why I lost my old home and everyone in it. I was the only survivor."

"Oh dear, that's terrible. I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you must have gone through."

"I promised myself to stay strong for them, my family. Even though they're gone, I'll still do my best."

"That's not an easy thing to do."

"You're right. But I don't have much choice, do I?"

"No, you don't. These fruit pies are delicious, though, aren't they?" Ocellus said in an attempt to divert the conversation into something more positive.

"Yes, they are." As they arrived at the academy's entrance, Hero was ready for his first class.

Ocellus and Hero entered the school and were met with a crowd of friendly and accepting ponies. "I never get tired of this place, you know?"

"Well, I am kinda new here. So who's my first teacher going to be, huh?" Ocellus took a look at Hero's schedule and giggled a bit. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"You've got physical ED with Yona."

"Okay? Who's that? Friend of yours, I'm guessing?"

"Mhm. Her, Gallus, Smolder, Sandbar, and Silverstream are the greatest friends I could ever ask for." Hero looked a bit nervous, but only for a moment. "Yona isn't too bad. You'll be fine. I promise."

"Yeah. I'll do my best there. Wish me luck."

"Yeah. Good luck." Ocellus waved goodbye as Hero made his way to physical education class and to meet this Yona.

Hero soon arrived in the PE Room to see a few ponies gathering, and then a big mare walked in. She could easily tower over Hero. This must have been what a yak looked like; they looked powerful, no doubt about that.

"Alright then, little ponies and creatures. Yona is pleased to announce that we've got a new student here today. This is Hero. Make sure to give him good treatment. We'll ensure our typical day and his first day will not be so bad."

"U-Um.. hi guys." They greeted back in earnest. This school honestly wasn't too bad. No wonder Luster Dawn loves the place so much. The first few exercises weren't too bad. Hero was doing a pretty decent job, and so were some others.

"New pony doing good for the first time; you are very athletic. Have you done this before?"

"U-Um, I guess. I used to work around my house and do farm work with my uncle and parents."

"Very impressive that you're this active, Hero. That is good enough for practice; alright then, everypony, we need to do the new cheer for our school. This new festival is approaching, and I want our school to be the best." Everypony agreed as they all cheered their approval.

"But I'm not a cheerleader. How would I be useful to anypony?"

"Do not worry, Hero. Yona will have a solution for you." Indeed, she did. She provided him with some smokers and colored streamers.

"What's this for?"

"Cheering favors, Hero. Our cheers every year have to be flashy. It is how we always win the gold trophy, mostly every year."

"Mostly every year?"

"Steep competition, Hero. Yona admits that she enjoys healthy competition; It's a good challenge for us."

"I see. Okay then. I don't see why I can't at least try it."

"That is a good spirit, Hero. Yona has faith in you, then." She pats his back, which makes him fall onto his stomach.

"Oof. Hey. What was that for?"

"Oops. Yona is sorry. Sometimes, I don't always know my strength." As cheering started, Yona's eyes slightly squinted in mild suspicion as she saw some pitch-black figures in the distance of the gym court, and they were getting closer. "Hey, you! What're you doing out of class? Yona disapproves of skipping." This had alarmed Hero for apparent reasons.

"What!? Oh no... It's those things again. Quick! Everypony, get back now; believe me, they're anything but friendly." Then that blade came back as if it knew he needed it most. "Alright then, you freaks, if it's me you want, then come and get me!"

The shadows then surrounded the whole room, causing the students to panic. Hero shouted vigorously as he began his charge; he rushed the small group of three in front of him, using a flurry of downward swipes with his sword, knocking the three in front back and guiding his other slashes to the ones in his blind spot. "I don't think so."

"Wait, Hero, this is dangerous. Yona will help you." Yona rammed her horns into one of them to knock it over and then stomped onto it, flattening it under her cloven hoof as it vanished into a dark-like mist. "Take that, you little creeps!"

"Y-You killed it? Well then, the help is appreciated. Just be careful, okay?"

"Yona will smash little creepy shadows. Students will leave and alert Headmistress Trixie, now!" The few remaining students that were left all nodded as they left the strange shadows for Hero and her to deal with. "You're a very brave pony, Hero."

"Yeah, thanks, but let's save the compliments until after we beat these guys, yeah?" Both Hero and Yona rushed into the shadows. He jumped onto Yona's back as she boosted him up.

Hero used this added air-time to land an aerial strike from above, delivering a pulse of what appeared to be light magic as that explosion cleared out the rest of them, only leaving behind an entirely new shadow—this one looked a bit taller and wore darkened armor. "This one looks new. But I can tell he's one of those things."

"Armor or not, if it can be smashed, then Yona will smash it!" The new shadow took this as a personal challenge as it leaped up to deliver a swift kick to Yona's side, toppling her over as it stood on her. It was about to dig its claw into her side, ready to grab her heart, as a stray blast of light shot the shadow, knocking it off of Yona as she got back up. "Thank you, Hero."

"That didn't come from me, Yona." Hero and Yona looked to where the blast came from to see a robed grey stallion with a white-gray mustache and beard, a blue wizard's hat, And his horn glowing white with the spell that sent that shadow sprawling onto the floor.

"Get away from them right now, you empty husk!" The stallion shouted at the creature as he charged another light spell; this time, he blasted the shadow's body again, obliterating it into a dark mist as it shrieked in pain, and a pink and glistening heart rose from its chest. In its last moments, it tried to reach out desperately for that heart as its body vanished.

"Starswirl. Yona is pleased to see you."

"Yes, Yona. When Twilight informed me of these shadows, I then used a tracking spell on the only other thing that could lead me to you two: the harmony magic I sense inside that pony right next to you."

"Me? Right, you're referring to me. My bad."

"Alright then, you have to come with me. Yona, this pony's day is adjourned. We've got something crucial to discuss." The wizard then guided Hero to his side as he gestured for him to grab his forearm. Once he did, he and Hero teleported off the school grounds.

Chapter seven: Training with the pillars of harmony, realization of Hero's role.

"You best be careful who you call an oaf, munchkin." This admonishment, however, didn't do much to deter a now angered Hero as he leaped towards Rockhoof, ready to fight.

"Okay, you two. Before this gets too out of hoof, I don't want my room in shambles. Take this fight of yours outside the tower!"

"Yes, ma'am." Both Hero and Rockhoof said in unison. They then made their way out of Starswirl's Tower and into the courtyard to spar.

"Okay then. You've got spunk, Hero. I'll give you that much. But it would help if you also had the strength to back up your words. I've already managed to rough you up, and you haven't even landed one attack on me yet."

"Oh yeah? I'll show you." Whether out of determination, anger, or perhaps both, Hero shot out a blast of magic from his horn and grazed Rockhoof on his side, knocking him back as he steadied himself.

"W-Well.. that was unexpected, coming from you. I'll admit, I'm impressed. But it'll take more than that to affect me. Try using your healing magic. Think of happy and healthy thoughts. Trust me. It helps with channeling positive magic."

"Alright then. think.. happy.. thoughts." Hero's mind then pictured a grassy field from his home, or what used to be his home, before it was consumed by darkness for whatever solace that had brought him. It was working, and he was feeling happier.

He then tried to channel his magic and produced a lime-green orb of light as he directed it toward Rockhoof. Once it touched him, the spell began to soothe his burn from the blast that grazed him. "There. How was that?"

"Hmm. Thanks for that, but you realize you were supposed to heal yourself, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But I'd rather heal my allies first."

"As noble as that statement is, think of me right now as you would your enemy." Rockhoof unleashed a warcry as he stomped his hoof down to create a tremor of such magnitude that it caused the very earth below them both to part and blast out boulders towards Hero as he jumped out of the way to dodge as many as he could.

"If I had used my shovel, this fight would have been over back in Mistmane's Room."

"Gah! Y-Yeah. I believe it." Hero nearly got hit by one of them as he barely dodged the last one. "Phew. That was close." Rockhoof then stomped his hoof again, raising a rock barrier as it acted as a shield for him. "What's he doing over there?" Hero muttered under his breath as he pondered his next move.

"I'll have you know; just standing there and waiting for your enemy is not a good strategy."

"If you're not moving, I'm coming over there!" Hero rushed his barrier and channeled his magic over to his blade as he cut right through Rockhoof's wall, surprising him briefly.

"Hmm!? What on Earth?!" Then Hero slashed out a wave of harmony magic to send him flying back. Then Rockhoof lay sprawled onto the ground as Hero closed their distance, then pointed his blade to his throat.

"I win."

He sighed as he accepted defeat. "Yes, you do, Hero. That is strength, no questioning that." Hero got up off of him as he helped Rockhoof up. "Thanks for that. How exactly did you do that? Very few ponies and creatures could ever break through my rocks as you have."

"I-I didn't overdo it, did I?"

"Nonsense, that was incredible. You're capable of holding your own in a physical skirmish." He then continued, "However, your magic still needs work. Let's see that healing spell performed on you now. I'm a tough stallion. A cup of Meadowbrook's tea would fix me right up."

"If you say so, then." Hero channeled happy thoughts again as he cast healing onto himself, restoring his body to peak condition, feeling much better than before their fight began. "Yeah. That feels better." Then, he had a sudden thought that needed to be answered. "Wait a minute, that tea I drank.. came from her?"

"What, you didn't know that?"

"No. I drank it in Mistmane's room, so I thought that she was the one that made it."

"Well, yes, she knows how to make tea, but Meadowbrook knows how to make a healing tea."

"Well, it tastes fantastic. I have to say, that stuff works."

"It had better. After all, she only uses the purest ingredients in her brews."

"Yeah. I can tell. So, is that good enough for sparring?"

"Yes, it is, Hero." They both shook their hooves in a manner of respect as equals. "Well, you know how to use healing magic. You best report back to Starswirl. And be quick about it. He doesn't like to be kept waiting." Hero nodded as he went back into the tower to report to Starswirl.

Hero made his way up the winding and rounded stairs, approaching the top floor, where Starswirl's Study awaited. Once he entered his quarters, he was patiently waiting for him. "You have returned. So then, Mistmane had informed me while you and Rockhoof were trading blows outside."

"It would seem to me that you're ready to advance to your next lesson." Starswirl still had that spellbook turned to the right page of elemental combat spells he wanted to show Hero. "These spells are meant for offense, so don't use them for defense unless you know what you're doing with them."

"Understood, sir. So where will I be training for this?"

"Inside this spell book. I'm not having you light up any fire magic in my study. No, no. You'll be training in this void, on this page, specifically."

"W-What!? I'm supposed to go inside this book?! How in Equestria are you going to manage that?" To this, he gave back a wily smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Hero, I'm the most powerful unicorn amongst many. Are you sure you want to ask a question like that?"

"Right, I keep forgetting that you're one the founders of fundamental magic." Once Hero touched the book on the correct page, he and Starswirl channeled their magic into it. Hero's body then dissolved into light as he traveled into the book.

Hero's body had reformed from that light into a grassy field. "This is no ordinary book. I'll have you know, Hero." He could hear Starswirl's voice telepathically communicating with him.

"Yeah. I kinda figured that out after it ate me into it." Then, a Tainted Pawn was right before Hero in the center of the field. "So you want some of this too, huh? Alright."

"This book also can reach into the heart and mind of anypony that gets caught within its pages. I confess this one is one of my personal favorites."

"Gee, how nice to be you right now."

"Isn't it, though? I'd stay focused now if I were you." Then, two more Pawns showed up; One was glowing red and the other blue. "Now, this might come to you as a shock, but the Tainted can also use magic in a fight."

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." The red one threw a fireball at Hero, while the blue threw an iceball. Hero quickly dodged them and got onto a nearby plateau to look down at them. He then got the home-front advantage: height.

"Alright, guys. It's time to get sent packing." Hero said as he lit his horn and then blasted a fire spell at the red one, doing... nothing. "What gives? Shouldn't that be hurting it?"

"What gives? You're using fire magic on an enemy specializing in it and asking me what gives?"

"Well, I thought that it'd hurt him."

"You've got a long way to go yet, Hero."

"Then how about this!" Hero lit his horn again and hit the Red Tainted with an ice blast, slowing it down as ice crystals grew onto its body. "Oh yeah! I'm the best! Eat it!"

"Now you're getting it, but don't get too cocky, Hero." Then the Blue Tainted launched another iceball at Hero as he jumped over it and shot a fire spell, making the Blue Tainted melt.

"So elemental magic works like rock, paper, scissors, huh? Good to know." Both Tainted were starting to feel defeated; One was melting, and the other was too cold to light itself up, rendering them both to that of your standard Pawn, perfect for finishing. "Alright then, time to say goodbye. Tainted!"

Hero lunged towards the red Pawn and ran his blade through it, impaling it as it shrieked and vanished into a shadowy mist. He swung his sword around to slice the other two Tainted Pawns in half as they faded into black smoke and disappeared.

"Hmm. You're adapting to this rather quickly. Not too shabby, Hero. But these were just magical constructs. The real ones aren't easy to beat, especially in larger groups."

"It's never easy with you, is it?"

"It's the truth. Do you seriously believe that they're going to go easy on you? Especially now that you've been marked and are the newest element of harmony?"

"Well, when you put it like that, no."

"Alright. So stop asking stupid questions then, and pay attention!" Starswirl curtly replied as he created two new Tainted creatures with the book's magic. "Now, you must be able to tell the difference between Pureblood and an Emblem Tainted. Here's the difference between the two: The Purebloods are Tainted and have not yet captured someone's heart."

"They're both the most abundant and the easiest to defeat. Then there's the Emblem Tainted, which has captured at least one heart or more. Depending on how strong the heart is and how many of them they collect, this can make them much stronger to fight against."

"Yeesh. That's not fair."

"You're expecting the forces of evil to fight fair, huh? Too bad. They won't." One Tainted looked like it was your standard Pawn, and the second one looked like that soldier that nearly stole Yona's heart.

"That's the one that I saw at the academy. What's that one called?"

"A Tainted Soldier is the backbone of the dark army where the Pawns are expendable. Do you see that symbol on its chest? That's what makes him an Emblem Tainted. This means that he already had taken a heart from someone to gain this form."

Upon close inspection, Hero saw it. It looked like a decaying, glowing, dark-purple heart, a testament to their wickedness. "They're nimble on their feet but rather clumsy and can be put off guard if your attacks hit the right spots on them."

"Alright then, bring it on!" Hero charged at it and fired an iceball to slow him down. "Take this!" The blast hit the soldier square on its chest as ice crystals formed onto him, making him move slower as he glared at Hero with his yellow, beady eyes.

The soldier kicked the crystals off and away from its body as he leaped up to deliver a flying kick at Hero. Seeing this, he dodged its attack as he rolled behind the slowed-down soldier and gave a swift backward slash on its back to knock him to the ground.

Then Hero jumped onto him to stab him clean into his chest where the emblem was, completely impaling it from its chest and out its back as it kicked and wailed before vanishing and releasing its captured heart, a fake one, yes, but a heart, nonetheless.

"That's right. I win. Now, to wrap this up. Get over here!" Hero ran up to the last Pawn as it was readying up its attack, and he then delivered a swift three-hit combo on it to knock it over. Then Hero blasted it with a fireball spell to finish it, and it disappeared into nothingness.

"Very nice. Your training is coming along very well indeed. Alright then, this session is adjourned." Everything inside the book faded to black as Hero emerged from the book and reformed from the light, back into Starswirl's Study.

Chapter eight: Beginning of a journey to harmony and friendship.

As Hero returned to Starswirl's Study, he sat at his desk with a satisfied look. "Well done, Hero. Your training is almost completed. There is one last thing you need to do first." Starswirl then gestured to his door for him to exit. "Your next assignment is to guard Ponyville Central while making new friends. Being marked as you are, you'll need to have friends."

"Yes, sir. I won't let you down." Hero saluted to Starswirl as he nodded back in earnest.

"I'd like to hope you wouldn't. I understand that this may sound melodramatic, but the fate of Equestria depends on your ability to make friends now." He gave a warm smile as he continued. "You're making incredible progress as an element of harmony, and you should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks. I'll do my best. And if I ever run into those Tainted, I'll punch their tickets out of here."

"Yes, a good bravado, but you mustn't get carried away. They can still be a threat to you as they could to anypony else. Why not meet with Somnabula, Flash, and Meadowbrook before you leave here? I'm sure they might have something for you to aid you in your assignment."

"Right, I'll go and see them before I leave. Anything else I need to know about the Tainted?"

"There is one thing that makes them incredibly dangerous: their ability to steal your heart and to turn you into one of them. Sadly, this is permanent once they manage this. The only thing you could do for that pony or creature is to put them out of their misery."

"Yeah. I think I saw them doing that back in my hometown. I'll need to be careful of that."

"I'm on the job. I'll need all the help I can get. I'll make you proud, Starswirl." Hero said goodbye as he left his study and went down the steps to see at the bottom floor that all three ponies were there. The one wearing Egyptian regalia had approached him first.

"Hello there. So you're the one that we heard about, then? You're doing training with Starswirl, hmm?"

"Yeah. I am. Who're you?"

"I am Somnabula, element of hope. Pleased to meet you."

"Hero. Yeah, likewise. And you guys?"

"I'm Flash Magnus, and this here is Mage Meadowbrook. I'm the element of bravery-"

"And I'm the element of healing. Don't hesitate to stop by my clinic if you need anything, and I'll patch you up."

"Yeah. Mage is excited to meet somepony willing to fight for our cause. And to be honest, so am I."

"So does this mean you guys know what they're called then? Those creepy shadow creatures?" They all looked as if they knew.

"Yeah. They sound just terrible. Awful little things. Stealing your heart and making you into one of them?" Somnabula said with a shiver down her spine. "The last time we faced anything close to this, Stygian was possessed by the Pony of Shadows."

"Pony of Shadows?" Hero had raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"The manifestation of darkness that Stygian let into his heart when he felt we had abandoned him," Somnabula recalled with saddened eyes. "Had we known, we would never have allowed that to happen to him. We sacrificed ourselves to prevent his darkness from consuming the land. As a result, we were all trapped in Limbo. Or as it's now known as the Realm of Darkness."

"I see. Who's Stygian? Can I meet him?"

"He was the first apprentice to Starswirl before we were given our element titles a thousand years ago. Unfortunately, he disappeared after we were reunited and was rescued from his darkness. We currently don't know where he went off to."

"Did he say anything to you guys before he left?"

"He did. He said that he was going on a journey, a path to enlightenment. When he returns, he'll be a better unicorn."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not sure, Hero. But we all need to have hope that he'll be just fine."

"You believe that he's strong enough to resist the darkness?"

"Yes, Hero. I do. However, the power of darkness is extreme. Deep down, I know that he'll be fine, and he'll return here."

"Well, if he's strong enough to have been once Starswirl's apprentice. Then he'll come back. I'm sure of it." Somnabula nodded her head happily as she heard this. "So I was told that you guys had something for me?" Then Flash spoke up.

"We sure do. Here, take this necklace."

"What's this for?"

"The crystal on it is magical. Have a bond with somepony, and they'll spring to your aid in no time. The magic is limited and needs to charge when empty, so you'll have to make sure you use it when necessary, OK?"

"Yeah. Thanks. That'll be useful."

"You must summon a friend close to you with all your heart; you only need to will it to be. It can only summon whoever is alive, however."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Flash." Then Mage stepped up.

"I've got this for you. It's an elixir. It'll help to restore your magic upon consumption completely. But you'll have to make it yourself or buy it using bits to get another. There's a fantastic alchemist in Ponyville named Zecora. If it doesn't come from me, she's the next best one to look out for. I'll surely say a good word for you to her."

"Right, thanks. So.. do I get a hero's discount then?"

"No, silly. Nothing in life is free, but I promise it'll be affordable."

"Right then. So Somnabula, you got something for me, too?" She just thought about it and then gasped.

"Oh right, I do. Here. This is a magic scroll to summon a small bolt of electric magic at your foes. You've got fire and Ice magic studied, right?"

"I do. That's where I just came from after studying with Starswirl."

"Excellent. That's great news. You'll know the three primary elements of magic, then. There's much more magic to learn, and I'm sure you'll gain much more knowledge on your journey."

"Alright. I guess I'll be off then." Suddenly, Starswirl stopped Hero right as he left his tower.

"Hold it right there, Hero! I've got one more thing I forgot to mention before you left my study. The Tainted are attracted mostly to emotions of negativity: hatred, sadness, anger, and envy. Sometimes, even innocence has been known to draw them out from hiding. How do I know this? Because after I defeated that soldier, I did a brief magical scan of him and found something interesting."

"His entire being was composed of darkness similar to an ancient evil that plagued Equestria long ago. It came from an evil warlock named Grogar." Starswirl concluded as he then gave Hero a concerned look. "This may even be worse than I or anypony else could even fathom. To stress to you how imperative your mission is."

"Don't worry, guys. I won't let you down. You've got my promise on that." They all had a look of confidence and knew that Hero wouldn't fall short of his promise.

After leaving Starswirl's Tower, Starswirl follows Hero to create a magic portal back to Friendship Castle. "If you need to come back here, for whatever reason, Hero. Do not hesitate to do so. This place will be your haven from the darkness."

"Yeah. I was about to ask how I would return to Ponyville from here; thanks." The entire tower was stranded on a floating island in a magically protected void of Starswirl's creation.

"Yes. Now be safe and try to make as many friends as you can. Trust me. It'll be a lot easier to do than you think." Starswirl had then bid Hero farewell as he stepped into the portal. Through it, Hero falls through a magical void until he reaches his destination.

"Yes, Sunburst. I am very well aware of our situation. I hope Hero returns soon, and I've got something urgent to bring to his attention." Not long after, a portal appeared in the lobby of their castle. Hero stepped out of it.

"And there's Hero now, splendid timing," Sunburst said happily.

"Oh, thank you, Faust. I need to talk to you right now." Starlight had a look of worry on her face.

"Woah. Calm down. What's wrong?"

"Those things have attacked the academy. It was horrible. The students had to evacuate while we set the school on lockdown."

"They're called the Tainted. And you did the right thing by closing off school, Starlight."

"So you were told what they were by Starswirl, then?" Starlight had asked Hero.

"I was. He was training me to use magic, and now I'm on an assignment to be here to complete my training." Starlight and Sunburst both had a look of brief surprise. Starlight is speaking first.

"Woah. Did Starswirl recognize you as a worthy apprentice? This hasn't happened in so long. These must be desperate times. Not too long ago, I would never have imagined that you showing up in my office are now being trained by the legendary Starswirl, the Bearded himself. I shouldn't be jealous, but that's an incredible honor."

"Indeed. It is. Starswirl doesn't just choose anypony for the job, you know. He knows who and what to look for in a potential apprentice. Congratulations, Hero." Sunburst said happily.

Hero had then looked over to Starlight as he spoke to her. "Well, I don't feel very privileged for some reason."

"Why would you say that, Hero?"

"You remember that black crystal that I told you about before?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"According to Starswirl, I've been cursed by that guy. That's why the Tainted is slowly approaching here. It's me they're after. So I've got a lot of work to do, guys."

"Oh.. that's bad. I can see why you're not happy about this."

"Well, Starlight. We'll do everything possible to help our new friend, right?" Sunburst said to her.

"Absolutely. This isn't the first time we've fought evil and won, and it probably won't be the last." Both unicorns led Hero toward the castle's entrance as everyone continued to chat. "So, what exactly is your assignment here?"

"I'm supposed to defend this town and make friends in the process." They both chuckled as Sunburst spoke up.

"Well, you're already off to a good start because you've made nine—Myself, Starlight, our daughter, Smolder, Cheese, Ocellus, Yona, Applejack, and Trixie. So, you're doing pretty well there. And I'll assume you will protect our town from those Tainted?"

"Yes, I am. Wherever they pop up, my job is to exterminate them."

"I wish you luck with that, and we'll offer you whatever help we can, where and how we can do it. Just let us know, OK?" Sunburst said as all three left the castle and went down Town Square. When they arrived, they saw that everything looked the same. Despite what had just recently happened, the town's citizens remained as cheerful as they could.

"How do you guys stay so peaceful, even after knowing that danger is here?"

"Well, in this town, Hero. We've been through events of all kinds, some of which you'd never believe possible. After a while, we've learned to be strong and believe in the power of friendship to keep us safe." Sunburst explained as Starlight hummed in agreement.

"I guess that's an interesting way of seeing the good out of a bad situation." All three ponies were then approaching the City Hall. When Hero had gotten there, Sunburst spoke up.

"Remember Rarity, that mare in a hurry from before?"

"I think so. You mean the one that spoke in a posh accent and was on her way to that meeting with the princess?"

"Yes. How about we go and visit her?"

"Sure, I guess so." Then, all three made their way to Carousel Boutique.

Chapter nine: Meeting new friends and protecting the town.

They were on their way to Carousel Boutique. When they reached Rarity's door, Hero rang her bell to see if she was home. Everyone heard her cheery and posh voice. "Come in!" They walked in to see her still working on her usual business, tailoring clothes and outfit designing, "Hello there, darlings. Welcome to my boutique. So you're that pony I saw next to Sunburst, hmm?"

"Yeah. I am. You were in a hurry, last I checked."

"I was, indeed. We never got the opportunity to introduce ourselves properly. I'm sorry about that. My name's Rarity. Pleased to meet you. And you're?"

"I'm Hero. Nice to meet you, too. So you're the element of generosity, then?"

"Well, I don't mean to boast, but I am, darling." Rarity then looked to Starlight and Sunburst with her usual gentle and graceful demeanor. "So then, darlings. What can I do for you all this lovely day?"

"Unfortunately, I tore my suit while running away from those Tainted. Then, after ordering the school onto lockdown, I later found it once I returned to my office." Rarity took a closer look at the tear as she inspected it.

"Not to worry, darling, I can fix this for you. It'll be back to normal in no time at all. And as for you, Hero."

"Yeah?"

"Twilight has been informed that you had warned us of this grave evil. She said she wants to meet you in person at Canterlot Castle."

"No way. The actual princess of Equestria wants to meet me? But I kinda made a promise, so I sadly can't."

"A promise?"

"Yeah. I'm on an assignment by Starswirl to complete my training here. I was tasked with making new friends and defending this town."

"Oh my, how heroic. I suppose you do live up to your name, darling. But.. you're barely protected at all and in such drab clothing. This would not do anything for a mighty hero such as yourself. Allow me to rectify this injustice to fashion."

"H-Hey, you don't have to, Gahh?!"

"Hero. Don't bother asking. She'll do it anyway." Starlight said as she chuckled upon seeing Rarity snatch Hero and take his measurements. After getting the measurements down, she set up a foldable vanity barrier to cover her and Hero. Sounds of cloth being cut and sewing were drowning Hero's minor groans of discomfort. They saw his old clothes flying off and folding onto the vanity barrier.

"Oh my.. that looks just divine on you, darling. This captures your Hero look perfectly." Rarity was humming through her work. Once everything was done, she removed her vanity barrier to show Starlight and Sunburst.

"Wow.. look at you, Hero," Sunburst said with an impressed surprise.

"Woah.. yeah. That so looks good on you, Hero." Starlight saw his outfit and was enamored by its adventurous appeal. This new outfit was perfect: a white undershirt. Over it is a black and red-wine-rimmed hoodie. Straps of yellow and bright red were adorned onto Hero's outfit's leggings, torso, and back. Some pouches were sewn around the waistline of the costume for easy storage of valuable supplies. Lastly, there was a metal shoulder plate that could fit a set of five gemstones that now had none.

"What am I wearing? This looks cool, but how did you do this so fast?"

"Darling, I've been in this business for far longer than you'd think. I am not too shabby for me at this age, wouldn't you agree?"

"This does look incredible. But you didn't need to put this much effort into my new clothes."

"Don't worry about it, darling. It's a fair price for one destined to be Equestria's newest defender."

"Well, thanks, Rarity. This does look cool."

"Now, these aren't any ordinary garments, Hero. They're infused with harmony magic. A little something that Twilight had taught me. I never did think that I'd have a reason to use it in my tailor work, but you're a special case. They can grant you special powers, but you must discover them throughout your journey."

"Right then. That'll help in the fight against those Tainted." Hero then asked to inspect where something could fit into the forehoof plate. "So, what goes in here?"

"That darling is something that you'll need to discover for yourself. The stronger you become, the more magic gems appear on your outfit."

"Right then, thanks, Rarity. This is awesome." Rarity then used her magic to levitate her thread and sewing needle from her desk beside the folded vanity curtain. Starlight then took off her coat and gave it to her for her to repair it.

"You really must be more careful with this, Starlight, darling. This was one of the best ensembles I made for you, specifically for your new position as mayor of Ponyville."

"I know; I'm sorry. When I was running away from them, one of them managed to scratch me, tearing my suit. I didn't mean to."

"No, it's quite alright, darling. You couldn't help it. This will only take a moment." As she said this, she immediately worked on the suit, like magic that was unique only to her. She fixed it up. Also, she made it look just as good as it was before it got torn. "And.. there we go, all done."

"Man, Starlight. You're lucky. That's all he did to you. You need to be careful."

"Yeah, Hero. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll never figure out how you do this so well, Rarity. I owe you for this."

"You don't owe me anything. I'm just happy to help out a good friend of mine." Rarity happily concluded as she had to keep up her schedule. "But unfortunately, darlings, I need to get back to filling out these orders for the day. I should consider retiring sometime. Maybe one of these days, I shall give my business to Sweetie Belle to pass it along."

"You think she'll be ready for such an obligation, Rarity?" Sunburst asked her.

"I do indeed, Sunburst darling. She's not only taking a keen interest in tailoring, but she's even learning from her big sis, too."

"Well, that's good, I guess," Sunburst said as Rarity shooed them away to the front door to finish her workday.

"Now, I must bid you all adieu. Hero, take good care of your new outfit, and best of luck to you against those awful ruffians."

"Can do, Rarity. You can count on me!" Hero said before they all left Carousel Boutique. "So then, where to next?"

"Let's go and meet Fluttershy, Hero. Then, we'll meet Rainbow and Pinkie. Trust me. They're incredible ponies." Starlight stated in glee, eager for Hero to meet everyone.

"Alright then, let's go!" Hero said as they continued with their day. Once they made it to Fluttershy's Hut, she tended her garden with impeccable timing.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" Starlight called out to her. The butter-yellow pegasus then looked over to the familiar voice.

"Oh. Why, hello there, Starlight. What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Well, we got someone you'd like to meet. Hero, this is Fluttershy."

"Oh. Hey there. Nice to meet you." Hero replied as he was being introduced.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I can tell those came from Rarity. Her style is pretty obvious." Fluttershy looked to be the perfect image of an angel, both inside and out.

"So, I'm guessing you're the element of Kindness?"

"Why yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"You might find this a bit hard to believe, but I'm an element, too."

"Oh, I don't doubt it at all. That's cool. Which one?"

"Courage." Hero replied earnestly, "I guess that's what I was chosen to be by the Tree of Harmony before it died."

"Oh dear, I know. Twilight informed me that the tree was dead. That's horrible." In the distance, Hero saw a blue blur speeding up to them like a bolt of lightning. She made a perfect landing right in front of Fluttershy's flower garden. Fluttershy was not too happy that her friend nearly landed on them. "Rainbow. Please be more careful. You nearly crushed my tulips."

"Oh, sorry, Flutts. Hey, you're new around here. Digging those threads, by the way. Let me guess, Rarity made them for you?"

"Yeah, she did. We just came from her house. So you're Rainbow?"

"Yup. I'm Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you. I'm The fastest flyer in Equestria, and don't let anypony ever tell you otherwise. So what's your name, buddy?"

"My name is Hero, and I never said I doubted you. So, I guess I'm meeting all of Starlight's friends, not that I mind. I do need to complete my training."

"Training? You? With those skinny limbs?" Rainbow then landed on the ground, laughing. "So then, what training is it you gotta do?"

"Well, laugh it up, but I must complete the assignment that Starswirl gave me. Protecting this town and making new friends."

"Woah there. You just said Starswirl, right? I am not imagining this, am I? You were chosen by one of the most powerful unicorns ever to have existed. Is that so?"

"Yeah, I was. And don't let my body frame fool you. I'm capable of more than you think."

"Confident attitude, eh? I like that." Rainbow then gave Hero a friendly pat on his back. "Hey, it's okay. I believe you. Sometimes, I like to tease others around. It's not anything I do to single anypony out."

"Yeah. I getcha. So I guess that leaves Pinkie, right Starlight?"

"Oh, dear. You haven't met Pinkie yet, have you? You're in for a real surprise, Hero." Rainbow chuckled as she looked over at Fluttershy. Then, Starlight spoke up to answer my question.

"Yes, we're. She can be a hoofull. But once you get used to her, she's isn't that bad."

"Well, I guess it'll be a pleasure to meet her then." Hero concluded as he, Starlight, and Sunburst were about to leave Fluttershy's House.

"I came here because I needed to talk to you about something, Flutts. In your home, if you don't mind."

"Why certainly, Rainbow. I always have time for one of my friends. I'll fix some tea while you wait in the living room. Sorry, Hero. But Rainbow and I are going to be hanging out for a bit. It was a pleasure talking to you." Both pegasi had then made their way inside the house as everyone said their goodbyes and went to Sugarcube Corner to meet Pinkie.

"It's very likely that we'll be having a party because this is Pinkie we're talking about. Don't worry. Her parties are always fun." They were walking back through town on their way to Sugarcube Corner. When they got there, many customers waited, even stretching out the front door. They were busy, that's for sure. "And it's the rush hour now, so they're swamped. We'll have to wait in the lobby until the line ends."

"I'm fine with that. So when do you think the school will be open again?"

"I'm giving it at least another day before I open it again to get the students to calm down. I don't want them terrified when they return, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. But on second thought, maybe since it's so busy, we should return tomorrow. There's always time to meet her when it's more convenient."

"You know what, I agree. It's nice that you're taking this very seriously. So do you want to have a sleepover at my castle? I know you've got a home to return to, but I want to hang out with you and get to know you better as my new friend." Starlight said with a gentle smile.

"Sure, I'll take you up on your offer; thanks," Hero replied as everyone returned to Friendship Castle for the rest of the day.

Chapter ten: First intermission and the beginning of a wicked blight.

"Three wicked creatures, all with darkness burgeoning within your hearts. Oh, how you yearn for your freedom so much that it must hurt inside. There she is, the one I'm looking for. Perfect."

The hooded figure said as he approached the statue of the three tyrants: Cozy, Chrysalis, and Tirek. "You three were, for a time, at the cusp of your victory before it was snatched from you. Then allow me to rectify this... injustice." The figure reached out with his hand, trailing it up against the smooth of their stone prison, then his hand was glowing in darkness as he pressed his palm onto the statue, creating cracks from within it.

A weakened centaur's scared and closed eyes were exposed to the crisp nighttime air as they began to open up from release. The other two were also gradually released, the stone on their bodies chipping away as all three were removed from their stone prison. Each has then had their first breath of fresh air in years.

"Well, Spike, I'm looking forward to meeting that pony, Hero. What a nice name." Twilight was looking at Spike Happily.

"Yeah, he sure sounds like a cool pony, alright. So, you will send a letter to Starlight to summon him?"

"I'm considering doing that right now. Although it is late, she's probably about to go to bed soon. I don't think she'd mind." Twilight made a letter to summon Hero to Canterlot Castle early in the morning. "Celestia and Luna also have to meet Hero, too."

"But why disturb them while they're in retirement? I mean, it's nice to hear from them now and then. But wouldn't they want to relax rather than meet somepony new?"

"Well, if I know them well enough, they'd be ecstatic to meet Hero. I know it." Twilight then began to write a letter to Starlight. She was Inviting her and Hero to her castle for an official meeting. "There we go. It won't be much longer until she gets it. Then I'll hear a reply from her."

"I hope this works out for you, Twilight. I hate seeing you upset, you know."

"Aww, thanks, Spike. You're the sweetest. I'm happy to have you as my royal advisor and friendship ambassador. I know you have to be excited to meet Hero, right?"

"I'll be honest with you. Yes, I am."

Meanwhile, as Twilight and Spike had conversed inside, the village's hooded figure was up to no good. As he channeled his dark magic into their stone prison, the stone was crumbling away like a snake would shed its old skin, revealing the forms of the three tyrants that, at one point, had attempted to usurp Equestria for their own. Their looks of surprise would have been an understatement to behold upon seeing who rescued them from captivity.

"Argh... my head. What's going on here?" Replied the now weakened and skinnier centaur. The changeling queen and more petite pegasus filly had also come to. All three of them were now looking at who released them.

"Who're you? Why did you set us free? What it is that you're after?" Asked the changeling queen to the hooded figure, who just chuckled. "No pony or creature is ever that altruistic without gaining something of equal value."

"Why, Your Highness, you wound me in thinking that I'd do this only to have something to gain from it. Many names know me, yet all lead to darkness. You, however, can call me Lord Yami." The figure had introduced himself to the criminal trio.

"Well, don't expect any gratitude from me. Give us one reason we shouldn't do anything to you right now."

"You couldn't do so now, even if you wanted to. But let's play devil's advocate momentarily and say that you could. Would you be willing to do that even without hearing my proposition?" Yami raised his brow as he addressed the queen. "I can see it in your eyes. I have piqued your interest, have I not?"

"Fine. But be quick with what you want. Speak!"

"Very well then. I only require the help of one of you, and the other two are free to do whatever you desire. You won't be doing it alone, however. You can use the power of my precious Tainted to assist you. Agents of darkness, humble, yet loyal to my aide." Yami summoned forth his Tainted pawns to display to them.

"And who is it that you need most?" The queen asked with a sneer.

"The filly that's right next to you. Her darkness will be sufficient as a vessel for my cause."

"Golly, mister. As much as I want to be a vessel, I also like freedom. I'm sure you understand."

"Indeed I do. But have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a god? To know how it truly feels to have such power? Does it fascinate you?"

"Hmm... I've always used friendship as it was meant to be, as a tool for conquest. Gee, though, being a god sure does sound peachy."

"And if you thought being an alicorn was strength, It would be paltry compared to my offer."

"How did you know about what happened to us?"

"My dear queen, I know more than you may realize. But why bore you with such details? Your dreams are that of vengeance, are they not?"

"Oh, what's it to you?" The queen scoffed as she responded to Yami's question.

"With what I have here, you can get the desired revenge. Use these pawns as you see fit. The same goes for you, too, Lord Tirek."

"And what makes you think I'll accept help from you?" The centaur walked up to Yami to point his finger at his chest. The hooded figure stood, very stalwart in his posture.

"What are your alternatives? Try to steal magic from ponies and creatures that would be too wise to your tricks, get captured again and fail, or use strength in numbers to your advantage to gain more power?"

"You think I'd be too incompetent to fulfill my desire for vengeance and destruction by myself? Do you think of me as a fool? If I accept your help, how can I be sure it won't backfire?"

"You have my oath as a humble servant to darkness. Surely, you seek to reclaim your honor and strength, yes?"

"Well then. I have made my decision, Lord Yami. I'd love to be a vessel for your cause; if I can become a god, then I'll take my place as the rightful ruler of Equestria, not that loathsome, meany Twilight."

"Indeed, she was very mean to have sealed you three away, and I couldn't have said it better, myself. But you'll need to look the part of a vessel, too."

"What do you mean, mister Yami?"

"My dearest little Cozy, you won't feel any pain whatsoever." Yami conjured up a ball of darkness and cast it upon her as the orb devoured Cozy Glow. She did have a brief look of worry as the sphere took her into it.

"What is the name of Equestria? What are you doing to her?" The centaur question Yami.

"Giving her what she wants."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, good. She's done." The orb faded away to reveal Cozy. But she looked older now, otherwise still the same as always. Her eyes were different, however. They glowed with an eerie golden yellow, perfectly matching the eyes of the Tainted and Yami. "So then, Cozy. Tell me, how do you feel?"

"I-I have a horn again. And I feel oodles stronger, too. Golly, thanks, mister Yami. I could get used to this."

"Well, I'll admit, she does look... stronger. Fine, but I'm only doing this because I've witnessed your abilities firsthand." Tirek concluded as a few pawns rushed to his side.

"And I'll be happy to accept any help to build my new hive, strike down that pathetic traitor, Thorax, and get my revenge on those princesses, that irksome Starlight, and the other elements." The last few rushed over to bow to Queen Chrysalis. "Good servants, kneeling before your queen, as it should be."

"So then, is everybody satisfied with their newly acquired accommodations?" Yami asked with a smug look.

"I am. I don't always say thanks to anypony or creature, but I suppose you deserve some kind. Thanks for aiding me in my quest for revenge." Chrysalis said as Yami looked over to Tirek.

"Yes, yes, thanks. I'll be sure to put this to good use. I do believe that I'll take Tartarus. The very place that was once my prison would make the perfect new kingdom for me."

"And I'll focus my plans on sabotaging their precious 'harmony.'" Chrysalis scoffed as she cackled, disappearing into a plume of green flames. Tirek was looking at Cozy and Yami as Yami created a dark pillar that functioned as a portal, gesturing for Cozy to follow him.

"Oh golly, Tirek. I hope we can remain on good terms, even if we must separate."

"I always thought of you more as a burden than I ever could as a friend, Cozy. Just stay out of my way, and you'll have nothing to fear from me."

"I know you'll eventually come around, big guy. I hope you can achieve your plans, too. Goodbye, for now, Tirek." Cozy said as she went into the portal with Yami, and the portal vanished, Leaving Tirek to his thoughts.

"Finally, I'm freed from that horrible stone prison and those two buffoons. But I'll have to play it smart and lay low for now. One day, Twilight Sparkle, you shall feel my wrath." Tirek said as he gazed upon the castle with the lit balcony on top as he left the Canterlot Gardens.

Spike suddenly had a look of worry, which turned into terror as he looked out the window, expecting to see the statue of the three trapped tyrants, only to know that they were suddenly gone. "T-Twilight. I think you might want to see this."

"What is it, Spike- Oh no. Spike, they're gone. This is bad, really, really bad." Twilight was pacing around her Bedchambers until Spike grabbed her and hugged her.

"Get a hold of yourself, Twilight. This is no way for a princess of Equestria to act. I know this is bad, but we've got Harmony on our side."

"But Spike, even the Tree of Harmony is dead. The only thing that's keeping our land from plummeting into evil. I know it was broken multiple times, but never anything like this." Twilight was hyperventilating, and Spike did his best to keep her as calm as he could, consoling her as best he could.

"Twilight. Starlight and Starswirl both need to know about what happened."

"You're right, Spike. I know it's late, but this is an emergency." Twilight hurriedly created a new letter and immediately delivered it to Friendship Castle. "Starlight will receive that letter, and this one will go to Starswirl." Twilight then made a third letter to give Starswirl the Bearded.

"What?! Two letters at once? What's going on over at Canterlot?" Starlight glossed over both of them and saw that one had the royal emergency seal over it, to which she read first without hesitation. As she read more into the letter, her face slowly looked terrified at what she was reading.

"No. Not them. I can't believe it. How in Equestria did they get freed? This is terrible. Who is responsible for this? No, it couldn't be that mystery figure that Hero told me about, could it? Well. Hero is already sleeping, so I'll wait until morning before I say anything about what happened."

Starlight then went to sleep after turning out her lights. She knew this was a suspicion of a series of events that would come. "Oh, Hero... we need you here now more than ever... More than you could ever realize."

Chapter eleven: Finishing Hero's training and continuing his journey.

"Gah?! A horrible dream, or maybe it was a message. Luna, wake up!" Celestia gasped in shock as she woke up from her bed in the morning, breathing heavily and in a cold sweat. Luna had shared the room with her sister as she slept on her bed. The room itself was custom-made to accommodate both alicorns. "Please, Luna. Something terrible is about to happen. I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, you need to know about it."

"W-Wha- what's going on, sister? What do you mean?" Luna then stirred from her sleep and saw Celestia's distressed look adorning her face. "Tia? Have you had a bad dream? I know that look on your face. Talk to me."

"Luna. I'm afraid that Equestria is once again in a lot of trouble. I just had a terrible dream that depicted a strange hooded figure. He had released Cozy, Chrysalis, and Tirek from their prison. We may no longer be the princesses, but we must still be in service to our home and our ponies."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Why can't the forces of evil just for once not keep coming back, for our sake?"

"I know how you feel, Luna. We'll need to depart for Canterlot. For Equestria's salvation, we'll be there to fight one last time."

"Well, it's not like we've got much choice now. I'm just saying." Luna concluded as they both woke up, and the Silver Shoals staff members arrived to serve them.

"Celestia, Luna. Here's your favorite breakfast. What's the matter? You two look like you've seen a ghost."

"Well, because of the horrible dream that I've had, I suppose you wouldn't be too far off. Twilight needs us right now!"

"We understand, Celestia. You wouldn't be going through this much trouble if you didn't have a good reason for doing so.

"Well, first, we should eat breakfast, then we'll go to Canterlot to speak with Twilight."

"Agreed, Tia. It is the most important meal of the day, after all."

"Spike. I think it's time to send a letter to both Celestia and Luna. We need their help right now." Twilight made haste in her morning, stress still on her mind as she had lowered the moon and raised the sun. Then, she wrote a letter to summon both former rulers.

"Twilight, you should eat your breakfast."

"I will spike, but tell the staff I'll be running late this time." Twilight then hurriedly wrote a new letter and sent it to Silver Shoals Retirement Resort.

The Silver Shoals mailroom then received a new letter in the mail stack on top, signifying its importance. That letter was addressed to Celestia and Luna, adorned with the royal emergency seal. The courier saw it and rushed over to deliver the letter to their room door quickly. He knocked to get their attention. "Hello there, Celestia and Luna. I've got this letter for you."

"Come in then," Celestia chirped as the courier entered their room.

"I understand that you're trying to stay positive, Celestia. But this letter looks very important, a summons to Canterlot Castle. I pray that nothing too terrible is happening right now."

"No, fair mail courier. There's nothing you should concern yourself with. Equestria will always remain safe with us around."

"I'm not ever doubting your powers, ladies. Well, I have to go back and finish sorting out the post. Good morning and good day, ladies." The mail courier left as Luna was enamored with how fast his delivery time was.

"Post service is the best, is it not, Tia?"

"Luna, please, don't start with that again."

Starlight woke up in the morning, not sleeping enough after hearing about what happened last night. She knew she needed to bring this to Hero's attention quickly. "First, to get breakfast for everyone, I need to talk to Hero about the letter I got from Twilight. We'll figure this out. The light of Equestria will never truly be extinguished, not as long as we've got friendship."

"Hey there, honey. Good Morning." Sunburst came in to greet Starlight.

"Morning, Sunburst. So, you're ready for breakfast, then?"

"I sure am. Want me to wake up both Luster and Hero?"

"If you could do that, that'd be great. After breakfast, we'll need to meet here at the castle. Hero has to be here, too. He's an element just like the rest of us, excluding you and me."

"I'll go and wake them both up. So, you're going to keep the academy closed then?"

"We're facing a crisis here, so I have no choice but to until further notice. When we can safely explore the town without the risk of those Tainted creatures attacking us, I can then deem it safe to reopen the School of Friendship."

"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea to me. Well, I best be off. I can't wait for breakfast."

"Right, I'll try not to burn it this time."

"Ha. Like you've ever been known to burn anything."

Sunburst arrived at the guest room to wake up Hero. "Hey! Hero, wake up! It's morning, and breakfast is being made."

Hero then stirred with a slight groan. "Okay.. okay. I'm up. Good morning to you, Sunburst." He got out of bed and began preparing to start his day. "So, who's making breakfast?"

"Starlight is. I'm supposed to wake you and Luster up so we can all eat."

"I see. I suppose I can't pass up a free meal, huh?" Hero replied with a cheeky grin as he yawned and stretched, "Well, let's go and wake up Luster then." As they both made their way out of the guest room Hero was resting in, they approached Luster Dawn's room.

Once Sunburst opened it up, they saw what was honestly the most precious thing; she was lightly snoring, and on her chest, held within her clutches, was a book she must have been reading to herself before going to sleep. "Man, she looks so peaceful. Are you sure we should disturb her?"

"Don't worry about it, Hero. This is normal for her." Sunburst replied as he approached his daughter. "Hey! Luster Dawn. Wake up!" She was groaning and muttering something to herself while stuck in the throes of her slumber. This caused both Hero and Sunburst to chuckle a little. Then, she began to awaken.

"Guh... W-What? Oh, come on, dad. Why?"

"Sorry, honey. But it's time to wake up and eat some breakfast."

"I couldn't just have like five more minutes to sleep? Does this have to happen right now?"

"Unfortunately so. After breakfast, you could then do whatever you wanted to do. Sound fair?"

"Yeah, it does. Well, might as well get this day started." Luster sighed in defeat as she exited her bed to follow Sunburst and Hero to the castle's dining room. Starlight was nearly done making breakfast as everyone was seated and waiting to be served.

"Starlight's making her fluffy pancakes again. Doesn't that sound just tasty, Luster?"

"Well, I do like mommy's pancakes, sure." Then, after a few minutes had passed, Starlight came into the dining room, floating the food on a large serving dish, using her magic.

"Breakfast is served, guys." Starlight declared as she set the large serving dish on the table for everybody. There were potato hash browns, pancakes, and seasoned fruit. It was served with some apple cider or coffee. For not specializing in cooking, Starlight did a pretty excellent job.

"Wow. Not bad, Starlight. This looks pretty good."

"Well, thank you, Hero. I'm not the best, but I've been practicing feeding Luster independently. She appreciates it, and so does my lovely Sunburst."

"I can see why. This looks wonderful." Hero said as he stared at the plate he had been stacked up with the delicious flapjacks. Once everybody had their serving, everyone dug in. "Oh my... Faustia. This might even be on par with Applejack's lunch I had the other day."

"Butter me up, why don't you, Hero."

"I'm being serious here. This tastes good."

"Well, I appreciate that, Hero. It's a useful skill to have under your belt when you're the mother of a borderline picky daughter and a husband that eats pretty much anything he sees."

"Hey!" Both Luster and Sunburst had curtly replied.

"I heard that, mom. I'm not that picky." Luster said in her defense.

"And I've got a healthy appetite. That's not the same thing as gluttony." Sunburst also said in his defense.

"I'm just joking with you guys. But I kind of find it difficult not to announce what I see. After breakfast, Hero. We need to talk about something important. If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all," Hero replied as they were almost finished with their breakfast. "So guys, what do you think we'll all be doing today?"

"If I'm not reading something, I guess I'll be making up for lost sleep," Luster said as she briefly glared at her dad with an annoyed scowl.

"I'll check with the town's citizens to see if they're okay after that recent Tainted attack." Starlight nodded, proud of her husband.

"Well, after I talk to Starlight, I'll try to finish my training." Hero looks over to Starlight, and she does so in kind.

"Hero. That's kind of what our discussion is going to be about. I can only say that you will have a hectic day today." She later said, "Twilight had given you an emergency summons to her castle at Canterlot. As well as the elements, the pillars, and myself. The other princesses will also most likely be there to meet with us."

"So I'm guessing that means I got no choice but to show up, huh?"

"I'm afraid so, Hero. But you'll be aligned with strong allies once you get there." Starlight reassured him as he finished his breakfast. Starlight and the other two had then done so shortly after that. Starlight then levitated the empty dishes into the kitchen to be washed. She then looked at Hero as she said. "Everything will be fine, Hero. Trust me as your new friend, okay?"

"Yeah. I trust you."

"Thanks, Hero." Starlight hugged Hero as she let go, and she and he had gotten ready to travel to Canterlot for that summons.

Meanwhile, as the Hero, the elements, and Starlight were preparing for their trip to Canterlot, Chrysalis was up to no good. She explored the rows upon rows of cells in the Maximum Equestrian Correctional Facility, each dangerous housing criminals to Equestria. After successfully knocking out the stationed guards around the cells, she approached the one she sought.

"Alright then, he's got to be somewhere around here. Cell Block C, D, E. Ahh, here we're, right after F. How appropriate that the cell I'm looking for also has the letter G in its name." Satisfied at her discovery, she used her magic to pry open the cell bars to reveal a taller, more strange-looking bipedal figure in the dark corner of the cell room.

"Huh. Who's there? Who're you? Why are you breaking me out of here, anyway?" Asked the bipedal figure to Chrysalis.

"Queen Chrysalis, and If I were you, I'd be more grateful for this deed. If you're the one I'm looking for, and I'm sure you are. Grubber, right?"

"Yeah, that's my name, alright. So what use could I possibly be to you?" Grubber then looked intently at his unexpected rescuer.

"I'm in the market for extra muscle, and you shall have freedom. I believe this is a fair trade for you."

"What?! Are you nuts? Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in if they were to capture me again? MIND YOU, if I accept this, which is incredibly risky on my end, what could you offer me to make it worth my while? 'Cause just freedom alone ain't going to cut it, I'm afraid."

"Let's see here: Aside from freedom, you'll gain power, vengeance, protection, and a guaranteed spot as my right hand when I succeed the throne. Does this sound acceptable to you, Grubber?" He gave it some thought for a moment.

"Well, I suppose this is the only thing I could do. Fine, I accept your offer, Chrysalis." After a sigh of defeat, he relented and accepted her bargain.

"A wise decision, Grubber. Now, follow your queen. We've got a lot of work to do." Chrysalis and Grubber exited the Maximum Equestrian Prison Complex, a delighted grin now adorning the wicked queen's face.

Chapter twelve: Assembly of harmony, planning departure to Canterlot

"The first thing we should do is gather the other elements together. Then we can make our way to Canterlot." Starlight said to Hero as she signaled to summon everyone to the castle. "There. Now everyone should be here, excluding who's already at Canterlot."

"Alright then. We'll wait for everybody; I guess both Luster and Sunburst have their tasks right now." It wasn't that long until every element in Ponyville had arrived. The first one to barge open the door was Pinkie.

"I was told that I'd meet a new friend here. Starlight better cough up the goods!" Rarity just sighed at Pinkie's usual hyper attitude.

"Pinkie darling. I'm rather surprised that, being at your current age, you're not at least somewhat mellow by now."

"Sorry, Rarity. But not when there's the possibility of making a new friend. I'll have to plan for the party, of course-"

"Um, Pinks. Why don't we first try to see what Starlight had summoned us for?" Rainbow spoke up.

"Um.. right. That's why I came here. Of course." Pinkie had shared a nervous giggle and a blush as she walked with everybody else to the meeting hall of the castle.

"So guys, isn't it great that we're all here together again? I've been too busy as a school counselor for the academy. That tends to be kinda exhausting, you know?" A rather cheery reply came from a hippogriff who was probably one of the most optimistic of the younger bunch.

"Yeah, totally, Silv. So I wonder what Starlight wants from us, too?" Asked the earth pony of their group.

"Wait until you guys meet Hero. I'm excited to see friends making more friends." Ocellus piped up happily. They all made it to the meeting hall doors. Pinkie was the first to open them up and let everyone else in. She did a little happy skit to her step as she followed behind everyone to close the door.

"Alright then, every creature, thank you so much for coming. I've got both good news and bad. At the same time, some of you have already been made aware of our current situation. This meeting is for you for those who haven't been informed." Hero then came around the round table to see everybody; this got Pinkie's attention.

"There you are! You were at Sugarcube Corner twice! Of course, I wasn't there the first time, but I was too busy to see you the second time, so here we are. It's super-duper nice to meet you, Hero, finally." Pinkie said as she shook his hooves in greeting, shaking his body in the process.

"Y-Yeah. It's nice to meet y-you too, Pinkie." Hero said as he was being shaken up.

"Hey there, Pinkie. You plan on showing Hero a bit of mercy at some point?" Smolder spoke up, chuckling at the affectionate display.

"Right. Sorry, Hero. I get a bit too excited whenever I make a new friend." Pinkie said with a blush as she backed off.

"No, no, it's fine. I'm not worried about it. Making new friends is always nice."

"So you're Hero, huh? It's so nice to meet you. I'm Silverstream." The hippogriff offered her right hand in greeting. He shook it with his left hoof in kind.

"Yeah, It's nice to see everybody here, too."

"Nice to meet you, dude. My name's Sandbar." The only earth pony from the bunch had said, introducing himself to Hero.

"Alright then, now that everyone has met everyone, save for Gallus. We can begin this meeting. We're all summoned over to Canterlot by Twilight. The bad news, and I'm not going to lie to anyone, is we're all in a lot of trouble here. Friendship Academy was recently attacked by a race of dark shadows known to us as The Tainted, for those who aren't yet aware. I'm afraid I do not know what their purpose here is. But they're dangerous; that's all the incentive we need to treat them with extreme caution."

"Yona remembers them all right. I'm angry that one of them nearly did me in." Ocellus came up to hug Yona.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Yona. The good news is that you're okay."

"Yeah. Yona can agree to that. Yona's not leaving her friends behind like that."

"The good news is that we're all made aware and are together. We all have a job to do in groups from now forward. We all have to work together and exercise the true magic of Friendship that Twilight would have normally done if she were here. Especially during these dark times." Everyone voiced their agreement and cheered.

"That's what I want to hear, sugarcube. Those rotten varmints have gotta go; Equestria is our home, not theirs!" Applejack then adjusted her stetson, satisfied by her words and the encouragement that followed it.

"Here, here, everyone! So, Starlight darling, what will you have of us then?"

"Yona, Rainbow, and Pinkie will be the first group. Your job is to make sure that our morale is kept to a high standard. Fluttershy, Ocellus, and Rarity will be in charge of most of the first aid for everyone. Hero, Smolder, and Applejack are the aggressive ones. Your job is to keep everyone safe as best as possible.

"Aww, yeah! I get to burn some Tainted butt. I'm down for it."

"Hoo wee. I get to show them varmints some real southern hospitality."

"Silverstream, Sandbar, and I will keep up provisions and stock to prepare us for anything those creatures have to throw at us."

"Man, If Twilight were here to see you right now, she'd be all flustered with pride at your take on leadership. I'm confident on that, Starlight."

"Thanks, Rainbow. That means a lot coming from you. Now that we're briefed let's begin on our way to Canterlot!" The doors had opened up to reveal a distressed Cheese Sandwich.

"Guys! Big trouble outside. All these strange creatures have appeared, and none of them have brought any party favors." Pinkie gasped at hearing that.

"No party favors?! Those fiends. Let's go get them!" Pinkie declared as she bounced with more purpose to the meeting room door, eager to leave with everyone.

"My time to shine, everyone," Smolder said as she puffed her chest out and approached Pinkie.

"Well, Hero. It looks like we'll all be seeing how you handle them varmints in a scuffle."

"Right, yeah. I got this!" Hero said as everyone headed out to confront the Tainted.

As everyone made their way to Town Square, they saw them surrounding the Town Hall; they were trying to vandalize the structure and destroy it with ponies still in it. "Hey, you! Do you guys want to pick a fight? Then do it with someone who can fight back!" Hero said as the group of Tainted Pawns looked at him, Applejack and Smolder, as Hero readied his blade of harmony.

"That's right! We're more than a match for you, freaks!" Smolder said as she blew a plume of purple fire breath at one of them, igniting it and causing it to run around and bat at the flames on its body. Applejack used her lasso to wrap up a few of them and then pick them up, slamming them down to cause severe damage, taking out one of them.

"Yee-haw! That's what you varmints get for trying to terrorize our home!" Hero put his magic to good use by using an ice spell on the Pawn still on fire.

"Here! Let me help put that out for you!" Hero shot an ice spell on it, making it freeze as Smolder flew up to pick it up and slam it onto the ground, causing the Tainted to shatter into several pieces and then vanish.

"Pretty nice ice spell, Hero. Watch out!" Starlight said as some attempted to strike Hero and Applejack from behind.

"No way, you're not doing that!" Hero used his blade of harmony to sweep them with a low slash; they sprawled to the ground as Applejack moved over to kick them, sending them both flying away and into the wall. The impact causes their bodies to explode into a dark mist and vanish. "Thanks for the heads-up, Starlight!"

"Yeah, just be careful, guys."

"You no good, slimy creatures. Trying to strike us from behind, huh? Then how do you like this!" Applejack then used her front hooves to strike the earth, causing some of its terrain to shoot upwards like a large boulder before using her lasso to hold it in place. Then, using Smolder and Hero's help, Smolder lit the boulder with her purple fire and helped Applejack move it around like a swinging mace.

Together, they were plowing through large swathes of Tainted as they launched the fiery boulder right into the last group, causing a massive explosion on them, narrowly missing the wall of the Town Hall. They all began to retreat, sinking into the earth and moving away from the Town Hall and the heroic ponies.

"Yeah. That's right. Run away and don't come back."

"Good riddance, you varmints!" They all cheered in victory until they saw that their retreat wasn't much of a retreat, more than it was a regrouping strategy. "Wait, just a cotton-picking minute here. Something doesn't feel right about those shadows running away from us."

Applejack was right; they were forming together into an all-around alone Tainted Soldier as that soldier grew and evolved into a more prominent knight; its limbs were separated from its body as they floated around it. A massive metal mouthpiece shielded its face as the eyes were revealed, yellow beady lights glaring down at everyone as it roared and pounded its steel fists together. Then the Tainted sigil appeared on its chest, marking it as an Emblem Tainted.

"Oh, come on, you're kidding me right now," Smolder said in awe and disbelief.

"Oh my... that is a very big Tainted. Be careful, guys." Starlight then used her magic to aid everyone and provide a shield around them.

"Thanks, Starlight. That'll help us to keep our distance." Hero said they needed time to analyze the threat before them; any plan was better than none.

"Hey there, guys. The limbs he's got look like they can be moved around now that they're disconnected and such."

"Yeah, Applejack, they do. But how to move them?" It was balling up its fist as it prepped a punch onto the magic shields to break them open. "Starlight! Brace yourself!" Hero said as he saw the giant metal fist had made contact with Starlight's guards. They began to form cracks from its blow, sending Starlight's body sprawling to the ground as she kept her focus.

"You alright there, Sugarcube?"

"I-I'm fine, but I won't be if he's still got those arms of his, guys."

"She's right about that; we must do something about them. I'll see if my magic can sever its connection with its limbs." Hero said as he readied up another ice spell, but he targeted its right fist, then jumped up from behind the shield and blasted it. "Take this, buddy!" Hero shouted as he managed to freeze its right fist as it fell to the ground. The giant armor suit then punched Hero with its left fist, sending him flying back. That hurt. "Guh! Ouch. C-Cheap shot."

"Oh no, are you okay, Hero?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Starlight. Don't worry about me, okay?" Hero managed to get back up. He then looked over to Applejack.

Chapter thirteen: The end of a mighty foe, arrival to Canterlot

"You thinking what I'm thinking right now?"

"Sugarcube. Time to give this varmint a taste of his own bitter medicine." Applejack then used her lasso to grapple his collapsed arm and then used her might to sling it back, then slammed it into its head to knock his body over, revealing his weak point; the armored mouthpiece then fell open to show it was vulnerable.

"Alright then, time to finish this!" Hero said as he ran his blade through its shadowy face; it shrieked as it recoiled back in pain. Hero pulled his sword out and delivered a series of swift upper slashes to his face, diming his left eye. The giant knight's head was steaming like a hot tea kettle as he opened his lid to fire a volley of fireballs to scatter and burn the area around him. "Oh yeah. He's angry now!"

"My turn now!" Smolder said as she charged up her fire breath, and Hero shot a fire spell into her mouth to make it more potent. Her purple fireball then turned darker red as it looked even meaner. She then fired it out, and it caused a huge fire explosion on the side of the massive knight.

Hero then moved in to strike at his head more to deal as much damage as possible. Applejack then rushed over to kick at his head to knock it loose from its place as it rolled away from his body. "W-Woah nelly. That was probably the biggest fireball that I've ever fired in my life. Not too shabby."

"I'll say, Sugarcube. You managed to knock him clean over with that blast." Said Applejack after she kicked his head off and out of its place so Hero could move in to freeze it.

"Deep freeze!" Hero fired a ball of ice to slow it down and stun it. He then remembered that Somnabula had given him a new spell before he left their tower. "Try this one for size, then! Thunder!" A bolt of electricity then swiftly struck his head, paralyzing it. The knight's limbs were flailing around as he panicked, trying to regain his limbs and get back up.

"Nope! Not going to happen, buddy!" Hero struck the giant knight in his face again, taking out his other eye as he began to convulse, shriek out more, and then collapse before his body dissolved into a shadowy black liquid and evaporated into a black mist.

He released a big glistening pink heart from the sigil on his chest. The last remains of the giant knight were trying in vain to reach out for the heart he had stolen from another creature; the sight looked almost pathetic before it vanished altogether.

"Y-Yeah! Take that, you big, metal varmint!" Applejack and Smolder were a bit winded from this encounter along with Hero.

"Yeah, We won. We won cause we're best friends! All of us!" Smolder declared as she hugged Hero, happy with their victory. She then let go as she spoke to him. "I don't usually give those out to just anyone. But you were incredible out there, so you deserved one."

"Holy... You three just vanquished that huge metal thing. That was so-" Starlight said, surprised but amazed at their teamwork.

"Awesome!" Rainbow butted in. "You guys worked together perfectly and kicked that chump's butt!" Everyone cheered at their victory. Then Starlight spoke up.

"Yeah, we all worked together and won in the end. Thanks again, guys, for keeping my shield from breaking. Now we have to, hey, who's that over there?" Starlight saw someone big looking at them from a distance before he cringed and then started running away toward Canterlot.

"I don't think so, Buddy! Come on, guys, we gotta catch him before he reaches Canterlot!" Rainbow declared as everyone saw him summon a dark magic pillar and run into it, disappearing into it and then vanishing. "Crud. That isn't good. He took a shortcut to get there, that lousy cheater!"

"It's okay, Rainbow; we know how to teleport, too. We'll catch up with whoever that was. Besides, I've got some questions I want to ask him. I suspect he has something to do with that attack on Ponyville." Starlight concluded as she summoned a portal; her mental image had shown the front gate of Canterlot Castle.

"Okay then... that took a lot out of me. Phew. Alright, guys, this is just enough magic in this transport for a one-way trip there, but not back here, unfortunately."

"That's fine with me, sugarcube. Come on, everypony! Let's go to Twilight now!" Applejack said as they all agreed and stepped through the portal.

"Oh jeez, that was too close for comfort for me. Why did she have to order me to launch an assault on that place, anyway?" The prominent figure reappeared at the gate of the walled Canterlot Castle—the portal with the heroic convoy behind him as our heroes caught him.

"Hold it right there, Buddy!" He visibly cringed as he heard the slightly raspy voice of Rainbow, "Don't even think about trying to teleport away; we've got you."

"Why don't you turn around so I can ask you a few questions?" Starlight said to the tall figure.

"Look, I'm on a tight schedule here trying to prep an assault for the Highness against this dump. Go bother someone else, why don't you-" He turned around to see the faces of the ponies who had thwarted The Storm King. "Oh. It's you guys!"

"Grubber?!" Both Rainbow and Applejack had said together in mild surprise.

"Who's Grubber, guys?" Hero asked them as Applejack looked over to answer his question.

"Grubber used to work for an evil tyrant named The Storm King. We stopped his plans to take over Equestria with the help of Tempest, who, while she was originally a bad guy, saw the value of friendship and changed her heart. Of course, he was much smaller back then; time does change. Last I checked, he was sent to the Equestrian National Prison by order of the princesses to reform and serve his community service. I wonder how he escaped?"

"Oh, you don't know, eh? Why Chrysalis busted me out, that's how." He proclaimed as he pointed to his chest with his thumb. "Before I sent out those Pawns to Ponyville, I had already released a few of them inside these castle walls. Of course, that Princess Twilight is probably Tainted by now!"

"You what?! Why I ought to." Rainbow said as she was prepping to strike Grubber.

"I'd cool that temper of yours if I were you, Skittles."

"What did you just call me?!"

"You heard me. All I have to do is make the order, and the Tainted inside will launch their attack. So, to give you the incentive to back off while I work." Starlight then grinned as she said.

"Fine, we'll back off. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if we were to mosey in then?"

"Wait- what?! No way! The queen told me not to let anybody in there." Grubber defensively waved his arms to stop them from entering the castle.

"Well then, Grubber. What if you're bluffing, huh? You want to act tough, don't you? We'll go on in, anyways." Starlight couldn't help but have a smug grin as she antagonized Grubber.

"I said stop! Or else you'll force me to take action!" Grubber tried to put up a ruse of confidence, puffing up his chest and readying up his fists.

"We're going to touch the door." Starlight jested as she reached her arm to touch the drawbridge crank connected to the wound-up gate.

"Oh, that's it! Tainted Squad! Roundup!" A small group of Tainted Pawns had shown up all around Grubber as he had his look of confidence back. "There we go; that should even out the odds in my favor. Now attack, Tainted Platoon One!" The shadows then surrounded everyone as Grubber then confronted Starlight. "You, I was told to show no mercy for some reason; the Highness never told me why."

"If it came from Chrysalis, then that explains a lot. Well, come on then, you big oaf. I'm ready for you!" Starlight lit her horn as she didn't have much magic left, but she didn't need much to deal with someone like Grubber.

"Hey, I'll help you beat this loser up, Starlight!" Hero showed up next to her, weapon at the ready.

"What!? Loser, am I? Them's fightin' words, you little punk!" Grubber then readied up his fists and prepped a charge toward them. "I'll show you!" Starlight then blasted Grubber with a slight magic flare to send him sprawling back as he hit the ground and got back up. Hero went in to knock him upwards with an aerial strike.

He was using an upwards combo to juggle his body in the air. Then Hero used a grounding strike to spike him to the ground as he got up and used his arms to crack his back to pop its joints. "Alright then, Tainted! Help me out!"

"You big coward!" Hero ran up to him to attempt another combo as the Tainted Pawns intervened; he had no choice but to fight them off to get to Grubber. Starlight then used her magic to hold down the Tainted, but this left her vulnerable to attack, an opportunity Grubber had taken without hesitation.

"You let your guard down, Missy! That's just sloppy!" He grabbed Starlight by her throat to lift her, placing a magic-sealing ring onto her horn to disable her magic, freeing the pawns pinned by it. "Without your magic, you're about as vulnerable as a newborn. This suits me just fine."

"Why you-" Hero then used a swift combo to slice the once pinned Tainted in half to confront Grubber.

"Let me go, you big oaf!" Starlight was struggling in his iron-clad grip.

"Not another step, or else I'll feed this pony to the Tainted!"

"You're just a big ol' coward, resorting to a hostage tactic just because you can't fight us fairly," Applejack said as she stood up to him.

"Well, I can live with it if it works for me. Maybe I can keep this brat and hand-deliver her over to Chrysalis. Oh ho, she will be pleased to see you." He saw the literal fear in her eyes as he held her.

"No! I don't want to be sent to her. Guys, help me out here." Starlight said as she tried to flail in his grasp. She then sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll go, but only on one condition."

"Starlight! No!" Hero said as she spoke to the nearby giant.

"Oh shaddup, you little twerp. And let's hear what the lady has to say."

"Only if you promise not to hurt my friends. Then I'll go without any more trouble."

"Hmm... That does sound rather promising. And I'll even look good before the queen, too. Fine, a deal's a deal."

"I'm sorry, Hero. But I can't let my friends get harmed." Grubber snapped his finger as the surrounding Tainted fled into the earth, and he created a portal to escape from. Suddenly, there was a purple flash behind him; as he turned around, he saw the angry face of Twilight Sparkle glaring at him. He gasped in surprise.

"W-What the?! Oh no, not you again."

"Let her go right now, Grubber!" She said in a very stern tone.

"No way, this lady is my meal ticket to a higher rank. So buzz off, why don't you."

"Then you forced me to do this to you." Twilight's horn then blasted him with the force of nearly ten stallions striking all at once. It might not have been her most potent attack, but it was enough to daze Grubber as he released Starlight while twirling around, stuck in a dizzy haze.

"O-Oooh... you lot are... despicable." Grubber then collapsed, knocked out and down for the count.

"Oh yeah! Go, Twilight!" Rainbow Cheered.

"You're in a lot of trouble, Grubber," Twilight said as she was about to lift him, but her magic was blocked as a ring of lime-green flames corralled his body, making him sink into the darkness as the queen retrieved him. "No! Darn, it! So, I can see that Chrysalis has been busy. She wouldn't have recruited him if he wasn't useful to her."

"Well, at least Starlight is saved, Twilight," Applejack told her.

"That's true, Applejack." She then looked to see Hero. "And you must be Hero. I've been expecting you. I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria. It's a pleasure to meet you finally."

Chapter fourteen: Meeting the princess, assembly of the alicorns.

"Yeah. It's nice to meet you too, Princess." Hero said as he bowed in respect to her.

"Please. Just call me Twilight. Formalities aren't essential." Twilight said as she lowered down the drawbridge to let the party in. "Right this way, everyone. Hero, you'll be in for quite a treat today."

"How so?"

"How would you feel about meeting both Celestia and Luna?" Hero nearly jerked his head back in mild surprise.

"The other princesses of Equestria, too?"

"Well... they're technically not princesses anymore since they've bequeathed that title to me. But they're still here to come to the aid of Equestria."

As they entered the Great Hall, the two former princesses were already waiting for everybody. The Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard then bowed as he was introduced to Hero. "Hey there. Name's Gallus. Ocellus was writing to me about a new friend she'd recently met. I guess that friend was you."

"Yeah. Everyone is happy to see me, it seems. Which is nice, don't get me wrong." Gallus then opened the door into the Great Hall as Celestia, Luna, and Spike all saw Twilight and her friends coming in.

"Twilight, you're back. So, was there any trouble outside?" Spike asked Twilight.

"Yes, there was. My friends were fighting Grubber. Chrysalis broke him out of prison, and he's working with her."

"Oh great, more bad news. You know what, at this point, should we even be surprised anymore?" Luna asked Twilight.

"That would depend on what you consider more bad news. Grubber isn't exactly that much of a threat, not in the abstract. He isn't."

"He used me as a bargaining chip for peace negotiation and almost sent me to Chrysalis. Had you not stepped in when you did, there's no telling what that witch would have done to me." Starlight slightly shuddered, having to recall that.

"Well, yes, he did do that. Okay, fine, maybe it's best not to underestimate him." Then Spike approached Hero when he came into view.

"So you're Hero, eh? Nice to meet you!" Spike brought his hand out to shake Hero's hoof, which he had accepted.

"Same. So those were the princesses? I can't believe it. I'm meeting the original princesses of Equestria." Both celestial alicorns then saw Hero as they approached him to greet him.

"It's very nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna." Celestia did a bow as Luna then looked at him.

"Tis a pleasure to meet you, Hero. I'm Luna. So, Twilight, what will we do about whatever's going on? We all need to come up with a plan."

"I agree, Luna. So Twilight, what are we going to do now?"

"Well, I forgot to ask Starswirl about the threat we're facing." Hero then stepped up to speak.

"They're called The Tainted. That's what Starswirl told me."

"I see, so that's what they're called? Tainted. Sounds bad."

"They're bad, Twilight. They can steal the hearts of anypony or creature that gives in to their influence or gets felled by them. Then, they use those hearts they steal from others to make themselves even stronger."

"Oh, dear. That's just terrible. We have to do something about those creatures. Do you know where they came from by any chance?" Twilight asked as she heard the news about them.

"Unfortunately, no. But I saw a robed figure before my home was destroyed. I know he has something to do with this."

"Robed figure? That's the one from my dream before I was summoned here." Celestia recalled.

"But who is this guy, and why is he doing this?" Twilight pondered to herself. "Well, regardless, we still need to be ready for whatever will come."

"Agreed, Twilight," Luna spoke in agreement, as our next objective was to plan for a defense strategy.

"Hey, guys?"

"Yes, Hero?" Twilight said, eager to hear what he had to say.

"What about my training with Starswirl? I still have to get back to Ponyville to complete it."

"So you were the chosen apprentice that Starswirl had mentioned he was looking for before he left our meeting. Given our current situation, he'll gladly give you a free pass."

"I sure hope so. I promised him that I wouldn't let him down."

"And that's a very noble and dependable attitude. I understand your concerns as I once feared letting down one of the greatest idols I've ever had and known since long before I became an alicorn."

"You're kidding? I thought you were born as an alicorn." Twilight giggled.

"No, silly. I was christened into alicornhood. Celestia had ascended me when she felt I was ready to take up the mantle of a princess."

"It's true. And I couldn't be more proud of her. Managing all of Equestria, all by herself." Spike then cleared his throat to include him, too. "And you as well, Spike."

"I guess I should report back to Starswirl, huh?"

"Well... now that you're here and all, why not stay the night at the castle? I'll prep a guest room for you to stay in, Hero."

"But I already have a home."

"I insist. Consider it my way of saying thanks for doing your best to save my friend Starlight. Tomorrow, you can visit Starswirl, alright?"

"Okay, sure. And thanks for your hospitality."

"It's no problem at all. And if you need anything from us, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."

"So, did Starswirl tell you what happened to Harmony Hollow Village? M-My home?" Twilight had a sullen look adorning her face as she consoled Hero.

"Yes. Celestia and Luna, you have no doubt felt the light of the Tree of Harmony diminishing, right?"

"We have, Twilight. Both Luna and I," Celestia replied.

"You have been through quite a lot, Hero. So tell us what happened. From the very beginning, we may be able to find out who this mystery man is."

"Well, I'm just as confused as you guys are. All I know is that I was brought into this mess; I never asked for any of this. My home, family, and everyone I knew and grew up around; the darkness consumed even the chief. The dream I was given wasn't by chance; I'm the next element of harmony right before the tree's death."

"I can't tell if this is still just some horrible nightmare I can't wake up from. And now I discover that the black crystal that guy put in my chest to curse me was how The Tainted were tracking me all this time." Hero said as she showed the black, pulsing scar on his chest to the Princess and alicorns.

"That's.. that's just horrible. My Faust and you suspect this guy is the culprit?"

"Yeah. I feel it in my heart; he's responsible for this."

"I believe you, Hero. From what I gather, harmony magic seems to be his weakness. Why else would that have been his first target? He's choosing his moves wisely, it seems. But what is his end goal in all of this?" Twilight was pondering.

"I have no idea, Twilight. Maybe Celestia might know. Do you?" Hero looked over at her as she sighed.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Hero. But no, I'm afraid that I do not."

"Well, maybe we'll find out what to do after I've seen Starswirl. Maybe we can all come up with a stable plan together."

"I couldn't agree more. So then, it's about to get dark soon, so everypony and creature can stay here tonight!" Everyone has a look of relief wash over their faces.

"Yeah. After fighting them Tainted creatures, I guess a stop here for the night isn't too bad."

"Then, I'll prepare the Dining Hall for everybody. Please relax and enjoy!" Every pony and creature followed Twilight out of the meeting room and into the dining hall for dinner.

"I can't believe this, you incompetent moron!" Chrysalis stamped her hoof angrily as she glared at Grubber, who, in all honestly, just stood there, paralyzed in fear at the queen's ire. "You were given a straightforward task: sabotage Canterlot Castle's security and destroy Ponyville. But I suppose that was too difficult for you to do, right?"

"I had that Starlight lady in my grasp, and I was going to gift wrap her for you, but it was that annoying Twilight Sparkle. She stopped me from nearly getting her to you. Had it not been for her interference, I would have at least succeeded at that, Your Highness."

"Quiet! I don't want to hear any more excuses from you. Since you've managed to breach their defenses, I may be willing to give you one more chance to redeem yourself." Chrysalis summoned a swirling magic ball that revealed an image of a land full of bustling creatures of all sight.

"From here, there's a special chest that I'm looking for, a black-colored box. I don't know its exact location, but I do know its general location. I'll have you go over there to take it. It's in Hippogriff Capital. Bring that chest back to me, and don't you dare fail me again, Grubber!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" He saluted as he departed from the cave they were occupying.

"Man, dinner was awesome. Those chefs know what they're doing. This is what you eat every day, Twilight?" Hero asked her, astonished at the excellent quality of the cuisine offered here.

"Mhm. I do. I got used to it, I confess. Sure, being the Princess of all of Equestria is very cumbersome on the body and mind, but a girl like myself has to take advantage of some of the fringe benefits of the position, you know?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't you be in this place? This castle is incredible."

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way. It's about time to rest up soon. But I'd like a quick talk with you before that, Hero."

"Sure, not a problem." Hero said as everyone else bid their goodnights to everyone, each heading into their guest room.

"So then, what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to know more about you in particular. You mentioned that you're an element of harmony, right?"

"Yes?"

"Which one, if I may ask?"

"Courage."

"Fascinating. So, in its last moments, the tree must have chosen you for your courageous heart. It knew that you'd be right for the position. It's true; the tree never makes any mistakes, only judgments."

"Right, both the chief and Starswirl have told me that. But I never asked for this. The tree never asked me if I'd be okay with this."

"I know it must be tough, especially with that curse in your chest. But you must understand that the tree's actions were for Equestria's better interest. I'm still one of the most important elements of harmony: magic itself. But courage is something else, entirely."

"Yeah. I was told that by someone named Mistmane. She taught me how to use healing magic."

"You know, healing magic isn't novice level. It's bordering on an intermediate level, above apprentice. That's not too shabby for a unicorn wet behind the ears."

"Yeah. Thanks, I guess."

"I noticed your weapon in your hooves when I confronted Grubber to rescue Starlight. I'd recognize that blade anywhere. I saw it a few times before with Starswirl. The blade of harmony."

"Yeah, but it only comes out when I'm either with them or in danger."

"As it was designed to do. According to Starswirl, that blade was made using harmony magic to be tethered to an element that would hopefully be right for the weapon. It was up to the tree's jurisdiction to choose the right host for the weapon, and it chose you, Hero."

"Yeah. Lucky me, huh? I'm feeling a bit tired. Thanks for getting to know me a bit better, I guess. I'll do whatever I can for Equestria. I promise."

"Thank you, Hero. That means a lot to me! And we'll all be here for you as your new friends. Good night, Hero."

"Good night, Twilight." Hero bid farewell as he went to his designated guest room to sleep.

Chapter fifteen: Finishing training, forming our plan together

He was waking up to a beautiful morning, refreshed and ready to begin his day. Hero got up to go and wait out in the meeting room for the others to gather. An uneventful morning on an otherwise bright and beautiful one. "Now, where is everybody?" His thoughts were cut off upon seeing the opening doors to the meeting room to reveal Celestia of all ponies.

"Good Morning to you, Hero. Why're you in here?"

"I suppose I could ask you the same question, Celestia."

"I suppose you could, could you? Well, I guess I figured I'd find somepony in here."

"Same here. I was hoping that someone would join me in here soon."

"Well, I suppose you're in luck then 'cause I'm an early riser myself," Celestia said with a strange bit of pride in herself as she stretched her limbs and yawned. "There's something truly wonderful about the daytime and, of course, the nighttime, too."

"Yeah, I agree; they're both pretty cool. So, what was it like to have once served as a princess for so long? I can't imagine that ever being easy to do."

"Oh. You don't know half of it, Hero. At times, being a princess had become very cumbersome and unbearable. But knowing that I was doing my best for the future of my little ponies, it was a position that I felt privileged to have." Celestia then looked back at him as she said, "Does that satisfy your curiosity, Hero?"

"Yeah, it does. So then, when's everyone else going to wake up?"

"Well, I'll tell you who isn't going to, Luna. She hates being an early riser. Believe me when I say you do not want to make Luna cranky." Celestia stated that no sooner than that, the doors opened to reveal Twilight, then both Starlight and Fluttershy. "Well, good morning, ladies."

"Good morning, Celestia. Morning, Hero." Twilight greeted both of them.

"Good morning, guys." Starlight greeted with a yawn.

"Yes. Good morning, everypony." Fluttershy told all four of them that we were here now. "Hero. I don't think I've ever had the chance to get to know you. I'm sorry about that."

"Hey, it's no problem." Hero brought out his hoof to shake hers as she returned the gesture. "So, where's everyone else?"

"I think they're all still sleeping." Fluttershy then asked. "So then, if you want to open up to me, I'd be happy to listen."

"I-I mean sure. But didn't everyone already inform you about me?"

"Nope." Fluttershy shook her head, affirming that she knew some but not everything of Hero's beginning.

"Well, to keep it short: My home was destroyed by darkness, I was cursed by some strange guy who caused that darkness, and now I'm Equestria's last hope. So I'm doing fantastic right now." She backed away some from his sudden attitude. "Hey, I'm sorry if I raised my voice."

"N-No, it's okay. I understand why you're upset. That's an awful lot to have to worry about." Fluttershy then decided to console Hero by giving him a hug with her right wing and both forearms to help him relax. This worked incredibly well as what she was trying to accomplish; she managed to do. "There, there, Hero. You'll always have our friends here to help you through this. You have my promise on that."

"Thanks, Fluttershy. You guys are nice, you know? And I promise to be the best I can be as Equestria's defender." Hero proclaimed as he was met with the approval of everyone in the room. "But there's no guarantee that everyone will be in here of all places, you know? What if we went out while everyone else still rests up?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. A good walk to help get the blood flowing to these old bones." Mused Celestia as she giggled a bit.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad, Celestia," Twilight said, looking over at her equal.

"Twilight, I'm over two thousand years old; that is old."

"Yeah, I know that, but why do you have it make it sound so... well, bad?"

"I can assure you, Twilight, that wasn't my intention."

"Yeah, I know that- Forget I mentioned it; let's just go and enjoy our morning walk."

"Man, this hippogriff place is pretty big and all, but I'm not exactly able to blend in with the crowd and not look suspicious. Hmm... what to do?" Grubber arrived at the crack of the morning at the Hippogriff Kingdom to retrieve that black box that Chrysalis wanted. "I'll see if I can get her on the wire quickly." Grubber walked off to a private area and was unnoticed as he then used the magic crystal he took from his left pocket and signaled for Chrysalis; her holographic image had shown to Grubber- the usual snarl on her face told him that he was interrupting her 'me time.

"What is it, Grubber?"

"Your Highness. This might be the wrong place, but you said many creatures were here, right?"

"There isn't a problem, is there?"

"Well... funny, you should ask. There are only hippogriffs here."

"What!? I thought that Princess Twilight had made a peace treaty with this kingdom or something. Are you sure you're in the Hippogriff Kingdom, Grubber?"

"Well, that's what the sign said, at least. I wonder what's going on here?"

"Never mind that; your job is to retrieve that black box. If you do manage to find out what's happening, we may be able to capitalize on this."

"And how to pray to tell are we going to do that? I can't imagine the residents here taking too kindly to me, especially after they recognize me from what I did while working with The Storm King."

"Hmm.. amazingly, you have a point. I suppose that would gain too much negative attention for you. Then perhaps you must use the Tainted as a distraction. A little chaos from them, and nobody there will pay any attention to you."

"Hmm... yes. That would work, wouldn't it?"

"Of course, it will! Now use them and get what you came there for! Until you've acquired the black box, do not even dare bother me again, Grubber!"

"Yes, Your Highness. Oh ho ho, this will be a lot of fun." Then her holographic face disappeared as the crystal dimmed, and Grubber put it back into his pocket. "Alrighty then, Tainted. You overheard what we were saying; get to it!" Grubber laughed as two Tainted Pawns were summoned to his aid and then dispersed as their bodies sunk into the ground and went to carry out their task.

"The sunshine this morning is just great. That celestial auto-dial works like a charm, Celestia."

"Well, that's probably because it is a charm, Twilight. A mighty one, imbued with a fraction of our magic, contains the sun and moon management spells." Celestia was walking to Twilight's left while Starlight was to her right, and Hero was walking alongside Fluttershy.

"Well, it certainly is a marvel of magical technology. I can't imagine the time and effort that must have gone into its creation- I'm fascinated, nonetheless." Starlight said as she looked over to Twilight.

"Well, it's certainly useful and very convenient. I mean, not that I'd ever want my position to involve less work. It's just that I have a lot of duties and responsibilities to perform every day."

"I completely understand Twilight. It's exactly why Luna and I gave that to you."

"Well, you do know how to think ahead, that's for sure."

"Trust me, Twilight. Things have been rough for all of us. It couldn't have been easy to accept that Equestria was again in danger for Celestia. Or the entire balance of Equestria's survival hinges on Hero's survival. Or that I was nearly tormented by you know who, or that Fluttershy was tasked with helping to bring first aid to all of us when we were defending Ponyville from that gigantic metal tainted. This brings me back to you. Your job isn't easy; being a leader of anything is a commitment. But you're never doing it alone."

"I know, Starlight. And I appreciate everyone here. I'm so grateful for having everybody here, together with me. Celestia is retired. That meant she wasn't obligated to help us, nor was Luna. And yet, here they are, ready to fight alongside us again."

"Well. Twilight, retirement was and still is very nice and all. But, it did become rather dull very quickly. There's nothing to do but be pampered by the subjects I've always served. You couldn't blame Luna and me for wanting more action again. Just like old times."

"Well, when you put it like that, you sound like it's a prison, Celestia." Twilight looked over to Celestia.

"Well. No offense, but it was." Celestia replied in earnest.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad to see the both of you back again." Twilight then hummed a more upbeat tune as she walked with everyone. It was nice to see her happy, Hero could admit.

"So, you think everyone else will be awake when we return?" Hero asked Twilight.

"I do believe they would be, Hero. I can't imagine them not being awake by then."

"Hehehe, That's right, Tainted; cause as much chaos as you want. Take as many hearts from them, too. They can be as an appetizer for you." The Tainted was too happy to do this as they all surrounded the hippogriffs, some even being grabbed by a few pawns and having their hearts torn.

Their bodies were then slowly turning into more of them. You could see the terror and despair on their faces as they knew this was it for them. A stray guard dodged as many shadowy invaders as possible, heading to the highest peak of Mount Aris, where Queen Novo had resided. The doors busted open as the guard tried to catch his breath before speaking, "Trouble, Your Highness. Big trouble. We're under attack!"

"What!? Who would dare to do this?" Novo then looked out to her kingdom and saw strange shadows lurking around and picking off her subjects. "I will not allow this to happen. Make sure to get Twilight's attention. We need help. I'll do my best to keep many of my subjects safe."

"Yes, Your Highness." The hippogriff guard hugged his queen as he saluted and made way for Equestria's capital.

"May you return safely and be careful of those things," Novo warned her soldier as he flew off. "Twilight. I sure do hope that you'll be here soon."

"Well. That was a good walk. I guess now's a good time to return to the castle, right?" Hero asked as they saw in the distance, coming close was what appeared to be a very distressing hippogriff.

"Princess Twilight. I'm so glad to see you." The soldier said, catching his breath from the long flight there.

"What's going on then? What can we do to help you?"

"It's terrible. Our kingdom is under attack by these strange black monsters. Novo needs help immediately." The soldier then collapsed from exhaustion.

"Sounds like those Tainted are causing trouble again. Not good. We'll have to go there. Hero, we could use your help. Starswirl will understand."

"Yeah. I'll be there. I'll do whatever I can, okay?"

"I-It's appreciated." We helped him up as he stated his gratitude.

"The train there would take too long. We'll have to teleport there." Twilight exclaimed as Fluttershy, Starlight, The Hippogriff soldier, Hero, and Celestia gathered up to her and teleported to the Hippogriff Kingdom.

Chapter sixteen: Arrival to Mount Aris, reunion with an old foe.

The company then arrived at the Hippogriff Kingdom on Mount Aris to assist Queen Novo and found that the town was in flames and Tainted was running amok. "Okay, everyone. Celestia and I will control the fires and keep them from spreading. Starlight, keep Fluttershy safe. Hero, protect this town and defend Starlight."

"I guess we don't get to go sightseeing, huh?"

"Just get going, Hero," Twilight said as they all dispersed to do their tasks. No sooner had she left than a swarm of flying bug-like Tainted, Pawns, and even a couple of turned hippogriffs surrounded them- all except for the Pawns were Emblem Tainted.

"Okay then, guys, I'm right here!" Hero then readied his blade. Starlight then drew her shield over Fluttershy as she was surveying the battlefield. "Looks like a couple of them were taken by those Tainted. Sorry guys, But I will have to take you down!" Hero rushed at the flying Tainted Hippogriffs as they carried spears and tried to thrust them out at Hero, who jumped to avoid their lunges deftly. "W-Woah!? Okay, then, that's not cool. But I have a weapon, too."

"Hero, keep them off me while I protect Fluttershy, okay?"

"You got it." Hero moved behind the two turned hippogriffs and unleashed an ice spell onto their wings to down them. "Freeze!" They both fell, but then they began to dash up to Starlight, spears at the ready. "Oh no, you don't!" Hero blocks their advance as he sends them flying with an aerial slash. Then he jumped up to rapidly deliver a flurry of slashes on them.

They both looked wounded as they still attempted their charge. Hero then ran his blade right through one and sliced the other in half. They both were oozing black misty darkness where there should have been blood. Before they both dissolved into nothing, releasing their hearts as they flew up high. "Alright then, guys. Who's next?" Then came a swarm of those bug-like Tainted as they were sparking like they were made from electricity. "Well.. this is new."

"Look out, Hero. Those things look like they're charging up energy together."

"Then let's slow them down. Freeze!" Hero shot an ice spell at the swarm, and they fell to the ground, temporarily stunned.

"Okay then, time for some pest management!" Hero was slashing them all as they were on the ground; there seemed to be at least eight of them, six now that two were destroyed. "Take this! Time to say goodbye, Tainted." He then used a fire spell to burn those fixed bug Tainted into piles of gray ashes as they all seeped away, and each released a stolen heart. Finally came the few Pawns still there trying to claw at Starlight's shield; they were making scratches on it from their effort. "Come here; I'll take you down!"

Hero then slashed at the shadowy monsters as they all exploded from the many slashes racking at their bodies. "Thanks for that, Hero." Starlight sighed in relief as she lowered her shield at the sight of no more Tainted present.

"No problem. Now, let's move on and meet up with Twilight and Celestia!" Hero, Starlight, and Fluttershy then made their way through the town, running to catch up to Twilight and Celestia as a shadowy pillar formed in front of them then dispersed, revealing a hooded pony of sorts; a veil of darkness concealed its face from within the hood itself. "W-Who're you? Get out of our way!"

"So, that's the greeting I get from you, huh? How very welcoming, indeed." The voice belonged to a mare. She pulled her hood back to reveal her rich dark-purple fur, red-wine mane, and a familiar scar on her left cheek across her eye.

"T-Tempest Shadow? But I don't understand; I thought you were reformed?" Fluttershy spoke up suddenly.

"Fluttershy. I don't think that's the Tempest we're familiar with; look at her horn." Starlight pointed to it as everyone saw she had a full horn, not a broken one. She also had yellow eyes, the same that matched the Tainted.

"So you're Hero, huh? Word travels around faster than you'd think. So before you ask, I figured I'd save you the trouble."

"B-But I don't understand what's happening here. Why is Tempest here at Mount Aris of all places?" Fluttershy asked as she began to approach her. "A-Are you feeling okay, Tempest."

"Come any closer to me; it'll be a mistake that you'll deeply regret." Tempest scowled at Fluttershy as she whined slightly, walked back to Starlight, and was consoled by her.

"Hey. That wasn't very nice, you know," Hero admonished Tempest.

"It did produce the results that I wanted; whether it was nice or not is irrelevant. I'm not here to pick a fight. I'm here to test you out. Orders from above."

"That doesn't make any sense. Either you're going to fight or not." Hero said as he felt trouble was around and summoned the blade of harmony.

"I'm not going to fight you, but this monster will. Let's see how much stronger you've gotten after our leader met you." Tempest raised her hoof to the sky as a beam of darkness shot up like a flare; it formed into a dark void with a giant Tainted creature digging its way out from the dark portal as the hole disappeared. Then she backed away into a pillar of darkness she had summoned and teleported away.

"Leader? What're you- oh my... that is a big Tainted!" Starlight said as she saw what looked to be a giant centaur with the head of an avian, the upper half a lion creature, while the bottom half appeared equine. It held within its hands a massive halberd, twirling it around before it set its weapon down in color guard. Its beak opened, revealing a shadowy face with yellow eyes in its mouth as the Tainted sigil appeared across its chest.

"Emblem Tainted, huh? Well, the bigger they're, the harder they fall."

"Hero! What is the name of- what in Equestria is that thing?" Celestia said as both she and Twilight landed next to the heroic envoy.

"Well, whatever he is, he will not terrorize Mount Aris. Let's go, Everypony!" Twilight exclaimed as the giant creature roared at them as its beak opened. Its shadowy mouth was wide open and shot out an energy beam toward them; Twilight dodged it, and Celestia used her shield magic to rebound the energy beam back to the big Tainted. The beam then hit the beast, briefly stunning him into a daze as Hero took this opportunity to strike.

"Starlight, keep Fluttershy safe, okay? I'm going in!" Starlight then raised her shield over Fluttershy again as Hero rushed over to the large Tainted and unleashed a flurry of swift strikes to its head.

"This was unexpected, but who am I to complain about a good opportunity? Time to search for that black box while those ponies are busy." Grubber made his way up the flight of granite stairs on his way over to the throne room of the Hippogriff Capitol to get the black box.

"Are you okay, Twilight?"

"Yes, Celestia, he just grazed my shoulder, that's all. I'll admit, they're not to be trifled with." Twilight then steadied herself and fired a magic beam into the monster's face, making him topple over. "Celestia, hold him down with your magic if you can, Hero. Use your blade on him again." Both ponies nodded.

"Right. We're counting on you, Hero." Celestia said as she used her magic to restrain the massive Tainted and to keep him bound to the ground. "Grr... n-no, you will stay down, now!" Celestia was straining to keep him down as he roared and became more aggressive.

"I got him!" Hero then rushed in to deal another flurry of sword slashes and used a freeze spell on its head. "Deep Freeze!" The entire head was engulfed by solid ice as his body fell, and he was stunned until the ice would be broken off. "Oh yeah! And he's down."

"But he's not out. Hero, I'll use my magic to finish him off, but you must keep him busy. It'll take some time for my spell to reach full potency."

"You got it!" Hero then rushed forth and saw the ice-covered head glowing bright red as the ice melted away, and the deadly creature became more furious. "Uh oh. His head is thawed out, Twilight."

"Okay. That's not good. Just keep him distracted. I need more time." Twilight was nearly ready to blast that Tainted monster straight to its chest. Celestia then reapplied her barrier spell onto it as it flailed its limbs. The giant creature managed to smack Celestia away as she gritted her teeth and groaned from getting hit by a giant and muscly fist.

"You okay, Celestia?"

"Yes, Hero. I-I took a bit of a nasty hit there, but I'll pull through."

"Well, all the same. Here you go, heal!" Hero then used the healing spell that Mistmane taught him to soothe Celestia's blunt wound. "Feeling better?"

"I am. Thank you very much, Hero. Now, let's all finish this." Twilight was ready to fire her magic beam; Starlight shielded Fluttershy as they cheered everyone on. Celestia and Hero kept the pressure by restraining and assaulting its head with slashes.

"Alright then, Everypony. Make way. I'm ready to fire my beam!" Twilight said as Hero and Celestia quickly jumped out of the way as the now confused giant chimeric centaur stared in wonderment at the massive beam of sparkling purple death headed straight towards it.

The cascade of purple destruction had washed over the beast as it shrieked in pain and was obliterated by Twilight's magic. In its last moments, it tried in vain to desperately reach out for the glistening pink heart now rising from its chest as it slowly melted into a shadowy vapor. "Take that, Tainted. Woah now. That was too much magic to let out all at once." Twilight was feeling slightly dizzy as Hero and Celestia rushed to her aid to help keep her balance up.

"It's alright, Twilight, we got you," Celestia said as Hero held her right side, and Celestia supported her left.

"T-Thanks, guys. I'll recover quickly. That's just something I'll have to get used to doing, that's all." Starlight lowered her shield as she and Fluttershy approached the three victorious ponies.

"Twilight, you're not going to believe who we just saw before that monster came out," Starlight said to Twilight.

"Who was it?"

"It was Tempest Shadow."

"You're kidding me? But that can't be right; she's the lieutenant of my army. Tempest would never do anything like that. Something is not right here."

"She had the same eyes as those Tainted, too. And a full horn. I don't know what's happening here, Twilight, but I don't like it."

"Neither do I, Starlight. But we'll have time to worry about that later. Queen Novo still needs us."

"Alrighty then. I finally made it to the top. Phew. This queen needs to consider a new throne room on lower ground." Grubber was trying to catch his breath. "And I need to lay off the doughnuts." Grubber touched the ornate door handle as a hippogriff pointed his spear toward him.

"Stop right there, Intruder!"

"Oh, I'd lower that spear if I were you. Tainted! Your master is in trouble." Two pawns tackled the hippogriff down from behind as he dropped his spear, and Grubber grabbed and picked him up.

"Gah!? Let me go right this second!"

"No way. You'll be used as leverage to sway that queen for that black box she's keeping there." The hippogriff then gulped as Grubber entered the Hippogriff Palace. As the imposing figure walked down the halls to the central throne chambers, he was met with hippogriffs, spears at the ready. "Back off if you want your buddy here to have his heart still. These Tainted look hungry, too."

With some reluctance, they conceded. "Smart move. Now, to finish my mission and report back to the queen- not yours." Grubber then muttered under his breath, "Stupid birds." Grubber entered the throne chambers to see a distressed hippogriff queen pacing back and forth until she noticed him and scowled.

"You! I remember you when you were much smaller. You were a coward then, too." Novo said as she saw Grubber holding one of her subjects hostage.

"Flattery won't help out your friend here. Now, where is that black box?"

"You're referring to Pandora's Box, yes? Well, you can't have it. It's a potent relic we had protected for hundreds of years before I became queen."

"Well, that's a shame cause these little guys are hungry. Isn't that right?" Grubber affectionately said to his pawns as he hung the poor hippogriff soldier over the shadow puddle with dark arms reaching out to grab him as he kicked in a blind panic. "Time to choose, Novo. This soldier, or that box."

"D-Damn you." She muttered under her breath.

"Better hurry; my arms are getting tired."

"No! Please, Your Highness. I don't want those things to have me!" The soldier was screaming in fright as he struggled.

"Fine! Take the box, but you must agree to let him go." Novo said with much reluctance on her end. Her disdain for Grubber is ever more present. The doors opened, and the heroic convoy entered; they saw Grubber with Pandora's Box in one arm and the hippogriff soldier in his other.

"Grubber! Put them both down, now! There's no more running away!" Twilight yelled as she saw him.

"Ah, ah, ah, Twilight, I got this guy here as leverage, so you'll let me get away, or else this little birdie will meet a very unpleasant end."

"You wouldn't dare." Twilight glared at him as he used his hand with the black box, grabbed his green crystal out of his pocket, and threw it onto the ground, creating a portal of neon-green flames.

"Try me! Let me leave with the box, and this guy lives."

"Twilight. I know you're mad. But he's serious. We should do what he says." Celestia said sadly.

"Fine. But we'll hunt you down. You will face judgment eventually, Grubber." Twilight said, keeping her glare fixed on her foe.

"Bout time you guys had enough sense to agree with me. Here. You guys can have this loser." Grubber then tossed the soldier onto the ground as the shadows dispersed, and he teleported away.

Chapter eighteen: Return to Ponyville, resurgence of an ancient evil.

As Twilight and company returned to Canterlot, everyone there was waiting for them with open arms. "Welcome back, Twilight. I made sure to let everypony know to get ready for when you came back." Fluttershy said to Twilight.

"Thanks, Fluttershy. So everyone's ready then?" Twilight asked as they all nodded to affirm that they were. "Alright then, Celestia, Luna. Will you join us, or do you want to watch over the castle?"

"We'll join you, Twilight. We need more action and not be reminded of how hectic our work used to be." Luna stated as Celestia agreed.

"Yes, Luna. I'd like that, too." Gallus then spoke up.

"So then, what will I be doing? Guarding the ruler is my job, you know."

"Gallus. Today is your lucky day. You'll be watching over the whole castle with Lieutenant Tempest." This made his jaw drop in shock and awe.

"A-Are you serious, Twilight?"

"Yup. I trust that you'll have everything under control with Spike as well. The three of you will be fine in my absence. I'll be helping Hero to defend my kingdom and home." Twilight proudly proclaimed as she and her company set off to the Canterlot Train Station and got tickets to Ponyville Central to check up on the place and get Hero back into the academy. Once they boarded the train, Luna suddenly got a terrible feeling racking through her body- like a premonition of what was to come. "Are you okay, Luna?" Twilight asked her out of concern.

"No. I just had a terrible feeling all of a sudden. Something big is about to happen." Once they arrived, the whole team headed towards the Town Hall to regroup.

"Now is the perfect time to begin our plan." Chrysalis and Grubber were at Town Square next to its hall. She tapped her horn onto the Box as its lock opened up partially; dark and misty evil was oozing from it, giving them cold chills.

"U-Uh... are you sure this is a good idea, Chrysalis? It's like opening up an oyster, but an evil one."

"Do not question me, Grubber. We're going through with this plan as is. Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness. Although, I've got a horrible feeling about this thing all of a sudden like opening it up was a terrible idea." Grubber said as he visibly shook just by being near Pandora's Box.

"That's because it was. You two are in a lot of trouble. Now close that Box right now and come quietly!" Twilight said as they finally caught up to Chrysalis and Grubber.

"Well, now, you look different. It has been far too long since we've seen each other, Twilight Sparkle. I don't think you quite understand who's in charge now. I had to be trapped with those two imbeciles for many years while you had your lovely little friendship reign. Well, now, it's payback time!"

"Chrysalis. Do not open that Box. You cannot even begin comprehending the evil that dwells within it." Luna warned her.

"You do not order me around. I will have my vengeance on you lot. All of you will regret making me your enemy." Chrysalis opened that Box completely as a massive plume of darkness shot out from it, forming into a giant pillar of nearly a hundred Tainted Pawns.

"O-Oh no... we're doomed if we cannot close that creature inside that box!" Luna proclaimed as they all got ready to fight. The weight of its darkness was overbearing; this thing was compelling as it looked like a swirling tide.

"I think I'll call this thing The Demon Tide. The perfect name for permanently wiping away my foes off this world's surface." The queen cackled with glee as she saw the swirling vortex drift upwards as it dove down after the group of alicorns, elements, and heroes.

"Holy.. this thing is fast! We'll have to scope out its weakness, but where?" Hero muttered to himself as Grubber took this as an opportunity to run away from Chrysalis for his safety.

"Well, frankly, My dear, I'd rather run!" Grubber, with a panicked breath, then got as far away from the swirling tide of darkness as he could, breathing more straightforwardly as he did so.

"Coward. I suppose I shall have to do this myself." Chrysalis was then holding the Box as she guided it towards the princesses. Hero dodged the way and managed to latch onto the Demon Tide, taking everyone by surprise.

"Hero! That's incredibly risky. Are thou sure that you can hurt this vile thing?" Luna shouted up to Hero.

"I don't know. But something tells me its weakness is on its head- the top of it." Hero was climbing onto the swirling mass of Tainted Pawns as they all looked at him with their beady red eyes. Hero then made it to the top and then split the top open. As his hooves began to dig into the top, they flayed open like an open wound, and a red pulsing orb was in place.

"Oh... I hope Hero can do this." Celestia looked up at Hero, a pang of worry in her heart as if one mistake could be Hero's last. Hero then yelled a warcry, stabbing into the pulsing-red orb that throbbed like a heart. Repeatedly stabbing into it as it shrieked in pain. Hero then guided it into a nearby wall as it slammed into it and collapsed onto the ground. Leaping off of the beast, Hero made the landing.

"Oh yeah! That was awesome!" Twilight said as she saw Hero dominating the fight.

"You... found its weakness? Wow." Celestia was taken aback for a moment. Just then, the sheer darkness was enough to act as a beacon to those sensitive enough to feel it.

"I'm not done with you yet, Tainted." Hero shouted. He then jumped back up to deliver more swift stabs into the top of its still-exposed head. The more the top was stabbed, the smaller the tide was getting. The dark mist was oozing out like blood as the beast was thrashing in place. It wasn't long until Starswirl and the pillars arrived to assist.

"What's going on here? Is that? Pandora's Box?! What is the wide world of Equestria? Is she doing with it?" Starswirl, with widened eyes, had asked as he approached Celestia.

"She got Grubber to steal it from Mount Aris to weaponize it for vengeance against us." Celestia then looked over to Starswirl as he responded.

"Hmph. Of course, she would be petty enough to do this. Excuse me, Chrysalis. But do you know what you have done in your vie for vengeance? Pandora's Box was meant to seal away the greatest evils that Grogar himself created. You're a fool, Chrysalis, and now we'll all be doomed if we cannot stop that evil; this would include you and your lackey, too."

"I'm not the fool here. All I have to do is seal it back by closing it. Observe!" Chrysalis then tried to close it with her hooves... it didn't budge. With a raised eyebrow and a look of brief confusion, she tried to push her weight into it... still nothing. "What is the meaning of this? I do not understand."

"You want to know why it's so easy to open up but never to close? Because it takes a wicked heart to open the Box up and a pure one to close it. Still think that this idea of yours was a good one?" Starswirl said tersely towards the queen's rashness.

"Oh... buck. Well, this is no longer my problem. You guys get to take care of this. Grubber! To me, your queen calls for you."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm on my way." Grubber then dived into the lime-green swirling vortex Chrysalis summoned as they teleported from Ponyville Central.

"Bucking cowards! Both of them." Twilight then huffed in an irritated tone.

"Well... gees, look at Hero go on that thing. If I didn't know any better, I'd say there's something special going on." Flash Magnus said as he saw Hero going stab-happy to the slowly shrinking Demon Tide. Hero's body glowed a faint blue as he worked the monster over.

"Well, many don't realize that inside of Pandora's Box is also a glimmer of hope within it- like a safeguard for it, were it ever to be opened up," Starswirl explained. "Hope is attracted to the bravest heart closest to its reach; that must have been Hero."

"Well, it's hope energy that I'm feeling off of Hero. It's practically radiating off of his body." Somnabula said with a stoic yet relieved tone.

"Indeed. The heroes placed that safeguard before myself and the pillars. A very long time ago, to be sure. It's magically engineered to sense the source and the weakness of the evil it keeps detained." Starswirl said to the princess and alicorns.

"So, does that mean we're in the clear then?" Twilight asked Starswirl.

"Not exactly. Defeating the monster in it is only step one; pulling it back into its prison is the other part."

"That shouldn't be a problem because look. It's dissolving away into the Box." Rockhoof stated as he pointed to the darkness seeping back to whence it came.

"Oh good, most of the work is already covered. Let's help Hero to seal it away!" Starswirl said as all the alicorns and pillars present channeled their magic to the Box to force The Demon Tide back in. It was shrieking and desperately trying to claw its way out, but to no avail. As the darkness was being pulled back into Pandora's Box, so was that glimmer of hope as it drained away from Hero. Pandora's Box then got sealed up and firmly closed as the chest locked with a click sound.

"Y-Yeah... I showed that thing up. I'm the best... I-I'm the" Hero then collapsed onto the ground as Twilight rushed to his aid.

"Hero!? Is Hero going to be okay?" After Twilight said this, Mage Meadowbrook chuckled and walked up to inspect Hero.

"Hero's just exhausted, that's all. Rest and a bit of warm tea is my prescription for him." The pony of courage was calmly snoring away, stuck deep into the throes of slumber, as Twilight sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank Faust. Everything is going to be okay. We need to get that Box back to Queen Novo immediately!"

A dark pillar formed as Cozy Glow surveyed the situation from a safe and unnoticeable distance. "Oh dear me. It looks as if Chrysalis had failed in her plan for revenge. That isn't very good. I wish I could have done something about it, but my hooves are tied with his master plan. She didn't have what it took to be as evil as she wanted. Golly, that's too bad."

Cozy giggled as she turned towards the Friendship Academy and used her magic to bypass the safety seal that magically protected the school until Starlight could deal with it so she could enter the building. "It'll be time soon for me to test them. I hope this new blood doesn't disappoint me." Cozy then closed the door, and the academy resealed itself as she entered the school, ready to proceed with her assignment.

Queen Novo was nervously pacing back and forth until she saw a large portal opening up, and Starswirl, who led the group, minus Hero and Meadowbrook, had entered her Throne Room. "So then, is it done? Did you all close Pandora's Box up? I felt it opened up, and then I feared the worst." Twilight then approached her and presented the Box as she sighed in relief. "Oh, that's such good news."

"Chrysalis and Grubber managed to slip away; they let us deal with the monster while they got away to plan another day again."

"Cowards," Novo spoke under her breath.

"Thank you. That's what I called them, too." Twilight spoke to Novo happily as they both agreed. "I'm good on my word; you should know that by now, Novo."

"Indeed, you're Twilight. Now that the Box is safely back with us, we'll ensure that it's safeguarded, round-the-clock security to ensure this never happens again!" Novo said sternly as she provided a defensive shield around it with her magic to contain it so it would never be opened again.

Chapter nineteen: Revisit the Academy of Friendship, new lessons and new darkness.

"Of course, Novo. We'll leave its containment in your capable hands. We need to get back now; Hero has to start attending Friendship Academy soon."

"Hero? Do you mean that unicorn that showed up in my Throne Room and was working with you and defeated the darkness from within Pandora's Box? That Hero?" Novo asked Twilight.

"The very same. He's got a lot of promise as Equestria's defender. He's our last hope here. But rest assured, Novo, we'll help him where he needs it most." Twilight said as she exited from Queen Novo's Throne Room and Mount Aris, successfully delivering the box to where it belonged.

"Our future may very well still be bright then. I shall help in whichever way I can, Twilight."

"Thank you, Novo. And if The Tainted ever returns, call us, and we'll be here to flush them out."

"Of course, Twilight, my appreciation to you and your kingdom for lending forth your aid to mine."

"Absolutely. Until next time we meet, then, goodbye." Twilight bade her farewell as she and her traveling party left Mount Aris and quickly returned to Ponyville.

The Hero woke up in what appeared to be a hut; he almost believed it to have been the chief's hut for short brevity until he saw the masks adorning the house's walls. They appeared to have been tribal masks. "Huh? Where am I anyway?"

"You're with my good friend, Hero. I decided to keep you here while she and I helped to nurture you back to full recovery." Mage Meadowbrook said to Hero as he looked towards her and smiled.

"Thanks, Mage. I appreciate it. Friend? Who're you talking about?" Hero then sat up and saw a beaded door open as a zebra approached Hero and Mage.

"Thanks again, Zecora, for your help."

"Thanks are not necessary but appreciated. My brews and potions are never fair-weather, always made for those willing to fight together." Zecora then looked towards Hero and inspected him.

"So, you're the one who helped me out then?"

"Indeed I was. Just because you're out of the blue does not mean that Zecora cares not for you, through and through."

"Well, thanks, Zecora. My name's Hero; pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Hero. So then, Meadowbrook, what is with your saddened look?" Zecora looked over to her kindred alchemist with concern.

"Well, Zecora. We were just recently attacked by darkness from Pandora's Box. Hero pretty much single-hoofedly defeated it. We would have had a harder time if it weren't for him."

"My dearest friend, rejoice, for it is Hero's choice to do his best. Though I understand your concern, such evil has been disregarded; that much I have learned."

"Yes. I know. Equestria is safe, but for how much longer? Hero must stay alive, Zecora. If he dies, I don't even want to think about what could happen to Equestria."

"An adverted disaster is something that all of us together will master. You needn't worry about Hero, Mage. Zecora is confident of this."

"Yeah. You're right, Zecora. We're all a team together, after all." Mage finished as Hero then spoke.

"So, what happens now?"

"First, how're you feeling, Hero?" Mage asked him.

"Honestly, great. Why do you ask?"

"Well, just making sure is all. You still have to attend the School of Friendship, right?"

"I-I think so. Yeah, I do. Starlight has to open the doors for the students. Last I checked, she had no choice but to shut the school down until further notice due to the last attack." Hero then stood up and walked over to the front door of Zecora's Hut to leave.

"Hero. Are you sure that you're ready to leave so soon? You're welcome to rest more if you need it."

"Thanks, Mage, and you too, Zecora. But I got to get going now. I'll be safe." Zecora then said to Hero.

"It's safe to assume that since you're new here. It would be wise for me to tell you to follow the path here to town. For the creatures here can spell your demise."

"Thanks for the tip, Zecora." Hero leaned over to Mage and whispered, "Is she always like this? With the way she talks?" The Mage nodded as she spoke to him.

"You'll get used to it very quickly."

"Well, thanks again. I'll be going then." Hero waved goodbye to them as he left for Ponyville Central.

Hero soon arrived back at the Friendship Academy to meet everyone there. Starlight and Twilight were the first to greet him. "Hello there, Hero. Did you sleep well?" Twilight asked Hero.

"Yeah. I'm feeling much better now, thanks."

"That's great news. Starlight. If you'd please."

"Gladly," Starlight replied as she unlocked the school, releasing her safety barrier from the premises. The double doors opened up, and the hallways were empty. The school was clear for reopening. Starlight took a deep breath and sighed in relief, "This is such great news that the Academy can be opened back up. But, to be safe, we must be certain that The Tainted aren't in here somewhere."

"Agreed, Starlight. Let's sweep around the Academy; make sure we're meticulous in our search." Twilight led the group, and everyone was divided into two teams. "Hero, Starlight, Celestia, Luna, the other elements, and Ocellus and Silverstream are with me. Starswirl, the pillars, and Yona, Smolder, and Sandbar are in the second group. We'll regroup once we can confirm that the Academy is thoroughly checked, top to bottom."

"I can't believe you want me to confront them like that. Are you joking? You never told me there would be so many of them simultaneously." The salmon-pink mare, Cozy, talked to that hooded figure who released her, "I'm not mathematically inept, you know. Those odds do not appeal to me."

"You'll have a surprise for them. He is also going to be there as well. Hero, I believe his name is. Remember your objective; prepare the new blood to make him stronger."

"You mean this Tainted monster you've given me to use?"

"Indeed."

"So, I'm supposed to release this icky and gooey thing? It looks like it has machinery poking out from it, too."

"The Tainted Horror was created from feeding off the fears of those in the academy during the attack."

"So you're saying it's just a giant lump of negative emotions and fears?" Cozy scoffed at the monster, which in turn held no reaction.

"Once you finish your task, report to the Thirteenth Spire to be briefed on your next objective."

"Right, right. I'll take care of this. Rest assured, then. Of course, seeing the dopey looks on their faces when they get a load of me will be priceless."

"Then I leave this in your capable hooves, Cozy Glow." The hooded figure summoned a pillar of darkness and stepped through it to teleport away as Cozy was left alone with the scheme.

"Alrighty then. The Cafeteria is clear; we'll check the Library next." Twilight said as she and her group left the Cafeteria.

"Alright then, Twilight. Starswirl said that he'd cover the other half of the Academy. This shouldn't take too long then." Celestia said to Twilight as they checked classrooms and staff rooms.

"Tia. Look! That looks like one of those shadows." Luna pointed her hoof towards the Pawn as it glared at the group and dashed away.

"Oh no, you don't. Get back here, you!" Twilight declared as they chased after the fleeing shadow.

"Be careful, Twilight," Celestia warned as they were in hot pursuit of the tainted.

"Um... Twilight?" Rainbow began to ask.

"Yes, Rainbow?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's running away on purpose. This might be a trap, you know."

"Then, if it is, we'll have no choice but to fight them off," Twilight said as Hero spoke up.

"I say bring 'em' on! I'll take them out!" Hero puffed up his chest to show his confidence. That shadow was heading out towards the Academy's courtyard; it stopped as it glared at the heroic party, "Any last non-existent words before we take you down?"

It was twitching about spastically as it then sunk into the ground. A whole group of Pawns had risen from the ground; they then surrounded the team as they all were on high alert, everyone keeping Fluttershy safe as she looked at them and them in return.

"If that is everything you wish to say, then it is time for thou to vanish from here, all of you, vermin," Luna said as she used her magic to shoot a beam to spear through at least two of them as those two vanished in a black mist. Then Celestia used her blazing magic to incinerate four of them into ashes before disappearing into a black mist.

"Twilight. How's the fight going in your favor?" Celestia said as she looked over and saw Twilight was using small blasts of her horn to create runes of explosive magic around her.

"Going well, so far, Celestia. Rainbow, Applejack, you guys doing well with everyone else?" Rainbow then flew into a pawn and picked him up from behind as he was flailing his limbs in a panic.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights, buddy." Rainbow tittered as she did a falling corkscrew, then finished with an aerial pile driver onto the shadow, the fall and inertia killing it instantly.

Applejack used her lasso to wrangle a group up, then slammed them onto the ground multiple times until they were picked off. "That's right, you nasty varmints. You're all going to get your tickets punched."

"I am doing okay, Twilight. Our side here is cleared. I'll be moving around to aid the others." Celestia then went around to help whoever needed it most.

"Good. So far, we're winning, and that's what matters." Twilight stated in satisfaction.

Rarity and Fluttershy were back together as Rarity summoned her magic to raise pillars of gems out from the earth and pelted the tainted pawns like a rain of bullets; their arms were raised as they ran around in a panic. "Oh my, that looks bad for them, Rarity."

"Spare your sympathy for these ruffians, darling. They'll destroy you if you're not careful." One of the pawns then tried to lunge at Rarity as she gasped at seeing that she wouldn't be able to react in time. Then, a bright yellow barrier surrounded them as Fluttershy was hugging Rarity.

"Oh dear... that was too close. Thank you, Fluttershy." The wall the pawns were laying against was burning them to touch it as they shrieked and then jumped off. "What's the matter, ruffians, don't like harmony magic too much?"

Hero worked with Starlight, Silverstream, and Ocellus as they finished off the few remaining Tainted. "Okay, Hero, Ocellus, Silverstream. I'll create a barrier to shield us. Ocellus, what can you transform into?"

"Well.. gee, I don't know. Maybe a bear might do, right?"

"Can you transform into something that big, Ocellus?" Starlight asked as they were planning on what to do next.

"Y-Yeah. I can." Ocellus then concentrated and used her changeling magic to transform into a tall, imposing grizzly bear, bearing her color scheme and general appearance. She roared like a grizzly. Her roar made the pawns cringe as they looked up at her collectively.

"Sic em', Ocellus!" Starlight said with a confident smirk. Starlight lowered her shield to let Ocellus out as she rammed into The Tainted and slashed them with her claws. Tearing through each one with each swipe, only a tiny handful remained as Silverstream leaped up and rode onto Ocellus's back.

"Woo... Go, Ocellus!" Silverstream cheered for Ocellus, who grabbed one of the pawns and chomped onto its head with her jaws, killing it instantly. Turning around, she body-slammed two under her much bigger body as they were crushed by the weight and vanished into a black mist. Starlight and Hero then used their magic together to blast away each Tainted until they were defeated.

"Hah.. g-good job, everybody. Is that all of them?" Twilight said with bated breath as she had expelled more magic than she should have.

Chapter twenty: Second Intermission and first gathering of the vessels.

Loneliness...

A feeling that a particular monarch should be familiar with after a thousand years of being condemned to roam the charred wastelands of what used to be a fair and prosperous world. One thousand years is a very long time to reflect upon one's existence. The pangs of regret, guilt, and sadness that one can feel for so long can make one cold to just about Everything, ironic for a ruler that's hotter than the sun.

There, she lies on the scarred terrain of lava and magma in pools surrounding her body as if on an isle of dry land. Cinders and ashes polluted the air and carried through the breeze; being clutched into the lonely tyrant's hooves was the crown that was once her sister's. "Why? Why have I made this horrible mistake? One that had cost me Everything." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she could do nothing more than weep, to weep for the loss of what once was and can never be again.

"Is that how you wish to remain?" A pillar of darkness rose from the hardened earth as a robed equine approached her.

"Who're you? How is this possible? Identify yourself, now!" Came the angered reply from the blazing tyrant.

"What if I told you I could give your old life back? How would that make you feel, Daybreaker?"

"If this is but a cruel jest, then you shall deeply regret this. This I promise you." Then the hooded pony unveiled her hood to show that it was Luna, but younger. She had a lighter complexion, a lighter-blue mane, and yellow eyes where there should have been turquoise.

"A jest? You wound me, dear sister. I'm here to offer you a second chance."

"This must be a cruel ruse to my eyes. You cannot be real, Luna. No life remains here." Young Luna then reached out to physically hug her. Daybreaker wasn't prepared for that. The fact that this wasn't a joke was reality. She wasn't going crazy from her loneliness for so long; someone else was there with her.

"Does this feel fake to you, sister?" This was the moment she had waited for a near eternity, the warm embrace of another creature. Daybreaker's eyes widened in shock; her expression was one of sudden realization as she could no longer hold back her tears as she cried; for the first time in centuries, these were tears of joy, not sadness. "Would you be willing to join us in his master plan to restore order and balance to everything, to make you and I stronger than anything you've ever believed to be possible?"

"Y-Yes. I will. If this means I can have my life back, the one life I once cherished but then took for granted."

"Very well then, sister. Follow me to the Thirteenth Spire; you'll then meet your new colleagues." Daybreaker rose from the scarred earth and walked with Young Luna to the dark pillar as they disappeared from this dismayed timeline.

"Very soon, we shall expect our next friend into our fold, everyone." The hooded figure Yami had said to his gathered colleagues, "Not everyone is here right now as those that aren't are now accomplishing their due tasks, but for those of you that are, I humbly welcome you all." Yami was focusing his magic on what appeared to be an empty husk with a cloth covering it. "A new vessel will join us along with the one that Luna shall bring."

Life was brought into the husk's eyes as she rose; her vision had returned to her senses as the cloth covering her had fallen off as she looked up to see Yami. "You there. Why have I been brought back? What do you want with me?" She then saw at least five others and the one standing over her body.

"Simple, you still have a grand role in future events." Yami then smirked as he welcomed her. "Mean Twilight; I welcome you back to the world of the living."

"And if I were to accept these changes of events, how would any of this benefit me in any capacity? As it stands, I have zero incentive to trust you." Mean Twilight was trying to study up on this guy with the minimal data she had on him. Regardless of the circumstance, she would have a plan, no matter what.

"Perhaps you're not ready to know yet; perhaps I'm not ready to tell you. Or let's suppose that you need to find out for yourself," Yami retorted coyly. "But what if I told you that by discovering your purpose and why I have revived you, you would become that of a god, much like myself?"

"That is… fascinating, indeed. So then, what would happen if you cannot produce what you're promising me?" Mean Twilight's eyes crossed as she furrowed her brow and was unsure of this man's claims. Yami only laughed in response. "What's so funny?"

"I think you worry too much. Everything will become clear to you when the time is right, as will all of us."

"So this is everyone, huh? I overheard enough while I was in recreation stasis before waking up. So what about the rest of the other vessels? Have you gathered them all yet? And what of that last position? You said that you've already found a suitable subordinate, yes?"

"I have indeed. This new pony is named Hero. The Element of Courage has displayed much promise from defeating the monster with which Tempest was testing them." Yami returned to Mean Twilight, saying, "Everything is going according to plan. Soon, we'll have our new world order: a brilliant, dark utopia."

"I hope you're right about that, for your sake." Then Mean Twilight had gained enough strength to stand up as she saw everyone else looking at her. "So long as nobody gets in my way, we'll get along just fine."

"I'll take that response as a form of agreement then." The dark pillar that Young Luna had used to retrieve Daybreaker returned as she and Daybreaker walked out from the dark void.

"We hath returned, fair Yami, with excellent tidings for thee. Daybreaker, the one you have been searching for."

"Wonderful. And you must be the esteemed Daybreaker, Mistress of the Inferno. So you have decided to join me then?"

"I have. Under my current circumstances, I've considered the possibility of having a new life for myself, a second chance to take what's mine back."

"Understandable. If I recall, your fury was of such great magnitude that you decimated the home you once knew. Everything you've ever hated- and loved- is gone."

"Yes. How did you know this?" Daybreaker was raising her eyebrow in suspicion at Yami.

"My dear majesty, there is much that I know that will surprise you. Let's say I've got a penchant for knowledge, and I like to do thorough research when something truly interests me. It's just the way I am."

"So then, you can bring this back to me, right? You can make it to where I can have my old life back?"

"I can. And even more than that, Your Highness, I can make you of god-like status, even beyond what you thought was possible for yourself."

"Is that so? If I am that much stronger, I can use that power to protect my new home once it's back into my acquisition. My gratitude goes to you then, and you're?"

"My name is Lord Yami, The Harbinger of Darkness." The other five currently there still had their faces concealed from view from within their hoods. Once their meeting was finished, everyone dispersed from the Thirteenth Spire to further along with Yami's master plan.

"You and I have a lot of work to catch up on, Grubber. After that embarrassing defeat, we shall be successful next time."

"Uhh. Your Highness."

"Well, quit your gawking, and let's try to formulate a plan here. I need ideas!" Chrysalis was looking at Grubber for what he might be thinking about.

"What about working with that Tirek guy again?" Grubber said as he pitched his idea to Chrysalis.

"What did you say!? Work with that oversized red buffoon? That was meant to be a joke, right?"

"Um.. no." Grubber tensed his shoulders and cringed at her imminent fury towards him... but that never came.

"Grubber. His help might be beneficial to get some bearings into Tartarus. Last I checked, that's where he said he was headed towards."

"Really? Oh, I mean, yeah. That sounds good to me."

"You're not just saying that because you're trying to butter me up, are you?"

"No. Of course not. I completely agree with your plan. So then, what am I supposed to do first?"

"Patience, my dear. We first need to gather our resources. Our Tainted need hearts, and I need some love from somepony. It's been far too long since I've had a decent meal."

Grubber's eyes had widened as he waved his hands in front of himself defensively. "What!? Don't look at me."

"I'm not after your love, you numbskull. It's probably not even great anyways."

"Phew. Well, now I wish I still had that hippogriff soldier with me. Where shall I go then?"

"We'll both go. I want to be around to snatch my meal quickly."

"Understood, Your Highness. What about that little heart thing? The Crystal Heart?"

"Oh? Infinite amounts of love energy? My goodness, why have I never considered this before? That sounds marvelous. I'll have my strength back far beyond anything that stupid bell could ever give me, and The Tainted shall have their hearts. Once in a while, you have your moments, Grubber; I can admit that."

"Yup. Bright moments are my forte. So I'll assume you got a disguise ready to get at that crystal heart?"

"I do have somepony in mind. Once I can weasel myself there, I'll have my meal while you distract everyone with the Tainted. I'll have a buffet of love better than any meal I've ever eaten."

"Oh, you can count on me to keep them busy while you eat. What will you do then?"

"I'll get my vengeance on that love princess as well. A part of me is still bitter about that ruined wedding."

"Well, going to The Crystal Empire before Tartarus makes more sense. Get your strength; then you'd build a new hive, I'd imagine?"

"Yes. I'll probably even usurp Tartarus and then leach away Everything that fools Tirek has, too. Why not? I can't afford any competition anyways."

"Wait. Isn't Tirek supposed to be big, red, and mighty?"

"Not if he's too weak to pull magic from somepony or creature. That's what he needs to get stronger. Without that, he'll be all too easy to destroy."

"Well, alright then, your highness."

"Alright then, you big sticky and yucky thing. Your job is straightforward: destroy those fools and take their hearts. I'll be waiting in the safety of the shadows while you do your work, big guy." The Tainted monster just growled to show its agreement with Cozy. "That's right. I'll offer you support.. from a distance."

"I'll have plans of my very own, Mister Yami. He thinks he knows me too well; we shall see about that soon enough." Cozy Glow then looked towards the field with all the heroes cheering in victory, "Quick! Hide, you cannot be seen yet." The Tainted beast did just that as he melted into the shadows to conceal himself.

"Alright then, Twilight Sparkle, I hope you're ready for our reunion." Cozy then made her way towards them to confront them.

Chapter twenty-one: Introduction of the Traitorous Nymph

A dark pillar formed in front of Twilight, and her company as a robed mare walked out of it. "Bravo, guys. Really. That was quite the performance. You certainly showed those mean Tainted a thing or two." The hooded figure then slowly approached the heroes as Twilight came to speak to her.

"Who're you? Your voice sounds familiar. Are you the one responsible for unleashing the Tainted in the academy?"

"Well, has it been this long since I've been released? I wonder, where does all of that time go, golly?" The figure then drew back her hood to reveal light-blue curls, a sinister grin, salmon-pink fur, and yellow eyes. "Well, you got me, I guess. I wonder, did the black robes give it away?" When everyone recognized Cozy, they glared stoically and focused on her.

"There she is, Twilight," Celestia spoke up.

"We had hoped that sealing you away in stone would have taught you some manners, you little whelp. We can see that this wasn't the case." Luna glared at her.

"Cozy Glow. So you're with the Tainted? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about that. You always were one to align with the strongest force."

"Well, admittedly, not the kind of reaction I expected from you, Twilight. But I guess it'll do." Starlight then looked towards Twilight to speak.

"Hey, Twilight. Do you see her horn? It's back. I thought that went away after the magic from Grogar's Bell was extracted from her. She also looks a bit... older."

"Noted, Starlight. What happened to you, Cozy? Cause this is not a normal transition that one can have in such a short time without help."

"Oh, dear. It looks like I know something that the big, brainy Twilight doesn't know. Do you know what else you guys don't know? His time is ticking." Hero saw her glaring smugly at him.

"What're you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

"Maybe not for a while, anyway. I can see the seed of darkness blooming nicely within your chest. So you're Hero, hmm?"

"Yeah. I am. So what? Are you looking for a fight?"

"Ugh. You harmony types and your penchant for getting into skirmishes. I can see that not much has changed since the long time of my imprisonment. Once his time is up, he'll be one of us, a vessel to Lord Yami himself."

"What? Lord Yami?" Hero looked at his chest, the black scar as it was tightly pulsed. "So that's who it was that did this to me."

"So that's his name, huh? It sounds like it was adopted- acquired by some cause or some reason." Twilight said as she pondered herself with this new knowledge.

"Of course, I'm not feeling the whole powerful vibes with this one. Not entirely sure why he'd choose you, but it's his plan, not mine." Cozy then looked back towards Twilight, "Now I know how much you guys would want to bring me down, but unfortunately for you. I have come prepared." Cozy Glow then used her horn to light up her dark magic to summon the Tainted she kept hidden. It then rose from the ground and formed itself in front of them.

"Ugh... yuck. It looks like a giant, gooey blob." Starlight said as she stuck out her tongue and turned her head away disgustingly.

"I know, That's what I told him. This guy is made up of all the fears of everypony within the academy from the attack. I guess that means that he's super strong, huh?" Cozy said with a giggle as she summoned a dark pillar and walked away into it, "Let's hope you can survive this one, Hero."

"Hey! You come back here!" Hero shouted as she gave a raspberry and then vanished into the darkness.

"Save it, Hero. We'll deal with her later. Right now, we have to take care of this monster." Twilight said as everyone present then readied themselves. The Tainted Horror then had that Tainted sigil onto its machine core, poking from the center of its sludgy body.

"He's an Emblem Tainted, everyone. That explains why he's stronger than most." The monster then began to hurl parts of its sludge at the heroes as everyone did their best to avoid getting splattered. Celestia fired her magic to burn the creature on its right side as it growled from the attack and then rammed into her, knocking her back.

"Gah- aaughh." Celestia was sent flying away into a pile of old debris stacked onto the bleachers' side, now buried under some trash and trying to dig her way out to stand. "That kinda did hurt. Ouch."

"Celestia!? Are you okay?" Twilight looked over to check on her as she waved her hoof forward.

"I'm fine; just ensure that thing doesn't hit you."

"You'll pay for assaulting my dear sister, you goopy abomination!" Luna stepped forward to blast it with her magic, cutting into the sludge and making the monster growl in pain as it rushed towards her to hug her. Luna gasped in shock as she was too slow to avoid it. The Tainted Horror then devoured her to her shoulders, covering her entire body by wrapping her up in its black sludge and leaving her head on its right side, "Let me go, you foul beast!"

"Luna!? We'll get you out of there; hold on." Twilight said as she and Hero rushed to Luna's aid. Luna was shaking and quivering in place as she was stuck in its body. "Hero. You freeze Luna's area; I'll remove that piece to release her from its body."

"Got it! Deep freeze!" Hero then shot his magic into the Tainted to freeze around where Luna was as she was shivering more from the cold. "I think ice magic is his weakness, guys."

"Good. Don't go easy on him then." Twilight then used her magic to grip the frozen ooze around Luna's body and pulled her out. The moment her body was freed, the frozen ooze shattered, and Luna fell to the ground, curled into the fetal position with her hooves and lightly rocking in place. "Luna. are you okay?"

"N-No... s-so cold... so empty.. and so dark." Luna was traumatized by the darkness and unable to stand up, let alone fight.

"Starlight, Ocellus. Get Luna to safety so Meadowbrook can tend to her, okay?"

"I'll go with Ocellus to help aid Luna," Silverstream said as Fluttershy joined her. That left Starlight, Fluttershy, Ocellus, and Silverstream out of the fight while Celestia recovered.

"Fine then. We'll wrap this up. Ready girls- and Hero?" Twilight declared as she and her friends stood firm against the oozing monstrosity as it roared at them.

"Ready!" Everyone said together as they all got into their battle positions. Celestia got back into the fight and decided to keep her distance.

"I specialize in fire magic. Unfortunately, I won't be much help fighting, but I can at least heal when necessary," Celestia said as she looked at her ill-stricken sister with saddened eyes. Her gaze drifted back to the Tainted as her eyes were focused.

Hero fired more ice magic at the giant blob to lock him in place as he shrieked in pain. He glared at Hero, who dared to use his weakness against him. "Yeah. He's weak to ice magic, guys." The blob then stretched its left arm to strike at Celestia to glue her body to the academy wall as the ooze gradually covered up her now quivering body.

"Gah?! I-It's so cold and awful in here. Some help would be nice." The black ooze covered her horn and mouth, so she could neither talk nor use magic. Celestia was pinned to the wall; the monster released his arm from her body to keep her glued to the academy wall. She had no choice but to watch as horror and fright shook her core.

"Celestia?! No! You want to reduce the healers; I see your plan." Twilight then used her ice magic to flash freeze a small blanket of ice all over the monster as it shrieked in pain from the cold. He desperately tried to free himself from the ice as the mares plus Hero surrounded him. "Anypony capable of magic, use it. Rainbow, make a tornado to make things cold for him."

"You got it, Twilight. Hey ugly! I'm right here." Rainbow taunted the beast as it got steamed and focused on her. The Tainted was trying to grab her, but she was too fast cycling around the monster, creating a cyclone of cold air to slow him down. Hero then jumped up to fire an ice blast.

"Take this, Deep Freeze!" Hero turned that windy cyclone into an icy one. This hit was much more challenging than any normal attack. The monster was panicking now; feeling fright at this point was ironic for a beast that was made of it. Using its sludge at the last moment, he fired a large glob onto Rainbow to glue her wings together so she'd be grounded.

"Gah? What the? Hey. That's not cool." With a gross splat, her body hit the ground like a blanket of tar-like goo was on her, making her feel irrational bouts of fear and hysteria. "Eugh. That's so cold and wrong... It's all through my wings. Get this stuff off of me, guys!"

"Rainbow! Don't worry; we'll take off this for you. This will not take long." Twilight then blasted out a beam. "Alright then, Tainted. Time to let my friends go. And for you to say goodbye." The mechanical core with its sigil was then exposed like a beating steel heart. Metallic drumbeats sounded each time it pulsed its black ooze through its body. Its beady yellow eyes spoke that of fear- the fear of death, of the end of its foul existence.

"I'll finish it off, Twilight."

"Be my guest, Hero." Hero then jumped towards the monster's core and stabbed its body with his blade. Hero felt something he had never felt before war cry, then rage-fueled roaring, rage, fury, unending ferocity.

Stab after stab had caused its black blood to gush out all over the field, and Hero couldn't stop stabbing. It was as if a force or aura took control of him for short brevity, compelling him to keep stabbing the vile creature. "Hero? Hero, that looks to be too harsh, even for a Tainted. Hero! Why can't he hear me?"

The monster was letting out one last pathetic whimper of defeat before it fell over and released its glistening pink heart, then melted away into a black mist. Hero was still stabbing the empty core left behind as Twilight grabbed him, "Hero, listen to me! It's gone; you defeated him." Hero was breathing as if he had run a marathon, catching his breath, and then, in his senses, he saw what he had done and backed away.

"W- What just happened? What? I did that?" Hero was terrified of his actions. Defeating Tainted was a part of his job, but this was different. That goo that trapped Celestia and Rainbow had melted away, freeing them both as they curled into a fetal position, identical to Luna. The other party then arrived soon as they saw three ponies down, Hero covering his face with his hooves and Twilight consoling Hero.

"What is the name of Equestria? Has it happened out here?" Starswirl said as he surveyed the battlefield, and Twilight noticed and approached him.

"Starswirl. Thank goodness you're here. How did your sweep of the academy go?"

"Fortuitous. Now, please explain to me what happened, Twilight. Meadowbrook, three ponies need your attention, possibly four."

"At once, Starswirl," Meadowbrook said as Starlight and her friends gathered all three ponies together as they sat at the bleachers. "Everything will be okay. Help is here." Meadowbrook then prepped an emergency batch of healing tea and whipped a few water bottles with a portable cooking kettle. She then went to work preparing her medicine.

Chapter twenty-two: Welcome to the Crystal Empire.

"This might taste a bit bitter, but here's hoping that it'll help you," Meadowbrook said as she applied the medicine and stirred it with her herbal tea leaves and hot water to make her healing elixir. She gave three cups out, one to each of the three ponies stricken with fright.

"T-Thank you," Luna said as she gingerly sipped her beverage. Celestia and Rainbow were also drinking down their medicine.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks a lot, Meadow. This feels a lot better." Rainbow said to Meadowbrook.

"Indeed, Meadowbrook. My appreciation to you." Celestia said as she reached over to hug her little sister. "It's okay, Luna. I got you. We'll all be okay."

"Yes, Tia. I believe we shall be for now. That wicked pony. I cannot believe she's back and out to cause more trouble for Equestria." Luna finished her tea. Celestia was taking her last few gulps herself. "How many times must we teach these villains the same lesson, guys?"

"I grow weary of their persistence, too, Luna. But they can try to fight us; they'll never win."

"Yeah. I agree with Celestia on this. We got both Hero and our awesome friendship. What do they have that can be better than that?"

"Indeed, fair Rainbow. I do agree, as well. So, we've managed to sweep this whole place, then? Is this so, Starswirl?"

"As far as I can tell, Luna. I've checked everywhere with my group. We fought a few of those Tainted, but nothing we couldn't handle." Starswirl concluded as he and his group had finished their sweep just as Twilight's had finished theirs.

"This is good news; the academy is cleared of those vile things," Luna stated with glee as she appreciated her hug from her sister to console her.

"Well then, that's my cue to reopen this school, officially. Hero, would you do the honors of cutting the string to make it official?" Starlight asked Hero.

"Sweet. I'll go for it." Hero said back to Starlight in earnest.

"Great. Then I'll be sure to let everyone in Ponyville know that the Academy is opening back up again."

Starlight, Hero, and Company then spread the news that the Friendship Academy was opening back up. Once everyone was alerted and invited, a gigantic crowd of ponies and creatures gathered at the front gate, excitedly chatting. "Every pony and creature. It brings me great esteemed joy to announce that the School of Friendship is back and open to the public. My friend Hero here shall do the honors of cutting the string to open the doors."

"Right. Here we go." Hero used his magic to raise the giant pair of scissors to cut the big string that bound the doors closed. Once cut, the crowd was cheering with jubilation.

"Thank you, Hero, for doing your part to preserve the magic of friendship. We will always recognize your contribution." Starlight then pushed open the doors so that everyone could walk in.

Cozy Glow was in the distance, far away from the Academy, near the castle, as a pillar of darkness formed next to her; two figures then came forth, "Oh man, Mister Yami. I'm so very sorry for failing you. That monster was supposed to defeat them."

"Never you mind that, Cozy, my dear. This is everything I had wanted to happen."

"Huh? Having them beat your Tainted was a part of your plan?"

"Yes. This shows me that Hero is getting stronger. I have brought with me a special colleague. He chooses to remain anonymous, but he and I often plan together. Consider him as an... unofficial member of our cause."

"Howdy do?" The mystery figure greeted Cozy in a very goofy tone.

"Yes... hi. Master Yami, sir. Why is he a part of our cause exactly? He doesn't come off to me as intimidating."

"What? Not intimidating?! Missy! I'll have you know that I am capable of being plenty intimidating. When it suits me to do so."

"Do not allow his.. outward demeanor to fool you. He's capable of much power, the power that I deem to be very useful."

"I'm sure.. appearances can be deceiving. Well, golly, mister. It's great to meet you."

"It's great to meet you too, Cozy. Your reputation proceeds you." The mystery man then shook hooves with Cozy to greet her in return.

"So then, you came here to gather me for something?" Cozy then focused her attention on Yami as he nodded.

"Yes. Hero and his new friends will be going from place to place. And I have other vessels that will monitor his progression to darkness."

"Yeah. I saw his little outburst when that Tainted was defeated. So does this mean that his heart is getting closer to our clutches?"

"Indeed it does, Cozy. They do not realize this, but his conversion to darkness has already begun."

"Oh, goody. That's excellent news for our plan, Master Yami." Cozy then walked alongside Yami and their new friend as they walked back through the pillar of darkness that was made to transport them back into it as they vanished.

Hero was then in Trixie's office with Starlight. "So, I gotta continue through school, don't I?"

"Well, Hero. Would you like me to be honest or nice to you?" Starlight gave Hero a stoic look on her face.

"I would prefer both, but I don't think that'll be possible."

"It could be. I think you do have the potential to be an advocate for friendship. But we all did see you in a blind fit of rage. This is not behavior befitting of an Element of Harmony, Hero."

"Look. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't control myself. It was so weird. It felt like some inner fury was controlling me at that moment. This isn't anything too serious, is it?"

"It can be serious, Hero. You are strong; that much is evident. But you need to be mentored to the right way of friendship, so this doesn't happen again."

"Well, I am supposed to be on a journey of enlightenment. So, what are you planning to do then?"

"I'm thinking about making you my student, just like Twilight had once done for me. She never gave up on me when I tried to ruin our friendship, not once but twice. In my petty endeavors of vengeance, I nearly doomed Equestria. I was misguided, but I embraced friendship, which changed my life."

"Yeah. I'll do this with you, Starlight. I'll be happy to."

"That's such good news. I was afraid that I needed to convince you more."

"Well, you didn't have to. So what's first, teach?" Hero bore a smug look while keeping a sly grin on his face.

"First of all, call me Starlight. Secondly, Trixie will monitor your classes while I give you your main lessons."

"Trixie shall be more than happy to accommodate Hero's class schedule," Trixie said as she looked to Starlight.

"Thank you, Trixie. Do you have any questions so far, Hero?"

"I do have one."

"I'm listening," Starlight said as she looked towards Hero for his question.

"How long do you think you'll need to train me in friendship?"

"Honestly, Hero. That depends on you, not me, nor anybody else. Are you sure you're ready for this, Hero? Twilight was strict but fair with me; this was why I turned out for the best."

"Y-Yeah. I'm ready, Starlight. I'm ready for my first lesson."

"Excellent. Your first lesson will be with me. I'll prepare you for the rest of your lessons on friendship in the first week. After each school day, I'd like daily friendship reports of your progress."

"Of course. Anything else I need to know before we begin?"

"Nothing much. Your teacher for your first class after my lesson will be Fluttershy. She'll teach you how to show mercy; this is important as you cannot let your emotions get out of control. It would help if you kept them in check, Hero. Not doing so can make you vulnerable to darkness."

"Okay. So what will I have to do right now?"

"Right now. Twilight just received a letter from the Crystal Empire. Cadence has invited her and all her friends to come over. This means you as well."

"You think that the Tainted are there, too?"

"I'm pretty sure, Hero. We'll need you to lend your aid to help us."

"You can count on me to help." Hero pounded his chest with his hoof in pride as he showed he was ready.

"Thank you, Hero. When we return, you'll begin your first lesson in friendship. But please, I beg you to keep your emotions in check while you're there, Hero."

"Don't worry about it. I will, Starlight."

"I'm counting on you, Hero. Don't let me down."

"I won't." The meeting was adjourned as both Starlight and Hero left Trixie's office.

"So this place is the Crystal Empire, eh? Looks uh.. very shiny." Grubber said as he and Chrysalis strode through the town square of the Crystal Empire.

"Do not draw any attention to yourself, Grubber. And do not foil my disguise."

"No way will I do that. So you'll make your move after I cause a good enough distraction?"

"Yes. Once you do that, all their attention will be focused on you while I gain the necessary power I need."

"Yup. With The Tainted on my side, that'll be all too easy. Though I must admit, this Cadence lady knows how to make her kingdom look nice."

"Never mind that, Grubber. Do not forget your part in this."

"Just cue me in when you're ready to move, your highness."

"So then, we go back to Twilight with everyone while Trixie gets everything organized?"

"We'll be staying here to rest after that fight we just had at the academy," Smolder said as Sandbar, Ocellus, Yona, and Silverstream all nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Hero. Oh, and please enjoy your break then, guys. We'll be back tomorrow." Starlight then went with Hero as they regrouped with their friends and then with Twilight.

"So, everybody's here, right?" Twilight asked as she did a roll call of everyone that was invited.

"Yes." All the Mane 6, plus Starlight and Hero, have said together.

"We're here as well, Twilight," Celestia said as she gestured to Luna, who nodded in affirmation. Then, they all went to board the Ponyville Train to The Crystal Empire.

Woah! So that's The Crystal Empire? Well, it looks like a giant crystal, that's for sure." Hero was amazed as he gawked at its architecture. It looked a bit like Friendship Castle, but bigger and way wider, with a sprawling garden and civilization. The structure was very circular in appearance. The train was nearing its destination; everyone but Hero looked on in a neutral response.

"It looks great, doesn't it?" Twilight asked Hero, who nodded.

"Yeah, it does. How? How does this place survive in the middle of a blizzard?" Hero looked on in astonishment.

"That honor goes to the safeguarded relic of that kingdom: The Crystal Heart. It's the source of the city's protection and its main source of love to keep the citizens safe. So long as they hold love dear, they'll forever remain strong. Cadence has done a magnificent job of upholding those scruples. So, too, has my big brother. Both of them you'll be meeting today, Hero."

"Sounds exciting. So long as there's no trouble there, this'll be a peaceful trip."

"Um. Maybe jinxing our trip might not be the brightest idea, Hero." Starlight spoke up.

"Oh, right. Oopsie. Sorry about that, guys. Well, if trouble does show up, we got it." Hero said with enthusiasm, tapping his forehoof over his chest confidently.

"Well, remember to be on your best behavior, Hero. Cadence will be expecting us very soon."

"Right, Star. I got you. I'll behave." Hero said with a roll of his eyes. They soon arrived at the station to board off to the Crystal Empire, ready to meet with Princess Cadence.

Chapter twenty-three: Meeting the princess of love and ascension of a new scheme

"This place is so cool. It's honestly overwhelming." Hero was taking in the splendor of the city streets they were walking through. "There's the castle. It's so shiny. Well, being made from the crystal, of course."

"I know, Darling. I remember my first trip to this city with Twilight. It was then that Spike became a hero to this place." Rarity sighed happily, fondly remembering those good days of old.

"Remember the love magic that made us all look so shiny? I do. It was so awesome." Pinkie hopped in place as she kept pace with the group.

"What?! You guys turned into crystals?" Hero panicked, momentarily looking around before Twilight nudged her head to his cheek to reassure him.

"No, silly. Love magic doesn't turn you into a crystal; you become a crystal pony, like the ones you see walking around here. However, the effect only lasts for as long as you're here."

"Phew. That's a relief. I do not want to be immobile like that. So then, do we walk right on in there? I'd imagine that there are guards." Hero looked towards the entrance, not seeing anyone guarding it.

"Both love and life itself almost always protect this place. Cadence doesn't need that many guards, save for the ones inside the castle." Twilight explained to Hero as they reached the entrance. Twilight pushed the doors open to see the front corridor leading to the foyer. "And there he is. Big brother."

"Hey there, Twily. So then, how's ruling Equestria coming along for you?" A white stallion with bold blue hair in multiple hues of blue approached Twilight. His cutie mark was a blue and purple shield. "It's been a long time since I've seen you." He reached out to hug his younger sister.

"Shining. You have facial hair now and a crown and cape. Look at you." Twilight looked at her older brother in surprise.

"Yep. If you're surprised to see me, wait until you see Cadence and Flurry." This made Twilight squee and lightly hop in excitement. "Still just little old, Twily, despite your transformation."

"Would you prefer that I act regal and pompous?"

"What? No way. I like my little Twily acting like herself, thank you very much." Shining sees everyone else and then looks towards Hero, "It's also great to see everybody else, too. You're a new face, though."

"Shining. This is Hero. He's accompanying us to help with protection. Think of him as a guard dog." Starlight jested as she ruffled Hero's mane, his groans made evidently.

"Hardy har har. Yeah, I am here to help keep everyone safe, though. Nice to meet you. Name's Hero." Hero reaches his hoof to shake Shining's hoof.

"King Shining Armor. It was a pleasure to meet you, too." Everyone gasped at what they heard- except for the celestial sisters and Hero.

"Oh, my goodness. I can't believe it. My BBBFF is seriously a king. Incredible. So I'm guessing that Cadence is a"

"Yep. A queen now."

"So she finally made that big step up, I see. And how is Flurry Heart doing?" Celestia spoke up as she looked towards Shining.

"Very good. She's learning fast about the scruples of love. A father couldn't be more proud of her. There she is right now." Shining gestured to the end of the hallway that led to the Royal Throne Chambers of the empire to see Flurry Heart walking down its corridor towards the ponies. She was already more grown-up, looking like Cadence used to look before she had ascended, like mother and daughter.

"Hey there, Auntie Twilight. Hi daddy. And hello to the rest of you, too. It's a pleasure to see you all again. I was kinda... well, little back then, but a lot can change over time." Twilight approached Flurry and hugged her warmly, to which Flurry returned with glee. "Yes. I know you're happy to see me, Auntie."

"Happy? I'm delighted. It's been way too long since I've seen you, Flurry. I'm sorry I couldn't see you more often to hang out. Being a princess of Equestria can be exhausting."

"I know. I'm a princess now- well, almost going to be one. I'm not completely ready yet, according to my mom and dad. But I'm close."

"That is very fortunate tidings, indeed, Flurry, Shining." Luna looked to her sister, "So then, Tia. Are you excited to see Cadence, too? From niece to the fair queen of love."

"I am, Lulu. I'm so proud of her. Let us go then to meet with her, everyone."

"Phew. Wait up, Your Highness. Woo boy. I gotta catch my breath." As they strolled through the city, Grubber ran to catch up to Chrysalis.

"Well then. Learn to lay off the junk food, Grubber. Stay with me. You'll be on call, so I can cue you to distract. Oh right. I had nearly forgotten. That infernal warding from the Heart will prevent us from summoning the Tainted."

"Well, isn't that just peachy? Make our jobs three hundred percent more difficult, why don't they."

"Only a minor inconvenience, but not impossible to pull off. Come here to this secluded spot. I have a plan in mind." While disguised, Chrysalis brought Grubber with her to a shaded and unsupervised part of the city, between two buildings, as she brought him down to her level so they could talk privately. Grubber listened in before gasping in shock.

"Oh boy. That's so evil. But it should work just fine." They both chuckled at each other.

"So what have you and Cadence been up to since I was crowned Equestria's ruler? I'm curious." Twilight looked over to Shining as everyone followed him towards the double doors that led into the Crystal Throne Chambers.

"Keeping both love and order strong so we can rebuke any evil forces that may attempt to invade. Thus far, we've been pretty successful. I've lessened my troop to a small amount while the Crystal Heart protects most. I train these few soldiers."

"I see. So that explains the lack of guards through town and the front gate to the castle." Hero said to himself as they reached Cadence's Throne Room doors. As Shining opened the door, the light spilled through the threshold of the two entries as they opened wider. The clear and colorful sheen to the ceiling, walls, and floor, save for the yellow and pink rug that led to her throne, was nearly blinded for a few moments before it cleared up as shining, then led everyone inside.

A pillar of darkness formed into the outskirts of the Crystal City as two figures emerged from it, "Here is your destination. I am sure that you can sense his presence here." Lord Yami then looked over at his colleague.

"I do. He's here, alright. So, too, is she. Why this place when you likely knew that Twilight would be here?"

"Mean Twilight. All you must do is... introduce yourself to Hero. Remember your job; make the chosen vessel stronger."

"Yeah. And then be surrounded by more odds than I care to face at once. So, this'll be just an in-and-out thing, right?"

"I assure you that it will be. Just release the monster I've given you, and then take your leave."

"Small problem with that, Yami. I can feel that disgusting harmony and love magic here. There are likely wards to keep blights and other wicked creatures away. That Crystal Heart might be the source of the wards."

"Well, by my accounts, one would-be tyrant I've recently released from her prison also has plans to bring down the warding. You might recognize her as the one that had created you."

"That wench, why does she have to be here? Oh, right, she's a changeling last I recall, and they feed off positive emotions to get stronger."

"Yes. Maybe collaborating with those two might yield good results for you. You'll have to stomach your distaste for her."

"Fine. But just like last time, her alliance with me is purely a means to an end. Once she's outlived her usefulness, I'll let the other Twilight have her. That'll be entertaining to watch."

"You do whatever it takes to complete your assignment, Mean Twilight. I'll leave this to you then, my friend." As he walked through it, Yami summoned a pillar of darkness to leave the Crystal Empire.

"Hmph. It looks like this requires a more... subtler approach." Mean Twilight said as her gaze focused on the Crystal Castle.

"Hello there, Cadence. It's been so long. Wow, you look so regal now. But I can still see you within that regality." Twilight saw Queen Cadence get up from her throne to approach her. Her mane was now flowing much like the other alicorns' were. She wore a dress with her crown on her head and regalia adorning her dress.

"Twilight, Luna, Celestia. And the rest of you, of course. Welcome. Welcome to the Crystal Empire. How've you been, Twily?"

Cadence and Twilight then got close together to do what looked like some dance. They first waved their forehooves, saying, "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake." They then clapped their hooves together before facing their rumps at each other and shaking them, "Clap your hooves and do a little shake."

"Uh? What are they doing?" Hero looked over to Celestia to ask.

"It's an old childhood thing they used to do as Cadence used to be Twilight's foalsitter."

"Ah. I see. It's definitely... something." Hero looked at them awkwardly before slowly backing away to stand closer to Starlight. They finished their dance as Cadence then looked towards Hero.

"And who're you? You're new." Cadence then looks at Hero's chest, sees his black scar, and frowns. "Hmm... what's this then? That's no ordinary scar on your chest. I can tell that it was inflicted by dark magic. It feels similar to someone I do not want to think about."

"Is this really.. serious?" Hero asked Cadence.

"It doesn't seem to be for the moment. But if my suspicions are true, that crystal scar looks like the black crystals King Sombra was always known for using. But the question is, why is it in your chest?"

"Some guy I recently found out was named Lord Yami had put it in my chest. He told me that I would be a good vessel for his cause. Before he destroyed my home, my people, and my family, then he killed the Tree of Harmony."

"Oh, dear... That's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear that."

"He's also an element of harmony, Cadence," Twilight said.

"Oh really now? Which one, then?" Cadence then looked towards Hero.

"Courage. I'm the element of courage."

"Hmm... interesting. So bravery is your thing, is it?"

"I guess it is, yeah. Why?"

"Just dotting my I's and crossing my T's. Since it was a long trip, everyone here is welcome to stay the night in my castle. You'll have free roam to every room, save for ours."

"I tell you what, guys. Some R and R does sound mighty nice right about now." Applejack said as everyone agreed."

It was evening as Grubber and Chrysalis were about to enact their plan before a dark pillar formed in front of them both, and a familiar figure approached them from the dark void before it disappeared. "Huh? Twilight Sparkle?! No. You're not her. I remember you now; you're that counterfeit I made to imitate the real Twilight."

"I am not a counterfeit, you cretin! I cannot believe that he told me to work with you two. This is going to be a very unpleasant day for me."

"Cretin? I am your creator. Understand that. I can call you whatever I want, Mean Twilight."

"Um, Your Highness. Didn't she say that she's been told to work with us by someone?"

"Yes, Grubber. So, who told you that we were here? Better still, how're you even still alive?"

"Lord Yami revived me. He claims to have released you—no idea why he'd ever do that. Unless, of course, it was to retrieve Cozy Glow. Then, I suppose that it might make some sense. You were personally much better off as a lawn ornament, though."

"And you were much better off as a purple puddle of mush."

"Why you... It's okay. I'm only doing what I'm ordered to do right now. Lord Yami said that we both have allied interests." Mean Twilight was breathing deeply to try to calm down so she didn't get too angry at the renegade tyrant. "So, I'll assume that this big one you've got with you is your muscle?"

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a lot more than just muscle, lady-"

"Quiet, you buffoon! Yes, he is my muscle. Loyal to me, unquestionably." Chrysalis gagged Grubber by using her magic to seal his mouth shut. He scowled at both of them in the remark.

"Hmm. yes. I can see that. Can he at least perform basic orders?"

"He can. He's rough around the edges, but with some sharpening, he'll make the perfect right hand for me in my rule."

"Peachy. Well then, let's all devise a plan to disable those wards guarding this place."

Chapter twenty-four: Counterfeit and conniver; defending the empire.

Cadence, Shining, and everyone else were gathered in the Crystal Empire Dining Hall, each having a seat as they pulled up to wait for their dinners. "So, is everyone comfy?" Cadence looked at everyone as they all nodded.

"I am. What about you, Luna?"

"Yes, sister, I am. Tis lovely cushions you have installed here, Cadenza. Did you do some renovations?"

"Not really, Luna. The castle doesn't need to be renovated. I update my furnishings occasionally, especially when they get old."

"Well, you've got wonderful tastes then. So Twilight. Have you anything planned in the morrow?"

"Well, not really, Luna. Besides continuing my self-appointed journey to fight for our country. I'll have to be there to check up on Spike, Tempest, and Gallus. I cannot forget my job as Equestria's ruler. But I also cannot allow the Tainted to threaten our safety."

"Pardon me, Tainted?" Cadence asked as she listened to Twilight and Luna.

"Yeah. They're terrible creatures that were recently discovered in Equestria. They go around hunting for innocent and guilty ponies and creatures and preying on their desires, emotions, and insecurities. Exploiting that as their weaknesses. Then, they steal your Heart once they defeat you."

"Oh. That's so foul. How could such creatures like that even exist here?"

"That's not all they can do, Cadence. They also use what's left of the body whose Heart they stole from to make more of them, like a plague—spreading their influence around Equestria. They're attracted to negative emotions and sometimes innocence." Twilight finished with a deep breath, "phew. That was a mouth full to explain."

"That sounds so awful. Rest assured, they'll never enter my Empire while the Crystal Heart here is active. My Shiny-bear and I will see to that." Cadence said confidently as she reached over to hug Shining Armor in the seat next to hers.

"But the Crystal Heart is anything but immune to damage. Remember the time when Flurry Heart made it shatter? The Empire nearly froze over. We need to ensure it's protected, round the clock."

"You're right, Twilight. This is why Shining is training that small hoofful of soldiers; they will soon be ready to guard the Crystal Heart."

"I sure hope so. I get concerned for you, Cadence, you know that." Twilight said as she felt she needed to be ready for something that she knew nothing of but felt would happen soon, "I'll do my best to ally myself with Cadence as much as possible."

"We appreciate that so much, Twily. Together, we'll be able to keep Equestria strong against the forces of evil. They'll never prevail. Never." Cadence said as she kissed Shining on his left cheek, and he blushed.

"That's right. We'll always be strong as long as the bonds of friendship stay strong." Shining declared in the agreement.

"So then, what plans do we have to get past those guards patrolling around the door to the Crystal Heart? I hope that all this time to brood wasn't in vain." Mean Twilight said to Chrysalis, who was still in disguise.

"Hardly in vain, Mean. Observe Grubber at work. Now it's your time to distract. Once you get their attention, I'll go inside and feast on that succulent love that should cause it to be weak enough for Mean Twilight to lift the warding here."

"Hehe. You can count on me, your highness." Grubber then snuck out to surprise the guards. "Heyo, bozos. I bet you can't catch me." Grubber punched one soldier, knocking him out so all the soldiers there would chase him. "You're going to have to try harder than that if you wanna catch me."

"Get back over here! You're under arrest!" They all left the door unguarded to chase Grubber as Chrysalis and Mean Twilight approached it.

"That... seriously worked? What a bunch of imbeciles. Well then, Chrysalis, it looks like your plan is successful."

"Of course, it was successful. Now then. It's mealtime for me." Chrysalis entered the room as she unsheathed her disguise and then approached the Heart, gleaming brightly and full of love energy. "Come to Mama, delicious love." Her fangs sank into the crystal as a stream of love flowed right into her body; she felt more power in this Heart than anything else she ever imagined possible.

"Remember to leave enough of it there so this city doesn't freeze over. We want to keep this place preserved, not to arouse suspicion."

"Yeah, sure. I will. Just a little bit more. There's so much of it here. It's the greatest feast that I've ever had in my life."

"Gah?! Grr. What is going on?" Cadence clutched her chest as she fell from her seat as Twilight and Shining rushed to her aid.

"Cady!" Shining said as he cradled his wife to his chest.

"Cadence. Are you okay?"

"I am. But the h-heart isn't. It's in trouble." Cadence looked at everyone as she stood up. "We've got to check up on the Heart. I felt something terrible just now. Flurry, dear. Keep the citizens safe while we check on the Heart."

"Yes, mom. I will. You can count on me." Flurry responded as she split from the group while everyone made a beeline to the corridors and down towards the Crystal Heart chamber. Twilight opened up the doors to see two ponies. One she knew very well, the other was very different though.

"Chrysalis?! Why? Why can't there ever be a time when we can enjoy ourselves without fighting evil?" Twilight exclaimed as she saw the changeling queen finish feasting on the Heart.

"Ahh~ What a rush. That was an incredible feast. Hello there, you guys. Did you miss me? And look at you, Cadenza. All big and regal now. So, how does it feel to be a queen?" Chrysalis was then taking in her current appearance as if judging her.

"I'm doing just fine as a queen. Better than you'd ever be, Chrysalis."

"Now, Cadence, you realize that being a queen is all about having the power and backbone of one, as we are all rulers? And last, we encountered each other; you certainly didn't have any backbone."

"A lot has changed since you were in captivity, Chrysalis."

"And I've missed you, Cadenza. As I recall, we have a score to settle."

Mean Twilight then looked over to Twilight and scowled. "And you. You look like me. But that's not possible. You look how I used to look before I ascended to the ruler of Equestria." Twilight said as she saw her doppelganger look toward her.

"What a keen observation you've got, Twilight. What is taking that moron so long? He should be back by now."

"Grubber will be back. I pity those guards once he realizes he can summon the Tainted again."

"Those Tainted. Are you in here?" Cadence said in shock before getting into a defensive stance. "Not on my watch!" Hero then runs up to defend Cadence and Twilight, summoning his blade in his left hoof.

"She's right, not on our watch!" Hero exclaimed as Chrysalis chuckled at Hero's display of courage.

"Oh, and as if on cue. The heroic boy comes in to save the day once more." Chrysalis cackled as she summoned two Tainted that looked to be brutes that had crystal armor around their bodies. Both brutes had the Tainted Sigil on their chests.

"Oh dear... those are the Tainted? They feel so foul and wicked. They cannot be allowed to be here, Twilight." Cadence said as she primed her magic. Mean Twilight then slowly approached Twilight as Twilight did in kind.

"I bet you're surprised to meet me for the first time, huh?" Mean Twilight then sized Twilight up but didn't even put up a fight. "However, I'm not here to fight you. To varying degrees, I admire you for your knowledge and power. It was how I was both created and revived."

"Your eyes. You're working with Lord Yami, aren't you?"

"So what if I am? Maybe you can put your big brain to work and figure that out for yourself."

"I figured as much. Your eyes and Cozy's eyes match those eyes of the Tainted." Twilight and Mean Twilight were focused on each other as Hero and Cadence fought the Tainted with everyone else in tow. The two brutes then dug into the ground and pulled up giant obelisks of crystal to use as clubs as they brandished them over their shoulders, roaring at the ponies before them.

"They look tough. Be careful, everyone," Shining said as he shot a beam of magic at one; the crystal plating bounced the spell off. "Hmm?! Not good. That armor on them is protecting them from magic."

"Oh? Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? These creatures are formidable. Very useful as well." Chrysalis cackled as she saw them both advancing toward her enemies, "yesGogo forth and crush them into a paste, my loyal Tainted!" The two brutes then swung their crystal obelisks at both Cadence and Hero.

"Guh-aarughh!" Cadence got hit but lessened the damage, using her magic to absorb the shock of their blow as she flew back and landed on her hooves. Hero took the other club as he was sent flying up and landed on his side before getting back up.

"Ouch. Okay. That was a cheap shot. You alright, Cadence?"

"Y-Yeah, Hero. This isn't my first rodeo with Chrysalis."

"Right. I got you. So then, any ideas? These guys can block our magic from hitting them."

"I think I might have one," Applejack spoke up.

"Yeah? Please share." Hero said as the three jumped back to avoid squashing under their crystal obelisk, slamming onto the ground.

"I remember Pinkie telling me about rocks n' stuff. She mentioned that she and Maud were trying to fit a bunch of diamonds they mined from geodes in the caves north of their farm. They managed to strike them both together to break them. Maybe it might work on these creatures."

"Quickly. Duck down, now!" Cadence then pushed down Hero and Applejack as she bent down to avoid a swing from their clubs.

"Yeah.. thanks for the save." Hero then looked to Applejack, "let's do it!" Applejack then drew out her lasso to wrap it around one of their crystal obelisks but struggled to disarm it.

"A-A little help here would be just dandy, Hero." Applejack griped while biting onto the rope.

"Yeah. No problem. He wants to play tug of war, huh? We'll play that, too." Hero then used his blade to slice at the giant's hand, holding onto the club to lessen his grip. "He's got a killer grip. I'll give him that much. Come on, let it go, you lumbering brute!"

He roared as if to scream, "NO!" He pulled the obelisk to carry Applejack up while she bit the rope.

"Guh... p-ponyfeathers. He's a stubborn one. C-Cut it out... Hurk-" Applejack was about to let go of her rope as the brute whipped her body to send her flying back into the Crystal Palace walls, making a few cracks in it as she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Applejack?! Applejack! Are you okay?" She opened her eyes and was too dazed to fight. "Just rest up for now; I'll handle this." Hero then slowly walked up to the brute that threw Applejack to the wall as he glared at him, "So then, got that out of your system? Cause now you made me mad." The brute then slammed the obelisk onto Hero, pressing him to the floor.

"No! Hero! E-Equestria would be doomed without harmony. I-I can't believe he let that giant do that to him." Twilight saw the club lightly vibrating and the giant having trouble holding it down, its grunts of exerted force telling this much.

"Aww.. that's too bad. I guess he's not so tough after all. That's what happens to those that cross-" Chrysalis saw the vibrating obelisk with a puzzled look, "me? What is that he's doing?" Suddenly, the obelisk was lifted effortlessly as Hero had red-colored static coursing through his body. His outfit changed to a bright crimson as a ruby-red gem was fitted into one of the holes in his shoulder plate.

"So then, let's try this again, shall we, Tainted?" Hero said as the Tainted giant looked shocked. He was slowly being lifted higher and higher from the ground.

Chapter twenty-five: Fighting for the crystal heart.

"You don't like it when the tables are turned, do you?" With a warcry, Hero hurled the giant Tainted onto the ground as he slid back towards the queen.

"What're you doing? He can't be that difficult to smash. Get back over there and crush his bones to powder!"

The brute was scared but still charged toward Hero, knowing the risks. "Okay then, let's finish this." Hero then formed a second blade in his other hoof; it looked transparent. This blade held the shape of the edge of the harmony blade but was a solid red color, matching the color of his new form. That red static coursing through his body was also running through his weapons. The hair of his mane was up in all directions from the shift in the aura.

"Hero.." Cadence said, looking at what he became. "That's some willpower to keep fighting. Yeah, we can do this."

Hero then rushed towards the giant Tainted to slash at him as he held his club in front of him like a makeshift shield. In one fell slash, both blades cleaved right through his club. "You're mine!" Suddenly, a flurry of red-colored slashes met the forlorn giant as he was flung into the air effortlessly. He was juggled by Hero's upward strikes, then thrown down hard as he slammed into the ground, stunned and ready to finish.

"Woah... That's cool." Rainbow said under her breath. Seeing Hero fight with such grace and balance while delivering a barrage of double slashes was like watching poetry in motion for Rainbow.

"Let's keep the other one distracted, Darlings. Hero's got his hooves full right now." Rarity summoned her crystals to shoot at the other giant, cracking his armor slightly, "Just trying to adopt Applejack's idea into play. This is effective." Starlight shot her magic at his eyes to blind him as he covered them to shield them. Fluttershy then used her shield to defend Applejack as she was still knocked out and vulnerable. Rainbow then sped towards the blinded giant to create a tornado around him to spin him around as he fell back. Pinkie, Celestia, and Luna decided to help protect Applejack with Fluttershy.

"It would seem that your plan is failing, Chrysalis." Mean Twilight said with a shake of her head, "Most disappointing, indeed."

"S-Shut up, Mean! I never asked you for your garbage opinion." The queen snapped at Mean Twilight, who just glared at her smugly.

"Mean's right, Chrysalis. Just give it up. With friendship on our side, you cannot win this." Twilight said as she briefly addressed Chrysalis before focusing on her other self.

"So then, I suppose my job here is pretty much completed. Hero is already showing signs of pure strength, very good. I bid you all farewell; we will see each other again, Twilight Sparkle." Mean Twilight chuckled as she summoned a pillar of darkness and was backed into it to teleport away.

"No! Wait! Stop! Come back!" Twilight reached her left forehoof to see Mean Twilight vanishing into the dark obelisk as the pillar vanished, "Mean Twilight... why are you even here? I'll have to research Yami and his vessels more." Twilight was looking towards Hero as she saw him using a volley of melee strikes on him to finish him off, then finally slamming down the giant brute to split open his armor completely.

Dazed and vulnerable, Hero slashed through the brute once exposed to divide his body into several pieces before each piece dissolved into nothingness as its heart rose. "That was all he could do. Now then, let's get this over with; come here!" Hero then rushed over to the second brute and struck in the spots. Rarity created a crystal shower attack. Rainbow then used her speed to generate another cyclone to toss that brute into the air as Hero jumped up to reach him.

"This is not looking too good. I might have to retreat without Grubber if he's not back by now," the queen muttered. Just as the second brute dealt with the last attack, his body gave out as he vanished like the other did, his heart rising. Then, Grubber finally came back in, holding onto one of the Crystal guard's necks with his hand, that guard's spear in his other hand.

"Phew. They sure do have a lot of stamina. But they were no match for me. Oh ho, there was a party here, and I wasn't invited? How rude." Grubber said, holding one soldier hostage and rushing to Chrysalis's side.

"You took your time, you know."

"Yeah. They're pretty good runners, though. I'll give them that much. After I sent out my Tainted, they ran away all scared-like."

"The looks of despair on their faces must have been priceless, huh?"

"It was." Grubber and Chrysalis cackled evilly as they glared at Twilight and the other alicorns. Cadence then stepped forth angrily.

"Enough of this, Chrysalis. You got what you wanted; now release my Soldier and leave my Kingdom immediately! And take your Tainted with you, too."

"Ah ah ah, Cadence. We cannot leave now. I've got so much power flowing through me that I believe I'll claim this castle as my own. Yes, it has been far too long since I've had a castle. You might call yourself a queen, but I've been doing this longer than you have, my dear."

"I said leave, now!"

"Or we'll make you leave, Chrysalis," Shining said to strengthen Cadence's point. Everyone else then took their stances right alongside Cadence and Shining.

"Oh really? I couldn't do much when I was searching for power. And now that I have this, I feel way stronger than anything that bell ever did for me. That power was honestly divided between myself, Tirek, and Cozy. Now it's all gone to me. Do I detect fear in those eyes, Cadence?"

"No. You're mistaken. I'm not scared, not what I have my friends here to help me."

"A brave sentiment from one who adopts the title of queen, but never the backbone or resolve of one."

"She's right. We're here for her. I just met her today, but that doesn't change anything. I'll still fight to protect her, just as I would for everyone else here." Hero said as he reverted to his regular form Exerting a lot of energy from that transformation while he and Chrysalis were at a standoff.

"Hero, right? You've got backbone. It's much more than anything I've ever seen from Cadence. Shame that you're not on my side. I do see a lot of potential in you. Much more than anything they could ever give you."

"No thanks. I'd rather be on the side where I have genuine friends. Thank you very much."

"Hmph. What a waste of potential, then. Such a pity. Grubber. Let's leave this castle to her anyway." Grubber looked flabbergasted.

"But uh, are you sure about that, your highness? This place can be yours, you know."

"Yes. I want her to know I can always return here at any point, to show her that she'll never be safe from me. I want Cadence to know genuine unease and fear."

"Yes, Your Highness. So then, what do I do with this guy?" Grubber gestured to the guard in his hand.

"Leave him. He's useless to us now that I've got what I want." Chrysalis summoned a ring of green flames to corral herself and Grubber, "We'll see each other again, Cadenza. Make no mistake of that."

"Okay then. Here. You guys can have the extra luggage; we don't need him anymore." They both laughed as they vanished after Grubber tossed the defeated and likely embarrassed Soldier towards Shining as he caught him with his magic.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness. I wasn't strong enough to fight them off." The Soldier said as he kneeled in respect and shame.

"Never you mind that, Soldier. You did your best. You weren't going to be a match for those two, anyway. I'm just glad you're safe." Shining's words helped immensely comfort the Soldier as he stood up, saluted, and walked back out of the Crystal Heart Chamber.

"The Tainted also seems to be gone, but to be sure, I'll power the heart back up again. Even if Chrysalis returns, I'll do my best to make things as difficult for her as possible." Cadence then began to charge up the heart back to its full strength.

"That's good. We'll gladly help you, Cadence, if any more trouble arises." Twilight declared happily.

"Yeah. I will." Hero said with confidence.

"So that transformation you just did, Hero; what did it feel like?" Twilight asked him.

"Like... like an overwhelming amount of courage building up inside of your body before erupting out." Hero replied while explaining to her.

"Then, I think we'll call that Valor Form. That appears to be fitting." Twilight said gleefully to Hero who nodded in agreement.

"So that's what Rarity meant by when she said that my outfit is capable of special powers." Hero said to himself realizing now what she meant before looking at Cadence.

"Thank you all for your love and support for my Kingdom here. Now, let's focus on enjoying what's left of tonight. That'll be nice." Cadence said as she finished charging the heart; its power unleashed a wave of love magic to turn everyone in the room into crystal ponies. Everyone was examining their bodies with glee.

"So, this was what you meant by crystal pony. This is pretty cool." Hero inspected his own body.

"Isn't it? Now, how about we all have a little celebration for successfully defending The Crystal Empire?" Cadence declared with the utmost joy.

A pillar of darkness forms in The Thirteenth Spire; Mean Twilight walks out of it as it disappears to see Lord Yami standing at the edge of a vast and barren terrain, deep in contemplation. "So then, you have returned? How did your assignment go for you?"

"Fortuitously. Hero has shown more of his power; this is helpful to your plans, right?"

"Indeed it is, dear Mean Twilight. That boy holds much promise, indeed. Astounding to see that he holds such strength even through the loss he's suffered."

"Oh yeah, his home was destroyed. What a pity. He must be getting his strength from grief or something else entirely."

"So it would seem. Someone as remarkable as this would be a prime candidate to be one of my vessels."

"Slight problem with that. He's a goody-goody, four hooves. He wouldn't dare fall into the darkness to become like one of us."

"Then we shall guide him once he is most vulnerable. I'll take what I put in him if I cannot have him. His darkness would be sufficient to cultivate into its unique vessel."

"But wouldn't splitting up the light and darkness of somebody damage them beyond repair? Not that I care in particular."

"It might. But Hero is a special case; this I know for sure. It'll take much more than a sharp self-divide to defeat someone like him."

"Right then. Lesser beings cannot handle being fractured like that. It turns what light they have left into darkness. Isn't that interesting?"

"Yes. Hero's heart is extraordinary; none other have been quite like his."

"So, who's going to test him next? Certainly not that queen of fabrications. She had more power than when she got Grogar's Bell."

"Hardly. Although not directly affiliated, she will still play a great role in my plans without even realizing it. She believes that she's fighting for both vengeance and herself. This is only a farce; I was the one that released her from her stone prison."

"Yes. I'm aware of that. Why, might I ask?"

"Multiple reasons. It was I who also bestowed the gift of the Tainted to her as well. Without that gift, she could do nothing for herself. The only real power she's got is what I gave her, which I could take away if she gets any smart ideas."

"So she's just a pawn to you, hmm? Don't worry; I feel the same way about her, too. And when she's finally gone, good riddance to that blabbermouth."

"You're a cold and calculating individual, did you know that? Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"There shouldn't be. So you've found who to test him with next?"

"I have. All Hero must do now is go over there to fight the Tainted that will inevitably be there."

Chapter twenty-six: Farewell Crystal Empire

After staying the night at The Crystal Empire and saving it from both Yami's Tainted and a vengeful Chrysalis, Hero and his friends have prepared to return to Canterlot to check up on Spike. "Man, last night was great. I never knew how much fun you could have with a queen of love, but she knows how to dance."

"Well, that can be attributed to her many championship trophies in freestyle dancing that she won before she became a queen," Twilight explained with glee at the fond memories.

"So, I guess it feels liberating to dance, huh?"

"Absolutely. Without a care as to what others think about you. Just you at that moment, letting others see you like yourself, Hero."

"That sounds nice, I guess. That party was great, though. So, how do you think Spike's holding up?"

"I think he's fine. He's got help, you know. But I have to keep tabs and check on him. It's a big responsibility to be running an entire country, in essence. Even with help, it's always a good idea to check up, not just because it's my responsibility as Equestria's ruler, but also because I care about him." Twilight stated as everyone boarded the train back to Canterlot. Flurry Heart, King Shining, and Queen Cadence were waving their goodbyes to the team.

"So then, how're you feeling, Applejack?" Twilight looked at her friend in concern.

"I'll live. You know I'm tougher than that; I'm an apple. My head still feels like it's been racing a hundred miles per minute. How bad did I get knocked out?"

"Well, it was instant; it happened so fast," Twilight replied.

"You should have seen Hero, Applejack. He was awesome. Those two brutes didn't even stand a chance against whatever he just did." Rainbow said as she was relieved to see Applejack recovering nicely.

"That's nice to hear. I'm just happy to hear that everything is okay." Applejack then sat up and leaned up against Twilight for more support.

"Hero. You'll have to do at least one class and then your main lesson. Don't forget about that." Starlight looked towards Hero, who nodded in reply.

"Don't worry, Starlight. I won't. Hey Fluttershy. My first lesson is with you."

"Oh? Is it? Why, that's very nice. I'll always be happy to help you grow and improve in friendship." Fluttershy told Hero, her gentle and calm demeanor filling their train car.

"So after my lesson, I'll have to send a letter of progress to Starlight. Then I guess I continue on my journey through Equestria." Twilight heard this and then looked towards Starlight.

"So, you're mentoring Hero as your student, eh? I'm so proud of you, Starlight." Twilight then saw Starlight's blush and then her warm smile.

"Well, I've said this many times and will repeat it. I've had a good teacher."

"Aww.. thanks, Starlight. I just did what any good friend and leader had to do. Once I discovered what happened to you that time, I knew that you had potential, and you deserved to have real friends like anypony else."

"Yeah. Twilight. I can see why you made this decision, and I can't thank you enough. The feeling of abandonment bites. I can relate to anybody else who feels like that." The train then soon arrived at Canterlot as everyone departed towards the castle.

"So then, Tia and I shall retire at the castle like old times." Luna trotted out from the train car happily.

"It is a feeling of nostalgia, I will admit, Luna. And for now, you are coming back with us, Twilight?"

"Yup. I have to keep tabs on everything and check on Gallus. He's probably running himself silly right now." Twilight, Celestia, and Luna were returning to the castle for the time being while Hero, Starlight, and her friends went to the station to Ponyville Central.

"Is something on your mind, Hero?" Starlight saw Hero sitting by himself away from everyone else; knowing something was wrong, she decided to console him. If something bothers you, you can confide in me, right?"

"Yeah. I know. I'm just conflicted right now. What do I do about this crystal in my chest? What will it do to me, Starlight? Cause it feels like something is happening to me, though I have no idea what that is."

"Well, worst-case scenario, something does happen; we'll all be here as your friends. You know that."

"I know that, and I'm always grateful for you guys. But... what if I become like one of those Tainted? I don't want to hurt you guys."

"Hero, I respectfully remind you that your heart must remain strong. I know this can't be very easy for you. But as your new teacher, it's my job to keep you in line and strong. I know I might sound a bit... irritating-"

"That's not exactly the word I would use."

"Oh? So which word would you choose then?"

"Concerned, not irritating. My job isn't easy, but I have to do it. I have too much to lose if I don't. Not just my heart, but my friends and Equestria as well."

"Then, why are you sulking here by yourself, Hero? Beating yourself up doesn't make things any better for you."

"Yeah. You're right, Starlight. I have to keep my spirits up. It's just that other ponies, especially Pinkie, all make it look so easy to do. But it's a completely different experience for me when I try it. Why is that?"

"It's because you're allowing yourself to feel broken and sad, and it's not befitting for the Hero I know and love as a friend. I know you're better than that, Hero. You're a strong, noble, and incredible pony that has saved Equestria multiple times. I am proud of you and how much you've grown as an element of harmony. At the very least, feel good about that, Hero. Always remember that true friendship conquers all darkness."

"Yeah. It does. Thanks for the chat, Starlight. It means more to me than you might think."

"Well, that's what friends are for, Hero. That's my job to keep you up when you're down and at your lowest." Starlight then hugged Hero to help console him, "I have a good feeling about you, Hero. You're an extraordinary stallion who will do great things for Equestria."

"Y-Yeah. I will. And whatever happens to me, good or bad, if I ever do slip into darkness. Promise me that you'll be there to help pull me back out."

"Do you even have to ask a question like that? Of course, I would pull you back out of there. Darkness is cold, lonely, and painful. You do not deserve to be trapped there. I know how it feels to have darkness in my heart. If you remember, I wasn't the nicest when Twilight first met me. I was lost and unable to see that I was hurting myself and those around me."

"Really? Were you seriously that bad? I don't think you told me in major detail about your past, have you?"

"It's not exactly something I enjoy bringing up for personal reasons."

"Then I won't ask about it, okay?'

"No, Hero. You misunderstand me; I'm normally uncomfortable about this in the abstract. But to build a foundation of trust, being open is needed. So I'm telling you that I made huge mistakes in my life. I was so misguided from my life and scarred by the loneliness that I even wanted revenge on Twilight, not considering the risks to time itself; my rage towards her was so much that I didn't care at that time."

"Jeez. That doesn't sound good. How did you make it out of that and become friends with her?"

"Twilight managed to finally get through to me after I showed her what made me hate her so much and why I was so scorned. She then decided to reform me instead of punishing me. A true friendship made me see that I was wrong and had to change for the better."

"Well, I'm glad you saw the light when you did. Just imagine it if you never did, huh, Starlight? Wouldn't that be the worst?"

"Heh. Yeah. I imagine how my life would have ended if I had kept going down that horrible and destructive path." Their trip was nearing its end as they arrived at Ponyville Central. The train stopped at the station to let the passengers off. "Hey, we're back home. So then, Hero. You'll get ready for your lesson while there's still time left in your day. I'll be ready to see you at the Castle of Friendship."

"So see you first, then see Fluttershy. right?"

"You remembered. Good. We must get you to strengthen your friendship and heart bonds, too."

"You got it, Starlight!" Hero then gave a confident pose to her to make her giggle.

Once Hero had arrived at the castle, he waited for Starlight to show up so they could meet as agreed. Very soon after, Hero sat down at the steps of the marble and quartz entrance, minutes even, and Starlight had arrived. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Hero; I had to tell Trixie to expect you after I chat with you."

"Said chat being our lesson, right?"

"Yes, Hero. Okay. My lessons will be more friendship-building-related than actual teaching. Before Trixie became the Headmistress of the academy, I was the Headmistress, and she was its counselor. Before that, I was the original counselor that Twilight had appointed when she was the Headmistress." Starlight explained as they both progressed through the castle.

"Wow... so there's some progress made over the years, huh?"

"Mhmm. So, whenever we talk about your lessons, try not to think about them as lessons and more as therapeutic sessions. The key to connecting friendships is establishing trust in any relationship. I need to understand you just as much as you would me."

"Okay then. It seems fair enough. Would any of these lessons also involve keeping track of this ugly black crystal in my chest, the whereabouts of that Chrysalis mare, and possible solutions we can take to defend Equestria by any chance?"

"Ehh... a little bit here and there. Those kinds of plans are something we should honestly discuss when the whole team is assembled with Twilight."

"Righto. So do we talk about reading anything? Cause I gotta be honest with you, Starlight, reading is not my thing."

"Some lessons will require that we read together, yes."

"Well... fine. Only because all of Equestria hangs in the balance; if this were any other situation, I would sound dramatic."

"Well, I can't argue that point, Hero. We'll go to my office and begin our first friendship-building lesson." Starlight and Hero then reached the entrance to her office. As they both stepped in, the double doors closed.

In the vast harbors of Klugetown, two robed figures were standing at the cusp of the city's walls with a view that overshadowed the rest of the town; the hooded figure on the right and the hooded figure on the left were standing as both were bipedal creatures.

"So then, this place looks familiar to you? You used to have all the control here before you usurped other cities. Isn't that right?"

"I used to be this city's ruler. Why do you ask me this question?"

"I figured I could pull a few strings to get that princess's attention. I wonder, how good are you at handling reunions?"

"So that incessant mare had finally become a tyrant like me? Yet, she slaughtered me along with that traitor. Why exactly did you bring her into this organization?" The hooded figure was gingerly stroking his white beard under his hood as he addressed Yami.

"Tempest has proficient skills in leadership and maintaining order. She is also just as gifted as everyone else here. Keep this in mind."

"She only joined because you gave her that stupid horn. Seeing that troubled look on her face was funny when I gave her the brush off instead."

"I'll be sure to prepare a Tainted monster to serve you well. Do not forget you will not fight them; let the Tainted handle Hero. You will report to me your findings on his progress."

"Yes, sure. I remember the master plan. Just leave this to me, Lord Yami."

Chapter twenty-seven: Journey to Klugetown

"Alright, Hero, your first session with me is mutual understanding. Or, we could call it empathy." Starlight gestured for Hero to sit on her couch as she sat in her chair. They were both in her office to be discreet in their time. "You know what empathy is, right, Hero?"

"Yeah. It's the ability to feel for others, right?"

"Correct. But it's a bit more nuanced than that. Not only do you feel for others, but you also feel for yourself. You cannot feel empathy if your heart feels nothing."

"Yeah. I guess that makes sense. So, what am I supposed to be feeling?"

"Whatever comes naturally to you. What's in your heart, Hero? That is the real question."

"Well, that would depend on which side you ask; I got myself that feels normal, then there's this, that darkness that's bonded to me." Hero briefly showed off his scarred chest to emphasize his point.

"I'm asking you, not your darkness, silly. I want to know you, Hero. The real you and what your real desires are for Equestria."

"Well, isn't that obvious? I want to save it."

"Deeds alone aren't good enough as many often bribe through deeds. Twilight has once taught me that you're the way you choose to be in life. And she's right."

"So, you're wondering what my choice is, huh?"

"Mhmm." Starlight nodded to affirm Hero's question.

"Well, since darkness was the reason why I'm even in this mess, to begin with, then, no, I will never turn to darkness. I understand why it isn't good, and you shouldn't be like that. So, I choose to be a hero, like my name. I choose friendship over darkness."

"That's a good attitude, Hero. I'm proud of you. You can never allow darkness to conquer you. So, what you feel in your heart are friendship and love?"

"Yeah. That's what I feel. But that darkness feels like it's clawing out like a ferocious monster. I don't even know what's happening to me. I know that I have to get this out of me somehow."

"Everyone has a dark side, Hero. But yours is more difficult to hold back because of that curse. I understand. But always think of friendship and love whenever you feel it might be trying to break free again."

"Yeah. I'll do that, Starlight. I must keep my friends close to my heart, or else who knows what would happen to me."

"I struggled with friends, too. So you're not alone, Hero; your friends will always be there for you, even when all hope seems lost."

"You're right, Starlight. I'll never forget the incredible friends I've made so far."

"I'm glad we had this opportunity to sit down and talk about this, Hero. Every step towards the magic of friendship is a step in the right direction."

"Totally. I couldn't agree more."

"So after our talk here, you'll go to see your teacher, Fluttershy, for your class. Then, we'll recap on a report of what you have learned today, okay?"

"Sure thing, Starlight. I'll be on my way over."

Hero was walking through the town and on his way to the academy as he waved to everybody before he looked towards the center of the town hall again, thinking deeply to himself. Then he saw some Pawns surrounding the town hall while nobody was there. "Oh, come on? I don't have time for this. I'll be late for class. Well, let's get this over with. Come on, then! Let's go!"

Hero charged into the battlefield to fight The Tainted off as he delivered a volley of slashes from his blade onto the group, rending them mostly beaten. All it took was a few final slashes to finish them off. Since they were only Pawns, no hearts came out of them. "Alright then, that was a good warm-up. But now I have to get to my class."

Then, a pillar of darkness rose from the earth as a figure stepped forth to speak to Hero. "Well, hello again, mister Hero. Fancy seeing you here all by yourself. Someone like me could take advantage of that, you know."

"You again. Cozy Glow. What do you want?" Hero turned around to face Cozy Glow and heard her voice behind him.

"Hmph. Well, that was sure a friendly greeting." Cozy had a slightly annoyed look before it gradually became her usual smug look.

"You used those Pawns to lure me over here, right?" Hero pointed an accusatory hoof toward her as she feigned, looking offended.

She gasped in the mock display while she covered her mouth with her forehooves. "How did you know? You're pretty good at that, aren't you?"

"You're planning something. I know it. Well, I want nothing to do with it."Hero lightly stamped his front left hoof down to affirm his statement.

"He's only planning on using you, you know," Cozy stated as a matter of fact.

"Who is? That Yami guy?" Hero further questioned Cozy.

"Who else? The Easter Bunny? Of course, it's Master Yami. For every monster he sends your way, you'll become stronger and be ripe for the picking for him; it could happen at any time if he wanted. Not now because he doesn't know that we're here."

"And I'm supposed to believe you, right?" Hero had a look that displayed disbelief in what she was saying as she shrugged it off.

"I don't care if you believe me or not. I just wanted to lead you with a trail of breadcrumbs into the little plan he's got for you. I'm just looking out for you like a friend would." Cozy glow calmly disregarded Hero with a wave of her right forehoof.

"Gee, thanks. Your concern is touching, but I can look out for myself. Thank you very much." Hero snapped back defiantly against her coddling.

"Oh, but please continue to get strong. It'll be all the better for you to protect your friends. If they truly mean anything at all to you, that is."

"I'm done with this conversation. I'm leaving now. Get out of here, or I'll get my friends and return here."

"You don't have to worry about a thing, mister Hero. I'll take my leave. Buh, bye." Cozy summoned her dark pillar to escape as it closed up, and The Tainted were now gone.

"What was that just now? Why was she so interested in trying to warn me? Who's side is she even anyway? Well, I'll have to worry about that after class. I'll have to inform Starlight when I get back to her." Hero then made it to the entrance of the Friendship Academy doors and was ready to enter.

"Captain Celaeno, Sir. We're reaching port. What shall we do once we dock?" Her first mate Mullet asked her as he used the eyeglass to spot the port from a distance while standing beside Celaeno.

"Just your standard resupply and resting stop. Lix is upset that we're running out of ingredients to give her." Celaeno then adjusted her pirate's hat as she looked at her crew with pride. Age did catch up with them, but not by much.

"Some more ordinance also wouldn't hurt, captain," Boyle stated as he checked their provisions to find they were close to running out. Squabble just squawked in agreement as they were nearing the Klugetown pier.

"Then prepare to dock, Mullet. We're going to rest here for a while. Boyle, anchor the Phoenix so she doesn't move until we return."

"Aye, aye, captain." Boyle then tied a sturdy rope to the anchor, and the steel ring bolted to the ship as he dropped it in the water.

"About time we get more supplies. If this continued for much longer, I'd have to consider Squabble for the menu." As their companion squealed in panic, Lix mused as she consoled him, "Relax, Squabble. I'd never do that to you, and you know it."

"Yarr. It's great to be back again in Klugetown. I'm going to the tavern to see if that rum mixed with fermented birdseed is still here. I hope it did not diminish; otherwise, I'd be disappointed." Mullet said as Celaeno's crew joyfully entered the town to relax and resupply.

Hero made up to Fluttershy's door to her classroom to open it to find that he was almost late. Seeing this a close shave, he made for his assigned seat and waited for class to begin. Very soon, Fluttershy came in to greet everyone. "Hello there, everypony. It's wonderful to see you all made it, especially you, Hero."

"Yeah, of course, I'd make it here." Hero pumped his chest adamantly with his left forehoof.

"I knew you would, Hero," Fluttershy replied with that tender smile that could only have come from her.

Fluttershy walked around to her desk to oversee the classroom; she cleared her throat and got ready to speak, "Okay, class, thank you all for joining today. This week's lesson is about mercy and its importance, understanding what it is, and what usually happens if you don't use it."

"Mercy is essential. It is, without a doubt, one of the biggest strengths. It is compassion; it is kindness. It's too easy to be ruthless. Can anypony or creature give me a good example of what mercy is and how it can be used to mend friendship or even make it?"

"Like if you're in a fight to the death, and it's either they or you, and they have no intention of showing mercy, what do you do about that?" One student asked as he raised his hoof to be acknowledged.

"That is an excellent question, Silver Speed, and it's also a difficult situation; I pray that nopony or creature should ever have to deal with something like this in their lives. In times like that, showing mercy means your heart is stronger than theirs if they cannot and will not show any."

"Darkness is a powerful force I've seen firsthand and fought against with my new friend Hero. Together, we all have a friendship that darkness cannot understand; that is why we will always win." The class seemed enamored with Fluttershy's heartfelt speech: "So believe me when I say that it's hard to show mercy; it is. But, we must have harmony in our hearts."

"Yeah! Preach it, Fluttershy! Darkness will never win, no matter how hard it tries." Hero broke the momentary silence with his confident quip. Silver Speed then noticed Hero's pulsing chest and decided to ask him.

"Hey, dude-- Hero, right? What's up with your chest, man? Doesn't that, like.. hurt?" He was understandably puzzled.

"No. It doesn't. But it feels... well, how can I describe what darkness feels like to you?" Everyone gasped in shock. "No, that doesn't mean I'll explode; it's more like I was cursed to have this problem."

"Dang, bro, that kinda sucks to go through. Sorry, man. So how are you handling that, anyways?"

"Believe me, it's not easy; I must go through friendship classes to control this thing in my chest. It feels like it's trying to eat away at me and break free." This concerned the class until Fluttershy spoke in Hero's favor.

"Well, I know you're stronger than that, Hero. You'll never allow the darkness within you to control you. I may not have known you long, but I know you have a good heart. Hero can be seen as an example of inner strength and a pillar of resistance against evil. He, like myself, had been chosen as an Element of Harmony."

"Yeah. I'll never allow it to win. Never. You guys can count on that. I'll show darkness that it cannot have my heart." His classmates cheered him on confidently, "I may not be perfect, and I'm not, but I will do my best to work with harmony." After the thirty minutes of the class were up, it was time for school to let out for the day as Hero waved goodbye to his classmates.

As Hero walked up to the Friendship Castle, he knew he needed to inform Starlight that Cozy Glow was there, even if she only antagonized him. If that mare were still around Ponyville, the other residents would be in great danger. He reached the entrance to the castle and pushed open the doors. The first person he saw was Smolder, and she quickly greeted him. "Yo, Hero. So how went the class?"

"It was pretty good. I honestly enjoyed it there. I do have something I need to tell Starlight, though."

"And what would that be, bud?" Smolder quizzically raised an eyebrow toward him as she was intently listening.

"Before Class started, I just had to fight off a swarm of Tainted, and then Cozy Glow also showed up to harass me for some reason."

"Ugh. Her again? What is that little weasel up to this time?"

"Beats me. But whatever it is, she will not be able to do it. Not on my watch." Hero shot back a stern look to Smolder's annoyed look upon hearing such unfortunate news.

"Do what you gotta do, bud. You know where to find her." Smolder then gestured with a swift nod from her head towards the staircase leading up to the castle's peak, where Starlight resided. Hero climbed the steps and went down a few corridors past some rooms that appeared to be empty. It didn't take very long for him to end up at the entrance to Starlight's Office.

He gingerly knocked with his forehoof as his hoof rattled up against the mahogany wood door as she spoke to usher him in, "Come in, come in." Hero walked in to see her face light up upon seeing a friendly face; "Hero. Welcome back. Please sit and tell me how the class went for you?"

"Hey, Starlight, yeah, everything went great..." He sat down as Starlight saw his face and looked serious momentarily.

"Hero. I know that look in your eyes; what happened?"

"Before I went to class, a group of Tainted showed up to attack the Town Square, so I fought them off. No biggie, right? But then Cozy Glow showed up. She used those pawns to bait me over to her."

"You're kidding me?"

"I wish I was. She was trying to warn me about what Lord Yami wanted to do with me; she said she looked out for me like a friend would." This made Starlight chuckle.

"Right, sure she was. Hero, you must be careful around her; that mare is always up to no good." Starlight admonished with a concerned look after her chuckling subsided. She's always been known to backstab anyone who's worked either for her or with her."

"So, Yami is only using me to get at my darkness. The very thing he forced into my chest. But why? Cozy said that the more monsters he sends my way, the more I defeat and the stronger I'll get. And when he's ready, then he'll come for me. I would need to be ready for when he does."

"Agreed, Hero. I don't know why she would divulge his plans or if it'll even matter, as I'll assume this Yami guy must be counting on the fact that his enemies would eventually figure his plan out. I just received a letter from Twilight after returning to her castle. It was from Capper. He's a good friend; you'll know him when you see him. He's an orange Abyssian with purple hair, green eyes, and a red coat; he sounds shady, I know, but trust me, he's cool."

"So, is anybody coming with me this time, or am I soloing it?"

"That depends on who's available. You could try asking around. I recommend you get help, as the darkness should never be underestimated. Ask around here, then check with Twilight; get all your help before you go to Klugetown. That's a rough place even without the darkness."

"Got it. You can count on me, Starlight." Hero then made his way out after hugging Starlight, to which she returned with mutual compassion before he left her office and the castle to search for help. He then saw the academy and decided to go there.

After entering the academy, he sought out Silverstream when he saw her walking out of her room, which also served as the academy's counselor's room. "Hey! Silverstream, you got a minute?"

"Oh, hey, Hero; of course, I do. What's up?"

"I'm heading to Klugetown by Twilight's request to meet someone named Capper. You wanna come with me so I do go alone?"

"Sure thing. After we fought that gigantic gooey monster here, I might need some outside time again. So, do you have anybody else you wanna bring with you?"

"Well, I suppose you and two others might work if everyone else is busy." Hero said as he and Silverstream prepared to go to Canterlot to speak with Twilight to see if she'd come along; their first stop was Canterlot Train Station from Ponyville's.

Once they arrived, they sought out Twilight, who was happy to speak with them. "Hello, you guys; so nice to see you, so I see Starlight received the letter I gave her."

"Yeah, Silverstream and I wanted at least two more to accompany us. I was hoping you would, along with one other person. Is there anybody you could recommend that would be familiar with that place since I'm new to it?"

"Hmm. I do know of someone, but I doubt she'd be happy ever to return there."

"Who do you mean, Twilight?" Hero asked her as she spoke with a slightly saddened tone.

"Tempest Shadow."

"You mean that mare we saw causing trouble at Mount Aris?"

"Not that Tempest, Hero; the one that's with me. You also never met her yet, have you?" Twilight gave a curious look to him as he shook his head.

"No, I don't think I have."

"Well, no time like the present. I assure you, she's a wonderful pony. Strict, but wonderful." They met with Tempest Shadow as Twilight summoned her into the Throne Room.

"You summoned for me, Twilight? What can I do for you?" This was that same mare; no questioning it. But she looked older than the one Hero saw at Mount Aris. Her horn was broken, her eyes were not haunting yellow, and she appeared kinder than the other.

"Yes, Tempest, or would you rather be called by your real first name?"

"Either is fine, Twilight. So I'll assume that I'm here because of him?"

"Yes, you were vaguely informed about Hero here."

"I was."

"Right. Good. Then I feel that you must know that he and I have thought that you'd be perfect to choose to come with us to answer a distress call from Klugetown."

"That ratty dump of a city?" Tempest looked frustrated as she was more than familiar with that place and its sullied reputation; "fine. But I'm only doing this for you, Twilight."

"Thank you, Tempest; your help is always appreciated. Now, then, I'll leave you two to get acquainted. Meet me at the Canterlot Station with Silverstream when you're ready, and we'll be waiting."

"Of course." Tempest saw Twilight and Silverstream leave as she turned her attention to Hero." So, we finally meet, huh? You've made quite a reputation for yourself. Not in a wrong way, mind you."

"Well, I don't want to be rude and say that my first encounter with you wasn't very... ideal. But that was a different version of you, I guess."

"I'm just as surprised at hearing that as you are, to be honest. So, do you want me to assist you in Klugetown? Are you aware of just how dangerous it is there?"

"I don't have a choice; I have to answer a distress call from there by someone named... Capper."

"Yes, I know who that is," Tempest replied with a huff; she had nothing against him, but he wasn't her idea of a friend. "Well, I suppose now that we've introduced ourselves, let's move on and catch up with Twilight and Silverstream."

"Yeah. Good idea." Hero nodded in agreement as they left the castle to join Twilight and Silverstream at Canterlot Station; the team boarded the train scheduled to drop at Klugetown. In the distance, they could see the silhouette of the town's buildings as they approached the port.

"Woah. This place looks kinda cool." Hero looked in awe as he saw the town for the first time. The city was beyond The Badlands and revealed a massive open sea past the port; it heavily inspired sailor town vibes mixed with an urban marketplace. The train neared its stop, and they soon arrived at the Klugetown Train Station. They exited the train to see Capper waiting at the ticket booth, his back leaning against the wall and waving to them.

Chapter twenty-eight: Exploring Klugetown

The party arrived at the Klugetown Train Station to meet with Capper as he leaned against one of the support pillars before walking towards Twilight to hug her; "Twilight, man, it has been a long time since I've seen you. How are you?" Capper then sees Starlight, Tempest, Silverstream, and Hero.

"Capper. It's so great to see you, too. It's been years. Nice mustache, by the way."

"Oh, this, yeah. At first, it was a bit disturbing, but after a while, I guess you could say it grew on me. Tempest," he greeted to acknowledge her.

"Capper," Tempest replied as they exchanged eye contact. She was admittedly surprised to see that he grew facial hair; the fact that it was a purple and slightly curled mustache was also somewhat amusing to the unicorn.

"Hey, remember now, no bad blood; we both made mistakes, and we atoned for them. We're cool now, okay?" Capper wore his red coat and a top hat; the cloth was patched from being used over the years, but he did his best to make it look good. "So, Twilight, who's the new kid?"

"Hero, I'd like to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Capper Dapperpaws."

"Sup? I'm Hero; pleased to meet you." They both shook their paw and hoof, respectively, as they greeted. "So, I'm here to help protect my friends and possibly look for Tainted to purge from this place."

"I'm sorry you lost me. Tainted?" Capper raised a curious eyebrow. "Not sure I've ever seen those before."

"These creepy shadow monsters prey on other ponies and creatures. Trust me, you'll know them when you see them; they usually are active in groups." Hero informed Capper so he at least knew what to look for; "They take your heart if you ever fall to them and, worse, they also make what's left of your body into one of them."

"Yikes, now that's scary. Okay, that sounds made up from someone's imagination, but considering what I've seen, I can believe it." Capper fixed the collar around his neck as he cleared his throat; "I mean, just another villain, right? Like how many of those have we already seen by now?"

"Too many," Twilight replied. "We're trying to purge the land wherever we can because they're all over Equestria right now, and I can only imagine them being here as well."

"You guys have been busy, I see. Well, I did make a distress call to you, Twilight, because Klugetown is talking about rumors of monsters; they sound like the ones you're describing to me." Capper chuckled as he gave the group a tour into the city square, rows upon rows of tents and small stands with merchants--many of them looking shady at best, all camped in them. "Yeah, a lot has changed since you've been here last, Twilight."

"Really now? Are the people here trying to be more honest with others?"

"Eh... we're not quite there yet; it's a work in progress." Capper sheepishly adjusted his collar as he quickly composed himself as they continued their tour. "We've been on pins and needles recently; I honestly have no idea why. But now that you're here, you can help me investigate these rumors and hopefully put them to rest."

"Absolutely, Capper. We're here to help you." Twilight happily said as they continued their trek through the market district. They made it to the city's center to hear a commotion that immediately got their attention.

"Aahhh?! What on earth are these things? Eugahhh!" A stumpy and short mole dressed in sharp black attire, tophat, and monocle was running away from what looked to be floating shadows carrying anchors as weapons with a chain and using them like a swinging mace. They had no legs, and their upper bodies were dressed like seventeenth-century, styled clothing, overcoat, and tricorn hats. The Tainted Emblem on their chests made what they were clear.

"Verko?! What kind of trouble has he gotten himself into this time? And those guys do not look like they want to chat." Capper was astonished at seeing them for the first time.

"And that's our cue, Twilight!" Hero got his blade ready to fight the scourge as his friends joined him.

"Alright, everypony, let's clean house!" Twilight hailed as everyone got ready; Capper even joined in the fight.

"Okay, fighting is not my thing, but... I'll offer whatever help I can." Capper then reached into his coat pockets to pull out some cherry bombs to use as explosive projectiles. "Hiyaahh!" Capper tossed them out as their fuses were lit, and they popped, one by one, as the small explosions that were enough to knock them into the air staggered as Hero jumped up to perform some aerial slashes at them.

Twilight fired her magic beams at the few that Hero didn't get to cut into their dark bodies to damage them. Silverstream then flew into one to grab it and slam it down. Tempest used her magic to lift weapons lying on the ground to hurl at the Tainted, and Starlight provided magic defense for the party.

The weapons that Tempest threw at the Tainted impaled a couple of them, which caused their bodies to tear apart into a black mist and release their hearts. The battle ended as Hero delivered the final flurry of slashes to the remaining Tainted. "All in a day's work!" Hero proclaimed confidently as they repelled the forces of darkness once more.

"Okay then, those are the Tainted; good to know," Capper said as he breathed a sigh of relief after their victory. They all scanned the rest of the city square to see if there were any more to their comfort; there weren't. "Okay, Verko, how did those things chase you?"

"Oh, it was terrible, Capper. I.. might have seen two mysterious figures roaming around this place, and I might have... attempted to offer them a fair deal, of course, and they snapped their fingers and summoned those things after me." Verko was retelling his moments before as Tempest held a scowl on her face from their last encounter, even if that was years ago.

"I can only imagine what deals he could be referring to." Tempest jeered as she glared at the diminutive mole man.

"Oh no, I've seen the error of my ways... mostly. At least I'm not locking people into agreements anymore. Progress, am I right?" Verko said with a nervous chuckle as Tempest leaned her head towards his to speak.

"I still dislike you with extreme prejudice." Tempest snapped at him, "Blasting your face was amusing and one of the few things I don't regret doing."

"Ooohhh... I can still feel the burns on my face..." Verko winced at the awful memory, "but I can tell you all where they were headed, to the main capitol building of Klugetown; no idea why, but I know trouble when I see it." Satisfied with his answer, Tempest returned to give him his personal space as he relaxed his nerves. "E-Even if you're no longer evil, you're still scary."

"Is that so, Verko? I believe those Tainted would be much scarier than I am. What do you think?" Tempest asked rather smugly to the supposed reformed mole man.

"T-That I'd appreciate it immensely that you do not let those things anywhere near me."

"Sure, but no promises, Verko; thanks for helping us, by the way. It's appreciated. Let's continue going to the capitol to continue our investigation." Tempest said as everyone agreed and left Verko to his own business. They went to the capitol to see those two figures.

"Deal with them." The one that was presumed to be Yami said to his other robed friend, who nodded as he vanished from sight in a pillar of darkness. The one that remained just looked at them and then pointed to sea at a lone ship near the port.

"Meet me there, and then, we'll talk." The mystery figure vanished into a dark mist and teleported to that ship, which irritated Tempest.

"Can these guys not be cowards for once, hmph," Tempest replied with an indignant huff.

"Well, now we know that we're definitely supposed to be here. Those mysterious guys are always trouble." Twilight confirmed as they headed towards the port where the sailors frequent.

Then the team made it to the port, where they saw the tavern door open to see a familiar group of avian pirates walk out. Twilight immediately recognized them as she greeted them, "Celaeno! It's so good to see you."

"Hmm? Twilight Sparkle? Ahoy there! It has been years. Business has been good for us. So then, what brings you to this unsightly place?" Celaeno asked Twilight as they addressed each other. Boyle saw the others, and then he saw Hero.

"And what be it with you then? Who are you?" He asked Hero.

"My name's Hero. I'm the Element of Courage; my job is to be Equestria's last hope."

"You? You're Equestria's last line of defense?" He began to laugh. "You have to be kidding me. You're like a skinny little string bean of a stallion. Our mizzenmast and rigging be more sturdier than you, lad." Boyle jested as he chastised Hero.

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe I could surprise you, you know? Never judge a book by its cover."

"You got spunk; I like that. Let's hope you fulfill that little job of yours." He looked to their captain, "Celaeno, sir, check this guy out! He says that he's Equestria's last hope."

Celaeno then approached Hero with a smirk as she greeted herself. "So, your name's Hero, huh?" She then reaches out to shake his hoof, "Never mind, Boyle, he can be a bit gruff, but he means well. On the seven seas, you have to tough to survive."

"Hey, it's no big deal; he just hasn't seen me in action yet; that's a pretty normal reaction from anybody."

"Your confidence is flattering. I like those who are confident in their skills; that's the attitude of a true hero." Celaeno then looks at Twilight's company and greets them, "Aye, it's good to see you doing better, Tempest. How's the reformed life working out for you then?"

"Well, it's a privilege to have been given a second chance to do better. Besides, Twilight needs me to keep her soldiers tough as nails, and I intend on doing that." Tempest briefly looks at Twilight, who smiles warmly in return.

"That's right, Celaeno, Tempest really did turn things around. I'm so proud of her, you know? She may have started as bad, but it was feelings of abandonment and betrayal; all she needed was genuine friends." Twilight said as Capper also waved at them as Celaeno acknowledged his presence.

"And I can see you, too, are also doing better, yourself, Capper. Very nice, what of that tiny little gremlin then?"

"You mean Grubber, right? Hmph, I can only wish he chose to be better; he always was an imbecile, even when I was forced to work with him." Tempest bitterly stated. "He's much older now from what I gathered from Twilight, and he's now working with that Queen Bugface."

"So, from one master to another, I see. I guess some scallywags prefer to be subordinated in the end."

"Well, Twilight can brief you in better than I could."

"Certainly, Tempest. Well, we're here because of Capper. He heard rumors of monsters, and those rumors were true. We had to fight The Tainted here not too long ago."

"Oh ho, new monsters? Then what are these Tainted creatures?" Celaeno asked.

"They're just terrible. They look like these creepy shadow beasts that can take many forms and even take control of someone's body once they get your heart; you'll become one of them." Twilight somberly explained, "We've been hunting them down throughout Equestria so far, and it doesn't surprise me that they'd also be this far out at the cusp of Equestrian borders either."

"These bilge rats sound dangerous, alright; any idea who their master is?"

"No, Celaeno, and that's what frustrates me. All we know was what Cozy told us, which should always be taken with a grain of salt, granted, but apparently, he calls himself Lord Yami." Twilight looked to Celeano with obvious distress in her eyes; this was something the pirate captain noticed immediately.

Chapter twenty-nine: A reunion with a wily usurper.

"So then, me mateys, we were just about to restock our supplies and then return to the Phoenix to sail the open waters. So, you caught us at the good time." Celeano said to Twilight.

"We'd like to board your ship, Celaeno. That mysterious robed guy was trouble; he was working with Lord Yami. They wear all-black leather robes with a hood that could conceal their faces. We saw him heading out toward a ship in the distance." Twilight said as Celaeno spoke.

"Gah?! Only cowards dare to hide their faces. Very well, then. A new ship for us to plunder; we haven't done a boarding in a long time. It'll be good to get back into it. Hop aboard then, guys." Celaeno offered to them as her crew and Twilight's group went on. "From the looks of things, he's not too far away either. Our vessel was outfitted with a smoother transition between sailing the air and the seas."

"Wow, it's been so long since we've been here. Remember when we raised our spirits to fight against The Storm King? It feels so long ago and also not."

"Aye, Twilight, that was a fine day for all of us; we got our pirate spirits again, and you saved Equestria." They saw that distant ship sitting on open waters near the port as if challenging them. "A staredown is a gesture a pirate takes as a challenge; he's goading us."

"Let's not keep him waiting; if he wants us, he'll get us." Hero confidently said as they prepared to sail to his ship. As they got within range of his craft, he began to circle the Phoenix, and the Phoenix did so in kind; it was a ship duel. Hero was gushing with excitement at the thought of a real ship battle. "Oh wow, a real pirate ship duel. Let's do it, guys." Hero's blood was pumping with excitement as they saw the robed figure standing at the forecastle of his ship and staring at them.

That robed figure pointed out to their ship and shouted, "Fire!" A horizontal volley of cannonballs launched out toward the Phoenix. A couple grazed the hull of the vessel.

"Everyone! Brace for impact!" Celaeno shouted as she returned fire, "Boyle, Return fire!"

"Aye, aye, captain. Returning fire! Mullet! On me, fire the cannons with me to keep the pressure on!" Mullet saluted and helped Boyle while Squabble squawked and panicked about the ship. Lix was standing next to Celaeno.

"Let's help our new allies, Capper; you're with me; we'll help both Mullet and Boyle with the defense," Tempest said as they stood by Celaeno's side, ready to fight back this enemy.

"Aye then, more support is coming up!" Capper went to one of the cannons to monitor it and use it when necessary. Hero then looked toward the enemy ship and got Twilight's attention by nudging her shoulder.

"Hey, Twilight, do you see their sail over there?"

"I do, Hero. That's the Tainted sigil. Of course, it would be." Twilight's chagrin unsubtle as they planned for their counterattack, "If we can get aboard that vessel, we'll be able to confront that mystery guy in the robes. I want answers."

"So do I, Twilight. Hero, are you ready?" Starlight asked Hero.

"Do you even need to ask? Let's do this!"

"I'll go, too!" Silversteam exclaimed happily.

"As shall I. Capper, take my cannon and cover for Mullet and Boyle. My duty is protecting the princess." Tempest said as she joined the group.

"Let's move in and go for a charge; we'll try to board them!" Celaeno steered the wheel towards the enemy ship to help Hero and their friends confront this big bad. They rammed the bow into the enemy's hull to create a bridge for them to cross. As the five ponies boarded that ship, they saw that robed figure turning to look at them.

"Well done, I must say, that captain is just as bold as ever. Believe it or not, that cannon fire was a bluff to draw you closer to me." The figure slowly clapped as Twilight saw his white neck-like beard and him grabbing his hood and unfurling it to reveal his identity. "So, I have the pleasure of meeting the pony who has been chosen."

"No way... Not you again! But how?" Twilight said as she was shocked; Starlight was slightly confused, Tempest was furious, and Silverstream was concerned. "Storm King. You survived?!"

"Eh, I'd rather not bore you with the details, my princess; besides, my job here is just about finished for him."

"Who, Yami?" Twilight questioned him.

"Oh, so you know his name then? Let me guess, Cozy spilled the beans, I'm sure." Storm King then briefly paused for thought, "Anyway, Hero, right? You should know how this will go by now; I send you a monster, you defeat that monster, and then I go away and probably challenge you another day or whatever." he waved his arm dismissively toward his enemies in a condescending gesture.

"Twilight, look at his eyes; they're yellow. He must be a vessel for that Yami guy, right?" Starlight asked her, and she nodded.

"Mhm, I do believe so, Starlight. I have a theory about them, but it's groundless right now. If we discovered other Tempest in Mount Aris, these guys must have been pulled from different periods; they are anachronisms."

"Your intuition is, of course, as sharp as always, Twilight. Yes. We were all gathered primarily through time, a few of us from the present day and some from different paradoxes and realities. It's like one big happy reunion, right?" The Storm King replied to affirm her theory.

"I was hoping never to see you again, Storm King. So, let me guess, you want revenge against us, right?" Tempest shouted at him angrily.

"I am no longer afraid of you, Storm King. Not when I'm with Hero and My other friends." Silverstream confidently stood with her team, defiant to the old king's intimidation but still concerned about the threat he may pose.

"I may not know who you are, but I'll never lose against this Yami guy. So go ahead, and let's get this over with." Hero saw him chuckling, "Why are you laughing?"

"Well, someone sure is eager, I see. I love that spunk you've got. I'd probably be like that too if I knew my demise was inevitable." He snapped his fingers to summon a massive flying Tainted monster that looked like an undead vulture with blue flames for its eyes and the Tainted sigil on its stomach. The old king laughed mirthfully as his eyes drifted to Captain Celaeno, and Capper saw him and was gobsmacked.

"No way... That's that Storm King guy. I remember him all too well." Capper then saw Celaeno step forth to confront him.

"Storm King, you contemptuous bilge rat, you have a lot of nerve coming back here to Klugetown!" Celaeno stared him down with a death glare as he grinned smugly back at her.

"Aww, did my presence ruffle your feathers, Celaeno? Even now, with my second lease at life, it's nice to see that I've left such a poignant impression on all of you- well, most of you anyway." The vulture-like demon rose high into the sky as the Storm King summoned his dark pillar to escape, "Ta-ta, for now, try not to disappoint us, Hero."

"Grr. We'll deal with this big bad, too! I'll show them!" Hero drew his weapon out and glared at the Tainted monster as it shrieked balefully.

"We'll have to deal with him, Hero. Since flight would be a problem for you, I'll bring you up to his level. Hop on my back!" Twilight said as Hero climbed on, and she flew up so they could confront this beast. Twilight saw its beak opening up, and beams of blue light shot out toward her; she swerved and dodged the best she could. It wasn't as graceful as what Celestia would have done, but it was good enough not to get hit. "Now, Hero, we're at his altitude."

"Got it! Here I come, Tainted! Time to bring you down!" Hero declared as he jumped onto the monster's back to straddle it. Then, he began hitting it with his blade, cutting up the vulture's face with his weapon. The Vulture Tainted's head turned a complete one hundred and eighty-degree angle to face Hero as it shrieked in rage while he was attacking its face.

Then, the monster was about to hit him with its blue energy beam; he used his blade as a balancing pole with the tip stuck into its back, much to its chagrin, as he then used his harmony magic to spin around to create a shield of pure magic to deflect the beam as it hit him; Hero waited until its attack was finished before he stopped spinning to pull his blade out so he could deliver another volley of slashes to its face, this only made the beast angrier as it spun it's body in a swift corkscrew motion to knock him off. "Gahnn?! Crap, Twilight, I need a hand here."

"I'm on my way, Hero; just hold on!" Twilight flew up to catch Hero as she carried him back to the monster for a second foray. "You got him on the ropes, Hero; I think a little more is all we'd need then its history," Twilight stated confidently as Hero was now level with the monster once more. "You got this, buddy."

"You bet I do!" Hero leaped onto the beast's back again to continue his slashes to its face. That made him more furious, however, as he was also beginning to feel fear. This pony wasn't going down like it had wanted; this was terrible news, so he had to think of something. In a last-ditch effort, the Tainted then used a surprise volley of its blue energy on Hero to hit him. "Aaughhnnn?!"

"Oh no, Hero?!" Twilight saw his body falling off the vulture's back as he fell toward the ocean. She then saw an eerie blue shimmering forming on his body. "I'm coming, Hero!" Twilight rushed to his aid as she noticed the light growing brighter around his body before enveloping him entirely. "What's happening to him?" Then the ball of blue light sparks blue static before unfurling to reveal Hero's new form; his outfit was a rich royal blue instead of his standard colors. His horn was also shimmering brighter, and a sapphire-blue gemstone was in his second shoulder plate indentation next to that ruby-red one from the Crystal Empire. "Are you okay, Hero?"

"I do not know what this is, but Twilight, it feels amazing. It feels like I'm enlightened." Hero landed on Twilight's back as she dodged more of the Tainted's blue beams. Hero jumped up high and levitated in place before pointing his blade at the monster and firing a massive rapid volley of harmony magic; each blast was homing in on the creature's face as tiny explosions erupted on its face from each blast.

"Woah... oh, yeah, Hero! That is so amazing." Twilight cheered him on as she saw Hero's blasts pinning the massive beast toward the water below. Hero unleashed a warcry as he kept firing until the creature grew weary, and just then, he felt the form expire as he reverted to normal.

"I gotta finish this with this last attack, or Klugetown will be in trouble." Hero then dived to do one final stab at the monster's head; he put all his momentum into this dive, and his body was like a makeshift spear coming down, cleanly shooting through the Tainted's vulture-like head. Hero then fell back onto Celaeno's ship and looked up to see the monster shrieking in pain as its body was tearing itself apart from the abuse Hero gave it before a giant pink heart rose from its chest and drifted into the sky before disappearing.

"Victory is ours today, me hearties!" Celaeno said as the other pirates, Twilight, and her friends were cheering for Hero's victory. Hero fell onto his back, exhausted from that sudden form change and magic exertion, but was otherwise fine as he reverted to normal.

"Nice job, Hero. Way to go!" Starlight said under her breath as they all rejoiced for their victory.

"You sure showed that thing, didn't you?" Silverstream said to Hero as he nodded before sitting back up.

"So, what would you call that form, Hero?" Twilight asked as she waited for his response.

"It enlightened me and boosted my magic tremendously; I think I'll call it Wisdom Form."

"Wisdom Form; I like it. Like knowledge through experience. Well, I think we can call this another town saved." Twilight said as Tempest approached Hero.

"That was an awe-inspiring display of power you just demonstrated, Hero. And that was only your first time using this Wisdom Form?"

"Yeah. This is just like that Valor Form from The Crystal Empire. But this one seems to be only good at magic."

"Well, even then, this is quite remarkable, Hero. You truly are an impressive stallion, to be sure." Tempest admired the magical power that Hero wielded with the grace of a seasoned veteran. They all arrived back at the pier of Klugetown so that Twilight could depart for Canterlot.

The party arrived at the Klugetown Station to wait for the train to go home as they said their goodbyes. "Well, this is it, guys. It was great to see everybody again after several years, but it's time to head back to Canterlot." Twilight said to Capper, Celaeno, and her crew as they waved their goodbyes.

"Yo, Twilight. If those things ever come back. You'll be here to help us, right? I'm not a fighter but a scrapper, which is not as good if you think about it."

"Don't worry, Capper, if the Tainted ever come back, then we'll be here to sort it out; I promise," Twilight said as she hugged him before they departed.

"May the tides of fate bring us back together someday, Twilight. You can also expect us to be here to offer our aid." Celaeno stated proudly as her crew cheered in agreement.

"Of course, Celaeno, it's always appreciated; bye, guys," Twilight said as the party entered the train to return to Canterlot.

In the barren wasteland of The Thirteenth Spire, a dark pillar manifested as Storm King returned to Yami. "You have returned, Storm King. I trust you have a progress report for me?" Yami's interest was piqued at the prospect of Hero's encroachment toward his cause.

"That would depend; does hearing the news that Hero likely succeeded count as a progress report?"

"Hmm? I suppose I shouldn't be too shocked. Hero is, of course, extraordinary, given the level of skill that he developed over such short brevity; my expectations are more than satisfied, Storm King."

"Well, that's just great then; that means he's closer to our grasp. He believes he's making a difference; what a naive fool." Storm King jeered as he saw the look of mild amusement on Yami's face.

"Indubitably, Hero's fate has been slated since I had chosen him as my vessel." Then, two more pillars were revealed, one still concealed and Cozy Glow.

"Gee, golly, Mister Yami. How much longer do you think you'll bide your time? How much closer is Hero to being perfect for plucking?"

"I would surmise that with a few more monsters, he'll be ready for ascension into my ranks." Yami said with satisfaction laced in his voice, "So, are you ready to advance to your destination?" Yami asked the one still concealed, who nodded.

"It was lucky that Young Luna had recovered this one. I can't believe she's from a point where she succeeded in her big plan of tyranny. I'm genuinely impressed." Cozy said to the figure who responded.

"Of course, my accolades precede me; besides, how difficult can it be to make this place as normal as mine?" The concealed figure said ominously as she created a dark pillar to walk into to teleport to her destination. Then, the other vessels, save for Yami and Cozy, dispersed.

"There is one task that requires my utmost attention, Cozy; to craft my perfect vessel, I must first acquire the essence of one with darkness similar to mine and what's currently flowing through each of you."

"Who would be that ideal choice, Mister Yami?"

"Someone who is the manifestation of darkness incarnate; you're aware of the story of King Sombra, yes?"

"What?! Him; we're bringing him back?! How many times has he already been defeated by now? I lost count after four."

"Sombra has the perfect level of darkness I need to finish my last vessel; however, after his most recent defeat, bringing him back in his original form won't be so simple."

"So what, his body is fractured or something?"

"In a sense, yes; his original state had accrued too much damage that would be beyond ordinary repair; he would require a new body."

"Oh... now I get what you're doing; once Hero's darkness is strong enough, you're planning on using his body, aren't you?"

"I am, dearest Cozy; I'll grab his essence, his darkness from within his body to craft the ideal husk needed to sustain Sombra's new life."

"Ooohhh... what a cruel and ruthless thing to do; what will happen to Hero?"

"Who knows, but he will have served his purpose to me; should he survive, he'll be in grave danger. I plan for every eventuality."

"Well, golly, Mister Yami, you have thought all this through; I'll take my leave now so you can retrieve Sombra's Soul or whatever he is now." Cozy then summoned her dark pillar to leave Yami to his thoughts.

Chapter one: It all begins with a dream.

Author's Note

For those of you that got this famous reference, you rock!

(The gold text that is conjoined with the rest of the regular text is bugged and no matter how hard I tried to fix it, it ignores every attempt I made, so you'll have to deal with it.)

The three lines I did was the best I could do to fix it.

Chapter one: It all begins with a dream.

"I feel like I'm falling... falling through an expansive black ocean... What is this place? Where am I?"

As Hero opens his eyes, he realizes he is no longer in his bedroom. He is now in a strange and mysterious place he cannot identify. However, he decides to gather his bearings and explore this unknown realm. As he walks further, the ground beneath him fades away, revealing a beautiful, colorful glass flooring with images of ponies, dragons, and other creatures. Although he has no idea who they are, he feels he will soon find out.

"—Hero... Every journey ahead begins with a single step forward. Can you do it?..."

"What?! Who said that? Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Hero's confusion was palpable. The source of the voice was a luminous orb that seemed to be orbiting around him. Although it was an unfamiliar entity, Hero felt a strange sense of comfort emanating from it. Listening to the sphere's voice seemed like the right thing to do, almost as if it were a divine messenger.

"—In time, my identity will become clear to you. But you must remember that you're special. As you proceed further, you'll find your road ahead difficult; always remember to keep your light burning strong, little one..."

"I see. T-Thanks for that, I guess," Hero said, uncertain what to do next. In front of him, a set of stained glass stairs appeared, leading into the darkness. They seemed to guide him towards a destination as if the place was alive and had a purpose. Hero wondered where they would lead him.

He decided to climb the stairs and reached a new platform made of yellow-stained glass. The platform depicted two alicorns, whom Hero recognized as the rulers of Equestria—Princesses Celestia and Luna. "Oh, I know them! These are Princess Celestia and Luna," he exclaimed.

"—Throughout your journey, you will encounter both friends and foes alike. Friends will always be there for you when you need them most; friendship is essential, especially during tough battles you cannot win alone."

Three transparent figures suddenly appeared before Hero, standing to his left; they looked friendly and dependable, like they would make great friends.

One of them was a light-blue pegasus with a mane and tail styled like a rainbow. Another was a Changeling with periwinkle-colored chitin, pink wings, and blue compound eyes. The third figure was a blue Griffon, appearing confident and stalwart. However, Hero felt like he knew these figures from somewhere, even though he couldn't recall ever meeting them before.

"—However... Not everyone you meet will be friendly to you at first; some may require more time than others, and many would only wish to see that you're defeated."---

To Hero's right, three more phantom figures appeared. They looked quite menacing, the kind that one would usually try to avoid.

Among them were a taller gremlin-like yeti, an insectoid changeling female with swampy-green hair, and some shadowy equine creature. "Yeah, because those three don't look evil at all, not in the slightest," Hero joked as they vanished after he noticed the holograms and a glass staircase that revealed the way forward.

Hero advanced towards the next platform. This time, it was a heart-shaped platform made of pink-stained glass. In the center were a pink alicorn and a white unicorn stallion, with a smaller alicorn between them. They appeared to be a happy family.

"—Power slumbers within you... If you give it a form... It will give you strength... Choose wisely, little one..."

Before Hero stands three towering obelisks, each adorned with a weapon of its own. The leftmost obelisk grasps a gleaming sword, beckoning to Hero. Overwhelmed by curiosity, he approaches the sword and takes hold of its hilt. Suddenly, the orb of light begins to speak to him, its voice echoing in his mind.

"—The power of the warrior... Infinite strength... Incredible valor... The ability to crush your foes..."

"This sword feels like it's made out of nothing at all. It weighs lighter than a feather," Hero then inspects the center obelisk with a shield on it.

"—The power of the Knight... Stalwart courage... Fortified resistance... The shield that repels all..."

"This shield looks way too big for me to use," Hero concluded as he approached the obelisk on the far right. As Hero inspects it, he sees that it has a wand on it.

"—The power of the Mystic... Endless potential... Abundant curiosity... A desire to lend aid to others."

"Wow, holding onto this stuff makes me feel powerful. It's just incredible. So this is what magic feels like," Hero said as he pondered his options. He could either become a healer and defender, preferring a more supportive role, or he could embrace the traditional 'might makes right' approach.

After careful consideration, he decided to pursue the path of the Mystic. "It was a tough choice, but I choose to be supportive," he declared, "I choose the path of the Mystic," then, feeling a horn appear on his forehead. As magic flowed through his veins, he couldn't vividly describe his incredible feeling.

"—Now that you have chosen, which power will you give up in exchange?"

"Well... I guess I didn't think about that. Hmm..." Hero noticed both the shield and the sword and weighed his options. "Well, I’d rather be able to exercise might in a pinch. I guess I'll give up the power of the Knight." All three obelisks collapsed, sank to the floor, and disappeared. "Wow!? They’re gone..." Then, Hero followed another glass stairway that guided him through the inky black darkness.

Finally, Hero reached a turquoise-stained glass platform. On the left was a blue dragon, on the right was a purple one, and in the center was a lime-yellow changeling with orange horns.

"—Throughout your journey, you'll be expected to interact with every creature you encounter, both the good and the bad; your choices can and will affect the world around you. Pay heed to your words, little one."

The three figures standing on the stained glass matched perfectly with the images. Hero approached the blue dragon first. To his confusion, she asked him, "So then, what do you fear most?"

"—Being different... Getting old... Losing my friends forever..."

"Okay, so those are my choices?" Hero took a moment to consider what the angel had said about friendship before. Losing his friends would be devastating, and he knew that everyone is different, which makes them unique. Even though he was aware that everything would become old and he would eventually pass away, he couldn't bear the thought of losing his friends forever, "I would fear losing my friends forever," Hero replied.

"So losing your friends forever scares you so much, then?" The blue dragon asks him.

"Y-Yeah.. it would." The blue dragon seemed... satisfied with his answer. Then came the lime-yellow changeling.

"What do you think you'll get most out of life?" The changeling asked him.

"—The best that life has to offer... Trials through adversity... Acknowledgement for my deeds..."

"I believe that trials through adversity will teach me the importance of hope, even in the darkest of situations. Additionally, I do not want to let my ego get in the way of my personal growth," said Hero.

The changeling appeared satisfied with his answer, "So, is that what you think you'll get most out of life?"

Then came the purple dragon as Hero approached him, "What are your hopes and dreams?" The purple dragon asks.

"—To be number one... To have the power within myself... To be with my friends forever..."

"Being number one isn't everything in life," thought Hero. He realized that he didn't want any more power than he already had because his current strength alone seemed almost too much. Therefore, Hero decided that if he had to depend on anyone, he would choose to be with his friends forever. "I choose to be with my friends forever," he said. The purple dragon also seemed pleased with his response.

"Is that how you truly feel?" Just then, those three figures disappeared, and a strange ornate set of double doors had manifested from the darkness to Hero.

"—Don't be afraid, little one... Take your time... One step at a time... Pass through this door to proceed..."

As he entered, the door vanished. On the other side, he found himself on an orange-stained glass platform. Looking at the glass floor, he noticed that it depicted Celestia and Luna, but they appeared different. They looked frightening, and he started feeling as if something terrible was about to happen.

Suddenly, he observed some strange black creatures emerging from the floor; they matched the appearance of that lithe equine shadow that he had seen earlier surrounding him. He exclaimed, "Woah! What are these things?"

"—Verily, little one... There will be times when you will have to fight... Always remember that you must keep your light burning strong..."

They began to rush at him, ready to fight. "No choice; I gotta fight through them," Hero had his magic and the sword he chose to keep in his magical grip. Hero jumped over the first two that rushed him, and then he did a backward slash on them, knocking them away as they fumbled to the ground.

He moved in to finish them off with a three-hit thrust combo. The other shadows briefly looked at their fallen brethren before they fixed their beady-yellow gazes on Hero and charged, "Oh no, you don't!" He dashed between them, deftly dodging their swipes as he fired a blast of magic at them from behind to defeat them in one shot. Then, more emerged from the ground behind him.

"—Behind you, little one. Always be aware of your surroundings..."

Hero exclaimed, "Oh snap!" and jumped to the right to create some distance between him and his opponents. He was relieved and grateful as he said, "Phew. I would have been in trouble if that voice didn't warn me." As he moved in to attack them with his sword, he saw them getting torn into black and misty shreds.

After defeating them, Hero wondered what would come next. He noticed another set of glass stairs leading to a black and lime-green stained glass floor. The way he came from was engulfed in darkness, so he proceeded to move forward. The floor's design had the same changeling female with long, swampy-green hair.

Suddenly, Hero saw a stray shadow in the middle of the floor ahead of him. It took its shape and grew into a massive, giant, and dark version vaguely resembling himself. It towered over him, bearing its large yellow eyes at Hero as he exclaimed, "Woah! What in Equestria? This thing is huge."

"—But beware, little one... The more you step into the light... The bigger your shadow becomes... But don't be afraid... Keep moving forward... And remember that you hold the greatest power of all..."

Hero was trying to distance himself from the monster, but he soon realized that confronting the beast was the only way to escape. "Alright then... bring it on!" he exclaimed with determination. The monster raised its left forehoof to attack, but Hero dodged it and climbed onto the monster's left arm, using it as a platform to reach its head. He slashed at the monster's face with his sword, causing the beast to become enraged and let out a deafening roar that knocked Hero off and onto the floor.

"Oh yeah, he certainly wasn't a fan of that," Hero discovered the monster's weakness, a dark sphere in the cavity in its chest, and used his magic blast to aim right at it. The monster shrieked in pain as it was mortally wounded and stumbled down onto its front hooves. "Sorry, big guy, but you gave me no other choice here," said Hero. With all his might, he lunged at the monster's face, stabbing it with his blade. However, as the monster started to collapse, it fell onto Hero. He exclaimed in surprise, "What!? Oh crap."

As a colossal shadow descended upon him, Hero attempted to shield his face with his hooves. It soon transformed into a black, tar-like substance and engulfed him entirely. The all-consuming darkness was cold and relentless, and Hero struggled to break free, but his efforts were futile. The darkness had complete control over him, and he was trapped. Soon, everything faded to black, and he felt as if he couldn't breathe as he began to panic.

"—It's time for you to wake up now... But always remember... Keep your light burning strong, little one... Keep your light burning strong, and the darkness will never have you..."

The inky blackness spread like a thick, viscous substance, swallowing Hero whole. His body was consumed by the shadow, leaving behind only a look of terror and uncertainty in his eyes. As he faded away, a chill ran down his spine, leaving him with a sense of unease and foreboding.

"—Verily... You're Equestria's last hope, little one... My end is nigh... But your story has only just begun..."

Chapter six: Meeting the ancient pillars of harmony, clarity and fruition.

The next destination was wholly foreign to Hero; It looked like a study room adorned with magical artifacts from what appeared to be all around Equestria, many of them appeared to be ancient relics, too, so they were quite old. Then, that same wizard from before went to his desk to address him further. "So then, Hero. You are aware as to why you're here, I'm sure."

"I'm afraid not—Starswirl, was it?" Hero asked him, "How do you know who I am?"

"Yes, you're correct. Continue." Starswirl then continued, "Oh, and I know who you are because Starlight was at our meeting, and she told us about someone new she met, so I simply just connected the dots."

"Why have I been brought here? What is this place anyway?"

"This would be my home, Hero. My tower, to be more or less precise. This place is the home for the legendary pillars of harmony, much like me."

"Woah. The ancient heroes of harmony? Do they live here? I've heard about them mentioned once by a guy named Sunburst."

"Yes. I know who that is." Starswirl cleared his throat as he began. "But let's not lose focus on why I was searching for you. The real reason you're here might shock you; I know that you are the element of courage."

"W-Who told you that?"

"The dying Tree of Harmony did." Starswirl delivered a curt and deadpanned look as he answered Hero's question.

"Oh. Right. Dumb question. So, what about those monsters then; what are those shadowy things that keep chasing me?"

Starswirl sighed somberly as he explained, "They're the literal scourge of even darkness itself. They're a devious and insatiable race of demons called The Tainted." Starswirl then presented to Hero a magical hologram of one of them.

"That's the one from my dream that I had."

"These are the most common form of Tainted that you'll encounter. These creatures are called Tainted Pawns. Appropriate, considering they're the very definition of basic, but they can be very alarming in larger numbers. Unfortunately, these Tainted are rarely solitary like most other Tainted creatures." The hologram faded and reformed to reveal that hooded figure from Harmony Hallow.

"And there's that creep that killed the tree."

"I am uncertain as to the identity of this man. But I've got a strange feeling of familiarity with him; that I've met him somewhere before. Strange is all you need to know about him. I am certain that more knowledge of him will be revealed to us as we progress. As of right now, however, he remains an enigma." That hologram had faded to reveal another: Three smaller creatures on a stone pedestal. These guys looked evil—no questioning that.

"Who're these guys?"

"Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow. Three nefarious criminals that had attempted to usurp Equestria before these shadows had arrived aggressively."

"You think that they're connected in some way?"

"No doubt. Unfortunately, I've got a feeling that we'll eventually see them again." That hologram faded away as Starswirl walked over to his bookshelf and grabbed a spellbook, blowing off some of its dust as he presented it to Hero. "You'll need to read up on magic as it's the basis of life itself. Make no mistake, Hero. This quest will be anything but easy for you."

"I guess that's something I'll be getting used to very quickly, huh?"

"I've also contacted the late chief of your village before it was destroyed. I am aware of how you ended up in Ponyville. I can tell you've been through a great deal of trauma. He briefly informed me of the dream you had before his demise. This, what Starlight had told me, and combined with my connection to the same tree I've once created, is exactly how I know all about you. He was a good pony, a wonderful leader, and a harmonious soul. May he rest in peace." Starswirl said in a somber tone, bowing his head in sadness.

"Yeah. I miss him, too. He was the best chief we ever had in our village. Well, this is the first time I've ever met you."

"And it'll not be your only time, either. That dream that you were given wasn't by chance, you know. It was a failsafe to ensure the safety of Equestria. I know you must feel like the most unfortunate pony right now; I understand that, but you've been chosen. It would be too late for you to back out now." Starswirl's compassion was palpable, fatherly even. That did ease Hero's sorrow slightly.

"Heh. Lucky me. Well, what's my first assignment then?" Starswirl opened his spellbook and turned to the page introducing elemental combat spells.

"Training. The forces of darkness are advantageous; they'll take whatever convenient opportunity to come their way. It would be best if you did the same here. You'll begin your training in magic with both myself and Mistmane. I'll cover the basics of spell combat. She'll provide teaching in healing and restoration spells."

"Right then, I can handle that. I have one more question for you, sir."

"I'm listening." Starswirl had quizzically raised his right eyebrow at Hero's soon-to-be question.

"How would you explain having a black crystal pushed into your chest? That's what that guy who attacked my home had forced into me, and boy was that painful, he then said that I would make a sufficient vessel for his cause. Whatever that means." Hero then showed Starswirl his chest with the blackened scar, still slightly pulsing with dark energy.

"Hmm... You were cursed, I'm afraid. Black crystals are filled with dark magic. He has a higher purpose for his actions and plans for you in particular. If my previous research into magic crystals serves me well—and it does—he's using this to track your whereabouts. You're like an active beacon for those vile Tainted. They will stop at nothing to hunt and to bring you down. Be on your guard, Hero."

"Yes, sir. I won't fail Equestria." Hero saluted as he was guided to Mistmane's quarters.

"Go to the third floor, and you'll see an ornate set of wooden double doors with her name engraved on the top, impossible to miss."

Hero nodded as he made his way out of Starswirl's Study Room. Hero then went down the winding stairs and towards the third floor. As he saw her doors, giving them a knock, he heard a tender elderly voice from the other side. "Come in." As Hero walked in, he saw an elderly but very sweet mare. This lady looked like she was the very definition of compassion.

"Are you Mistmane?"

"Yes, I am, child. Come in and have a cup of tea with me. We'll go over your lessons on healing and restoration spells."

"Let me guess, Starswirl informed you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did." They both sat down on soft cushions that felt imported from royalty. Mistmane then lifted a cup and poured hot water into it, and from there, she put a teabag into the cup as the water began to change to dark brown. "This tea has herbal properties in it. It'll help to repair your body from the inside out."

"Thanks. So You must already know what I am then, don't you?" Hero accepted the cup and carried it over to him using his magic as he treated his tea and took his first sip.

"I do." Mistmane poured some sugar and then stirred her beverage as she continued, "You're the element of courage."

"Sunburst mentioned that you guys were also elements. Which one are you?"

"Beauty." She gingerly sipped her tea and hummed at its robust taste and mild sweetness.

"Really? Well.."

"Don't let my appearance throw you, young one. I wasn't always this elderly-looking. I traded my youth to help out somepony very important to me. This sacrifice aged me rapidly as a result. It's your heart that should be beautiful, not your looks." This was a sensitive topic for her, and realizing he was out of line, Hero decided to console her.

"Hey, I didn't mean to offend or make you angry. I found it difficult to believe what element you were for a moment."

"Well, it's no bother for me. This training was specifically meant for you. You've got a great role to play in Equestria, more than you could realize."

"If my village chief couldn't answer my question, maybe you could."

"Ask away, young one."

"Why did the Tree of Harmony choose me? Why me, of all ponies? What's so special about me that I'm suddenly our last bastion of hope?"

"That's a straightforward question for me to answer. Your heart is what defines you as a whole. It's what reveals who you are as an individual. The tree chooses you because it was looking for a new host—a successor for when it knew its time was short. Since your heart had displayed the bravery that would make Flash Magnus himself blush, then the choice became obvious."

"So, what about this then?" Hero flicked his left forehoof as a blade appeared in his magic grip. "I got this from my dream, but it only comes out when I'm in danger. But it also summoned here for some reason."

"Ah yes, the blade of harmony. A good choice indeed." Mistmane finished her cup of tea as Hero then soon finished his.

"So that's what it's called?" Hero inspected his weapon as he admired it.

"That's right. That's no ordinary sword you've got in your grasp; it's made of pure harmony magic and bonded to your heart. So, if your heart goes, so too does that blade, and not just anypony can wield it."

"So, this weapon chooses its wielder, huh?" Hero then examined it up close, gilded in gold, silver, and steel parts. There was a bright light that naturally flowed from it. It made Hero feel warm, protected, and safe.

"That's correct. Not only can you use that blade, but being a unicorn, you can also use your magic. Fighting is nice, but when times get tough for you—and they will—you'll need to fall back and heal yourself and your friends."

"But, where do I find friends?" This made her chuckle.

"All over Equestria, silly. You know, you're a lot like Flash Magnus. Oh, he'd have a fit if he ever heard me say that."

"Is he that sensitive?"

"Not at all. But he's the guy who likes to live on the edge—being risky. He's not shallow in the slightest. You know, there's a reason why he's the element of bravery."

"Do you think that my title was named from his?"

"That's not an easy question for me to answer. It takes courage to do everything that we can normally do as individuals. Perhaps you're a combination of every element, and perhaps you're a unique one. One day, you'll discover that truth for yourself."

"I see. Well then, I'm ready for my first lesson."

"Very good then." Mistmane then rose from her cushion and lit her horn to show Hero a spell. "This is your basic healing spell. It's able to patch up standard wounds. You'll, of course, need a stronger spell for mortal ones."

"It's like a bright green light. Are spells different based on color or something?"

"Yes and no. Most healing magic is green because we often perceive green as good." She then passed the orb to Hero as he held it in his hooves, and he felt its energizing effects.

"Wow. It feels like my body is filling up with pure energy, and it feels great."

"To fully understand how this spell works, we must demonstrate how it's applied in a real fight."

"I-I'm not fighting you, am I?"

"Oh, of course not. That's what I'm having Rockhoof do."

"Who's that?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon." She giggled at what Hero's reaction would be seeing him for the first time. Mistmane lit her horn, and a beam rose to touch the ceiling of her room. Not long after, her door opened, and a vast, stalky stallion entered. This guy looked like a titan all on his own.

"H-Holy sweet mother of— that guy is like a giant. I have to fight him?!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be sure to go easy on you. Our job is to train you for combat, not tenderize you into a paste."

"Somehow, that does not help me feel any better." Rockhoof then began a charge to knock Hero away to the wall. His back collided against it, and he then hit the ground. "Gah! Ouch. Okay... fine. You want a piece of me, big guy?" Hero then got back up to charge him.

"There's a good fighting spirit. Not being too quick to surrender. I like that." As Hero got close, Rockhoof managed to swat him away with his left forehoof, knocking him back; he then began to feel pain racking at his body as he struggled to stand up. "Alright then, that should be good enough. Mistmane, if you'll please."

"Gladly." She used her healing spell on Hero as he felt his body being partially rejuvenated back to good condition and could stand up fully.

"What am I, some punching bag to you, you big oaf?"

Chapter seventeen: Return to Ponyville, finishing training.

The Hippogriff soldier then shuffled back to standing and hugged his queen. "I-I'm sorry, Your Highness; I was the reason you lost the most protected relic from our ancestry." She consoled him by hugging him.

"It's okay, Soldier. You did your best to protect your queen. That moron wouldn't even know how to open it with any luck."

"He doesn't need to, Novo," Twilight told the hippogriff queen.

"Hm? How do you know this?"

"His job was only to retrieve Pandora's Box, not open it. If Chrysalis wants it, that makes it dangerous." Twilight stated as Celestia approached and spoke.

"Twilight's right, Novo. Chrysalis might know how to open it; she's wicked, not stupid."

"I was hoping to never hear of that name again. I've been told of her foul deeds. I'm aware of the attempts she has made in trying to take over Equestria. If I recall correctly, wasn't she recently sealed away in stone?"

"She was." Twilight said to Novo as she continued, "emphasis on the word was."

"Who released her? I know how that curse works; there's no way to escape that prison unless someone were to release you willingly."

"That's what we're trying to find out, Novo. A mysterious stallion in dark robes let out Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis. For what purpose, I have no idea." Celestia spoke up.

"So, our newest villain knows how to dispel curses then, huh? I'll admit, he sounds powerful. No ordinary equine or creature can do that alone unless they've had special training." As she was then in deep contemplation, Novo said, "But the question is, who was his mentor?"

"That's just the thing; this guy is a total enigma; we know hardly anything about him. But I recall Starswirl saying that he felt like they had met. I'm not sure why he'd ever say that." Hero said, trying to help everybody piece together this mystery.

"But that's ridiculous. Starswirl would never train somepony to be so.. cruel. There has to be a mistake." Twilight said to Hero.

"It's what he told me, so I'm telling you."

"I have a tough time believing that, Hero. You'll have to forgive me for that." Twilight said sharply to Hero, "It just doesn't make any sense to me. Why would he ever have worked to create such a terrible threat to Equestria?" Twilight was pondering with Novo, Celestia, and Hero as Starlight was still consoling Fluttershy but was listening.

"Well, Twilight. I think it's safe to say that Starswirl might be our only lead to knowing anything about this guy." Celestia concluded to the group.

"Well, unless anybody else has a better idea. I still need to report back to him, too." Hero said as they all looked at Novo. "Is there anything we need to do for you, Your Highness?"

"Not much. But I do have a favor to ask of you all. Do your best to bring back Pandora's Box. You do not know how dangerous that thing is. If it were ever opened, darkness and evil unimaginable would get released from it." Novo said somberly, "this was why we guarded this artifact for so long. Chrysalis and that imbecile have no idea what they stole."

"We promise, Novo. When we get Grubber and Chrysalis- and we will, we will get that box back. You have our pledge on that." Twilight stated as Novo started to feel relieved.

"I will have faith in you guys that Equestria and my kingdom shall remain safe from the horrors of that box. My ancestors have fought against that darkness, and a few were tempted into opening it, but I refuse to allow such evil to ever see the outside of that box for as long as it exists. Be safe and successful in your travels, my friends." They bowed to her as she did to them as they bid their mutual respect and bade farewell from her palace.

They were all currently boarding the train to head back to Canterlot. "So the Tainted are thankfully gone from Mount Aris, right?" Hero asked Twilight.

"I can only hope so. If it was Grubber that summoned them, then they likely retreated with him."

Then Starlight spoke up to Twilight, "but what about Tempest? That was her and not at the same time. That doesn't make any sense at all. And neither does this new big bad. Well, maybe Starswirl has more information for us now. Then, we'll be able to get one step closer to finding out his identity."

"I'll send a magic signal to his tower once we return home. I want to know what in Equestria is going on here." Twilight couldn't shake that concern for her kingdom and home. "There must be something we can do to stop this from worsening."

"I know there is, Twilight. We can all do this together." Starlight said to Twilight to help keep that fire of hope burning strong.

"Yeah. We've got one thing that this guy doesn't: friendship. We can win this." Twilight then looked to Starlight and said, "Thanks, Starlight. That helped."

"I agree with Starlight. We have the power of friendship on our side. We'll be able to prevail, just as we had done so every other time." Celestia said in agreement.

"Look, everypony, Canterlot is approaching in the distance. We're almost home." Fluttershy said in relief after the huge fight they all had earlier.

"Hey, Your Highness. I've got a surprise for you." Grubber came out through his portal to greet his queen.

"Yes, Grubber, what is it? It had better be good."

"I'm pretty sure that this would qualify as good." He showed off the black box, Pandora's Box. to Chrysalis as she grinned ear-to-ear upon seeing it.

"Well, you have delivered, Grubber. Excellent work; you have redeemed yourself exceptionally."

"Novo called that thing Pandora's Box. Was that what you were looking for?"

"It was. With this, I can weaponize it to destroy my enemies. They'll never stand a chance against me- us was what I meant to say."

"Well, consider my interest piqued. So I'm guessing you want me to open that box for you?"

"No. I want you to lure those elements to me, and I'll open the box. I want to see the despair on their faces as I deal their doom to them."

"I see. Well then, when shall we get started?" Grubber said as he was eager to begin.

"Immediately," Chrysalis said with an evil cackle.

The heroic company arrived back at Canterlot Train Station as they departed and headed back to Canterlot Castle. "Finally, we're back home. These Tainted are a huge problem and must be taken care of for the safety of our kingdoms." Twilight returned to the castle gates and saw Luna awake as she rushed to Celestia to hug her.

"Tia! There you are. I was worried sick. Where did you guys go?"

"It's alright, Luna. We had to go to help Queen Novo. The Tainted have attacked. I'm sorry we left on such short notice."

"Those vile creatures again? When will these attacks cease, Sister?"

"Honestly, Luna. I don't think they will anytime soon. Chrysalis and Grubber now have possession of Pandora's Box." Luna had a look of utter horror-stricken across her face.

"No... not that thing. The last time we had to deal with it was so long ago. I was hoping never to hear of its name again. What are we going to do, Sister?"

"I do not know, Luna. But we'll see what Starswirl has to say about this."

"We must do that at once as time is of the essence. Twilight, use your spell to summon the gateway to Starswirl's Tower!" Luna said in an act of desperation.

"Alright then, Who's coming with me besides Hero?" Twilight asked everyone.

"I will, Twilight," Starlight said.

"I'm going as well," Celestia said.

"And so too shall I, Twilight." Luna finished.

"Alright then, I'm sure you would want a break from today, Fluttershy. I can't blame you. Go and relax with everybody else. We'll be back." Twilight said as she shot a beam of magic out like a beacon to call upon the gateway to Starswirl's pocket dimension.

"Please be safe and return here, okay?" Fluttershy asked as Twilight nuzzled her snout and nodded as the party left to go through the gateway portal.

"So, you want me to create another distraction? I could do that to draw their attention." Grubber said to Chrysalis.

"Patience, Grubber. The best things come to those who wait for the opportune moment. When ready, we shall create such wonderful chaos and destruction towards Ponyville. That will get their attention." Chrysalis said as they were already there at Ponyville Central, lying in ambush, waiting for the right moment to enact their plan.

The heroic group made it to the floating isle of Starswirl's Tower. As they approached the door, Twilight knocked as Somnabula opened it up. "Oh? Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? Come in, you guys. You're always welcome here." Twilight and company entered as Hero met eyes with Somnabula. "And I see you've gotten stronger since before you left our tower."

"Yeah. We've been fighting those Tainted. They're getting stronger." Hero said as he mocked and flexed his muscles to display power, "But they're no match for my friends and me." This caused her to giggle as she gestured for us to ascend the stairs to Starswirl's Study.

"Be that as it may, Hero. You still have your training to finish up. Don't keep Starswirl waiting." Somnabula finished as Hero, Twilight, and the rest of her friends then went to Starswirl's Study. When they got there, Twilight knocked on his door; she heard his voice say to her.

"Come in." They did as he looked up from what he was reading to see Twilight. "Oh? Hello there, Twilight. It is a pleasure seeing you here. So then, what can I do for you?"

"The pleasure is all mine, Starswirl. We came here for some guidance. We want to know if you've found anything we need to know about this new villain."

He sighed sadly as he spoke, "Unfortunately, nothing yet. All I have is this badgering feeling of familiarity with this guy."

"Ha. I told you, Twilight." Everyone there gave disapproving glares at Hero as Hero blushed from the embarrassment. "What? Was it something I said?"

"And I can see that you still have that attitude of yours. Do you have a progress update on your training, Hero?" Starswirl said with a raised eyebrow as everyone looked over to Hero.

"I-I do. I've gotten stronger against fighting those Tainted. I can feel it. Somnabula also noticed it. I've made great progress in making new friends, and we all saved Ponyville, Canterlot, and Mount Aris from the Tainted. I want to call that a victory, but I'll assume you've got another assignment from me, yes?"

"I do."

"Well, what is it then?"

"I want you to embark on a journey of enlightenment. Stygian mentioned that he would do that as well before he left. I currently do not know what has become of him. If you can locate him, please relay anything back to me. A mentor always must look out for their students."

"Yes, sir!" Hero saluted as he looked at Twilight, "So then, we going back to check up on Ponyville?"

"Yeah, we should. To get everypony back home where they need to be. And you're still a student at the Friendship Academy, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that. It's where I first met Starswirl. His timing was impeccable."

"Thank you. I may be old, but I still got it." Starswirl said in his sense of pride.

"Yeah. I can see that. So you'll eventually get more information on our mystery man, right?" Hero asked Starswirl.

"Indeed. Whatever I can dig up. Your knowledge of Stygian for my knowledge of your biggest threat: a fair exchange. Oh, and nice new clothes, Hero. They fit you."

"Say, thanks. Rarity made them for me to fight the Tainted with- hey, since when did this become a bargain?"

"I'm only kidding, Hero. Compensation is never needed. Having a sense of humor is refreshing, especially during these dark times."

"R-Right. I knew that, right guys?" They all chuckled as Twilight spoke up.

"Right... sure you did. Well, we'll be off to Ponyville Central then. We'll check with everyone there to see if they're alright."

"Best of luck to you all, and especially you, Hero. Never forget how valuable you are; if you fall, so does Equestria."

"Right. I'll be sure to be careful, Starswirl. You can count on me." They all bid their farewell to Starswirl as they left his tower and went through the gateway back to Canterlot.