Season 10: Dawn of a new generation of Harmony

"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.