Season 10: Dawn of a new generation of Harmony

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.