The Ophiotaurus hissed as it slithered closer to the two villains. Tirek prepared to fight while Cozy Glow prepared to run, but they and the Ophiotaurus all stopped when they heard a call.

That call was an injured female Ophiotaurus emerging from the foliage surrounding them. The male took immediate interest.

Unfortunately, male Ophiotaurus are known to only feel affection for skin deep beauty, and the numerous burns and scratches adorning the female caused the male to see her as unsightly.

The Ophiotaurus hissed a very insulting warning. With a roll of her eyes, Chrysalis dropped the disguise and hissed her own warning.

The snake-bodied bull lunged at the Changeling. Chrysalis flew above it's attack and fired a beam of energy into it's back.

Rather than retreat, the beast turned and coiled inward before springing towards Chrysalis, whose injuries kept her from flying too high off the ground.

The Ophiotaurus managed to wrap it's serpentine body around the Changeling and bring her crashing into the ground, stunning her while it wraped itself around her twice more and began to squeeze.

Chrysalis could feel the air being forced from her lungs, but with a roar of defiance, she once again transformed into an Ursa Minor, freeing herself from her opponent's constrictive grasp.

The Ophiotaurus was wiser than to contend with Chrysalis as she was now, and chose to flee. But the Changeling wasn't interested in mercy, and slammed a paw on it's serpentine tail.

In a final act of defiance, the Ophiotaurus turned to strike with it's fangs, it's jaws opened wide...Chrysalis' jaws opened wider.

Cozy Glow, who had been watching the fight beside Tirek, hid her face between her hooves as a sickening crunch announced the monster's death.

Chrysalis changed back to normal and turned to the other two. "Thanks for the help." She said with a deadpanned exspression.

Cozy Glow looked back at her, and laid eys on the headless corpse as it spouted a splurt of blood. Causing her to turn green. "Hupm, ugh, so gross..."

Tirek was more composed. "So you were the Ursa Minor then? I thought it had eaten you. So what did this?" The Centaur referred to the Changelings injuries.

"It would seem that I was not the only pawn of the Ruinous Powers that was out of range when the Elements of Harmony were brought to bare against the forces of Chaos. And they are after Grogar's bell too." Chrysalis explained.

Cozy Glow's attention was torn away from the bleeding corpse in an instant. "Those Swamp Ponies almost got you too!?"

Chrysalis shifted her gaze to the young filly. "No, I was attacked by a Dragon in service to Khorne. And he was called away by...something. I believe it was another Daemon, but I'm not sure."

"Well, this is all very fascinating. But I am feeling rather exhausted and would rather settle down for the night if nopony minds." Tirek interjected.

"WHAT!? BUT YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! IF ANYPONY SHOULD BE TIRED IT'S ME!!!" Cozy Glow shouted.

"Oh please, do you have any idea how hard I worked to set up this camp...that you're no doubt going to yourselves at home in." Tirek grumbled.

"GAH! CAN YOU BELIEVE HIM!?" Cozy Glow shouted at Chrysalis in the hopes of gathering an ally in her argument.

Chrysalis merely rolled her eyes and settled down herself. Cozy Glow gave a dramatic sigh and did the same.

Some Time Later

Chrysalis rotated the hunk of meat cut from the dead Ophiotaurus' tail that she was roasting over the fire. She would've preferred to have harvested the creature's Love, but she would make do.

"Do you have to do that? That smell is gross." Cozy Glow complained.

"Well unlike you Ponies, I can't just shove a bush in my mouth and be satisfied. Do these fangs look like they belong to an herbivore?" Chrysalis shot back.

"Ponies do eat bushes. We eat hay, and fruit...and pastries, and candy...mmm, I haven't had candy in half a year." The filly was staring off into space now.

Chrysalis removed her dinner from the fire and stabbed it with her horn, satisfied with the temperature and the faint trickle of blood diluted with grease, she removed it and began to eat.

"Care to spare some of that?" Tirek asked.

"The corpse is right there." Chrysalis pointed her hoof towards the animal's body.

"Seriously, you too?" Cozy Glow.

"Oh relax, it's not like I'm putting you over the fire. Although Ponies taste much better." Tirek said, licking his lips at thought while harvesting his own chunk of flesh.

Cozy Glow's eyes shrank to pinpoints. "You've...eaten...Ponies!?"

Tirek was about to make another remark when his eyes widened in remembrance before his good mood vanished. "Yes...that's why my brother Scorpan betrayed me actually. He was all about helping me steal power, but when he saw how I treated the Ponies I drained, it was too much for him."

"Your brother sounds as weak as Thorax." Chrysalis commented.

"Yes. I'm sure. I wonder, which one of these 'Dark Gods' would make them suffer the most?" Tirek asked the Changeling.

"Probably Slaanesh, though I don't know too much about them, not even Tzeentch." Chrysalis replied.

"Hmm, so which one would make Equestria a better place for us if they took over for that lousy tree." Cozy Glow asked.

"None of them." Chrysalis answered immediately. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would much rather see those lousy Ponies going about their sickening peaceful lives than let Equestria be taken by the Dark Gods."

That got the other villains' attention. "WHAT!?"

"Think about it, while the Spirit of Harmony is a constant thorn in our side, it still leaves us alone and doesn't force the...ugh...'Magic of Friendship' down our throats. The Dark Gods are tyrants, if we don't devote ourselves to servitude, then they'll just torture us for their amusement. And you've seen what happens to you when you serve them." Chrysalis shuddered at the memory of her curse, as did the others.

"But, didn't Tzeentch do that because you failed him?" Cozy Glow asked the Changeling.

"Ha! I failed to finish the summoning because I was attacked by another servant of Chaos. And they punished me instead of him. Thinking back, they probably-no-definitely would've stabbed me in the back when I was no longer useful to them." Chrysalis explained.

"And their servants are after Grogar's bell, we better make sure to get it before they do." Tirek stated.

Cozy Glow let out a tired yawn. "Yeah well, considering how dangerous that mountain's supposed to be, I think we have to save it until morning. Good night."

The other villains agreed, Tirek and Chrysalis finished their meals and used their magic to vaporize the Ophiotaurus' corpse, and settled down to sleep.

The Next Morning

The villainous trio returned to the wooden cottage where Cozy Glow had discovered the Swamp Ponies, only to find it abandoned.

The three villains found a trail of hoofprints...and claw prints from a Dragon.

The villains followed the trail across numerous hazardous terrains as they scaled the mountain. Chrysalis used her various transformations to clear these obstacles, Tirek used his raw power, and the two stronger villains took turns helping Cozy Glow.

The three came to the end of the mountain...only to find that their objective was on a different mountain that was separated from the one they stood on by a large gap that led down several thousand feet.

"Uh, does anypony have an idea how to get across?" Cozy Glow asked her associates.

"Hmm, I do believe I saw some vines on our way here." Tirek pointed out.

"I can make that distance if I do this." Chrysalis transformed into a massive Roc. Spreading her wings in a display of power before taking flight to prove her point.

Unfortunately, the wind proved itself superior to the giant raptor's wing beats. Chrysalis only managed to scrape her talons against the ledge before she was blown to where she started with such force that the other two had to dodge her massive form.

Chrysalis changed back and rubbed her aching head while the other two came up to her. "So much for that approach." Tirek said.

"No no. She got close enough that if I were to ride in her talons, I could tie those vines you mentioned onto that rock over there." Cozy Glow pointed out a rock on the other side that was fused with the mountain.

The villains tried the filly's plan. Tirek leaving to gather the vines and swiftly returning. Cozy Glow tying the vines off on their end of the gap before Chrysalis transformed back into a Roc and took the filly in her talons across the ledge.

As she approached the point of losing to the wind, Chrysalis flung Cozy Glow onto the other ledge and turned back.

The filly tied off the vine, allowing her allies to join her...only one obstacle remained.

They heard their enemies long before they saw them. The Dragon that attacked Chrysalis and the Swamp Ponies that had attacked Cozy Glow were throwing Warpfire and Lightning Sneezes at a magical barrier that undoubtedly held Grogar's bell.

"That Dragon is mine." Chrysalis snarled.

"Fine, just make sure you win this time." Tirek replied.

Chrysalis gave no response. She took to the sky and charged her enemy, who was too busy with the barrier to notice until Chrysalis shot him in the back with a blast of magic.

Wasting no time, the Changeling transformed into an Ursa Minor once more and slammed both front paws into the dazed Dragon, pinning him against the barrier.

The Swamp Ponies sought to attack the Changeling while her back was turned, but found themselves in the telekinetic grasp of Tirek, who proceeded to absorb their energy.

Tirek awaited a delicious magical meal...but what entered his body was Warp Energy.

The Centaur was smart enough to spit it out immediately, but the experience left him in a gagging fit that disrupted his telekinetic hold on the Swamp Ponies.

Two of the Plaguebearers sneezed lightning at Tirek to keep him stunned while the other two sprinted forward to bite him and spread their plague.

The two charging Ponies halted their advance when they started to get pelted by rocks and sticks.

"TAKE THAT!!" Shouted Cozy Glow as she scored a shot on one of the Ponies' heads. But her confidence died as she realized that the other two were coming after her now.

With a scream of fright, Cozy Glow took off running. The two she had pelted with sticks and stones made to chase after her as well, only to find themselves in Tirek's telekinetic grip.

The Centaur only hesitated long enough to growl at them before throwing the two Ponies off the mountain where they plummeted to their deaths.

Meanwhile Cozy Glow had ran a full circle around the battleground before being relieved by Chrysalis. The Changeling turned Ursa Minor leapt between the filly and her pursuers with the Khornate Dragon's head between her jaws.

Chrysalis allowed the head to drop from snarling mouth before letting out a thunderous roar. The Swamp Ponies, Nurglite to the core, charged her anyway.

Chrysalis knew better than to let one bite her. Luckily, they were close enough together that one swipe of her paw was all it took to send them both flying.

The Swamp Ponies landed hard. One hitting it's head on a rock, the other landing on a rock that pierced through it's body. The former stayed down, never to rise again. But the latter pulled itself from it's bloody landing and limped back towards the closest enemy: Cozy Glow.

The final Swamp Pony, which Cozy recognized as the first one she saw, sneezed lightning at the filly one final time before Tirek threw him off the mountain.

Cozy was too shocked by the fact that the creature was still alive to dodge the attack. Luckily, Chrysalis threw up an energy shield just in time.

The battle was won, but Chrysalis was still uneasy. "That can't be all of them. Something has to have been controlling them."

"Who cares? Let's just get the bell and get out of here." Tirek said.

"And how do you plan to get through that barrier? It's far too powerful for us to get through." Chrysalis pointed out, showing where she had crushed the Khornate Dragon against said barrier.

"Can you absorb it?" Cozy Glow asked Tirek.

"I can only absorb magic from living beings." Tirek pointed out.

Cozy Glow pondered the situation with a hoof on her chin, before coming up with an idea. "Like her?" She directed Tirek's attention to Chrysalis.

Chrysalis caught on immediately and assumed a defensive stance. "Betrayal."

Cozy Glow held her hooves up. "Not betrayal, teamwork. If Tirek absorb's your energy, then he'll be strong enough to get through the barrier."

"And after?" Chrysalis inquired.

"He...gives it back?" Cozy Glow said unsure.

"I do?" Tirek mirrored her uncertainty.

Chrysalis had a number of concerns, but chose only to voice the greatest among them. "And what happens if the Daemon attacks us while I'm left defenseless?"

"What Daemon?" Said a newcomer's voice.

The voice drew the three villains attention to the cave, from which a being emerged from the barrier effortlessly, holding Grogar's bell in a telekinetic grip.

"I-it's one of them!" Tirek snarled as he channeled his magic.

Chrysalis knew exactly what he was talking about. Though she had only seen silhouettes, the shape was unmistakable. The beings she had summoned for Chaos, Grogar's mysterious allies, it was one of them.

The large bipedal being was dressed in robes and armor, wielding a bladed staff. His armor was black with a golden trim, and a crimson eye sat upon his heart.

The being looked around him. "Hmm, it would appear that the remaining fodder has been done away with. This world truly breeds pathetic creatures."

"Who are you?" Chrysalis said uncertain, her instincts screamed at her to attack...yet, they also told her to run.

"I am your replacement Alien. A servant of Tzeentch who came to succeed where you had failed." The Sorcerer declared.

"I failed nothing. Tzeentch betrayed me." Chrysalis declared.

The Sorcerer seemed to scoff. "How does one betray a tool that has lost it's usefulness?"

That did it. Chrysalis' fight or flight instinct had come to an agreement. The verdict: fight!

With a howl of fury, Chrysalis threw a powerful blast of magic towards the Sorcerer. The Sorcerer attached Grogar's bell to his waist and brought his free hand up to meet the attack, deflecting it with contemptuous ease.

Tirek chose to join in the fight and send his own blast of energy towards the Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer brought the head of his staff up to intercept Tirek's attack, and then waved the staff in an arc in front of him. Sending out a shock wave that knocked the three villains back, and almost threw Cozy Glow off the mountain.

The filly scrambled to get her back hooves back on solid ground...and then quickly realized that the Sorcerer had Chrysalis by the throat and Tirek under his boot.

"Hmm hmm hmm, truly pathetic, you creatures of Equestria. Even if you long for the embrace of darkness, you are tainted by the corruption of...what is the word? Oh yes, Friendship. Hmm hmm hmm heh heh heh hah hah hah haa."

Chrysalis answered this insult by once again transforming into an Ursa Minor...only for the Sorcerer to change her back against her will and keep her from transforming again. "Wh-what?"

"Did you really thing you could defy the Gods? You, who cannot even control a hive of sheep minded insects?" The Sorcerer inquired.

Chrysalis tried to fire another blast at him, but it was intercepted...by Tirek.

The Centaur shook the Sorcerer off him as his power skyrocketed, allowing him to grow twice as large as he once was.

With no time to enjoy himself, Tirek got down to business. Firing a far more powerful blast of energy at the Sorcerer, who planted his staff into the ground to meet the attack.

The clash sent snow flying everywhere, cracks appeared in the ground, and the Sorcerer began to skid backwards.

Tirek began to strain and sweat. The Sorcerer grunted and snarled as his back foot touched a wall behind him.

Tirek's struggle became harder. Even with Chrysalis' power added to his own, he couldn't overpower the Chaos Sorcerer, and would soon be thrown back. The thought of losing made him scream in defiance, but it was in vain.

A slight jangle drew the Sorcerer's attention to his side...where he saw Cozy trying to take the bell from him.

"NO!" The Sorcerer shouted as he reached a hand towards Cozy Glow...big mistake.

Tirek destroyed the Sorcerer's staff and pressed the attack. Driving the Sorcerer into the rocky mountain wall...and through it.

Tirek watched the Sorcerer fall through the clouds. After another second, he felt a brief itching in his gums, and wondered if that meant the powerful magic user had died.

He was pulled from the sight of the clouds by a slight movement in the pile of snow next to the hole in the wall.

"TAH DAH!" Cozy Glow shouted as she popped out of the snow with Grogar's bell in her hooves.

Tirek grinned at the sight of victory when a voice called out to him. "M-my magic..."

Tirek looked to Chrysalis expecting anger in her eyes, both only found fear and desperation.

The thought of ignoring her pleas and keeping her magic for himself crossed his mind, but thinking of how well they worked together in the fight made him ponder just how much more they could accomplish.

With a faint sigh, Tirek returned the Changeling's magic.

Chrysalis breathed a sigh of relief as she stood up. "I didn't think you'd give it back."

"Neither did I." Tirek confessed. "But...working together...just seemed smarter than to continue fighting."

"When we helped each other, it...felt better somehow." Cozy Glow added.

"I haven't felt like this since I lost my hive. Having others who will be there for you is...pleasing." Chrysalis confessed.

"...All these years...taking power from Ponies..." Tirek continued their shared train of thought.

"When you use your power to help others..." Cozy Glow left it open.

"Yes, it feels-" Chrysalis stopped dead as the words of the Sorcerer echoed through her mind. Even if you long for the embrace of darkness, you are tainted by the corruption of...what is the word? Oh yes, Friendship.

"NNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Chrysalis shouted, startling the other two out of their thoughts.

"The Magic of Friendship may be preferable to Chaos, but only in the same sense that a common cold is preferable to the flu. It's still a disease that subjugates you and binds you to servitude. And I refuse to serve" Chrysalis stated with absolute certainty.

"Same!" Cozy Glow said.

"Obviously." Tirek replied.

"So, back to keeping the bell for ourselves?" Cozy Glow questioned, to which the other two nodded.

Grogar's Lair

The three villains waited for Grogar's return with the bell safely hidden. In less then an hour after their own return, the Great Goat revealed himself.

"The bell?" Grogar held his hoof out.

Cozy Glow donned her most pitiful face. "W-we're sorry Lord Grogar, we just couldn'-" The filly's pleas were cut off when she and the other two were slammed to the ground by Grogar's magic.

"I was not speaking to you. Omegon?" Grogar asked someone behind the villains.

The jangle of a bell was accompanied by an all too familiar voice. "I've found it, My Lord."

The Sorcerer the villains had thought they had defeated stepped out from behind them with Grogar's bell in his hand.

The Sorcerer returned the bell to it's owner and, with a wave of his staff, transformed his black and gold armor and robes into blue and green armor. "Also, I'm Alpharius."

Grogar ignored the Alpha Legionnare...and the second one that appeared at his other side, and kept his eyes squarely on the three villains. "Did you honestly think I would be stupid enough to trust you at your word?"

Chrysalis snarled in defiance. "Did you think we would be that stupid? You're no different than us, than Chaos, you just want Equestria for yourself, and for us to bow before you just like the Ponies."

"And you thought you could stop me? You'd have better luck enrolling Abaddon into Twilight's School." Grogar sneered.

"Don't worry, you'll get a second chance. But you'll be powerless until I see fit to trust you again...at least you know how to work together now." With that, Grogar pointed his bell towards the villains and rung it...nothing happened.

Grogar looked at the bell before trying again, starting to lose his composure as the bell refused to work. "ALPHARIUS!! IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE!!"

"You sent Omegon to watch over these three remember? What made you think I had it?" Alpharius asked with a sincere voice that made Cozy Glow jealous.

"STOP MESSING AROUND YOU FOOLS!! WHERE'S THE REAL BELL!?" Grogar shouted.

"We'll give you a hint My Lord." Omegon said.

Grogar made ready to voice his anger, when...

GONG!

Grogar turned to the sound just as he was struck by a black and gold energy wave that drained him of his power...and revealed his true form.

Discord hit the ground, weak and exhausted. The three villains gaped in shock before they and the Draconequus turned to the direction of the attack.

Standing on a very narrow ledge overlooking the group, Grogar's bell dangling from one of their fingers, was a tall lithe being clothed in bright vibrant colors, and wearing a horned mask.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS TALLIK!?" Discord shouted.

"It's nothing personal Discord Bringer, but I'm afraid your time amongst the Ponies of Equestria has made you soft." The Solitare stated.

"WHAT!? I KNOW YOU'RE A HARLEQUIN, BUT DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!!" Discord continued shouting.

"This is no laughing matter My Lord." Alpharius stated.

"The Ponies of Equestria must be forged in the fires of war. And while The Cabal was hesitant to let their next test be villains from their past, their faith in you was lost completely when they realized you had no intention of allowing them to face real danger." Omegon added.

"WELL WE CAN'T LET THEM DIE YOU IDIOTS!! THAT WOULD DEFEAT THE ENTIRE PURPOSE!!" Discord roared with rage.

"No. We can't let them all die." Alpharius stated grimly.

"But when forging a blade, the slag must be done away with." Omegon continued.

"Which is why my troupe has picked out a weaker warband to be Equestria's forging fire." Tallik concluded.

"A WARBAND!? OF WHAT!? ORKS!? CHAOS!?" Discord wasn't angry anymore. There was fear in his voice.

"No...my cousins." The Eldar said.

Discord's eyes shrank down to pinpoints and he said nothing more.

"I am sorry My Lord, but this is for the good of all. You know what's at stake." Alpharius said before he and Omegon teleported away while Tallik simply walked out while he owned the place.

"...No...NO!!!" Discord regained his senses and made to run. He had to warn them. He had to tell them what was coming.

Discord was halted in his tracks and dragged backwards by telekinesis. "And just do you think you're going?" Came the very irate voice of Chrysalis.

Author's Note

DUH DUH DUUUUH!!!! I have waited a looong time to drop this bomb.

Okay, to clarify: Discord is a part of The Cabal: an empire built around manipulating events through the shadows that convinced the Alpha Legion to betray the Imperium as the only means to ensure the destruction of Chaos.

But Eldrad Ulthran, the Eldar's head honcho of that time, foresaw humanity's necessity in the destruction of Chaos, and fought an unseen war with the Cabal during the Horus Heresy that ended when, and this is the quote, Eldrad announced that The Cabal had been exterminated.

If an Eldar announces anything, forget the grain, take that with a brick of salt.

So what're they doing here, and why are Harlequins helping them? Well that's not for this chapter.

Speaking of this chapter...yeah, I was not happy with Discord's stupidity in Season 9, so I decided to soften it a bit, pardon the creative freedom.

And coming up next, Dark Eldar! Oh boy, Greenskin's gonna go off the deep end when he finds out that he's been bamboozled again.

And how is Discord going to get the word out? Will he get the word out? Is there anything he can do or say to convince Chrysalis and the others of the coming darkness? Find out next time.

Also: I am making headway on the next chapter of The Lion's Heresy, but it's going to be longer than the first chapter because it starts with Rarity's pov during the Unification Wars rather than Fulgrim landing on Chemos.

Alright, that's all I got. See you next time.