The Owl House: Friendship Forever

Chapters

Infiltration
Family Drama
A Familiar Face
No Place Like Home…Sort of
From Nobody to Nightmare
The Friendship of Evil
Defeating Evil with Evil
Watching and Waiting
A Villainous Awakening
Sneaky and Sneakier

Infiltration

The Treacherous Trio carefully climbed down the hill that led into a dark forest. They looked up towards the red sky and saw strange flying creatures calling to each other.

Then they noticed two mice with skull-looking faces sniffing around until they noticed the puzzled trio. They ran off into the darkness, fading into obscurity.

“Mount Everfree had its fair share of dangerous creatures, but it was nowhere like this,” said Chrysalis, staring at a one-eyed beast eating a tree branch.

“Certainly, the queen of the changelings isn’t scared of anything, hm?” Tirek taunted, smirking.

“I fear NOTHING!” Chrysalis hissed. “I’ve scared off beasts of darkness before, and this strange world will be no different—although we’re walking right into a massive carcass that just smells like ancient times.”

“Eh, Grogar’s cavern had a much worst scent. I’m sure we can manage,” assured Cozy.

As they were still looking around in the woods, Tirek noticed something familiar on the ground. He walked toward the source of his attention and saw a hoof print on the dirt. He picked up a piece of the dirt, chewed it, and scrutinized the taste.

“What is it?”

“This creature isn’t a native of this world; something—or somepony is from Equestria…and has stepped hoof somewhere around here,” Tirek reported.

“Could it be somepony we know?” Cozy asked.

“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we aren’t the only Equestrians in this mysterious planet. We need to find that creature and force them to find us a way back home,” suggested Tirek.

“Very good. Follow me. The faster we find something useful, the better,” Chrysalis ordered.

But the centaur grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. “No, I am in charge now. You’ve already done enough.”

Chrysalis widened her eyes in surprise. “Excuse me?! Chrysalis obeys no one!! Everypony always does what I say!!”

“You were the one who led us into disaster! Had you followed my leadership, we would still be conquering Equestria right now! I’m asking you this once: STAND DOWN,” Tirek angrily commanded, eyes beaming yellow.

Chrysalis was about to fiercely roar at him, but Cozy held her back—shaking her head.

Screaming internally in defeat, Chrysalis breathed deeply in and out. “Fine. Lead the way, Lord Tirek.”

Grinning in satisfaction, Tirek led them out of the forest and beheld something interesting in the middle of the isles…civilization.

“There’s sentient life in a corpse? Never thought that would be a thing,” Cozy observed.

“Hmm, perhaps they will be somewhat useful to us. If we reach to the right people, they can direct us to the creature we’re looking for,” Tirek surmised.

“Assuming they even know who that creature is,” doubted Chrysalis.

“Even if they don’t, we will not stop until we get what we want. Then we will exact vengeance on Twilight and her friends…slowly and painfully,” Tirek evilly grinned.

Chrysalis and Cozy chuckled together. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get down there and have some fun!”

“Not so fast, Cozy. We need to be smart about this.”

The girls groaned in annoyance as Tirek laid out the plan.

“First, we need to find some way to disguise ourselves. The last thing we need is to call unnecessary attention to ourselves. Second, we look for the person in charge of the town; if they know who this Equestrian is and can direct us to him, then we will keep him prisoner until he takes us back home. Any questions?”

Chrysalis raised her hoof. “Yes. How exactly can we keep a low profile? Without my magic, this will be impossible to pull off.”

“Maybe Tirek can remedy that. With his new magic, it could be…helpful?” Cozy suggested.

“Let me try.” As Tirek generated an aurora of blue light, the magic surrounded them all and clothed them with gray garments with hoods.

“That’s it?! That’s all it can do?!” Chrysalis shouted.

“(Sigh) This will have to do. Come on, we need to get going,” ordered Tirek.

Back in the forest, Jacob struggled to free himself from the tree branches as his jacket got caught. Then he finally dropped to the ground and picked up his glasses.

“Ugh, man. That really hurt. (Gasp) Can—can it be? Is this the Boiling…Islands or whatever?”

He looked around and saw his new surroundings…and a sign that pointed to the direction of the local town.

“Those creatures must be looking for their power source. I gotta get that jar before they do! Jacob Hopkins will be an honorary legend for my world to witness! I will not eat or drink until I prove that these demons are real!!” he vowed.

Suddenly, his stomach started to growl.

“Umm…that is…until after I get something for breakfast. Then I won’t eat anything after!”

Then he started to scratch his head. “Wait…what do those demons eat? I bet they eat human flesh and bones for lunch! AND TEETH!” he shouted, clenching his fists.

“Ooohhh, they won’t get my wisdom teeth that easily. The only teeth they’ll get will be my daggers of justice! Hmmm, that sounds a little corny, but that’s all I got. Now, where did that jar go?”

He sniffed on the dirt until he saw an echo mouse crawl next to him. “Ah-ha!” he pointed.

Startled, the critter ran off to the isles. Jacob chased after it while using his slingshot.

“Get back here, you little devil! Feel my wrath!” he yelled, crazily laughing.

Luz just finished her studies for the day at the University of Wild Magic. As she and the other students returned to their dorms, she took a nice look at the sky—admiring its beauty.

Happily sighing, she walked inside and returned to her own dorm room.

“Another day in college sadly concluded…but not this,” she grinned, opening her notebook.

She began to re-review the notes she took in one of her classes and focused her attention on the new spells she had to learn. At that moment, she grabbed her other notebook that had the iconic spell she once mastered.

She sadly sighed, thinking back on the Titan and the conversation they had together years ago. She almost shed a tear as she thought back on old memories.

Suddenly, something knocked on her window. Looking behind her, she saw Amity holding a basket on her left arm. Smiling brightly, she opened the window and let her in.

“Amity!”

“Sorry, sweet potato, I’m a little late. It hasn’t been an easy day for me,” she apologized, giving her a basket full of treats.

“No, no, no, it’s fine! I just didn’t expect to see you here,” Luz replied.

“I just wanted to give you something as a good luck charm for your second semester. Hope you…like ‘em,” Amity smiled.

As Luz opened the basket, she saw multiple plates filled with fairy pies and bug cupcakes.

“Heh, it’s amazing how I’ve gotten so used to this. It almost feels like I’m an actual resident here even though I’m…from a different world,” Luz sighed.

“You’ve come a long way, Luz. (Chuckles) I still remember the time when I nearly got you dismembered at Hexside.”

Luz laughed. “Yeah, that was insane. And look at us now: from enemies to lovers.”

Amity and Luz blushed together and shared a kiss. Once they broke the embrace, the latter sat back down on the chair and skimmed through old photos of their younger years.

“You ever felt like you wanted to relive the best years of your life? That nostalgic sort of feeling?” Luz asked.

“Honestly…yeah—like, every day, I would always reflect on those times. It feels like yesterday we just defeated Belos and saved the Boiling Isles,” replied Amity.

“I know, right? I’m never gonna stop feeling like time flies!”

The girls looked at the pictures of them dating in random parks, having dinner together, flying together, and much more. They even had photos of having fun with their other friends: Eda, King, Hunter, Willow, and Gus.

“The good thing is that no matter what life throws at us, we’ll always make good memories out of it. Just like we’ve done before,” said Amity, holding Luz’s hand.

“Yep. And try to block out bad memories—if you know what I mean,” added Luz, slightly grinning.

“Oh yeah, that’s all behind us now. We have a great future ahead of us,” Amity agreed, laying her head on Luz’s shoulder.

They sat together silently for a few minutes, pondering on their past life and their future plans.

Afterwards, Amity stood up and exited through the window. “I gotta go. Need to adjust my work schedule with Lilith for tomorrow.”

“Alright. Buenas noches, mi amor,” Luz smiled.

Amity kissed her on the cheek and then left. Then the sun was finally set for the night.

Closing the window, Luz turned her night light on. Then she once again looked back at the light glyph in her old notebook; she laid her hand on it and briefly closed her eyes.

Nodding to it, she closed the notebook and prepared for bed.

Family Drama

Tirek and Chrysalis walked through the woods while following Kikimora. But as the duo were trailing behind, the centaur noticed that the hoof prints were no longer visible.

Narrowing his eyes, he focused his attention on the midget who was unaware of his suspicion.

“This creature is clearly misdirecting us. If I can get a little closer to her, I might find out what she’s planning,” Tirek planned.

Finally, they stopped in front of two stone pillars in the middle of the forest. Grinning, Kikimora turned around and said, “This is where the birdman was last heard. Legends say that the only way to summon him is to knock on these pillars three times…slowly.”

Tirek and Chrysalis raised their eyebrows in curiosity. Kikimora then proceeded to do exactly that: slowly knocking on the pillars three times.

“However…not many witches survived to tell the tale,” she continued. “Some have tried to capture the beast whereas others…(scoffs)…tried to make friends with it. With my help, the creature will think twice before making any sudden moves.”

“Interesting. But it seems like we’re going in the wrong direction,” Tirek observed. “Are you certain this is the right way?”

“Why, of course! I’ve been tracking him or years! I know how he works! Don’t you trust me?” Kikimora assured.

Then Chrysalis glared daggers at her while pointing her sharp horn at her face. “I know a mischievous liar when I see one. You better hope this is the right way because if not…he won’t be the only one you should fear…”

At that moment, the ground started to rumble. Tirek and Chrysalis looked around concerned while the demon smirked at them.

“Don’t bother. I got you exactly where I want you,” she chuckled.

A deep growl could be heard just from underneath the dirt. Startled, the duo looked around to see where it came from.

After a few moments of silence, the ground shook violently while another monstrous growl echoed from beneath. That time, Tirek and Chrysalis got into their defensive positions.

“What in Tartarus is that?!”

“Seems like the creature has found us already,” the centaur deduced. “It’s just as I suspected.”

“Suspected what?” Chrysalis asked.

“Your immediate DEMISE!!” the demon shouted.

Without warning, a gigantic worm covered with pink diamond armor emerged from the ground. It angrily roared at the villainous duo before it hissed hungrily at them.

“What is that hideous abomination?!” Chrysalis demanded.

“My greatest discovery, bug! For four years, I’ve plotted to retake the Boiling Isles for myself after the Emperor was defeated. I came across this beautiful beast not too long ago, and I just knew it would be the perfect tool to destroy my enemies!” Kikimora explained.

“And what exactly does your little scheme have to do with us?” Tirek asked.

“Well…it’s hungry. It hasn’t eaten in weeks, and I haven’t been able to provide it with the right nutrients it needs. But seeing you two…especially you, Mr. Tirek after the way you displayed your magical power—eating you will give it all the power in the world to retake the Isles! Everyone will fear the name of Kikimora!!!”

“I had a feeling she was gonna betray us, and I’m honestly not surprised,” said Tirek.

“Neither am I, and I won’t stand for this insignificant treachery!” Chrysalis yelled.

Then the worm beast lunged forward and opened its large mandibles. The villains jumped out of the way and ran for cover. Tirek ignited his horns and cast a spell on the beast; it sadly did not slow him down which made it only more angry.

It raised one of its claws and smacked the centaur into the air. Chrysalis then ran forward and bit the giant worm on the back. The beast roared in pain and threw her off him.

The determined changeling then smacked her lips as she tasted some of the fluids from the worm. “Mmmm, it’s nowhere as satisfying as the sweet essence of love, but it’ll do. I can always readjust my diet,” she smirked.

Growling furiously, the worm lunged right at her with its mandibles and claws displayed. Then Tirek jumped in front of her and blasted the creature with more diluted magic; annoyed by their resistance, the worm grabbed them with its claws, slammed them on the ground, and then smacked them across the forest.

Tirek and Chrysalis groaned as they tried to get back up, but the worm restrained them with its legs.

“With your magic, the beast and I will be unstoppable! Kikimora will reign forever as the Queen of the Isles! Hahahahahaha!!!”

Suddenly, a mysterious birdman descended from above and dropkicked the worm into the dirt.

“What?!” the demon yelped.

The stranger grabbed the worm with his bare hands and threw it around in a circle over and over and over until it got dizzy. Then he threw the beast against a mountain, completely knocking it unconscious.

As the birdman glared at the demon, the latter tried to run away. The hero used his telekinetic abilities to grab her and tie her up with vines.

“NO!! You can’t be real!! You’re just a myth!! I don’t—!” Kikimora’s mouth was then gagged with a giant eyeball.

Once the creature was finished, he stood up and faced the astonished villains. “I never thought we would reunite like this, but…it is good to see you again…brother.”

Tirek widened his eyes in complete shock as he beheld the very person he never thought he would see again.

“Scorpan??”

“Wait, wait, that…is your brother?” Chrysalis asked, arching her eyebrow.

Tirek took three steps back as he locked eyes with his former companion. His shocked eyes slowly transitioned to a look of pain and fierce anger. “Yes…the one who turned his back on me…”

Scorpan stretched out his arms to him and looked at him with compassion. “Welcome to the Boiling Isles, brother. I am surprised to find you here of all places, but at least you—OOF!!”

Tirek punched him in the face and grabbed him by the throat. “YOU!!!!! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE TO ME!!!! YOU TRAITOR!!! YOU. RUINED. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!”

“Oh, my…family drama. This can be interesting,” Chrysalis chuckled, sitting down and watching.

Scorpan, however, showed no reaction to his violent outburst. Instead, he let Tirek continuously punch him despite the fact he felt no pain from the blows. Once the centaur was finished, he took a deep breath and relaxed.

“Feeling better? Got all that bottled-up anger out?”

“You have a LOT of nerve showing up here…you should’ve died a long time ago,” Tirek sneered.

“Well, be grateful I’m still alive; otherwise, that worm would’ve had you for lunch by now,” Scorpan retorted, smirking.

Tirek then groaned in annoyance. “I see you haven’t changed at all. You’re still the same self-righteous know-it-all just like before.”

“Ha, I can say the same about you. But I do wonder: how did you escape Tartarus? I thought Princess Celestia made sure you never saw the light of day?”

“I don’t answer to you, you pompous turncoat! I never forgot the day you turned against me—the day you wronged me after everything we’ve done together,” Tirek said, glaring daggers.

“Tirek, I did not betray you! I never did! I simply realized that stealing magic from ponies was wrong. Starswirl showed me the truth, and I listened. Why couldn’t you do the same?”

“Because that was my destiny!! OUR destiny!!! We could’ve ruled Equestria for generations together! But because you got so soft and weak from friendship, you threw it all away!”

“No, Tirek, it was you who ruined our chance of happiness,” Scorpan accused, frowning. “I tried to do for you what Starswirl did for me. These ponies showed me that giving is more beneficial than taking; they showed me that friendship is more valuable than mere power. It gave me a better perspective on life…and joy.”

“Those ponies blinded you. Friendship is nothing more than a miserable imprisonment—stripping you of your true potential just so you can grovel at the hooves of pretentious imbeciles,” Tirek scoffed.

“I’m sorry you still feel that way…look, I don’t want any more feud to exist between us. If you just—,”

“Oh, now you don’t want any more conflict?! Too late for that, traitor!”

“Tirek, Tirek, listen to me!! Please! Just hear me out, okay?” Scorpan pleaded.

“I don’t wanna hear any more lies come out of your treacherous mouth!! I don’t know why you’re here of all places, but as far as I’m concerned, you DON’T exist to me anymore! YOU’RE NOTHING!! I don’t care you ruled the Centaur Kingdom or about your father or anything—,”

“I RAN AWAY FROM HOME!!”

Tirek was caught off-guard both by his sudden outburst and by the revealed truth. “What?”

“It’s true…I never came back. After you were imprisoned in Tartarus, things were never the same—and neither was I,” revealed Scorpan, looking down sadly.

Scorpan flew back to the Centaur Kingdom with a sorrowful look on his face. Sighing deeply, he walked inside the palace where King Vorak was waiting for him.

As he entered the throne room, Vorak stood up and motioned his servants to leave. After they left, he stepped down from the throne and hugged his son.

“Is it done?”

“Yes.”

“I’m very proud of you, Scorpan. You did both Equestria and our own kingdom a huge favor,” Vorak congratulated.

Scorpan, however, could only frown without looking at his face.

“I believe it is for the best of the kingdom if I hand down my crown unto you.”

Scorpan then looked up at him in shock.

“Yes, I know. It is a big responsibility, but you have demonstrated time and time again that you are capable of leading this kingdom to glory. The ceremony will begin shortly,” said Vorak.

But before he could say anything else further, Scorpan angrily slammed his fist on a table—breaking it in half.

“You cannot be serious, father. Your own flesh and blood is in chains, yet you seemed to not give a single feather about him! Why aren’t you sad over this?! How can I live with the fact that my own brother is in Tartarus, knowing he could’ve been a great ally for Equestria?!”

“Son, I—,”

“And you don’t seem concerned over the fact that mother is outside mourning. Or do you feel happy about that because she no longer has her favorite son around?” Scorpan accused.

“Son! Where is this all coming from?”

“Don’t you get it?! He’s the way he is because of YOU!! He tried so hard to please you, yet you’ve never shown him any sign of affection or approval! And you still don’t care!!”

Vorak stood in silence, flabbergasted at everything he heard.

“I don’t deserve the throne…and neither do you. I lost my best friend today, so…I’m gonna give him a proper farewell,” said Scorpan, leaving his father shocked and confused.

As he departed from the palace with his belongings, he shifted his attention to Equestria which was at a very far distance. Shedding tears, he weakly waved at the air. “Goodbye, brother. I forgive you.”

Then he flew away.

But as soon as he landed on the ground, he found himself sinking in quicksand. Struggling to get out, he tried to open his wings but ended up being flushed right through a portal.

After he opened his eyes, he gazed at the sight of a giant, barran carcass laid across the landscape. Observing his new surroundings, he grabbed his stuff and walked down the hill.

“That’s how I ended up here,” Scorpan finished.

“How long have you been here?” Chrysalis asked.

“I’ve been here for so long I…honestly lost count. But regardless, this world is filled with wonders, both the good…and the bad,” he replied, looking at the tied-up Kikimora. “It may not be Equestria…but it’s worth fighting for.”

Tirek stood still as he processed all the information he heard. Looking at him confused, he got closer to the gargoyle. “So…you left home…because you felt pity for me? You abandoned your own people all because of me???”

“(Sigh) I didn’t want to take Father’s place with the knowledge that I couldn’t save my brother from his own pride. Why should I rule a kingdom who neglected a wayward child? Taking the throne would’ve meant I agreed with Father’s poor treatment of you,” replied Scorpan.

Tirek took a moment to ponder on that. “Why do I find that so hard to believe? If what you’re saying is true, then—then I’m honestly surprised you would do that.”

“Believe it or not, I care that much about you. I never forgot our brotherhood.”

Then Tirek snapped out of his epiphany and glared back at him. “Well, that still doesn’t change the fact you betrayed me. I’ll never forgive you for that!”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Scorpan replied, rolling his eyes.

“Well then, now that we settled this dramatic family discussion, let’s get back to what’s really important: returning to Equestria. Your brother and I have been stranded in this world for a while now, and we discovered some hoof prints that lead us to conclude that a pony is in this land. We initially planned to capture that pony and force him to take us back home,” explained Chrysalis. “But now that you’re here, perhaps you could do the job.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on for a moment. I don’t think you introduced yourself yet,” said Scorpan who then nudged his brother. “Is she a friend of yours? Or maybe…your girlfriend?”

Tirek and Chrysalis were baffled at the question and instantly shook their heads in disgust. “What?! Eww! No! She’s just an associate!”

“I am Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings! Tirek is FAR from being my type!”

Scorpan chuckled at their reactions. “Forgive me, then. I’ll give you two more time to know each other before you make your commitment.”

“I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor,” Tirek observed, annoyed.

“Never have, never will,” Scorpan nodded, winking.

“Whatever. Anyway, we aren’t the only ones who got stranded here; we have a friend back in town who is with us. Once she is finished with her task, you’ll help us get our real magic back and then take us back home,” said Tirek.

“Wait…did you say ‘friend’?”

Tirek widened his eyes and cleared his throat. “No, no, I meant…uh, co-worker! Partner-in-crime!”

Scorpan again smirked at him.

“Shut up!”

“Well then, brother, I obviously can’t take you back in Equestrian society as you obviously have ill intentions; however, I’ll be more than happy to show you around my home. Are you guys hungry?”

“If there aren’t any defenseless creatures to drain love from, no thank you,” Chrysalis replied, lifting her head high.

“I have some pests that seem to thrive on…well…that,” Scorpan assured.

Chrysalis’s eyes shot wide open. “Then yes!”

Tirek crossed his arms and grumbled. “Come on, Recky-Wecky! Just like good old times!”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Tirek shouted, blushing.

“Hahaha! That’s your pet name?” Chrysalis laughed.

“Oh yeah, our mother used to call him that all the time. They were very close.”

“Aww, such a sweet Mommy’s boy!” Chrysalis teased.

“I hate you guys so much!!” Tirek growled, smoke blowing from his nose.

“Alright, we gotta get going. More unwanted guests may show up,” said Scorpan.

“Lead the way. By the way, there are some additional details you should know about,” said Chrysalis.

“You don’t say? Such as how Tirek escaped from Tartarus in the first place?” Scorpan asked.

“Well…it’s a very long story.”

Once the trio left, Jacob peeked through the bushes and spied on the unsuspecting creatures. Putting his binoculars away, he grabbed his map and drew a line across the direction he planned to go.

“You’re not getting away that easily, demon filth. Time to make history,” he grinned.

A Familiar Face

As class was finished, Cozy Glow stepped outside and eyed everybody as they all exited the university. Scrutinizing each student, Cozy grabbed her pencil and paper and wrote all her thoughts about each of them.

“These so-called top students weren’t all that impressive,” she scoffed. “And I thought my old classmates were pathetic! But there is one creature who did pretty well…”

As on cue, Luz exited the school and waved at her. “See ya later, Cozy! Keep studying!”

“You too, study buddy!” Cozy waved back, smiling. As soon as Luz was out of sight, Cozy instantly grinned.

“I like her. Judging by her personality, she seems really enthusiastic and eager to learn basically anything. Heh, heh, heh, she has no idea what’s in store for her,” Cozy evilly chuckled.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. “Oh wait! I almost forgot about Tirek and Chrysalis! I hope they’re doing alright; they might be itching closer to finding the pony who could take us back home.”

At that moment, she noticed strange hoof prints on the dirt and saw that they came from the nearby forest.

Then her wicked smile grew wide. “Looks like he won’t be that hard to find. My fellow evildoers will be so proud once they see me capture him!”

Thus, she trotted to the woods—closely following the hoof prints to its unsuspecting source.

As Cozy closed in, she heard some hoof steps not far from her. Curious, she picked up the pace and ran toward the noise. There, she noticed a hooded figure covered with leaves.

The creature looked around and trotted to the other side of the forest. This made Cozy sprint forward and jump on the interloper. “Ah-ha! Gotcha!”

The two struggled for a bit until they fell down the hill and stumbled upon an eyeball field. The creature threw the filly off and stood upon his hooves.

“I know you’re the pony we’re looking for! Show us the way back to Equestria!” Cozy demanded, grabbing his leaf-covered garment.

She forcibly removed the garment, revealing the identity of the stranger. Cozy dropped her jaw in shock—not happy to find out who it was.

“YOU AGAIN?!?”

The elderly stallion shook his head and squinted his eyes. “Hey…aren’t you the filly who tried to sneak into Mount Everhoof? What are you doing here in the middle of a dangerous forest?”

“Me?! What are you doing here, Rusty Bucket?!” Cozy angrily shouted.

“Well, I got a little tired from guarding the mountain for so long, so I decided to take a little break,” Rusty explained. “I just so happened to stumble upon some form of quicksand that somehow brought me here. How and why? I have no clue.”

Cozy arched her eyebrow in confusion. “Huh? That doesn’t make any sense. But regardless, I hoped it would be somepony who would be easy to trick, NOT YOU!”

Then Rusty Bucket frowned at her. “Are you still mad I wouldn’t let you past me at Mount Everhoof? Did you seriously want to get hurt by the snow? I still don’t understand why you wanted to be up there so badly.”

“Did you know there was an ancient relic that contained all-powerful magic being kept up there?” Cozy asked.

“No? I was only guarding the mountain to keep ponies away from dangerous winds and snow. Wasn’t it obvious?” Rusty replied.

Cozy growled in frustration. “I and my buddies wanted to get up there to grab it and use it to conquer Equestria! WE’RE VILLAINS! That is why I’ve been trying to trick you to help me up the mountain!!”

“Ohhhhhh…alright. I get it.”

Cozy was baffled at his casual response. “Excuse me? Aren’t you supposed to be terrified?!”

“Look, kid, I’ve seen your villainous types before. Do you really think you’re the first one I’ve met who tried to manipulate me for some sinister purpose?”

Cozy widened her eyes. “You’ve…met other villains?”

“Well, no, but I have met one creature who…well…he wasn’t exactly from Equestria,” said Rusty. “He also tried to deceive me, but I saw his act right away. But the scary part was that he wasn’t mad. He…strangely thanked me for being wise. And then he left. That shook me a little bit.”

“Really? What did he look like?”

“He looked bipedal, and he had that weird burning red spot on his chest. And those eyes—those burning red eyes…they just screamed evil,” Rusty replied, shivering.

Suddenly, a giant lizard with four eyes and eagle wings leaped into the air and landed before them. Rusty and Cozy looked up to see the monster lick its lips and roar at them.

“AHHH! GIANT LIZARD!!” Cozy screamed, hiding behind Rusty’s legs.

However, the old pony walked up to the beast and pressed his right hoof on its snout. He then closed his eyes and hummed harmoniously. This made the lizard calm down and bow its head submissively.

Cozy witnessed this with utmost amazement.

“That’s a good girl. You don’t wanna hurt us, don’t you?” Rusty spoke, smiling.

The lizard affectionately growled and licked Rusty. The latter then climbed on the monster and pointed her to a direction he wanted to take.

“Welp, see ya around, kid! Got some adventuring to do!”

“Wait! I…uh…” Cozy stammered, thinking of a plan. “I’m…a little lost, and my friends may be…looking for me. Maybe you can help me find them?”

Rusty narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “This isn’t one of your little tricks, is it?”

“No, no, no! I promise you it isn’t! Besides, this forest is no place for a poor little filly like me, don’t you think?” Cozy argued, making puppy dog eyes.

“Hmm, I suppose. Alright, come along, kid,” Rusty invited. Cozy jumped on board next to him.

“Hey, don’t you fly?”

“Well…it’s a long story. I’ll explain on the way,” said Cozy.

“Very well. Let’s go, girl!” Rusty commanded.

The lizard flapped her wings and flew off to the sky.

“Hey, wait a minute. I don’t think I ever got your name!”

“Oh yeah! I’m Cozy Glow.”

“Cozy Glow? Huh, that’s a nice name. So why did you choose a life of villainy? Did something happen in your life?”

Cozy’s smile disappeared and looked down. “I—I…don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Ohhh…it’s that bad, huh?”

“No! It’s a—well—it’s complicated! Don’t ask!”

“I get it. It makes sense why you consider your compatriots to be…parental figures. Your real parents never showed you much love, did they?”

Cozy’s eye twitched in anger. “Shut up…”

Rusty dryly chuckled. “It all makes sense now. It’s no wonder why you feel so entitled to dominate everyone you meet. Nopony ever told you ‘no’, and nopony ever had the guts to say ‘no’ to you.”

“I said shut up!”

“Your folks must’ve left you behind and thought you were useless to them. You were just an accident to them.”

“I’M NOT LISTENING!!” Cozy shouted, closing her ears.

“Well, I’m gonna tell you right now, Cozy, that you aren’t the only one who had a terrible foalhood…because I’ve been there…” Rusty confessed, looking at her sadly.

Cozy opened her eyes flabbergasted. “What?”

“It’s true. My folks never loved me either; my mother was obsessed with making bits for our family while my father was—well, he had a short temper. They looked at me as if I were an afterthought—a disposable item…like this,” he explained, pointing at his bucket.

“Is that why…?”

“Yes…except I had a worse name: Stupid Bucket. They would often put me in a bucket and toss me around without caring about my wellbeing. Eventually, they got bored of me and kicked me out.”

Cozy looked dumbfounded.

“I knew I couldn’t go back, so I had to venture out in the wilderness and fend for myself. That’s how I came across Mount Everhoof; it wasn’t just a mountain…it was also my home. There, I taught myself everything I needed to learn: hard work, dedication, sacrifice, happiness, and most importantly…friendship.”

Cozy listened sadly, reflecting on his words.

“I was no longer Stupid Bucket from that day onward; I threw away that bucket and replaced it with a rusty one I found at a barn. Hence the name Rusty Bucket!”

Cozy then scoffed at him. “Seriously? You need a bucket to define your identity? You’re crazy…”

“Call me what you like. I wear it as a symbol of my true strength. I may be rusty with age, but this bucket still got the touch and the power!” Rusty proudly declared.

“Whatever you say, grandpa,” Cozy grumbled.

“Throughout the years I’ve lived in Equestria, I learned of the dangers that surround Mount Everhoof and swore myself that I’ll do everything in my power to keep ponies away from it. It became my life’s purpose ever since.”

“Unfortunately…” Cozy sneered.

“Although I don’t approve of your villainous ways, I can understand why you chose that shapeshifter and the centaur as your new family,” Rusty continued, lifting Cozy’s chin. “Maybe one day, you’ll learn to appreciate the magic of friendship. Heck, you three might already be learning how to be friends!”

Cozy then glared at him and slapped his hoof away. “I already have! Friendship is power, and no magic in the universe can ever stop me from taking it!!”

She then blushed in embarrassment and cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’m sorry you had an awful foalhood. Everything you said about me is correct. I…didn’t exactly had a cheerful upbringing either.”

“Welcome to the club, kiddo,” Rusty nodded.

“Soooo…will you help us get back to Equestria?”

“Sure, I can. As long as you don’t hurt anypony, I’ll make sure to get you and your folks back home safe and sound.”

Cozy then mischievously smirked. “Oh…I promise.”

Rusty then randomly looked down. “Hey, it’s that human creature down there!”

Cozy also looked down and saw Luz talking with her friends at the Owl House. “That’s Luz!”

“You know her?”

“Yeah, we just met earlier today at the University of Wild Magic! She’s everything I ever need in a friend!” Cozy happily replied.

“You know, I’ve always wondered if other members of her species are like her; we’ve never met, but she seems to be very optimistic about everything—so smart and thoughtful. It’s a shame she’s the only human around here,” said Rusty.

“Well…you’ll be surprised. She’s not the only one here…”

“Oh?”

“There’s a creepy dude who is also a human—he captured me and my friends and stole our magic. He’s the reason why we’re stranded here in the first place. We need to find that jar so we can get our magic back, kick his butt, and get back to Equastria…with your help,” Cozy explained.

“Wow! So that’s why you can’t fly. Whatever he is planning, it can’t be good. We’ll have to work together so we can get this resolved,” said Rusty.

“Oh…great,” Cozy groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Plus, it’ll be nice to get to know your friends. I certainly remember the time you all brought an avalanche down on my head.”

“Hehe, that was funny!” Cozy giggled.

“I know we got off on the wrong hoof, but maybe we can be real friends this time. Okay, Cozy? Something to think about…”

“I highly doubt it,” she mumbled, crossing her arms.

No Place Like Home…Sort of

“Welcome…to my new home,” Scorpan greeted, opening the front door of his house.

Tirek and Chrysalis looked around his home and saw only one couch made out of stone, a fireplace, a bed made of hay, and a wooden cabinet where there was food.

“Hmm, not exactly the most appealing place…but it’ll do,” Chrysalis approved.

“I’m glad you like it, Chrysalis. Feeling at home yet, brother?” Scorpan asked.

The centaur crossed his arms while he grumbled under his breath.

“I’ll take it as a yes,” Scorpan smirked. Then he proceeded to prepare food for the three of them.

He gathered two little birds with crab claws who were so busy falling in love with each other. He also brought two dishes of meatloaf filled with cashews.

“I made your favorite. Mother used to make this all the time for you,” he reminisced.

Tirek looked softly at the meal, remembering how much he enjoyed it. He grabbed one and ate half of it. A tear fell from his eye once he finished chewing. “It’s…exactly how she made it.”

Scorpan smiled in satisfaction, preparing himself some tea.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis sadistically absorbed the love of the crab-like birds; they fell on the floor emotionless.

“Mmm-mmm! Love may be a weakness of my prey, but it’s great source of strength for me!” she chuckled.

Tirek then thought back on the truth the gargoyle revealed earlier. He was still overwhelmed by the fact that his brother gave up everything right after he was imprisoned in Tartarus. It was this feeling that made him question his life-long grudge against him.

Wanting to get more of his confused thoughts out of his head, he had to ask, “Did it ever eat you up inside? Forcing yourself to live like a commoner in a different world?”

“It never hurts to live a life of humility. That was something I never got the opportunity for after living with our parents for so long,” replied Scorpan. “I wanted to go outside more—see what our world was like. Know what the lives of the common folks were like. Ha, and now…” he drinks a sip of his herb tea. “I do…albeit in a different reality.”

“Ugh, sucks to be you then,” Tirek groaned. “At least I have enough self-respect to never stoop low to the level of ponies or any creature who values friendship.”

“Says the centaur who got imprisoned in Tartarus,” Scorpan chuckled.

Tirek angrily growled at him until he sat on the couch, sulking.

“So, my dear, what is this long story you mentioned about? Care to tell the tale?” Scorpan requested, sipping more of his tea.

“I don’t see why not,” Chrysalis accepted. “As you know, Tirek was stuck in Tartarus while I was plotting my revenge on those accursed ponies. Then one day, I was pulled away by dark magic; it even took away Tirek and brought us to some random carvern.”

“But we weren’t the only ones who were recruited: Tirek’s pony friend named Cozy Glow was called too,” she smirked.

Scorpan was surprised at hearing that and smiled at him. Tirek blushed in embarrassment.

“King Sombra was summoned as well. It appeared that the creature who brought us together was none other than Grogar himself.”

Scorpan widened his eyes. “Grogar? THE Grogar?! The ancient legend of evil?!”

“Oh, don’t worry, he wasn’t actually the real deal,” Chrysalis waved off.

“Oh…thanks for the spoiler,” Scorpan sighed, slightly disappointed.

“Anyway, he brought us together so that we could wreck havoc in Equestria apparently. Sombra didn’t want to be a part of our get-together and still lost to the ponies. Heh, I was never a fan of his fear-mongering shtick anyway,” Chrysalis continued. “But later on, when the three of us were about to betray Grogar, it turned out he was actually Discord in disguise.”

Tirek rolled his eyes at the mere mention of his name.

“Discord? That chaos-loving entity? I’ve heard tales about him, but I never got the chance to meet him in person. What’s he like?” Scorpan asked.

“Obnoxious, short-sighted, and weak. That’s all he ever was and ever will be,” sneered Tirek.

“Whatever his reason was, I don’t know and I don’t care enough to know. Regardless of his little scheme, the three of us managed to bring Equestria to its knees…for a while,” acknowledged Chrysalis.

“See, brother? We didn’t need friendship in order to be happy! We were at the top of the world!” boasted Tirek.

“Hmmm…I don’t think you’re hearing yourself correctly,” replied Scorpan, finishing his tea.

Tirek arched his eyebrow.

“Either of you could’ve taken Equestria for yourselves, yet you apparently did this collectively,” enlightened Scorpan. “It’s because deep down, you value each other’s company. You feel the need to stick together and function…like a family.”

Both villains looked at each other, realizing the truth to his words. For a brief moment, Tirek and Chrysalis smiled at each other; then they looked up in shock and shook their heads in disgust.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” denied Chrysalis.

“Your baseless assumptions are going nowhere! There’s nothing going on between us!” Tirek added.

Scorpan chuckled in amusement.

“And we could’ve conquered Equestria with or without each other!” shouted Chrysalis. Then she softened her tone and sighed, unwilling to bottle up her true feelings. “But Discord was right. We’re so much more powerful when we work together. It’s unfortunate we let those ponies defeat us so easily.”

“As expected,” commented Scorpan. “Whoever the new generation of ponies are, their magic must have been so powerful that it managed to counter yours. Friendship is such an immense gift.”

“Bah, friendship didn’t seem to care about us when we got turned to stone!” Chrysalis scoffed.

The gargoyle suddenly widened his eyes in surprise. “Turned to stone?”

“Yes,” Tirek confirmed, shivering. “Being turned to stone felt so cold. I felt the darkness creeping around me and then covering my face as I felt my members being immobilized.”

“It was so…terrifying. I tried to leap out, but it was too late. Luckily, I was still aware of everything that was happening at that moment,” added Chrysalis.

“They cheered over our defeat,” growled Tirek, smashing his fists together. “They’re gonna regret all those words they said about us.”

“When we return, we’ll drain every ounce of magic and love from their souls! Then we’ll crush them to bits!” Chrysalis laughed.

“So how did you two end up here anyway? How did you get freed from your stone slumber?” Scorpan asked.

“Well…it was the wildest thing that’s ever happened to us,” replied Tirek. “When I woke up, the three of us were all chained up on a wall in some weird habitation. There was barely any light, so I assumed it was another prison.”

“And then this…bipedal creature came to us and revealed himself to be our captor: Jacob by name,” continued Tirek. “Apparently, he freed us from our stone imprisonment, drained us of our magic, and planned to drink our magic for his own plans…whatever they are.”

“As we speak, he’s hunting for us right now, and we must get our magic back before he gets his filthy hands on them!” Chrysalis finished.

“Hmm, seems like you are in a very serious predicament. Well then, in that case, I’ll make sure that you get the things you need for your journey.”

“Journey?”

“Yes! I won’t take you back to Equestria, but I know that you will find this land to be a promising new home. Think about it,” pleaded Scorpan. “You can start your life over, develop new skills, and…fight new battles.”

“I think not!” Chrysalis refused. “Equestria is where we belong! And we will never abandon it for this miserable excuse of a—!”

The front door broke down, revealing Jacob holding a large axe. He even had a javelin strapped on his back.

Evilly grinning, he took a few steps towards the alarmed trio. “There you are! I got you right where I want you monsters! You see this?! This is my best friend Jack, and we both don’t play around!”

“Who in Celestia’s name is this? Is that supposed to be—?”

“Yes,” Tirek and Chrysalis replied, glaring at Jacob.

“You thought you can get away from me, huh? Well, think again! Rrrraaaaagh!!” Jacob screamed, running towards them with his axe raised.

The trio jumped out of the way before he swung the axe on the stone couch. Raising it back up, he took a swing at Tirek which he quickly ducked.

Tirek tried to grab his axe, but Jacob took out a paper clip and poked the centaur’s right eye with it. Then he readied his axe for a final blow.

However, Scorpan tackled the former curator to the ground and attempted to drain his power. To his surprise, there was nothing to be absorbed.

“What? He has no magic?”

“Apparently, his kind doesn’t seem to be the magical type,” Chrysalis informed.

“How strange,” Scorpan muttered.

“But he soon will be if we don’t stop him!” Tirek warned.

Then Jacob head-butted Scorpan, picked up his axe, and got back on his feet. “Careful, I’m smart and fearless! I’m like an animal that’s been on a leash and just got out! Grrrr! I eat demons and witches for breakfast!!”

Chrysalis and Scorpan resisted the urge to laugh while Tirek just stared at him confused. “You’re like a what? Do creatures like you ever talk like that?”

Jacob facepalmed himself. “OH, COME ON!! Any cool action hero would say that! WHY DOES EVERYONE CRITICIZE MY MONOLOGUE?!”

“You should give up, Jacob! Surrender our magic now!” Chrysalis demanded.

“Does it look like I have it?! But don’t you worry, I’ll get my hands on it so I can have all the power in the world to destroy all of you! My mom will be so proud of me!” Jacob squealed.

“Absorbing our magic will do you no good! That belongs to us! Whatever it is you’re planning for this world, it won’t work!” Tirek reasoned.

“Wrong! It will do me every good I can possibly imagine!” Jacob retorted, jumping on Tirek’s back.

The centaur struggled to get him off him until they both burst through one of the walls of the house.

Jacob delivered a few punches to his face whereas Tirek returned a few back. But then something caught their eye: a jar full of purple essence was sitting right next to a tree.

“Our magic!” shouted Tirek.

“Ah-ha! It’s mine!” yelled Jacob, jumping off of the centaur.

Scorpan lifted the jar with his telekinesis and moved it away from Jacob. He held it in the air while he raised his other arm at him. “Stand down, Jacob, if you know what’s best for you.”

“Hey, I’m the one who gives threats around here! I have weapons, and I’m not afraid to use them!” Jacob retorted, brandishing his javelin and axe.

“This is getting pathetic already,” said Chrysalis. “Just stop embarrassing yourself. You look even more foolish than ever.”

“Pathetic? Foolish? EMBARRASSING?!? I’ll show you embarrassing!!” he angrily replied, running towards her while uttering war cries.

Tirek shot blue beams of magic at Jacob which managed to knock him down. He walked over to him and grabbed his arms to restrain him.

“Let…me…GO!!”

“Never!”

At that moment, the jar freed itself from Scorpan’s telekinetic power and flew itself back to town. This surprised both the gargoyle and everyone else.

“Huh? What just happened?”

“Why did you do that?!” Chrysalis berated.

“That wasn’t me! I didn’t do that!” Scorpan denied.

“The jar! No!!” Jacob cried. He bit Tirek on the arm, forcing him to release him.

“I will get all your magic if it’s the last thing I do!!” Jacob swore, running off with his weapons.

After he left, Tirek got back on his hooves and soothed the area where he got bit.

“Are you alright, brother?”

Tirek glared at him in response. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. Here, let me have a look,” Scorpan said, softly laying his hand on his shoulder.

Sighing deeply, Tirek let him examine the wound. The gargoyle grabbed some honey, breathed on it, and then slowly covered the wound with it.

Tirek winced in pain at first, but he instantly felt relief as soon as he received the treatment.

“There! That should do it!”

Tirek lowered his head and struggled to let out a few words. Scorpan waited until he mustered the strength to say it.

“Thank you…I…a-appreciate it.”

“You’re very welcome, brother. Always a pleasure to help,” smiled Scorpan.

Tirek groaned in annoyance.

“What are we waiting for?! We must go after him!!” Chrysalis reminded.

“Not to worry. Seems like a new friend is about to help us,” replied Scorpan, looking up.

“What do you….mean?” Tirek asked, following his gaze.

The winged lizard just flew down and landed on the ground. Cozy Glow and Rusty Bucket looked down and waved at the group.

“Hey, guys! Hope you weren’t too busy!” Cozy shouted.

“Cozy Glow?” Tirek and Chrysalis marveled.

“So that’s your friend, huh? Although I imagined her being a little…older,” mused Scorpan.

“Come on, we have a human to catch!!”

Everybody else climbed on board the beast and flew off in a race to retrieve their magic.

From Nobody to Nightmare

Luz and her friends walked across downtown after they finished eating at a local demon café. Luz was on the verge of collapsing as she laid her hand on her full stomach.

“For a moment, I actually thought you were gonna eat all three of ‘em!” Gus chuckled.

“Why did they have to be so big?!” Luz complained.

“You ordered for three large meat stacks, remember?” Amity reminded.

“I didn’t think it would be that massive!” Luz replied, burping. “Ugh, at least I’m taking the rest to go.”

“You think you’ll be able to finish the rest for one meal? You only ate one of them,” said Hunter, smirking.

“Oh sure, definitely! I’m a tough gal, I can handle one of these bad boys!” Luz grinned.

“You can share if you want. Or at least cut them up into tiny little pieces,” Willow suggested.

“No, no, I know how to handle tough meat,” replied Luz before she death-glared at her leftovers. “They’re gonna wish they didn’t upset my stomach.”

Amity rolled her eyes in amusement. “(Sigh) Never change, Luz, never change.”

Suddenly, a familiar figure stood beside a house with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. The gang, except Amity, stopped on their tracks as they were surprised to see her.

“It truly pains me to see you like this, Amity.”

Luz and her friends then glared at her. “Still salty over the fact that she’s dating me? I’m not surprised.”

“Don’t bother with her, Luz. She’s not worth it,” advised Amity.

“How long are you gonna keep this up? Seriously, are even you trying to embarrass me at this point? Mingling with this human creature—!”

“Watch it, Odalia,” growled Amity, her eyes burning fiery purple. “Talk to my girlfriend like that, and I’ll make sure you don’t EVER walk again.”

“You…you dare threaten me?!” Odalia gasped. “I am your mother!”

“Not anymore you aren’t—not after everything you put me and my friends through,” retorted Amity. “Besides, my family is better off without you.”

Luz, Hunter, Willow, and Gus all nodded in agreement and stood beside her while they still glared daggers at Odalia.

The woman then started sweating at the sight of them standing up to her. But when she looked up above them, she then had fear in her eyes. Slowly stepping backwards, she eventually ran off from what she saw.

“Wow, that went easier than expected,” Gus said.

“Well, at least she won’t be bothering us for a while,” said Willow.

“Uh, guys, I don’t think she was afraid of us,” noted Hunter, looking up.

Following his gaze, the group saw a giant flying lizard heading straight towards the town. As the beast roared at them, the gang ducked below once the monster swooped down to the ground.

At that moment, the Treacherous Trio hopped off the monster and stood before all the freighted citizens of the Boiling Isles.

“Greetings, creatures of the Isles! I am Lord Tirek from the land of Equestria, and these are my fellow compatriots. We are stranded in this wasteland you call home, and we demand that you help us find a jar that contains our power. Cooperate with us, and I can assure you that you and your families will remain unharmed.”

Luz and the gang gasped at the sight. “Who are these guys?!”

“Is…that a centaur? I’ve never seen one up close,” observed Gus.

“Wait a minute…is that Cozy Glow?!”

“You know that thing?”

“She’s one of the new students at the University of Wild Magic! I didn’t know she’s with…whoever these guys are!” Luz replied.

“Find our magic, or I’ll tear you all apart!” Chrysalis threatened.

The citizens looked at each other confused until the lizard beast roared at them again. Then they scrambled for their lives across the town.

“Think we scared them off?” Cozy asked.

“Hopefully, they’re scared enough to do what we asked. I cannot wait to regain my powers!” Chrysalis grinned.

“This beast can be our weapon to coerce anyone to do our bidding,” smiled Tirek. “With it by our side, no creature will be foolish enough to stand up to us.”

“You guys just love being villains, don’t you?” Scorpan chimed in, shaking his head. Rusty Bucket stood beside him while he sarcastically yawned at the trio.

“Don’t ruin this for us, you two!” Tirek scolded.

At that moment, Luz and her friends ran up to the villains with their palismen activated and ready. “Who are you? Why are you scaring the town?”

“Well, well, well, seems like you caught me red-hoofed, Luz!” Cozy mischievously giggled.

“Cozy, what’s going on? Who are these guys?!” Luz demanded.

“These are my friends! This is Tirek, and this is Chrysalis! We’re actually villains from another world sent here by accident. It’s crazy, I know, but don’t worry. We’re not gonna destroy this town or anything…as long as we get what we want,” she answered, evilly smiling.

Gus groaned. “This is why I don’t ever trust girls who have short curls as a hairstyle. History always repeats itself.”

“Now, if you will kindly step aside and let us find our magic, that will be much appreciated.”

“Sorry, Chrysal—um, Chrymisy…?”

“CHRYSALIS!” the changeling angrily corrected.

“Right, right, Chrysalis—*clears throat*—if you guys are villains from another dimension, then you obviously have ill intentions for something,” said Luz.

“And whatever it is you’re planning, we will have to stop you,” added Hunter. The gang got into their battle poses.

“Ugh, great. More goody two-shoe creatures,” Cozy groaned, rolling her eyes. “So boring!”

“Our business is none of your concern, younglings. It would be wise for you to stand down before anyone gets hurt,” Tirek warned, cracking his knuckles.

The Hexside Squad and the Treacherous Trio then glared at each other intensely, waiting for another to make a first move.

Suddenly, Scorpan and Rusty Bucket jumped in between both sides. “All of you, STOP! This is gonna get us nowhere!”

“Out of the way, Scorpan! You have no say in this!” Tirek ordered.

“Whoa…a gargoyle,” Gus admired.

“Listen, brother, do you really want to waste time in fighting a random group of adolescents whom you barely even know and just met five minutes ago while there’s a madman running around in search of your magic?” Scorpan reasoned.

Tirek was silent for a few seconds until he snorted at him sourly. “I hate it when you make sense.”

Everybody calmed down and lowered their guard.

“And who are you?” Amity asked.

“I’m Scorpan, brother of Tirek,” he introduced himself. “It’s an honor to meet you all.”

“Wait, you two are brothers?” Luz wondered, arching an eyebrow. Then she eyed them both. “Yeah, I don’t see any resemblance.”

“It’s a long story, and…I’d rather not go into details,” replied Scorpan, scratching his neck.

“Thank Celestia,” Tirek whispered.

“Hey, is that a stallion next to you? He looks so old!” observed Gus, staring at him in amazement.

“Hey, I’m not that old, y’know! I’m not kicking the bucket anytime soon either!” Rusty Bucket stated. “Well…not the one I’m wearing…”

Scorpan chuckled. “Seems like the older generation haven’t lost their sense of humor.”

“Thanks. And I like your peacemaking approach, my good sir. It’s very refreshing to finally see someone keep a cool head in spite of the odds,” Rusty complimented.

“Haha, well, I try.”

The Treacherous Trio kept facepalming and cringing while Scorpan and Rusty praised each other.

“Hmmm, it seems like the two of you aren’t bad guys. You just went with the wrong crowd,” Luz concluded.

“Given the dire circumstances they got themselves into, I believe we made the right choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“Someone is out there seeking for their magical essence, and we need to stop him before he gets a hold of it,” informed Scorpan.

At that moment, the jar rolled up to the Hexside Squad’s feet. They looked down at it, puzzled; then their attention was suddenly arrested to the sound of running feet.

Jacob dived toward the jar and grabbed it with his arms. “YES! It’s mine at last!”

“JACOB!!” the Treacherous Trio shouted.

“Wait, WHAT?! Jacob Hopkins??? What the heck are you doing here? How did you even get here?” Luz exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted.

“Is that the witch hunter wannabe you warned us about, Luz?” Willow asked.

“Yes! And he’s definitely bad news!”

Jacob looked back and immediately recognized Luz and her friends. “You…YOU!!! You ruined my life, you took away my career, and made me look like an idiot in front of everyone!”

“We…literally did none of that stuff to you, dude. Take a chill pill,” Luz casually replied.

“Oh, shut up! You know what you all did!” Then he turned back to face the Equestrians. “And you filthy creatures are no better! You’re just like everyone else who mocked me for all the years of hard work I put into proving your very existence!”

“May I recommend taking some therapy sessions?” Scorpan suggested.

“Yeah, it sounds like you need some friends,” added Rusty.

“I know this power will make me a hero! I can already taste it!” Jacob laughed, attempting to open the jar.

The villains tackled him to the ground while Scorpan took the jar from him. “Keep him pinned! We can’t let him drink the essence!”

Luz and her friends jumped in as well and helped restrain Jacob.

“Why are you so obsessed with us?! Don’t you have a life?!” Willow shouted.

“I didn’t have one because of you! This is my new life now!” Jacob yelled, trying to free himself.

“Don’t you realize stalking other creatures is downright creepy?” Cozy asked. “You’re just getting weirder and weirder!”

“He won’t be doing that anymore,” Scorpan said. “As long as we keep him down, he won’t be a threat to anyone.”

“This is just sad,” Rusty commented. “A young human like you should be doing good for other people. I don’t understand why you’re throwing your life away for something so trivial.”

“Don’t patronize me, grandpa horse! I will do something good for my people and that is eliminating you!” Jacob snapped.

Suddenly, the jar lifted itself again from Scorpan’s grasp which caught him by surprise. The villains and the Hexside Squad were magically pushed back by an unseen force, freeing Jacob.

“No! It’s happening again!”

The lid was removed from the jar; then the jar slowly floated towards the man, placing itself in his hands.

“Whoa…some higher power is helping me. THANK YOU!” he yelled, kissing the jar. “The universe is calling me to be its savior! Seems like there is a God!”

“NO!!!” the villains screamed in horror.

Jacob then drank the entire purple essence, including the last drop. Tossing the empty jar away, he instantly felt pains around his body.

He moaned in pain while his blood vessels turned purple, and his eyes changed colors. He grew sharp claws on his fingers, and his clothes were torn apart as he mutated into a bigger creature.

He grew a pegasus wing on his left side and a changeling wing on the right side. He even grew two different horns on his head—one a centaur horn and the other a changeling horn. His skin color turned dark orange, his eyes were yellow-green, his teeth became sharp filled with venomous saliva, and his glasses fell from his face.

The entire group gasped in shock and disbelief at what they saw. A fully mutated Jacob wickedly laughed as his newfound magic coursed through his veins.

“Yes! YEEEEESSS!! My dreams are now reality! Goodbye loser Jacob, and hello winner Jacob!”

“This…is not good,” Luz said, gulping.

“Jacob has all our magic now! How are we supposed to stop him?!” Chrysalis exclaimed.

Tirek activated his horns and channeled his alternate blue magic; however, it slowly faded away. As a result, Tirek decreased from his second form and reverted back to his old scrawny form.

“What? No! No! No! Not now! Not now!” Tirek panicked.

Luz and her friends raised their palismen and were ready to defend themselves. Unfortunately, Jacob swiped his right arm which swatted all five of them into the air.

They crashed against the Hexside School and roughly landed on the ground. Their palismen transformed into their critter forms and crawled to their owners.

“Man, why do I feel so hungry all of a sudden?” Jacob asked himself. “Hmm, your magical powers smell so…good. I…need….to have them!”

He opened his mouth and absorbed all the magic from Amity, Willow, Gus, and Hunter. They groaned in exhaustion and lost all their will to move a muscle.

“NO!!” cried Luz.

Once he finished eating their magic, he smacked his lips in satisfaction. “Mmmm. Tastes just like…ramen noodles with chicken flavor! Yummy! Actually, I might wanna stop by a Chinese restaurant after I save my world. I could definitely use—,”

Scorpan punched him in the face without warning. This enraged Jacob and lunged right back at him in full speed. Thus, the two combatants duke it out in the middle of the town.

“Amity! Amity, wake up! Wake up!” Luz cried, holding her girlfriend in her arms.

“Luz…” Amity weakly responded.

“We need to get somewhere safer! We have to leave while he’s buying us some time!” advised Rusty.

“Which way do we go?!” Cozy yelled.

“Excuse me?! I refuse to run away like a coward! I won’t let some lunatic abuse my magic and get away with it!” Chrysalis argued, jumping into action.

But Tirek held her tail. “Are you insane? He’ll destroy you easily!”

“At least I’ll go out fighting!”

“No! I forbid it!”

“Stop pretending you care about me! You should worry about yourself!”

“I’m not pretending! I actually do care about you, Chrysalis!”

She was taken aback by that reply and looked back at him in shock. “You…what?”

Tirek sighed. “It’s true. I must confess I—um….WATCH OUT!”

He pushed her out of the way before Scorpan was shot down to the ground. The latter groaned as he tried to stand on his feet.

Jacob shape-shifted from a giant gorilla back to his mutated self.

“Would you look at that? Now I can beat any demon with ease! And I can’t wait to burn all those hospital bills I couldn’t afford to pay,” he gloated.

Tirek helped Scorpan up which somewhat surprised the latter.

“Don’t get this the wrong way, brother. This is only temporary,” Tirek clarified.

Cozy hid behind Tirek, terrified at the sight of Jacob’s nightmarish form.

“Excuse me, madam, do you know an escape route somewhere?” Rusty asked Luz.

“I think there’s one underground, but we use it only for emergencies,” she replied.

“Then it’s all the more reason to go there…NOW!” Scorpan urged, punching the ground beneath them.

The concrete cracked instantly from the impact and became a sinkhole where a tunnel could be seen. Luz grabbed Amity, and Scorpan grabbed Hunter, Willow, and Gus before they jumped into the hole.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Jacob roared, flying towards them with his claws out.

However, the lizard beast swatted him with its tail. It angrily roared at him and tried to bite him.

“Come on! Now’s our chance to escape!” Tirek shouted.

After Tirek and Chrysalis jumped into the hole, Cozy looked back and saw Rusty looking concerned for the beast.

She noticed that the lizard was facing backwards, unaware that it was itching dangerously closer to Rusty while it fought Jacob off.

She looked around and saw it was just her and Rusty left. Devilishly grinning in thought, she ran forward and tried to pull his hoof.

“Let’s go!”

There, Rusty ran off with her—managing to avoid getting squashed by the beast.

After the last two escape through the hole, Jacob furiously grabbed the lizard’s tail and threw it around in a circle. Then he finally tossed it into the sky, relishing in the monster’s cries of defeat.

He growled angrily as he failed to catch his victims before they could ever escape. Five seconds later, he smirked to himself. “You know what? I don’t mind it. I’ll worry about you demons later; right now, it’s time I vindicate myself.”

He generated magical balls from his hands and shot them at the sky. Once they were at a far distance, they formed into a massive circle and created a portal to his world.

“I told them the truth, and they never believed me. Well…except the Mars part…I was wrong about that. But still, they made fun of me for years and ignored all the evidence right in front of them! But now…,” his pupils momentarily disappeared while his eyes shined bright yellow. “…they’re gonna be very, very sorry.”

The Friendship of Evil

“Quickly! In here!” Luz urged, pointing at the tunnel.

Luz and the Equestrian gang entered the tunnel while Scorpan still carried the weakened witches. Once they found a safe spot, the gargoyle gently placed the witches on the ground before he grabbed a boulder and closed the entrance with it.

“We should be safe for now,” said Scorpan.

“I can’t believe this is happening. This is just…,” Luz mumbled, holding Amity’s hand.

“Take it easy there, miss. They’re gonna be fine,” comforted Rusty.

“How? That creep just stole their magic!” Luz yelled.

“Allow me to remedy that,” Scorpan volunteered, opening his mouth.

He breathed out four magical orbs; they flew around and touched upon the bodies of her friends. At that point, Amity, Hunter, Willow, and Gus woke up with their newfound magic and energy.

“Ugh…huh? Hey, we’re powered up now!” Gus said, getting up.

“What…are you?” asked Hunter.

“I’m just a friend here to assist. We’re all here for you, younglings,” replied Scorpan.

“Thanks, Mr. Scorpan,” smiled Amity.

“Anytime. Right now, we must lay low until we come up with a plan for our next course of action.”

As Scorpan gathered some wood and stones, Luz took a good look at the Treacherous Trio who were at a corner minding their own business. Curious, she walked toward them with an awkward smile.

“Uh…hey?” she waved.

“What do you want?” Tirek coldly responded.

“Well, you guys are obviously new here so I figured I would give you a—,”

“Oh, enough with this friendship nonsense already!” Chrysalis snapped. “We have no interest in befriending you or your insignificant friends, so leave us be!”

“Hold on now, Chrysie. Luz is my new friend, so why don’t we give her a chance? After all, we do go to school together,” convinced Cozy.

Chrysalis glared daggers at the filly. “Don’t you ever call me that! It’s CHRYSALIS!! Not ‘Chrysie’!”

“Sure thing…Chrisy-Wisy,” Cozy smirked. Chrysalis growled in fury before she sat back down.

“Soooo…you three. How long have you all known each other? And…how did you become criminals in the first place?” Luz asked.

“It’s a long story,” replied Tirek. “And frankly, I’m too exhausted to even share mine.”

“Likewise. And why do you care anyway?”

“Umm…’cause I’m always curious? Come on, don’t you wanna share why you guys embraced your villainy? Don’t worry, I won’t judge!”

“Promise?”

“Promise!”

“Ladies first,” Tirek said, looking at Chrysalis.

“Well, my story isn’t exactly pleasant. I remember the time my mother was always harsh on me growing up, but I eventually realized she meant well. I was taught to punish disobedience, absorb love, and harvest the emotions of anyone who’s weak enough to face the Changelings,” she shared.

“I may not appear so ‘kind’ or ‘generous’ as those ponies preach so much about, but I care deeply about my subjects—well, former subjects. Without love, I’ll starve.”

“Really? You use love as a source of…food?”

“Yes. It’s the only food we—um, I eat.”

Luz and Amity looked at each other surprised and decided to keep themselves at a distance from Chrysalis.

“Remind me to never invite her to our dates,” Amity whispered.

“Yup,” Luz agreed.

“Aaaaand…what about you, Cozy?” Gus asked.

“For me, it’s a bit complicated. I…well…” Cozy looked back at Rusty who gave her a warming smile and a nod. “…my own family never showed me much affection or care all that much. All I ever wanted was…friendship.”

“Is that so?” Luz replied, showing a look of interest.

Cozy then thought of an idea. She wore puppy dog eyes and a sad expression saying, “Uh-huh, and I was led astray by Tirek and Chrysalis into a path of evil. I had no choice, and I never had a chance at redemption. It would mean so much if you can help me get back to Equestria safely so I can atone for my mistakes and—,”

“Wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on. If you’re trying to manipulate me with that innocent-like tone, you’ll have to do a lot better than that,” Luz interrupted, unamused.

Cozy’s pupils shrunk as she was dumbfounded. “WHAT??”

Rusty quietly chuckled to himself after seeing Cozy’s reaction. Cozy’s ears then fell limp in defeat. “Ugh, fiiiine! You win.”

“Come on, Cozy, there had to be something that made you this way—especially being this young,” said Luz.

“Does it really matter?! I don’t have to tell you everything, human! I’m just a power-hungry filly ‘cause it’s fun!” Cozy shouted, evilly laughing.

Luz facepalmed herself with an annoyed expression. “I have no words.”

“Looks like you guys have a greater evil to deal with now,” said Gus. “And seeing you have no magic of your own, you might need us to stop that wacko psycho.”

Tirek scoffed at the idea. “I think not, youngling. Scorpan is more than enough to assist our problem…as much as I hate to admit it. We don’t need you.”

“You sure about that, tough guy?” challenged Willow. “If I were to take a wild guess, you think teaming up with good guys will affect your villainous reputation?”

“Wrong. We don’t collaborate with weaklings,” Chrysalis sneered.

“Ouch…I hope that didn’t hurt your feelings, Cozy,” Rusty jokingly remarked.

“SHUT UP!” Cozy yelled.

“Weaklings, huh? Well, I’m here to tell you that we faced much bigger threats before, so this Jacob guy is no different than the ones we faced,” Hunter chimed in.

“Yeah, let us help you. With our combined power, that creep won’t stand a chance!” Amity added.

“Ha, I doubt it.”

“Hold on, brother. Perhaps you should listen to them,” advised Scorpan. “These are magical bipedal creatures you’re talking to, so they may know certain tricks that can help us.”

Tirek then growled in anger. “You always do this…”

“Do what?”

“Never taking my side! First, you listen to Starswirl, and now these creatures?! Are you trying to make yourself look better?! That’s what you’ve been doing all along—pretending to be so righteous just to make me look like a fool!”

“Tirek, this is not the time! We have more serious issues at our hands.”

“Don’t even dare play that game! All that I ever wanted was to rule Equestria with you by my side, and you ruined that!!”

“Is that why you favor the company of these two? You think they’re your true friends?” Scorpan asked.

The centaur looked at his compatriots who gave different reactions to the gargoyle’s question: Chrysalis turned her face to hide her blush, and Cozy’s face beamed with happiness.

Tirek sighed deeply. “It’s hard to say. But in spite of our conflicting agendas, we all share one thing and one thing only: we hate the magic of friendship.”

Hunter listened closely to their argument. He looked on with surprise and sadness, recognizing a similar situation he knows about.

“I thought you would understand. I thought you would be happier by welcoming ponies as your new friends,” Scorpan replied, disappointed.

“You thought WRONG!!!” Tirek bellowed.

“Wow…talk about déjà vu,” mumbled Hunter. He stepped in between the two brothers and pushed them back from each other.

“Guys, STOP! Arguing is not gonna save us!”

“This doesn’t concern you, young creature. Move out of my way,” Tirek threateningly snarled.

“You know, you’re not the first person I’ve met who holds grudges; I’ve seen how it affects people,” replied Hunter.

This got the interest of both brothers. “Huh?”

“I knew a man who used to have a brother; his brother loved him and raised him. They did…a lot of stuff together, but when his brother found love, he…was never the same,” narrated Hunter, trying not to rethink the horrific story.

“What happened to him?” Scorpan asked.

“His hatred consumed him,” Hunter replied. “It’s that same hatred that’s gonna destroy us all if we don’t work together to save the Boiling Isles.”

Tirek was silent as he stared back at Scorpan. As he reflected on his early life and everything he had done, his angry expression soon faded.

Then he looked back at his comrades, Chrysalis and Cozy. Just as he was about to say something, a sudden realization hit him. He remembered how Twilight Sparkle often emphasized the crucial role the Magic of Friendship played in the salvation of Equestria.

Then he remembered how they were easily defeated at the hooves of Twilight, her friends, and all Equestria. He scrutinized his weak, thin arms and his own chest; seeing exactly what was missing, he grew a massively evil smile.

“That’s it…THAT’S IT!!!” he exclaimed.

“What? What’s it?” Cozy asked.

“How have I not realized this sooner?! It solves everything!”

“Quit testing our patience and spit it out already!” yelled Chrysalis.

“Remember when Discord pretended to be Grogar and recruited us? What was the one thing he constantly reminded us?”

“Toooooooo……work together??” Cozy guessed.

“Yes! And when we planned to betray him, I remember vividly saying that after we have accomplished our goals, we’ll go back to destroying each other,” Tirek reminded.

“What exactly are you getting at?” Chrysalis asked.

Scorpan and Rusty both smiled in anticipation as they realized what he was gonna say.

“Listen, all this time, we’ve only managed to work as a team, but we still hated each other’s guts,” replied Tirek. “Twilight and her friends always had it easy for them because they never hated each other. That’s why they have far more powerful magic than we do—even greater than that of Grogar’s bell.”

Cozy gasped so loud it echoed throughout the whole tunnel. “Are you…saying…?”

“I’m saying that…perhaps we need to be honest with ourselves,” suggested Tirek. He laid his eyes on Chrysalis who instinctively went a few steps backwards from him. “Chrysalis, when we first met you in Grogar’s cavern…I thought you would be annoying like Cozy. But the moment you actually addressed me by my title…that’s when I knew you were someone special.”

Chrysalis slightly blushed for a second. “Well…*clears throat*…I suppose I could say something…positive. You’re the only creature I trust to share all my feelings and burdens with. You listen to me, and you never hesitate to tell me what I need to hear. That’s why I was generous enough to let you lead us in this journey.”

As they were talking, a bright red aurora radiated off their bodies. The Hexsquad looked on with confusion.

“What’s happening?”

“Are they…?”

“Are they about to power up?!” Willow exclaimed.

“It’s…actually happening…!” Scorpan muttered, amazed.

“Professor Fluttershy always said that kindness is the key to true happiness,” said Cozy. She smiled at both her older compatriots as they finally held hands/hooves together. “I guess that’s something I never had.”

“But what use is our friendship if we can’t remain loyal to each other?” asked Chrysalis. “If we must win, our bond must be permanent!”

“I can’t believe we’ve been defeated so many times,” scoffed Tirek. “It almost makes me want to laugh.”

Tirek slowly regained all of his muscular strength as the red aurora grew more and more bright.

“I was so wrong before. The magic of friendship isn’t an imprisonment. It binds us together so we can be even more powerful. And with this power, we become…THE FRIENDSHIP OF EVIL!!!”

The aurora then engulfed the trio into a massive ball of energy, outwardly changing their appearance. Tirek grew into his third form; Chrysalis regained her royal attire and a crown on her head; Cozy Glow regained her flight and her horn. But to her surprise…she’s much bigger than before.

“What the…?! I’m not a filly anymore!”

“Yes!! Our magic is back!!”

“Ahhhh, I thought I would never see these babies again!” Tirek proudly spoke, kissing his biceps.

Scorpan facepalmed himself. “Still evil….great.”

“Whoa! You guys…look robust!” said Luz, gazing at the villains.

“Indeed. And this time, we will never lose again—as long as the three of us are friends,” said Tirek.

“But remember, we’re STILL villains. Although I can finally admit that maybe friendship isn’t…all that bad, that doesn’t mean I’ll be a soft, worthless sap. But friendship can be beneficial if put to good use,” added Chrysalis.

“Yeeeeeeeeee!! Being a grownup is the best thing ever! I can stay up late, go out drinking, and do whatever else grownups do!” Cozy shouted, flying all over the place.

“Not without our permission, young pony,” said Tirek, wagging his finger.

“Ugh, you’re not my dad, Tirek!”

“Listen to Lord Tirek, Cozy. You should know better than to back talk,” scolded Chrysalis.

After a few seconds of silence, the trio heartily laughed out loud.

“Well, what do you know? I guess these guys aren’t all that bad,” said Hunter.

“Maybe. But I have a feeling they’re gonna betray us later,” replied Willow.

“Haha, wouldn’t be surprised if they did,” chuckled Hunter.

Then Tirek noticed Scorpan looking at him with a smug expression. Rolling his eyes, he scratched the back of his neck. “Seems you were…sort of right all along. I…forgive you.”

Scorpan’s smugness instantly disappeared once he heard that. “Umm…that’s not what I expected to hear…but alright. At least you finally admit that friendship is magic.”

“Hehe, indeed. But it’s even better if it’s used for world domination! Now, THAT’S true power!” Tirek exclaimed.

“Of course you would say that,” Scorpan sighed.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go save the world!” Amity said.

“Very well. But once our common foe is dwelt with, you’ll have to deal with us as your new enemies,” Chrysalis replied.

“Called it,” Willow whispered to Hunter.

“Wow. You guys won’t change at all, huh?”said Gus.

“Nope!” replied Cozy.

“Before we go, we need to know what to do first. Luckily for us, I’ve already formulated a plan,” Tirek smirked.

Defeating Evil with Evil

The people in the human realm—specifically in Luz’s hometown—were casually living their lives while the sun was setting. But before they did anything else, a bright red dot lit up in the air.

It grew bigger and bigger until it became a fiery portal, nearly blocking the setting sun. Everybody gasped in horror at the sight thereof.

Within that moment of fear, the portal revealed the sight of the Boiling Isles in front of them. The humans were awed at the sight of it, and they couldn’t help but gaze their eyes at the gigantic carcass.

“What in the name of…?!”

“What is that?”

“Haha!! What did I tell ya, folks?! Was I right or was I right?!” Jacob gloated, flying out of the portal.

The people instinctively shrieked at Jacob’s demonic appearance and backed away from him.

“Wait! Wait! It’s me! Your savior! I’m showing you the dangers of these demons and witches! THEY. ARE. REAL!!”

“Wait a minute…I recognize that voice,” said Masha, narrowing their eyes.

“Is that supposed to be the guy who keeps blabbering about witches and stuff?” one of their friends asked.

“Yeah, yeah, what was his name again?”

“IT’S JACOB! HELLO?! You’ve known me for years!” he shouted.

Masha and the others looked at each other confused and shrugged nonchalantly.

“This is what I’m talking about. No one treats me with respect and dignity, especially after all the years I’ve tried to warn you all!” Jacob groaned. “But don’t worry, you can ask for my forgiveness later.”

Jacob created balls of fiery magic from his palms and threw them at the ground. They generated into a ring of fire which surrounded the entire town, preventing anyone who would attempt to leave.

The townspeople then became terrified of him even more and ran for their lives. Jacob manically laughed as he watched them squirm.

“Who’s laughing now, huh?! Once I annihilate these demons, they’ll have no choice but to praise me for my heroism!” He grinned.

Then he thought about something else. “Hm, I wonder if I can make cash out of nothing?”

His horns ignited with magic and shot a beam into the air. To his surprise, the spell did not create the material he was hoping it would do.

“Huh? But…? What about this?”

He shot another one into the sky, but it wielded no desirable results.

“Wow, I can’t make any ice scream either? Does this power do anything besides destroying stuff?”

He waved a full stream of magic across the town; however, it only managed to poof sparkles thereof until they faded seconds later.

Then he facepalmed himself out of disappointment. “Well, that’s just lame. Oh well, I guess I can use this destructive power to get what I want: praise and glory!”

He stretched out his hands and shot more beams of magic at the portal he came through; he expanded it large enough for it to fill the entire sky so that everyone can see the sight of the Boiling Isles.

Jacob’s grin grew wider as he noticed multiple people gazing in awe at the Isles. A lot of witches and demons were being pulled into the portal via gravitational force and were transported into the human realm.

He grabbed them with his magic and held them high in front of the bewildered crowd. “There they are! These are the demons I was talking about! They feast on your fears! They even harvest teeth! I mean, look at them! Don’t ya see the spikes poking out?!”

“Umm, what’s going on here?” a demon asked.

“I think I’m having a weird dream. I’ve been getting a lot of those lately,” another one replied, scratching his armpit.

“Wow…those are witches and demons?! Cool!!” a teenage girl shouted, taking snapshots with her phone.

“Awesome!”

“WHAT?! No, not cool or awesome! They are MONSTERS!” Jacob yelled.

“No, we are!” Cozy retorted.

Jacob looked back to see the Treacherous Trio hovering in the air with their all-new powerful magic. He stared at them confused and said, “Huh? How? I thought you were…?”

“Deprived of magic? Not anymore! Now we have the opportunity to destroy you once and for all!” Chrysalis boasted.

“Why don’t you make it easy for yourself by giving up? We wouldn’t want to make it too painful for you now, would we?” Tirek suggested, cracking his knuckles.

Growling in frustration, Jacob charged at them within full speed. The villains were ready for him and activated a magical barrier. Every one of his blows on the shield felt soft from their perspective.

Chrysalis ignited her horn and generated a magical giant hammer. She smashed him with it, leaving a massive crater on the concrete.

Cozy Glow then flew around him and created a mini tornado which sent him flying in the air and crashing on multiple vehicles. To top it off, she levitated a truck via telekinesis and threw it on him.

Tirek chuckled as he lifted the damaged truck off him and grabbed him by the throat. “Time to finish this,” he said, opening his mouth.

To his surprise, he couldn’t consume any of his magic.

Jacob smirked back at him, casually wiping dust off his shoulders. “I couldn’t agree more.”

He punched Tirek in the chest, forcing the latter to take a step backwards. Then he lifted him up and threw him against a house; directing his attention back to Cozy and Chrysalis, a large hatchet appeared in his hand. He swung it at them which the ladies effortlessly dodged without paying attention to their surroundings.

They both quickly avoided a deadly swipe from the hatchet by jumping backwards into a transformer. They got electrocuted and ended up cutting all the wires on every pole.

“You can’t take away my powers, thanks to my human mind overriding my beastly attributes. Haha, this is already more fun than soliciting conspiracy theory magazines!” Jacob laughed.

At that moment, he felt a blow behind his back. He fell unto the ground, groaning from the pain. He looked up and saw Scorpan with his hands glowing.

He also noticed Luz and her friends all in their battle poses. Angered, he got back up on his feet and fired more magical beams at them.

The heroes moved out of the way and activated their respective powers: Luz with her new Titan glyphs, Amity with her abomination magic, Willow with her plant magic, Gus with his illusion magic, and Hunter with his teleportation and speed magic.

Jacob swung his claws at Amity from which the latter shielded herself with her magic; Hunter teleported up to his face and punched him in the jaw; as the villain was distracted, Willow raised her giant plant roots and tied him up.

She then body-slammed him with it and threw him into the sky. Luz then used her glyphs to activate super-powered fire balls and blast him high in the air.

Once that was completed, Jacob crashed into the ground—creating a huge puff of smoke.

“Okay…NOW I’M GETTING MAD!!!” Jacob screamed.

Redirecting his attention back to the gang, he only saw twelve illusions of Gus standing still and smugly staring at him.

“Catch me if you can!” each Gus said at the same time.

They ran around the confused mutant; he grabbed one of them only for him to vanish instantly. He sliced another one, giving him the same result. He attacked all the remaining illusions of Gus until there were only two left.

Seething in rage, he ripped a huge piece of concrete from the road and threw it at both of them. To his surprise, none of them were real.

“WHERE. ARE. YOU?!”

“Up here, tough guy!”

Using the illusion coven sigil, Gus utilized his magic on Jacob’s head. The latter’s eyes turned blue, and he bellowed in agony.

“No, no, no!! I thought I blocked that embarrassing moment from my memory! NO, GET AWAY FROM ME!”

“Is he…?”

“Yup, reliving his worst nightmares,” Gus smirked.

“You don’t think this is…extreme?” questioned Scorpan.

“Eh, it wouldn’t be my first time,” Gus winked.

“Impressive display of magic,” remarked Tirek. “If Sombra were still around, this kid would give him a run for his bits.”

“Huh, Gus is just as messed up as we are,” Cozy added.

“It won’t hold him for long! We must keep him grounded before he—!” said Chrysalis, suddenly interrupted by Jacob’s primal cry.

His eyes went from blue to red; his fangs grew even larger; his claws became sharper, and his spikes grew everywhere around his body.

“Uhhh…guys? I might have, um, triggered something within his subconscious mind,” Gus informed, sweating nervously.

“His humanity is slipping away!” Scorpan realized.

Jacob swatted Gus away and flew high above them. He uttered a guttural scream of unbridled fury, echoing his deadly sound waves. The sound waves created massive cracks across every road, sidewalk, and pavement.

They even shattered windows and traffic lights. Luckily, Scorpan managed to shield them all from the sonic attacks. Jacob then looked down on the fearful witches and demons and used his electric powers on them, torturing them immensely.

“We have to stop him before he destroys our friends over there!” Luz urged.

“Hunter, throw me!” Willow ordered. Hunter did so with his super speed which allowed her to successfully land a plant-powered kick to Jacob’s chest.

He fell against a damaged movie theater, halting his torture of his victims. Hunter and Willow then evacuated all of them back into the portal to the Boiling Isles before the monster can recover.

Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow then stared at the raged-filled beast. Once the latter silently glared daggers at the trio with his fists clenched, the centaur looked at his own hands and compared them to those of Jacob.

“Isn’t this ironic? A power-hungry monster fighting his own demon…in a matter of speaking,” chuckled Tirek. “Me? A hero for these strange human creatures? Haha, what a joke.”

“Indeed,” agreed Chrysalis. “But if we were to save them from this desperate wannabe, they’ll be so grateful enough to worship us!”

“And we can use these humans as our pawns to do our bidding!” added Cozy.

Tirek, however, looked at a few humans who were taking cover behind a truck. Noticing how scared they were, he could only look down on them with contempt.

“It would be pointless,” replied Tirek. “These creatures are useless without magic, and you both know as well as I do how much we despise useless things. The only thing that can save both this world and the Boiling Isles…is our friendship.”

The villainous girls looked at each other and evilly smiled back at their leader.

“Jacob’s first mistake was chaining us up in that laboratory,” he continued. “The very moment he humiliated us by taking away our magic, he sealed his own fate. So let’s show him the real power of magic.”

“What did you have in mind?” Chrysalis asked.

“Remember the thing Twilight and her friends did in order to defeat us?” Tirek reminded.

“Oooooohh, what goes around comes around! What fun!” Cozy grinned.

As the trio wickedly laughed together, they formed a circle around Jacob. Dark clouds formed over the landscape, lightning flashed across the sky, and darkness swept through the whole town.

“Oh no…this can’t be good,” worried Rusty Bucket.

“For Jacob,” Scorpan said.

Cozy Glow glowed red as she shot her alicorn magic to Tirek’s left horn while Chrysalis glowed green before she shot her magic to his right horn. Activating his own magic, he was surrounded by an orange-colored aurora.

Growling, Jacob fired beam after beam at the trio but with no success. Shocked, he flew up to them and attempted to absorb their magic into his mouth. However, their magic still remained in tact. This caused Jacob to lose his patience and punch his away into their inner circle.

“If this doesn’t reach to your thick skull, then nothing else will. You are the most pathetic loser I’ve ever met in my entire existence; your pathetic attempts to victory make me want to laugh,” mocked Tirek.

“Furthermore, you have no friends. You are alone right now, and nopony will ever take you seriously. Hehehe, coming from me, that says something,” Cozy giggled.

“I could add more to this conversation, but I’m not one to burn trash,” said Chrysalis, casually brushing off her hair.

“Ouch! That’s gotta hurt,” uttered Gus.

Enraged beyond words, Jacob prepared to breathe his fire at them, but the trio’s combined power became stronger.

Their magic then shined so brightly it nearly blinded Jacob; at that moment, a lightning bolt reached down to them and fueled their might.

“BEHOLD AND FEAR THE FRIENDSHIP OF EVIL!!!” the Treacherous Trio triumphantly declared, their eyes turning red.

Within seconds, they extended their hands/hooves and shot a massive beam of energy. Their power struck Jacob in the face, seizing his entire body.

The mutant beast writhed in agony as all his powers were slowly draining, including his horns, wings, fur, superhuman strength, and claws. He eventually reverted back to his normal human form and fell on the soft grass, completely deprived of his powers.

Groaning in pain, he fearfully realized he was naked. Panicking, he grabbed a random towel from the ground and covered himself.

The Equestrian villains then slowly descended to the ground and stopped glowing. Seeing they have won, they evilly laughed together again.

“So this is what it feels like to win!” Cozy gloated.

“I haven’t felt this much satisfaction since the moment I caged Starlight Glimmer!” Chrysalis bragged.

“I hope you’re taking notes, brother. With this kind of power, we can dominate anyone who stands in our way,” said Tirek, flexing his muscles.

“Wow, hurray. You defeated evil with evil. Like I haven’t seen that one before,” Scorpan replied sarcastically, clapping his hands.

“You guys did it! You saved both our worlds!” Luz congratulated. All the other humans emerged from their hiding places and applauded them.

“I gotta admit…you did good, kiddo,” nodded Rusty.

Cozy frowned at him. “I’m not a kid anymore, you know. I’m a grown mare now.”

“Eh, you’re still a kid to me.”

Cozy facepalmed herself, groaning in annoyance.

“I told you these humans would be thankful for our ‘heroic’ deed. With one word, they’ll instantly fall on their knees and beg for our favor,” Chrysalis whispered to Tirek.

She then eagerly flew up just high enough for everyone to look at her. “Human beings, I am Chrysalis: your new queen! Seeing that you are grateful for us saving you from this worthless wretch, I command you to kneel before us! Serve your new benefactors!”

The townspeople looked at each other confused; Masha tried very hard not laughing out loud after hearing that.

“Nah, I’m gonna play some video games,” a teenager replied.

“Yeah, I’m gonna go out for lunch,” a man said, walking away.

Everyone murmured with one another as they each walked back to their homes and continued their ordinary lives.

Chrysalis was left dumbfounded at their collective response. “But-but-I thought…we saved you! How are you…?! I don’t—,”

“You underestimate how complicated we humans can be,” enlightened Luz. “We cheer, we laugh, and then some mock and scream, do whatever without a care in the world. You get it.”

“Huh, it appears your species isn’t as impressionable as I thought,” noted Tirek.

“You’d be surprised once you look at them closer,” replied Luz.

Police cruisers arrived at the scene once Jacob attempted to get away from his foes unnoticed. Officers got out with their guns pointed at him.

“Freeze! Don’t move!”

“Put your hands up!”

“Going too far this time, eh Jacob?”

“No! No! You should get them! They’re the enemy! They’re gonna eat everybody!”

“From what I witnessed, they saved everyone from you,” the police chief corrected. “With that said, you are under arrest…again.”

The officers cuffed him and put him inside one of their vehicles. “You have the right to remain silent; everything you say will be—,”

“Yeah, yeah, I know my rights. Don’t need to repeat them for the millionth time,” Jacob interrupted, annoyed.

“Good. I didn’t want to anyway, given your track record. Let’s hope you’re given a life sentence this time,” the chief said, closing the car door shut.

“WHAT??! NO! I WON’T SURVIVE IN PRISON!” Jacob screamed.

He banged on the window and called for Luz and her friends. “Get me out! Please, I’ll do anything!”

Instead, the Hexside Squad mockingly waved goodbye to him. The police vehicles then drove off with him shouting in defeat.

“He’ll be fine,” Luz waved off.

“What a sad, strange little creature. He does have my pity,” said Scorpan.

Watching and Waiting

Using his magic, Scorpan quickly rebuilt the houses, vehicles, and roads that were damaged during Jacob’s rampage. Once he was finished, he flew back into the portal to the Demon Realm.

The villains and the Hexside Squad followed him through the portal right before it closed.

They all stood on top of a hill where they can see the Boiling Isles down below.

“So…what do we do now?” Cozy asked.

Tirek gazed at the landscape and contemplated on his next course of action. He looked at Luz and her friends and saw how capable they were of their respective magical prowesses. He grinned as he thought of a new plan.

“Ever since we got here, we’ve been so determined to get back to Equestria and exact our revenge on those ponies…but if this journey ever taught me anything, it offered me something…better.”

Scorpan and Rusty rolled their eyes, knowing where he was going with this.

“Equestria may possess great magic which I enjoyed, no doubt. But this world has even greater magic! For that, I decide to stay here,” Tirek announced.

Cozy was thrilled of the idea, but Chrysalis appeared hesitant at the thought of never returning to their homeworld.

“Is something wrong, Chrysalis?” Tirek asked.

“No, I—I’m not sure if I’m ready to move on. For all the disgusting things our world may have, at least it had plenty of love for me to feast on,” she replied, sadly looking at the sky.

“Uh, hello? Love is everywhere!” Cozy reminded. “Heck, it’s right in front of you right now.”

Chrysalis looked where Cozy was pointing at; she saw Luz and Amity holding hands, blushing at each other.

Then the Changeling mischievously smiled at them, licking her lips. “Of course. It always makes me happy to see a young couple—young love, if you will.”

The Lumity Couple then quickly stopped holding hands, nervously whistling at nothing.

Hunter and Willow stared at each other as well and grinned. “Think we can squash a bug together?”

“Just what I was thinking,” nodded Hunter. They likewise held hands and nuzzled each other’s noses.

“Cozy has a point; you don’t wanna get back to a world where Starlight Glimmer exists, right?” Tirek smirked.

Chrysalis’s eyes went bloodshot at the very mention of her name. Seething in anger, she blasted a random bush into ashes. “I will never see that pest’s face AGAIN! I’m staying with you!”

“Perfect.”

“Well, it seems you didn’t need me for that favor after all,” Scorpan said. “So does this mean you’re gonna spread your chaos in this world from now on?”

Tirek looked back at him with an arched eyebrow. “Are you gonna stop us?”

“Pff, easily. But then again, nothing will make you change who you are, so there’s no point.”

Tirek was surprised when he said that. “Really? You—?”

“Yes. If this is the path you still choose, then so be it. I won’t stop you from following your wildest dreams, and neither will you. After all, it’s not me you should be worried about.”

The Treacherous Trio looked back and noticed the Hexside Squad were ready to fight them.

“Farewell, brother. Perhaps one day, we’ll cross paths again,” Scorpan waved, taking off to the skies.

Rusty Bucket rode on his back. “So long, kiddo! Good luck with your dastardly plans!”

“Stop calling me that!” Cozy yelled.

“Hey, Cozy, I forgot to mention this, but I think you’re lucky to have my brother as your friend!” Scorpan called out. The gargoyle and elderly pony flew off to the other side of the world until they were gone from sight.

Cozy blushed from the compliment. “He…really thinks that? Well, of course I am! Come here, buddy!”

The young mare hugged Tirek which caught the latter off-guard. “Cozy…! Not in front of everyone!”

“I love you, Tirek!”

The centaur looked away in embarrassment, but he couldn’t help but slightly smile from the affection. He sighed deeply and hugged her back.

“Right back at you.”

He noticed Chrysalis was unsure whether she wanted to join in or not.

“Still don’t like hugs?” Tirek asked.

“Maybe.”

“Let me help you with that,” he said, pulling her into the group hug.

The Changeling struggled at first until she slowly gave in and stretched her hooves around her comrades. At that moment, she radiated from the affection she received. She breathed in the affection and swallowed it whole.

“What was I thinking? This is delicious!” She then aggressively hugged Tirek and Cozy again, feeding off of their love.

“Okay, maybe I should’ve thought this through,” muttered Tirek.

“Awww, you guys are like family! This is so sweet!” Luz observed, tears of joy dropping.

“I…guess you can say that,” Tirek sighed.

“But don’t get too mushy on us, human! The Boiling Isles will be our new domain soon enough!” Chrysalis declared.

“One day, you all will tremble at our hooves and bow before the Friendship of Evil! NOTHING WILL STAND IN OUR WAY!” Tirek shouted.

With that, the villains ran off to the outskirts of the Boiling Isles, laughing together.

“Well…that was quite an eventful day,” said Amity.

“So those guys are gonna be our new arch enemies?” Gus wondered.

“Seems like it. But regardless, if they ever show up to terrorize the Boiling Isles, we’ll give them a very hard time. We will be waiting for them,” replied Luz.

Thus, the Hexside Squad watched the sunset in silence.

“So now that we have a new world to conquer, we need to find ways we can blend into this society. Any ideas?” said Tirek.

“Hmmm, oh, I know! I’m gonna build my own school!” Cozy announced.

Tirek and Chrysalis looked at her confused.

“It’s true! I almost lived my whole twisted foalhood as a student and always taking lessons from others. Now that I’m grown, I can take on the role as a teacher and raise an army of students who will follow my hoofsteps!”

“Huh, that’s…actually not a bad idea,” said Chrysalis.

“I was just going to say that,” concurred Tirek.

“I don’t care if UWM never admits me back after revealing my true colors because they’ll have a rival school to worry about,” Cozy wickedly smiled.

“For me, I will build a new hive where I can raise my new subjects. But I need someone to govern them in my absence. Nonetheless, it will be worth the effort,” said Chrysalis.

“What about you, Tirek?” Cozy asked.

The centaur heard a beastly roar from the woods and saw that same lizard beast they encountered earlier getting back on its feet. Then he hatched a sinister idea.

“These beasts need to be reminded who the real apex predator is. I can imagine what their magic will taste like,” he grinned.

“Hmm, I like what you think, Lord Tirek.”

“Why thank you, Queen Chrysalis.”

The centaur and the changeling exchanged suggestive looks until Cozy audibly coughed. “Ugh, sorry, got something in my throat.”

“Let’s have some fun, shall we?”

“ALL HAIL THE FRIENDSHIP OF EVIL!” the trio shouted in unison.

As time went on, Cozy Glow forced former members of the Construction Coven to build a new university called “Cozy’s University of Friendship Power”. Mason, Gilbert Park, and the others were sweating profusely as they worked hard on the project.

She relaxed on her chair and wore sunglasses.

Chrysalis had a shock collar on Terra Snapdragon and coerced her to plant more than a hundred flowers. Combined with her magic, Chrysalis managed to create hybrid changelings who were half-insect and half-flower.

Hearing them call out to her made her shed a few tears. She hugged a few of them and kissed them on their foreheads. She sat back on her new throne within her new castle just right below the Collector’s former palace.

Tirek sucked the magic out of a gigantic caterpillar monster and threw it on the ground.

He proudly beheld all the beasts he conquered so far. He flexed one of his biceps and kissed it.

“If only my father can see me now…”

“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”

“Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll be out soon! I promise!” said Jacob on the phone.

Sick of hearing his voice, his mom hung up and left the police station. Jacob could only lower his head in shame before he was escorted back to his cell.

As he was wallowing in his misery, a small portal opened up which revealed a familiar face. Jacob’s hopes were lit up as he recognized him.

“Buddy! Thank goodness you’re here! Quick, get me outta here!”

However, the dark figure—who had a glowing red diamond-shaped spot in the center of his chest—was not happy. He glared at him with his fiery red eyes and said, “I was wrong about you, Jacob.”

“W-What?”

“I gave you the very means to achieve your most ambitious dreams, and you still failed. I cannot work with someone who fails to meet their full potential. I thought you were the one, human. I was gonna make you my equal,” the man said, looking away.

“No…no, no, no, no, you can’t do this to me! Give me another chance! Please just—uh, ugh…at least tell me your name!” Jacob begged.

“My name is Axor, and you are fired,” he coldly spat. Then the portal closed.

“NOOOOOO!!!” Jacob cried.

Back inside an inter-dimensional dark room, Axor took slow steps before his monitor where there was a large panoramic view of the entire multiverse.

“What a shame. That human was this close to bringing the Boiling Isles to its knees…but nope! Those Equastrians had to ruin the fun,” he monologued. Then he took a look at the pony magic from his hands.

“Oh well…Jacob’s failure is ultimately inconsequential. He may have failed, but the Core managed to fulfill their purpose,” he grinned.

“Their task was the most important one, and I got what I was looking for!” Axor gloated, unleashing a wave of Equestrian magic.

“All of the ponies’ magic now belongs to me, and I can enslave the multiverse with it!” Axor boasted. He stretched out his hands and prepared to launch his first major attack on a few planets.

As he was fueled up and ready, the magic suddenly disappeared from his grasp. All the magic he got from Equestria was no longer within his power; however, he evilly laughed out loud before he could regain his composure.

“It’s just as I predicted. The Core’s long-term influence wouldn’t last long…which means the magic of friendship has been restored to Equestria,” Axor concluded. “Hmm, let’s take a look see.”

He swiped the screen monitor and clicked on the Equus planet to check on its current status. To his amusement, he saw new ponies acting all happy as magic has finally returned to the land.

“Ahhhh, a new generation of ponies. Oh, and who is this new ‘alicorn’? Hm? Sunny Starscout? Izzy Moonbow? Hitch Trailblazer? Hahahaha, this is interesting!” Axor chuckled.

“Second time’s the charm! I’ll send in another villain to get them begging for mercy—someone who will get the job done. Hmm, ah-ha! I know just who to pick,” he planned, evilly smirking.

THE END…FOR NOW.

Author's Note

That’s it! We’ve reached the end…at least for now. Thank you guys for reading this story!

And guess what today’s day is? The first year anniversary of The Owl House’s series finale “Watching and Dreaming”; that’s what this chapter’s title is referencing. Time flies, doesn’t it?

So yeah, that is it for all the G4 characters for this multiverse storyline. The next time you get another follow-up story is when I’m all got up with G5. Boy, that will be quite a ride, I bet.

Stay cool, guys, and peace out.

A Villainous Awakening

Author's Note

Here is the next segment of the multiverse saga! Before you read this, for those of you who haven’t been reading the two previous stories, at least read the epilogue of the last story so you can understand the context in this first chapter.

Thanks for understanding and enjoy reading!

A Villainous Awakening

So…where do I begin? Hmm, oh, of course! It all started back when everything seemed to work just fine. By that, I mean…when our world was right at our fingertips—or hooves, in the case of Chrysalis and Cozy.

We possessed the most powerful magic in all Equestria, and we dominated our enemies with ease! Twilight and her friends were about to become history until everypony and every creature rallied against us.

We lost the battle…and Grogar’s magic. And even worse, Celestia, Luna, and Discord turned the three of us into stone.

After that, I thought we were done for. Everything we worked for, everything we’ve accomplished to get us where we are…we’re all for nothing. *chuckles* I’ve never been happy to be proven wrong.

It turns out something happened to us one day—an event that changed our lives forever. The day I re-opened my eyes was the moment our new journey…commenced.

Tirek groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His vision was a little blurry at first until he became fully aware of his new surroundings.

To his left side was Cozy Glow, and to his right was Chrysalis who were likewise chained up on the wall.

“Huh…w-what?? What is this place?? Where are we?!” Tirek shouted. He looked down and saw every strange equipment in a dark laboratory with a look of confusion.

“Where in Equestria are we? Chrysalis! Cozy Glow! Wake up! Wake up!”

Chrysalis did not respond whereas Cozy Glow suddenly began to snore out loud.

“Ugh, I hate it when she does that,” Tirek groaned.

As he thought of something, he grinned mischievously and cleared his throat. “Hey, look, it’s Starlight Glimmer! She’s right in front of you!”

The former bug queen immediately woke up and hissed menacingly at the air. “PERISH, STARLIGHT!”

But then she realized the unicorn wasn’t there, making her glare daggers at the smug centaur. “Very funny, Lord Tirek.”

“At least now you’re awake. It seems like we’re no longer in stone imprisonment,” Tirek informed.

“What? We’re…not stone anymore? But how?”

“I don’t know. One would think being turned to stone would last for over a 1,000 years; I didn’t expect to be released so soon.”

“Hmm, it did feel like it lasted for about five minutes. But what I wanna know is why we are in these chains?!” Chrysalis demanded, struggling to move around.

“Mmmmm…please…Tirek…ten more minutes,” moaned Cozy, yawning out loud.

“Cozy, wake up! We’re in a new situation now,” said Tirek.

“What are you—what the—?! WHOA! What’s going on here?! Are we in Tartarus again?!” Cozy shrieked, now fully awake.

“This doesn’t look like Tartarus,” replied Tirek, scrutinizing the laboratory.

“Discord and the princesses have the audacity to chain ME?! The Queen of the Changelings?! How dare they!”

“It’s not like them to imprison their enemies like this…especially after they turned us into stone. Something isn’t adding up,” Cozy doubted, arching an eyebrow.

“She’s right. If Celestia and Luna wanted us in Tartarus, we would’ve been there already. But why would they turn us into stone and then set us free…only for us to end up in this…suspicious place?” Tirek argued.

“Does it really matter? It’s a good thing we’re finally free from that awful stone imprisonment; which means we can plot our revenge,” Chrysalis evilly smiled.

“Of course! I want nothing more than to snuff out those pathetic ponies and drain them of their magic once again,” Tirek heartily agreed. “But first, we need to figure out a way we can get outta here.”

“Hey, look! There’s a key down there!” Cozy alerted.

On the desk was a golden key left beside a folder full of photos. The Treacherous Trio grinned at the sight of it.

Tirek tried to activate his magic from his horns, but nothing came out thereof. He tried again while grunting but unsuccessfully.

“Impossible.”

“Let me try,” said Chrysalis, faintly igniting her horn. She only ignited sparkles of her magic, leaving her completely shocked.

“What?! Where’s my magic?!”

“There’s no way Twilight and her friends drained us all with their rainbow powers, did they?” Cozy worried.

Suddenly, a door opened which revealed Jacob Hopkins jumping inside the laboratory with his old work clothes on. He opened his iPhone and played some victory music.

“Oh yeah, baby! The crowd is cheering for…the man, the myth, the le-le-le-LEGEEEEEND!! Jacob’s got his groove back, ya losers!! Back in the game!!” he celebrated.

The villains looked at him with absolute bewilderment and puzzlement.

“Who…in the name of Equestria…IS THIS CREATURE?!” Chrysalis exclaimed.

“Oh, would you look at that? You demons are finally awake,” Jacob tauntingly greeted. “Now’s my chance to finally get some answers outta you!”

“Demons? The heck is a demon?” Cozy asked.

“Who are you?” Tirek growled.

“And what are you? I’ve never seen a weird creature like you before,” Cozy again asked.

“Hey, I ask the questions around here!! Got that? You’re in my territory now!” Jacob yelled. He grabbed a little remote and stared right back at the villains.

“What do you know about shape-shifters? Are they carnivores? How many of you demons live in this…Boiling Isles? Talk…now.”

“Boiling what?? What in Tartarus are you talking about?” Tirek responded.

“I don’t answer to you, you pompous imbecile! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?” Chrysalis angrily screamed.

“Ohhhh, I see how it is. Playing hard to get, eh? Well, this should make you talk!”

Jacob pressed the red button, shocking all three villains with the chains.

“I…don’t know who you are or what you are…but you’re gonna regret that!” Tirek threatened.

“Release us at once, or I’ll destroy you in the most painful way possible!” Chrysalis roared.

“Oh really? How are you gonna do that when I have all your juicy stuff right in here?” Jacob retorted, holding a jar full of purple essence in liquid form.

The villains gasped. “Is that…?”

“OUR MAGIC!” Chrysalis finished.

“That’s right, bug face! A little birdie told me you have some sort of magical capabilities I could use for myself. With it, I can be powerful enough to take down the rest of your kind! The Boiling Isles will be mine!”

“Wow…using our magic for your own evil plans? I gotta say…that’s a pretty good villainous scheme,” Cozy complemented.

“Cozy!” Tirek and Chrysalis scolded.

“What? It just screams devious!”

“Villainous? I’m gonna be a hero for planet Earth to see, thank you very much,” Jacob replied. “Once I expose your witch friends to all humanity, then they realize I was right all along. Everyone who hated me will taste my wrath.”

The villains then laughed at Jacob. “What’s so funny?!”

“A hero? Really? You call holding your prisoners against their will and siphoning their magic to destroy everyone heroic? You make me laugh,” Tirek mocked.

“You sound even more pathetic than the ponies we faced. Now that’s an accomplishment right there,” added Chrysalis, grinning.

Jacob then seethed in rage. “SHUT UP!! You’re just like all those people who made fun of me for years!”

While Hopskins was ranting, Cozy tried to slide her arms through the chains. As she quietly unloosed herself, she dropped down and hid under the desk.

“But it won’t matter anymore. Your magic is mine to control now!” Jacob triumphed, still holding the jar.

But before he could open the lid, Cozy jumped at him and bit him on the leg.

“OWW!”

He dropped to his knees, clenching his leg. That gave her enough time to grab the key and toss it to Tirek.

The centaur grabbed it with his teeth and unlocked the chains with it. He did the same for Chrysalis before they both landed safely on the floor.

“Free at last!” the changeling shouted.

“Now give us back our magic, and we might let you go unharmed,” Tirek demanded.

“How about…NO!” Jacob retorted, kicking Tirek on the pelvis.

The latter groaned in pain and fell on the floor. Jacob then punched Chrysalis in the face and kicked her in the stomach.

“You’ll pay for that!!” Chrysalis sneered.

“Not so tough without your magic, huh?”

“Leave them alone!” Cozy yelled, punching her hooves unto his legs.

Jacob however chuckled at her feeble attempts at fighting. He kicked her off him and grabbed a wrench from the table.

“Wait! You wouldn’t hurt a harmless little filly, would you?” Cozy begged, giving him puppy dog eyes.

Jacob’s pupils grew large as he locked eyes with her. “Awww, you’re so adorable. It’s certainly cute…how you think that would work on me! Don’t you know I’m dead inside?”

Cozy then cowered and shielded her face.

As he prepared to strike her, Tirek threw a little box at him—knocking him unto the table.

That made Jacob accidentally activate the device that held the exact coordinates of the Boiling Isles. It shot a beam towards an empty space, opening a portal.

The villains gasped at what they saw and smiled with beams of hope. “This must take us back to Canterlot!”

The portal then started to suck up everything that was in the laboratory, including the jar.

“No! I can’t lose the magic!” Jacob exclaimed. He jumped into the portal, following the flying jar.

“Don’t let him get to our magic!!” Chrysalis shouted, jumping into the portal as well.

“Right behind you!” said Cozy, following her.

Before Tirek could follow his comrades, he spotted a small cup filled with blue liquid. Thinking it was magic, he opened the lid and drank the whole cup.

He grew to his second form in size. He proudly looked at his slightly grown muscles and kissed his biceps. “I miss these babies so much.”

Then he rejoined with the rest through the portal before it closed.

The dark figure stepped out of the closet with an evil smile on his face. “Time for another world to fall.”

The Treacherous Trio finally landed on new ground…but not the type of ground they expected.

As they looked around, they saw Jacob holding the magic jar in his grasp. “Ha, in your faces, demons! Now I can drink this…especially since I didn’t have breakfast this morning. I was really busy.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Tirek shouted, activating his magic. But instead of shooting fiery magic, he blasted flowers from his horns.

The magical flowers surrounded Jacob and poured water on him like a waterfall.

“WHAT?!”

“What kind of magic did you drink? Chaos magic?” Chrysalis wondered.

“Or maybe peaceful magic?” Cozy guessed, shrugging.

“This is ridiculous! This magic is useless!” Tirek ranted.

Then the flowers proceeded to grab the jar and kick Jacob in the butt. He was sent flying in the air until he landed somewhere on top of the trees.

Tirek was flabbergasted. “I…take that back.”

“Hmm, seems like your new magical abilities are useful to us after all. Deliver our magic to us immediately!” Chrysalis commanded the flowers.

However, the flowers teleported out of sight with the jar. The villains gasped in shock.

“NO!!”

“WHAT IN THE—?!”

“They’re gone!”

“You incompetent fool, you lost us our magic!” Chrysalis berated.

“How is this my fault?! I didn’t know they were gonna do that!” Tirek argued.

“Excuses! You always make excuses for your failures!” Chrysalis shot back. “Look at us now: we’re stranded in the middle of nowhere, we have no power, and that hairless monkey is out to get our magic! And it’s all your FAULT!”

“Says the cocky idiot who constantly gets herself into trouble. Instead of following my advice and my lead, you waste your time in plotting revenge against an insignificant unicorn. It’s no wonder why you’re no longer the queen of the changelings,” Tirek retorted.

Chrysalis widened her eyes. “Why you arrogant, loud-mouthed—I oughta…,”

“STOP!!!” Cozy Glow bellowed. Tirek and Chrysalis looked back at Cozy, startled by her outburst.

“I’m sick and tired of you two always arguing! Every time I have to get you two to like each other, you still bicker like dumb foals!! And you wonder why Twilight always bested us every time! BECAUSE WE WON’T STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER!!”

The older villains looked down in shame.

Cozy sadly sighed. “Look, I know we hate each other and all, but it’s gonna get us nowhere if we keep pointing hooves all day. If we don’t work together to find our magic, that bipedal creature will destroy us.”

Tirek and Chrysalis looked at each other with frowns. Then they collectively sighed in defeat and nodded.

“I really hate to admit it, but you have a point. There’s no time to waste,” agreed Chrysalis.

“Very well. Now, let’s see how we can find our way back to Canterlot. It can’t be too far from here,” said Tirek.

“Uh…guys? I don’t think we’re in Equestria anymore,” corrected Cozy, looking at a distance with frightened eyes.

Looking towards her direction, they gasped at the sight of a gigantic carcass with a shining crown laid across the landscape….the Boiling Isles.

“Whoa…I’m…definitely not going down there,” said Chrysalis, gulping.

Sneaky and Sneakier

Early in the morning, the villains arose from the bushes and snuck into town. Still wearing black garments from Tirek’s new magic, they walked across the town while looking around for something or someone useful.

They came across multiple creatures and witches who were minding their own business; the trio even looked surprised at the sight of a being who had one eye and had a mouth on its own belly.

“This place is giving me the creeps,” Cozy whispered, shaking.

“Pfff, I’ve seen worse. I’ll gladly rip and tear any of them if they dare stand in my way,” Chrysalis snarled.

“Hopefully, we won’t get into that situation. Right now, we must look for our fellow Equestrian—whoever he may be—and find out how we can get back home,” Tirek reminded.

Suddenly, they stopped their tracks as they noticed a large building ahead of them. Looking closely, they gazed at the sight of the University of Wild Magic where adolescent witches and demons got in and out of the school.

Cozy Glow raised her eyebrow with interest as she read the sign. “The University of…Wild Magic?? Hey, this is perfect for us! There’s magic, and this is a school! Fits right in my alley!”

“How exactly does this fit into our plan?” Chrysalis questioned.

“Think about it, Chrysalis. I can squeeze my way into this school, pretend to be a student, and find somepony who is dumb enough to help me get the answers we’re looking for,” explained Cozy.

Tirek nodded in approval. “That’s not a bad idea. Given your expertise in manipulating students, this will be an easy task for you.”

Cozy evilly grinned. “You can say that again.”

“You go ahead and do your thing. Chrysalis and I will search elsewhere for anything useful. Make sure you don’t get distracted; this place is still new to us, so anything could be a threat to us. So be on guard,” Tirek ordered.

“You got it, big guy!” Cozy saluted.

As she trotted away, Chrysalis looked at him with doubt.

“What?”

“You seriously think this plan of yours will work? And how do we know this random Equestrian is even here? This could be a complete waste of time!”

Tirek then frowned at her. “The evidence doesn’t lie! Our suspect is here, and we will make sure he gets us back to Equestria. Don’t you want revenge on those pathetic ponies or not?”

Chrysalis then felt fire in her bones and growled in fierce determination. Then she nodded in understanding. “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll follow your lead.”

“Perfect. Now, let’s look for someone in charge while Cozy is occupied,” said Tirek.

But unbeknownst to them, the duo were being spied by a small demon who had a hand hair covering one of her eyes. Narrowing her sight on them, she quietly followed them without being seen.

Tirek and Chrysalis then came across more familiar footsteps on the ground. The former again recognized them and followed them to whatever direction they led to.

Suddenly, they were surprised by incoming flyer derbies soaring in the air. Among them was Willow who was at the forefront and Hunter just behind her. The team then landed in an open field where cheers were heard in the background.

“Hmm, they remind me of those pesky Wonderbolts from our world,” Tirek remarked.

“I bet those long-eared creatures are a lot less annoying. Ugh, I sooo want to get out of here!!” Chrysalis growled.

“Don’t worry, these tracks will take us where we need to be. Come on!”

But before they could proceed further, they found themselves blocked by the little demon that followed them. Slyly grinning, she approached them with her hands behind her back.

“You must be new here. I take it you’re looking for something?” she asked.

“Who wants to know?” Tirek asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Just a curious little demon who is…intrigued by your appearance. Allow me to welcome you to the Boiling Isles!”

Tirek and Chrysalis stared at each other before they looked down on her again.

“Well…um…thanks. *clears throat* Now, we’re stranded in this island, and we’re trying to get back home. Do you know somepony—err, someone who can help us?” Tirek explained.

“Getting back home, hm? That sounds familiar,” the demon mumbled.

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing! Perhaps I can be of…assistance. There’s a rumor that there’s a weird birdman who dwells somewhere underneath the ground. I’ve tried searching but…unsuccessfully. Maybe he can assist you in some way,” the demon replied.

“That has to be the creature we’ve been looking for,” Tirek whispered to Chrysalis.

“It better be. I’m getting tired of this search party already,” Chrysalis angrily whispered back.

“Thank you, little one. We’ll be on our way,” Tirek nodded, walking away.

The stranger though was still following them. “You’ll need my help! I might know where its cave is. I heard that it isn’t quite easy to catch.”

“Ha, we can handle one beast. You’re of no use to us,” Chrysalis scoffed.

“Please, just this once! With my guidance, your efforts won’t be in vain. Trust me…” the demon pleaded with puppy eyes.

Tirek and Chrysalis then looked at each other with narrow eyes.

“Alright then. Lead the way, Ms…?”

“You can call me Kikimora.”

“We’ll follow your direction…Kikimora,” Tirek accepted, keeping his eye on the hoof prints.

Meanwhile, Cozy Glow gazed around the dazzling colors of the hallway. Her pupils enlarged as she witnessed the massive structure of the university, admiring its beauty.

“Wow…why couldn’t Twilight’s school be this amazing…?” she muttered, jaw dropping.

Then she shook her head and refocused herself. As she again looked around, she noticed one individual who was chucking with two of her classmates. Curious, she trotted forward to get a closer look.

“That creature looks different. Her ears aren’t pointy,” she noticed.

The person then entered into class with the rest. This made the devious filly smirk in satisfaction. “Looks like I found my new friend.”

“Good morning, Class. Today, we will first refresh what we learned about the historical significance of laser magic and then we will jump right into our next lesson: acidic magic,” announced the professor.

As Luz and the other students sat in their seats, the professor opened his notebook. “Alright, let me take attendance real quick. Hmm…Luz is here. Calyx is here. Fernel is here. Tarner…Spry…Tenet…Lesia. Alright…seems like everyone is here today.”

But then he noticed Cozy Glow sitting down in the middle of the class. “Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t remember you being in our class. Have you registered for this course?”

“Sorry for the late notice, Professor. I just went through a hectic process to get here. But no worries! I registered here with a steady mind,” Cozy replied.

Professor Onus narrowed his eyes on her. “And yet…your name doesn’t appear on this sheet…”

Cozy then started to sweat a little. “Umm…they…uh…are having trouble processing my name in the…system? Yeah, that’s…that.”

“Hmmmm…”

Cozy nervously smiled at him.

“Very well. I’ll accept this tardy notice. What is your name, young one?”

“Cozy Glow.”

“Well then, Ms. Cozy Glow, welcome to Elemental Magic 101. Students, greet this newcomer with warm welcome.”

As the students did so, Cozy breathed a sigh of relief.

“I pray you learn something here. Alright, students, with that out of the way, let’s start with our first objective today, shall we?” said Onus.

While he was beginning to teach, Luz tapped on Cozy’s shoulder. “Hey…”

“Huh?” Cozy whispered back.

“Just wanted to say hi. I’m Luz. Welcome to class. And…you look like a pegasus. Are you from around here?” she asked.

“*gulps* Well, you could say I’m a visitor. But I’m mostly a…transfer student. Just wanted to learn some magical spells,” replied Cozy.

“Cool! I’m a human from planet Earth.”

“Human? Earth?”

“Yeah, ever since I got here, it changed my life and made me into a better person. So applying for this college was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Trust me, you’ll love it here,” said Luz, smiling brightly.

As Cozy processed all this, she evilly smiled behind her back. “Yes…I will.”