Later on, it was soon adventure time to those going with Twilight.
"Okay. I left you my lesson plan, all my student files, and my annotated syllabus notes," Twilight told Starlight on her way out. "If anything goes wrong, get Celestia."
"Got it!" Starlight smiled and nodded.
"Well...off we go..." Lionel remarked, briskly gulping.
Twilight began to feel nervous. "Maybe I should just close the school and send my students home." she then suggested another option.
"Would you go save Equestria already?" Starlight smirked, trying to push her into adventure.
Lionel rolled his eyes. "She makes a point; besides, if I might lose my powers forever, I may as well enjoy my last moments with them." he replied.
"Ya know, since we're almost brothers now, maybe I should stay with you too." Atticus suggested for him.
"Huh...okay." Lionel replied with a smile.
Everyone soon met in the hallway as they were set up.
"Okay. Cozy packed us all up for a trip to Bad Guy Central." Spike told the others.
"I still can't get used to those wings." Cherry commented to him.
"Well, he was long overdue to get them sometime." Atticus replied.
"Don't forget the sandwiches. I marked whose is whose, just in case," Cozy Glow smiled to the others before whispering to Spike. "Starlight can't stand mustard."
"That's so sweet of you, Cozy, but Twilight has asked some of us here like me to stay here to run the school." Starlight smiled back to the cute filly.
"Yeah," Lionel replied. "This might be a literal land where magic is the normal thing for them, but leaving one child in charge of an entire school? Now that's just insane!"
"Oh. I thought that after what happened last time-" Cozy Glow pouted.
"Once she's survived Discord, anything else is a piece of cake." Spike smiled.
Cozy Glow soon gave a puppy dog pout and whimper.
"Plus, she'll have you to help her." Twilight then added to cheer her up.
"Oh, golly, yes! I promise I'll be the best assistant ever!" Cozy Glow beamed before taking Starlight by the hooves. "Come on. We can start working on your substitute headmare plans right now, if you like."
"Oh, yeah, she is maxi-mundo bad news." Lionel whispered under his breath.
"I think I contracted diabetes." Cherry whispered to Lionel about Cozy Glow's cuteness and innocence.
"She's so sickeningly sweet, I might get cavities just from listening to her." Mo added.
Starlight soon went to leave with Cozy Glow while the others began to leave for their adventure.
"You boys play nice now." Cherry told Atticus and Lionel as she left.
"Oh, we will!" Lionel grinned back.
And so, began the separation, which was different since Atticus was usually always by Twilight's side since he loved her the same way that he loved Cherry, like brother and sister bonding.
"See? Nothing to worry about," Twilight smiled to Spike before picking him up in a panic. "Tell me there's nothing to worry about."
"Hey, now, no going Twily-nanas." Atticus reminded her.
Lionel snickered at that.
Later on in the School of Friendship, there was an assembly going on.
"Good morning, friendship students! I know we're all sad Professor Sparkle is away," Cozy Glow announced before giving a small pout as she stood behind a podium. "But don't worry, because she left me in charge to do things just the way she would."
Lionel used his vocal mimicry to imitate another student's voice. "But I thought Professor Glimmer was in charge!" he exclaimed within the crowd.
"She was, but she left me this note," Cozy Glow replied before taking out a note. "'I have to go. Twilight needs my help. I know the school is in good hooves with you, Cozy'," she then giggled. "Isn't that sweet? We won't let Starlight down, will we?"
The students seemed to chatter in agreement with that.
"It's just kind of weird, isn't it?" Smolder spoke up.
"I don't know what you mean." Cozy Glow smiled innocently to the young female dragon.
Lionel squinted suspiciously. "Something's fishy around here, and I don't mean the hippogriffs..." he muttered.
"Like, why'd she change her mind?" Smolder asked Cozy Glow. "Why did Starlight write a note instead of saying goodbye to us herself? Doesn't make any sense."
The students had to agree on that, now looking curious.
"Oh, Smolder, you forget," Cozy Glow giggled. "We're not scheming dragons. We're ponies. Sounds like somecreature needs to do a little extra friendship homework."
Some of the other students laughed to that.
"Okay, that sounded oddly racist." Lionel commented.
"Yak not pony either!" Yona soon snapped. "If Smolder get homework, Yona get homework."
"Me, too!" Ocellus added.
"I'm in!" Sandbar added.
"Yeah!" Silverstream laughed before hugging her friends. "Homework Party!"
The rest of the Young Six soon looked over to the griffin.
"Fine." Gallus groaned and rolled his eyes.
"If that wasn't proof, I dunno what is." Lionel replied.
Atticus narrowed his eyes as he began to found himself unable to trust Cozy Glow now, but kept it to himself until later on.
"What loyalty. Professor Rainbow Dash would be so proud," Cozy Glow smiled to the Young Six. "You are such good friends. You all are. And I'm grateful because it will be awfully hard running a whole school alone. Can I count on each of you to help me?"
The students soon cheered to that in response.
"Thank you so much! It's just like our professors taught us," Cozy Glow smiled to them. "Together, we can get through anything!"
"I just hope the others are doing okay." Atticus said to himself.
"You aren't the only one," replied Lionel. "Hopefully Cherry is alright..."
Atticus gave a small nod.
Meanwhile, the others were traveling. Cherry sputtered and grunted as they were infested with flies as they traveled, but Rarity seemed to be suffering the most.
"Ow! Ugh! I have had it with these horrible flies!" The unicorn fashionista whined. "I miss my magic...!"
"Have you tried using your tail to shoo them away?" Twilight suggested.
"Yeah!" Cherry coughed as she tried to do that. "You're a horse! It's what you do!"
Rarity gasped to that, feeling offended. "Bite your tongue! It's for decorative purposes only!"
Cherry rolled her eyes in irritation. "Maybe I should've stayed back with Nancy, Mo and Lionel...heaven knows I wouldn't hafta put up with THIS back there." she groused.
"Hey! I didn't know we packed green cupcakes." Pinkie Pie said as she took out a green cupcake from her bag.
The cupcake appeared to be moldy and disgusting.
"Um, we didn't," Fluttershy frowned. "They must've gone bad without magic to keep them cold."
Pinkie Pie soon at the cupcake, making things even more disgusting, and even made Cherry throw up, seeing that.
"'Magic' this, 'magic' that," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "We don't need magic to go on a little hike."
And just then, it began raining.
"You were saying...?" Rarity asked.
Cherry sighed. "Yup. Definitely should've stayed behind..." she remarked.
They soon ran to hide under a tree so they wouldn't get any wetter than they were now.
"You just need to think more like Earth ponies, y'all," Applejack smiled before she took out a jar. "Granny's 'Apple Core No-Bite-No-More'! That'll keep the flies off."
"I hope you're right." Cherry said as she took some and rubbed it on.
Pinkie took a whiff and gagged. "Ugh! It smells just like it looks!" she remarked.
"Even if our food's spoiled, these blueberries are still good to eat." Fluttershy smiled as she looked into a bush.
"Too bad we can't do anything about the rainstorm." Spike pouted.
"I can't stop that storm by myself, but I can still help!" Rainbow Dash replied.
"Go, Rainbow Dash!" Cherry supported.
Rainbow Dash soon flew to the sky and took out a chunk of the cloud and flew back down and held it over the others for protection from the rain.
"I think we have all the magic we need right here," Twilight smiled to her friends before looking sheepish. "Not that I don't want to get it back. Heh. Let's go!"
They soon ran off to keep on going.
Meanwhile, back at the school, almost everyone had something positive to say about Cozy Glow being in charge.
"Cozy Glow baked our class cupcakes today!" A unicorn filly beamed.
"And she made all of us friendship bracelets!" An earth filly added, showing a bracelet around her hoof.
"She's the nicest pony I've ever met," The pegasus filly concluded cheerfully. "I'm so glad she's headmare!"
"Uh, temporary headmare? Right, guys?" asked Sandbar.
"Yeah. Won't be long before word of this spreads." Lionel agreed.
"Oh, oh, of course," The unicorn replied. "But if Twilight takes her time coming back, I won't mind." she then giggled as she left with her friends.
"Going somewhere, Sandbar?" Patch asked.
"I'm on my way to Study Club with the other Young Six." Sandbar replied before picking up his book.
Lionel shrugged. "Figure we might join you." he remarked.
Sandbar smiled to that and soon took them to the library.
"Anyone see Atticus?" Mo asked.
"I think he went to see how Thor was doing." Patch shrugged honestly.
"Knowing him, let's hope he didn't get in over his head." Lionel shrugged.
They soon came into the library with the other Young Six.
"Finally! We thought you forgot about Study Club." Silverstream smiled to the young colt.
"Sorry I'm late," Sandbar replied as he joined them. "Cozy Glow gave our class tickets to a Sapphire Shores concert in Ponyville tonight."
"I think she's just using all these presents to distract us from the whole missing magic problem." Lionel stated.
"That could be it." Ocellus agreed.
"I don't trust her," Smolder scoffed. "What's she up to behind those big eyes and bouncy curls?"
"Pure evil." Lionel replied.
They soon heard some sort of commotion behind the bookshelves.
"And why Cozy pony coming out of catacombs so late at night?" Yona glared as she took a look.
Everyone else soon looked with the yak and Cozy Glow was seen flying with a lantern before leaving the library.
"Definitely worth investigating." Patch remarked.
They soon went to go follow after Cozy Glow to see what was going on.
Meanwhile, the others soon came up to a demonic looking door.
"This is the only door to Tartarus," Twilight pointed out to the others. "The good news is the seal isn't broken, so we know Tirek didn't escape."
"Oh, no, Twilight, is there bad news too?" Cherry rolled her eyes.
"Last time I was here, I had to use magic to get in. And according to Star Swirl, all unicorn magic was gone by yesterday's sunset." Twilight explained.
"Maybe he was wrong!" Rainbow Dash suggested.
"I doubt it, but I guess we could see what happens." Cherry said.
Twilight nodded and soon grunted, trying to summon her magic, but nothing happened.
"Don't worry, Twilight," Pinkie Pie smiled. "Me and Cherry got this."
"WHAT?!" Cherry yelped. "Forget it, don't drag me into another of your loony schemes!" she protested. "I never agreed to this!"
Pinkie Pie dragged her off anyway and they both had pizza slice masks. She then knocked on the door and took out a pizza box. "Free pizza delivery!" she then announced.
Cherry rolled her eyes as no one came to the door.
"Huh. Always worked before. Oh, well." Pinkie Pie shrugged before tossing the pizza box aside.
"I swear, I'm the Squidward to your SpongeBob." Cherry grumbled.
"Did any of y'all pack somethin' that could actually help?" Applejack asked, exasperated.
Everyone soon checked their bags.
"These all do magic, but not the kind we're looking for, I'm afraid." Rarity frowned, taking out her personal tools of fashion.
"What good would this be in this situation?" Cherry frowned as she brought out her training wand from school.
"How about this?" asked Spike, holding up a cone-shaped device.
"This reeks of plot convenience." Cherry noted.
"The Key of Unfettered Entrance!" Twilight beamed, taking the device from the young dragon. "Where did you find this, Spike?"
"In your bag," Spike smiled. "Cozy Glow must've packed it for you."
"She really did think of everything." Twilight smiled back.
"Yeah..." Cherry commented. "Pretty suspicious if you ask me..."
"Um, what does it do?" Fluttershy asked.
"It can magically open any door, and since artifacts like this haven't lost their power yet..." Twilight said as she put the key in.
The door soon began to power up, and the doors to Tartarus opened up before them. Twilight reached for the key before it suddenly exploded. "I guess it only works once." she then said to the others. And just then, the door slammed behind them.
"Seriously, NOBODY else finds it strange that Cozy Glow gave you a magic key that allegedly opens any entrance, but it was only good for one use?" Cherry asked.
"Oh, Cherry, don't jump to conclusions," Pinkie Pie smiled. "We're gonna be just fine."
"I highly doubt it!" Cherry replied. "Atticus's little sister used to be just like this!"
A Cockatrice soon came out, hissing at them.
"Cockatrice!" Cherry yelped before covering her eyes, shivering since just looking at one could turn you into stone.
Pinkie bounced up and down a few times. "I don't feel like stone," she commented. "Unless it's really bouncy stone!"
The Cockatrice was shown to be in a cage and looked a little sad from being in there.
"I think he lost his magic, too," Fluttershy frowned as she pet the Cockatrice before seeing that there were other creatures shown to be locked up in cages. "All the creatures here must have."
"Lucky us." smirked Cherry.
All of the creatures looked a little sad to be locked away like this.
"Star Swirl said that would happen on the second day." Twilight told the others.
"I know it should make me feel safer, but it just makes me sad," Spike frowned. "We gotta fix this!"
"Easier said than done." Cherry replied.
Back at the school, Cozy Glow was flying down the corridors, unaware that she was being followed by the Young Six. They snuck behind her, making certain that she didn't see them coming. Cozy Glow came into an office, but didn't shut the door all the way, and the others peeked through the crack to see a frightening figure.
"Where is Princess Twilight?!" Chancellor Neighsay sneered to the young filly.
"Oh, golly. She's away on a quest," Cozy Glow smiled innocently. "I'm watching the school for her."
"Egads!" Lionel remarked. "Brain?!"
"Shh." The others reminded him to keep quiet so no one would see them.
"Magic is failing across our land, and she left a foal in charge of this facility?" Chancellor Neighsay glared to Cozy Glow.
"Yes, sir! Is there anything I can do for you?" Cozy Glow smiled to him.
"That won't be necessary," Chancellor Neighsay glared. "Twilight's folly stops here. As of now, I am headstallion. And I have quite a few changes to make." he then added with a sinister smirk.
'This does NOT bode well...' Lionel thought.
Meanwhile, the others kept traveling among the creature zone they wandered into.
"If all these monsters lost their magic, then getting past Cerberus should be easy-peasy!" Pinkie Pie said as she grabbed a creature, forcing him to have a grin on his face.
"Bring it on," Cherry smirked. "I can handle anything."
Cerberus soon ran out and stomped on her by accident.
"Finland..." Cherry babbled before falling in the middle of the ground.
"I'll talk to him." Fluttershy insisted as she approached the three-headed dog-beast.
Cherry soon stood up and shook herself violently to ease off the pain she just endured. Cerberus growled to Fluttershy at first.
"Um, excuse me, puppy?" Fluttershy cooed to the dog demon, petting and cooing. "You're a very good guard dog. Yes, you are, but, um, we were wondering if we could get by to check on Tirek."
Cerberus then began happily licking Fluttershy.
"That looks like a yes." Applejack stated.
"I'll get you a towel, darling." Rarity insisted as the yellow pegasus giggled.
They soon followed after Cerberus to continue their travel in finding the demonic centaur.
"The Princess of Friendship here for a visit," Tirek smirked upon their arrival to his cage. "What have I done to earn the honor of your company?"
"Cut the crap, Tirek," Cherry snapped. "I have been through literal Hell today getting here...to Pony Hell, ironically enough."
"We want answers, Tirek," Twilight ordered. "Magic is disappearing from Equestria."
"I know. What a waste of such... Mmm... Delicious power~" Tirek smirked before slurping hungrily.
"Daugh!" Cherry grimaced before glaring.
"So you are behind this!" Rainbow Dash snapped.
"Silly filly, if I had all of that magic, you think I'd still be locked up in here?" Tirek smirked.
The others looked to each other as that was a good point, but they didn't want to admit it.
"But I might know something about it..." Tirek then smirked.
"Finally, we get somewhere..." Cherry rolled her eyes.
The others looked nervous to hear more, but they had to.
Back in the school...
Chancellor Neighsay looked down at the student files before brushing them aside into the trash.
"What are you doing?" Cozy Glow glared. "Those are Twilight's student files!"
"These aren't. Not anymore. With Equestria under attack, ponies must stand together," Chancellor Neighsay told her. "Twilight has endangered us all by skipping off on 'friendship trips' while these dangerous creatures run loose."
"You don't think they're the reason magic is disappearing, do you?" asked Cozy Glow.
"Yes, and I came to warn Twilight," replied Chancellor Neighsay. "But since she is gone, it falls to me to protect you foals from these monsters."
Lionel scoffed. "What a bigoted, xenophobic, bully of a creep..." he remarked under his breath. "If I had the chance to, I'd storm right in and kick his hide to Alpha Centauri and back..."
"Yona like that idea." Yona replied.
"First thing we agree on." Lionel smirked.
"Did you hear something?" Chancellor Neighsay asked Cozy Glow.
"It sounded like it came from over there!" Cozy Glow pointed out.
The doors were soon opened and the Young Six fell onto a pile on top of each other.
"You again. As I suspected," Chancellor Neighsay glared to all of them before pushing a seal on his cloak, sending out a dark type of magic with chains wrapping them all up. "From now on, this school is pony-only! As nature intended."
"On my planet, they got terms for describing folks like you," Lionel replied. "Including, but not limited to: bigot, racist, xenophobe, and no-good, low-down, vile piece of scrap!"
"Hmm... Interesting specimen..." Chancellor Neighsay said as he examined Lionel.
"If I wasn't so disgusted at your bigotry, I would be flattered." Lionel replied.
"Hm." Chancellor Neighsay glanced at him, a bit coldly.
Eventually, the group was thrown into a room.
"Since you refuse to explain your plot against Equestria and return the magic you stole, you will stay here while I summon your guardians to take you home." Chancellor Neighsay glared as he was about to leave them.
"You repugnant, miserable slag-muncher!" Lionel spat.
"Nice mouth, creature." Chancellor Neighsay huffed as he began to leave.
"Wait!" Sandbar cried out, raising his hoof. "You were right about them from the beginning, Chancellor. I see that now."
"What are you saying?!" asked Smolder in shock.
"Sandbar!" cried Silverstream.
Lionel just said nothing, simply looking on to see this play out.
"I don't want anything to do with creatures that could threaten Equestria!" Sandbar continued with a glare.
"Wisely put, colt," Chancellor Neighsay said before freeing him, allowing him to come out into the hallway with him as he grew a malicious grin on his face. "Everypony will come to their senses eventually."
"Gee...THAT's totally not foreboding in any way whatsoever," Lionel remarked sarcastically.
Sandbar soon shut the door behind him and walked off.
We then cut to Sweet Apple Acres, and Apple Bloom was fast asleep until she heard apples hitting her window and even a watering can.
"Apple Bloom? In trouble?" Clark asked as he got out of bed and rushed to save his girlfriend's little sister. "Not on my watch!"
"What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom asked as she looked outside.
Clark soon took out a broom with a glare as he came beside Apple Bloom, but soon looked relieved that she wasn't in any danger.
"Sorry. I ran out of apples," Sandbar smiled sheepishly as he stood by a cow, two shovels, some rocks, a bucket, and an anvil to throw things to wake up the young filly. "I need the Cutie Mark Crusaders. My friends are in trouble. Chancellor Neighsay locked them up."
"Applejack told me that Starlight Glimmer was in charge." Clark replied.
"Not anymore," Sandbar replied. "But you guys are good buddies. If you can convince her to distract Neighsay, I can break out my friends. Will you help me?"
Apple Bloom and Clark looked to each other before looking back to Sandbar with a smile.
"Do mulberries have seeds?" Apple Bloom rhetorically asked.
Sandbar looked confused from that.
"That's a yes." Clark told Sandbar before leaving with Apple Bloom.
"...Okay..." Sandbar replied, confused.
Back in Tartarus...
"Where is Equestria's magic going, Tirek?" Cherry glared. "What's making it disappear? Start talkin'!"
"If you let me out, I'm sure it will jog my memory. What do you say? I scratch your back, you scratch mine?" Tirek asked.
"I'd rather you not touch my back with those freaky demon hands." Cherry replied.
"How about you tell us what you know or you'll be stuck here forever, because we're out of magic keys and nopony can open the door?" Rainbow Dash glared to Tirek, grabbing a hold of his beard in a firm manner.
"Oh, dear. I hadn't thought of that." Rarity shivered.
"We're just as trapped as Tirek?" Spike frowned.
"Basically." Cherry responded.
Tirek soon chuckled. "What a pity. Well, for you. Sweet revenge for me. It seems my little protégé's plan worked after all."
Everyone soon gasped from that.
"Which little protégé?" Applejack demanded.
"Oh, we've never met," Tirek replied as he clawed a bar on his cage. "We're pen pals. Each letter had so many questions about draining magic."
"And you answered them?!" Pinkie Pie asked, jumping onto the cage.
"I was bored," Tirek smirked as he leaned over towards Pinkie Pie. "So I simply pointed my pen pal in the right direction."
Cherry smirked. "Pen pal, huh? Bet I know who it is..."
"Oh, yeah?" Tirek smirked back to her. "You think you're so smart, don't you?"
"Try me!" Cherry smirked.