Meanwhile, in the main hall...
"I am sure you are all concerned about the magic situation, but I want to assure you that this institution is safe, despite the absence of your headmare," Chancellor Neighsay told the students as he stood beside Cozy Glow. "As your new headstallion, let me be the first to say that the reign of Princess Twilight is over! From now on, this school will adhere to EEA doctrine, as it should have from the start!"
The students soon murmured to each other in alarm.
"Thank you, Chancellor Neighsay, for that rousing speech. I know you're a stallion who truly believes what you say," Cozy Glow applauded Chancellor Neighsay before flying off towards the other students and took out an old book. "And when you say this school will be run according to EEA doctrine, I know you mean it. And when you say there won't be any more lessons from the Princess of Friendship at the School of Friendship, I guess you mean that, too."
The students began to murmur amongst themselves.
"That's not exactly what—" Neighsay tried to say before he was interrupted.
"But Twilight decided to run her school outside of the EEA guidelines," Cozy continued. "And even though you tried to stop her, Princesses Celestia and Luna trusted her enough to support her."
The students felt surprised from that.
"Well, I-I wouldn't say that-" Chancellor Neighsay began to sweat nervously.
"So, since I know you mean what you say, my question is really for the students," Cozy Glow smirked to him before she faced the student body. "Are we going to give the pony who already tried to wreck Twilight's school once another chance to do it?"
The students all continued murmuring in agreement at that. Chancellor Neighsay soon began to look nervous.
"I guess things will have to stay the way Twilight wants them," Cozy Glow smirked. "Which includes leaving me in charge."
"YEAH!" The students agreed before charging towards the unicorn stallion.
Chancellor Neighsay soon found himself overcome by the swarming throng of students who immediately surrounded him, and since he couldn't use his magic, he was defenseless. The Young Six and the others were shown hiding in the custodial closet and soon saw that.
"Okay. So maybe we need a new plan." Sandbar said to his friends.
"Definitely." Lionel replied.
The others nodded in agreement. Chancellor Neighsay was soon thrown into a room as he began to look scared for once and chained up into a chair.
"Oh, oh, not too tight. We don't want to hurt the Chancellor," Cozy Glow told the students as she threw a padlock onto the chains, patting the unicorn on his head with a smirk. "I'm sure Twilight will know what to do with him when she gets back. Now, back to class, everyone. We let the EEA disrupt our friendship studies long enough."
The students agreed as they went back into the main room. Cozy Glow then smirked to the unicorn stallion.
"Why are you doing this?" Chancellor Neighsay asked while grunting in his chain trap. "I thought you wanted to have somepony in charge of the school."
"Oh, I do. You just aren't the pony I had in mind," Cozy Glow replied before she soon removed his magical seal and took out a box which had a framed picture of herself, a skull, and puppets of the Mane Six. "I can't very well have the EEA running the school if I want to run it myself. Of course, that's just the beginning. You see, if there's one thing I've learned here, it's that friendship is the most powerful thing there is. And as headmare of the School of Friendship, nopony will have more friends than me! Making me the most powerful pony in Equestria!" she then belted out a rather evil laugh.
The Chancellor gulped as Cozy walked off, giggling evilly to herself.
"Hey, Cozy Glow," Scootaloo smiled innocently. "What's so funny?"
"Are you just happy to be running the school?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Oh, I'm just keeping Twilight's seat warm." Cozy Glow smiled innocently before walking down the hallway.
"Still, it's pretty impressive," Apple Bloom replied.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"We can hang out with you all day if you want!" Scootaloo added.
"You know, there is something I need help with." Cozy Glow soon smirked to them.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders then cheered, following after her as the closet opened as they left.
"This way." Clark told the others before flying down the hallway with them despite not having wings.
And so the others followed behind, being as quiet as they possibly could. They came into the office, and Gallus led them in after they made it there, and soon found Chancellor Neighsay being chained up to a chair.
"Oh, wonderful. I suppose you've all come to gloat?" Chancellor Neighsay groaned, seeing all of them in misfortune.
"Actually, we've come to undo all these chains and free you!" Silverstream beamed.
"Though now that you mention it..." Lionel replied. "HA-HA-HA! YOU'RE ALL CHAINED UP! IN YOUR FACE, LOSER! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The others gave him a small glance.
"Lionel..." Clark sighed softly.
"What? He SO had it coming!" Lionel replied. "Besides, I'm done now."
"Fair enough, I have to admit." Clark then said.
"But... But why?" Chancellor Neighsay asked the Young Six.
"Now that nasty pony met even nastier pony, maybe nasty pony not be so nasty." Yona smiled before she soon charged towards Chancellor Neighsay until she used a horn to unlock the padlock.
"To put it simply, you're the lesser of two evils." Lionel explained.
"Also, we'd kind of like to stop Cozy before she drains all the magic from Equestria." Sandbar then added.
"She's behind that as well?" Chancellor Neighsay's eyes widened until he soon knocked over the trashcan to get his golden seal back. "I must get word to Celestia and Luna."
"How? Without magic, it'll take forever to get to them." Sandbar replied.
"While it's true that unicorns have lost their ability to cast spells, the most potent magic in Equestria is housed in our... artifacts. The EEA medallion allows me to travel throughout Equestria. Its magic worked when I chained you up. Perhaps it still has enough to send me to the princesses." explained the Chancellor.
Everyone soon watched him as he tapped his medallion with his hoof to make it work. Chancellor Neighsay soon had magic in his horn and shot out a portal, and he walked through it as it closed behind him.
"I hope he makes it." Ocellus frowned.
"I hope he doesn't come back and lock us up again." Smolder rolled her eyes.
"If he comes back." Gallus added a bit cynically.
"Everything's gonna be fine!" Silverstream replied, trying to keep the mood positive. "Twilight and the others are probably already on their way!"
Lionel, off to the side, glanced into the distance.
Meanwhile...
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were playing with Cerberus.
"Um, are you sure there's magic in Cerberus?" Fluttershy asked Twilight. "Clarissa the pig has two tails, and while her singing voice is lovely, I don't think it's magical."
"We need to try everything if we want to get out of here." Twilight replied.
"I don't know. Tartarus isn't so bad," Pinkie replied. "I could hang out here for a while!"
"Pinkie Pie, are you sure it's a good idea to roast a marshmallow with a Chimera?" Cherry asked.
The chimera instantly shot flames at Pinkie, leaving her marshmallow burnt and herself lightly toasted.
"Eh, maybe not forever, though." Pinkie replied.
Cherry soon coughed out a ring of smoke. "Ah, it's never a true adventure unless I suffer from some sort of slapstick." she then grimaced to herself.
"But that is just what it will be!" Tirek smirked to them from afar. "If my protégé has followed my instructions, by sunset tonight, every last vestige of Equestrian magic will disappear into the ether forever!"
"Have you even thought about what losing magic would mean?" asked Twilight.
"It means the six of you will be trapped here! Like me!" Tirek grinned gleefully.
"Eight!" Spike stated.
"Exactly," Twilight smirked. "It means you're trapped here. Forever. With us."
Tirek soon looked dumbfounded by that conclusion. "Uhhhh... I hadn't thought of it like that."
"So, what do we do, Twilight?" Spike asked the lavender alicorn.
"Dash and Applejack nearly have Cerberus tired out," Twilight replied. "If Rarity pitches in, I think they can get him to sit still long enough to try what I have in mind."
"I am not being a chew toy!" Cherry glared.
"Nobody said THAT." Twilight replied.
"I'm sure I can get the other monsters to help," Fluttershy stated before whispering to Spike. "Besides, I would never call them monsters."
"What about Tirek?" asked Spike. "He's probably got some magic, too, right?"
"Leave him to me." Pinkie Pie said as she walked off ominously.
Rarity soon held out a giant bone for the three-headed dog demon. "Doooooooown!"
Cerberus gave her a low growl.
"Okay, everyone!" Fluttershy smiled as she approached the caged animals. "Time to show Equestria that you aren't 'monsters'! You're wonderful, mystical creatures!"
Pinkie cleared her throat and began to sing to Tirek. "I know it's not your birthday, so, You get a party, even though, We'll sing and dance from one to ten And then we'll do it all again!~"
"Heh... Heh..." Cherry started to laugh a bit that Tirek was forced to endure being tortured by Pinkie Pie.
"More tea, Princess Pudding Rock?" Pinkie Pie smirked to Tirek before forcing his mouth to move as she spoke in a high-pitched voice. "'Oh! Don't mind if I do'!" she then let out a laugh as she kept smirking to the demonic centaur. "I can do this all eternity."
"Fine! I'll help you leave!" Tirek cried out. "Just please stop!"
"Tirek's in!" Pinkie Pie announced to the others.
"Looks like we got an escape plan." Cherry smirked.
Everyone else soon smirked back in agreement.
Meanwhile, the CMC continued to follow Cozy Glow, along with Darla, Amber, and Phoebe.
"It's just so excitin' to have a foal our age runnin' things," Apple Bloom beamed. "We should have an ice cream social every day!"
"That's a splendid idea, Apple Bloom. But to tell you the truth, the thing I need help with most is cleaning." Cozy Glow replied.
"Say no more. Just take us around the school and show us everything you want cleaned." Sweetie Belle beamed.
"Well, actually, you could start right in here." Cozy Glow smiled as she opened a closet door.
They all soon stepped in and examined it up close.
"It looks pretty clean already." Darla commented.
Cozy Glow narrowed her eyes before slamming the door shut with them inside. "Do you guys think you can fool me?! I know a diversion when I see it!"
"Well, there goes OUR role in the story." Amber sighed.
Darla frowned and patted her best friend on the back in comfort.
Meanwhile... Again...
"Uh, why pony lead us back down here?" Yona asked.
"We obviously can't handle Cozy on our own, but we can't just sit around and wait for help," Sandbar told the yak. "So, there are two more prisoners I think we should free."
"Two?" Lionel asked curiously.
They soon came beside Sandbar to see what he had meant.
"Ooh, I guess Starlight and Atticus!" Silverstream beamed. "Is it Starlight and Atticus?"
"Yup..." Lionel replied in shock.
Yona soon wandered off.
"Yona!" Clark gasped to the yak.
"Counselor pony, come out!" Yona called out as she came toward Atticus and Starlight. "We need help with nasty pony!"
"We have to get them out!" Lionel explained. "Somehow..."
Starlight and Atticus seemed nervous in seeing Yona.
"They can't talk to us from in there," Sandbar realized. "We'll have to find a way in getting them out."
"Hey! This is just like chapter 12 in 'Kanthaka's Facts and Artifacts' from Twilight's class!" Gallus exclaimed...which was met with silence. "What? I've been studying. Finals are coming up, you know?"
"...Priorities..." Lionel shrugged.
"Actually, I remember that, too!" Ocellus smiled to the griffin as she took out a book. "Cozy must've linked these artifacts to act like a mystical magnet, attracting all the magic in Equestria into that orb."
"So, we can shut it down by yanking one of these things out, right?" Smolder guessed before reaching out only to stop herself.
"Sure, though that would probably cause a magical feedback loop and destroy the whole school!" Ocellus replied.
Lionel sighed with a dry smirk. "Ah, well. Nobody lives forever, right? Besides, the evil must be stopped...no matter the cost..."
"Destroy the School of Friendship?!" Cozy Glow gasped as she was soon shown with the rest of the Friendship University's student body right behind her. "Oh, dear! Chancellor Neighsay was wrong about a lot of things, but I guess he was right about all of you!"
Lionel glowered. "Stay back! Or we'll DO IT!" he shouted.
"Oh, really?" Cozy Glow smirked.
"Do not force my hand, child," Lionel replied. "I am NOT to be trifled with."
The other pony students gasped in suspense.
Back in Tartarus...
"All right. Is everypony ready?" Twilight asked the others.
"Sit!" Rarity ordered, and Cerberus did so. "Good. I can't say for how much longer..."
"Hm... Not bad." Cherry smirked to Rarity.
"Thank you, I try." Rarity smiled.
Cerberus soon drooled for the bone and Rarity let him have it. Pinkie Pie soon walked around, dressed like a monkey and clapping cymbals together.
Tirek cried out in agony, while Cherry sat by eating popcorn and watching. "Better him than me." she remarked.
"All eternity!" Pinkie squeaked in glee.
"Yes, by all means, please!" Tirek screamed. "Just get on with it!"
"Ahem!" Twilight cleared her throat.
"There's your cue, you evil centaur, you." Pinkie Pie cooed to Tirek.
Tirek soon summoned and shot his magic towards Twilight. Twilight grunted as the magic began to surge...and combine...as it managed to open the doorway to Tartarus!
"Holy Shnikes, it worked." Cherry commented.
Suddenly, all of the creatures changed into separate animals that they all came from, such as Cerberus turning into three puppies instead of one dog with three heads.
"Come on!" Twilight told the others. "I don't know how long I can hold it!"
"Well, that's as good a cue as any." Cherry shrugged as she and the others quickly ran out of Tartarus.
"Good boy!" Rainbow Dash commented at the three puppies.
"Bye, friends. Hopefully, we'll be able to turn you all back into your normal, wonderful selves soon." Fluttershy waved to the creatures.
"But not TOO soon..." Cherry added.
"Thanks for the assist, your redness!" Pinkie Pie saluted Tirek before running off.
"And thanks for playing with Pinkie Pie for me." Cherry added with a smirk as she joined the others.
Twilight soon ran out of magic and flew after her friends, making it just in time as the doors closed behind them.
"Yay! Twilight did it!" Pinkie cheered.
"I couldn't have done it without all your help." Twilight replied as she joined her friends (minus Cherry, naturally) in a group hug.
"I'm not sure we did!" Rarity suddenly stated.
They soon saw that the sun was setting.
"No!" Twilight cried out.
"Tirek said all of Equestria's magic would be gone at sunset." Applejack remembered with a frown.
"Without magic, there's no way we'll get back to the school in time!" Twilight panicked.
"What does that mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"It means... We've failed!" Twilight replied in regret.