Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow found themselves in a familiar area. It was Grogar’s lair, or rather, the lair that Discord had summoned them too when he had pretended to be the ram.
“So… you’re not Discord in disguise?” Tirek asked.
“No!” Grogar stated. “I am not. I am the true father of monsters! Witness!”
He raised a hoof in the direction of the cave entrance. Sure enough, dozens of monsters walked in through it. Seeing them, Cozy shivered and hid under Tirek’s hoof. The centaur showed visible fear as well. Even Chrysalis knew there were too many, she might have considered herself scarier than any of them alone but with so many monsters there even she was not arrogant enough to assume she could win in a fight.
The monsters all approached Grogar, whose eyes lit up a brighter red. The monster’s eyes did the same, but he was not using the Ruby of Reign to control them like he was Star Cutter.
“All monsters bow to their father’s wishes!” he said. “You briefly served that imposter Discord when he gathered all of you here under the guise of offering you a chance to crush Twilight Sparkle and her friends. I offer you the same, but I mean it truthfully! Discord merely meant to use you to help Twilight Sparkle gain confidence in herself. Join me, and I will return to you your places of power that you once held or sought to hold. Refuse, and I will have my children devour you!”
The freed villainous trio looked at the monsters who all growled softly. It was certainly a display for any creature to be able to control so many monsters at once. They had come close to ruling Equestria when working as a team, if not for the arrival of nearly every creature in Equestria they would have destroyed the Mane 6 and their dragon friend that day.
Cozy slowly flew out from under Tirek. “I’ll join! I don’t want to be monster food!”
“Same!” Tirek said. "Anything for a chance at revenge!"
Chrysalis scoffed. “Well, I suppose if the three of us came close to ruling Equestria together we would fare even better if we have an army behind us. But how do we know this isn’t you trying to pull some trick, Discord? As powerful as he is, he could likely control monsters somehow.”
Grogar growled. “Watch.”
He put his hoof on the Crystal ball that still remained in the lair. An image played out of what was happening in Ponyville.
***
Luster sat with her friends eating the hayburgers that had been put back in place by Discord. She’d been afraid of eating them for a moment since they’d been on the ground. But the Lord of Chaos assured everypony that any damage or contamination they might have acquired due to being dropped would have been eliminated by his magic. Gallop gorged himself on the hayburgers. With help from Discord’s chaos magic, Twilight split the sky so that night appeared on one side and day on the other like that time when the tree of harmony had been dying. Several ponies were wearing fake multicolored manes to resemble Celestia, or blue ones to represent Luna. There was coat painting as well where stylists made anypony resemble whichever of the two sisters their preferred, Celestia and Luna, as well as Nightmare Moon. On the night side of the festival, Trixie and a group of unicorns put on a fireworks display, occasionally showing faces of the two sisters. Little fillies and colts would excitedly run back and forth between the two times of day. Some even recreated the battle between Celestia and Nightmare Moon.
“I shall be the one pony to rule Equestria! The night shall last forever!” a filly painted black to resemble Nightmare Moon declared as she threw a soft foam tube meant to resemble a magic beam at a Celestia player.
“Please sister! I don’t want to fight you!” the Celestia player said as she blocked the projectile.
“Then surrender your rule!”
“Never. I must maintain harmony in Equestria!”
The Celestia players took up plastic elements of harmony and surrounded the Nightmare Moon ones.
“I banish you to the Moon!”
“NOOO!”
The hours seemed to go by quickly for Luster. Time sure sped up when somepony had real fun. Princess Twilight began her farewell speech in front of Town Hall. Luster left her friends and walked over to where her mother stood at the front.
“I hope you have all enjoyed today’s Festival of the Two Sisters. And as always, I would like to thank my first ever pupil and Stewardess of my old castle, Starlight Glimmer, for putting it together.”
Luster looked over to her mother and saw Starlight seemed to be blushing. She wrapped a hoof around her mother.
“The Princess is proud of you, Mom!” she said than grinned. “It feels good to make your mentor proud doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Starlight agreed. “You know, it’s ironic. I was Twilight’s first ever pupil, and now you’re her star pupil.”
Luster smiled. “Maybe I’m her star pupil because I get it from you. You are a Star after all.”
They chuckled and nuzzled each other as Twilight continued.
“Though the time of Celestia and Luna has come and gone, as all of ours will someday, somehow, we will keep the memory of them alive through this festival. Celestia and Luna ruled us for a very long time and would want us to enjoy our lives everyday. They shall never be forgotten, for they have watched over Equestria for a long time, and I believe they watch us even now… even if we can’t see them.”
Twilight looked up at the sky, as though imagining the spirt of her mentor and Luna were up there somewhere. Discord let out a few tears.
“I miss those two. I had such fun tormenting them back in the day!” he said.
“Celestia taught me so much, which I hope to be able to share with the current generation. Not only with ponies, but every creature in Equestria so that they know the magic of friendship. Even when somepony is gone, if their work remains after they are than that is what is important. I will protect Equestria in their place for as long as I have to.”
***
“You see? Discord is in Ponyville with Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends,” Grogar said.
“So, I see,” Tirek said with his arms crossed. “Enjoying their little festival.”
“How did Celestia and Luna even die? I thought they were immortal?” Cozy asked. “Not that I’m complaining. Two less Princesses for us to worry about.”
“That Cadence is gone too, thanks to me!” Grogar proudly stated.
“But that sow Starlight Glimmer has a daughter now!” Chrysalis spat, seeing Starlight nuzzle the younger pink pony. It filled her with fury seeing her nemesis so happy. But the fury quickly turned to an evil look of intrigue as an idea occurred to her. “Hmm… they say a mothers love for their child is the strongest thing. I will take her daughter from her! What better way to pay her back for stealing my hive?”
Cozy and Tirek looked at her in surprise, while Grogar smiled.
“Patience, Chrysalis,” the ram sorcerer said. “You will have your revenge in time. In fact, I will let you take your time. Have fun with it. Enjoy it. Revenge, your hive, and more will be given to you.”
The changeling Queen grinned.
“I look forward to it. Nice and slow does sound pleasing. It would be too quick to simply destroy them after all they put me through. They’ll wish they had destroyed me instead of turning me to stone.”
“Tirek, come forward,” Grogar said.
The centaur hesitated then did as he was bid. Grogar put a hoof to one of the small bells on his red collar and drew out an orb of magic which he blew at Tirek. This was a familiar thing to Tirek as he caught the orb and devoured it. But to his absolute surprise, the amount of magic power didn’t restore him to just his second form. It went all the way to his third form which he had been in during the battle of the bell. Tirek looked at his muscles and grinned, kissing them. How he loved being strong!
“Yes!” he said. “Oh, if only my pathetic father could see me now!”
“You shall have the power to crush all before you,” Grogar assured him before turning to Cozy. “When Equestria falls, you shall rule over Ponykind, little filly. Under my supervision of course. When you come of age you shall be known as Queen Cozy Glow!”
“Golly! I like the sound of that!” Cozy said in false sweetness.
Grogar looked from Tirek to Cozy.
“I can’t turn you into an alicorn without the power of my bewitching bell. But I can make you stronger in a way.”
He lit up his horns and cast another spell. Cozy Glow suddenly grew from a filly to a full grown mare.
“Ah!” Cozy screamed. “I’m an adult!”
“You would have been one already if not for being encased in stone,” Grogar pointed out. “You’ll be more useful as a full grown pony to me. Besides, once Princess Twilight finds out you three are freed she will likely put up wanted posters. This will prevent the likeliness of you being recognized.”
Cozy frowned, but Grogar had a point. She’d been encased in stone for years, if she had been allowed to grow she would be an adult now, and this might allow her to move in the open. Cozy spread her now larger wings and flapped them, finding herself able to fly at a greater speed than she could as a filly. This caused her to grin. She was a stronger Pegasus now, that alone gave her power, just what she wanted.
“And I shall have my empire back?” Sombra asked, speaking for the first time since they’d entered the lair.
Grogar nodded. “Yes, you shall King Sombra. The Crystal Empire will be yours once we dispose of Princess Flurry Heart. All of you shall get what you desire. Your kingdoms will be restored to you. But I shall be the supreme ruler of EVERYTHING!”
The last word was followed by a flow of magic that threw all four of the other villains against the walls.
“Understand?” Grogar asked. “I hold the power here! I’m aware that you three betrayed Discord when he impersonated me! But do not think I will the same foolish mistake as he did! I will be watching your every move, and no matter what you may think of I will always be one step ahead! If you betray me you shall all be left with nothing!”
They struggled against the magical restraints for a moment futilely, than nodded.
“Good!” Grogar grinned, then began to laugh evilly as he set his new minions down. “Now… we will begin phase one of my plan.”