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.”