"Golly, I did it!" exclaimed Cozy, delighted that she had finally sketched all the ritual circles precisely according to Lord Tirek's instructions.
Preparations for the ritual were complete, and at dawn the next day, Cozy planned to recite the activation spell. In three days, all of Equestria would be devoid of magic.
To ensure that the bearers of the Elements of Harmony wouldn't save Equestria again, the pegasus devised a perfect plan to lure them into a trap:
"On the first day of magic disappearance, I'll pretend to remember Tirek. Most likely, the whole group of friends will head to Tartarus to check and interrogate the centaur. Only at the entrance will they discover that the key I gave them is disposable.
The best course of events would be if the heroes, in their haste, overlook this detail, interrogate Tirek, and get stuck in Tartarus during the execution of my plan. But Twilight might figure out that they can't leave Tartarus. It's better for them to return to Equestria empty-hoofed than to be stranded there.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack might suspect a setup. Yet, I'm confident that Twilight will vouch for me and take responsibility for the mission failure, saying something like she should have checked the magical key herself, and I could have made a mistake. After all, I'm just a cute little foal. And even when the Elements of Harmony return, they'll hardly have a chance to stop me," thought the pegasus.
The day after the magic disappearance, journalists would start asking uncomfortable questions to the princesses: "Why did magic disappear? How did it happen? Who's to blame? Why isn't there even a list of suspects? Why was the solution to the magical crisis entrusted only to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony? Princess Twilight, why did you think that the trip to Tartarus and questioning Tirek would be successful?" journalists will be asking. Also journalists, with Cozy's help, would also publish articles accusing the alicorn sisters of excessive cruelty in punishing villains (imprisonment in stone, on the Moon, or in Tartarus – a fate worse than death), a fate Celestia had concealed for over a thousand years. Until Discord and Tirek's return, no one remembered that these villains had previously attempted to conquer Equestria. In the end, the press destroyed the princesses' reputation, and under public pressure, they abdicated.
This is where Cozy steps in. She would offer the young group of international friends a plan, using their national artifacts and her magical runes, to restore all magic. During her return, Cozy would gain enough power to become an alicorn. She would justify her transformation by claiming that Harmony made her a princess for saving Equestria. On the same day, Cozy would release her teachers from the Tartarus trap if they were caught (in our story, Cozy Glow communicated anonymously with the centaur).
Next, the pegasus would have to win the power struggle. Since Princess Cadance ruled the Crystal Empire, the only serious competitor could be Twilight herself. However, after her major failure, she had little chance of seizing the throne, even if she tried. Cozy only needed to prove that, despite her age, she was one of the smartest ponies in all of Equestria and capable of governing the country. Thus, the pegasus would become the sole ruler of Equestria, taking on the title of Empress of Friendship.
"Everything will change soon. I'll become the most powerful pony in the world. And no one, not even Discord, will dare to mock me anymore. All ponies will be my friends, and I'll be the happiest mare in the world!" dreamed Cozy before drifting off to sleep…