In the courtyards of Tambeleon, the training of Grogar's multiple armies continued to take place. Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight and General Kuwaga continued to work their troops hard all for the sole purpose of making Equestria fall under Grogar's rule. However, while overseeing his Changeling forces, General Kuwaga noticed one of his warriors not in tempo with the others.

"You!" he called to a Changeling soldier. "Why are you slowing down your fellow soldiers?"

"I'm…sorry, General," the Changeling soldier gasped, collapsing in front of him. "My strength…isn't quite what it used to be. I…just need to have some…"

"Love?" he finished, trying to force the Changeling back up. "Love? There is no love! The only way you can get it is by fighting for it! So, get up!"

He kicked the Changeling soldier back to his feet, but still he refused to move. The soldier was exhausted and Kuwaga was having none of it.

"I…I can't."

Snarling, Kuwaga seized the Changeling soldier and threw him against one of the courtyard's many walls.

"You…can't?!" he whispered angrily. "Do you even realize whom you are talking to, soldier? Do you?! I am General Kuwaga, your superior!"

"Let him alone," remarked Ebony Maw, taking notice of the situation. "There are plenty of other soldiers who are willing to listen to you."

Hearing this made Kuwaga chuckle with delight, for he knew what needed to be done.

"Ah, you're right," he remarked, turning his eyes back towards Ebony Maw. "Of course, there are plenty of other Changelings who will listen to me. You, on the other hand…"

"No! Please, sir! No!"

With his weakened soldier in his green grasp, Kuwaga took the soldier out of the courtyard and back into the castle, climbing up the spiral staircase towards Grogar's throne room. Upon entering the throne room, Kuwaga spotted Scarface napping next to Grogar's throne. The scarfaced Grizzly Bear opened an eye and spotted Kuwaga.

"Emperor Grogar nor our beloved queen and her allies will not tolerate slackers," cried Kuwaga, pulling the weakened Changeling soldier to his eyes. "And for this, you must suffer the consequences."

Hungry, Scarface got to his feet and walked over towards Kuwaga. Chuckling evilly, Kuwaga tossed the terrified Changeling at Scarface's feet. Screaming, the weakened Changeling was devoured by the Grizzly, his blood flowing towards Kuwaga's feet. But the Changeling General merely took delight in the brutal death his soldier was suffering from.

…

Elsewhere, in another part of the castle, Grogar was holding a meeting with his fellow villains in regards to why he didn't allow them to each attack the homelands of Equestria's allies.

"So, what did you decide on attacking Equestria's allies?" asked the Storm King impatiently. "First you tell us we are going to attack them and then you say, we're not because you had to bring these six equines into the picture! What's the delay?"

With the Chaos Gauntlet in his hoof, Grogar tapped it down lightly on the table, trying to figure out how to respond to this question. The mean six glared at the Storm King, not liking the remark he imposed on them.

"Attacking Equestria's allies in their homelands is too risky," he replied, drawing up a battle plan. "In any case, there is a sense of belief that the leaders will more than likely send their own reserves to Canterlot to join in the defense. And since we have plenty of likely candidates to be pressed into life in Tambeleon, it's better we leave them alone and only take out those who are going towards Canterlot."

All the villains listened intently to what Emperor Grogar had to say.

"So, we target the armies upon the roads leading towards Canterlot," he continued. "All of you will have your original assignments to target a specific race of creatures. Besides, let's have this be a test of how our foot soldiers have managed to absorb their training."

"Well, at least we'll be doing something," muttered Cozy Glow. "Forgive me for interloping, Emperor Grogar. But, I've been waiting to strike a few blows."

"I'm sure you have, Cozy Glow. But, these things take time to develop and right now, the patience is about to be rewarded."

"Let's hope so," whispered the Storm King as the meeting was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. A pair of donkey soldiers opened the door and there stood Kuwaga, blood on his hooves from the weak Changeling. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"My emperor," replied Kuwaga, suddenly bowing down to him. "I have been forced to execute a Changeling soldier. He was not in pace with the other soldiers."

"You fed my pet, didn't you?"

"I did."

"Well, I suppose you had to do what needed to be done, Kuwaga," Grogar remarked. "However, in the future, you will notify me before you execute any creature and that goes for all of you, too, understand?"

The rest of the villains nodded as Chrysalis silently admired the fierce dedication of her most feared general.

"I assure you, my emperor, it won't happen again."

"Very well, then. In the meantime, General. Prepare a small group of your Changeling forces to attack Thorax's forces on the road out of the Changeling kingdom. We'll have you and your Queen go first."

Smiling evilly, Chrysalis rose from her seating spot and followed her general out of the room. Flying past the still feasting Scarface, they focused all of their attention at the task that was handed down to them.

"What do we do now?" asked King Sombra, looking back at Grogar.

"We give our enemies a chance to surrender everything they have to us without any bloodshed," answered Grogar. "They'll refuse, of course, but we have a courtesy of war to follow, don't we?"

…

Meanwhile, the pony known as the Great and Powerful Trixie was pitching into the fortification of Canterlot by using her magic powers. Starlight was piloting the Hulkbuster armor, but that didn't mean the magician pony could offer a chance to help out.

"Here, let me get that for you!" Trixie cried as she helped several guardsponies bring a cannon through the streets. "The great and powerful Trixie can contribute!"

"That's a relief," muttered a guardspony, but even with Trixie helping out, the cannon was still difficult to move. "Since when is this…cannon…so difficult to move?"

"Perhaps it weighs a ton?" grunted another guardspony.

Suddenly, a red aura appeared to lift the cannon into the air and towards the southeast wall of the castle. Stunned, they all turned to see Wanda Maximoff using her magic powered hands. Trixie felt astonished by her presence as she had never seen anything like this before.

"Oh, uh, thank you," stammered the guards, returning to their duties. But, Trixie remained and walked over towards Wanda.

"Thought you could use a hand," Wanda remarked. "You must be the pony known as Trixie, right?"

"Yes, and you are…?"

"Wanda Maximoff, member of Steve Rogers' Avengers faction."

"That's right," remarked Trixie, realizing whom she was talking to. "You're one of Princess Luna's bodyguards, right?"

"Yes, and I've heard you are good with magic just like me. I guess, we'll work well together, I suppose."

Trixie was glad to hear that a human with high magic levels was respecting her for whom she was…a world class magician.

"Well," chuckled Trixie. "If we are on the grounds of putting on a magic show, then I guess we'll work together nicely in this little farce."

It would take time for them to get to know one another, but Trixie and Wanda were already starting to become fast friends with each other, not realizing the magnitude of their part in the fight ahead…