Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow were simply talking around the fireplace as they enjoyed their meals for the day.

"Yes, until that sow Starlight Glimmer freed them, corrupted my subjects, and STOLE MY HIVE!!" Chrysalis vented.

"But those ponies have weaknesses as well. I used that turncoat Discord's weakness of Fluttershy against him, and tricked into capturing what he would call Twilight and her friends, his friends," Tirek said with a smirk.

"Discord was really a master of true Chaos, until he allowed that timid Fluttershy pony ruin him with her friendship," Chrysalis gagged.

"That wasn't the best of it though, you should've seen Twilight Sparkle's face when I made her friends appear in bubbles around me! She was all, "No!" and "Gah!" and "Waah!"," Tirek said as he impersonated Twilight in a pathetically sobbing manner. Chrysalis and Cozy Glow laughed.

"Twilight's always so stressed out all the time when things go bad," Cozy said with a smirk.

"Indeed, when I played as her former foalsitter, I thought she was going to implode!" Chrysalis laughed, Tirek and Cozy joining.

However, what the trio didn't know, was that something had been listening for them from afar, and it was making its way to them now.

Cozy Glow giggled before she said, "I wish I could've seen Twilight's face when she and her friends found out I tried to get rid of all the magic in Equestria."

"All magic seemed to be a little more excessive than one would want it, don't you think?" Asked Tirek with an arched eyebrow.

"Meh, I think big," Cozy simply responded.

The source that was coming came from right behind the bush of the campfire, where it could see all the strangers talking to one another.

"Besides, it would've been worth if I could just see Twilight and her friends bow down to me and respect me as the Empress of Friendship," Cozy said with an evil grin.

"Well, friendship is not my forte, but it would indeed be worth it see those pathetic ponies bow. Who in this world wouldn't love to see them realize when they had lost everything, that it would be too late to stop it?"

"One who would desire the obedience of an abuser," Responded a voice.

Tirek looked confused and looked around, but saw nothing particular in sight. "Did either of you hear that?" He asked the filly and changeling.

"Hear what?" Asked Cozy.

"I heard a voice... But I don't see anyone here."

"That is... odd," Says Chrysalis.

"Your hatred falters... But your pain is pure."

"Okay, now I definitely heard that voice," Chrysalis said.

"What are guys talking about? I don't hear anything," Says Cozy in confusion.

"No... But you will all see me very soon..." Cozy was left a little spooked.

"O-Okay, now I see what you guys are talking about." Then there was an eerie wind through the forest.

"I do not believe we're alone anymore..." Tirek said suspiciously. Then, he and Chrysalis shot up and got into battle stance. Chrysalis charged her horn and Tirek created a dark orb. Cozy Glow simply hid behind her stump.

"Show yourself, eavesdropper!" Chrysalis demanded. There was a moment of silence.

Suddenly, these crystals appeared and trapped the trio.

The crystals were ruby-red and had this tarry substance inside of them. The tarry substance started out black on the edges, and then their were images of blood-red neutron stars and shadow-grey galaxies of various sizes being swirled into the center of a circle of blackness. There were cracks in the crystals and they all leaked out the tarry substance. The crystals were also covered in this black mold with crimson-red fuzz and black spores. The crystals also gave off this terrible black mist and very black auras.

The trio saw that crystals had trapped their hooves, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow's wings, Chrysalis and Tirek's horns, and Tirek's hands.

They all tried to break free, but the crystals were simply too tight on their grip.

"What kind of... crystals are these?" Cozy asked.

"I don't know, but they just don't seem to want to release us!" Says Chrysalis.

Tirek tried to charge up an orb of magic, but nothing came out. "This cannot be!" He said as he tried to charge again. "I-I can't use my magic!"

Chrysalis was shocked when she heard that, and then tried to charge her horn. But just like Tirek, nothing came out. "I-I can't use my magic either!" She panicked.

"At least you guys are close together!" Cozy Glow said, "I'm trapped all the way behind this stump!" She panicked.

"How do we get out of this?" Chrysalis asked Tirek.

"How should I know? Normal I would just suck the magic out of whatever's causing this, but these crystals seem to be taking away my absorption ability," Tirek says.

"Uh... guys..." Cozy says to the two. Tirek and Chrysalis look over at Cozy to see that she started breaking out in white bumps in various sizes and started turning pale. "I... I-I don't... feel... so good," She said before the crystals allowed her to pass out onto the ground.

The two looked shocked as they witnessed Cozy Glow pass out.

"Is she... (gulp) ...Dead?" Chrysalis asked, a little frightened.

"At best, she probably just passed out," Said Tirek. Suddenly the centaur heard very harsh coughing and turned to Chrysalis. "The crystals are probably taking affect on you, too."

"They could be taking affect on you- (cough!)" Chrysalis started coughing harshly again, "As well."

"They're making me tired... most likely... fatigue," Tirek pointed out. Chrysalis started breathing slower.

"Great..." She said before the crystals allowed her to collapse. Tirek looked at himself and saw that Leprosy was also claiming him.

"Oh boy..." He said before he collapsed. Once the trio had collapsed from their individual sicknesses, the source of it all came out from behind the bushes...

...

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Many Hours Later...

After what felt like the entire day, Cozy glow finally woke up. However, she felt very sick... and cold. But that's inconceivable, how could she be cold if she had her winter coat on? That's when her tired and ill mind figured out that she was under a terrible fever virus.

However, that wasn't important right now as Cozy saw Chrysalis and Tirek still standing earlier when she passed out. She looked around very weakly for the two. To her fortune she saw Chrysalis and Tirek with their heads on large rocks. Cozy found her chin rested on a rock while her body was laid on her side as well.

"C-Ch-Ch-C-Chrys-s-s-alis-s-s? T-T-Tir-Ti-Ti... T-T-Tir-rek-k-k?" Cozy was in Hypothermia as she was under a terrible fever.

Chrysalis and Tirek groaned as they woke up.

"What... (coughing) ...What ...happened?" Chrysalis moaned...