//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Twenty Percent Cooler // Story: My Little Overlord // by pchn00 //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Twenty Percent Cooler Generally when one of the women in his life had such ragesplosions as Twilight Sparkle just did, they needed minimum of five hours or a few pounds of desserts to calm down. Having no access to the latter Laharl decided that Twilight could probably use a little space. Casting one last backwards glance at the library….bright purple magical flashes still going off inside, he picked himself up off the ground and followed the path toward the center of town. It was a little like one of the town’s in the Netherworld. Only really bright and filled with colorful talking ponies. Why the hell did they call themselves ponies? Why was horse a slur? Ponies are young horses. This whole place was stupid and he toyed around with the idea of blowing it up when he got his powers back. Eh, it wasn’t that bad. Though he was definitely going to beat the living crap out of Twilight Sparkle, and probably destroy that stupid ass forest for good measure. To further compound his growing bad mood…he was hungry. The fleeting thought of eating a pony passed through his head but he was pretty sure that would end up with Twilight Sparkle turning him into a smear on the ground. He somehow doubted he’d discorporate and wake up in the Netherworld hospital if he died here. That left finding local cuisine. He stalked up to the nearest pony, one of the horned ones with a mint green coat and goofy white and green mane. “Hey! You!” She yelped and looked up at him wide eyes. “Y-yes?” “Where can I get something to eat?” She blinked. “Er…” Timidly she pointed a hoof to the building directly behind him. The building shaped like a big gingerbread house, with plenty of sweet smells wafting from it. “….I coulda found that!” He paused at the entrance when he heard three excited and familiar voices. “And then woosh! He swooped in and POW! Punched the timberwolves to pieces with his bare hands!” “It was kinda scary…so was he…but he seemed kinda nice too…” “Ah dunno if Ah’d say nice but he was definitely good in a scrap.” Laharl puffed his chest in pride. Powers sealed and on a world of talking ponies and they still couldn’t get enough of him. It didn’t matter where he went…he was awesome. A new voice piped up, older sounding but still very cheerful. “Wow girls! He sounds pretty super-duper cool!” “He was! He’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” The older voice sounded surprised. “Really? Even cooler than Rainbow Dash?” There was a pause. “Rainbow Dash IS really awesome but she can’t beat up a whole pack of timberwolves with her bare hooves…” “Well I suppose that’s true. She did help stop Nightmare Moon AND Discord!” “Yeah she HELPED stop…he won all by himself!” He’d heard enough. Smug grin in place he strode inside. “Hmhm, it seems my awesomeness preceded me!” There were the three little fillies. What the hell were their names? Scootaboo, Apple…something and…Silver Belle? That sounded right. They were talking to an adult pony, one of the boring looking ones. Pink coat, pink mane…he hated her already. “There he is! Hey Overlord Laharl! What’re you doin’ HERE?!” It was actually pretty nice having someone calling him by his actual title. Not Prince. Ugh how he hated that. “Twilight Sparkle’s blowing up her library and I’m hungry. I’m here for food.” The pink pony behind the counter gasped. “Why is she blowing up the library?!” Laharl shrugged indifferently. “Girl stuff.” He strode passed the line of waiting customers butting his way to the front, eyeing the delicacies inside the glass case. He was already drooling at the sight of the gooey sweets within. “I’ll take it all!” “Wowee you must be really hungry! That’ll be three hundred and sixty two bits!” Laharl narrowed his eyes at the minimum wage flunky behind the counter and dug around in his pockets. “…d’you take Platinum Skull Card?” He was expecting a blank stare or an outright refusal. Instead she smiled chipperly and dug around under the counter, plopping a credit card reader atop it. “Yup! Go ahead and punch in your pin!” Laharl opened his mouth once, then closed it. He opened it again…and closed it. He slowly drew his card through the reader and entered his pin code. It chirped pleasantly and a little ‘Approved’ popped up. Still not entirely believing it he tucked his credit card away while the pony went about gathering up his order. He took a seat at a free table ignoring the angry looks the ponies he’d just cheated out of receiving their afternoon treats. The three fillies followed and invited themselves to sit with him. “What’s a vassal?” It was the orange one, Scootaboo. “My servants and minions. They do my cooking, cleaning, fighting, whatever I want….most of the time.” The white one Silver Belle wrinkled her nose. “MOST of the time?” “Yeah how’s that work? Either they work fer ya or they don’t.” He took a dislike to Applewhatever’s accent. “Of course they do! My word is law and if anyone argues they get….turned into something unpleasant!” His bellowing was drawing attention and he scowled again hunkering down in his seat. The orange one spoke up again. “So you really think I could be one of your vassals?” He shrugged. “Sure why the he….ck not? Just slap a weapon in your hands…hooves…whatever. Have you smack around a few low level enemies and build your stats. You’d be a decent vassal in a week.” The pink pony arrived piling food on his table. “What’s building our stats mean?” He was about to speak before he was cut off by the serving pony. “It means you grind out experience points against enemies until you get stronger in whatever things you’re best at. Get enough experience and you gain a level! Leveling up means you hit harder, have more hit points and can cast more spells!” Laharl’s eyes narrowed again as he started at this bizarre pony. “Uh…what she said.” “Whoa. That sounds pretty awesome! I wanna gain levels!” “Me too!” “Me three!” “Hmhmhm. When I get back to the Netherworld you can come with me. I can always use more vassals!” Eyes sparkling at the prospects the crusaders were racing back out the door already chattering away deciding what stats they wanted to improve first. Laharl was just glad they didn’t want any of his food. He wasted no time digging in. By about the fifth cupcake he realized the pink pony was staring. “…what?” “You don’t REALLY plan to take them to the Netherworld do you?” He swallowed. “…who are you?” She blinked. “Oh! Wow I didn’t even introduce myself! I’m Pinkie Pie!” Of course she was. How the hell did this pony know so much about the netherworld? “How the hell do you know so much about the Netherworld?” She giggled. “Well that’s easy silly!” She dashed upstairs, returning soon with a thick book in her mouth that she plopped in his lap. “E-everything Anypony Could Want to Know About the Netherworld?! Where did you get this?!” She wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Uh…the library? Where else would somepony get a book?” “Y-you…that’s not…I mean….” He slammed his fists on the table. “What are you?!” Her smile widened. “I’m Pinkie Pie!” She turned to go back to her register, but Laharl wasn’t done with her. With a growl he jumped up from his seat clamping a hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t say you could walk away!” Without a word she reared forward and delivered a solid buck right to his chest, blowing him out the doors and passed a startled line of ponies. Prancing back to the kitchen she spied Mrs. Cake. “I’m taking my lunch!” Laharl was just picking himself up preparing to charge in and boot the rotten pink monstrosity to the moon…making a brief mental note to stop grabbing the damn things from behind…when she came zipping out the front door making a bee line right for him. “Time for a boooooss battle~” She chirped in her sing song tone. With a dawning expression of concern Laharl realized he recognized the obviously insane ponies’ movements, but he wasn’t skilled in bare fisted fighting. Judging by the way she was zigzagging his way…she was. Still he was Overlord Laharl! Getting beat up by some freaky princess like Sparkle was one thing, he was damned if he was going to lose to this cotton candy headed idiot. “I’ll show YOU a boss battle!” He kicked forward intending to pound her on the top of the head. Instead he caught a forehoof to the face as she leapt up and punched him square in the nose. With a yelp he went sailing back, shoes digging grooves in the dirt road. Grunting he slammed into a solid stone wall that seemed to…appear out of nowhere?! “H-how…?” He didn’t get a chance to finish his question as she was upon him in a flash. Crouching low she reared up delivering a powerful uppercut and sending him sliding along the wall wailing all the way. He felt himself come free as he drifted into the air a moment…to his horror she was already above him, spinning to gain momentum than driving her forehooves into his chest sending him spiraling down into the mysterious wall with enough force to drive him all the way through it back to the ground. With a low rumble the stones collapsed burying him. Landing with a gentle ‘clop’ she surveyed the damage as the dust slowly settled. “Huh I thought an Overlord would be tougher!” “GRAAAAAH!” Stone exploded in all directions as Laharl burst free of his makeshift prison. “I’ll show you tougher!” Charging with reckless abandon he swung for her head…only to hit air as she ducked. His body followed his fist sailing over her as he lost his balance. With a cheery little ‘hyup’ she bucked upwards slamming him in the stomach with her back and vaulting him back into the air. She watched him go for a moment before rearing back and stomping on the ground. Huge chunks of stone flew into the air after Laharl and the earth pony nimbly hopped from rock to rock until she’d reached the apex of his flight. Pondering a moment she selected a particularly big stone and hammered away with her hooves until it resembled a giant stone hoof. Giving it a solid kick the huge missile slammed into Laharl and blasted him into another flying boulder causing a huge explosion of dust and stone. Massive chunks of rock rained down around Ponyville. A few bemused citizens watched Pinkie Pie’s antics with a laugh and a shrug. “It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.” Laharl bounced off the ground and lay there groaning. This was…the worst day of his life. There was literally no comparison. First one pony beats him up. At least she had been a ruler of some kind. But now he was being smacked around by a…a…register monkey!? He tried to rise but collapsed back into the dirt. He peered up at her as she landed before him again. “Oooo level up! You’re worth a nice chunk of exp Overlord! Now the best part!” He squirmed as she rummaged about his pockets, retrieving his credit card. “The loot!” “I-I’ll…kill you for this…” Laharl made a feeble attempt to fend the probing mare’s hooves from his pockets but she silenced him with a quick thump on the head. “I won! That means I get your loot! Riiiiight?” She was nose to nose with him at this point. He could only scowl. How had it come to this?! The mighty Overlord Laharl reduced to…a pink pony’s punching bag. He might as well give up his crown now. Overlord Pinkie Pie would rule with an iron hoof. For a moment the image of siccing her on Etna brought some cheer. No! No dammit he was Overlord Laharl! With a growl he sprang upright surprising Pinkie Pie. Lighting quick he grabbed her by the throat eliciting a soft ‘eep’ from the pony. Bellowing his outrage he slammed his other fist into her barrel, then drop kicked her into the air. Finally grinning in satisfaction as she vanished from sight with a little glimmer. “Hmhmhm. Haaaahahahahaa! So how about that you stupid horse?! Not so tough after all!” Pinkie’s squeal as she descended could be heard some would say all the way in Canterlot. Her landing leveled three flower stands, the proprietors of which just sighed, shook their heads at Pinkie’s antics and cantered home for the day. They knew she’d pay for the damages. Laharl stormed over smirking all the while. “Well? Nothing to say HORSE?” His step faltered a moment as he heard…music. A loud crescendo of dramatic opera style music in fact. He cast about for the source before his eyes fell upon the pink pony as she slowly rose from the wreckage her fall had created. That’s when he realized what the music sounded like. Pinkie Pie’s curly mane and tail had gone completely flat, and the mirth was gone from her eyes replaced by a steely look he’d seen in the fiercest of opponents. It was the music that always started when the boss changed to its ultimate form. *** “Wh…what is THAT?!” Her demonic companion was staring agape at the image in the mirror. Celestia sipped her tea calmly, watching Pinkamina give Laharl a rather sound beating. At some point she had slammed him into a deep crater where gouts of dust and dirt constantly erupted. A panicked Laharl tried to pull himself out only to have a pink hoof snag him around the throat and drag him back in. “Oh that? That’s just Pinkie Pie.” *** Twilight dropped the books she was in the process of reshelving as her door slammed open. She whirled at the offender prepared to give them a piece of her mind but her rebuke died away in her throat. Laharl staggered in, bruised, beaten, and bloody. “Unseal my powers right now!” She raced to his side offering support as he almost toppled over. “Wh-what in the world happened!?” “That…that pony! She attacked me! Then robbed me! You need to unseal me so I can blow her straight to Celestia!” Twilight was momentarily speechless as she helped him to the cushions. “A pony did this to you? Who? HOW?! Did you pick a fight with Big Mac?” “No! it was…it was…Pinkie Pie!” Twilight dumped him on the ground unceremoniously. “Pinkie Pie? Pinkie’s the nicest pony in Ponyville she wouldn’t beat anyone up!” Of course neither would Twilight but she’d already thrashed Laharl once. “I know who it was! She…she was a monster…” He shivered. Twilight rolled her eyes. “You just relax alright? Mean old Pinkie can’t get you here.” The door banged open again, as if conjured by her name being spoken Pinkie Pie stood in the door way. Mane and tail floofy like usual smiling all the while. “Hey Twilight! Oh hey Laharl!” Twilight thought she heard what sounded suspiciously like a whimper come from the demon. “Laharl dropped these while we were rough housing earlier! Thought he might want em back!” Pinkie three very unpony shaped teeth to the floor, still a little bloody before tossing the astonished princess a wink and cantering back to the bakery. Not wanting to believe her eyes Twilight seized the teeth in her magic than raced to Laharl’s side, forcing his mouth open and drawing a weak groan of protest. Sure enough three very clear holes sat where his missing teeth should be. “…wow. You really know how to make anypony hate you don’t you?” *** With a loud yawn and lazy stretch Rainbow Dash sat up from the cloud she’d been napping on. Some kinda commotion was going on over near Sugarcube, probly Pinkie doing…Pinkie stuff. With an irritated snort at her mid-afternoon nap being disturbed she flexed her wings and kicked off her impromptu perch. Doing a couple slow circles over town she idly pondered how to fill her day. No big weather problems needed her attention and there hadn’t been any emergencies in Ponyville for months. It was kinda nice; she’d had plenty of time to work on some new stunts. There was an idea! Nothing perked her up like showing her new stuff to her number one fan. Grinning in anticipation of the well-deserved accolades she was about to receive she set a course for Sweet Apple Acres…specifically the crusaders’ clubhouse located on the property. Landing lightly on the balcony leading inside she perked her ears when she caught her name. “…really think he’s cooler than Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo?” What? She must be hearing things. THAT couldn’t be right. “Hey don’t get me wrong. Rainbow Dash is still pretty cool. But Laharl’s just cooler.” Laharl? Who the hay was Laharl!? What kind of a stupid name was that?! “Well how much cooler d’you think he is?” All at once it was like her world crumbling all around her. Scootaloo thought this…this Laharl was cooler than her? No way, no chance! “I’d say he’s like…twenty percent cooler.” “T-twenty percent?!” Rainbow bellowed in dismay. She couldn’t help bursting through the doors to the clubhouse. “Who the heck is Laharl?! What makes him so cool??” Her nostrils were flaring. The three fillies stared at the incensed mare, open mouthed and eyes wide. “W-well he’s uh…super strong.” “An’ he’s from a whole nothing world!” “He made a timberwolf explode by punching it!” Rainbow Dash was frowning. Some of that DID sound pretty cool. “Well I bet he’s not faster than me! No one can outrace Rainbow Dash!” She saw that familiar little glimmer in Scootaloo’s eye. “That’s probably true…you should totally race him!” “Hey! Yeah! A race! Then we’ll see who’s the coolest! Just you wait squire, I’m gonna blow him outta the water!” She turned to the door before faltering in her step. “Uh…where is he?” *** Twilight Sparkle sighed as she finished bandaging the last of Laharl’s wounds. “No Laharl. I will not unseal your powers so you can destroy Pinkie Pie. She’s one of my best friends!” “She’s a lunatic! She almost killed me!” Laharl was fuming, no doubt were his mana not sealed he’d be surrounded in a flaming aura of rage. “Well she must have been provoked. DID you provoke her?” Now she was staring him in the eye. “W-well…a little! I might have grabbed her around the back…then call her a uh…” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “A WHAT Laharl?” Crossing his arms he hmph’d. “Whatever then don’t unseal my powers. When I get home I’m bringing my whole army here to turn this dump into a new garbage pit!” Twilight just heaved an exasperated sigh glancing down at the teeth Pinkie had knocked out. “What should I do with these?” “I don’t care. Throw them away or whatever.” He was moving from rage to sulk. Before Twilight could comply the door banged open for a third time that day. She really had to put up a door stop or something. Rainbow Dash came barreling in looking furious. She sighted Laharl and stormed up to him. “You! Are you Laharl?!” Typically Laharl’s response would be either shouting or more violence…but he had had MORE than enough of getting into brawls with these freak ponies. He staggered back and put Twilight between himself and this newest assailant. “Just leave me alone!” Twilight frowned approaching her friend. “Rainbow Dash what’s got you so angry? What did he do?” Never taking her eyes from the wary demon she flared her wings. “I’ll tell you what he did! He’s been…being cool! I’m here to challenge him to a race!” Calming a bit Laharl eyed her now. “A race? You don’t want to cave my chest in or beat me to death with your bare hooves?” “That’s right! You! Me! Outside. Right now.” Twilight heaved a sigh. “Rainbow Dash he’s not going to race you. He doesn’t even have wings, it wouldn’t be fair. Plus look at him!” Rainbow Dash took a moment to actually look at her mortal enemy. He was bandaged pretty heavily from head to toe. “Wh-what the heck happened?” “Pinkie Pie.” The pegasus just nodded as if that made all the sense in the world. “Oh…well…I don’t care! He’s stealing my thunder!” “Even if he wasn’t so beat up, and he COULD fly you know it wouldn’t be fair Rainbow. Nopony’s half as fast as you.” Rainbow smirked. “Yeah I guess that’s true.” It was Laharl’s turn to smirk. “If my powers were unsealed I could fly circles around you.” “Well unseal them and let’s get this on!” Rainbow zipped to Laharl getting nose to nose. “I can’t.” His grin turned sly. “But SHE can.” He nodded to Twilight. Rainbow rounded on the alicorn now. “Well do it! I need to show them I’m still the best!” Twilight heaved an exasperated sigh. “Rainbow Dash he’s VERY dangerous. Even with his powers sealed he’s still very powerful. I don’t want to imagine what would happen if he got loose at his full strength.” Rainbow settled on her haunches seeming to ponder this development. “Well since you’re unsealing them, can’t you reseal them too?” The princess blinked. “W-well yes I suppose…but still it might take time to recast the binding and he could cause a lot of damage…” “Hmph. If the stupid rainbow butt wants a race I’ll stick to the race.” Twilight frowned again. He sounded sincere enough. Another sigh and she nodded. “Alright Rainbow. You’ll get your race.” “Aw yeah! You’re goin DOWN buddy! I’ll get the track ready!” She was off in a flash. Eyeing her guest critically Twilight trotted closer, taking his manacled wrists up in her magic. “…I’m trusting you Laharl. If you try anything funny I’ll…sic Pinkie on you.” About to scoff at the statement Laharl’s voice froze in his throat. In the window of the library was Pinkie Pie, leering at him and slowly drawing her hoof across her neck. “…r-right…just race…” Several deep breaths later the princess closed her eyes concentrating on the complicated magical bindings over the manacles. It was a very sophisticated spell but nothing she couldn’t understand. It was rather clever. Anytime Laharl tried to access his mana to utilize his abilities rather than going where he wished it to, the energy went into the manacles instead. Her horn glowing brightly she temporarily disabled the mana draining effect. She could reactivate it at any time however and was satisfied she could rein him in if he got out of control. The change over Laharl was immediate. His back straightened and his eyes shone with renewed energy. “You did it!” He was grinning toothily flexing an arm and stretching his shoulders. Twilight watched with burning interest as he held his hands out palms up and closed his eyes. She worked a simple charm to see magic as clearly as anything else in the physical world. With a small gasp she realized she could recognize the spell matrices used as he worked a spell. At first suspicious she identified several of the runic symbols as those for healing and restoration. Almost immediately a warm green glow suffused Laharl’s body. His bruises faded and cuts sealed over. She could even see his teeth regrowing. “Th-that’s the most powerful healing spell I’ve ever seen!” She paused. “Wait YOU know healing spells?” His eyes snapped open as he tore the bandages off. “Of course! I’m the Overlord I learn every spell any demon in the Netherworld can cast! Useless mages and healers are always the first ones down. Someone has to pick up the slack and keep my vassals alive.” So he learned healing magic specifically to aid his fellow demons? The more she learned of the strange being the more normal he seemed. Maybe normal was the wrong word…she definitely didn’t think the constant cursing and violent temper were normal. But he had feelings like anypony else. He cared about his vassals that much was clear. “Come on. Let’s go see this race track Rainbow Dash is setting up.” He rolled his eyes. “RAINBOW Dash? What’s with you ponies and your goofy assed names?” She decided to let that one slide. “Laharl is a pretty goofy name to me.” “Hmph! Whatever! Show me to this race track so I can utterly humiliate your stupid friend.” Shaking her head and silently hoping Rainbow Dash soundly trounced the irksome demon she led the way outside. Not too far away she could see Rainbow racing about overhead, setting up several obstacles and large rings made of cloud stuff in the sky. “You CAN fly right?” He just smirked and remained silent as he gazed up at the working pegasus. Rainbow’s activity was beginning to draw a curious crowd. They were already setting up seats and passing out snacks. He noted Pinkie Pie among them and looked away scowling. He had to strongly resist the temptation not to drop a meteor on the little beasts head. Soon enough Rainbow had landed before the waiting princess and overlord. “So here’s the rules! You hit an obstacle or hoop, you lose five seconds. You miss a hoop, lose five seconds. Whoever has the best time wins! Got it?!” His smirk never faded. “Got it. Who’s going first?” She huffed. “I am of course! Just so we can get this done quicker!” Several town pegasi were hovering about the track by now, roped into monitor duty by Rainbow Dash. The crowd had been steadily growing until he bulk of the town had turned out to watch the spectacle of their town speedster racing the weird alien. Rainbow took her place at the starting line as Twilight Sparkle cantered to her side. “Ready? Set?” Her horn flared and gave off a loud bang. “Go!” Dash was off like a rocket, leaving only a blazing rainbow trail in her wake. She flew through the first ring smoothly, steadily climbing higher and higher. She expertly rolled around floating bars and looped over perfectly sculpted aerial hoops. She breezed across the finish line to the wild cheers of her fellow equines below. Grinning ear to ear she landed before the waiting duo. “Time?” The time keeper landed checking his stop watch. “Nineteen point four Dash!” Giving Laharl a poke in the chest her smile turned smug. “Beat THAT.” Cracking his knuckles Laharl stepped up to the line. Hesitantly Twilight moved to his side. “Ready…” He clenched his fists tightly and the magically sensitive ponies in the audience felt a massive swell of magical energy centered around the skinny demon. Twilight’s look only turned more pensive. “…set…” He was building so much mana it was starting to crackle off his body in black arcs of lightning that would now and again scorch the ground as they flitted away from his body. The long scarf around his neck stopped its billowing and rapidly coiled in on itself, forming a pair of bat wings. “….go…” There was a dull BOOM as Laharl vaulted off the ground. The streaking bolt of black lightning was only visible as the demonic overlord when he came to an abrupt halt to pull off a turn, than he’d kick at the air and become a bolt of light again. The ponies watched mouth agape at the spectacle. Only the powerful princess, Twilight Sparkle could actually see the demon within the sheathe of mana he’d conjured to propel himself through the air. HE never touched an obstacle or failed to fly through a ring, but was moving at such speeds they were utterly destroyed in his wake. The time keeper was so astonished he hadn’t even started the stop watch…not that it was needed. Laharl went from the beginning to the end in the time it took anypony to blink twice. “So how about that Rainbow Butt?! That’s what happens when you challenge an overlord! Behold ponies of Ponyville! Overlord Laharl has proven he is the superior racer! Forevermore will Rainbow Dash be remembered as an utter, complete, and total LOSER! Haaaaahahahahahaaaa!” Rainbow Dash hung her head so low it was almost grazing the ground as the demon laughed and taunted her above. How could this be? This was HER element! Racing was everything to her…and she’d been beaten…effortlessly! She could hear her friends trying to console her but their words felt hollow. Eyes burning she whirled away from the concerned crowd and made a bee line for her house. “That’s right looooser! Run away! Always remember the day you dared to challenge Laharl!” Twilight Sparkle was scowling now. Rainbow had made the challenge and lost, but that didn’t give Laharl the right to make her run off in tears. She turned to a gently frowning Fluttershy. “How far did you say he fell last time?” The gentle mare blinked at Twilight then looked up at Laharl. “W-well…about that far?” “Thank you Fluttershy.” Laharl was still cackling madly when he felt the horrible heaviness return to his manacles. All at once his mana drained back into them and he was free falling. For a moment he supposed this was what karma must feel like. Just for a moment, then he hit the ground. Oh well, one more crater for his real estate portfolio. *** Overlord Malbreche had many titles. Lord of Murder and Torture were two of his particular favorites. If Laharl and his ilk embodied the best of demon kind (sad but true), than Malbreche and his were the worst. They were the demons that stories of flesh eating rampaging monsters were based around. He was an old Overlord, older than most that held the title in the universe nowadays. A towering example of demonic perfection, he was nearly eight feet in height clad in midnight black full plate armor. Covered head to toe in the imposing spiked metal plates no one had ever seen what he truly looked like beneath. Only his balefully glowing yellow eyes could be seen from inside his helm. “I think I’m confused. You’re saying there’s an idyllic world of peace and happiness, that you’re a NATIVE of, and you want ME to go raze it to the ground? From what it sounds like there’s nothing of value outside the joy of murder and mayhem, and that doesn’t pay the vassals.” The Overlords voice rang hollowly from inside his helm. His visitor merely smiled. It was the oddest creature Malbreche had ever laid eyes on. Taller even than he when it stood on its mismatched hind legs and stretched the serpentine body to its full height, the creature had two mismatched wings and a semi-horse shaped head. “Well a little birdy told me you and a certain Overlord had a bit of a…rivalry would be the world? I believe his name was Krichevskoy…?” The glow of Malbreche’s eyes intensified. “Just SPEAKING that name in my presence is punishable by death! I’ll have your head in my trophy hall you…whatever you are!” “Tut tut. Let’s not lose our temper. Now I know he keeled over, something about choking to death on a bag of pretzels and thus robbing you of the satisfaction of killing him yourself. But…what if I said I had the next best thing?” Now the brutal overlord was intrigued. “…go on?” His guests smile widened unnaturally. “I know where you can find his son. And I have it on good authority he’s nearly powerless.” Malbreche’s eyes widened now. “What? How?!” A simple shrug was the others response. “Does it matter? I can give you Overlord Laharl on a silver platter. All I ask in exchange is that your charming little minions have a little…fun in Equestria.” Slowly the Overlord smiled…not that anyone could see it. “Why involve yourself?” The creature’s smile vanished in an instant. “Because that hypocrite of a princess dumped Laharl on our world JUST to sew chaos in some nowhere hick town! That’s MY job! She turned me to stone for millennia for doing it last time then she goes and does this?! Oh no…that’s not acceptable.” “So you crave vengeance as well? Very well creature, I accept your offer. I’ll send one of my finest vassals to deal with the little punk and drag him before my throne. And not to worry…if it’s chaos you desire, he will provide it in spades.” His guests smile returned. “Then my dear Lord of Torture…we have a deal.”