Azure opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar setting. It appeared to be a mixture of both Everlight’s forest swamp and the Everfree’s thick foliage. He summoned the minions from their respective Minion gates and waited as they surrounded him. He thought about summoning more than the hundred that he had chosen but decided that too many would get under hoof as he swept through the forest. He glanced toward a known gap in the foliage and found a large nest of spiders. The arachnids seemed to have grown in size since the last he had seen them. Not that he was going to complain. He sent the green Minions into the gap and heard them shouting and talking to the spiders. As he waited they began to join him once on the backs of the large black widow spiders.
“Master!” Wrath shouted as he ran away from one of the greens, who had decided to taunt him. The armored minion ran in between his forelegs and hid behind them.
The Overlord sighed and began to walk down the path to the city. Wrath leaped onto his back and stayed still as the stallion moved.
Azure was quiet as he watched for any sign of ponies or traps around them. So far his guess that the wannabe usurpers would remain in the city where they were strongest. As they moved through the foliage the minions fanned out at his command and began to search for anything that did not belong. Wrath suddenly yanked on his mane and the stallion stopped in surprise. As he looked back to scold the minion, Wrath jumped from Azure’s back and into a copse of shrubs. Azure held back his outrage, at the use of his mane like a pair of reins, and waited as a shriek reached his ears. A pony leaped out of the plants and was pinned down under Wrath as the minion looked to the Dark Lord. The pony was able to look up and his eyes widened at the sight of their Master.
“Dark Lord!” He yelped out as Wrath sat down on his shoulders, keeping him prone before the red stallion.
Azure glared down to the dark-colored pony. “Am I?” He snarled to the pony.
The pony appeared about to panic as Azure spoke. “Sire. Please! I had nothing to do with the attack on Quee… Mistress Faye.” The pony corrected.
His near slip had clued Azure into what he was. He was one of the Elven Ponies that Faye had mentioned. His features were more sharp than fine, but Azure didn’t care about the semantics. His ears were drawn up to a fine point and angled back at the ends toward his flanks. His fur was a deep brown with a wide blaze from his forelock to his muzzle. He stayed down as he waited for Azure to speak.
“What is the situation in Everlight?” He questioned the now shaking pony.
“Sire. Mistress Faye was attacked by the first opening into Everlight city. She fled into the Gate and was able to esca…”
“I am aware of the circumstances of her attack. What I need to know is who is leading this rebellion and their status.” Azure snarled as he stomped a hoof, cracking the earth under his armored hoof.
The pony whimpered and cringed into the dirt under him. “The… The Governess. She is the leader of the rebellion, your Majesty.”
Azure barked a laugh. “I thought so. That one will be a thorn in my side no longer when I retake the city.” Azure looked at the pony and reached under his chin and pulled up till he was looking back at the Overlord. “You will tell me everything. Surely there are Elven left in the city.” The pony nodded. “How many?”
The pony looked away as he thought over the question. “Over a hundred, sire.”
Azure smiled at the information. “Good. Is there a way into the city? Not the main Gates.”
The pony once more appeared to be thinking it over. The pony suddenly looked to him, fear crossing the pony’s thin face. Azure waited as his eyes began to look side to side. Azure glanced over and saw several green minions on spiders advancing. Azure brought his hoof out from under the pony’s chin and used it to strike him under the chin, forcing his attention back to the Overlord.
“Speak.” Azure's voice snarled through his pursed lips.
The pony shuddered. “Sire. There is a back entrance that the Elven slaves created to escape. But it hasn’t been used since you closed it up after taking the city.” He spoke quickly to avoid angering the red stallion further.
Azure thought back and his eyes widened for a moment as he recalled the passageway the Elven mentioned. “I remember that hole in the wall.”
“Your minions closed it up, Sire. We tried to use it when the Governess took over but we couldn’t get it open.”
“Of course not. I designed it to only open if I needed it. The opening is held closed by the same metal as the Gates I use.” Azure stepped back and let the pony’s head fall back to the dirt. “Is there a faster way to get to the city through the forest?”
“No, Sire. I was trying to find a way when you’re… Guard found me.” The Elven admitted.
Azure looked around him and found that they were in the open despite the thick foliage. His skin shuddered under his armor as he found himself looking to the sides of the trees. “You will lead us back to the city. In a way that we can remain mostly unseen.” The pony opened his mouth to speak, but a swift glare from the Dark Lord stopped him. Azure looked at him and realized that the pony was more terrified of him than the possible slavery back in the city. “Should we enter the city and once it is retaken then I think I will possibly see to rewarding you for your loyalty and clear dedication,” Azure said aloud. He didn’t look to the pony at first but his eyes looked down to find the pony staring at him in shock.
“Master… I don’t know how much help I can be.” He paused as he spoke for a moment. “But, I will do as you command. Please don’t think I’m not loyal to you. I swear my wife is as well. We tried to help Mistress Faye.”
“I believe you,” Azure spoke up as he looked about to ramble on. “That is why I am choosing to get help from you versus walking in and slaughtering any in my way.” He told the pony, who looked even more shocked.
“I will serve you, my Lord. I swear it. I can get you to the passageway.” He swore as he gazed at the stallion.
Azure nodded to him and looked to Wrath, who was still sitting the center of the pony’s shoulders. “Let him up, Wrath.”
The armored minion jumped from the Elven's back to the Overlords armor and scrambled into his place. Azure was quiet as the pony climbed to his hooves. It was clear there was more than the pony wanted to say as he kept glancing to the Overlord. Azure sighed and began to walk forward, the minions and the pony in his wake. A glance back had the pony staring more at his leading back than at the ground. “Is there more you wish to say?”
The pony startled and paused for a moment before jumping forward to walk behind Azure. “Sire.I…” He paused once more and seemed to be looking for words. “How did this happen to us? We were humans and elves once.”
“If you are thinking I did this then don’t bother speaking further. You don’t need your tongue to guide me.” Azure warned as he faced ahead, his eyes scanning the path.
“No, Sire! I would never think you had done this. Never. You have been a kind Master to us. I would never think badly of you.” He scrambled to set Azure at ease as the pony trotted to keep up with the Overlords longer stride. “Please forgive me for not speaking more clearly.”
Azure glanced back and stopped to analyze the pony. After a few beats he nodded and a short noise escaped him. “Forgiven. I realize that I do not know your name. While normally I do not ask unless I feel the need to, in this situation it will benefit me to know.”
“Oh, I’m Anthe, Sire.” The pony replied. “Please forgive me, I should have said so before.”
Azure nodded and started walking once more. “Keep up then.” The pony jumped to stay at Azure's hip while avoiding the minions around them. “I trust that we are going the correct way then?”
“Yes, Sire. Would you like me to lead or should I stay where I am?”
Azure thought it over for a moment as he looked around them. “Lead. I can keep an eye on things that way.” Azure finally spoke and watched as Anthe jumped to lead far enough ahead that Azure was level with his hip, but stayed close to avoid any issues with line of sight.
The deep brown pony began to veer off the path and into the forest. Azure remained at his back, sending the minions in all directions to keep the area safe around him. His horn remained unlit as they walked. Azure stopped when a loud shriek caught his ears. A minion was yelping as Azure walked toward the sound, followed by Anthe. He found the minion dead on the ground beside a deep river. Azure looked and didn’t see any sign of drowning. A blue minion ran up and dragged the body away from the riverbed and used their own innate magic to revive the brown minion. Azure watched as the minion’s chest returned to a normal shape and the broken ribs within healed as well. The minion jumped to his feet and looked around him, bewildered for a moment before his gaze landed on the Master and a toothy smile went over his face, then he ran back into the ranks with the others, now at Azure's sides.
“He was crushed to death,” Azure muttered to himself. “Not many creatures have that strength normally. A regular snake would be dead before they had the chance to kill.”
Azure was pulled violently from his musing as Anthe gripped his tail and yanked him back. The red stallion yelped as he hit the ground, being dragged several feet back. The minion had jumped back as well. A serpents coils landed on the beach as Azure got to his hooves, ready to kill the pony that pulled his tail. His threat died in his mouth as the snake pulled back into the water.
“Holy shit.” Azure cursed as the snake slithered under the water. Anthe was behind him, trembling against the sand, crying out apologies to the Dark Lord. “Silence, Anthe.” He commanded and watched as the snake seemed to be getting ready for another attack.
Azure immediately called the minions back and kicked Anthe back away from the water. His rear legs struck the Elven and the smaller pony cried out at the impact to his face and shoulder. Azure leaped back as the coils burst from the water and landed where he had been standing. “Get back!” He roared as Anthe got to his hooves. He herded the Elven and his minions into the trees and stayed there as he watched the serpent raise from the water.
The serpent was easily over one hundred feet long if the indication of his coils and the height that it raised out of the waters. It searched for the minions and ponies as they stayed silent in the trees and foliage. The scales were a vibrant blue with a pale purple belly. A long tongue flicked out of its mouth. Azure had seen large anacondas before but nothing compared to this monster. As much as the Overlord wanted to see this creature brought under his command he was unsure how to get it to come to him.
His red eyes glowed in the dim lighting and he realized his mistake as the serpents’ eyes fell on him. ‘Oh no.’ He had enough time to think as he leaped out of the trees and began to gallop down the river bed. Behind him, the minions and Elven fell behind as he raced headlong. He knew that only the blue minions could swim. The others were incredibly good at drowning, but he needed them all alive. The snake’s coils landed in front of him and he jumped to land on the side. His hooves gripped the snake’s slick skin as he used his grip to try to jump the rest of the way over its body. He was able to get up onto the top of the thick coil and slide, ungracefully, to the ground behind it. His body landed on the ground and he rolled to get away from getting crushed as the body rolled toward him. He stood with barely enough time to mule kick the coil behind him and then take off running once more. The red stallion galloped ahead, keeping his eyes on the serpent as it swam beside him.
Behind him, the minions screamed and scrambled to reach their Overlord. Anthe ran with them, amazed at the speed of the Overlord. “No one runs that fast.” He cried out as he struggled to catch up. His eyes followed the Overlord, then strayed to the snake under the water. As it undulated under the water he saw it slow as it prepared to strike once more. Anthe looked from it to the Dark Lord and back. “Master, look out!” He screamed out as the coils erupted from the ground.
Azure heard the warning as a coil landed in front of him, then directly behind. He yelped as the coil behind him struck his flank and the next thing he knew he was in the water. Cold water sluiced over him as the flames of his armor were snuffed in the chill water. He was able to right himself as he felt something behind him. His eyes opened as he realized that the snake was looping around him, or preparing to. His eyes fell on the long shape in the water. Snake eyes turned to him and he felt anger rising within him, even as his lungs begun to signal that he would need air soon enough. His horn lit with his red aura and he felt a surge of power gathering within him. He didn’t know what it was or where it came from, but he was past arguing with it. The snake wrapped around him as his horn continued to be lit and the glow from it growing stronger still.
He looked around as his armor suddenly flared to life on his body. His helm closed around his mouth and he was forced to expel the air in his lungs. He breathed in and was shocked to find himself able to breathe. His armor continued to wrap around him. His hind legs were being coiled by the snake as the armor began to thicken over him, protecting him. His hooves struck the snake, trying to escape it. His horn began to pulse in time with his own heartbeat. He stopped struggling as his mind began to flash, images of the Tower Heart passed over his sight as the snake wrapped around him. He looked up as the light vanished as the snake surrounded him, blocking the light. Azure felt the coils beginning to squeeze him. His body began to cry out as the pressure in both his horn and his body began to hurt. He closed his eyes and released the magic that was held in his horn.
Anthe stood at the edge of the river, where the Overlord had been. As he scanned the water, he watched as the blue minions began to jump into the water, searching for their Master. They dove down then came back to the surface, he was surprised as they suddenly hurried out of the water. Anthe looked to the water and was scared to see a red light growing in strength under the water. When it vanished he felt the panic rising in his chest. His breathing rushed from him as the thought of the Overlord being lost terrified him. He was the only chance they had to regain the peace they needed in Everlight. He jumped into the water and plunged chest deep into it.
“Master!” He cried out as he searched the water.
A minion suddenly grabbed his tail and began to pull him out of the water. He was surprised to see how strong they were, but his shock was short lived as the water began to warm around him. He looked down as the water began to tremble, ripples going over the surface. He allowed the minions to haul him out of the water and he stayed on the bank with them. A pulse went through the water. Anthe backed up as the water began to steam, heat building up within it. An area of over twenty feet in length and width began to bubble with heat.
A surge of magic went through the water, the pulse knocking both pony and minion off their feet. The pony recovered first as the water shot up into the air with the force of a charging gargantuan. The Elven screamed in fear as blood colored the water. Terror gripped him as the water fell back to the surface and it went still. The water began to cool once more as the stream began to move it. He cried out as the snake came to the surface. His cries stopped as the snake's corpse floated on the surface.
Azure's head broke the surface and he gasped as he swam for the shore. He barely registered Anthe and minions as they ran to him. He was several feet away from where he had gone into the water. He collapsed to the sand and let his body try to recover from the experience. His helm pulled away from his face and warped back into its previous form. He coughed a few times as he pulled air into his lungs. While he had been able to breathe underwater just fine, readjusting to the normal breathing took more effort than he thought it would. His eyes closed as the sound of hooves and feet neared him.
“Master!” Anthe yelled at him. His voice was frantic as he put a hoof on Azure’s shoulder. He was about to start shaking him when he felt the Overlord shift under his hoof.
“I’ll live,” Azure replied, his eyes still closed.
Anthe felt the strength leave his legs as he listened to the Overlords' voice. He wasn’t able to stop himself from sobbing in relief as he collapsed. The minions milled around them as they also looked over their Master for any injuries. The blues began to climb over him, inspecting him for any injuries that needed to be tended to. After several minutes they calmed and Azure began to move more, having gotten his second wind.
Azure stood up and breathed deeply for a moment before he looked back over his shoulder to the water. The body of the snake still bobbed on the surface, all one hundred feet of it. Anthe sobbed at his hooves. The Dark Lord was quiet as he thought over what had happened.
‘I know that I saw the Tower Heart in my mind. Is that what that power that was welling in me was? My father was able to access the Tower Heart and use the power from it. I have never been able to use it personally before. Granted I have only had it with me for a few months. I have been siphoning into it slowly since retrieving it.’ He remained silent as he turned to look at the body. It was burned and the skin was broken and appeared to have been split due to pressure and movement. The Dark Lord looked away from the water and the corpse as the Elven finally composed himself and stood.
“Master. Are you all right?”
Azure was quiet as he turned his head to look at the Elven. “I’m fine. A bit wore from that fight, but nothing permanent.” He assured the distraught pony. ‘That was nearly Gnarls worst fear come true.’ He admitted silently to himself. He looked to Anthe and waited for the sniffling to stop before speaking once more. He refused to let them know just how tiring that had been and was determined to continue forward. “Now that is finished I have a city to reclaim. Lead on.” He commanded.
“Of course, Dark Master.” Anthe said to him and started for the forest.
Azure was close behind him, managing not to stumble in the sand. A quiet grumble escaped him but went unnoticed by the pony and minions. Wrath stayed off his back, sensing that Azure was tiring. The hours began to drag by as the Elven led them deeper into the forest. Azure found his temper growing shorter as time dragged on. “Are you certain we are going the right way?” He finally asked. Annoyance crept into his tone.
“I promise Master, we are right where we need to be.” The Elven assured him. “Do we need to stop and rest?”
Azure managed to look affronted by the insinuation. “No. I am simply ensuring that I have my bearings.” No matter how much he would have liked to take the chance he refused to look anything, except strong as steel in front of even one of his subjects. Despite the headache growing behind his eyes the stallion continued walking. The Overlord pulled up beside the pony and slowly drew ahead of him. He paused as Anthe bumped into his hip…again. He had let it go the first couple of times, but now his temper was beginning to spike. He looked back to find the pony panting beside him. As much as he understood that the Elven was tired, pushing against him was not an option.
His mouth opened to scold him when his right ear flicked to face the forest. Despite the growing pounding in his head, he stood still as his ears listened, intent. He heard a gasp and a thought formed in his mind, a silent command to the legion with him. Azure watched in silence as the minions began to fan out around him, going in all directions, just in case. He heard shrieks from the right and he felt Anthe push up against him, a whimper escaping his throat. A metallic clang caught his focus and he focused on the minions in that direction, the others now racing to join them. A scream tore through the air and Anthe looked up from his place, pressed against Azure's hip.
Azure waited. Silence pervaded as he was still. A loud yelp and a series of curses caught his ears as two ponies staggered into the small opening at his right. One was a brilliant yellow with a hammer on his flank fell to the ground. The other was a pastel pink mare with a mixing bowl on her rump. She stayed on her hooves and was staring at the ground when her eyes landed on Azure's armored hooves. She inhaled and began to slowly look up his legs, chest, back, then to his head. The stallion was silent as her eyes widened and a strangled sound escaped her.
“Oh no.” She managed a whisper as the stallion on the ground finally glanced up as well.
Both ponies’ jaws fell open as they regarded the armored Overlord. Anthe looked to them, a small smile crossing his muzzle. “Desirah! Joren! You’re okay.” He said to them and leaped to the, pulling the yellow pony to his hooves.
The mare looked to him. “Anthe?”
“I’m fine. I found the Overlord. He’s coming to take back the city. Everything will be okay. It will go back to the way it should be.” Anthe gushed to them.
The pony’s eyes went back to the armored stallion. The yellow stallion finally cleared his throat to speak. “I know he looks like the Master and the creatures are similar... But?” He stopped as Azures eyes began to glow brighter.
The headache pounded and he felt his temper slip at the implication that he was not their ruler. Wrath leaped to the pony’s back and used the surprise to throw the pony to the ground, prone before the stallion. Azure stepped away from his place and stopped his hooves in front of the offending pony. He brought his head down and put his mouth by the trembling pony’s ear.
“Shall I remind you what a simple spell can do to the mind of a little pony such as yourself?” His voice was low, husky and filled with venom. The pony shuddered. “You may wish to rethink your behavior. Or I will remind you why I am your Master!” Azures magic picked him up by his neck, Wrath leaped away as the pony was lifted into the air. The pony cried out as Azure's red aura slammed him into the ground at his hooves. Anthe and the mare backed away, shaking as the other Elven cried out and began to beg.
“Sire! Please forgive me. I didn’t see the truth right away. I beg your forgiveness, you are our one true Master.” He cried out, tears falling from his eyes as the pressure around his neck tightened for several seconds.
Azure released his neck and the pony coughed as he pulled air into his lungs. The stallion on the ground remained in his place, his body shaking, terror lancing through him. Azure snorted and stomped his gauntlet-ed hoof. “Get up.”He snarled.
The Elven rushed to his hooves and waited for the Overlord to speak. He instead turned back down the path. “Anthe.”
The Elven ran up to his side and waited. “Lead on. I will not leave my realm in the hands of that fool for longer than I must.” He said.
“Of course, My Lord. Please follow us.” He said and pushed the other two ponies ahead of him and toward the jungle.
He watched as they led him and the day broke into the evening. He closed one eye as his vision faltered, the headache still pounding in his skull. He stopped as he gave his head a gentle shake. He felt a weight on his rump and looked over his shoulder to find a blue minion scrabbling up his armor, having jumped to try to land on his back, only to have failed. Azure watched it as it finally came to rest for a moment at the height of his rump, then walked slowly to his head. It looked at him, wide eyes waiting for him to respond.
“Yes?” He finally spoke aloud.
“Masters head.” The minion croaked out and pointed.
Anthe and the other two came back to his side. “Master? Are you all right?” Anthe finally asked him.
Azure nearly growled at them and stormed ahead when his vision wavered once more. He sat back on his haunches and reached up with his hooves to remove his helmet. He pulled it off and shook his mane. He groaned at the throbbing and gave the helm to Wrath to hold onto. The blue minion clawed up his mane and wrapped his webbed feet in the strands to hold himself in place. His scaled fingers threaded into Azure's red fur and the minion held its clawed hands against the stallions temples. Azure closed his eyes once more and let the minion work. Magic went over him in gentle waves. The waves were strong but still gentle enough not to hurt him. They washed against his mind like the waves of the sea. The throbbing began to fade and Azure waited for the minion to finish his healing. It was not the first time Azure had been healed by their magic. The headache was markedly weakened, but Azure knew that to get rid of it completely he needed to eat and rest.
He opened his eyes and found the three Elven waiting. They had sat down as well and were waiting for him to speak. Wrath held him helm and waited as well. The minions had fanned out along the path, watching as their Master was tended to. He glanced back as the blue minion finished and slowly climbed off Azure's neck and to the ground.
“I am fine.” He relayed to his guide.
Anthe looked uncertain. “We should probably rest, Master. I know of some food in the forest that we can gather for you to eat.” He explained.
Azure looked at the pony, searching for any deception or intent to flee. When he was no deception he sighed. “Very well. Reaching the city exhausted will serve no purpose. I trust you and your fellow Elven can attend a camp? I will send the minions to find a suitable place. Which of you wishes to accompany them and get it started?”
The stallion he had choked, Joren, tentatively raised a hoof. “I will, Sire.”
Azure was tempted not to place any faith in the pony that had insulted him. But he chose to show some goodwill to the pony, ensuring his loyalty. “Very well. They will lead and you point out a suitable place for them. One will return to us and the rest will help you to clear the area.”
Joren smiled weakly and nodded. “As you wish, Master.” He turned and trotted with a group of ten minions.
The mare, Desirah watched them leave. “Sire. I can find some fruit for us to eat and also get some freshwater.”
“Very well. I will send a few minions with you as well to aid in the search and to carry supplies.” He sent a group of five greens for climbing trees and two reds with her. She trotted into the trees and vanished with the minions at her back.
Anthe looked to him, a smile growing on his muzzle. “Let us take care of everything, My Lord. We know this forest by now.” He assured the other stallion.
Azure gave a short nod and went back to waiting for the minions to return. It took an hour, but the minions returned to him and guided them to the clearing. Azure found it was beside a clean water source and had been cleared of large vegetation. Desirah returned with the minions carrying various fruit and nuts that they had gathered. Wrath set his helm beside the Overlord and waited for any other instructions.
Room for a fire was cleared and a red minion lit the dry wood. Azure sat in silence as the fruit and nuts were rationed to each pony. His magic held his share and he ate once the others had taken bites of their food. He had watched them since they returned, but he was no fool. If they had poisoned it he would have noticed. Once he had finished he could feel the headache weakening a bit more. He knew that he had been hungry, but he had thought to be in the city by this time. He had forgotten in his haste that the jungle had been melded with the Everfree. He remained quiet as the three Elven began talking about the state of the city before they had fled.
“Sire?” Joren spoke up, looking to him.
Azure looked at him. “Yes?”
“Did Mistress Faye make it back okay?’
“Yes. She had minor injuries. But, they will heal.” He supplied the response. Despite her giving the Elves to her new Lord he knew that they still held a great love for her.
“That’s good to hear. They went after her so quickly that we barely had time to warn her.” Desirah spoke up. “I saw them coming and pushed her ahead of me, but I didn’t have time to make sure she reached the gate okay. It’s good to hear that she made it.”
“She was more angry than hurt. She was upset that she had not been able to stop the rebellion before it started.” Azure commented, glancing from the Elven to the flames.
“She tried to, but it was a surprise to all of us,” Joren added. “It’s good to know she made it back to you.”
Azure nodded, already growing bored of the well-wishing. He knew Faye was fine, but they seemed to be stuck on the fact rather than continuing. “How much further to the closed doorway?”
Anthe was quiet as he considered. “We should get there late morning, Sire. The others will be glad to have you back.”
“Oh?” He asked a glance to the brown pony made him explain.
“Yes, when you took over we weren’t slaves anymore. You made us equal. We had not been treated like that since the Empire arrived.” He explained. The other two nodded at his explanation. “We…” He paused as he looked to the other ponies. “We need you to take over again, Sire.”
Azure looked to the three of them. “I intend to do just that. Will the other Elven get in the way?”
“No. They should come back to you right away. There’s no reason not to.” He added. “You made us better than we were before and took care of us."
“Good. We should have no trouble returning the city to my control. As soon as the Governess is tended to I will reenact the rules that were there before this…foolishness happened.” Azure replied.
“We are with you, Sire.” Anthe smiled.
Azure nodded and looked back to the flames. They lapsed into silence and Azure let himself collapse slowly to his belly and lay his head over his hooves. The minions had circled the camp and were watching the perimeter. Nothing would get near him without their notice. His eyes slowly closed as his ears flicked one last time before allowing himself to sleep.