//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: Surprise Party // Story: All Hail the Overlord // by TheAncientPolitzanian //------------------------------// The Overlord exited the building he was shot into and looked around. He gritted his teeth a bit and cringed as wind flowed over his sore carapace. "Did they have to do a combined attack like that? That stuff is painful as all Tartarus," he mumbled as he walked down the street. He looked around to see that the Princesses and his alternate self flying towards him. He hissed at this and spread his flaming wings again. "This is getting monotonous," he claimed as he took to the air. "Ahh well, it will all be over soon, might as well enjoy it." He created a Zweihander within his magical grip and flew towards them. Ember pointed out directions for her dragons to follow. The figures that had come out of the mirror were indeed persistent, particularly her alternate self. She was currently standing on top of a very large and short castle tower, nearer to the center of Canterlot. There was suddenly a loud sound behind her — something large and metal slamming against stone — causing her to turn around. A large group of changelings had just put a rather large object on the tower. It was cylindrical in shape, but was covered by a loose hanging piece of cloth. Ember raised an eyebrow in confusion as about a dozen more were put onto the tower. She was about to ask what was those things were, when a changeling in a red tuxedo and a monocle landed right next to one of the cannons and walked forwards, setting his hooves on the tower's crenellations. His name was Lurick, if Ember remembered correctly. "Hmmmph…." Lurick said, placing a hoof to his chin. The fires in his eyes brightened as he said; "My Overlord, the... *Ahem*... surprise is almost set up. We only await the guests of honor." He was quiet for a few seconds afterwards. "Excellent, my lord. We are in the clear," he replied to no one, then stepped off the Crenellations. "Prepare to fire," Lurick said as he rose slightly into the air using his wings and covered his ears with his hooves, confusing Ember even more. That was when the changelings removed the cloths, revealing what looked like party cannons, only much larger, a solid dark grey in color, and with a large wooden frame work, holding them up. The changeling tooled around with the frames to put them at 45 degree angles. "Party cannons?" Ember asked, confusion evident in her voice. Cadence was sitting at a table, lightly biting the back of her hoof in concern. She was in the ball room of Canterlot with some of the more famous individuals of Equestria. Spike, Starlight, Trixie, Discord, Sunburst and the 6 students were all around the room, in differing states of worry. "They're taking too long," she said, rising to her hooves. "What is even happening over there?" She stared at Discord. Her stare was soon echoed by everyone else in the room. Discord looked back at them and cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Why are you all staring at me?" he asked. "You flung a changeling into a different universe earlier," Sunburst said. "Can't you, like... open a portal for us to use?" Discord then shook his head at that and leaned back while in the air. "No can do, unfortunately," he said as he floated. "Only 1 chaos spirit per dimension, that is the one rule I am supposed to follow at all costs. If I don't..." He paused to lengthen the point. Then he made a choking sound and dragged the thumb of his eagle claw over his throat. "Well... can't you just make us a window so we can see what is going on? They might be in trouble!" Starlight voiced her concern, rising to her hooves. "Oh all right, fine," Discord said as he snapped his fingers. A massive zipper appeared in the air before them, which unzipped itself to reveal a swirling white vortex, which soon solidified into an image of what was going on in the alternate world. The first thing they saw was Shining Armor, pinned down with a crimson changeling on top of him, rapidly biting towards his jugular. Shining Armor held the changeling back to the best of his ability, but the distance was rapidly closing. Just before the changeling could land a bite, it was struck by a blue magic bolt, sending it careening away. Shining Armor pulled himself up and barely dodged a strike from a Halberd wielding armored changeling, and Shining Armor rewarded the missed attack, with a blade, which he thrust into the Changeling chest. Cadence was in a panic at this sight. "I need to get through the mirror! To help them!" she shouted. Sunburst stopped her from running out of the room to the mirror with a hoof on her shoulder. "With all due respect, ma'am, I don't think there is anything you can do. You need to stay here, in case anything bad happens." Cadence looked to Sunburst. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he was right. "O... Ok." she said, terrified. The Overlord backhanded one of the Celestias, but that left him open to an attack by Thorax, who blasted him from behind, causing him to lose balance, and be struck in the chest by the other Celestia. That was how the battle had been going recently. Every time he made an attack against the Celestias, his alternate self would throw off his position, and trying to attack Thorax left him vulnerable to the Celestias. It was a rather bad situation. But it would all be over soon. He was slowly inching towards the proper position. "Any second now," he muttered with a dark smile. The Real Celestia blasted him and sent him over the threshold, exactly where he, and by extension they, were supposed to be. The Overlord spread his wings as wide as he could and shouted aloud, with his eyes glowing brightly; "FIRE!" He darted high into the air, as a series of loud booms echoed through the city. He turned his head quickly to Luricks position. The dark grey cannons that had been set up roared to life, and spewed fire and smoke out of their barrels. Large balls of pure metal flew out of them and towards the Princesses and the Changeling King. They barely had enough time to put up shields which shattered on impact, and they were flung away by the explosions. The cannon balls that missed rained down on the city and destroyed many houses and presumably ponies, but it was not like he cared. They were only ponies after all. The Overlord then spread his hooves outwards, and a cape formed behind him, spread like that of a Vampire, ready to strike. It was time for him to eat.