//------------------------------// // 5 Evil Begins // Story: Evil Always Finds a Way // by Malcho1234 //------------------------------// And so the time came. The six mares that would become Equestria’s greatest heroes had braved the challenges of the Everfree forest, overcoming the trials of Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Loyalty. They had gone past dangerous landslides, a hurt manticore, enchanted trees, an upset river serpent and the three Shadowbolts. Not even the putrid stench that made them gag when they entered the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters deterred them... Now, the six friends were facing off against Nightmare Moon herself. Just a second ago Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia had her revelation about the true nature of the Elements of Harmony, as well as the Spark that would reveal the Sixth Element. The six mares were floating in the air, the shattered remains of the Elements of Harmony forming upon their necks… “No!” Nightmare Moon shouted as she felt that accursed power building up. No, she couldn’t be banished again, not before she had the chance to see him... Alas, it seemed that she was doomed… Only a miracle could save her now… And a miracle did happen, in a way. Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened comically as six shapes jumped from the rafters, landing on the ponies’ backs and sending them crashing on the ground. The Green Minion that landed on Twilight’s back quickly snatched the crown that was the physical manifestation of the Element of Magic, while the others used their deft fingers to remove the necklaces from her new friends’ necks (and to ruffle Rarity’s mane, to her great distress) before the six creatures jumped away and fled. “What in Tarnation?” “Hey, get back here!” “Aaaaaah! My mane!” “Eeep!” “Squeak!” “What the…” The six mares’ reactions were as different as themselves, but they shared one trait: confusion. Confusion at what just happened. Confusion at what were these strange assailants. Confusion… Which gave way to fear as the sinister laughter echoed all around them, the sound bouncing off the walls. The six mares quickly forgot about the Elements of Harmony as they huddled close, nearly forgotten instincts telling them that they would be safe that way… In the meantime, Nightmare Moon was staring at the six Green Minions, her jaw agape. It took her a few seconds before she could shake her stupor, but once that was done she threw her head back, laughing merrily. “Oh, my dear beloved… I should’ve recognized the smell of your Minions…” She said with a chuckle. The only reason she didn’t was because she was set on bringing vengeance upon her sister, as well as preventing the Elements from being reactivated and used against her… Again. The other six mares looked around, trying to locate who was she addressing. And then came the sound… At first they thought it was the sound of normal hoofsteps… But they sounded wrong… Irregular, half… And the sound, it was as if whatever pony was doing it was wearing solid steel horseshoes… And then the source appeared from the stairwell… The six mares cowered in fear as the armored figure’s burning gaze swept over them, much more terrifying than the wicked armor or the massive mace on his back. It made them feel like the prey species that they were… After what seemed like ages (but was in fact less than two seconds) he looked past them and to Nightmare Moon. The mare immediately knelt in submission, a happy smile on her face. “Beloved.” She greeted the human as he stepped past the six mares and approached her, the small horde of Minions following him. A motion of his hand allowed her to rise, an order she was more than happy to obey. While she was fully devoted to him, the six mortal ponies shouldn’t see her like this… “Master, we…” Nightmare began, but the human’s deep voice interrupted her. “This is not the time.” He said, turning to face the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Three of the mares seemed ready to faint just at the sound of his voice, and… No, wait… The Overlord squinted with his eyes (not that anyone could tell). One of them was standing too motionless… He had the feeling that the yellow pegasus with the silly name (then again, they all had silly names) had somehow fainted and was only standing up due to her muscles locking in fear… Weak… Pathetic… And highly amusing, the Overlord thought with a chuckle. Doubly so for the other three mares that were glaring at him. The orange Earth pony and the cyan pegasus looked ready to try and charge him… He almost wished they did, he would’ve loved to hurt Celestia’s new toys… And then he met the eyes of the final pony, the purple unicorn… Twilight, he had heard the others call her… She seemed to be the leader of this ragtag group and the Element of Magic itself… As the Overlord’s burning eyes met her violet ones he could see a mixture of emotions in them… There was the fear that he was accustomed to, as well as the confusion he expected. But there was something else there, something that caught his attention. Curiosity… This one… He would have to be careful about her… In the meantime, the six friends were all trying to move, to do something. And yet they couldn’t, even Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who’s brave facade was hanging by a thread… “Wh-who are you?” Twilight asked the question that was in the thoughts of all six of them. The helmet… It looked familiar… As if she had seen it somewhere, but where? “He is thy Lord and Master, plebeian!” Nightmare Moon spoke, her wings flaring as she took a step forward. “He is thy Overlord!” All six mares gasped and huddled even closer as she mentioned the title. The foal’s tale of the Overlord was as famous as Nightmare Moon’s, and was discarded as such. But tonight they had met one legend… They couldn’t dismiss the notion that another one was up and about after a thousand years of slumber… “You six…” The Overlord spoke. “You are the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” The mares’ eyes were drawn to his left hand as he raised it, the jewel on the back of the gauntlet flashing green. Six Minions materialized from the shadows, the Elements held in their grasp as they hurried to him and presented their loot. The Overlord reached down, the Minions piling the six pieces of jewelry in his hand. He made a show of inspecting the six pieces of the Elements of Harmony for a moment before he clenched his fist. “No!” The mares gasped, thinking that he had crushed them. The truth was that they were just transported to his treasury, an awfully convenient way to plunder treasure and take it back without having to worry about it being stolen along the way. “You… You destroyed them…” Twilight gasped, sitting down as she realized what that meant. The Elements of Harmony were the only thing that could stop Nightmare Moon and return Princess Celestia… Without them... “No… Princess Celestia…” The purple unicorn looked ready to cry in despair, and her friends were more or less on the same track. The Overlord just stared impassively, while Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Oh, my sun-loving sister… She has fled, like the peaceful coward she was…” The alicorn spat the words out, slamming her hoof down in irritation. The six mares took a step back in fear as the stone under her broke, a small crater marking the place she struck. “I have not!” Like shadows before the sunlight the mares’ fears and despair were dispersed as they heard the voice. Nightmare Moon didn’t share their enthusiasm as she turned to face the newcomer. “Celestia!” She spat out the name as the sun diarch flew through a window, gracefully landing on the ancient stone of her old home. “Oh, look. Sunbutt has come to the party.” Gnarl’s voice came in the Overlord’s ears at the sight of the alicorn. “Luna. It pains me to…” Celestia began, but was interrupted almost immediately. “Do not speaketh that name!” Her sister shouted, her wings flaring in anger. “We are Nightmare Moon, the Overlord’s Mistress!” Now it was Celestia’s turn to flare her wings at the mentioning of the name. “You must stop this, Luna! You are…” She tried to go through to her sister, who she believed buried under Nightmare Moon’s influence. Unfortunately, it seemed that today was “interrupt Celestia day”... “Mine.” The Overlord’s deep voice cut like a knife as he stepped next to Nightmare Moon, laying his hand on her back. Her wings folded under his surprisingly gentle caress, her reptilian eyes closing as a cat-like purr of pleasure emanated from her chest. “Overlord…” Celestia hissed as the two rulers locked their eyes in a silent battle of wills. “Celestia.” He returned the “greeting”, if it could even be called as such. “Master Schemer… Grand Chessmaster…” The white alicorn grit her teeth at his words, an uncharacteristic action that shocked her pupil. “Don’t you dare call me that, Scourge!” She hissed out, to the Overlord’s amusement. “I only speak the truth, Schemer. But you have gotten rusty… Have you lost your touch without me?” He asked with a dark chuckle. “Look at your toys, Celestia. Do you notice anything missing?” Celestia spared a glance at the six mares while keeping the Overlord and Nightmare Moon in her sight. She wasn’t stupid enough as to lose sight of them… This could very well be a trick for her to turn her back on them so that the fiend would attack her… It took her a few seconds to notice it, but when she did she momentarily forgot about the two evil beings. The girls weren’t wearing anything… The Elements of Harmony weren’t present… Celestia let out a gasp before she faced the Overlord, who for some reason hadn’t capitalized on the opportunity. “Where are the elements, fiend? What did you do with them?” “I have taken them for myself.” It was a simple reply that horrified Celestia. The Elements of Harmony were the only way to purge her sister’s mind and body from Nightmare Moon’s influence. If they were in the Overlord’s possession then there was no chance for her to take them back… Nopony, no griffin, no living creature had ever entered the Netherworld Tower without permission and lived to get out… Even a thousand years ago, when the Overlord had the Dark Tower over the Netherworld Tower to provide a clear entrance, it had been impossible… And now, with the Dark Tower destroyed by her magic… “No!” She growled, lowering her body closer to the ground. Her front leg started to paw at the floor, the hoof digging grooves in the hard stone. With a shout she unleashed a spell, her sharp horn shining with a golden aura before a beam of magic shot at the Overlord. The human didn’t flinch as a midnight-black oval materialized in front of him in the last moment. The shot was deflected, flying over the six mares who screamed and huddled close to the ground, before it punched right through the wall behind them. But Celestia wasn’t waiting to see the effect of her spell. She was already charging, another spell surrounding her horn and reinforcing it to act as a spear as she aimed for the Overlord’s heart. She was going to finish this in one strike, she was going to end the blackguard now… A dark blur shot from beside the human and a moment later Nightmare Moon’s horn was locked with Celestia’s, the auras surrounding their horns sparkling from the points of contact. The two alicorns strained for a few moments, glaring in each other’s eyes as they tried to gain the upper hand… Or hoof, horn, whatever. They continued for a few seconds before Nightmare Moon reared up and tried to buck Celestia, who dodged by a hairbreadth and returned the favor. From there the fight degenerated into a mass of flashing hooves, horns and magic that was more appropriate for a ballroom brawl and not a duel between two regal sisters. The Overlord watched in amusement for a few seconds before he turned his attention to the others that were present. The six mares hadn’t even made a sound, their instincts telling them that if they stayed silent the danger would pass them... Unfortunately, they had no luck with that. The Overlord raised his left hand towards them and extended a finger like Death’s judgement. The command jewel flashed briefly as he willed a command in his Minions. The creatures let out a war cry and surged forward, ready to bash the ponies’ skulls in, burn them like twigs or slice them apart. They weren’t subtle about it either and their victims were alerted. Twilight was the first to react. A bubble of raspberry-colored energy sprang to life, enveloping her and her friends in a protective shield just in time for a Brown to smack face-first in it, something that would’ve been hilarious in other circumstances. As the Minion fell back unconscious another took his place, bashing the shield with his weapon, the rest of the Browns and Greens gleefully following his example as the Reds threw their fireballs. “Ugh…” Twilight fell to her knees as she tried to maintain the shield. Silently she thanked her brother who taught her the spell… If she had used another shield it would’ve failed by now… But even this one was straining her, especially with the Blues joining in, their claws inflicting more damage to the magical construct than the other three classes’ weapons combined. The six mares gasped as a crack appeared in the shield, spreading on the glass-like surface. A few seconds later the shield shattered, the mares screaming in fear. “No!” Celestia’s shout was the only warning the Overlord had before a wave of fire swept through his Minions. Not even the Reds survived the intense heat that left behind only charred corpses and half-melted stone. A flash of light and Celestia teleported next to the six mares. For a moment she met the Overlord’s eyes. Her expression sent a clear message: this wasn’t over yet. Then, with another flash of golden light, she was gone, the six mares disappearing along with her... “No! Come back, ye coward!” Nightmare Moon shouted, the walls cracking from the sheer volume of her voice. Her wings spread and her horn was enveloped by her magical aura as she prepared to follow her sister. “Enough!” The Overlord’s command halted her. Her magic settled down as she looked at him. “But beloved, she is weakened! Now is the best time to attack and finish her!” It wasn’t as much of a statement as it was a plea. “No. Let her be.” The Overlord’s command was absolute and Nightmare Moon lowered her head in submission. “As you command, beloved.” She raised her head once more as the Overlord approached her. “Take us to the Netherworld Tower.” The human commanded, glancing over what remained of his Minions. It was a shame that he had to lose that many, but he accomplished his goals. He had taken the physical manifestations of the Elements of Harmony for himself. Celestia knew that he was back. And he was reunited with Nightmare Moon. There was only one thing he could think as Nightmare Moon’s magical aura enveloped him and the pair turned into mist, disappearing from the Castle of the two Pony Sisters. “It's all going according to my plan.” A flash of golden light signalled the arrival of Princess Celestia and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony in her chambers. The seven mares collapsed on the spot, exhausted from their ordeal. Everypony stayed silent for a few minutes, content with just being alive after that adventure. But the silence couldn’t go on forever… “Princess…” Twilight began, lifting her head from Celestia’s bed where she had ended on. “Was… Was this true? Was that really the Overlord?” She asked the question that was on everypony’s mind. Even though she had been the one to discover Nightmare Moon’s return she was still trying to grasp the fact that not just one, but two legendary villains had resurfaced. Silently she prayed that this wasn’t true, that the being was an illusion of some sort, or an imposter or… “Yes…” That single word from her teacher shattered Twilight’s attempts at deluding herself. “Wha-? But how?” “I… I don’t know…” Celestia sighed, lowering her head on the floor. “I thought he was gone for good… That he and his Minions were dead, buried under the rubble of the Dark Tower when I destroyed it…” WIth another sigh she looked at the dark sky outside and shook her head. “Today wasn’t supposed to end like that…” She said with a sniff and stood up. Twilight had never seen her teacher like that… It was as if the weight of the world had fallen on her shoulders. “Today was supposed to be the day my sister returns… Today was supposed to be the day the Elements of Harmony assemble and vanquish Nightmare Moon… Not…” Celestia held back a sob. “Not the day of the Overlord’s return…” Twilight felt her eyes water as she saw the Princess’ pain in her eyes. Silently she hopped off the bed, wrapping her front hooves around the alicorn’s neck. Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise before she smiled and returned the embrace. She wasn’t that surprised to feel five more pairs of hooves join the hug. After a few minutes she opened her eyes and looked at the ponies who comforted her. “Thank you, my little ponies.” She said with a smile. “I needed that…” “Anytime, Princess.” Applejack said, her friends nodding in agreement. “What are we going to do now, Princess?” Twilight asked as the mares broke the hug. “You are going to go back to your lives… There is nothing you girls can do now. As for me…” Celestia sighed. “I need to prepare…” There was much work to be done… She would have to increase recruitment for the Royal Guard, she would have to dig up old training manuals and prepare her little ponies for the Overlord, she would have to plan… So much to do, and she wasn’t sure she had the time to do it... “But first I would have to raise the sun.” With that announcement Celestia walked towards the balcony. “But wait, Princess…” Celestia stopped, turning back to look at Rarity. The white unicorn shrank under the gaze, but the alicorn’s smile urged her to continue. “What about Nightmare Moon? I thought you couldn’t raise the sun because of her?” “Oh my little pony…” Celestia chuckled. “While it was true that I couldn’t raise my sun because of my sister, she won’t hold the night for long.” “Wait, wasn’t she all “Eternal Night” and such?” Rainbow Dash scratched her head with a hoof. “I mean, that’s what she said…” “Yes, she was.” Celestia nodded. “But now that she is reunited with the Overlord she won’t plunge the land in eternal darkness…” The alicorn looked down, thinking of the sad fate that would befall her ponies if she couldn’t stop those two. “No… Nightmare Moon wanted eternal night, but the Overlord is worse than that…” “How can that cretin be worse?” Applejack asked. As a farmer she knew what the effects of an eternal night would have on the world, or at least to the crops. Without sunlight the plants would die, and everything that ate them would soon follow… “He wants to rule over all…” Celestia replied. “He wants to Dominate or Destroy everything until he is the sole ruler of Equestria. And then… The entire world…” “But how is that worse than Nightmare Moon?” “Because, under his rule everybody will suffer for generations. Forced to slave under his rule, to praise him, to make his infernal constructions…” The six mares gulped as they imagined it. Their friends, their family, themselves… All chained and slaving under the whip of those abominable creatures the Overlord commanded… Fluttershy fainted on the spot while Rarity moved closer to a fainting couch that Celestia had in her room before following the yellow pegasus’ example. Sighing Celestia left the mares to think as she walked out on the balcony. Her horn shone with a golden aura as she grasped the sun with her magic and raised it over the horizon. To her relief the celestial body complied, its first rays coloring the sky in that orange hue she loved as the moon hid on the opposite side. The Overlord could be the Ultimate Evil, but at least he could reign her sister in… And then, to Celestia’s utter surprise, the moon came up again, making a wobbly spiral… The Minion Guard tensed as they saw the dark mist filling the throne chamber, their weapons held at the ready as they prepared to assault the interloper. To their disappointment it turned out to be their Overlord, as well as a pleasant surprise… “Ah, Mistress Moon. It’s a pleasure to have you back with us, milady.” Gnarl said as he walked down the stairs from the throne and bowed. “Ah, Gnarl… We never thought we would be glad to see thine ugly face.” Nightmare Moon said with a smile before looking around. “But we are not glad to see what hath happened with the Tower…” While the Minions worked tirelessly to repair the Netherworld Tower they still had some way to go… Resources were scarce, not to mention that they only had a couple of weeks to work at it. Scaffolding was everywhere around the walls, Minions doing their best to repair the stone. “A thousand years of neglect would do that, Mistress. But we are making good progress towards returning the Tower to its former glory.” Gnarl nodded. “Yes, they would… Oh well, nothing We can do for now.” Nightmare Moon once again looked down at the Minion Master. “I trust that the bedchambers are restored?” “Oh yes, Mistress. We finished working on them days ago and managed to locate a nearby pool of water to fill in the pool.” The reply left the alicorn grinning. “Excellent…” She said before looking to the Overlord. To her surprise the human was already walking towards the bedchamber. She hurried after him, leaving Gnarl to oversee the construction Minions. “Beloved.” She called out as she walked into the chambers. They were just as she remembered them, with the large pool, the piles of treasure, the fantastic view of the Netherworld outside… And the grand bed… Nightmare Moon smiled and licked her lips. It had been a thousand years for her… With a flash of her horn her armor disappeared, showing her glorious body unobstructed. “We need to plan our…” The Overlord started, but Nightmare didn’t listen to him, one of the rare cases where she would dare do something like this. Turning into mist she flew in front of the Overlord, gaining his attention before she materialized in front of the bed. “Come, beloved. It hath been a thousand years since this bed hath been used.” Nightmare Moon said with a sultry voice as she beckoned her master behind the curtains. The Overlord grinned under the cloth that covered his mouth. World domination could wait, he was getting some tail today. His helmet clanked against the floor as he removed it, allowing his short light-brown hair to spill out. His face was just as Nightmare Moon remembered, young-looking and handsome. A shiver of pleasure coursed through her body at the thought of how she was the only one privileged to see it... The rest of his armor was removed shortly, piling next to the bed. A brief flicker of Nightmare Moon’s horn pulled the curtains closed, giving them privacy. A few seconds later her moans filled the chamber... The Overlord was many things - ruthless master commander, expert warrior, grand mage… He could easily rule the masses with an iron fist (like he did in the past), command an army from the frontlines, craft destructive spells and summon unimaginable horrors against his enemies… Of course, he wasn’t perfect.. No, far from it. He needed help to rule, his skills with a sword were much better than his magic ones, he was better at leading small units of Minions rather than large armies… His plans were more on the simple side, though that was usually more effective than you’d think… And then there were the things he wasn’t good at… Romance was something that he knew the concept of, but was unable to do (at least in the traditional sense…), his people skills were severely lacking thanks to the limited interaction he had outside his Minions and Mistress (and the occasional prisoner or petitioner), and the less said about his art skills the better… The paintings hung in the Dungeons still unnerved the guards, and reading his attempts at poetry was one of Quaver’s favorite methods of torturing the prisoners and punishing the bad Minions... But there was one thing he really prided himself of. He was a great lover. “Wow, Mastah!” A Minion exclaimed as he peeked through the curtains that divided the bed from the rest of the chamber. Another one shoved him a bit, his head peeking next to the first one, only for both to get a faceful of magic, courtesy of Nightmare Moon. A janitor Brown sighed and grabbed the two corpses, dragging them out for the Blues to resurrect as the tower shook under the passion of the Overlord and his Mistress, the tremors spreading even above ground... In the world above, Princess Celestia glared up with an annoyed expression as her sister’s moon swirled through the sky in erratic patterns...