Domination of Equestria - T+189 days.
Manehattan - Offices of The Evil Overlord - Sub-basement 83 - Vault 23 - Entry Level:Black
Well, this wasn’t exactly how I had planned to do it.
I mean, ok, getting into a facility that your enemy has had years to fortify was never going to be easy, but meticulous planning has always been something I’ve prided myself on.
Of course, I’m no Twilight Sparkle, but given her...absence…
Moving on.
Being chased by changelings through tunnels carved as far deep under the city as the skyscrapers are tall was not how I expected to be spending my time a year ago.
No, I was planning to open my new Manehattan store, having learned my lessons from that brief disaster in Canterlot it was supposed to be a smooth grand opening, laying down some ground rules early on then popping back to Ponyville all in time for my Spa date with Fluttershy.
I wonder how the poor dear is doing?
Still. None of that happened. Instead madness spreads out of Manehattan faster than a swarm of parasprites followed swiftly by an army of changelings, ponies and fell spawn from Tartarus that sweep across Equestria faster than Sweetie Belle can burn fruit juice.
And here I am, where it all started, in the dank basement of the ‘so called Overlord’ being chased by changelings.
I may have mentioned that before.
It was surprising to find that a penchant for fine magical control and design would be so well suited to guerrilla warfare. Why did it have to have such a vulgar name? Let’s see if we can’t do better shall we?
Lone Mare Warfare? Tactical Withdrawal Mastery? Ba-
Ok, less naming schemes more dodging changeling fire.
Why am I telling you all this if I have more important things to do? Well I felt the need to record my story, just in case this all goes wrong. I know, I know, poor time to do it, but I kind of only just thought of it.
Yes, back to how well things have been going till now. Turns out that a lot of devices have weak points, similar to a complex dress design. In the same way that a single thread can hold together an ensemble headdress for Sapphire Shores, a few bolts maintain the structural integrity of many designs of warehouse.
I know right? How poorly has the Manehattan building code been enforced these last few years!? I wonder.
Still, remove a few bolts, distract a fork lift driver at just the wrong time and...bang! The whole building comes down in less time than it takes Rainbow Dash to wake up from a midday nap. Which, granted is a fair amount of time, just not enough to stop the inevitable collapse of a few hundred tonnes of rubble, metal and roofing material.
Occasionally, there’s a fire too. A pleasant bonus.
Ah, it seems I’m here.
If anyone is listening to this, it means...well it means this didn’t have the desired effect. Or maybe it did, along with some unexpected side effects. Like explosions.
Rainbow may like explosions but I have to say...I’m not a fan.
The Central Control Stalk. A lump of changeling biology grown into a machine with the sole purpose of taking forced control of the hive mind. All I have to do, is cut it… right… here…
Tada! It withers away like a flower long past its prime, and thankfully, with a distinct lack of explosions!
Now, all those hooves coming up behind me…
“Hello darlings! I’m very pleased to announce that this horrid thing behind me is now no longer in operation! You should feel a lot more like your old selves again!”
“Rarity Belle! Stand down and prepare to be taken into custody for crimes against the Overlord and the Dominion of Equestira!”
“No no, don’t you see? His control is gone now, you don’t have to follow his orders any more!”
“Err, Miss, you do realise that thing hasn’t been running for months right?”
“Err, what?”
“Yea, that thing hasn’t been controlling anyone for ages.”
“Then might I ask why you follow that brute? My understanding is he killed and cut up your Queen?”
“Oh yea, but she was a bitch.”
“Yea, total hag.”
“And the Overlord...isn’t?”
“No way. We have a pension now.”
“Yea, a pretty good one too.”
“And integration into Equestrian society as a whole.”
“Is that so?”
“Yea, we have real rights now.”
“He’s a pretty swell guy when you’re not destroying his stuff.”
“Or ogling his wife.”
“Dude, be real, you’d want to ram a massive spike down the urethra of a dude who was eyeing up your wife too.”
“True.”
“So, let me just get this clear...The changelings in the Overlord’s army aren’t being controlled, and are in fact, quite happy and do not need liberating?”
“Oh gods no, where did you get that idea!?”
“Yea, that’s crazy.”
“I...See…”
“So, you going to come quietly? We have orders to mess you up if you decide to resist in any way.”
“No! No...that won’t be needed. I’ll come quietly.”
Overlord Rule No:48 I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.
with the sole purpose of talking forced control of the hive mind
1. I think it's Taking.
UPDATE!
You'll probably get the support of most races on the planet if you treat them as well as the regular citizens of Equestria if you go by quite a few storylines. Granted, most of the time non-ponies weren't/aren't treated that terribly but they sure as heck aren't treated equally.
Ha ha, the rule of the overlord will last FOREVER!!!
One of my favorite rules. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas!
Love it :D
Heh, nice. I always did like this rule (especially the number ) and you did a great job of showing exactly why. Loyal minions are always better than mindless slaves because they care so they will work harder and tend to get better in a tight situation to protect the organization rather than wavering or changing sides when things go wrong. They can also take the initiative in uncertain situations and pull out a win with information their higher ups lack which is a huge advantage which is something we clearly saw here when they convinced Rarity to surrender without a fight.
6771809 Loyal minions that have a good, non-family-hostage reason to stay loyal to you also can be way more a help than they might seem, and give the hero some moral quandries too, because really, is the overlord so bad if his minions are treated fairly, get proper pay, support, medical care and even pension?
Really, all most minions, employees, and citizens of an Evil Empire want is an Overlord who provides a society both livable and reliable enough that it can be predicted from one day to the next and worked around/with. If the benefits provided to everyone under it are actually pretty good when looked at dispassionately, and the framework of authority doesn't march around hassling everyone all the time, people will start to cautiously build on that base and invest in it. To the point where they might even defend it against threats both overt and covert, or at least argue for peaceful compromises instead of sweeping changes.
People who are doing well like reliability. It's mostly only those who are under significant hardship who push for great change. If you provide a good quality of life for the vast majority of citizens under your rule, and they believe they can rely on it, there's going to be very little support for revolutions and ousting you from the seat of power.
You know it's gone to hell when the overlord's minions have a better package than the rebellion. Game over.
This rule is one of my personal favorites. It avoids unnecessary puppy kicking and it makes the overlord look good in comparison to the annoying rebels!
A very good tip for everyone. Good or evil. Always respect free will.
Hmm, you know. The Evil Overlord isn't really so evil if he's treating his troops better than the society he's fighting against is he? You'd normally consider the good guys the ones who want to give the most benefit to the populace. Equestian society is at the very least, self-centered on themselves. You can tell by the way they talk, everypony, anypony, etc. It's like they consider themselves so superior to everyone else that only they are worth addressing in normal conversation.
6772563 I just noticed that we as humans are less racist than the ponies.
Evil doesn't discriminate. It's an equal opportunist employer.
Batmare!
A wonderful back up plan.
And remember, just because you can get away with something at a given date is no reason to enough to feel free to do as you please, cause you know, karma...
~Leonzilla
6771892 Now that's from the citizens side.
It's also worth mentioning the possibly foreign threats that could also potentially overthrown an Overlord.
A good Overlord that is incapable of swiftly taking over the world, universe etc.
Should be able to be a good diplomat to reduce the likelihood of foreign interference and possibly buy his time so that he will be able to conquer more and more through some means or others.
As long as the Lord doesn't rule over everything and everyone, it's rule isn't completely secure. I recall an overlord by the name of Donquixote Doflamingo that treated the majority of his people well, but secretly oppressed them in ways they didn't even imagine. He was ultimately defeated by a foreign power combined with the forces of the oppressed minority.
His story shows that what you mention in your comment, although valid, is not entirely enough to ensure things won't go south.
6772618 maybe our languages don't tend to discriminate races in such fashion, however it's common in many languages like Spanish to always use the masculine to refer a group containing both genders, that's the way the language has operated for hundreds of years and that doesn't exactly mean that today's society tends to exclude a gender from importance as much as it means that there is just not a proper substitute that isn't gender specific available in the idiom.
~Leonzilla
6772846
Tell that to Hitler.
6799054 Aye!
6772563 At this point, he is more of a strict gray moral zone.
7099901
Good living conditions, as long as you don't mind not being allowed to have a problem with the system.
6799054 Well, that's not entirely true. He did have men or prisoners from other countries to fight for him. In the case of the D-Day invasion, these divisions were used in the defense of the Atlantic wall.
6799054 Pffft. Hitler was evil, Evil is not Hitler
Just in case you ever get thrown into your own rancor pit. You can ride the rancor out.
This wouldn't look out of place in the Venture Bros. cartoon.