10: Lies and Favors...
Azure looked to the throne as he waited for Wrath to return with his helm. He had also sent for Juno to join him in the throne room. He gave a quiet sigh as he steeled himself for a day with her. She was a trial on his nerves but she could suit his needs well for his plan of dealing with the Changeling Queen. While others might be surprised that he also had no intention of telling the mare his plans for her. His other mistresses could act fairly well, he was certain that she would not be so subtle. He looked to the entrance as Wrath loped into the room his the Overlords helm clutched in his claws. He leaped to the stallions back and sat in silence. Azure looked to the Gate as he heard hooves on the stairs and he glanced back to find Juno walking gingerly to his side.
“Thank you for the invitation, Lord.” She gushed to him, pressing her shoulder to his. “What can I do for you?”
“Well. It was brought to my attention that you wished to leave the Tower for some shopping.” He said to her, keeping his voice even as he regarded her. “So I would have you join me for a visit to the village.”
Her eyes lit up and she nodded to him. “Yes. That would be wonderful, Lord.” She said to him and pranced in place.
Azure turned to the Gate and then to the mare. “We will be going to Everlight first to attend to an issue. You can either wait here or join me.”
“You have been good enough to ask for me to join you so I will stay with you.” She gushed further. She turned to him and nipped his neck in play and pranced into the Gates magic.
Azure heard a low growl and looked to the stairs to find Kelda watching, her jaw set. Azure waited till she looked to him and he winked to her and a smile tugged at her mouth as he turned to the Gate. The Gates magic went over him as he reached out and set a hoof on the mare's shoulder to keep her close as the Gate activated and he closed his eyes for a moment as the Gates magic moved him to his destination. His eyes opened after a short pause and beside him, Juno leaned on him for a moment as she regained her bearings.
“Sire!”
A voice he recognized caught his attention and he looked down to see Anthe and Faye waiting for him. The Elven bowed deeply to the Overlord as he walked down the stairs and stood before them. Juno remained quiet as she glared at the other Mistress. Faye did not react and kept her eyes on the red stallion.
“I think it is time for that tour, Faye.” He said to her. “I want to see the parts of the city that have been rebuilt and has that pit been filled in?”
Faye looked to Anthe who nodded to her. “Yes, Sire. I made sure of it myself. Everything has been rebuilt and please allow me to show it to you.” He said and bowed once more.
“Very well. I have heard good things from Faye. I expect to be pleased by the work that has been done.” He said to them and Elven nodded.
“This way, Sire.” He said and cheerfully walked ahead to lead the red Unicorn into the city.
They walked ahead and toward the area where the arena had once been. Azure was pleased to see that it had been filled in and nothing remained of the death pit that had once been there. Unless one knew where to look it was not easily seen. Anthe waited as the Overlord looked to the area and nodded when he finished checking the area.
“Very good.” He said aloud.
Anthe smiled widely and waited as Azure rejoined them and motioned for them to move on. Azure was quiet as they began to move through the rest of the town center and into the market. Ponies moved aside as they saw their Lord and bowed as he passed by. Juno stayed at his hip and for once remained silent. The Elven led him to the beaches where the ponies were fishing and hauling in the catches for the day. Azure was pleased to see that they were no longer segregated and were forced to work side by side. The catch would be used to feed the city and other territories as well. Azure was working on creating roads that went to the cities and outlying towns. His red eyes looked around them as they were led by the smiling Elven. The town had been rebuilt and was beginning to return to the thriving city it had once been.
“Sire. Are you pleased with the progress?” Anthe asked him.
“Yes. So far I am quite pleased with the progress that has been made. I foresee Everlight returning to the way it was before.”
Anthe nearly skipped at the stallion’s words and his smile widened as well. “I’m glad to hear that, Sire.”
“One other thing I came to see the end of, Anthe.” He paused as they neared the smaller gate at the end of the tour. “That guard that was tied to you.”
Anthe’s eyes widened at the mention of the guard and he nodded. “Sire, I…I haven’t thought of him much. You were so generous before that I threw myself into my work and tried to ignore him.”
“I understand that Anthe. But his fate is still yours to decide. His life in your hooves. It has come time to choose his fate.” Azure said to him and the Elven nodded at his words. “Wrath. Find him and bring him to me.” He said to the minion on his back. Wrath leaped to the ground, still holding the stallion’s helm and raced away from his side.
They waited and Anthe stayed quiet as the sound of minion cries drew closer after several minutes of near silence. As they neared a haggard pony was driven ahead of them. His coat was dirty and Wrath drove him to the ground once more, careful of the helm in his claws. Azure glanced to Anthe and the Elven stepped forward.
“You hurt so many and do not deserve to have any choice in your life. But.” Anthe looked to the Overlord who waited as he went on. “I don’t think death is the right punishment for you.”
The guard looked up to the Elven. “What now?” He croaked to the other pony.
“My Lord?” Anthe looked to the red stallion who stood a few feet behind him. Azure walked up to him and waited as the Elven looked uncertain. “What should I do with him?”
“It is your decision. He did not stand against me, nor did he attack me. It was you that was wronged, not I.” Azure reminded him. “His fate is yours to decide. If you wish his life to end then Wrath will end him. But the choice is yours.”
Anthe was quiet as he looked to the pony that was being held on the ground by a now grinning minion. The stallion looked to the ground, a soft whimper escaped him as he waited for this fate to be decided. “I want him to live.” Anthe finally stated.
“Oh?” Azure replied.
“I want him to serve. Death is easy. It's living that’s hard to do.” Anthe replied. He looked to Azure for the approval of his choice or if the red Overlord would change it.
“Very well. He will serve you.” Azure said bluntly.
“Me?”
“Yes. You hold his fate and you have gifted him his life. He will serve under you and accomplish tasks that you set for him.” He explained.
“Sire I don’t want a slave…” Anthe spoke up, his voice held panic.
“He is not a slave, Anthe. He is your servant or assistant if you wish. You have taken to ensure the safety and health of the ponies here. That is your job and he will assist you in your work. You will work under Faye and the tasks you are given will be yours and his.” Azure explained.
“Oh. Okay, that sounds fair to me.” Anthe replied, his smile returned as he held out a hoof to the gaunt stallion.
“Wrath,” Azure called the minion to his side and he leaped to hold the black armor of the Overlord.
The former guard looked at the extended hoof and reached out and was slowly pulled to his hooves. “I will do whatever you need me to do. I will so what I can to atone for what I did. And I will serve you without question.” He said and lowered his head to the shocked Elven.
“Oh!” He looked to the Overlord who chuckled. “But first swear your allegiance to our Lord, then you can help me.”
The guard spun to the stallion, but in his gaunt state, he nearly fell and barely managed not to fall on his face at the Overlords hooves. “Master. I swear I will never falter and I will serve you till the end of my days.” He vowed.
“Very good,” Azure replied and stomped a hoof. “Your vows have been heard and I accept your service once more. Do not trifle with the gift you have been given.”
“Sire.” He said and nodded to the red Unicorn.
“Now I have other places to be. I trust that Everlight will continue to serve me well.” The ponies bowed their heads and he turned to the small gate by the front of the city’s entrance gates. “Juno, with me.”
The red unicorn walked to the small gate and placed a hoof on Juno’s shoulder to keep her with him as they traveled. His eyes closed as he waited for the magic to dissipate before he opened his eyes once more and waited for Juno to gain her bearings before moving out of the Gates magic. Azures eyes adjusted to the bright sun above him and he stepped down the stairs and onto the dirt road. Beside him, Juno looked around them and he waited for her to speak further.
“It’s not much of a city is it?” She said to him, her expression uncertain.
“It’s small. But for now, we will start out here. I’m sure you can find something to occupy your time. We need to find a way to get my helm to function as it used to. To that end, we will go to ask another pony who has more knowledge of the magic involved.” He reasoned to her and began to walk down the street toward the Castle at the end of the road.
Juno huffed but stayed close to him as they walked forward. He glanced to her and he could see that she was looking around them to see what was available to her. As he walked ahead he heard ponies stopping to look at the pair of them and he tried to ignore the stares as Juno stayed close to him. She was clever enough to know that straying from him now would not help her rise above her current station.
“Azure!”
A shout caught his attention and he paused to find a white mare trotting up to him, a wide smile on her face. Several bags floated around her as he tried to recall her name. He recalled that she was among those that were close to the Twilight and he closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to recall her name. ‘Not Fluttershy, not the farm horse, not the pink one, dammit…R…something. Rarity.’ His memory finally caught up with him and he finally recalled her name.
“Rarity.” He said to her as she stopped close to him.
“It’s good to see you again, darling.” She said to him and her eyes went to his companion. “Who might this be?” She asked him as she regarded the light grey mare with him.
“This is Juno. She has come to do some shopping and perhaps find a new dress.” He explained and he could see rarity’s eyes widen.
“Oh? Then you simply must come to my boutique. I just found some new fabric that I am dying to try out. If you would not mind allowing me to show it to you perhaps you and I can figure out a new design for you. You have a lovely coat and your mane is such a rich color.” Rarity said to the mare who nodded to her.
“My Lord?” Juno looked at him.
He pulled her close to him to speak to her. “Do not mention that you are one of my mistresses. I will bring that up when the time suits me. You may go with her so long as you remember your place.” He reminded her harshly. The mare nodded and nuzzled him as he released his hold on her dress sleeve.
“Lead the way,” Juno said to the other mare who smiled in reply.
Azure watched as they parted from him, already discussing the design and fabric choices. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he looked back to make sure that Wrath still held his helm and began to walk to the castle once more. He neared the front door and used his magic to push the front door open. Had he thought about it he would have sent a letter ahead of time but he didn’t much care if he interrupted the Alicorn. He pushed open the next set of doors that led to the map table and found Twilight sitting at it while her magic levitated books around her. He paused once in the room and waited for her to notice him. He glanced to the small throne beside her as Spike looked up and a smile went over his draconic features.
“Twilight.” He reached up and prodded the mare beside him, earning him no response but a mumbled grunt. “Twilight.” He tried again and she still didn’t look up or over to him. “TWILIGHT!” He yelled at her and she startled enough to drop her books to the floor and table.
“Spike!” She yelled to him as he pointed to the Overlord.
The mare gave an annoyed grumble as she looked where he was pointing and her eyes widened at the sight of the red stallion. “Oh.” She reached out with her magic and picked up the dropped materials and set them aside as he walked into the room and neared her. “Azure. It’s been a while. How are you doing?”
“I am well. And yourself?”
“I’m good. Thank you for asking. What can I do for you?” She asked him and a chair materialized for him to sit on close to her.
“I have a dilemma that I am looking to correct and hopefully you have the insight I am looking for. “ He said to her and sat down in the chair beside her. He looked to Wrath who leaped from his back and set the helm on the table in front of them. “This helm used to allow my advisor to see through my eyes and speak to me when I was not within the Netherworld. Since the move, we have not been able to get it to function as it used to. We would lose contact occasionally but the connection was restored when I neared one of the Gates. We have been able to get it to allow him to speak to me but the range is very limited.” He explained and Twilight was taking notes as he spoke to her. “It was brought to my attention that the magic of the Netherworld and here may not be working together. I am curious if you have any insight into solutions?” He said to her.
Twilight looked over her notes and a frown crossed her features. “I’m not sure but let me bring up a few books and see what we can find out.” She said to him and he nodded as her magic flashed, setting several books in front of them.
He watched as she opened several books and they hovered around them as she scanned their pages. Her eyes searched the pages and she glanced to the helm and back to the books. A few of them vanished and they were replaced by new ones that she was summoning as she needed them. She set down two of the books and the others vanished and she looked back to him.
“Okay, I have a few ideas. But I do not know how the magic from the Netherworld and the Gates works so I will need your help with this one.” She said to him and her magic covered the helm and she began to turn it around in her magic and analyze the look of it. “So there is no mechanism inside it to go back and forth?”
“No.” He replied to her.
Twilight nodded in understanding and looked back to the helm in her magic. She held it over her head and looked up into it and scanned the inside once more. “Okay, so how did it work before?”
“I never asked for any specifics. It simply allowed him to see through my eyes and he was able to hear through it as well.” He explained to her. “It was designed to allow him to see and speak to me with it.”
“Who made it?”
“Giblet. He stays with the Great Forge and makes my armor and weapons.”
“Can I speak with him?”
“Not possible. He remains in the Netherworld and I've never seen him leave.”
“What about the minion that always come from the Gates when we find them?”
“Grubby? He’s a digger who specializes in the Gates magic.” He replied to her with a shake of his head.
“Hmm.” Twilight set the helm onto the table and looked at her books once more. “Okay, so we have a few things we can try. Do you have any way to use the magic that it used before?”
“The Netherworld magic?” She nodded at his question. “Of course. I am its ruler so I can command it as I see fit. Why?”
“Was it used to power the helm before?”
“In a way. My own magic helped but the Netherworld is the stronger of the options I believe.”
“Okay so since you can use them both that will be really helpful. So I have a few experiments I think we can try out. Do you have time to spare to work on this now?”
“Sure. I came here expecting it to take time so I have nothing pressing for the afternoon.” He replied to her.
Twilight smiled and motioned for him to take a look at the books with her. He scanned the contents and waited for the Alicorn to explain her experiments for the helm to him. His magic picked up the helm and he checked the interior of it.
“Okay. So I think the first thing we should try is to see what the current range is. You mentioned that you can go a certain distance before it doesn't work anymore.” She said to him. “Any idea of the range or should we just teleport until it stops?”
“I haven't had time to test the range personally. I now that it’s not a large range. So I can see how far it goes until he can no longer reach me.” He replied.
“Okay. So let’s start with the castle as the origin location.” She said to him and they moved away from the map table.
Azure followed her to the doors of the castle and she opened them for him as Wrath jumped to his back and held onto the stallion’s armor. Azure looked back to the minion and motioned for him to stay instead of going with the stallion. The minion jumped back to the table and raced across the surface till he jumped to Twilight's seat and lounged in the throne. Azure rolled his eyes and looked back to the mare with him. Once they were outside the mare looked to him and a smile stretched over her muzzle.
“Okay, so we can actually use the Gates if you want or we can use short-range teleporting.” She said to him.
“Short range teleport might be the best idea. The Gates range is probably outside of the helms ability. The Gates with my kingdom might be close enough to each other but that’s not what we need to test out.” He replied to her.
“I agree. That's a good point. Okay, so I can do the teleporting if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s fine. A moment.” the red stallion slid the helm onto his head and used it to reach out to Gnarl. “Gnarl.”
“Master?” the minion replied.
“Stay close to the map and see how far we can go until the helms range is exceeded.”
“Yes, Master. I will remain where I am.”
“Go ahead. Short ranging and we will see how far until he can't hear me any longer.” He said to the purple Alicorn.
“Perfect. Okay, hold on.” She reached out and gripped his hoof with hers.
Azure watched as her horn flared and he closed his eyes and he could feel her magic when it activated and he opened his eyes to find them on the outskirts of town, close to an apple orchard.
“Good?”
“Gnarl?”
“Master?”
“Okay, so we are by the apple orchard. Mark that distance on the map.”
“Understood.”
“Next.” He said to her.
Twilight nodded and held his hoof tightly as her horn lit. He closed his eyes and they were on the edge of the Everfree a mile away from the orchard.
“Gnarl?”
“Marking your location Master. I’m still able to hear you clearly and there is no interference.”
“Good.” He looked to Twilight and nodded to her. “Next.”
His eyes closed and she teleported them once more. His eyes opened and they were in front of a house. He glanced to her and she smiled. “This is Zecoras house. I figured it would be a good spot to use as a marker. He nodded and looked at the house.
“Gnarl?”
At first, there was no reply and Azure looked to the mare when the Advisor replied though it sounded fainter than before.
“Your voice is quieter, Lord. The distance seems to be affecting the helm.”
“Agreed. Mark the location two-fold. We are outside of a house in the forest owned by a mare named Zecora. Mark it on the map.”
“Understood, Lord.”
“Azure?” She spoke to him and the stallion looked to her. “Is it starting to fail a bit?”
“Yes. Our voices are getting to be faint. How far are we?”
“We are approximately 5 miles from the castle. Should we keep going?”
“Yes. I want to know its range as close as possible.”
“Okay. No problem. Hold on.” She held his hoof and her horn flashed.
He looked around and they were on a mountain outside of the town. He glanced around before he looked to the mare beside him. “Where are we?”
“My friends and I sent a dragon on its way from this location months ago so I figured it would be easier to use this height.”
“Understood. Gnarl?”
“Mas...er...You...”
“Damn.” He cursed and shook his head at the mare at his side. “Nothing clear. It’s too far now. Might be the height, but I doubt it.”
“Got it. Okay so let’s try the base of the mountain.” She replied.
Azure nodded and she gripped his hoof once more. Her horn flashed and he found they were at the base of the mountain. He nodded to her as she waited as he looked to the mountain again as he called out to the Minion Master.
“Gnarl?”
“Mast...Your...faint...”
“Okay, I think this is the range of the helm. Mark it down and we will go back to the castle in Ponyville to run more tests on the helm and see if we can get it to work once more.”
“Yes.”
“Okay so back to the castle?” Twilight asked him.
“Yes. It's close enough to hear him, but it cuts out occasionally.” Azure said to her.
“Okay.”
Alicorn held his hoof and a flash of her magic later, they stood in front of the castle once more as she released his hoof as her magic opened the front doors and she followed him inside. The Unicorn stallion was quiet as his magic removed his helm and set it on the map table as they approached it. Wrath jumped up and landed on the table as Azure set his helm on the table. The Overlord came back to the map table and sat down. Wrath jumped to the ground and sat down beside the Overlords seat.
“Okay, so my first idea is to try to use regular Unicorn magic from an outside source, me in this case, and see if I can connect it that way.” She explained. “Once I think I have it working I will signal you to reach out to it as well and see if you can use the magic from the Netherworld to link it.”
“Very well.” Azure nodded to her and leaned back into his seat.
Her magic gripped the helm and she focused on trying to use her magic as a conduit for the helm to work fully. He watched as her magic layered over the helm and she paused for a moment to look to him and he nodded as his own horn lit and his own magic joined hers. He allowed her to lead the magic and he watched as the two magic’s began to mix and he reached out for more of his own magic to ensure that there was enough magic to work with.
Twilight’s magic flashed and he released his own magic as well as she lowered the helm to the table. “Okay. Try it out and see if he can see through it.”
Azure nodded and his magic set the helm in place. “Gnarl. Can you see anything?”
“A moment Master.” The minion replied. “Nothing Master. I cannot see anything.”
“Damn. Nothing.” He replied and looked to the waiting Alicorn.
Twilight nodded and the Overlord removed the helm and set it on the table once more. “Okay, how does he look through the helm?”
“How do you mean? He uses a pool of water to watch.”
“I'm assuming the water is special in some way.”
“Naturally.”
“Okay so we need to use different magic, I don’t think Unicorn magic is going to help us much. We need more of the Netherworld’s magic to augment ours. I still think using a mix of our magic will help but we need the Netherworld magic to pick up more slack.”
“Very well. I will call on as much as I think will help. If it’s not enough then we can try it again.” Azure replied.
“Sounds like a good plan. The last thing we want is to damage it and not find any answers for you.” Twilight replied.
He watched as her magic held the helm once more and it now hovered above the table. She looked to him after a moment and his magic joined hers and he reached out to the Tower Heart and he allowed its magic to join theirs. He watched as the magic’s joined and he watched it closely as the magic began to glow brighter and he looked to the mare. Twilight’s eyes were closed as she focused on her task. He knocked his hoof on the table and she looked to him and he glanced to the helm and her eyes widened at the sight.
“Ummm... Careful.” She spoke aloud to him as she kept an eye on the helm and the conflicting magic in front of them.
As they watched the magic grew brighter and he glanced to the mare with him. “I think we should redo this.” He said to her and she nodded.
“Pull back slowly.” She said to him.
He pushed the Tower Heart back and set the helm down when Twilight’s magic faded from it. He glanced to her and she looked perplexed at the helm in front of her. She looked to him and a strange look crossed her features.
“Okay, so I was first then your magic and then the Netherworld?”
“Correct.” He replied to her, his tone calm.
“Right. So one of us came on a bit strong. So I'll pull back and you remain the same.” She said to him.
“Very well.” He said to him and picked up the helm in his own magic and looked to her when he was at the same level he had been before.
Her magic joined his and he added in the Tower Heart after her. He commanded the Heart to hold steady and remain the same. He watched as the magic mixed well as it had before but then the glow began to grow once more and Twilight made a slashing motion with a hoof and Azure removed the Tower Heart and then allowed Twilight to hold the helm and set it down.
“Okay. So it doesn't seem to matter which of us begins. Are you adding the Netherworld separately?”
“Of course. It can't hold the helm on its own.” He replied to her.
Twilight picked up her scroll and quill and wrote down her own notes and then put the quill down and looked to him. She tapped a hoof on the paper as she looked around for a second.
“All right. So adding the Netherworld is destabilizing the magic from our horns. Which makes very little sense since you can use them at the same time. Which means the Netherworld’s magic is not on the same wavelength as the magic that comes from a Unicorn's horn” She paused and scribbled more notes on the paper. “Okay, how does the Netherworld magic work?”
Azure paused at her question. He sat one hoof on the table and the other tapped his chin as he considered her question. “The Netherworld does as I command it to,” he replied, cautiously to her. She tilted her head at his reply and he went on. “As its Lord and Master, I dictate what the magic does. It’s in a constant state of flux and movement.”
“Okay. So you can tell it what to do?”
“Of course.” He replied.
“That might be good actually. So you can tell how much magic to send back to us. So is it possible to lessen it?”
“I can yes. But, I have no desire to need to have my horn active at all times to allow him to see through it.”
“Okay wait. So your horn was not active before?”
“Correct. It was not being used before.” He replied, keeping her in the dark about that fact that he was two egged before and not a pony.
“Oh. Okay, so that changes things. Sorry for not asking before.” She said to him.
“It happens. We will fix it as we go.” He said to her.
Twilight went back to her books and the Overlord sat close by as he considered what more he could tell her. ' She has proven useful so far. But I have no desire to allow her to access my domain. Though...It could prove to be an interesting experiment to see if it's possible to begin to corrupt one of them.' The Overlord looked to the mare and then to the helm on the table. He tapped his hoof to his chin as he thought over what he knew of how to corrupt another being. The ponies from Nordberg had been easy and quick due to them not having the strongest of minds. Same with the others and then he had corrupted Faye without intending to and now she served him faithfully. His ears flicked absently as he considered the merits of slowly corrupting the Princess he sat close to now. 'Worth a shot.'
"I have an idea.” He said aloud and waited for the mare to look to him before he went on.
Twilight’s head came up and she looked to him. “Go ahead.”
“A while ago I was able to allow another to gain some of my magic and it allowed her to use the Netherworld magic. Perhaps if there is more magic to use and if I direct it then we can work with what we have and get the result we want.”
Twilight looked thoughtful as he spoke and her eyes widened at the implication of the new magic she might be able to use, even if temporarily. “So you can share the magic for a bit and I will be able to help connect it?”
“That is my thought. I will command the Netherworld magic and at the same time allow you to connect to it as well by infusing you with a piece of that magic.” He replied to her. “It’s up to you of course.”
The mare smiled at his words and nodded. “Of course. This will be amazing. I haven’t had the chance to see, much less experience, other types of magic. I'll be happy to help, Azure.”
He barely held back the malicious grin at her exuberant reply. “Perfect,” he said aloud and waited for her to draw up next to him. His horn lit as he regarded the mare beside him and his aura covered her as he cast a spell he knew would infect her. The mare jerked a bit the contact but she was quiet and he stopped the spell before it would have started to cause a noticeable difference in her. His aura released her and he stepped back as she blinked a few times and looked to him.
“Okay, that was a bit weird. I feel okay but it’s like there is something in the back of my mind.” She explained to him. “It’s not a bad feeling actually. It’s...just different.”
“Well. We hope it works for what we need it to do.” He replied. “So I’ll lead again?”
“Yeah. I'll follow your lead. Hopefully, we can get it right.” She said to him.
“Agreed.” He said to her even as he watched her from the corner of his eye.
His magic levitated the helm and he brought the Tower Heart into play before Twilight gave it her magic which was now laced with his power. Her magenta aura sparked for a moment and he could sense a bit of his power in her magic and he managed not to smile as he realized that his experiment had been a minor success. Whether his power would remain in her permanently or if he would need to infuse her again he was not sure. But for now, he allowed himself to wait for the right time.
“All right. Bring your magic to bear...Now.” He said to her and she nodded. Calling on more of her magic and he felt her magic mix with his and the Tower Heart reacted as well and it called on the magic he had put within her and he looked at her as it reacted and her purple eyes flicked to a darker purple for a moment and she blinked and then seemed fine. He refocused on his helm and the Tower Heart reached out to them both and he watched as the helm absorbed the combined magic’s. He tapped Twilight and she released her magical hold and he set the helm on the table and waited as the helm smoked for a moment in front of them. Azure was quiet as they waited for it to cool off before he tried to use it.
He glanced to Twilight and she was watching the helm with interest as it finished smoking and his magic gripped the helm. “Now we see if this worked,” he said aloud and she nodded.
“Be careful. Don't hurt yourself.” She cautioned as he set the helm over his head.
Azure was quiet as the helm set down on his head and he waited for a second or two before he spoke aloud. “Gnarl?”
“Master!” The Minion Master sounded startled. “I can see what you do Dark One.”
“Excellent.” The Overlord looked to the Alicorn at his side and nodded. “It works once more.”
“That’s great. We did it.” Her smile widened and she pranced in place.
“Finally. That is taken care of.” He said aloud.
“My Lord?”
Azure grumbled at the voice from the entrance. “Great.”
“Azure?” Twilight said to him, her expression concerned. “Are you okay?”
“It’s fine. It's Juno.” He said aloud and turned back to the entrance and motioned for Wrath to jump to his back.
“There you are. This mare is simply wonderful.” His third mistress gushed as she approached him. “Her shop is a dream boutique.”
“I'm sure it is, Juno. Twilight I have a question about the coin you use.” He looked to the mare and she nodded and waited as he went on. “What coins are used here?”
“We use Bits.” She supplied.
“What metals are they made of?” He pressed.
“Umm...Mostly base metals nothing more than that.” She replied.
“Okay, so what is the worth of gold?”
“Pure gold or mixed gold?”
Azure looked affronted at her. “Pure of course. I accept nothing less.”
“Okay, then it’s worth a lot. Why, is the coin you have pure gold?”
“Of course it is. It comes from the mines that I own.”
“You mine your own gold?” Twilight asked him.
“Yes. They are in my kingdom and that makes everything within them mine.” He replied.
“Okay, do you have any with you?”
Azure looked to Juno who nodded. She reached back to her belt and Azures magic took the single coin from her hoof and handed it to the Princess. She led them back into the map room and set the coin on the table. Her horn glowed as she summoned a lab kit to the table. Azure didn't even bother trying to understand what she was doing and looked to Juno instead. He pulled her aside as Rarity trotted into the room and joined Twilight.
“Lord?”
“Come.” He said to her, as he led her to the first door and waited for her to be paying attention to him. “Mind your words now more than ever. I am glad that you found the boutique. But if you screw this up your position will be made worse in the tower I promise you that.” He growled o her.
The mare was quiet but nodded to him “I understand.”
“Good. I will buy you at least one new dress but should this work well then, I will remember it.” He said to her as her eyes widened at his words. “You may end up above your old station should this work.”
“I would replace Kelda?” She asked.
“No, but Faye would be moved to follow you.” He said to her.
Juno's eyes widened and she nodded. “I will do exactly as you have commanded. I trust that my help will be rewarded well.” She said to him and she nuzzled under his chin and he turned his head to rub his cheek over her hair and then lead her back into the other room with Twilight. She turned and yelled his name but was surprised as he was close and he gave her an annoyed look as she looked sheepishly back at him. “Sorry. I finished figuring out the metal content and purity of this coin.”
“And?”
“I am sorry I doubted you first and foremost. You were right. It is pure gold. I am so sorry for doubting.” She said to him as he stood close to her. “I can't cash this type of coin but if you are okay with it we can go to Canterlot and ask the Princesses.”
“I suppose that will be needed if we are to purchase anything.” Juno budged him gently to let him know where she was standing and to remind him of his words. “I am certain that Juno has commissioned a new gown from Rarity so I will need to be able to pay for it.”
Twilight looked at her friend, who nodded. “She picked out a new design and it will be stunning on her. Her coat and her mane will be perfect in it,” she replied.
“Good to hear. So a trip to Canterlot will be required for this.” Azure reasoned. “Do you wish to do this today or at a later date?”
“Today might be for the best,” Twilight replied. “Do you have time?”
“Yes. Do you wish to use the Gate then?” Azure asked her.
“Would be faster.” Twilight reasoned.
“Very well. Come then.” He said to her.
The red stallion led them out of the castle and down the main road to the Gates location. They reached the Gate and the Overlord looked over his shoulder to Juno. “Juno. Go back to the Tower. Let Gnarl know that I will be back later after finding out what we are going to do about the currency.”
Juno nodded to him, set his helm on her back when he gave it to her, and bowed her head to the stallion as she walked up the stairs and a moment later the Gates magic peaked and she vanished. At his side, Twilight watched as the other mare vanished.
“Thank you for your help with her Rarity. It makes things simpler for me.”
“Of course darling. She was a bit demanding at times but reminding her of what the result will be kept her in check.” Rarity replied with a smile. “She does have a good eye for quality I have to admit.”
“She does indeed. Thank you again.” He said to her and the mare left them and left them behind.
“Shall we?” He said and led the Alicorn up the stairs to the Gate.
He placed a hoof on her shoulder and the Gates Lightning flared and when he opened his eyes the gates of Canterlot stood tall off to the side of them and he walked down them with the mare at his side. He glanced to Twilight and she was quiet as they walked toward the castle, through the city.
“So who is Juno?” She finally asked.
“Why?”
“Just wondering. Seems like an interesting pony.”
Azure barked a laugh and shook his head. “She is a means to an end in a way,” he replied. “She is from one of the territories that I conquered. I have a couple of others that are from the various territories.”
“Oh. So she's not a wife or a special somepony, like that?”
“By the Dark, no.” He replied with a laugh. “She means very little to me in that sense.”
“Oh. Okay I see, I think.” She replied and kept up with him as he walked.
They lapsed into silence as they walked through the city and crossed over the drawbridge to the castle doors. Twilight led him down the halls and they halted out in front of the main throne doors. He glanced to her and she motioned for him to wait. The door opened and a young stallion in armor walked out and looked to Twilight, bowing his head as he spoke to her.
“I am sorry that the Princess is not available for any discussions. But she does wish to know what you need to speak with her about.” He asked and waited as the Princess of Friendship explained their desire to discuss the currency and if he could exchange it somehow. He nodded and backed back to the room and closed the door.
He growled under his breath and the mare looked to him. “I know. But we can’t just barge into the room.” She began to explain as his horn lit. “No, no, please.” Her hooves gripped his armor and Wrath grumbled at her from his place on the stallion’s back.
“Why are we waiting? Are you not of the same rank?” He asked her.
“I am the same rank but it’s polite to wait. She would do the same for me. In your castle, if a pony just barged into your throne room uninvited what would happen?”
He paused and nodded to her. “They would not live to regret the decision.”
“Exactly. It’s just a way of showing respect and courtesy. It’s not meant to be an insult.” She replied to him and patted his shoulder as her hooves released their grip on his armor.
“Very well.” He grumbled in reply.
Twilight smiled and they waited for the pony to return. A few minutes passed and he was losing the remains of his patience when the door opened. The stallion came back and gave Twilight a note and she thanked him as they turned away from the doors.
“What is that?” Azure asked her as they passed by the far wall.
“It’s the business number for the pony that handles the exchange rates and currency.” She explained. “So we can go visit him and he will help us to work on exchanging some of the coins for you.”
“That will have to do.” He replied and they turned down the hall to find their way out of the castle.
Twilight led them out of the castle and back into the city. He scanned the buildings as they turned onto a road that led down to a secluded street. The Overlord watched as the mare scanned the doorways.
“Okay, here it is.” She said aloud and tapped his shoulder. “So he will probably ask you about the amount of the coin you have and if you want to exchange all of it or just a portion.”
“It depends on the amount it is worth. If what you said is accurate then the pure gold that I have is worth a great deal more of your currency then I will exchange enough to keep myself going for a time. Nothing more than that.”
“Okay. Sounds like a plan.” She said to him merrily and opened the door for him.
The armored stallion walked into the building and paused at the front, waiting for the Alicorn to join him. She stopped at his side and looked around them to the various desks that had ponies sitting behind them. They were all now staring wide-eyed at the Princess and the red stallion at her side.
“Hi. I was hoping we could talk with Clear Cut?” the Princess said to them.
“Just a moment, Princess Twilight.” An older mare got up from her desk and quickly trotted down a nearby hallway.
Azure's ears pinned back, but he said nothing at the lack of decorum at his presence. Twilight stood quietly with him as two pairs of hooves came toward them. The stallion with her was older and his coat was a pale gray, almost white and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of thick glasses. He approached them carefully, his eyes on the armored red Unicorn at her side.
“Princess Twilight! It’s such a pleasure to see you.” He shook her hoof politely and regarded the stallion with her. “I am sorry that I do not know your name, sir.”
“This is Overlord Azure Flame. He is the reason we have sought you out today.” Twilight explained. “The currency from where he is from is very different from ours. So we are looking to see what it would cost or what he would need to do to exchange some of it for use.”
“I see. Please this way, Princess, Overlord.” He said and spun to lead them further into the building.
Azure followed behind Twilight as the stallion led them into a larger room that housed his office and he motioned for them to sit in front of his desk. On Azure's back Wrath jumped down and took his position by the stallion's hooves. The pony leaned over and stared at the small armored minion on the floor but didn't say anything about him.
“Okay. So what type of currency are we looking to have evaluated?” He finally asked them as they were settled.
“I did a cursory examination and metallurgy on the coin and it came out one way but I would like your opinion as well.” Twilight explained and set the gold coin on the desk in front of him.
He picked it up and pulled a magnifying glass out of a drawer and examined it under the glass. “I see. So what is the story behind this coin?”
“It is the coin that is used in my kingdom,” Azure replied, his voice clear. “It has been explained to me that the currency here is made of base metals. Mine is not made of such cheap materials and is made out of pure gold.”
The pony’s ears flicked at the mention of gold and he looked up from the coin in his hoof. Azure watched him as his eyes flicked from the Overlord to the Princess and back to the coin. “Well. I can say that it is not pure gold. It has some in it but it is not pure.”
Twilight looked startled and stared at him for a moment before she looked back to him, perplexed. “Are you certain you can say that without checking the metal content?”
“Miss Sparkle. I have been in the business of coins for going on thirty years. While I do not doubt your magical skills you do not have the ability to ascertain the value of a coin on sight.” He replied to her.
Azure watched him as the stallion didn't look at him and his senses perked as the pony spoke to Twilight. Azure had grown up around ponies who lied and were false and he had developed a strong ability to sense those that were lying to him. Twilight nodded to the stallion and then looked to Azure himself.
“I guess I was wrong.” She said to him, though her expression was troubled.
Azure said nothing and decided to see what would happen if more coins were brought out to the stallion. “Hmm. Perhaps it’s just that one that is off in content.” He said and pulled out the small pouch that Juno had been wearing from a compartment of his armor and set it on the desktop.
The pony stared and slowly reached for the pouch as well. He gently removed the remaining coins and set them on the desk. He carefully picked up each coin and began to inspect them one at a time. Azure watched him intently as Clear Cut checked each coin and set them aside.
“Well. As far as I can tell they are maybe half gold. The other half are base metals such as iron. I am sorry that whoever made these misled you about their content.” He said to the Princess.
Azure's eyes widened slightly at the implied meaning behind the other words. He looked to Twilight and her eyes were wide as she glanced to him. “So they aren't pure gold?” She asked aloud.
“No. They are half at best and that impacts their worth of course.” He replied to her. “They are worth perhaps...ten bits each.”
Azure couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped him. Twilight looked to him and the other pony stared as well as if he had forgotten that the Overlord was there. The red stallion looked at the coins and then to the pony ahead of him.
“I hate to point this out, but you are an awful liar.” He said aloud, a slight smile tugged at his mouth.
“I beg your pardon?” He looked affronted at the stallion’s words.
“Save your surprise for a pony that believes your lies and foolishness.” The pony began to speak but Azure held up a hoof, silencing him. “You are a fool and a liar. Those coins are far purer than you are saying. I know they are since I was there when they were made.” He said to them.
Twilight stared at him and then to the pony at the desk, who looked uncertain. “You were?”
“Yes. They were made after the gold was mined from the mines within my kingdom. I took the unrefined metal and had it molded into a coin that is exclusive to my kingdom. So while I am certain you are an expert in your field, so am I.” Azure snarled.
“Now see here, you uncultured...”
“Silence.” Azure snarled and leaned forward in his seat. “You are a fool if you think for even a moment that I did not see you looking at them with intent. I am no fool. Trying to fool me out of the purest gold to come out of the ground itself is an activity I am well acquainted with. Lies are a part of every pony and nothing changes that. Your mistake is trying to lie to a pony that was raised among liars and cheats. So here is your chance to rectify your words. Check. Them. Again.”
Twilight stared at him but didn’t stop him as his red eyes blazed at the pony at the desk, who tried to look confident but was failing at the endeavor. Azure's eyes did not blink or falter as the pony tried to stare back at him but he ended up pulling back and looking to the desk once more. He picked up one of the coins and looked at it through the glass once more.
“It might be close to pure but I can assure you that it is not...”
“Enough. I will not tolerate a pony who is going to lie to my face and expect me to allow it. Thank your Princess that I am allowing you to breathe.” He snarled as the coins were covered in his magic and swept into the small bag. Azure pulled back as the pony lunged for the small bag and his hooves gripped it tightly.
“Perhaps we can do a test on these to find out the truth.” He hurriedly said to them.
“I think not,” Azure replied. “Let’s see if I get this right. Your plan is to take them and replace them with coins that are of lesser value and then come back to me with your 'proof'. I will not permit those coins to leave my sight. If you wish to test them, then bring your device here and then I will give you one of the coins.”
The pony looked panicked as Twilight's magic covered the pouch and it was yanked from his grasp. “I do not think we will be asking for your aid any longer. You are certain to hear about this.” She growled to him.
Her magic gave the pouch back to the Overlord and he slid it back onto place within his armor. As she stormed out, Azure was on her heels and she opened the front door for him and he walked calmly out of it and onto the street. She stopped outside and a frustrated sigh escaped the Alicorn.
“I am so sorry Azure.” She said to him and looked to him.
“None of the blame is yours. I learned a long time ago how to spot a liar. This treatment is not new to me.” He replied to her as they began to walk back toward the castle.
“I can't believe he tried to do that.” She went on. “That was just so...unheard of.”
“You’re living behind rose-colored glasses Twilight. The world is often not kind and others will always seek to better themselves, no matter who gets stepped on. That is how it is.” He said to her as they walked.
“I know but...still it’s beyond what I can even think of.” She replied.
“As I said rose-colored glasses. You’re surrounded by ponies that have protected and sheltered you and because of that you have not seen the other side of the mirror,” he said to her as he walked. “The world is not as kind as you wish it was.”
“But...”
“There is nothing else I can say Twilight. You have seen that for yourself and it is now in front of your muzzle. It is now up to you to see it for yourself if you wish to.”
They walked in silence as they neared the castle once more and walked into the hallway, leading to the throne room doors. Twilight went quiet beside him as he looked to the doors as his magic tossed them open, his patience wearing thin. For once, Twilight did not say anything as he forced his way into the room. On her throne, Celestia looked to him and a thin smile crossed her muzzle. Her expression looked exasperated at the stallion’s entrance.
“Overlord. It’s a pleasure to see you again. You seem upset.” She spoke up as they approached.
“That is one way to put it.” He replied. “Did you recommend that pony to help with the currency?”
“Of course. He is part of our budget committee and is very good at his job.” She explained.
“Perhaps you should audit him,” Azure replied.
The Sun Princess looked shocked at his reply. “I’m sorry, but I do not follow.”
“He claimed that the coin that I had brought to have looked into had already been checked and its quality was already known and he claimed that it’s worth was meager at best. I allowed him to dig himself a hole despite already knowing the worth of the coin and the content of the metal. After confronting him he wished to keep the coins to test them further and I declined.”
Celestia stared at him as he spoke. Surprise showed over her features as he explained the situation. “He claimed that the coins are not pure gold?”
“Correct.”
“How do you know they are? I believe what you are telling me, but I have to ask.” Celestia replied.
“That’s fine. The coins were made in my presence. The ones I brought with me are not infected with other metals or contaminants.” Azure replied.
Celestia looked troubled as she listened to him speak. Her horn lit with her golden aura and a scroll and quill appeared as she began writing. Azure said nothing as the note burned away as she sent it. “I am asking for one of my most trusted laboratory technicians to join us with the equipment needed to test the coins. It will be done right in front of all of us to ensure the purity of the test and the coins themselves.” She said aloud and Azure nodded at her words.
“That is adequate.” He replied to her.
They waited for several minutes as a side door in the throne room opened and a brilliant green pony in a white lab coat trotted ion with a cart hovering behind him. Several beakers and other items sat on the small table as he set it down in front of the Princess of the Sun.
“You called, Princess Celestia?” He said aloud and then looked to the other ponies in the room. “Pardon my manners. Greetings to you Princess Twilight and Overlord Azure Flame.”
Azure allowed the look of surprise to go over his features as Celestia giggled. “I made sure that your face is recognizable. I did not wish to insult you.” She said to him.
“I appreciate the forethought.” He replied to her, surprise in his voice as he gave a slight nod to the worker.
Twilight smiled and they both approached the lab equipment and Azure pulled a single coin from the small pouch hidden on his armor. He set it on the table and the pony looked at it and then back to the princess of the Sun.
“We need to know the metal content of that coin. Other can be tested as well to ascertain the content.” Celestia explained.
“Of course.” The green pony asked for nothing else as he took the coin and set it aside.
Azure side passed to the side of the table, as if to watch the proceedings when in fact he could not have cared less about the experiment. His mind wandered as he waited for the results. At his side, Twilight watched intently as the pony tested the coin. ‘Hopefully this will clear up any further issues and will allow for the coin to be converted. It will be changed in time when I allow myself to take the kingdom. But for now I will play along with this.’ He thought to himself and he took the weight off one hind leg and allowed himself to relax as much as was allowed. A loud clink of glass caught his attention and jarred him from his thoughts. The pony was staring at the coin in front of him and looked at those assembled.
“May I ask where this came from?” He asked.
Celestia nodded and looked to the red Unicorn. “It came from his lands, mined from gold mines that he owns.”
“Oh. That explains a few things.” He replied. “Okay, so the metal is the purest gold that I have ever seen. It also contains hints of magic as well. What type of mining was used?”
“Do you mean what brought it from the ground?” Azure asked and the pony nodded. “Simple pickaxe and labor.”
“So no magic was used to mine the ore?”
“No,” Azure replied to his inquiry.
“Well. Then you have the best miners in Equestria and they can work miracles. This coin is worth a large number of bits due to the purity and inherent magic within the coin itself. I do not know the current exchange rates but I would assume that it is worth at least fifty to a hundred bits each.” He replied.
“Funny,” Azure said aloud, sarcasm. “An ‘Expert’ said that it was at best half gold and was worth barely ten bits.”
The technician’s eyes widened as he stared at the red stallion. “Is he blind?”
Twilight snorted a laugh and shook her head. “No.”
“Then has either a fool, a liar or a thief.” He went on. “I work with chemicals and such things all day and I can promise you this is pure.”
“Thank you for your help,” Celestia said aloud.
“Should I test another coin?” The tech asked.
“Do you think it is needed?” Twilight asked.
“To silence other doubters perhaps,” Azure replied and his magic set five more coins on the table.
The pony nodded and went to work testing the other coins and Celestia left her seat and joined them. “Please accept my sincere apologies for this Azure.” She said to him.
“You could not have known of his subterfuge. Though I will ask that he not be permitted near the coins if I trade them in.” He said to her.
“Understood. He will be investigated as well. Perhaps we have given him too much freedom." Celestia replied.
“All of them are the same. As pure as can be and an added magic to them as well.” He said aloud as he finished the final tests. “Here you go.”
Azure took the offered coins and slid them back into the pouch. The tech began to clean up his work and slowly made his way out of the room after bowing to the group of them. Celestia stood with him and appeared thoughtful for a moment before she spoke.
“Well. Without knowing the current exchange rates I cannot give a clear answer to their worth but I trust that technician and he prides himself on accuracy. So that being said I will be happy to alert Twilight once I can get an accurate number for you.” She said to him.
“That will be fine. I am in no hurry at this time.” He said to her.
“What about the dress Juno asked for?” Twilight asked him.
Azure looked at her for a moment before he closed his eyes as he recalled that his mistress had put in a request to Rarity. “I had forgotten.” He replied. “How long will it take to be finished?”
“If she is in the throes of creativity it could be a few days or less,” Twilight replied.
“By the Dark.” He cursed. “Well, it will have to wait until the currency is sorted out.”
“Juno?” Celestia asked.
“She is one of the emissaries to the sections of my kingdom.” He replied.
“Not a wife or anything like that.” Twilight chuckled and he shook his head.
“Well, please allow me to pay for the dress for her then. It is not your fault or hers that this unpleasantness has happened. Twilight, can you ask Rarity to send the invoice to me for payment?” The Sun Princess said to them.
“She will appreciate the gesture,” Azure said to the Alicorn and waited as Twilight nodded at her mentor’s request.
“It is my pleasure. Again, I am sorry for what has happened, Azure. I thank you for your understanding.”
“Of course.” He said to her as he gave her a polite nod.
The mares both smiled and he turned to leave the room, a slight smile on his mouth. ‘And they happily trust that I am here to earn their aid. In time.’ He thought to himself as twilight joined him and they left the castle, walking to the waiting Gate.
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Ha! If he somehow can't take over physically he'll be able to take them over economically with those coins, nothing better than to converse and sabotage your enemies economy!
9464352
Inflation here we come!
9464352
Exactly! more than one way to enslave pony kind!
9465044
Wait is he gonna enslaved pony?
Actually, the thing I’m waiting for is when he says that catchphrase of theirs “Evil always find a way,” just to see everpony’s reaction to it
9474003
Oh yes. Now I have to find a way to put it in. LOL!
I approve.