Moments before the encounter between Gnarl and Discord

Chrysalis, in Rose’s form, took joy in the fact that the Overlord was falling for her guise. Was his love for Rose the only emotion he bared? Or was hate just so great that it overshadowed his good-natured side? Chrysalis did take a liking to this though, she was being filled with so much sustenance, much more than that of Shining Armor back during the Canterlot Wedding. If she thought that the ponies’ love was a feast, than this was a buffet.

But Chrysalis couldn’t fool him for too long, else she’d drain all of his power, garnishing him weak and useless. He’d be no match for Celestia, Luna and the Elements of Harmony if he wasn’t at full capacity. So, with much reluctance, the Changeling Queen broke from the Overlord and ran away, waving him farewell. As soon as she was out of sight, she changed back to her normal self and escaped to the keep. He would be none the wiser...

The Overlord stood still. Rose had just suddenly let go, running into the treacherous greens. Was her time up? Or was she just fearful? He thought it best to follow, making sure to see her safe. She had run off somewhere, he was sure of that. The specific direction was lost to him, so he just wandered vicariously in the general area of which she had gone. He cut down some vines, broke down some branches, and gave a few menacing glares to some creatures that eyed him hungrily. If they had even attempted to make him a snack, he’d have them thrown down a canyon.

He was about to abandon his mission when he heard voices speaking, debating without ease.

“I’ve served the Overlords for hundreds of years now, that isn’t going to change.” Gnarl? What was he doing out here?

The Overlord moved up to a tree, glancing to the side and examined what was transpiring. Upon seeing that thing called Discord, the very being who openly said to the Overlord’s face that the Halfling Chastiser was a pawn, a part of a much larger game, the Overlord’s grip on his cover tightened ripped through half of the bark.

“Oh, but why? It’s soooooo boring!” Discord whined. He snapped his claws together, causing a couch and ice cream to come out of nowhere. He sat down as he ate.

That thing, that draconequus, still thought this was a game? Well, all games end. If Gnarl didn’t have any Minions nearby, then the Overlord would be the one to apprehend this prisoner.

“Our race is called Minions for the sole fact that we serve Evil! Not the other way around!” Gnarl was getting furious. And the Overlord understood why, after all, Gnarl was the most loyal Minion there was, speaking of course on the assumption that there was only one Overlord, not two.

“But think of all of the things that you could achieve without that big dummy in the way. You could have it all, money, power, fame, mistresses. No longer would you have to watch from the side, from the shadows. No, you’d be in the spotlight! Just think of it!”

“I said no.” Gnarl moved forward. He raised his cane. Perhaps a beating would do something. The Overlord laughed lowly. Seeing the old imp become spry all of a sudden would certainly be an amusing feat.

“You aren’t thinking of hurting me, are you?” Discord grinned in a cocky manner. “That isn’t going to gack!” Discord’s voice became strained as he tried to speak. Gnarl looked up to see that out of the darkness, came something much more Dark.

“Perfect timing, Milord. What are you going to do with him? Make him a trophy? Eat him? Oh, I always heard that hybrid creatures taste good!” Gnarl advised.

Discord’s head did a 180 as he turned to meet his captor. Two red eyes filled his vision as he smiled nervously. “Oh hey there.” He nervously stammered out.

“Die.”

“That’s all you have to say to me, Big Guy? Come on, we can be friends?” Discord’s mood changed considerably. “You and me,” Discord snapped his claws and vanished from the Overlord’s grip, now sitting on his shoulders. “We can change the world, baby. Just with the blink of an eye, err, red eye.” Discord corrected.

“Are you really that foolish? Master, the choice is up to you.” Gnarl reminded.

The Overlord knew one thing, and one thing only. Again, he hated games, and again, he hated being in one. Now, seeing as how the thing on his shoulders was not only making the Overlord partake in a game, but he flat out said it to his face, and he took away his perfect chance to make mincemeat of those ponies, there was only on reasonable thing to do.

The Overlord grabbed Discord’s leg, and pulled him down to the ground. After Discord realized what had happened, the Overlord punched him square in the mouth, rendering the god of chaos unconscious.

“Excellent choice, Milord. Knock him out so he can’t escape with that magic out his. So what are we going to do, eat him? Kill him?” the advisor suggested.

The Overlord shook his head in declination. He extended his free hand and showed it to Gnarl. A small blue orb floated just above his metal palm.

“Ooh, good one! With all of the magic that this Discord has, he’s bound to give you a good supply of mana! Good thinking, if I do say so myself. Do you think he’ll squeal like a pig?” Gnarl looked up at his leader as the Overlord slung the unconscious Discord over his shoulder.

The Overlord began to move forward, his trusted right hand imp behind him, when some nearby twigs and such began to snap under weight.

“Ughh, unhand me, foul monster!”

“Move it, pony! Now!”

Two figures moved out of the tree line besides the Overlord and Gnarl. It was Nine, along with a cerulean blue pony wearing a wizard’s hat.

“Master! Look what I’ve found, another workhorse!” Nine said as he pushed Trixie forward.

“Don’t touch Trixie’s coat, you disgusting thing!” Trixie complained. She turned her sights to Gnarl, thinking him to be the master of these strange beings. “You seem smart enough. Don’t you know true beauty when you see it? Don’t you know that you should serve me, the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

Gnarl looked around before concluding that Trixie was talking to him. “Me? Oh, silly girl, you have this all wrong. Now then, you do realize your insolence is going to cost you? What say you, O Great One?” Gnarl looked up.

Trixie followed his vision, examining the weird metal statue thing that stood aloof. Finding the attire tacky, Trixie spit on the meager cape that was flowing behind the statue’s back. “Begone with this stupid monument, it makes Trixie’s eyes want to shrink.”

“Oh ho ho,” Gnarl laughed, Nine following. “You do realize that you can now say goodbye to that horn of yours, right?”

“Excuse me?! The Great and Powerful Tri-” Trixie suddenly felt herself being hoisted up into the air. “What the?” She came to an all too horrifying conclusion. This towering statue, was not in fact a statue, but a living thing. And with it’s tall posture, it could definitely beat Trixie to a pulp. Now of course, it wasn’t as scary as an Ursa Minor, but still. “Let go?” It came out as more of a pleading, questioning tone, rather than an order.

Like with all of the other ponies, the Overlord red eyes just scared the living Tartarus out of Trixie. Had she been a filly, she might've let her bowels unleash themselves on that very spot. She wanted to get those two red beads out of her mind, but it was bored into her very existence.

Gnarl, Nine, and the Overlord all laughed evilly. Trixie had a blend of fear, and annoyance.

“So sire, do you wish to attack their capital, Canterlot, now? Or perhaps after the lieutenants come back?”

Trixie’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing the mention of Canterlot. “I can help you,” She whispered. Perhaps she had just saved her own coat.

“What?” Gnarl asked, one of his greying eyebrows raising up in response.

“I said I can help you. There’s a secret way in that only Trixie knows about.”

“And how would you know?”

“Trixie.....may have lived in the sewers beneath Canterlot, but she knows how to get in! And quietly too!”

“Perhaps she might be of some use to us, eh Master?”

The Overlord put her down, but not before bringing her close to his face and huffing a ball of steam at her. She smiled nervously in response. The Overlord, along with Gnarl, Trixie, and a guarding Nine went to the new castle.

“So, are we all here?”

“Yes sir, Shining Armor. The captains of Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Baltimare are waiting inside. I don’t know if any of the other cities are coming.”

“By Celestia, I hope they do.”

Shining Armor stepped inside of the command center in which the other leaders were waiting. He looked to each of their grizzled and scarred faces. Shining Armor was actually the youngest captain of any place in all of Equestria. All of the captains were almost in their mid-life stages.

They all bowed their heads, acknoledging his presence. One from the shadowed corner spoke up.

“The famous Shining Armor, I thought it was too good to be true. You just called us out of nowhere, you realize? So, is this threat as great as you said it was?”

“Yes, we have to stop them right away. Just a few miles from here are the remnants of Ponyville. It was the first place so far to get attacked. Anypony who didn’t make it with the Princesses were captured.......or killed.”

All of the others had a collective gasp.

“This can’t be!” A voice commented.

“That’s mad!” Another voice said.

“It’s true,” Shining Armor reassured. “The Princesses saw it, themselves. So colts, stallions, and the like, we have to attack now.”

“What’s the plan of attack?” An aging captain asked.

“It’s simple, we start by flanking....”

Some time later

“Then are the soldiers ready?” Shining Armor asked.

“The Fillydelphian Guard are enclosing on the right.” The captain of Fillydelphia informed.

“And Baltimare forces are on the left” The captain of Baltimare added.

“We’ve got the back,” The captain of Manehattan reminded. “”We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

Shining Armor looked at his fellow leaders, and he nodded with much pride. A sure grin spread across his face. “For Equestria!”