Twilight had been excited all day and most of the night; why? The Grand Galloping Gala, a festive party held at Canterlot to showcase the end of Summer and the transition to Fall. It had been a roller coaster of a summer, with the revival of the Overlord on the first day of Celestia's sun, followed by the adventures she and her friends had taken, from Manehattan back to Pontville. Now she was looking forward to putting into practice her teacher's teachings for the Political arena. Her first opportunity was to greet the various nobles for the Grand Galloping Gala without having to curse them with her magic for their snobbery.

It had gone well; in fact, very well and that should have been the warning light for Twilight's mind. If things were going well and according to your plan, it meant shit was about to hit the fan. She had, alongside Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, allowed Fluttershy and Discord into the great hall to attend the Gala. She sighed happy that the line was now done and she could join her friends. She turned to the other three with a big smile.

“Well, that's seems to every-” She started when the trumpeter blared his horn. She turned along with the other three as the trumpeter finished his blare and said in a loud voice.

“INTRODUCING THE AMBASSADOR OF PRANCE AND HIS CONSORT, THE OVERLORD AND MISS GILDA GOLDCLAW!”

Twilight felt her entire world shatter at that; the Overlord? Here?! ATTENDING?!? How did this happen? When?! WHY?! Twilight was so mad at the mere thought of the Dark king walking about and making small talk with the nobles or threatening them. She clenched and unclenched her fists as the Overlord spoke with Celestia, her ire at him just playing Celestia's heartstrings only to break it again for some power grab. She barely heard Cadence speak in a diplomat's tone with the Overlord, nor did she see the respectful bow her old foalsitter had done. As far as Twilight was concerned, this...MONSTER didn't deserve respect. She watched as the Overlord gave Cadence a letter, who passed it off to her after reading it. She glanced it once, before it was given to Celestia. Celestia made a frown before nodding stiffly. Twilight's mind stopped for a short instant when her old mentor stepped to the side and allowed the Overlord and the Griffon to step through. Twilight vaguely remembered her, but shot a glare at the Overlord's back all the same. After the two had entered, Twilight started at Cadance's proclamation.

“Why did no one tell me he was THAT good looking?”

MLPOV

The Gala started off after Celestia gave opening remarks and Twilight joined Pinkie Pie over in a secluded spot. The pink party pony was busy munching on several cakes, foods, and treats, her pink and balloon-esque dress blending well with her pink fur. The party pony looked up from her goring to her velvet friend, swallowed her food, and spoke up.

“What's the matter, Twi? You seem tense.” The pink pony said with a toothy grin which made Twilight's face morph into a scowl. She gestured to a spot where the Overlord was talking with...SPIKE!? She growled, seeing her assistant talking with the Monster.

“That's why I'm tense, Pinkie Pie. HE'S here, the Overlord and talking with Spike, no doubt trying to figure out all of Canterlot's weaknesses and guards.” Twilight spat out making Pinkie pie frown at her friend's behavior. She swallowed her treat before looking over at the Overlord and Spike. She felt her fur go all tingly, followed by a rapid eye twitch and her hair losing some bounce. She went still; that combination hadn't been felt in YEARS. Something bad was going to happen tonight, but she didn't know who was going to be the target. Pinkie perked up some when she heard the band start to play a fast jazz song and looked to see The Overlord and a griffon dancing like no tomorrow, both wearing big smiles.

Pinkie froze as she recognized the griffon; how could she forget the meanie pants! She frowned as Applejack and Rarity came over to Twilight, both looking very upset. Twilight listened to the two explain the confrontation between Fluttershy, Rainbow, Gilda, and the Overlord. They explained how Gilda made Fluttershy cower and Rainbow coming to her rescue only for the Overlord to interfere.

Well, that was how Twilight interpreted it; AJ and Rarity had actually said how Rainbow confronted Gilda and would have attacked had it not been for the Overlord, it would have started something. Pinkie Pie knew that Applejack wasn't lying, yet she watched as Twilight seemed to go into a dark place. The new princess of friendship brought out a tiara and several familiar necklaces. She handed one adorn with a gem to Rarity, an apple adorn to Applejack, a balloon to Pinkie, and put on the Tiara herself.

“Listen girls, I saw the Overlord talking with Spike, I think its safe to say that he has found out several of Canterlot's weaknesses and is going to invade us.” Twilight said, her face stony. That made the three look at each other, Pinkie Pie confirming that the Overlord was talking to Spike. Applejack wanted to know how'd Spike know anything about Canterlot to which Twilight gave an exasperated sigh.

“Spike once wanted to part of the Royal guard and spent a lot of time with Shining Armor before the whole Nightmare Moon event; he learned a lot of the guard's rotations, their armaments, even the way they get from one room to another so fast which really isn't all that secret now that I think of it. There's corridors in the walls, much like the one Celestia showed us for the museum,” Twilight mused. “Come on, we gotta get Fluttershy and Dash.”

Rarity, AJ, and Pinkie Pie all nodded albeit reluctant; if an attack was going to come, they'd best strike first and fast.

MLPOV

The two Pegasuses added to their elements to them after the explanations were done. By then, the Overlord was busy dancing with Celestia to a tune they had never heard of. Twilight mentally lost her shit at seeing her mentor dancing with the Overlord while looking so happy. Several strands of her hair poked out as her mind went to the most absurd theory she could concoct.

“He's got to be using some sort of mind spell on Celestia, much like Chrysalis used on Shining Armor!” Twilight hissed making the five gasp. “Think of it girls, its the only way he could have gotten Prance to help him! This is a definite attack on Equestria soil. I won't blame you if you back out.”

Four of the five stayed in place, Pinkie Pie being the one to hesitate, her pinkie sense from earlier coming back stronger then ever. She stared at the Overlord and Celestia, seeing that they were very REAL smiles on their faces and not fake ones. Still, she couldn't go against Twilight now, not in the state her friend was in; she needed to be there. She swallowed her nervousness as the six moved around the crowds watching the Solar Princess and the Dark Tyrant. As the tune came to an end, they were now in a small clearing, staring down the Overlord's back.

Twilight saw the Overlord kissed Celestia and she saw red; seeing the Overlord making the moves on Celestia just made Twilight angry. She was the one who once made Celestia smile in joy, the one who comforted her when she was sad, the one who stayed at her mentor's side. Twilight marched with her five friends to just a few feet behind the Overlord, sparks coursing all around her fur. The Overlord seemed to notice them as their necklaces started to channel the power, the heavy smell of ozone wafting in the air. The two dancers turned to see the six surrounded by a magical aura. Celestia seemed to say something in shock before the Overlord turned back to her, gripping her shoulders. The two locked gazes with one another before Celestia was pushed back and went skidding across the floor. The Overlord turned back to the six as Twilight spoke, her voice carrying the power of the Elements. The booming voice made the Nobles all scatter for safety as the two arcane forces of Darkness and Light faced down one another.

“OVERLORD, THIS ENDS NOW!”

The target of Twilight's ire did not speak, just staring at them, his face like stone. The five channeled their energies into their necklaces, the arcane glow becoming brighter then the sun itself. Twilight closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them, completely white as the links gathered the arcane and focused them through the final conduit. A massive rainbow shot out, making the entire room get hit by gale force winds, scattering the tables as it flew up high into air.
Over the din of the Element's power being unleashed, Twilight and the others heard it; a monstrous roar that erupted from the area where the Overlord once stood. They all felt it scant seconds afterward; an omnipotent force collide with their own. The two powers that collided caused the walls to crack, the stain glass windows to blow out, pillars to crack, and tore the floor apart. They fought against the foreign power, but were met with resistance. They felt the same force fight back yet it too met the same thing; resistance. They had no concept of time, but the battle felt like it was waged for years and not moments in time.

It was at that time that a massive wall of white exploded outward.

MLPOV

Twilight gasped as she felt her senses invade her sleeping mind. She looked around in a panic, her eyes darting left, right, center, and behind her. She did not see the interior of the Castle; instead, she saw an empty plain that was stark white in all directions. She got to her hooves and looked around, her hands ready to fight. Blowing a strand of hair out of her right eye, she turned in all directions.

“HELLO~? ANYPONY THERE?! PINKIE, APPLEJACK, RARITY, FLUTTERSHY, RAINBOW DASH,” Twilight shouted into the whiteness, her voice echoing all around her. “PRINCESS LUNA? SPIKE?! SHINING ARMOR! CADENCE!”

She started breathing erratically, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as her voice faded into the void. She swallowed thickly as she felt panic gnawing at her insides. Her eyes got wide in fear as she scream out the last name she had, hoping beyond hope that she would hear her in this damned place.

“PRINCESS CELESTIA!”

Nothing but her voice echoing with the shout. She fell to the ground, sobbing.

MLPOV

She didn't know how long she sat there ; seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, a year, an eon? She couldn't tell. All she remembered was the crying. Soon, even those bled dry, leaving her with nothing. So she got up, picked a random direction, and began walking. The silence of the expanse was eerie to say the least; no wind, no noise, no plants, no animals, nothing living, just white and heat. The sound of her hooves echoed as she twitched her fingers a few times to make sure she didn't suddenly lose them. She walked for what felt like days, her sweat pouring down her mane.
Panting from the lack of water, she trudged on in the void.

MLPOV

Just when she was about to collapse after hours or days of wandering, Twilight saw a sight that gave her pause; off in the distance was a table, laden down with sunflower sandwiches, ice cream, bread and water, precious water. Embolden with a strength she never knew she had, she took off in a dead sprint for the table. The table got bigger and bigger in her eyes, showing that it was not a trick. Due to her dehydrated state though, she stumbled as she got close to the table, crashing into a chair, making her face-vault into a dish of ice cream, the icy cold shocking her awake. She got her face out and promptly devoured the contents of the dish, moaning in delight, but then yelling as she got a major headache from the cold. The sound of a chuckle made her freeze; that laugh...she recognized it if only briefly. She looked at the other side of the table to see a black armor wearing man, a man she knew of.

“Overlord,” Twilight spat. “Where are we? How are you not sealed? What have you done with my friends?!”

The Overlord stared at Twilight with an amused expression on his face as he sat up straighter.

“To answer your questions in no order; we are in the void a special place that has existed well before even my race's time. I have done nothing to your friends, yet, and as to me not being sealed...well, that will be explained right now.” The Overlord explained. “The void is a pocket universe that has no concept of time, seconds in the real world will pass, and either a year will pass here or time won't at all. It's more chaotic here then anywhere else. But that's not what you're thinking; no, you're thinking how can I still be unsealed when the Elements of Harmony should have sealed me. It's actually easy.”

The Overlord stared at Twilight as he leaned forward, his arms resting on the table and hands clasped in front of him.

“I created the Elements of Harmony and their home. Something that Celestia has no doubt kept from you.”

The declaration from the Overlord made Twilight's world shatter; he, the dark lord of Evil, made the most powerful objects of Good?!

“T-t-t-that's not possible!” Twilight stuttered in shock. “W-why make the Elements of Harmony!?! WHY?!”

The Overlord leaned back taking a sip from a cup that was at his right, sighing in delight as the liquid made its way down his throat. After swallowing, he looked at Twilight again.

“I made them as a peace offering to the Alicorns after they Terraformed my old home into the new. A sign of trust that was returned tenfold. But also because I knew that while my race was well and truly dead, history has a funny little way of repeating itself even with me remembering. So I made the Elements to act as a buffer.” The Overlord said with a smile, fondly recalling the past. “They were just one of several ideas I had; the Centuars and Minotours were another, based off old legends from my old home.”

Here he grunted in annoyance as he recalled how annoying those two races had been until he lowered the hammer on them. He returned his attention to his tale and the shell-shocked Princess of Friendship at the discovery of him making not only the Elements but several Races too.

“That's why I'm not sealed away. After my escape from that diamond prison underneath the castle, I found the Elements and activated a fail-safe I had imbued within the gems. Should they ever be used against me, they'd established a mental link with whoever was tied with them.”

Twilight caught on real quick as she looked around the void.

“The void...that's why we're here. But where is my friends, the ones who represent one part of the Elements?”

Here the Overlord chuckled. This made Twilight scowl and was about to retort before the Overlord continued his explanation.

“Ah yes, those silly little attributes that you ponies put on them by mistake. Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, Magic, and Generosity correct?”

Twilight nodded with pride as she fondly recalled Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. She explained how she met the five two years ago at the Summer Sun Celebration before Nightmare Moon's return. The adventure they had and how she, Twilight Sparkle, found the frozen Elements and figured out what element the new found friendship she had with the five best represented with a smug look at the Overlord. The smug look vanished when the Overlord's laughter echoed in the void.

“What's so funny?” She demanded.

The Overlord waved his hand a few times as he fought and failed to get his laughter under control. Twilight soon got annoyed after the five minute mark, when the Overlord sat back, still chuckling but now more serious.

“You're wrong.” He commented casually.

Wrong? Wrong about what? The Friendship she had? Her adventure? Her finding and remaking the elements? Fed up, she demanded to know what he meant by that. The Overlord lazily summoned his drink and took another swig. Once it was done his throat, he continued.

“Wrong about the representation thing. You see, I made the elements with the sole purpose to educate about Harmony. Tell me...how well do you know your friends? REALLY know them other then their hopes, dreams, ambitions, and life? What their likes? Their dislikes? Disappointments? Their darker natures?” The Overlord grilled Twilight making her fumble. “You see, your friends do not have a representation of the actual element...but have a representation of its OPPOSITE. That is why they awoke the Elements, they were the opposite of what the Element means.”

That statement made Twilight freeze; what was he going on about? The opposite of the Elements? She pondered a few moments, nibbling on a sandwich. She started with the simplest; Applejack. She was the mare of Honesty and a perfect fit for the Element. She confidently stated that Applejack couldn't lie to anyone, the situation with Lyra used as an example. After presenting her argument to the Overlord, she sat back smug. The Overlord just shook his head and delivered his counter argument.

“Applejack cannot lie to any other pony, this is true, BUT! There is one pony she constantly lies to...” The Overlord said with such confidence it made Twilight's heart freeze. “Herself. She constantly lies to herself about one dark secret she has yet never acknowledges it, instead burying it deep within her heart. That is why she is the Element of Honesty, for she lies constantly to herself about this secret which you find out in time. And it is not just Applejack, its all of your friends that represent the opposite; Rainbow is Treachery, Fluttershy Cruelty, Rarity Greed, Pinkie Pie Despair, and you...you do not represent the magic of Friendship, but rather Enmity. Do not deny it. Take a look at your past.”

Images suddenly appeared in the void around them, each one showing Twilight throughout her years. She saw how she blew off several ponies that wanted to be friends with her in order to study more. This caused resentment from some of those ponies that she never did go rectify. It got even worse when she became Celestia's student, blowing off the tentative acquaintances she had made in class in order to either study or learn about Nightmare Moon. She even brushed off Spike, her little brother, the day of her party after it was moved to Canterlot without them telling him! The Overlord chuckled as Twilight stared open mouthed at the revelation.

“Now you see...you were chosen because you ignored Friendship, not because you encourage it. I'm sure you noticed that after your Ascension that the hum of the Element of Magic was not as profound as before? I will explain that at a late time. For now...”

Twilight just sat theredumbly, still shocked over the news about the Elements. As she tried to process the information, Five orbs appeared around the two and the Overlord reached out, grabbing one with a lightning bolt with Rainbow colors; Rainbow's cutie mark, Twilight regarded with numbness. The Overlord held the orb aloft with a grin.

“Let's see what Treachery is up to shall we?”

Author's Note

Well, hope everyone had a good thanksgiving. Sorry, but i tend to take the Holidays off from writing and posting to spend time with family.

Anywho, i always imagined the Elements chose the Main Six not because they actually represented the elements so perfectly, but because they showed the opposite traits. Not really like how Discord did it in Season 2, but more...subtle, on a more subconscious level.

So whose to say that isn't happening to the six? Sure, we get glimpses of it from time to time, Rarity's greed at Twilight's Birthday Party when instead of being with her friends, she hobnobbed with the nobles to broaden her business or Pinkie's Despair when she's left out of something. I wanted to explore that some more in this fic of mine and well, here we go! Hope you like the angle.

!!WARNING!!
Expect the next chapter to be feature a lot of death; some messy, some not.

Enjoy