Return of the Overlord

Title card

**Return of the Overlord** (**A Canterlot Wedding Battle - Part 1** in other media) is the sixteenth episode of The Friendship Continues and the thirty-fourth overall episode of *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: Masters of Friendship*. It is based on LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu episode of the same name and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode, *A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1*.

Twilight Sparkle grapples with her conflicted feelings when she finds out her brother, Shining Armor, is marrying Princess Celestia's niece, Princess Cadance. Twilight also begins to suspect that Cadance has changed since their childhood. ????

## Plot

### The wedding announcement

Spike delivers a letter from Princess Celestia to Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. In the letter, Princess Celestia asks Twilight and her friends to help with the upcoming royal wedding in Canterlot. Applejack will provide catering for the reception, Pinkie Pie will host it, Fluttershy will train and conduct the bird choir, Rainbow Dash will perform a sonic rainboom during the ceremony, and Rarity will design the wedding dresses. Twilight receives the keystone job of overseeing the preparations.

Twilight is shocked to learn that the bride and groom are "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza" and Twilight's brother, Shining Armor. Twilight is upset because he never told her about his wedding or Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. In a song called B.B.B.F.F. ("Big Brother Best Friend Forever"), Twilight recalls how she and Shining Armor used to do everything together, and how much she misses him.

### Arriving at Canterlot

On the train ride to Canterlot, everyone except Twilight happily discusses the wedding, and only Applejack notices Twilight's glumness. Upon inquiry, Twilight says that she is still thinking about Shining Armor's neglect of her, though Applejack tells her not to worry.

At Canterlot, it is evident that there has been an increase in security: the train passes through a pink protective sphere encasing the city, there are many guards at the station, and Princess Celestia keeps watch with the aid of a telescope from the balcony of the highest tower. Shining Armor is happy to see his sister and affectionately calls her "Twily." Twilight immediately berates him for not telling her about the wedding, but Shining Armor explains that he had no choice and Princess Celestia wanted an increase in security in response to an exterior threat. Twilight concedes but remains hurt. Shining Armor reassures her that she has always been, and always will be, important to him, and asks her to be his Best Mare.

Shining Armor explains that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is the full name of Cadance, Twilight's former foalsitter. Twilight proclaims her to be "beautiful, caring, and kind" and "the best foalsitter ever." A flashback shows that filly Twilight and Cadance used to frolic in the park, play on the swings, and resolve lovers' quarrels. Twilight remembers their chant:

*"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"*
Twilight sees Cadance and eagerly reminds her of their chant. However, Cadance fails to recognize it and proves indifferent to Twilight. Shining Armor announces that Cadance will be monitoring the wedding planning. When he says that they are happy to have Twilight there, Cadance smiles at Twilight malevolently.

### Directing the preparations

Twilight begins overseeing the wedding preparations, starting in a castle kitchen Applejack has been provided. When Cadance shows up to check the catering, Applejack offers her an apple fritter, which Cadance insincerely calls "delicious." Applejack gives Cadance a bag of fritters in case she forgets to stop for a meal, but when Applejack turns around, Cadance tosses the fritters into the trash.

Twilight, incensed by Cadance's ingratitude, visits Rarity, who is working in the tower room she stayed at in Sweet and Elite. Twilight begins to describe Cadance's temperamental behavior, but Cadance arrives with her bridesmaids, (Lyra Heartstrings, Minuette, and Twinkleshine). Cadance ignores Rarity's greeting and appraises her dress. She says that she was hoping for more beading and a longer train, and turns her attention to the bridesmaids' dresses. Displeased, she demands that Rarity make them in a different color, despite the fact that her bridesmaids love their dresses. Rarity is more than happy to comply with the royal demands, but Twilight calls Cadance "Princess Demandypants" when Cadance is out of earshot.

After nightfall, Cadance meets Pinkie Pie inside the castle ballroom. Pinkie presents her flamboyant reception plans, which include a board game, carnival music, and dancing. Cadance compares the setup to a "party for a six-year old," although Pinkie Pie is oblivious to the insult. Meanwhile, Twilight has been eavesdropping on their exchange.

### Disbelief

Princess Luna enters the shield and switches places with Princess Celestia on the tower balcony for the night. Meanwhile, the six friends and Spike are sipping drinks after a day of work. Twilight seizes the opportunity to find fault with Cadance, calling her the "absolute worst bride-to-be ever." However, her friends rationalize Cadance's behavior. Fluttershy mentions that Cadance criticized one of the choir birds during rehearsal, but the bird in question was off-key. The friends suggest that Twilight is still being excessively protective of her brother, but Twilight insists that her friends are too preoccupied with wedding preparations to notice Cadance's attitude. Frustrated, she storms off.

### Talking to Shining Armor

Twilight visits her brother's house and tries to talk to him privately, but is interrupted by Cadance, who is also intent on speaking with him. Twilight watches Cadance scold Shining Armor about a crest he is planning to wear with his dress uniform, which belonged to his favorite uncle. Shining Armor protests and Cadance swiftly casts a spell on him, making him to go wall-eyed. Frightened, Twilight runs away. Shining Armor sees Twilight running off and wonders what she wanted to tell him.

### Attempting to warn everyone

Twilight runs to the castle to where her friends are staying. Her friends explain that Cadance has chosen them to be her new bridesmaids, and they interpret it as a reward for their diligence and evidence of Cadance's good intentions. Nobody knows where the former bridesmaids are or listens to Twilight's warning. Twilight leaves, saying, "Looks like I really am on my own."

The wedding rehearsal takes place the next day, but Twilight is not there. When Shining Armor turns to take his wedding ring, Twilight bursts into the wedding hall, proclaiming that neither she nor Shining Armor should stand next to Cadance. Ignoring the inquiries of Fluttershy and Applejack, she approaches the podium and points at Cadance, crying, "She's EVIL!" While aggressively cornering Cadance, Twilight condemns Cadance's behavior towards her friends, the sudden disappearance of the bridesmaids, and the spell she cast on Shining Armor.

Cadance, bewildered by Twilight's accusations, runs away in tears. Twilight chases her out and proudly trots back into the hall. However, Shining Armor contradicts each of Twilight’s accusations. He claims that Cadance's magic was intended to alleviate his migraines, which were caused by 24/7 maintenance of the protective magic barrier; Cadance replaced her bridesmaids because of their apparently shallow motivations; and her brusque behavior towards Twilight's friends appeared to be due to the stress of having to make all of the decisions for the wedding in her groom’s absence defending Canterlot.

Shining Armor contrasts Cadance's efforts with Twilight's apparent lack of concern for the wedding. He dismisses Twilight from her position as Best Mare and suggests that she not attend the wedding at all. Her friends and Princess Celestia also leave to check on Cadance. Twilight is left in the wedding hall alone, where she laments the loss of a brother and a potential sister. She begins to doubt her opinion of Cadance.

When Twilight is still in the hall, Cadance appears and comforts her, stroking her mane affectionately. When Twilight apologizes, Cadance's eyes turn green, and she says that Twilight *will* be sorry. Cadance summons a ring of green fire, which engulfs Twilight in a sphere of energy. Cadance walks out of the room as the sphere and Twilight sink into the ground.

When the Celestial Clock's countdown finally completes, a mighty beam of energy strikes the Stone Army's camp. As the energy fades, the Overlord proudly introduces Lord Garmadon to their completed ultimate weapon: the Garmatron, a massive, heavily-armed tank. As Lord Garmadon gazes in awe, a pair of Stone Soldiers arrive with Nya as their prisoner. The latter declares that her friends will find a way to stop Lord Garmadon, but the villain simply stuffs an apple in Nya's mouth and uses her as the "first test subject" for the Dark Matter.

Meanwhile, the heroes return to the beach, where Dr. Julien asks about the horns he just heard. Sensei Wu explains the situation: the Celestial Clock has ended its countdown, the final battle is about to begin, Lord Garmadon's ultimate weapon is operational, and Nya is a prisoner of the Stone Army. Kai assures a worried Jay that Nya will be too tough for the villains to break, and they will see her again. Sensei Wu turns to Lloyd, who is still dejected over the prospect of fighting his father, and reminds him that it is his destiny as the Chosen One—all of Ninjago depends on his victory. Misako tells her son that Lord Garmadon is just as reluctant at the prospect of battling his son, and the other Ninja pledge their assistance in the final fight.

Reinvigorated by his friends' support, Lloyd leads the charge on Lord Garmadon's base camp, only to find it deserted. The Falcon leads them to massive tracks and a path of destruction leading towards the coast—Sensei Wu realizes that the ultimate weapon is not meant to attack the Ninja, but to achieve Lord Garmadon's dream of remaking Ninjago in his own image. Misako is horrified—the resulting influx of evil will upset the balance of the world, allowing the Overlord to return in full—and Lloyd resolves that they can't let Lord Garmadon fire a single shot.

The group moves on, but Zane is forced to say goodbye to his father, who is unable to keep up and decides to head back to the *Destiny's Bounty*. As they run, the Ninja reflect on all of their adventures, but the jovial mood is broken when they sense an evil presence nearby. Suddenly, a crimson Spinjitzu tornado hits Cole and Lloyd, and stops in front of the group to reveal Nya, corrupted by the Dark Matter into a feral slave of Lord Garmadon. Sensei Wu realizes that the villains are trying to buy time to fire the ultimate weapon, and he, Misako, and Lloyd carry onward while the Ninja attempt to subdue Nya without hurting her.

The Garmatron finally reaches the coast of the Island of Darkness, where the Overlord tells Lord Garmadon to show Ninjago his power. At General Kozu's command, Stone Soldiers begin loading Dark Matter bullets into the cannon, but Lloyd, Misako, and Sensei Wu arrive before Lord Garmadon can fire. To the Overlord's dismay, Lord Garmadon leaves the controls to confront his family—despite their pleas, he insists that the only way they can be together again is if he corrupts the entire world with the same evil that has consumed his being.

With that, Lord Garmadon activates the Garmatron's cannon, only to discover that it has a twenty-second warm-up period. Misako deflects blasts from the tank's side cannons, allowing Lloyd to jump aboard; however, General Kozu manages to pin the Green Ninja down long enough for the Garmatron to fire. The warhead soars over the ocean and bursts into clouds of darkness over Ignacia, draining the color from the land and transforming the people into snarling, purple-eyed beasts. Lloyd attempts to summon his powers as the Stone Army loads another round, but Lord Garmadon activates a trap door that drops Lloyd and General Kozu out of the Garmatron before firing again.

Back in the jungle, the Ninja are having a rough time against Nya, until Zane realizes that they can use their elemental powers on the environment instead of their opponent. He uses his Elemental Blade to break the chain of Nya's weapon; Jay creates an electric barrier to deflect thrown needles; Cole blinds Nya with a cloud of dust; Kai cuts down a nearby tree so its leaves surround his corrupted sister. Finally, Zane freezes the tree, leaving Nya trapped within a dome of ice—wryly commenting that "this club just became boys only," Kai leads the others down the Garmatron's trail.

The Overlord begins cackling as the Garmatron's second shot corrupts Jamanakai Village; below, Lloyd laments his failure, but Sensei Wu assures him that he did his best. Misako realizes that the balance has been undone, and the Overlord confirms that he is finally free to take over Ninjago and Equestria. Lord Garmadon is infuriated at this, raging that Ninjago and Equestria are *his* to conquer, but the Overlord reveals that they were never going to be his, shortly before a beam of white light engulfs the top of the Garmatron.

As the Ninja rush up to their allies, Lord Garmadon's hands morph into claws, his limbs lengthen, and the demented laughter of the Overlord issues from his newly-reptilian mouth. Sensei Wu tells Lloyd that the creature atop the Garmatron is no longer his father—the Overlord has possessed Lord Garmadon's body. Misako warns her son that the Overlord will show no mercy, but the Ninja offer their support once again—with determination, Lloyd leads them in attacking the Stone Army.

Seeking more evil power to increase his strength, the Overlord aims the Garmatron's cannon at Ninjago City, but nothing happens. Looking over the side of his vehicle, the Overlord realizes that the whole of his army is occupied fighting the Ninja, with Sensei Wu and Misako preventing the Stone Soldiers from bringing the next warhead to the Garmatron. Although General Kozu attacks Sensei Wu, the old master kicks him into the Garmatron's loading port—thinking that the next bullet is loaded, the Overlord fires, sending his own general flying into Ninjago City. General Kozu ends up crashing through the window of the Mojo Dojo, where Dareth sends his students to swarm the four-armed Stone General. Enraged, the Overlord decides to load the cannon personally, only for Lloyd to leap atop the Garmatron and challenge him to battle.

While Kai hijacks one of the Garmatron's turrets to back Jay up against the remnants of the Stone Army, the Overlord knocks Lloyd off of the tank. Their battle continues on the beach, briefly clashing with energy beams before Lloyd dodges and blasts his foe into the jungle. The Overlord quickly recovers and flies above the trees, delivering a brutal tackle that sends Lloyd flying. The Overlord gloats that he can keep this up for eternity, but Lloyd is alone—in response, Lloyd removes his mask and asserts that his father will never hurt him.

Lord Garmadon briefly asserts himself from within the Overlord, begging Lloyd to stay strong—the Overlord's confusion and shock gives Lloyd an opportunity to take the offensive. As they clash with their energy beams once more, Lloyd calls out to his father, whose struggles cause the Overlord to falter. As Lloyd pushes his power to the limit, the Overlord roars that his father is gone before overcoming Lloyd's attack, trapping the Green Ninja in a sphere of dark energy and hurling him across the beach. Misako and Sensei Wu rush to Lloyd's side as the Overlord finally turns the Garmatron's cannon on his foes, but the tank's next shot is blocked by the *Destiny's Bounty*, piloted by Dr. Julien.

Fed up with the interference, the Overlord creates a portal for his army, declaring that they will go to Ninjago City personally to finish the job. From the back of the Garmatron, Nya mockingly bids farewell to her brother as he leaps at the portal, only to fall short. Kai screams in fury and despair as the portal closes, leaving the heroes trapped on the Island of Darkness. Misako manages to awaken Lloyd, who wonders if he has failed the prophecy; Sensei Wu tells him that he did not defeat the Overlord, but he did not lose his life either. Picking up a piece of the *Destiny's Bounty*—marked with the symbol for "destiny"—Lloyd muses that he didn't lose the battle, only the fight; the true clash between good and evil is far from over.

## Cast

* Applejack - Ashleigh Ball
* Cole - Kirby Morrow
* Dareth - Alan Marriott
* Dr. Julien - Mark Oliver
* Fluttershy - Andrea Libman
* Garmadon - Mark Oliver
* Garmatron - Paul Dobson
* Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
* Kai - Vincent Tong
* Kozu - Paul Dobson
* Lloyd Garmadon - Jillian Michaels
* Lucky Clover - Andrew Francis
* Lyra Heartstrings - Britt McKillip
* Minuette - Cathy Weseluck
* Misako - Kathleen Barr
* Nya - Kelly Metzger
* Pinkie Pie - Andrea Libman (Shannon Chan-Kent as her singing voice)
* Princess Cadance - Britt McKillip
* Princess Celestia - Nicole Oliver
* Princess Luna - Tabitha St. Germain
* Rainbow Dash - Ashleigh Ball
* Rarity - Tabitha St. Germain (Kazumi Evans as her singing voice)
* Shining Armor - Andrew Francis
* Spike - Cathy Weseluck
* The Overlord - Scott McNeil
* Twilight Sparkle - Tara Strong (Rebecca Shoichet as her singing voice)
* Twinkleshine - Andrea Libman
* Wild Fire - Tabitha St. Germain
* Wu - Paul Dobson
* Zane - Brent Miller

## Locations Visited

* Ninjago
	+ Ninjago City
* The Dark Island
* Equestria
	+ Canterlot
		- Wedding Castle

## Songs

* B.B.B.F.F
* This Day Aria

## Differences between this episode, the original Ninjago episode and MLP episode, "A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1"

* ?????
* ?????
* ?????

## Trivia

* This is the first appearance of the Garmatron, and the last appearance of the *Destiny's Bounty's* original design, as well as its last appearance until "Twilight's Kingdom." It's also the final appearance of Garmadon as a villain.
* The way the Ninja pledge their assistance to Lloyd prior to their attack on Lord Garmadon's base camp references a scene from the film adaptation of *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*, where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli offer their sword, bow, and axe (respectively) to aid Frodo in his quest.
	+ The episode title is similar to that of the third book in *The Lord of the Rings* trilogy, *Return of the King*.
* The events of "The Elements of Harmony," "Home," "The Chosen One," and "Day of the Great Devourer" are mentioned.
* Kai comments that "this club just became boys only!" after the corrupted Nya is incapacitated, mirroring Nya's own rationale for adopting the identity of Samurai X in the previous season.
* When the Overlord reveals that he was only using Lord Garmadon in order to take over Ninjago, Garmadon yells that the Overlord "stole that from *my* playbook!" This may refer to the events of "Friendship is Magic," where Garmadon used Samukai to create a means of reaching a place where he could gain the power he needed to wield all four Golden Weapons simultaneously. It might also refer to "Applebuck Season," where Lord Garmadon claimed that he had only gone along with Master Wu's alliance so he could escape his dimension and return to Ninjago.
* This is the first time Nya does Spinjitzu, albiet with the help of Dark Matter. Strangely enough, it's a corrupted Fire Spinjitzu.
* The channel 9GO in Australia lists this episode as "The Overlord Commeth," which may have been a working title for this episode.

## Errors

* At the beginning of the episode, the Celestial Clock is shown completing its countdown and firing a beam into Lord Garmadon's camp to complete the Garmatron. However, this sequence is completely different from the events at the end of the previous episode (especially noticeable due to the "Previously on *Masters of Friendship*" segment that shows said events moments before this sequence).
* When Lloyd wonders why Lord Garmadon isn't using the Garmatron on the Ninja, he is wearing his old ZX uniform.
	+ Lloyd also appears in the ZX uniform multiple times during this episode and the previous one.
* The Overlord fires a Dark Matter missile from the Garmatron's main cannon at the end of the episode, despite the Ninja apparently preventing him from loading the cannon after its second shot (although the Stone Army could have reloaded the cannon during Lloyd's battle with the Overlord or he loaded it by himself like he said after they prevented it the last time).