Luna soared down, skimming across the landscape as fast as she could. There was no time to lose now, as the changelings could be there at any second to start their invasion.

She had flown over the Macintosh Hills, The Badlands, and the Hayseed Swamps along her way, all without rest.

Then something hit her ears...a deep thrumming coming from a set of nearby Isles. She smiled as she saw and heard the fabled awakening chant of the Dragon's.

Several hundred younger dragons had shown up, as well as about 50 adult ones. The entirety of this small army was on a massive island with a mountain that looked like a gigantic gaping dragon's mouth.

MAL-VICORIAN!

MAL VICORIAN!

Luna heard the name being chanted and grew curious. She wished to see what the dragon she was going to have to talk to looked like. After all, she had been imprisoned for a millenium on the moon. She hadn't bothered with looking at anything other than her sister and her wonderful ponies with spite and malice.

Luna flew to one of the topmost teeth of Dragon Mountain and fluttered there.

She nearly fell back down when she saw the size of the massive hoard the dragon was sitting on, and the even more massive dragon himself.

The hoard had to have contained millions of bits worth of precious gems, and gold coins that lay heaped in several hundred feet tall piles.

The dragon himself wasn't visible in any other features other than the fact that he was at least double the size of the largest dragon chanting his name.

MAL-VICORIAN!

MAL-VICORIAN!

Luna didn't hear anything but felt the rumble of a deep growl coming from the dragon as it slowly started to stir.

She waited until the beast finally burst upwards, wings spread out wide in both directions, roar shaking everything for miles and echoing further. Muscles that rippled like gigantic steel cords and a chest with thousands of diamonds and other gems embedded into it.

AHAHAHAH!

THE AWAKENING HAS COME!

Luna looked at this thing and gulped. Even she had to be intimidated. His massive black armor plates jutted out over his sides making him look even larger than he really was. He had a large bronze underbelly, and his eyes were solid red, no pupils whatsoever. He had a fairly prominent lower jaw, and 4 great twisting horns bursting out from his eyes.

She then heard the other dragons go silent as Mal started to sing...

Come my friends I have awoken!

Rejoice and harken to my side!

We shall take back all the lands that were stolen

All who oppose us shall die!

The other dragons let out a roar and started to join into Mal's thrumming chorus. Luna had to stop and marvel at this, an ancient song carved into every dragon's very fiber of its being. A song that gave them purpose and unity, not too much different from the ones ponies sing.

The dragon's march has come

So you must be ready to run

We have come to reclaim

Your people we shall tame!

DRAGONS!

DRAGONS!

March forward now!

Show them all how!

To fear once more

AND PREPARE FOR THE DRAGON'S WAR!

Mal-Vicorian laughed and started up another one of his verses.

Brothers and sisters I have slumbered for so long.

My mind is blurred, and my muscles strength has gone.

Help me remember the things that I have lost!

So that we may win! No matter what the cost!

The chorus repeated once more, this time with more fervor and ferocity behind it. Luna couldn't help but get the chills from this almighty chorus of creatures. Each one's voice linked in harmony until the final verse came after another repeat of the chorus.

Come my friends take flight in the skies!

What shall we see with our dragon eyes?

We shall see the people who have stolen our land!

AND WITH OUR FIRE, THEY SHALL TURN TO SAND!

The Dragons gave roaring cheers to their leader. They followed his last verse to the letter, and every dragon spread their wings wide.

Luna cursed under her breath before making the most reckless decision she would ever make.

She dive bombed straight down and landed at the base of Mal's massive hoard of treasure. The great dragon rumbled and turned his gaze down to her.

His gums pulled back a bit revealing his massive teeth, each one serrated and visible even though Luna was a good 200 feet from his head.

"AND LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE! A pony come to take even more of our lands!"

Luna shook her head in defiance and stomped onto the ground. Her royal canterlot voice was needed at this moment, just to get the dragon to listen.

"WE HAVE NOT COME TO STEAL LANDS! WE HAVE COME TO MAKE PEACE IN TIMES OF WAR!"

The dragons stopped their laughing at her and Mal-Vicorian lowered his enormous head down to her. Luna barely stood up to the middle of his jaw even as he softly rumbled to her.

"And what, may I ask, does the war involve?"

Luna sighed, she wouldn't be intimidated by this creature. "This involves the destruction of everything in Equestria and beyond. Nightterror Nebula has gathered an army, taken over Equestros, and is now on his way to take over these lands as well."

Mal laughed at her statement and her foes attempt to be brave. "Why should I care about a war that comes to Equestria? If Nebula only wants to destroy you ponies, I do not see why I should bother in helping!"

Luna glared at the dragon, "Because he will not stop with just the ponies! He will spread everywhere across the land, and take over everything!"

Vicorian laughed once more, "I do not think that even Nightterror Nebula would be able to take on an army of dragons! I should just let him kill you all then slaughter his armies personally!"

Luna lost her temper. She flew up to the dragon, gave him a good solid buck in the front of his nose as hard as she could, and then roared in her royal equestrian voice.

"WE CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! SUCH IGNORANCE COMING FROM SUCH AN INTELLIGENT CREATURE! HE DEFEATED THE DRAGONS IN EQUESTROS, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT HE CANNOT DEFEAT YOU AS WELL?! YOU MUST LEARN TO ACTUALLY THINK BEFORE YOU MAKE WILD ASSUMPTIONS! THIS PONY WILL KILL EVERYTHING AND THEN EVEN YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HIDE!"

With that, she turned, and flew out of the cave, landing on the beach of the mainland she gave a sigh. Negotiations had turned sour faster than even she had expected them to.

A massive booming roar came from behind her as an enraged Mal-Vicorian landed down in front of her, growling and with flames shooting out of his nose.

"HOW DARE YOU NOT GIVE ME A CHANCE TO RESPOND YOU IGNORANT WENCH!? HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME IN MY OWN LAIR?!"

Luna looked at the creature and closed her eyes. She had lost the once chance at saving Equestria...and very likely her life.

Mal raised his claw and brought it down, creating a dust cloud where he struck.

She must be dead, that must be the tingling around her, she must be dead. Luna thought to herself. As the dust cleared and she opened up her eyes, she nearly fainted. His house sized hand had missed her by mere inches.

"I suppose you had a right to do that. If it is true that Nebula has taken over Equestros, I should have handle the threat with a bit more urgency...tell me, what do you have in mind for this alliance?"

Luna sighed and fell down, her bravery at its limits, "Give me a moment...Even I cannot deal with this much stress in a day."

The dragon emperor nodded and took his own seat on all fours. While Luna rested for a bit, the other dragons had started to fly and circle the pair. Luna rose after about five minutes in total, and in that time, every single dragon from the cave had surrounded the two, mute as stone.

"We need to gather as many allies as possible. Nightterror Nebula has allied with Queen Oscura, King Nymphalos, and Eris. Those three are able to corrupt ponies to their will, and to create an army of undying changelings. That alone wouldn't be bad enough. They have also been able to defeat Solaris."

Mal-Vicorian growled a bit and the other dragons did so in concern.

"The great sun has fallen? Then you have my condolences..."

Luna nodded in appreciation, and then continued her speech. "I would not be surprised if Nightterror Nebula also planned on enlisting the help of many of the most dangerous things in this world as well. I assumed he had planned to bribe you with promises of power and land...I offer up harmony and peace in my sisters place. We shall give you room amongst our people, friendship in our lands, and grounds on which to hunt. All if you decide to help us."

Mal-Vicorian paused...he hadn't thought about that. An actual peace treaty with the ponies so they could live together in harmony? He had thought it impossible, but it might be so if the two sides fought and died as one together..."What do you have that would make me believe such a deal other than honeyed words? What physical proof is there that I will receive this for me and all my people?"

The other dragons chattered and murmured in agreement.

Luna sighed, she had no definite proof..."I have no actual proof. I am still here believing that a word is enough to get by with a creature, as long as they can save the world they live on. If I cannot trust you to save our world, then I shall trust no other non-pony to do our work."

Mal sighed. He had forgotten about her. She was Nightmare Moon, a pony that hadn't seen social activity for the last thousand years. She had come from a time when words meant more than gold when it came to promises, but Mal was not one to leave her without something.

"I will trust in your word...if you betray me, your world will burn. In my faith I offer a gift." Mal took off back to the lair and came back not seconds later, holding a small pearl crescent. "This gem, I give to you as a promise of good faith. Fashioned in the shape of the moon to cement our agreement."

Luna nodded and took the pearl. To him it was tiny, to Luna, it was the size of her head. She smiled and spoke softly as she flew up to his ear, "Thank you Mal-Vicorian. You and all your kin shall be rewarded for this."

As Luna flew away, she waved back to the dragon horde who waved back.

Mal turned and looked at all of his followers, swelling to his full size he glared at the masses that had skeptical looks in their eyes. "Well what are you all waiting for?! We have a war to train for!"

Every dragon, even skeptics, loved war and fighting, but they usually did it only among themselves. To have an opponent they could finally fight against without hurting their population, their spirits went through the roof.

Luna smiled to herself once more as she landed back at Canterlot Castle, beaming with pride. Celestia needed no words, as she saw the massive pearl, and placed it on a single pillar of stone conjured from the ground. The two nodded in silent agreement and joy...

They actually had a fighting chance now...