Ember didn't want to wake up and return to a world where she would have to deal with another person trying to kill her. She just wanted to sleep soundly in Spike's arms and never get up. It was a peaceful state of nirvana that was more comfortable than sitting on any gem pile in all of the Dragon Lands. However, duty calls, and she couldn't delay herself from the more serious issue of Tyranus's attempted coup.

Getting up from bed, Ember looked at Spike, still sleeping, and gave him a quick peck before heading for the bathroom to freshen up. Once she relieved herself, she went into the shower and let the warm water wash down the mess from their lovemaking last night. It had been three days since the attempt on her life, and everyone had been working hard to plan out what to do regarding Tyranus and the threat he posed to them. While a part of her was upset that this was happening, again, there was a part of her that felt her blood pumping in excitement. That might give a few other creatures some eyebrow-raising looks, but Ember was a dragon. Conflict and battle were in their nature, and regardless of her changes, nothing would change their warrior nature.

Besides, if what Rowan said was true, she would be in battle again soon. Opening her eyes, she shivered at the thought of Tyranus getting his hands on Imperiax. She had heard the tales of the First Dragon Emperor and his mighty blade. Every dragon had grown up with the stories about it and when dragonkind was the strongest of all the creatures in the world. It was the beginning of their great empire and the legacy they would leave behind.

Many had tried searching for the blade in the past, but none returned or gave up. A few fakes were presented by those who wanted to come across as the "Chosen One" of their people, but they were exposed pretty fast. But she knew Tyranus. He wouldn't stake so much on a false lead. If he had a path to get the real blade, he would take it.

Ember wouldn't even deny that she wanted the blade as well. It would not only solidify her rule from what doubters there were, but it would also symbolize hope for her people. While she had managed to drag them out into a more modern setting, many dragons still longed for the glory days of old. Having the legendary Imperiax would show that they were still strong and leave her a legacy for her family and all dragonkind. Of course, she'd be satisfied to just stop Tyranus overall, even without getting Imperiax, but it wasn't a bad thing to dream, was it?

Rubbing her scales with soap, Ember tried to focus on her next move. If Tyranus was still in the Griffin Republic, there was still time to find and stop him. Senator Gilda, the representative of the Griffin Republic, had said that she would do her best to persuade the Senate to act, but the republic was different from a monarchy. It all came down to a vote, and that's also if the Console didn't veto it. She never understood these sorts of political theories but just decided to hope for the best.

Still, everyone was sure that they would help out. No reasonable person didn't like the idea of a rouge dragon army roaming around their nation, attacking their citizens, and stealing their boats. If they could get a proper force down to stop Tyranus, they wouldn't have to worry about him crossing the Western Sea.

However, if they did manage to get their boats, it would be troublesome since they would have to search the sea for them. The good news was that there were only two ways to the western sea since Equestria and the other lands were in the way. The first was the southern Great Iceberg Barrier or the northern Crystal Glacier Valley. Both were frozen areas with icebergs around them.

While dragons were not the best in the cold, their fire could still melt ice, making either option possible. However, if Ember were to put her bet on one of the two areas, she would have to say Great Iceberg Barrier. Going north would put them near the territory of the Crystal Empire and Yakakistan, both of whom were part of the Alliance. While south, they would have to deal with being close to the territory of Mt. Aris, home of the Hippogriffs, Tyranus's forces could stay closer to the desert borders of Kludgetown to avoid them. Kludgetown was not part of the Alliance, and thus they would be free to sail nearby without harm.

Gods above, I just wanted to have a fun and relaxing break with the dragon I love and work on making my proposal to him. Is that so much to ask? Ember asked as she finished showering and began to dry off. Once she left the bathroom, Spike had woken up and rubbed his neck. "Morning, Spike."

"Morning, Ember," He said while getting up. "Shower open?"

"Yeah, you can get in and wash your smelly butt," Ember teased as she tossed him the towel she was using.

"You weren't complaining about sleeping next to it," Spike teased.

"That's because I passed out from the stench of it," Ember joked, making Spike laugh.

He then reached out and grabbed her hand. "You okay?"

"Honestly? I'm just pissed off about all this," Ember sighed. "Is it wrong that Tryanus really was dead instead of faking it?"

"I'm going to say no because he's dead set on killing you," Spike said seriously. "I'm not one to wish harm or even death on people. I'm fine giving second chances like I've done with Discord, Starlight, Trixie, Garble, the changelings, and more. But someone who wants to kill you and ruin everything we worked hard for? I'm not going to cry tears of mercy for them."

Ember smiled softly and kissed him on the lips. "We'll stop him. I won't let him or anyone ruin what we've worked hard for. He will not become Dragon Emperor."

It wasn't just her and her life's work at stake. Their friends and allies were at stake as well. There was no doubt in Ember's mind that if Tyranus got Imperiax, he would declare war on the world and take it over. If even half the rumors of the blade were true, he could very well succeed even with the combined power of the Alliance against him.

The good news is that we know our enemy and will work together to stop him, Ember thought positively.

Suddenly, her door slammed open, and Smolder, looking as pale as a ghost, said a sentence that made both Spike and Ember freeze in terror: "The Behemoths have taken over the Wall!"

***

Of all the times the Behemoths escaped the Wall and started rampaging through the Dragon Lands, this was the worst time possible. The moment Ember heard this, she ordered every dragon to prepare for their return post-haste while sending messengers to every corner of the Dragon Lands to summon all their forces. If there was one thing that united every dragon, supporter of hers or not, it was a full-on Behemoth invasion.

There was little information to go by other than the horde was massive, and the Wall was taken over in a surprise ambush. This was a shock to every dragon since it was designed and guarded to avoid every possible weakness. The moment any Behemoth was seen, they were to send an alert that would spread across the entire Wall. However, not only did they manage to overcome this, but they also exploited weaknesses nobody knew about.

No normal Behemoth could do this, which meant that there was a Behemoth Overlord among them—the smartest and deadliest of them all—the one who could unite them into a proper army and bring chaos to the Dragon Lands.

Looks like the rumors were true after all, thought Spike.

"How bad of an invasion are we talking about?" Princess Twilight asked in her throne room. Once word had reached about a Behemoth Invasion, Ember summoned all her allies to the throne room to alert them of this unfortunate change.

"Based on the reports, we are talking tens of thousands," Ember answered grimly.

"That's not good," King Thorax whispered as Queen Skystar placed a wing on his back to comfort him. "How dangerous is a Behemoth in general?"

"The weakest one could kill three dragons before dying," Ember answered as she shivered. "My father told me that out of all the creatures in the world it is them whom we dragons fear the most. They cannot be reasoned with or negotiated with, and they are cruel. They make Queen Chrysalis look like Princess Celestia. They will kill and burn anything that stands in their way. And it won't stop with us; they will go after all your homes, too."

"So this is a threat to all of us," Shining Armor sighed.

"Don't you think the timing of this is a bit odd?" Princess Flurry Heart said as all eyes were on her. "I mean, we just discovered that Ember's biggest enemy was alive and is trying to search for some super powered sword that is even stronger than the Elements of Harmony. And then this happens?"

"It is a big coincidence," Spike admitted as he rubbed his chin. "Could Tyranus have had a hand in this?"

"I doubt it," Smolder snorted. "My cousin might be a bastard, but he firmly believes in dragon tradition and loves dragonkind. He wouldn't go so far for power to help the Behemoths since they are the enemy of every dragon out there. He'd lose all respect and power instantly if he did."

"Smolder's right," Ember nodded. "If Tyranus hopes to become Emperor, he will need the support of the dragons to do so, with or without Imperix. Aiding the Behemoths would kill any chances of that in an instant. Not to mention the forces he's traveling with would abandon him just as fast."

Spike wasn't sure about that. He had seen many creatures who believed themselves the rightful rulers of power and prestige try anything to get it. However, he figured it was pointless to debate this and said, "Regardless, we need to focus on the Behemoths. They're the more immediate threat."

"Agreed," Ember said as she turned to their allies. "I know I have asked a lot, but I must ask for more. I need my friends to aid us in the fight against the Behemoths. Make no mistake, this is not going to be an easy fight. Some of us may even die. I might fall in battle or Spike and Smolder. This is...that serious of a situation."

The throne room was quiet for a long time before Princess Twilight stood up with a serious expression. "The Alliance of Harmony was forged to bring peace and support to those of us who have come together in the name of friendship. We have allied against such threats before and will do so again today. I, Princess Twilight of Equestria, promise to lend aid and her forces to the Dragon Lands in the hour of need."

King Thorax stepped forward and nodded. "The Changeling Kingdom also agrees to send troops and aid to our friends, the dragons."

"As do the Hippogriffs!" Queen Skystar shouts with her hand in the air.

"The Crystal Empire would be more than happy to lend aid," Princess Cadacne said as Shining Armor saluted. "We'll send those monsters back to Tartarus."

"It's up to the Senate to agree to go to war or not, but considering the Alliance has done a lot for us, I'm sure I can guilt trip them into aiding you guys," Senator Gilda said before turning to Rainbow Dash. "It would also be nice to finally kick butt instead of sitting on it listening to boring speeches."

"I hear you. These wings are ready for combat again," Rainbow Dash said as she flapped her wings.

"You are all going to be careful, right?" Fluttershy whispered.

"We'll be as careful as we can be, Fluttershy," Twilight assured her friend before turning to Gallus. "Gallus? Summon our armies and spread the word to Equestria that we are going to war."

"Yes, Princess," Gallus said as he turned to a worried Silverstream and kissed her. "Guess I'm heading back to the front lines."

"You'll come home, right?" Silversteam whispered as she hugged her husband.

"One way or another, I will," Gallus promised as he kissed her again. He then knelt before his son, Garrus, who looked terrified of his Dad leaving him. The blue griffins gave a sad smile and hugged his son. "Watch over your mother for me, okay?"

"O-O-Okay," Garrus whispered as he got teary-eyed.

"Don't worry. I've got your uncle watching my back," Gallus said as he nodded to Spike, who gave him a thumbs-up.

Spike looked around as more plans were discussed. He gazed over at Ember, who looked worried, and knew, deep down, what her thoughts were. She was already feeling guilty for getting everyone involved in their problems. She also knew there was a chance that some of those in this room might not survive what was to be one of the deadliest fights in their life. He wrapped a wing around her for comfort and smiled warmly as she looked upon him. His smile was all she needed to relax and nuzzle him.

Whatever fate awaited them, they would face it together.

***

The Dragon Lands were known for having various smells ranging from fire and ash to blood and sulfur. However, in the village of Rainstone, the smell of death and decay was everywhere. The homes that once consisted of a sizable amount of dragons had been torn down and ruined, and their owners scattered among the dirt with their blood decorating it. The bodies of the poor souls who tried to fight or flee remained in piles of gore and scales. Many parts were distances away from each other. The creatures responsible for it, all in hideous forms, continued to further mutilate the death either for sustenance or pleasure.

The sicker and depraved-minded had started posing the corpses on spears and spikes, the bodies long since dead and ruined beyond recognition. Age didn't matter, nor did gender. All were equal prey to the Behemoths. The Overlord of Behemoths slowly walked through the devastation with satisfaction. This village was one of many destroyed since their takeover of the Wall. He knew it would only be a matter of time before a strong force finally came to retaliate, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun in the meantime.

The strangest thing that stood out was that the Overlord wasn't walking alone. Beside himself, tears in their eyes and traumatized looks of horror on their faces, were two young dragon boys. One blue and one yellow. Both had seen their families slaughtered before them. All that they loved was destroyed and turned to ash. Yet, instead of being granted death to join them in the afterlife, the two boys were spared. In terror and confusion, they stood side by side with the Overlord as he showed them the horrors of the slaughter.

"So what did you think? Was our little show not an impressive one?" The Overlord asked as he brushed his claws against the backs of the two boys. "It's been such a long time since we Behemoths had a chance to go all out. You can say that this is quite the release for us."

Neither dragon said anything. They just stood there in silence as the Overlander stroked their heads. "I know you boys are upset about the loss of everyone you loved and cared for. But the suffering didn't last too long. Well. Maybe a bit longer. But it's over anyway, right?"

The yellow one just sobbed while the blue one gripped his hands in anger.

"I suppose you are wondering why I spared you two?" He knelt down and looked them in the eyes. I would like you to go off and spread the word about what has happened here. I would like you to tell everyone that our army comes like a plague of locusts who will devour everything in our path. Nothing will stop us, and even if they run, we'll catch them eventually. Our time has finally come."

The boys gulped as he turned them around and pushed them forward lightly. "Now go on. Chop chop. You have a long walk ahead of you."

The two dragon boys looked at each other before running off as fast as they could. The Overlord smiled as they ran away. Similar actions were being taken in all the locations they were attacking. They were killing most of the population in the areas before leaving a few survivors to tell the tale of what happened. They were driving fear and hopelessness into the hearts of those yet to feel their power and break their will.

Of course, they didn't need two messengers to tell the tale, did they?

The Overlord summoned a bolt of black lighting in his hand, focused on his dragon of choice, and shot it.

When the day ended, only one dragon made it to the next town to scream about what had happened. Covered in the blood and brain matter of the other who was running before him before a large "popping" sound ended that.