The thrusters on Emperor Zurg's ship slowly winded down, to avoid charring the ground needlessly. The landing ramp deployed as the ship's landing gears contacted the ground with a deep thump. Smoke hissed, blanketing the arrival of Emperor Zurg as he proceeded down, noting the overall aesthetic of the Dragon Lands. Due to the uneven and jagged obsidian plateau, he had to land further away than he wanted. The air was hot, and the wind blowing almost to a standstill. His target was the looming lava-filled pit where the largest congregation of Dragons gathered. ''And finally, we have arrived. I do seem to recall that my Telemetry Bot would have fared a much better job to get us here, but you just had to finagle your way to the controls.''
Button Mash blew a raspberry, trailing behind Zurg. He got them there in one piece, granted it took a few (a lot) of corrections to fly the ship without it blowing up or losing any more vital equipment that would take weeks to source and re-integrate. ''We got here, didn't we? But why is Cozy Glow not here? Don't trust her with more than one thing at a time?'' Button Mash watched his lord twitch at the mention of her name. He had to admit to himself that Cozy Glow was beating the seasoned warlord at his own game. She not only managed to secure a position in his ranks easily, but also not be instantly zapped or reprimanded to the same degree as others, and gain a mystical staff to control a Leviathan, and wreck a bit of havoc on Ponyville, all while becoming the new leader of the Diamond Dogs when the whole 'sacrifice' debacle was rectified was the kind of glory Emperor Zurg only achieved after being the Evil business for a few years.
Button was sure it hurt his pride more than his track record.
''Regardless, that simpleton has only gotten by due to the graces of luck. It takes years to develop one's Evil persona, and years longer to apply it in practice,'' Emperor Zurg shuffled forward, intending on showing all underneath him who the real master of Evil was. ''According to the information gathered by Aura and the lucky brat, the most likely race to subjugate would be the Dragons.'' Emperor Zurg said, looking forward to the joy and pain that would soon come for this new race.
A reconnaissance bot flew out of the ship, the various antennas and sensors sounding off as it took to the skies to procure intel. The element of surprise would be the best thing for them, as the little information given failed to assess any latent powers or advanced intelligence that would pose an issue.
So a touch of finesse was needed.
''Yet, something tells me that this might not be as simple as you may think, lord.'' Button Mash stepped back a tad when Emperor Zurg kneeled to this level, uncomfortably close to his face with his laser eyes glowing. ''T-This could go wrong if we don't take the proper precaution.''
''Are you mocking me?'' Emperor Zurg's voice dropped to a dangerous octave. His hands were dangerously close to his subordinate's body, oh, how simple it would be to toss him over the nearest ridge on account of his foolishness. ''Because it sounds like you're mocking me, and if you're mocking me, then I will make a mock of you!''
''N-No.'' Button Mash hastily said, chuckling. He just offered his thoughts, what was the harm in that? ''Of course not.''
''Then stop talking and prepare to subjugate; this is not up for debate! We will have our moment today, and that marshmallow pony will not be the wiser of me on this day!'' Emperor Zurg bellowed a mighty laugh, grabbing hold of Button Mash and tossing him back into the ship with a single hand. ''And fetch the Mind Control Device, something tells me we're going to need it.''
''Higher than usual intelligence?'' Button groaned, scrambling up the ship's ramp. ''Or advanced battle tactics?''
''Actually, the opposite. Observations by way of Private Glow and Aura about the closest Dragon to study as a basis showed me that the majority of Dragons other than the one known as Spike, and sometimes including Spike, they're all complete morons.''
''And you think that mind control would work on idiots?'' Button Mash raised a singular brow. His lord's plans were most of the time hit or miss, and the thought process behind the particulars gnawed away at his mind as well. A beeping sounded from his internal heads-up display, relaying the information from the recon drone. Most of the Dragons previously noted stood there, appearing to be bickering amongst themselves. A lanky, red Dragon, with holes in his wings, stood at the center of the disagreement, his motions and shouts failing to intimidate his fellow kin before his form was engulfed in flames; a puff of black smoke rising from his snout as he fell to the ground. ''Well, he could work,'' Button Mash said, shutting his display of the overhead view off.
Taking a moment to review the footage for himself, Zurg did not hold the same level of assuredness as his subordinate, but he figured there could be little in the way of trouble if something were to go wrong.
And any advantage he could have over that brat he would take.
A Few Minutes Later. . .
Garble had a bad day as it was, and now this? He only came back after a rather bad day with his passion project, which he didn't need to tell the other Dragons on account that they already knew and waited for the perfect time to grill him about it. The work of a poet was a job rarely looked at and appreciated by those without the refined taste of the creative and literary arts.
It took a lot of skill and courage!
And here he was, getting chased away because the rest of his so-called 'friends' were ignorant of the deeper message. Something would have to change if he ended up coming back, with some shred of his pride intact. Garble wasn't sure who needed their behinds kicked first, but he had a list (mainly Spike and those namby-pamby ponies), though the last time he attempted to follow through with his plan, it blew up and pecked him in the face; more literally than Garble would have liked to admit. ''Darn it! If only I had a way to get my revenge. Would show those jerks what for, and put my rep back at the top as it should be.'' Garble said, trudging around the charred mountain, eyes downcast and uncaring. He needed to think. ''Heh, I'll take anything at this point.'' a puff of smoke left his nostrils.
''Evil?'' Garble's scales nearly flew from his body from the voice that sounded in front of him.
''Ah! What the Dragon Lord?!'' Garble scrambled back after falling on his rump, coming face to face with a tall, lanky. . .thing with red eyes with a Pony? Wait, nothing about this made sense. Why here? Why now? Why. . .was it laughing so loudly?
''Be at ease, lowly creature, for I, Emperor Zurg, praise be to me,'' Emperor Zurg said, sweeping a over-exaggerated claw to his underling, the look of utter and complete doneness in the pony's eyes not being lost on Garble.
''Praise.'' Button Mash responded dryly, wincing when Emperor Zurg smacked the back of his head, nearly causing him to keel over before he caught himself. ''Praise be to Emperor Zurg of the Galatic Empire, first of his name; take heed!''
''Better,'' Zurg responded with a snooty tone, not liking the hit to his image on such a simple thing as introductions. That was the foundation, the metaphorical evil bread and butter of being a warlord who struck fear into the eyes of their subjects was integral. ''You stand before the future! Your lives will be better in all aspects, you need only to adjust to the program of the great Zurg Empire, much will be done in my name, and your lives will be greatly improved, yada, yada, yada.''
''Say what now?'' Garble asked, his initial fear dying down and being replaced by curiosity. What kind of program was this guy talking about? And why did he sound like that? It was weird. ''Better yet, why do you think I should care?''
A flash of red shone from Emperor Zurg's eyes. ''Because I offer the one chance to you that I will not the rest of your measly species; a chance to join the winning side of your own free will. To enact a small bit of the revenge I know you so desperately seek.'' Emperor Zurg said, the primitive cogs in the dragon's head slowly beginning to turn the longer he spoke of his plans. He would no doubt try his best to resist, such as the mindset of countless other races who either fell in line or were destroyed. ''I have every confidence that-''
''-I'm in.'' Garble simply said, stopping the warlord's future rant in its tracks. He. . .surrendered? And so easily? Without letting him finish his devious plan of conquest? This was concerning.
''That easily, huh? Guess we won't need that Mind Control Device after all, huh?'' Button Mash asked with a voice of surprise, gesturing to the cumbersome square platform on wheels that resembled a rather large cabinet with multiple thin slots glowing a sickly purple and green. ''Is it lack of intelligence or just plain ignorance?''
''Quiet, Button. We do not take in strays off of the streets just like that, we are more civilized than that.'' Zurg said, folding his arms.
An inquisitive chirp sounded from Button's sensors, Garble looking at the small pony with a confused look.
''So, does Cozy Glow not count in that equation?''
SMACK! Button Mash was smacked away a few feet away, landing on his hand from the force of his master's hand backhanding him over towards a small mound volcanic mound, the subsequent miniature eruption launching him in the sky in a fantastic display of fire and ash. ''Guessing it's too late to change my mind?''
''What do you think?'' Zurg bent down to Garble's level, feeling the young creature's fear and confusion at the situation. The device that his subordinate brought was willed over to the dark lord, deploying to reveal a swarm of silver braces, plumes of air coming from them as they zoomed toward their future targets. ''Time for my plan to come to fruition! And that marshmallow menace will not be the one to get in my way!''