Birds chirped merrily as the white mare walked down the street to her friends castle, humming merrily to herself as she went over her mental checklist of customers that had made requests of her. Normally Rarity never dropped the outfits off themselves but Twilight was a special case.
'After all, she is the Princess of Friendship, so she deserves the special attention,' Rarity hummed to herself as she came to a stop in front of the massive doors, raising a hoof and knocking twice before the doors swung back. "Hello Twilight, I've come to deliver that dress that you asked for!" Rarity frowned at not getting an answer before she headed inside, looking around for her friend.
"Twilight...oh there you are darling," Rarity said with a sigh when she finally spotted her friend in her personal chambers, sitting next to a strange machine that she was constantly tinkering with. Rarity walked up beside Twilight and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, startling the alicorn.
"Oh hi Rarity, I didn't hear you come in," Twilight muttered before turning her attention back to the machine, getting a look out of Rarity before she placed the dress on Twilight's bed and sitting next to Twilight.
"So may I ask what this is?" Rarity asked.
"I built this machine to try and get into contact with Spike," Twilight explained before sighing and looking out the window. "He's been gone a while and I've just been worried. I know that he has bigger responsibilities now but..."
"Oh there's no need to be worried darling, Spike will be fine," Rarity comforted with a smile before lifting up the dress with her magic and moving it over to Twilight, making sure it was the proper size. "I'm sure that it's nothing serious."
|)O(|
'It has to be serious.'
That was the only reason Lantern John Stewart could imagine, that would force the Guardians to remove him from his current assignment and bring him back to Oa. So, as he descended from orbit to the emerald planet that was home to thousands of Lanterns from all over the cosmos, he was on alert for any sign of assault or distress. But when his descent brought the jade buildings and structures into view that covered the planet to form one massive city, he found that Lanterns still flew across the sky and moved from place to place as if nothing was the matter. Eveything on Oa seemed to be peaceful.
'Which is nerve wracking in its own right,' the Lantern Stewart gruffly thought as he floated through the streets towards the chamber where the Guardians of the Universe resided. 'Oa is anything but calm and peaceful, even on a good day.' The massive domed building towered over the Lantern as he floated through the entrance, moving past a number of faces that were unfamiliar to him until, in the main room, he spotted a familiar face.
"Ah, Lantern Stewart. I was wondering when you would arrive," the orange colored alien with a beak for a mouth and fin upon his head greeted as he spotted John.
"Tomar-Re. Good to see you again. Glad to see that whatever the Guardians called me in for, it wasn't the destruction of Oa," John said with a smile as they shook hands, but it fell quickly when he saw doubt flash in the other Lantern's eyes.
"I would not wager on that opinion, John. There have been some very serious whispers going around of dark things happening in the galaxy," Tomar informed John in a deadly serious, but also hushed, voice. "The Guardians have hushed things up as best they could, but rumors still spread."
"Rumors?" John whispered as he scanned the room to make sure they were alone. "What kind of rumors?" Before Tomar could respond, two massive emerald doors with the symbols of the Lantern Corps upon them swung open and a deep voice called for John to enter.
"The Guardians will tell you in person."
"Hopefully. The Guardians have a nasty habit of not telling us the whole story before sending us on missions," John muttered as he waved farewell to Tomar before turning into the corridor that led to the main chamber. As he walked, he felt his left hand rub the green ring on his right hand, something he realized that he had started to do more often as he got on in his years. 'Maybe I think it'll bring me luck. Or maybe I'm just warming it up for whatever's about to jump me around the corner.'
His brief walk came to an end when he entered into a dark chamber where a large green ring floated in the air above the platform in the center, but what drew John's eyes were the nine small blue beings that wore white robes and had white hair upon their heads, if they had hair at all.
"Ah, Lantern of sector 2814, how nice of you to finally join us," one of the beings in the center said with an annoyed tone, reminding John that he was late.
"Sorry, sorry; had to help an alien world on my way here," John apologized as he held his hands up, but something in the Guardian's voice caught his attention. 'Normally when Ali gets mad at a Lantern, he'll rag on them for a while, but now...he seems distracted. It really is serious.'
"What do you need me for?" Stewart asked, snapping Appa Ali out of his thoughts.
"We have need of you for a mission, a very COVERT mission," Ali began. John never liked covert missions. Covert missions meant keeping secrets from your allies. Keeping secrets from allies led to mistrust on the battlefield. Mistrust on the battlefield led to dead teammates. "Given your track record of aiding the other Lanterns of sector 2814 in some of the fiercest threats the galaxy has faced, and along with the others being detained by a force that threatens that planet, we have elected you to handle this task."
"And just what is this covert mission? Or are you not going to tell me either?" John asked as he crossed his arms. Ali narrowed his eyes at the remark before taking in a deep breath.
"Lanterns are going missing. We've lost nearly a dozen now with no idea where they've gone." John hid the shock as best he could, but the news was still stunning to him. "There have been no leads on their locations, nor have their rings chosen new hosts. Both Lanterns and rings have simply vanished."
'Lanterns are all trained warriors who are taught how to deal with some of the most dangerous and evil threats that corrupt the galaxy,' he thought. 'For so many to go missing...'
"It is not just Lanterns of the Green Lantern Corps either," a Guardian named Sayd spoke up. "We have received reports from the field saying that two Red Lanterns have gone missing, and even rumors that Sinestro has lost a number of Yellow Lanterns. With that knowledge, it is not hard to imagine that the other Lantern Corps are missing members as well. Only Saint Walker says that he has all of his Lanterns."
"And has anyone checked up on our greedy little friend to see if he's still around?" John asked, but when he received stern stares in reply he figured he had just wasted his breath.
"Larfleeze has gone missing as well, but he does that from time to time. We are not sure if his disappearance is connected to these other Lanterns vanishing," Appa said as he regained control of the floor. "And that is why we have brought you in, to find out what has happened to the missing Lanterns and discover what is causing them to go missing. That is your mission, Lantern Stewart."
"And remind me again why I can't inform any of the other Lanterns about this?" Stewart said with defiance in his voice, which was not lost upon the Guardians.
"Because, Lantern Stewart, if the other Lanterns were to know that there is something out there that is causing Lanterns to vanish, and perhaps killing them, then it will plant the seed of fear into their minds. And I do not need to remind one such as yourself just how deadly fear can be to a Lantern of Will?" John bit back his response, figuring that anything else he said would either get him in trouble or get him on the Guardians bad side, which was Hal's job.
"Fine, I'll keep it covert, but on one condition," Stewart gruffly demanded, getting him a number of looks from the council. "I want a partner to go with me on this mission. I'm not getting any younger and I'd prefer having somebody out there that can watch my back. Or you can say no and another one of your Lanterns might just go missing trying to find the others." John smiled when he saw the Guardians share looks, essentially telling him that they would meet his demand.
"Very well, Lantern Stewart, you may have your partner," Ali agreed before narrowing his eyes at John. "But only if you take one of the newer Lanterns with you. This way you have a partner to "watch your back" and at the same time we can have an experienced Lantern training a recruit to replace one of the Lanterns we lost. Everybody wins, wouldn't you agree?"
'Crafty geezer.' "Fine, I'll take a rookie with me," John agreed as he turned to leave the room, looking over his shoulder before he exited. "But it'll be tough to tell him where we're going and what we're doing if I have to keep the mission secret from him as well." And with that one last shot Stewart walked out of the room, but not fast enough to avoid the insult that Ali muttered under his breath.
|) O (|
The sound of construct striking construct and the yells of others in danger assaulted John's ears as he walked into a large room with a bridge crossing a massive training room below, but John felt his soul become at ease by the sounds of battle and pain.
'Ah, the training room. Good times. Good, painful times,' he nostalgically thought to himself as he walked over the bridge, looking down to see over a dozen new recruits all smacking into each other with no idea of what they were doing. Then, the sounds of combat and pain were drowned out by the roar of a deep voice that John knew all too well, completing the nostalgia.
"You call that willpower?! My right cheek has more willpower in it than you do and I'm not talking about my face! Twenty laps, without the ring!" John chuckled as a six-legged insect-like creature began to race around the edge of the arena while the voice bellowed for the others to get back to training before a Lantern floated up onto the bridge with him.
"Still treating the newbies like dirt, huh Kilowog?" The pinkish alien turned to face John with a smile crossing his face, but the tusks on his face made even his smile look menacing.
"Finally, a Lantern I can look at that doesn't make me wanna puke," Kilowog laughed as he shook John's hand while also reading the look in his eyes. "Wow, the mission's serious enough that you need a poozer to help you out? That's gotta be rough."
"Guardians' orders. They want me to train a rookie in the field while we're on the mission," John said, mindful not to let Kilowog in on too much. He trusted the Lantern with his life, but he didn't have enough information to even speculate with at the moment.
"Oi, that's rough. And you picked a bad time to ask for one too. Nearly all the rookies here can barely figure out how to put their rings on, much less fight with it," Kilowog groaned before bellowing orders into the pit of fighters.
"Nearly all of them? Are you telling me that there's a rookie that hasn't made you question your life choices, and you didn't show me him immediately?" John poked with a smile. Kilowog replied with a smirk of his own before motioning for John to follow him.
"He only showed up about a month ago for training, but according to his story he's had the ring for about five years now," Kilowog began as he opened a door that led to the more advanced courses. "Despite not having a day of formal training, the kid's quick and knows how to make a construct. I've had him working on the advance courses, but I wouldn't be surprised if in a few weeks he moves up to master. He's good."
John was about to ask his name when a hail of laser fire shot across the training room below them, bathing the room in a red light as death flew around the room. But amongst all the red death, John could clearly see the Green Lantern that expertly deflected, dodged and evaded the lasers with precision. Three bolts fired from his ring and three turrets were destroyed almost immediately, cutting down on the sheer volume of lasers.
"Whoever this rookie is, he's good," John muttered as green buzz saws bounced around the room and ricocheted off the walls, cutting two more turrets into pieces before the Lantern created a massive, Chinese dragon that crushed the other two beneath the construct's might. "Wait a second, I recognize those dragon constructs. Is that-?"
"SPIKE! Front and center!" The Lantern stopped firing and shot up onto the bridge that rested over his training room, allowing John to get a look at the Lantern while a smile crossed his face. The Lantern was up to John's waist, had green fins that stuck out of his purple head and had modified his suit so that instead of just a uniform, he wore armor as well, similar to Kilowog, but not for a moment did John mistake at whom he was looking.
"Well I'll be damned. It's been a long time, hasn't it, Spike?" The dragon narrowed his eyes with confusion under his mask, before they grew as wide as dinner plates in recognition while a smile crossed his face.
"No way! John! What are you doing here? And why do you look so old?" John couldn't help but laugh as he extended a hand to Spike, who grabbed hold of it with confidence as the two shook.
"Maybe it's because I am old. But look at you. When I first met you, you were nothing more than a rookie who had no idea what he was doing and barely reached my thigh. Now you're in one of the most advanced rooms and nearly up to my chest," John pointed out with a smile. "You really have changed."
"Well, you look exactly the same aside from the gray in your mane, er, hair," Spike replied with a smile as he crossed his arms.
"So, the two of you know each other already? If not, then you're doing laps for a year for speaking to a superior like that," Kilowog joked as he elbowed Spike in the ribs, nearly knocking the dragon over.
"Yeah, I helped save his world a few years back when the Black Lanterns attacked it," John informed Kilowog. "Spike played a huge part in it, though. If it hadn't been for him convincing...whatever her name was...to join us, I'm not sure any of us would have survived. He's a great Lantern, that I can vouch for."
"Well, if you speak so highly of him, then I have no doubt that you've picked your partner?" Kilowog asked, getting a look of confusion from Spike.
"Wait, what does he mean--'partner'?"
"It means we have a mission, Spike, one that I would love to have your help on if you don't mind," John asked.
"Well, I came here for official training. And since I've barely gotten any of that yet, I'm not sure if I should just take off after getting here..."
"Ah, don't worry about it Spike. John here is one of our best," Kilowog vouched as he slapped Spike on the back and nearly knocked him over. "He can train you while you're out in the field. You'll learn faster that way. And it's also Guardians' orders."
"I don't have a choice, do I?" Spike said with a resigned sigh.
'No, you do not, Lantern Spike. The Guardians' orders must be obeyed,' Spike's ring spoke to him.
"Oh yeah, I forgot yours was more vocal than the rest. Come on Spike, let's head to the hangar," John ordered. He said farewell to Kilowog before both he and his new recruit began to head to where the hangar was located. "Alright then, 'rookie', we're going to be taking a ship that you should be familiar with. We're going to be doing a lot of exploring among the stars, so we're going to need the ship."
"Cool, I get to fly the Interceptor? And do you have to call me 'rookie'? I've been at this for seven years now," the dragon pouted with a face.
"Couple of things: No, you're not going to fly the Interceptor. You seem more of a 'Jordan' to me, and if that's the case then odds are you'll crash the thing. And heaven knows if we lose another ship, the Guardians will lose what's left of their hair," John joked. "And of course, I got to call you 'rookie'--that's what you are. You might have a good amount of experience on a single planet, but today marks day one of your intergalactic training and trust me, you're nothing more than a rookie right now."
The two reached the hangar a few moments later, where Spike's eyes went wide when he saw the massive silver and green spacecraft that he had only seen before five years ago. John pointed his ring at it, and the doorway inside opened up while the lights came on and revealed the ship in all its glory.
"Just to make this official, let me introduce you to the Interceptor Mark Twelve, the fastest space traversing ship in all the known cosmos," John proclaimed, waiting for Spike's reaction. Spike's face went from amazement to confusion to curious to confusion once again.
"What's the matter, got a question that you want to ask?" John probed.
"Yeah, actually. This is the Mark Twelve, right? The last one I saw was the Mark Five," Spike pointed out, not noticing the smile spreading on John's face. "Does that mean that the ship was destroyed seven more times in the five years since I saw it last?"
"Yep. And every single one of those crashes was caused by Jordan. He even crashed himself into it once," John said with a laugh before he floated onto the ramp, motioning for Spike to join him. "But don't worry, you're flying with me now and I'm a far more cautious pilot. So come on, rookie, let's go save the galaxy."