With horror flooding her veins, Sweetie Belle floated away from the mechanical dragon that floated towards her, a smile on its face that was far more menacing than anything Spike could have ever made. "What is the matter, girl? I thought you wanted me to...how did you phrase it...come at you?"
"N-no, it can't be. That's...that's not," she whispered in agony while she continued to back away, her rage having been completely extinguished by the turn of events.
"You are correct in your unfinished statement. This is not the dragon that you knew and loved. This is only what remained of him, what I transformed into one of my own," Brainiac explained through Spike's lips with a menacing smile upon his face. "But I will admit that this one is slightly different from the others that have crafted. I am certain of that. But whatever the difference is, he...or shall I say it, still serves my every command. So if I were to order it to kill you," Brainiac stated, and a moment later the dragon lunged forward and wrapped its claws around Sweetie's throat, starting to choke her out as it did so, "then that is exactly what it will do."
The mechanical dragon hurled Sweetie Belle towards the Interceptor with incredible strength, hurling her right past John and the other mechanical Lanterns before she meteored into the top of the ship. Sweetie coughed up some plasma weakly as the dragon floated down in front of her, the smile having been replaced by the emotionless blank stare that Brainiac wore well.
"Where did all that bravado go, Sweetie Belle? A moment ago you were ready to kill me without mercy. Now, it looks as if you can barely stand." Brainiac's assessment proved true, because Sweetie was struggling just to pick herself up without breaking down. She glanced over at the mechanical dragon while desperately trying to ignite her fire once again.
"It's not him. It's just a puppet that you created," Sweetie grunted as she pushed herself up, trying to convince herself. "You...murdered him. Disgraced his last act. I'll...I'll kill you for that!" she bellowed with as much fury as she could muster, before hurling herself at the machine in a flash of red light. Yet, only a smirk crossed the face of the dragon before it spun and whipped Sweetie across the face with its tail, sending her face first into the metal roof of the ship.
"If you do not even believe your own words, then how do you expect to summon the hatred required to destroy this body?" Brainiac asked as Sweetie's red light died down to a more burnt maroon, watching with cold eyes as she pushed herself up once again. "Unless of course, you can't bring yourself to destroy what used to be the one you loved."
"Damn you!" Sweetie bellowed as she lunged at the dragon, who slammed his metal fist into her face and sent her skidding across the hull of the ship. She spat out a small amount of plasma while pain throbbed in her skull, yet the pain she felt on the outside was nothing compared to the agony she was feeling on the inside. The mechanical dragon was at her side in an instant and grabbed her by the back of her head, slamming her nose first into the ship's roof and drawing even more plasma.
"What is the matter, Sweetie Belle? Where is that hatred of yours?" Brainiac asked as he grabbed her mane and pulled her to her hooves, slamming the dragon's fist into her face and snapping her head back. "Where is the fury that ripped through my Manhunters? That tore apart my machines? The hatred that burned through even my armor?" For a brief moment, that rage flashed in her eyes once again, but when she looked into the face of the dragon, it faded away and pain took its place.
"How pathetic. Your only hope to save yourself, and you can't even get angry. Then again, your hope died when you surrendered to the rage, and even that has left you. So then, Sweetie Belle," Brainiac began as the dragon's razor sharp claws were brought back and aimed at her throat, where the red ring barely had enough power to shield her. "Anything to say before you die?"
"I'm sorry, Spike. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you...that I couldn't save you," Sweetie whispered as tears began to streak down her face. "If you're in there, and able to hear me...I love you. I always will."
'Love.'
"GAAAHHHH!" Sweetie roared in agony as it felt like her heart was ripped out of her chest, causing confusion to flash across the dragon's face while she clutched at her heart in pain. In a flash, Brainiac went through all of his knowledge on the Lantern rings and a smile crossed the dragon's face when he discovered what was happening to her.
"Is this not ironic? Yes, this is far better than the last time I had you like this," the dragon muttered before releasing Sweetie and dropping her onto the roof of the ship, where she writhed in pain. "Yes, a Red Lantern's ring replaces the heart of its host with hate, doesn't it? So if a Red Lantern were to feel any other emotion, especially love, then the result is quite fatal." The Brainiac-controlled dragon then knelt down next to the screaming Belle, who was barely conscious enough to glare at him through her tears.
"Ironic. The reason this body's previous inhabitant gave his life for you was because it was an act of love," Brainiac reminded Sweetie as she started to gag, clutching at her throat while her vision began to dim. "And now, because you chose hatred, that very same emotion that caused Spike to give his life will be the one that takes yours. Even I can taste the irony in that. Farewell, Lantern Belle."
"SWEETIE!" The dragon turned just in time to receive a green boot to the face that hurtled him away from the mare. The dragon caught itself quickly a moment later and turned to see that its attacker was none other than Lantern Stewart, who was desperately pressing down on Sweetie's chest in an effort to get her heart started again. "No, no dammit! I won't lose the both of you!"
"Indeed you will, Lantern Stewart," the dragon said in Brainiac's voice as it floated over to John, whose suit was ripped in numerous places and his face was bloodied, yet he only gave what used to be his comrade a glance before turning his focus back to Sweetie. The dragon delivered a sharp kick into John's gut to knock him away from the dying mare, rolling him onto his back where Brainiac stomped down with a clawed foot.
"Brainiac, you bastard, I swear I'll-!"
"You will what, Lantern Stewart?" Brainiac asked as he slammed his foot into John's chest, getting a growl of pain from the Lantern. "You cannot stop me. The Red Lantern home world is already mine. You are trapped out here by yourself, with no one to come to your aid. Sinestro believes himself and his Lanterns safe on Korugar. And the other Lantern that you swore to protect lies dying in the icy cold of space with her heart stopped, an action caused by her own love. There is nothing you can do, Lantern Stewart. You have no hope."
"I see. Then allow me to provide some."
Brainiac's head snapped up just in time to see a wave of blue energy slam into him, knocking him off of John. The blue light also had the added effect of erasing the effects of the Red Lantern's ring, allowing Sweetie to start breathing again while her heart started pumping, and the ring of rage fell off her horn. John groaned as he pushed himself up to see a figure kneeling next to Sweetie, making sure that she was alright before reaching down and grabbing hold of the red ring. He then picked the mare up in his arms before standing up and turning towards John, allowing the Green Lantern to get a better look at his savior.
He wore a blue cloak that covered nearly all of his body except for his arms and legs, allowing John to see that a sapphire colored armor was worn on his forearm and legs. Strange blue symbols that were always moving covered his cloak, making John believe that the figure was moving even when he wasn't. Finally, there was the large hood that masked the figure's face, yet John didn't need to see the being's face to know that he was a Blue Lantern.
"I am glad that I arrived when I did. This little one would not have lasted much longer," the Lantern said as he looked down at the unconscious, but now breathing, Sweetie Belle before offering her to John, who took her into his arms with a look at the Lantern. "I assume that you have many questions for me, but let us wait until we are somewhere safe before you decide to ask them. Now please, enter into your ship."
John wasn't sure who the Lantern speaking to him was, but the urgency in his voice--plus the fact that he had just saved both of their lives--convinced John that he should listen to the being. As John took the unconscious Sweetie and flew her into the ship, the cloaked Lantern turned to face the mechanical dragon, who was now shining with a much brighter light than before.
"You were a fool to face me alone, Blue Lantern," Brainiac spoke as he prepared to kill the Lantern before him. "You should know better than anyone, what a Blue Lantern's light does to one who is powered by the light of the green, as this body is."
"Indeed machine, it is as you say. If I were to fight you, I would have little to no hope of defeating you, especially since you are right in saying that my light makes you stronger," the hooded Lantern said with no animosity while he placed the palms of his hands together and started to create a brilliant blue light. "However, I have no intention of fighting you, not now anyway. There are more important matters to attend to at the moment. Until we meet again."
Brainiac realized what the Blue Lantern was going to do a second too late, and right as he lunged forward, a blinding flash of blue light went off, blinding the machine for a moment. When Brainiac could see again, he found to his of frustration that both the Blue Lantern and his ship were gone, leaving the mechanical dragon alone in space.
|)O(|
John let out a sigh of relief after his ring informed him that the resting Sweetie Belle was going to make it, allowing him to finally take his eyes off of her and turn to the Blue Lantern, who had just flown into the ship. The Lantern held up a hand before John could ask him a question, proceeding to float over to Sweetie Belle and gently place a hand on her head.
"Thanks...whoever you are," John said, once the Blue Lantern had removed his hand and turned to face John, his face still hidden beneath the hood. "If you hadn't shown up when you did, Sweetie and I would have had no hope of getting out of there alive," John admitted. "And although I don't know how you did it, you managed to teleport the both of us--and the entire ship--out of the clutches of Brainiac. Hope that makes you a good guy."
"There is always hope, Lantern Stewart, but most are so caught up in their pain and suffering that they do not see it, such as yourself," the Blue Lantern explained with a nod to Stewart, who decided to shrug the Lantern's words off. "But I too am glad I arrived when I did. A few moments later, and one of the few bearers of hope would have been lost to the reaper."
"About that: I thought that all the Blue Lanterns were on Oa and on guard, in case Brainiac decided to show his ugly mug there," John questioned the Blue Lantern, who stared out a window for a moment at a nearby planet that was desolate, even from space. "So why were you out there all by yourself?"
"You are right in saying that all of the Blue Lanterns with Saint Walker did go to Oa, but I was not among them," the Blue Lantern spoke, clarifying a bit for John who he was.
"I see. You're the other Blue Lantern that Saint Walker mentioned to me, the one that was off in the field," John remembered, getting a nod from the hooded figure. "And that means that you found us because you too were hunting Brainiac."
"Not exactly. While I was indeed searching for the one that was responsible for the missing Lanterns, what drew me to you was Sister Belle," he explained while looking back at the sleeping pony. "When a person or being's hope dies, we Blue Lanterns can sense the death and will fly off to find who is in need of our aid. And when the one who loses their hope is one of our own Corps, then we take care to try and aid them immediately."
"However, it has not been easy to track you, as your ship is much faster than me and constantly was gone before I could arrive," he continued while assuming a meditative pose, placing his hands on his knees. "The only reason I managed to find you this time is because I too intercepted the Red Lanterns message and found the location of where Brainiac set up his ambush. By the way, the Yellow Lantern is alive. My ring managed to save his life. He is resting in your room."
"Well, at least something good came out of this," John muttered with relief before sitting down and sighing heavily. A realization then came to John and he flashed a curious look at the Blue Lantern. "Wait, I thought that only Red Lanterns were able to hear orders from the home world? How did you pick up on it?"
"It matters not. All that matters now is that I help this one restore what was lost to her," the Blue Lantern avoided as he ceased to meditate and floated over to Sweetie, where he lifted the unconscious one up before turning to Stewart with a nod. "I know that you are wary of me, but I hope that I will be able to earn your trust. But before I can do that, I must help Sister Belle."
"So, where are you going?" John asked with crossed arms. The Lantern nodded to the planet outside of the ship before turning and casting his blue aura over Sweetie Belle as well as himself. John looked to the planet before looking to the Lantern, a vague idea coming to him. "What planet is that?"
"That is my home world. A place that I have not been to in some time," the Blue Lantern clarified as his light began to glow bright. "It is a place that I rarely bring outsiders to, but in Sweetie Belle's case I will make an exception. I know that you have reserves about me taking her alone, but I hope that we will not be gone for long. However, if you do not trust me, you may come with us if you wish, as long as you do not interfere."
John thought about his answer for a long minute before he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "No, after you saved us, I guess I have no choice but to trust you. Plus, I've never met a Blue Lantern that I didn't like. But before you go, let me ask. Just what are you planning to do down there with her?"
"She has been wounded grievously, not only her flesh but also in her soul," the Blue Lantern explained as his light grew to the point where John could no longer look directly at him. "And the wounds of the soul can take the longest time to heal. What I am going to try to do is aid her in a way that was not offered to me when I was in such a state. I will help ease her pain and try to remind her what made her so strong in the first place. I do not know if it will work, but I have hope."
As he said this, the Blue Lantern vanished in a flash of light, leaving John alone on the Interceptor with both worry about what was going to happen...and hints of hope that the Blue Lantern would be able to help Sweetie with her pain. He then let out a tired sigh as he stood up and walked over to his room, knowing that he needed to check up on Se'rokal.