MLP: The Fight for Friendship

by sapiking

Crisis on Infinite Equestria

On the streets of Maretropolis...

“Saberspark! Look out!”

The blue-mane, white colored pegasus turned just in time to see a spinning horse-shoe flying through the air, aimed squarely at his head. Saberspark ducked just in the nick of time to avoid the incoming projectile. The horse-shoe flew over his mane and lodged itself into a nearby building. Saberspark quickly scanned around for his attacker, who wasn't very hard to find...

Just several hooves away was a gray-amaranth pony with the mark of three horse-shoes on his flank. He wore a light blue trench-coat complete with razor-sharp horse-shoes attached in rows like ammunition. The pony grinned slyly at Saberspark as the blue-maned hero muttered his assailant's name.

“Captain Horseshoe...”

“In the flesh, Saberspark! And today will be the day I finally get my revenge for all the misery you've put me through in the past.”

“Put you through? I'm not the one who turned to a life of crime!”

“A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do for a living.”

The voice came from above, the blue-maned hero spared a glance upwards knowing who he was going to see. Circling into Saberspark's view was an unshaven, gruff looking pegasus; with a coat of light brown and a black cap on top of his blond mane. It was Skyquake, the villain Saberspark was engaged with before Captain Horseshoe interrupted their fight. He did not have any visible weapons, because Skyquake's hooves were capable of generating tremors and dangerous shock-waves whenever he hits a surface by landing hard on it. Saberspark had barely avoided Skyquake's last attack, and now with Captain Horseshoe added into the mix he was going to have his hooves full. Luckily, he had somepony to watch his flank for him. Or in this case, some gryphon...

Swooping to the pony's side in spectacular fashion, the half-eagle half-lion hero planted his clawed legs next to Saberspark; gray feathers with hints of light blue poking from underneath his black spandex as he posed heroically next to his friend. Black Gryphon always knew how to look good on super hero duty. Though he could get overly confident at times, there was nopony else that Saberspark would have watching his back. If it wasn't for Black Gryphon's warning, Saberspark could very well have a horse-shoe buried in the back of his skull right now. Black Gryphon flexed his wings and pointed a clawed finger at the two villains before addressing them in a dramatically deep and resonating voice.

“The only thing you criminals are going to do is time in jail!”

“Dude, seriously... you had to go there? That was embarrassing!” Saberspark muttered under his breath suppressing the urge to do a facehoof.

“Chill man, relax! Besides, don't all superheroes have catchphrases? We're in the big leagues now which means at some point what we say is going to be the center of media attention, we have to start building our public image.”

“Well I don't want to be known by everypony as the hero with a mouth who died spewing catchphrases.”

“Unless it's an awesome catchphrase!”

“Oh my goodness! I can't believe we're talking about this in the middle of a fi...”

“Watch out!”

Black Gryphon kicked Saberspark with his hind legs away from the trajectory of three incoming horse-shoes while diving for cover himself.

“Sorry to break up this lover's quarrel, but we don't have all day.” Captain Horseshoe smirked as he readied a couple more horse-shoes in his mouth.

“Yeagh! It looks like we're gonna have to break you apart!”

Recovering from his crash into the sidewalk, Saberspark cleared his vision with a shake of his head. And did so just in time to catch sight of Skyquake flying into a position right above Black Gryphon, rubbing his hooves together to generate enough kinetic energy so that when he came down on the hero, there would be a shock-wave strong enough to shatter solid road and bone alike.

Reacting without a second thought, Saberspark lifted his front hooves and aimed squarely at Skyquake. Two beams of energy shoot out in streaks of blue, racing across the air at supersonic speeds. The beams found their mark. Knocked out of the air by the concussive force, Skyquake let out a yell of pain and surprise as he landed hard on the ground. Though Saberspark had saved his friend from trouble, he wasn't out of it himself just yet. Taking advantage of Saberspark's distraction, Captain Horseshoe flung a quartet of horse-shoes at him, determined to end the hero's life. But his actions did not go unnoticed by Black Gryphon. With a swing of his wing, Black Gryphon unleashed a volley steel blades that make up his feathers. The steel projectiles collided with the horseshoes throwing them off course, preventing them from reaching Saberspark. Realizing Captain Horseshoe's attempt at his life, Saberspark launched himself at his would be killer; his wings flapping hard, propelling him straight into the Captain's gut. As they both crash to the floor, Saberspark rolled on top of Captain Horseshoe making sure he couldn't get away. Recovering from his hard landing, Skyquake opened his eyes and found himself laying sprawled out on the street with a smug looking Black Gryphon standing over him with both his wings pointed at Skyquake's face.

“I'd stay down if I were you tough guy.”

Skyquake snorted angrily in retort but he did not try anything, not with rows of metal feathers pointed at his face. He may not be the smartest villain in the business, but he had enough sense in his head to know when to stop pressing his luck. Confident that they had won the fight, Black Gryphon called out to his friend.

“Hey SS! Looks like we got em' all...”

'SHHHHZZZ!'

A ray of freezing condensed air blasted Black Gryphon off of Skyquake. Pinning him to the side of a building and freezing his body and limbs against the wall, leaving only his head free to squirm and struggle.

“Black Gryphon!” was all Saberspark managed to yell out before he too was hit by a blast of freeze ray himself. He was nailed to the wall beside Black Gryphon, unable to move any part of his body from the neck down. As they struggled in vain, a newcomer approached them with an icy smile on his muzzle. Wearing a blue winter coat and protective goggles around his eyes, the unicorn was levitating a freeze gun at head level and pointing it at the two heroes. Captain Horseshoe and Skyquake helped themselves off the ground to join their new comrade.

“Frost Mane...” Saberspark muttered shakily under his breath, cold vapor forming as he exhaled. “Figures that you would show up and back-stab us at the last minute.”

“Oh I didn't just show up Saberspark, I was here the whole time.” Frost Mane waved his gun callously. “You see, my friends here thought they could take you two down by themselves and lured you here by staging a bank robbery. But in the off chance that they were wrong, I was waiting for the opportunity to take a clear shot at both of you.”

“That's right runts, we had everything planned out from the start! Wasn't expecting that now was ya?”

“You three actually managed to-to-to come up with a plan?” scoffed Black Gryphon through chattering teeth. “I'm im-im-impressed...”

“Always the smart mouth aren't you?” Captain Horseshoe whipped out one of his horse-shoes, the sharp edge glinting under the rays of the sun. “Any last words before I shut your beak up permanently?”

“As a m-m-matter of fact, I do... This i-i-is your l-l-last chance to surrender!”

Laughter broke out among the villains as they heard Black Gryphon's idle demand.

“Er... Gryph... I don't think they're taking you seriously...”

Watching the three prepare to finish them off, the two heroes knew they had ran out of options. Things weren't looking too bright for their heroic careers. Frost Mane primed his freeze gun and chose Black Gryphon to be the unfortunate victim of his next shot.

“It's been fun guys. I'd like to say we will miss you after you're gone... but I would be lying.”

Black Gryphon closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable... it never came. Instead, he heard a yelp of astonishment from Frost Mane.

Before Frost Mane could pull the trigger, a line of gold fell past his face. It took him a second to realize that it was part of a rope that had fallen neatly around his body, and tightened like a noose. “...what the hay...” were Frost Mane's last words as he was yanked off the ground. His freeze gun fell clattering on the pavement, his two partners in crime staring at the empty spot where he used to stand. Twisting around to see who was responsible, they were just in time to watch Frost Mane being dangled in the air by the hooves. Surprised by this turn of events as the villains were, Saberspark and Black Gryphon lifted their eyes in the direction of the shrieking Frost Mane and beheld a magnificent sight.

Hovering under the bright rays of the sun was an orange mare, proud in stature. Even though she did not have the wings of a pegasus, she still possessed the ability to fly. The wriggling crook was held up by her lasso while the other end was secured firmly between the grip of her teeth. Her thick yellow mane flowed from her head ending in a ponytail that fluttered ever so slightly at the coaxing breeze. A gold tiara rested on her forehead, glinting under the glow of the sun which illuminated her in a radiant wreath of light as she graced the sky with her majesty.

“It's Wonder Mare!” Captain Horseshoe exclaimed, a tinge of fear in his voice.

“She's so... wonderful...” Saberspark mumbled, raising a curious look from his friend. Black Gryphon could see a dopey look of admiration on his friend's face and smiled to himself in amusement. His attention was grabbed by an authoritative voice talking through gritted teeth.

“You have one chance to stand down... right, now.”

Wonder Mare's commanding voice gave the villains pause. Surrendering seemed like the smart thing to do, and the two of them might have done so if Frost Mane hadn't yelled at them.

“What are you guys waiting for, help me!”

Acting more on instinct than rational thought, Captain Horseshoe flung several of his horse-shoes at the airborne heroine. Unfazed by the incoming horse-shoes, Wonder Mare lifted her hooves and deflected the projectiles effortlessly as they bounced off her metallic bracers. Thinking that he could catch Wonder Mare off guard, Skyquake launched himself into the air ready to use his shock-waves on her. The heroine did not show any signs of avoiding Skyquake's imminent attack. And just as it seemed that Skyquake was about to strike Wonder Mare, she spun around with supernatural speed and kicked out with her hind legs. Her hooves slammed into Skyquake creating a loud boom upon impact that sent the rogue hurtling back to earth. Panic now gripped Captain Horseshoe, both his accomplices had been incapacitated and things didn't look good for the lone criminal. It was either fight or flight at this point. It didn't take him long to make up his mind... flight it was.

As Captain Horseshoe took a single step to flee, Wonder Mare swung her lasso in a semi-circle yanking a screaming Frost Mane through the air before hurling him towards Horseshoe. The ensuing collision resulted in both ponies being knocked out on the pavement. And just like that, the fight was over.

'SMASH!'

By striking the ice casings with her hooves, she released the trapped heroes with little difficulty. Both Saberspark and Black Gryphon were grateful to be free from their icy prison, and thanked their rescuer while rubbing their own bodies for warmth.

“T-thanks Wonder Mare.” Black Gryphon showing his appreciation while flapping the leftover frost off his wings. “I really thought we were done f...”

“I just want to say how much I admire your, er, work! Ms Mare... I mean Wonder Ms! Um...”

Saberspark had pushed Black Gryphon aside interrupting his friend in the middle of his conversation, inciting a look of annoyance from the gryphon. Wonder Mare chuckled softly, amused at their obvious adoration.

“You are welcomed, I'm glad I arrived in time to help. Saberspark and Black Gryphon right? I know of you, you both do good work here in Maretropolis.”

“You heard that? She... Wonder Mare knows who we ar... Ooof!!!” A sharp nudge from Saberspark's elbow to his gut stopped Black Gryphon short.

“We, do what we can for the city. But our efforts can't be compared to all the wondrous feats accomplished by you... I mean... the Justice League.”

“When it comes to the safety of the world, every hoof makes a difference. Your deeds here are no less important than ours. Maybe when the League decides to recruit more into our numbers again, you could come and try out for membership?”

“Maybe I could...”

An awkward silence fell among them as Saberspark stared dreamily at Wonder Mare; who raised an eyebrow in puzzlement as to why the pony in front of her was suddenly struck dumb, while staring into space with a silly look on his muzzle. Standing between them, Black Gryphon's eyes shifted from one to the other. He was figuring out an excuse to save both himself and Saberspark from looking too embarrassing in front of Wonder Mare when the sound of sirens blared in a distance. 'Phew, saved by the boys in blue...' he heaved a sigh of relief.

“Ah, here comes the authorities.” Wonder Mare announced breaking Saberspark from his reverie. “And just in time, I'm running late for an important gathering I need to attend to...”

“You go on right ahead Wonder Mare! We'll make sure these goons are wrapped up nice and cozy for the guys in uniform.”

Black Gryphon gave a wink of assurance to Wonder Mare who nodded back in gratitude.

“Than till' we meet again.”

With a graceful leap she took off into the air. Her amazing speed took her out of sight within moments, but it did not stop the two heroes from continuing to admire her from the ground.

“Well, that was quite an experience.” Black Gryphon cheerfully stated.

“She certainly was...”

Saberspark replied dreamily, earning another look from his friend. Black Gryphon brought the lovestruck pegasus back to reality by using his wing to slap Saberspark on the back.

“Hey Romeo, you can daydream about your girlfriend later. The perps are starting to come around...” a small groan coming out of Skyquake confirmed his words. “...and we don't want them to get away before the cops show up, that would be just sad!”

“Sh... she's not my girlfriend!” Saberspark blushed, his white cheeks turning bright red. “I... just admire her form... I mean skills, er... work! That's all.”

“Hey you don't have hide anything from me bro, I know a love struck stallion when I see one. And because we're such good pals, I'll even be willing to give ya dating advice!”

“Gee... thanks million.”

“Imagine, Saberspark and Wonder Mare! Superhero couple of the century! Together with their best friend and ally Black Gryphon, they are the Trinity! Equestria's greatest heroes!”

“Now who's the one day dreaming? Come on, lets get these lunatics wrapped up for the police.”

Saberspark grabbed Skyquake by the tail and tried dragging him off the road and onto the pavement. The crowd of civilians were already filling up the streets and taking pictures of the aftermath. “Ugh... man this guy weighs a ton!

“Sigh... I know it's a stretch, but it could happen right?” Black Gryphon expressed his thoughts out loud. Despite his outward confidence and easy going nature, on the inside he really did want to be part of the legendary Justice League. “We just have to make sure next time, we do the saving. Instead of being the ones who need to be saved.”

“Heh, like that's going to happen anytime soon. Besides, the title Equestria's greatest heroes has already been taken...”

--------------------------

On a secret space station orbiting Equestria...

The wide glass panel facing out into the cold vastness of space reflected the silhouette of a dark shadowy figure, standing alone on the command deck of the space station. Energy conserving low lights lit the room just so, casting fleeting shadows around the mysterious character; who stood almost motionless in front of a monitor that was broadcasting the news from Trotham City...

“...a crowd is gathering as Trotham's most eligible business mare Rarity Belle, attends the Trotham City Hospital opening which her company had helped fund in it's construction. And there she is, cutting the ribbon with the mayor of the city officially declaring the hospital open to the public. Let's see if we can get a word with Miss Belle...”

“Now mayor, I must simply thank you for joining me here today. It is most auspicious that the Hospital managed to meet the six months opening deadline, thanks to the honest hardworking ponies of Trotham city.”

“Why Miss Rarity Belle, you are too modest . None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for your generous contribution to the hospital's construction. Trotham City is once again in your debt.”

“Oh, hahaha... I don't know about that Mayor, it has always been a practice of the Belle family to invest in the healthcare of this city. I am simply continuing that tradition.”

“And for that the city is grateful... I, am grateful. With these... supervillains and masked heroes popping up everywhere, goodness knows we could use more ponies like yourself Miss Belle.”

“Like myself?”

“Somepony who does the right thing... without hiding behind a mask.”

“Mayor I...”

The conversation between Rarity and the mayor was cut short by a sudden swarm of reporters surging around them and asking questions. The only thing stopping the two mares being mobbed by the reporters were a handful of police officers holding the crowd at bay.

“Excuse me Miss Rarity! Now that the Belle Foundation has the hospital added to it's list of charity works, what will be your next project?”

“Rarity! When will the next artistic creation appear in your Art of the Dress fashion line?”

“Um, er... Miss Rarity Belle and the mayor won't be taking any questions. Thank you.” The police-ponies did their best to escort the mayor and Rarity Belle back inside and keeping anypony from getting too close. As the two mares trotted towards the entrance, a yellow pegasus with minty hair managed to push her way close enough to ask a question that stood out from the cacophony going on.

“Miss Rarity Belle! Everypony knows of your financial involvement with the police force. So what are your thoughts on the Trotham police department cooperating with their former vigilante suspect, the Batmare?”
Rarity stopped right in front of the glass doors and whisked her head around regally. Camera flashes went off in all directions and silence fell on the crowd as everypony eagerly anticipated her answer.

“Oh I have every confidence in our local police department that they will do what is necessary to keep us safe. As for the infamous caped vigilante... well, I don't want to be rude but anypony who dresses up as a giant bat clearly has issues.”

“Can I quote you on that?”

The dark figure turned away from the monitor screen as a pony drifted into the room on wings of lavender. An emblem in the form of a red 'S' stretched across the front of her chest proudly. She landed gently in front of the stoic character with a warm and friendly smile on her face. Her wholesome 'good filly' image a stark contrast in comparison to the pony clad in black; whose serious demeanor remained unchanged.

“I'm surprised you weren't there among the reporters Twilight.” She stated bluntly, ignoring Twilight's playful question. Her voice almost cold and unfeeling. “Didn't Cherry White assigned you to Trotham City recently? You're usually not one to miss out on a story for the Daily Planet.”

“Well... visiting Trotham City was just the official reason.” Twilight hesitantly stated. “I requested for it, and Cherry White agreed to let me go.”

There was a pause, the darkly-dressed pony waited for Twilight to continue as she adjusted some controls beneath the monitor with her unicorn telekinesis. Realizing that Twilight wasn't going to reveal anymore information without a little prodding; and gleaning from Twilight's demeanor, her evasive attitude and nervous tapping of hooves, she knew what was bothering her. Without turning around, she asked Twilight one question.

“This is about that Flash Sentry, isn't it?”

Letting out a tired sigh, Twilight confessed her thoughts.

“I don't know Rarity. It's... confusing being around him. He can be a nice guy, and does say some rather sweet things about me. Like how he constantly talks about how heroic I am, how I am the savior of Maretropolis and that I am a role modal for everypony to look up to. But Flash Sentry is infatuated with Supermare, not Twilight Sparkle. To him, I'm just the nerdy co-worker who takes her job way too seriously. He just sees me as a friend.”

“But the feeling is not mutual.”

“I'm... I'm not sure. It was amusing at first when he had no clue Supermare and Twilight are one in the same. Now it's getting complicated. The other day he poured out his heart to me after that whole ordeal with Sombra. He got so emotional and nearly kissed me if I hadn't stop him in time! Needless to say it was very awkward the next day at work to have him confide in me on how he acted like an idiot towards... well, me...” 'sigh' “With everything that has been going on lately, from Flash Sentry, to the Justice League, and my cousin suddenly appearing back in my life... I just need a little time away from all the drama to clear my head.”

Twilight noticed Rarity's shoulders relax slightly. The cold, brooding hero suddenly gone for a brief moment. And in a rare instance, revealed a side of herself that precious few have ever gotten to see.

“Twilight... if you ever need somepony to talk while you are in Trotham...” Rarity glanced back, and even with the white lenses covering her eyes, Twilight could see she was being sincere. “...the manor doors are always open, for a friend.”

“Thank you Rarity.”

“Not that you ever needed an invitation.” Rarity turned back to her computer, the short lived tenderness replaced by her usual dour self. “With that speed of yours, you could get in almost anywhere you wanted.”

“I don't think Pennyworth would appreciate having me barge in whenever I feel like it.”

It didn't bother Twilight that Rarity often seemed cold and distant. The red cape heroine was well aware of Rarity's tendency to harden her heart from others, even from her friends. Though she shrouds her activities in shadow and mystery, Twilight knew she could trust her friend to pull through when the occasion arises; no matter the circumstances her presence was always welcomed.

A stream of pinkish light streaked across space outside the glass screen, ending the banter between Twilight and Rarity as they observed the mare outside manipulate sections of the space station with what looked like rays solid light.

Swooping around in all directions, the pink mare could be seen giggling to herself occasionally as she adjusted blocks of machinery, some which were the size of a small house. She was wreathed in a blazing pink glow emanating from a ring on her foreleg. The pony gestured with her hooves, and beams of flowed outwards transforming into constructs made out of pure light. Some were of simple, effective designs like pistons and articulate arms; others turned into more complex mechanisms like drills and soldering guns. It seems that anything that she imagined, could be made into reality by the power of her ring. Even as she worked, the pony conjured up headphones around her ears and suspended screens broadcasting channels from the planet to keep her entertained.

“Looks like Lantern is keeping herself busy.”

“I offered to help her while I was on the way in. But Pinkie said she could handle it on her own. Besides, she seems to be having fun.”

“Isn't that always the case.”

“Attention, teleporter activated. Recognizing: Wonder Mare; Recognizing: Rainbow Flash; Recognizing: Aquamare.”

A computerized voice resounded across the room, announcing the presence of the newcomers having arrived on the space station. Rarity switched off the monitor and backed away from the controls she was fussing over.

“Time for the meeting.” A faint glow appeared around her horn and her pointy ears; the hidden communicator inside activating through her telekinetic manipulation. “Lantern, get in. It's time.”

A cheerful voice replied over the comm set.

“Okie, dokie, lokie!”

Minutes later, at Justice League council meeting...

Near the pinnacle of the Justice League Watchtower space station, the core members of the team are seated at their council table in a circle. This is where all the important League issues are discussed; before deciding the best course of action on how to deal with them.

“...I think with the escalating threats rising up everyday, the Justice League could use more ponypower among our ranks.”

“Agreed. There are many heroes now who have decided to risk their lives in order to protect others, but most of them are inexperienced and lack restrain. Having them organized as a team under proper guidance would be a wise decision.”

“Than this brings up the next logical question. How, and who, do we approach. Not all of these heroes will be keen on joining an organization, especially if it means they will have to answer to somepony for their actions. And to the rest of the world, it may seem like we're conscripting ponies into our own personal army. That can cause sensitive political parties to question our motives.”

The team could always rely on Batmare to be the voice of reasoning. Even if her words do often come off as, harsh.

“But we're the good guys!” Pink Lantern protested in a high shrilled voice. Many would view Pinkie's constant optimism as naïve and idealistic, but it is hard to deny that her cheerful nature was almost contagious. “If we explain to everypony that we're not just doing this for our own benefit, I'm sure nopony would have a problem with us looking for more members! After all, who wouldn't want to join our super-duper-awesome team?”

An audible 'squee' sound accompanied Pinkie as she lifted her hooves in the air out of jubilee. Huge pink neon letters appeared above Lantern's head forming the Justice League words and emblem. Albeit a little cartooning with it's big puffy letters and shimmering glitter dancing about. Twilight, who was sitting beside Pinkie, reached out to gently lower her hooves. The light show dissolved back into the power ring, but curbing the wide grin on Lantern's muzzle was out of her hoof.

“I believe what our esteemed colleague is trying to say, is that with the proper steps taken, we can conduct a controlled recruitment without raising any cause for alarm.”

“I'm all for having new members joining us. But whoever joins this team had better be able to live up to my awesomeness!”

Rainbow Flash leaned back in her chair, emphasizing on the last word with a wave of her hoof; somewhat oblivious to the stern glares the other members were giving her.

“I mean, we do have a reputation to keep up! Can't have background ponies weighing us down while we pick up the slack.”

“Aren't you the model of heroic virtue.” Wonder Mare's words laced with sarcasm.

“Hey! Don't hate the player, hate the game.”

“In any case...” Supermare chipped in, determined not to let the usual rivalries between Wonder Mare and Rainbow Flash steer them off topic. “...I believe it is at least worth giving a shot. We can start small, perhaps a group of around four to five? You can't deny the logistic advantage of having a few extra hooves as backup in case of an emergency.”

“Fine... it's your call anyway.”

“It's your space station.” Twilight responded amiably, without any malice in her voice.

“Alright, so spooky here isn't objecting to the idea, but are we gonna let ponies start coming up to the Watchtower? This place isn't exactly the local book club ya know.”

The Justice League Watchtower was a secret that the heroes did not make publicly known to the rest of the world. Not only was it important for them to be able to operate in a location away from the vendetta of villains, but also to avoid scrutiny from any government body. After all, knowledge of a weaponized space station orbiting the planet isn't likely to sit well with global leaders. Especially one that's not under their control. The League decided it would be best if the Watchtower remained anonymous for now.

However, the space station wasn't their only option as Wonder Mare offered an alternate suggestion to Rainbow Flash's query.

“Perhaps... we can hold our recruitment in the Hall of Justice? So far we have only used it to serve as a superficial cover to the world while we sit up here in the heavens like the gods. Maybe it's time for a change of environment.”

“That is a great idea Applejack! That way we don't have to reveal the Watchtower to anypony before they become part of the League! And we have been underusing the Hall of Justice. With a little renovating and brushing up, I'm sure it can be converted into a secondary base.”

“Besides, Cyborg spends almost all of her time stationed there, I'm sure she'll appreciate the company.” A gentle voice entered the conversation. Aquamare had been a silent participant in most of the topics the League discussed that evening. Only very rarely does she voice out her thoughts and opinions on a matter without being asked directly. Yet her docile demeanor belies the bright orange and green garb that bear the hallmark of Atlantean heritage, a once thought mythical race of ponies that have thrived under the seas. A golden trident that leaned at her side was a symbol of Aquamare's royal status as queen of Atlantis, the underwater city of her people the mer-ponies. Her activities as a hero among the surface dwellers is an attempt to strengthen and reassure relations between both the surfacers, and Atlantis.

“Alright, Cyborg! That girl spends way too much time being the pony-internet-router all alone down there. Awesome ponies like her and I should be spending more time together kicking bad-guy-flanks!”

“Then it is settled, I'll inform Cyborg of our decision. She can start planning out the necessary modifications to the Hall while searching and listing out potential candidates.”

“New members welcome party!” screamed Pinkie Pie, popping glowing confetti into the air with a blow of her construct trumpet.
“I might have a few recommendations. There are a couple of colts who show great promise and are eager to be part of something bigger.”

“I'm afraid the details will have to wait. For now, I have something to show everypony.”
Motioning her hoof to the center of the seated council, Batmare brought their attention to a holographic projection that expanded above the Justice League logo on the table. A faint glow surrounded her exposed horn as she used telekinesis to operate the computer. The image displayed showed numerous readings and flashing highlights across the screen, indicated activity within a section of space that was numbered: zero, zero, three, eight.

Mouth agape, Pinkie stood up exclaiming in alarm.

“Is that where I think it is?”

“Yes Lantern... Apokolips...”

Sounds of faint beeping from the electronic components in the room magnified a hundred fold as dead silence befell all the ponies present; any news that had to do with the planet Apokolips usually doesn't bode well for the galaxy at large. After several seconds passed that felt more like half an hour, Wonder Mare pointed to anomalies that stood out among the rest of the data on the hologram.

“What is that? The signature looks familiar.”

“Boom Tubes...” a steely tone underlining Supermare's voice.

“Not quite. When the Watchtower sensors picked up the signal three hours ago, that was my original assumption. However after running through some data analysis, it's confirmed these aren't regular Boom Tubes residue.”

“Than what the hay are they? No way they can mean anything other than bad news!”

“I crossed referenced the signal with the feedback the tubes are generating. The standard function of Boom Tubes is to overlap across space thus creating a wormhole that connects two points in space, allowing access between them without having to travel vast distances. These Boom Tubes however, have been modified. To put it simply, instead of opening a door and entering in another room, you open into the same room that you are in. Except it is already occupied by another version of you.”

“In other words, these Boom Tubes open to an alternate universe?”

“Parallel dimension, to be exact. Which would explain why galactic entities like the Green Lantern Corp haven't responded to these activities, policing other dimensions isn't exactly within their jurisdiction. To make matters more complicated, each tube is a gateway to a separate parallel universe. And without investigating them all individually, it's impossible to know exactly what they are trying to accomplish on the other sides.”

“That's insane!” Rainbow Flash slammed the council table furiously. “We have to stop this! There can only be one guy behind this and we all know his obsession with finding that stupid anti-whatcha-ma-callit for whatever dumb reason he has!”

“Anti-life-equation... he believes it can give him the power to wipe the galaxy clean and remake it in his own image.”

“See? What did I say... Insane!”

“To think he would go so far as to invade other dimensions.” Aquamare muttered. “Imagine the horror he will cause...”

“There is more.”

By adjusting the controls, Batmare zoomed in closer on the cluster of energy residue. Focusing on one that has fluctuating data surrounding it.

“This particular tube has recently seen increased activity. Judging by the positioning of the massive spaceship armada, whatever his plans are they seem to be accumulating here.”

“Than we go over there and shut him down! If we act fast, we can stop whatever he's planning before it gets worse.”

“Hold on. Rushing into a sector of space that has entire fleets of spaceships stationed there is suicide. And we cannot ignore the possibility that this could very well be a trap.”

“But what if it isn't a trap? What if there is something really, really, really bad going on and we didn't stop it in time before that bad thing happens, than everypony in every sector will be in big trouble and it will be all our fault?” Pinkie questioned earnestly. “But... if it really is a trap, we can be prepared for it! So when we arrive there they will think that they have a surprise for us but in fact they are the ones who will be surprised by our surprise because unlike their surprise they won't be expecting our surprise!”

Taking a deep breath, Pinkie grinned widely, making a 'squeeing' noise.

“Uh, what Lantern said.” With a flap of her wings Flash was airborne, hovering over her colleagues. “So lets do this! We strike fast, and we strike hard, they'll never know what hit them!”

“I can't believe we're having this discussion. Of course we are going!”

“Applejack is right, trap or not, we're heroes. We can't just sit idly by and wait while ponies suffer the consequences. It is our responsibility to protect those who can't protect themselves.”

“We won't be protecting anypony if we rush in head first. We need a plan.”

“Fair enough. I assume you have one already?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Batmare points to the aforementioned tube residue on the screen. “Instead of engaging in a direct confrontation with their full force here, we counter their plans on the other side, in this parallel universe.”

“What? Can we do that?”

“The Zeta Beams we use for our teleportation platform system can be reconfigured to act as a dimensional doorway.”

“And since when were you working on a inter-dimensional teleporter?”

“I have been experimenting with the Motherbox computer we salvaged since the last invasion on Equestria by Apokolips. It was inevitable that another global threat would occur in the future, so I took the precaution of studying their tech in preparation.”

“Of course you did...” Rainbow crossed her hooves as-a-matter-of-fact-ly.

“Um... how long will it take to convert the teleporter? I mean, it's not going to take days right?”

“It should take no more than two hours. That's enough time for everypony to prepare before the mission.”

“Alright, you heard the mare. Everypony do what you have to do. We assemble back at the Watchtower in two hours...”

--------------------------

It didn't take Pinkie long to reach her apartment. She slipped in through the window stealthily, making sure she hadn't been seen by anypony; least of all by Mr. and Mrs. Cake who ran the sweet shop at the base of the building. It was there where Pinkie worked as their assistant in her normal pony life. Although having grown close with Pinkie, they were unaware of her heroic activities outside of her working life with them in the shop. And she preferred that it stayed that way.

Pink tendril constructs closed the curtains before returning to her ring. Pinkie settled down in the middle of her living room and after a quick inspection, satisfied that everything was exactly the way she left it. She walked up to a dressing table that had a pile of stuffed toys, party horns and confetti strewn across it. Lifting her right hoof, Pinkie pressed her ring against the mirror. With a low hum the dressing table split in half, each side moving away from the center to reveal a secret compartment. And inside was a pink lantern shaped object; a Pink Lantern Power Battery.

If Justice League were going into another universe, Pinkie knew that she had to be fully prepared for the challenge ahead. And that meant a fully charged power ring. The pink mare pressed her hoof into the side of the lantern battery, connecting the ring with it's core. A gentle glow emitted from the device that steadily grew into a brilliant light as she uttered the oath of her corp.

“In saddest day, in bleakest night. The hope of joy will always shine bright. Let those who live in dread and fright... Hear my laughter... Pink Lantern's light!”

Power surged throughout her body enveloping Pinkie in a fiery blaze of light. And in a pinkish streak, Lantern flew out the window with construct appendages rearranging the room and closing the window behind her while she exited. Nopony was the wiser that a superhero was living among them in their little community.

Skyscrapers towered high above the city's landscape; on the streets below ponies went about their daily lives, each minding their own business. A group of little fillies and colts were having a field trip to the local park with their teacher, a cerise colored mare who was explaining the importance of flora to her students when one of them noticed something soaring across the skies and looked up. His jaw dropped at the sight before allowing excitement to overcome him.

“Look guys! Look Miss Cheerilee! It's Pink Lantern!”

Loud squeals and shrieks rang throughout the park from delighted fillies and colts as they realized that it really was Pink Lantern. And their teacher did nothing to stop them because she was admiring the hero herself. Soon, everypony in the vicinity turned their gaze upwards to witness this little interruption of their daily routine. And though super powered ponies appearing in public has been something that the citizens have grown accustomed to, it was still a sight to behold as one of them makes a spectacular flyby on occasion; case proven the many gasps of awe and wonder.

Just when it seemed Lantern was disappearing off into the sky she made a hundred degree flip backwards towards the ground, flying straight for the park. The closer she got the more ponies wondered whether she was going to hit the ground muzzle first. Twenty hooves above their heads, Lantern exploded into a flash of bright pink light. When the flare cleared, there were numerous constructs floating around the park of different shapes and sizes. Balloons, pinatas, slinkies, bouncing bubbles, and all other sort of party novelties brought out gasps from the crowd and joyful squeals from the young colts and fillies. Pinkie waved to the cheering crowd and left them to enjoy the constructs she created. Everypony waved back until the Lantern was out of their sight, then they went back to marveling her handiwork. The adults soon returned to their normal activities while the youngsters continued to enjoy playing with the light constructs.

“Okay my little ponies, that would be enough for today. It's time to head back to school.”

“Aww... but we haven't even started to with all this stuff Pink Lantern left behind!”

“Can we play just a little longer Miss Cheerilee? Please?

Two dozen beady eyes stared at Miss Cheerilee with such hope and longing their teacher chuckled affectionately before nodding in agreement.

“Oh, okay. Just a little longer.”

--------------------------

Back on the Watchtower...

“Are you sure about this?”

“Almost certainly. That would explain his interest in this particular reality, and the extent he went through of shielding his actions from the rest of the universe.”

“Shielding what from the universe?” Rainbow Dash said as she entered the room at subsonic speed creating a gust of wind blowing both Supermare and Batmare's cape in the breeze. The rest of the Justice League were already present before Rainbow had arrived. Wonder Mare shook her head disappointingly at Rainbow for her usual tardiness despite being the fastest pony alive, but the pegasus didn't notice her displeasure and remained oblivious to the disapproving stares she got.

“Our objective.” Batmare clarified herself while straightening her cape. “As we've learned before, alternate dimensions spread out across the multiverse in an infinite number of worlds. However, like branches hanging off a tree, there has to be a single source for the rest to exist. And after a little more researching by Supermare and I, we suspect that the reason why the forces of Apokolips are converging on this parallel dimension is that this could be that source, I call it, Equestria Prime.”

“For the record, I wanted to go with Alpha Equestria.” Pinkie waved a hoof around suggesting her idea could still be used, but conceded to the majority who chose otherwise.

“Right, fate of the universe is at hoof. Odds are stacked against us. We may never come back once we step through that teleporter... sounds like just another day for the Justice League to me.” Flash clapped her front hooves together in enthusiasm.

“Thankfully, Cyborg will be monitoring from the Hall to ensure the Zeta teleporter remains operational. Or should we call it dimensional jumper now? Um, I guess it doesn't really matter as long as it works right? Oh dear, I hope they won't malfunction right before we need to return...”

Rambling off with her sentences was a sign that Aquamare's fidgety nature started to kick in. Despite being a ruler of an entire nation under the seas she wasn't always part of that world. Her early life on the surface had shaped her into a timid and reclusive pony. Even after having to accustom herself to Atlantean nobility and being able to present herself in public to address the people, her subservient personality can manifest from time to time; which in extreme circumstances have been known to incapacitate her. An orange hoof wrapped around Aquamare's neck offering comfort. She stopped rambling and looked at Wonder Mare who was smiling reassuringly.

“We will overcome what lies ahead the same way as we always have... together.”

Aquamare smiled back, her confidence returning. She took a deep breath and nodded, signaling that she was okay. Seeing her team prepared to face the challenge before them, Supermare decided that it was time to proceed with their plan.

“Alright, now that everypony is up to speed, let's not delay any longer. Batmare, ready when you are.”

Upon Supermare's confirmation, Batmare opened her comlink.

“Cyborg, we're going in.”

Whirring sounds indicated that the now converted teleporter had started up. The circular gateway lit up as the interconnecting plates gathered up speed, multiple layers spinning clockwise and anti-clockwise. At the center of the gate reality seemed to bend and warp out of place, distorting the clear view of the hull of the Watchtower right behind the device. The low hum emitting from the machine built up to a defeaning crescendo. And with a sudden 'Boom' the empty space in the middle exploded in a burst of swirling light. The inter-dimensional portal was now active. In excitement, Lantern took one step forward before Batmare extended a hoof to block her.

“A moment. I am triangulating the exact coordinates for the best possible location for us to arrive at.”

“Yeah, wouldn't want to teleport straight into the heart of a volcano. That would be uncool.”

“Here...” Batmare pointed on her holographic map display of the location. “...that's our exit spot.”
The swirling pool of energy cleared in the middle to reveal a glimpse of the world before them. It looked like a dark forest with a heavy, permanent shadow blanketing the land. And pass some of the trees, there seemed to be some sort of commotion in a small clearing.

“And it seems like we're just in time...”

--------------------------

The Everfree Forest...

The earth shattering roar of the timberwolf shook Zecora to her soul. She fully expected her end to come when a thunderous 'Boom' behind the timberwolf caught both it, and her attention. As the wooden beast turned around to face this new potential threat, Zecora peered between it's legs the best she could; what she saw almost made her jaw dropped. Appearing from a large circle of twirling energies were six figures whom were unmistakeably Princess Twilight and her friends, albeit dressed in some rather strange outfits. The bright circle evaporated behind them and the group stood there in the middle of the forest assessing the situation. The timberwolf that initially chased Zecora had reunited with it's partner, and now both of them inspect the little group with hunger in their eyes.

Without warning, the two timberwolves charged the ponies from two sides, howling with ferocity determined not to let their new found prey escape from their clutches. But unfortunately for them, these were not their typical everyday ponies.

Thinking they had their victims cornered for sure, the timberwolves lunged towards the ponies determined to disembowel them. With lightning fast reaction Supermare flew off the ground and delivered a mighty uppercut to the wolf sending it crashing into the trees. The second timberwolf barely had any time to comprehend what was going on before it felt the full brunt of Wonder Mare's hind legs to the chest. It too ended up crashing through trees and foliage before landing roughly on top of the previous timberwolf. Shocked speechless by the destruction of the environment around her, Zecora didn't even notice Rainbow Flash had zipped past the action and was yelling in her face trying to get her attention.

“Hey! Vixen? Is that you? You alright?”

Zecora finally managed to focus on Flash and slowly started to regain her senses.

“I... I am fine, but this Vixen name... it is not mine.”

“Well you sure look like Vixen. But you definitely don't sound like her. I guess that's alternate dimensions for ya.”

“From what what I see, you look and sound like Rainbow Dash...” The rest of the League reached the two mares while Lantern flew overhead to lock the beasts in a cage construct. “...but it seems to me, I may have judged too fast.”

“Oooh, she rhymes!”

“Whoever you think we may be, that's not us. We are not from your world, but one that parallels your own... though with how many differences is yet to be determined.” Batmare calmly explained to Zecora who, all things considered, took the news rather well.

“Oh my...” Zecora looked at each of them, confounded by their eerily identical resemblance to her friends. “I do not think you lie. But tell me please, and I do not mean to be rude, have you come to cause harm, or to do good?”

Supermare offered Zecora a hoof to help her up, and with a friendly beam on her face reassured the cautious zebra.

“To do good.” Supermare said gently as she help Zecora to her hooves. “But I'm afraid we bring dire news to your world. Is there any authority or government we can speak to? We fear everypony here could be in grave danger.”

Sensing the earnest tone of her voice, Zecora looked at Supermare and her group with a million thoughts racing through her head.

“If you truly wish to help our world, than first I need you to bring me to this girl. She is our princess and she with her friends must be now be sought, for I fear that their time is short.”

A monstrous roar grabbed their attention and it echoed throughout the forest sending many birds and animals scattering away from the source. The sound seemed like it came from behind the group of ponies, and it sounded near. Supermare turned to Zecora with urgency in her voice.

“Tell us everything...”

--------------------------

Author's Note:

It's been far too long. I'd like to give a shout out to Kathleen who has become a recent supporter of mine. And if it wasn't for her constant support and encouragement, I might never have been able to get back on the writing wagon again.

And if anyone else is still reading my fic, I thank you sincerely for not giving up on me. Hope to see you guys in the next chapter soon!