//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: My Little Lantern: Friendship is Colorful // by enigmaMystere //------------------------------// The Upper Atmosphere of Planet Equus "Alright, we're starting to get close." Hal Jordan looked back at the others from where he sits in the pilot seat. "Anything else you girls would like to share with us?" "No," Rainbow raised her hoof, "but I do have a question." "Oh?" He glanced at her curiously. "And what would that be?" Celestia spoke up next, her smile wan. "Can you tell us if it hurts to transform?" It took a moment for her words to register, and by the time he looks at his hand his fingers have started shrinking. "...I somehow forgot about that." Ponyville Marketplace If you'd asked Vinyl Scratch what she thought her day would entail, she would've said something along the lines of sleep, beer, and partying the night away, as one is wont to do when they have a day off. What she didn't expect was to find herself in the midst of a melee with multicolor lights blasting around her. Cautiously peeking over the toppled table she finds herself behind, barely having the presence of mind to push her shades back up, she beheld the spectacle before her. "If you flee again, I won't be held responsible for the ponies in this place!" The one that looked like Rarity with Sweetie's hair spoke up, the light making them clear to her behind her lenses. "Fine! Then I won't run!" The dragon landed on the ground, glancing at his hand and muttering to himself. "Just like Radience... concentrate..." He took a measured breath and puts up a shield, blocking a bright pink hammer. "...seriously? You couldn't wait?" "You talk like this is a fair fight." She sneered in return, poking him in the chest with a blade. "But everyone knows love is stronger than will." "If you're consumed by it, yes." Spike, as that is undoubtedly who this is, frowned, his claws clenching into fists. "But if you have the will, you can save others who are consumed in their own desires. You just..." He sighed, holding a hand out to her. "...have to be there for them." Her mouth fell open at this action, her hooves wavering and her eyes watery, the pink fading from them. "Y-you mean...?" "SPIKE!" They both jumped at the shout, turning to look at the two ponies rushing towards them. Spike was the first to speak. "Scootaloo? You're flying!" She blinked. "I am?" She glanced down and immediately started flailing about at the height she's at. "Holy- I am!" "Enough 'bout that!" Apple Bloom skidded to a halt between the two light bearers, holding a hoof out to the aged-up unicorn. "Sweetie! Ya gotta stop this!" "How many times do I have to say it?" Her hoof lit up, and she pointed it right at the earth pony. "I'm Star Sapphire!" The farm pony's eyes widened in shock as a pink train starts speeding towards her. She closed her eyes and holds up her hooves in an attempt to protect herself, feeling an itching sensation from the middle of her back as she does so. She flinched at the crash, could feel herself get pushed back from the force, but didn't feel any pain, much to her confusion. An orange eye peeked open, seeing a few things that made her question her sanity. A shield was up in front of her face. Her body was in a bucket, much like her sister used for catching apples but green. And her forelegs were connected to that shield in front of her. She blinked as the shield retracted into the blue armor now surrounding her, and she got up unsteadily. "What jus' happened?" The beetle on her back answered, two antennae-like appendages beside her head flickering as it does so. "That was you? What else can you do?" A strange barrel-shaped object popped out of an antenna. Before she could question it, it let loose something yellow that struck Sweetie in the chest and sent her flying. The beetle then beeped at her. "...so... a blaster? Like Pinkie's party cannon?" Another beep. "Cool." "Aw, come on! Surely I can do more than fly!" There's an awkward silence, and Spike opened his mouth to speak up when Scootaloo cuts him off. "No, I don't think making a mustache would help." The dragon scrunches his nose a bit. "I wasn't going to say that!" "Quiet!" She snaps at him, then grimaces, tilts her head up slightly, then sighs and gestures to him. "Fine. I'm sorry. It's hard having two voices talking to me at once." Apple Bloom frowned, putting up another shield to protect herself. "But he was the only one speaking." "No, there's also Twilight." She taps her head. "In here." She suddenly turns, groaning. "Yes, I know how stupid that sounds! Help me to prove to them it's true!" Her body suddenly glowed, and she's left wearing a purple outfit the color of Twilight's mane and a headpiece and goggles. Spike's jaw fell open. "W-what? Masked Matter-Horn?" Scootaloo tilted her head, then scrunched up her face in confusion. "Radiance, you have my permission to date Humdrum?" His cheeks promptly flushed in embarrassment. "...please don't quote my fanfic, anymore." He yelped when a spear launched past him, barely missing his nose. "Okay, Twi, do you have any spells that can help us out, here? Please?!" There's a moment of silence. "...really? Huh. Well, we have to get it out of her, first." "Get what out?" Spike asks, confused. "The crystal in her chest." Apple Bloom responds, darting forward and holding a hoof to her side. "Give me a weapon, bug!" Beep. "Scarab, then!" Her hoof seems to extend into a blade, and a jet pack forms on her back, launching her forwards to fight Sweetie in the air above them. "...you know, if I wasn't able to fly, I'd be jealous." Scootaloo shrugs and picks up a rake, changing it into a spear and charging in beside the farmer. The two of them swung their weapons at the filly in the pink spandex, each of them desperate to save their friend. However, in doing so, their weapons clacked against each other and Star Sapphire gets in the hits that they keep fumbling. Bear claws, mike stands, even a rodent or two were used as light-based weapons against the two would-be superheroes. The ground and surrounding buildings gather more and more damage as the fight drags on. The third time they're knocked away, they stayed on the ground, panting heavily and with bruises on their bodies. "This isn't... working," Scootaloo panted out. "Well, what're we supposed to do 'bout it?" Apple Bloom retorted, staring at the broken section of what used to be a blaster. "I don't... know." "Well I do." A large dragon's claw ripped the weapon right out of the pegasus' grasp. "You lose." With that, she stabbed it into Scootaloo's leg, making the filly scream out in pain as it goes deep, stopping with a reverberating thunk as it hits bone. This was enough for the bright light to leave Star Sapphire's eyes, and panic to fill her features. "Scoots? Scoots!" She rushed over, carefully picking her up and staring at what she did in horror. "I... I did this... I hurt one of my best friends..." Thunk. Sweetie Belle collapsed on top of the orange pony, who looked up at the last member of their group, who had a mallet formed at the end of her hoof. "Sorry, but we needed t' stop ya." She glanced at the wound, grimacing in sympathy. "Jus' wish it was a different way." Spike hurried over, sweating from how much rushing he'd done to get everyone else to safety. He glanced at Scootaloo, wincing slightly before shaking his head and reaching for the glowing spot in Sweetie's chest. "We have to hurry. You said it went in here?" "Yeah, but how're we gonna-" Apple Bloom's eyes widened as his claws reach into her friend's chest, pulling the gem in question back out. "...get it out?" The filly promptly returned to her original size as they watch, though Spike's claws clutched the crystal such that it wouldn't attempt to return to her. He stared at the crystal incredulously. "This is what make her go all crazy? It looks like an amethyst, not something that... could..." He trailed off as his eyes go unfocused, gazing deep into the source of all their problems. The dragon promptly jumped in surprise when it suddenly turns into a Smarty Pants doll, glancing at Scootaloo in shock. She simply grinned back, sweat beading on her forehead. "What? Was I gonna let you guys be the only ones who do something cool?" Her head fell back against the ground, and she groans in pain. "Ghhh, this hurts!" "Nok." They all jumped in surprise this time, the prone filly biting back a curse, before they turned to see Fluttershy, standing there with her rags and staff. She walks closer, eyes roaming over their faces before gazing down at the pony below before she wrenched out the spear. Ignoring the young pony's now bulging eyes, she placed her hoof on the spot, the symbol that was on her forming in the air in front of her head. Compassion. The two that aren't injured stared in awe as indigo tendrils of light come forth from that hoof, stitching up what had been a gaping wound, leaving behind the crimson trails down her leg as the only sign she'd been injured. With that done, the animal caretaker stood up to take her leave. She promptly stopped when she spied a few beings enter the marketplace. The tallest was obviously Princess Celestia, and the shortest one seemed oddly familiar to her. The last, a tan griffon with a darker brown head which looked reminiscent of a hawk, stared blankly at the destruction all around him, at the ponies all gathered in one spot in the center, and only had one thing to say. "Did we... miss something big?"