//------------------------------//
// Bonus Issue: In Brightest Day 
// Story: The Blue Queen 
// by TheLegendaryBillCipher 
//------------------------------//

“Kilowog, are you sure this is the place?” Hal Jordan huffed into his communicator. He scanned the horizon. “I’m barely picking up any signs of technology, much less the scarab.”

“The trajectory says it landed there, and considerin’ there’s a planet there, it didn’t go through it,” came the gruff reply.

“Right. But that was years and years ago. Would it even pick anyone on this planet?”

A burst of blue energy answered him, knocking him from the sky and sending him bouncing across the barren wasteland.

“Right,” he wheezed. “Ask a silly question.”

He sat up and stared at what he thought had been an innocuous mountain yards away. Now upon closer inspection, he could see it was littered with holes and literally abuzz with activity.

“Khaji Da! Stand down!” came a chastising voice, and the sound of wings buzzing closer.

Chrysalis landed next to Hal, forcing one of her forelegs to the ground. She flashed him an apologetic smile. “I apologize… whoever you are. I can’t recall the last time Khaji Da got so worked up.”

Hal got to his feet, eyes falling on Chrysalis’s chest where he noted the blue scarab embedded into her chitin.

“Alrighty then, let me guess, that thing fell from the sky and it chose you?” he asked.

Chrysalis nodded, squinting. “And who are you? And what are you?”

“Name’s Hal Jordan, I’m a Green Lantern,” Hal explained. “We were tracking the scarab to make sure it didn’t land in the wrong hands.” He looked around the wasteland.

“My apologies, we’re still working on getting some greenery around here,” Chrysalis admitted. “I can assure you, Mr. Jordan, that Khaji Da is in perfectly capable hooves.”

“You keep calling it ‘Khaji Da.’ Has it really bonded with you?” Hal asked, squatting down to her height.

“Indeed. Is that an issue?” Chrysalis tilted her head. “And why does it not like you ‘Green Lanterns?’”

Hal gave a tight smile. “No, not an issue at all. As for not liking me… it gets that from its creators. So sorry for the interruption, but I need to be going. Take care!”

Chrysalis watched in surprise as a green glow enveloped his body and he took off straight up.

“Kilowog, found the scarab. Make sure you wipe this planet from the star charts, alright?”

“How come?”

“We don’t have to worry about it, alright. It’s in safe hooves—er, hands.”





Chrysalis huffed, wings rustling. “How strange,” she remarked. “Oh well. I’m late for tea with Celestia.”