//------------------------------// // The Yellow & The Black // Story: Lanterns of Equestria- The Blackest Night // by Moon Chaser //------------------------------// The Yellow & The Black By Moon Chaser (DA CrazyMikePrime) Ponyville, Golden Oak Library, 11:30 A.M. Three days after the appearance of the green ring and the day after the charging of the ring by the lantern battery. “Ugh! Nothing….nothing at all,” Twilight Sparkle growled. Ten great tomes floated in the air, their pages fluttering furiously back and forth as the unicorn searched for something, anything that would give a clue where Applejack’s amazing new ring had come from. A few books landed closed on the library table as Twilight brought another closer. Reading glasses, which had been resting on top of her head now swung down into place. The tip of her tongue timidly poked itself out as she read. “Yes…maybe. Spike? Do we have Principals of Magical Energy,” Twilight asked. The small dragon pushed off from the shelf frame with his right leg. The book ladder he rode rushed to the other end of the wall of shelves. Spike then began to dig at the volumes pulling books out that had unmarked spines to check the titles. “Let’s see…Mystical Energy Accumulation…” he started “I want that one too,” Twilight interrupted. A purple glow enveloped the book as her magic levitated it to the table of her current research project. “Any luck with the other book?” Spike blew on a book, a cloud of dust surrounded him and for a moment he disappeared. The small dragon coughed for a moment as he waved his free talon in front of him to clear the dust cloud. He then read the cover. “Yep,” he held the tome over his head as he slid down the ladder with his legs and free claw, “got it right here.” He placed the book in front of Twilight on a stand. Pages fluttered as she opened the book to the section indicated in the contents. Twilight read quickly for a moment then growled. “Nothing here either! Gah! Whatever that ring Applejack has now is…there’s no listing of it anywhere! It’s like it appeared out of nowhere, “a hoof thumped the ground in frustration. “There is nothing here in the library about it.” Twilight Sparkle lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile while she half closed her eyes, the sly expression frozen for as moment. Spike saw the look and sighed. “So we are going to Canterlot then,” Spike asked as he stacked some of the discarded books on a small table. “Yes. The archives in the Star Swirl the Bearded wing may have what I’m looking for.” Twilight walked to the front door and levitated her saddle bags onto her back. “We should get started for the trip right now.” Spike placed the book from the small table back into the book shelves. “Wait, we…we’re going now? You want me to go too?” Twilight smiled,” Come on Spike, we both need to get out a little, and no not right now, first we have to go to Sweet Apple Acres and ask Applejack to accompany us so we can have the ring seen by the Arcane Academy if they will grant an audience about it.” She levitated a folded paper from her saddle bags and looked at the time tables printed on it. “There is a train to the capitol leaving later tonight…” Another book returned to its home by Spikes claws. “I would like to get away to Canterlot for a little bit; go to Pony Joe’s and hang out. Hey! How about you let Applejack use that ring to fly us there?” The small dragons face made a half smirk. Twilight shook her head, rolled her eyes and scrunched her muzzle. “Let’s not borrow trouble Spike. We don’t know anything about the ring, how long its power would last, what its parameters are,” she shook her head. “No, let’s just go by train.” Spike thumped on his belly, “going to the apple farm is not my first destination of choice though.” “Ok…so what would be your first choice?” Spike smiled, “Well….I heard that the Café just got some new things on the menu like a sapphire and garnet slaw medley…” A forked tongue worked its way around his lips as he made a slurping sound. ‘Ah…food,’ thought the librarian as she laughed inside. ‘You are always hungry.’ “Well then Spike,” she lifted her head up and placed a hoof on the front of her body in a faux pose of gentility,” shall have lunch at the café?” “Great, “he dropped the book in his claws back onto the small table with a thump. “You’re buying.” “All right…but first we go to get Applejack and invite her to lunch with us…to discuss going to Canterlot this evening. It’s only fair.” A gurgling sound came out of Spike’s tummy. “Sigh…ok.” *** “BURRRP!” Applejack sounded as she finished her lunch. The farmer put a hoof up to her muzzle, “ Oh mah…pardon.” “No…let it out! BURRP!” Spike belched trying to sound as loud as Applejack. Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes wide. “Spike!” The dragon raised his claws up, palms out in front of him, “Hey…I hear in Neighpon it’s a compliment to the chef to do that!” “Is that ah fact?” Applejack said as she leaned back. “Sounds mighty interestin’…an’ practical.” The unicorn put a hoof over her face. “Can we…can we move on to talking about the ring please?” “Sure whatcha want ta do Twilight?” the farmer wiped her mouth with a napkin on the back of her hoof. “Ok. I haven’t found anything here in the library about that ring...or about a ‘green lantern corps’.” The unicorn now smiled wide, her teeth shining in the sunlight. “So…I’d like to have you go with us to Canterlot, so we can look in the archives and maybe…see the Arcane Academy and let them look at the ring.” “Uh-huh,” Applejack nodded. “So ya want me ta go to Canterlot with ya an’ let a bunch of high falutin’ ponies poke at me and my new jewelry while you look at books older than the town?” “Um…yes?” Twilight’s eyes gleamed as her smile became broader, her eyes darting between the ring and Applejacks eyes. “Well, Ah could use the break from Rainbow pesterin’ me about it. She seems ta show up every ten minutes or so askin’ me about the dang thing, or asking me ta fly with her.” The farm pony took a sip of her mint tea. “Ah think she’s a tad jealous about it too.” “I think she’s just excited about you being able to fly because of that ring.” Twilight said as she wiped at her face with a napkin. “She might be a little jealous, but only a little. You did provide quite a show last night when you ‘charged’ the ring with that ‘lantern’. “ “Yeah, suppose Ah did.” Applejack rubbed her fore head with the hoof her ring rode over, “Ah, why not. Ah got questions mahself, all those images Ah saw when Ah…charged it last night. Ok Twi…Ah’ll go.” “Great! There’s another train leaving tonight after dark. We can stay either with my parents or with my Brother and Cadence!” Twilight was suppressing a squee to the best of her ability. “Cadence might even have some ideas about it.” ‘I’m becoming an exhibit aren’t I,’ Applejack said to herself in her head. “Look Twi, Ah think that..” “We can see Princess Celestia too…maybe she’s seen a ring like this before…” “…and…we’re off,” Spike said to the farm mare softly. The earth pony raised a single eyebrow while looking at the diminutive dragon. Spike simply shrugged. “Twi?” Applejack said trying to get her friends attention. “But if she hasn’t seen one like this before, where did it come from,” Twilight went on. “Twi,” again she tried to interrupt her scholar friend. “If Princess Celestia hasn’t seen a ring like yours before, maybe Princess Luna has…on The Moon…” “Twilight…” the farm mare tried again to break in to the stream of thinking. “If the Princesses don’t know the Magictrix of the Academy must have at least heard of something…” “Twilight…” Applejack tried to get her attention. “I mean after all such an amazing item just doesn’t appear out of nowhere, somepony had to make it…” “Twilight…” “And that lantern shaped…what did you all it? Oh yes, battery. How does that work. What kind of relationship does it have with the ring? How is the green light made? Is it grown? Is it gathered? Does it…” “TWILIGHT!” Applejack barked. The unicorn stopped talking and looked at her friend. “Ah said Ah’d go ta Canterlot with ya..just keep it ah little more low key ok sugercube?” Twilight Sparkle blushed. “Oh…sorry.” “Look, Ah gotta finish chores at home. When is that train for Canterlot supposed ta leave?” Twilight retrieved a train schedule with her magic, the time table unfolding as it landed on the table top. “11 P.M. Is that too late?” Applejack threw back a last glass of water. “Nah, it should be fine, ah need the time to square away a few things anyhow.” She stared at the green ring above her hoof for a moment. “I could fly us there…if’n ya want to.” The unicorn shook her head. “I would like to make sure of some more things before we use it too much. Let’s just use the train for now.” “If ya say so.” Applejack stretched, arching her back. “Whelp…I gotta git back to the farm. See y’all at the train station tonight.” “You know Twilight, always cautious with new things,” Spike said as he ate one last piece of jemstone. “Under the circumstances Spike…Ah’d say that was wise,” the green ring glowed a little as Applejack held it up, the light glittered in Spikes eyes. “Wouldn’t you?” *** Ponyville Train Station, 10:00 P.M. The Moon had risen above the surrounding mountains as two lone figures waited for the last train to Canterlot. Crickets were chirping quietly through the trees as the stars twinkled above. Spike yawned as he sat on the platform floor, leaning against Twilight’s luggage. “Why are we here so early Twilight?” “Hum,” the unicorn’s muzzle was planted into the book hovering before her. She had placed herself directly under a light, affording for herself the best possible illumination to read by without using her magic. “I mean, I understand you want to make the train but an hour early,” the dragon grumbled. “Um-hum,” Twilight sounded, the book still obscuring her face. “Gah! Twilight!” “Huh? What?” Twilight looked at her assistant; the dragon had his forelimbs crossed over his chest, one hind leg tapping the ground rhythmically. “I’m sorry Spike what did you say?” The small dragon rolled his eyes, “Never mind. Which book are you reading anyway?” “This book is about the effects of magic on non magic wielding creatures. There have been times in the past where an earth pony could use magic like I do, after drinking alchemical potions for example.” She turned the open face of the book toward Spike. “When that happens…the effects on a user can be harmful, both physically and mentally.” “Ok,” Spike rubbed his head with a claw, “but you said yourself…that ring may not be magic itself, or if it is…it’s a magic you have never seen before.” Twilight shrugged. “All the more reason to study how power like that could affect somepony not used to having that power. According to this, using magic can be addictive to a ‘non magic’ user.” Spike opened his mouth to say something when Twilight’s ears pricked up. She put the book on the ground she looked out over the train tracks and into the bushes that marked the boundary of the darkness beyond the station. “Did you hear that?” The dragon cocked his head to one side, listening to the night around them. He closed his eyes concentrating on trying to hear what might have grabbed Twilight attention. The crickets and slight rustling of leaves was the only thing he heard. “I didn’t hear anything…” he started to say when the sound of crunching leaves and twigs came from the darkness Twilight was trying to pierce. Spike looked up at Twilight, his eyes wide. “Ok, I heard that.” Twilight’s horn then began to glow, soft purple light coming out. The beam of light landed on the brush on the other side of the rails, sweeping back and forth. Leaves appeared to be pushed out by something within the vegetation only to disappear when Twilight’s illumination fell on the spot. Again a spot of something poking out of the bushes that pulled back into the darkness when the horn light shown it. “This is creepy,” Spike whispered. “Hello,” Twilight called out. “Applejack is that you?” There was movement from the brush. Something poked out at the far left. Twilight placed the light onto the area of movement. Dark and sad eyes of a filly glittered back at her. Twilight rose from sitting and walked to the edge of the platform. “Hello,” she called out again. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. Don’t be afraid.” She could see the face of the strange pony better now. It belonged to an adolescent mare. She was grey in color with a dark mane. Her skin was tight, details of tendons and bone lines clearly seen like she was desiccated. She was unkempt, mats and knots ran all through the mane and her coat was ashen and blotchy. The rest of her body was obscured by the bushes, though Twilight could see the hint of some kind of dark garment at her neck line. “Oh my.” Twilight gasped. The stranger looked so pitiful and haggard, almost dead. “Do you need some help?” “Help…” a shaky weak voice came from the pony’s mouth. “Help….” Twilight walked to the stairs at the end of the platform and walked down. As she got closer the stranger’s head pulled into the brush more. Twilight spoke softly as she moved closer. “It’s ok…I won’t harm you. I’ll help you…” Spike had moved forward the end of the rail platform, trying to see the strange pony himself. He felt a bit uneasy about Twilight moving away and into the encroaching darkness. “Twilight I think you should stay here. Let’s get a constable to help her.” The unicorn stopped walking after she had finished crossing over the rails and looked over her shoulder. “Why don’t you go out front and try and get a hold of him while I try and help the poor thing. Applejack should be here soon too so don’t go too far.” “I don’t like this, it doesn't feel right.” He looked at the obscured stranger with a frown. “Look, if it gets bad I’ll teleport out.” She then turned and stepped closer to the stranger hiding in the bushes. Twilight got within a meter of her when she completely withdrew from sight, disappearing into the darkness. The unicorn stopped, shining her horn light around looking for the puzzling pony. Her soft voice came to Twilight ears again. “No…hurt…us?” “No…I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help you.” The unicorn’s eyes half closed as she thought of something to say. “You said us. Are there more than just you? Do they need help too?” “…yes...” the answer came after a minute of stillness. “Spike,” Twilight called out. ”There is more than one pony here and they need help. I’m going to follow her and do what I can. Find the constable and tell them that we may need an ambulance.” Her ears turned behind her listening for his response. She heard a distant, “Ok Twilight,” in his voice from the train station. The dark eyes appeared, gleaming points in the void telling Twilight where the mare was. “Come…” she said softly. The sound of hoof steps on the ground and of bent branches returning to their natural place told Twilight the mare was walking ahead. She could see the movement and followed the pony using her light to make her way. The soft ‘thump thump’ of the hoof steps seemed to be getting further ahead of her. Twilight picked up her pace, trying to close the distance. “Uh…slow down please,” she stumbled as she walked, the ground was uneven from roots and soft patches in the ground. She came out of the brush into a small clearing, with some figures in the middle of the grass floor. The branches of the trees’ branches grew together in a weave, forming a dome. Starlight twinkled through a small gap in branches near the apex of the clearing’s branch roof. Twilight increased her light, filling the hollows and crags of the area with the soft purple light of her magic. She saw two ponies in the center of the clearing. The one standing over the other was the pitiful creature Twilight followed to this spot. The pony on the ground was still to the point of death like. It was a stallion, also emaciated like the mare that brought Twilight here, the skin stretched over an almost skeletal body from the looks of his muzzle and neck. He too was clad in a black garment like the mare. Twilight could now see the clothes had white cuffs and collars on them with a white triangle shaped decoration under the collar. The stallion suddenly raised his head to look at her. “Don’t worry, I’m going to help you,” she smiled softly as she spoke. “Let me get a better look at you.” [= Compassion =] [= Love =] Twilight knelt down to look at the stallion on the ground, her horn glow allowing her to see him better. His coat was ashen, almost like it was dead. The odor coming off of him was putrid, pungent. It took great effort for Twilight to keep from gagging. ‘What happened to this poor pony,’ she thought. That he was still able to move was a miracle. She could now see his face more clearly; cracked lips pulled away from ruined teeth. A collapsed nose with rotting flesh barely attached to the muzzle of the stallion. IT was the eyes that made her gasp. Cold hollows looking back at her, no warmth or feeling to them at all. The blackness of them pulled at her, like her feelings were being pulled from her heart, drawn out of her and swallowed by the darkness of them. “What…happened…to you,” she gasped. Recoiling from the stallion she stood up. As she came to her hooves, the stallion suddenly came alive. He rushed her, his rotting jaw opening as a strange growl come out, sending shivers down Twilight’s spine. “PEAcE.” He rose; the ghastly face stared at her. “The pEAcE of the grave.” [= Fear =] The stallion lunged at her, the emaciated body’s muscles moving the body so quickly Twilight thought it impossible. She dodged left, the thing brushing her as it passed by. Coldness washed over Twilight when they touched. The light of her horn dimmed for that moment and she felt like something had been pulled out of her, some force or energy taken by the mere touch of the creature. A feeling of depression and a cloud of grey fell over her mind. Twilight shook her head, trying to cast off the feelings like she was shaking water off her coat. [= Rage =] [= Fear =] “I don’t know what you are,” her horn suddenly became brighter,” but I’m not trapped so easily!” Bolts of fire shot out of Twilights horn, striking the stallion several times, burning holes into the decaying flesh. The impact of the bolts pushed the creature back, causing it to stager. Twilight fired again, rapidly this time. More holes appeared in its body right before her attack knocked it onto its side on the grass of the clearing. Twilight wheeled about quickly, looking for the mare that had drawn her into this trap. In a space between trees she stood, still like a statue. She didn’t move. A weird keening sound came from the emaciated mare’s throat as she reared up in a jerky, unnatural manor and stepped forward, her front legs flaying about. More magic bolts flew from Twilight’s horn, boring into the mare. No blood flowed from the wounds but pieces of entrails jutted out of the wounds. Tattered pieces of decayed flesh still attached to the body began to melt and slowly began to flow; rejoining the body of the creature, repairing the damage Twilight had dealt to her. Cold eyes stared at her as the strange mare creature simply regenerated. [= Fear =] The mare creature attacked, running at Twilight at a full gallop. The unicorn’s horn flared again, a bubble of purple magic forming a shield around her. ‘That should slow you down,’ she thought. Looking at the things it occurred to her that they looked very much like zombies! ‘But zombies aren’t real,’ she thought. [= Fear =] [= Will =] The ‘zombie’ mare now stuck her shield shattering it in one blow. Twilight staggered backward from the force of the impact, her mind racing trying to figure out what to do next. ‘Discretion is the better part of valor, time to leave.’ The mare was almost on her as she called upon the teleportation spell. The light dimmed as she filled her mind with the image of the train station platform as the destination for the spell. She was about to loose the spell when suddenly she was hit in the head by something solid. She stumbled back, pain filling her brain as darkness clawed at her mind trying to drag her down into unconsciousness. Twilight felt like her skull was split open, like a coconut opened with a rock. Quickly she tried to use the teleportation spell again the magic flooding out of her and into her horn... ...a huge jolt shot through her body, her muscles all tensed, their contractions locking her body rigid. For a moment Twilight was a statue of flesh, unable to move. A feeling of dampness spread over her body as the muscles relaxed. A magic rebound! She had not had a magic rebound since she was a filly! That meant a spell misfire that had come back at her. Her head still felt like it was split open, what had… She reached up and touched her horn, searing pain flooded through her head when her leg even brushed her horn. Flames of agony ate at her head as she stumbled about in the dark, unable to call light with her magic. “My…horn. You damaged my horn,” Twilight said as she stumbled away. [= Fear =] [= Rage =] “I…I can’t use my magic!” “NO hElp fOr yOu, “the stallion’s raspy voice called out from behind her. “What…what are you,” the unicorn coughed. Dizziness had begun to fall on her. Her steps were becoming unsure, sluggish. The world had begun to start spinning. “WE ArE yOUr dEAth,” the mare said. Blinded by pain and lost in darkness, Twilight screamed! She started to move, darting back and forth, staying out of reach of the monsters. Panic tried to pull on her but she would not let it control her. These things would get her if she gave into panic. Her head was swimming in pain; the injury she suffered now threatened to drag her into darkness…where death waited. Twilight had no magic…she needed to harness something else… The fear…the fear trying to make her panic could be harnessed. She let the panic flow into her, but using what she learned by controlling magic she allowed only enough to give her limbs strength and her reflexes speed. Clinging to fear kept her from sliding into unconsciousness, giving her a chance for survival. ‘Emotion can be harnessed in may ways,’ Princess Celestia had told her and in her heart she now begged fear to give her the power that magic could not… * …and high above the world, in the cold of space…Fear watched, and listened. This one was different, she used fear to empower herself. She also had something unique about her…different from so many that The ring had looked at. Now this being had its attention. * The scream had made it to the train station just as Spike finished telling Applejack where the unicorn had gone and why. Though faint, Twilight’s voice was clearly heard. “Did you hear that?” Spikes tail had become straight out and ridged. The urge to go to Twilight’s scream filled Applejack and as that thought flashed through her mind the green aura of the ring appeared around her. Once again the strange clothing covered her body as she began to lift into the air. The earth pony’s ears swiveled about listening for more noise to tell her where Twilight was. “Twilight!” The dragon called out.’ Twilight where are you?” ‘Ah’ve gotta find her…where is she?’ Applejack peered into the darkness of the brush. ‘Ah wish this fancy ring could find her.’ The ring suddenly flashed. A beam of green light illuminating the brush and trees. [= Scanning for sentient Twilight Sparkle… =] A circle of light with an ‘x’ inside appeared in front of Applejack. [= One life form located-identification: Twilight Sparkle. WARNING! Black Lanterns in proximity of sentient! =] “Climb on Spike,” Applejack said as she kneeled down as the dragon clambered on the farm mare’s back. “Hang on tight…Ah’m still kinda new at this.” Applejack lifted off the platform and started moving forward, following the x in the circle. “Wait…the ring said ‘one life form’ Twilight left with that other pony? Where…” a branch struck the side of his face. “..ugh. Where did that other pony go and what is a ‘Black Lantern’?” Applejack rose higher into the air, rocking back and forth. Flying was still new to her, and it seemed thinking about flying made her fly worse. “Dunno Spike,” Twilight screamed again. “Let’s just get ta Twi!” Bumping and bouncing off the branches, the farm mare made her way through the trees near the clearing. Branches whipped at her as she flew through but Applejack felt no blows at all. It was as if she was made of stone. She had forgotten that the ring’s aura protected her. Spike wasn't protected by the ring’s aura. Vegetation lashed at him, a storm of branches and leaves pounded on him as they flew. Dragon scales gave him good protection, but that did not stop errant parts of tree from trying to get into his eyes and mouth. He covered his face with his claws, spitting out what had managed to make its way into his mouth. The arrival of Applejack was like the coming of the dawn or the full moon to Twilight. In eons that had seemed to pass between being struck and Applejack showing up she had barely been able to see anything beyond a star lit highlight off of leaves or trunks. She had run about the clearing, making herself as hard a target as possible and hoping to find the path that had brought her to this place. When the aura of the ring’s light lit up the gloom, she felt a moment of relief. But…Twilight still clung to her fear; it was the only thing that allowed her to stay alive. The madness of what was happening tore at her mind. These monsters were like zombies…but zombies were not real! Yet…here they were. ‘Pay attention Twilight’ she chastised herself. She strangely felt very alive in the face of the death reaching out to take her. * ‘Yes…different. This one is different,’ the ring in space observed. Fear had heard her plea; the plea of a sentient possessed by yet in control of her terror…yes…she was able to control it…use it…even revel in it. Others of her kind could be so carried away…but her… …she was worthy. [= Suitable candidate found. =] the ring of yellow buzzed as it fell to earth. * Applejack had landed in front of Twilight, her ring lighting up the clearing. She stood on the grass placing herself between the unknown attackers and her friend. Spike leaped off her back and ran to Twilight. She twitched and stumbled back a bit before fully relizing that it was her assistant and not another of the creatures that had attacked her. Spike gently rubbed her side trying to point her in the dirction of the trail out.“Come on Twilight..let’s get out of here.” There was silence in the clearing until one of the fell things spoke in a raspy voice like something a raven might sound like. [= Will =] “A LAntErn Of WIllpOwEr Is hErE!” The voice sounded almost surprised. “ArE yOu rEAdy tO bAttlE chIld Of IOn?” “Child a’ who?” Applejack wished she could see better in the dark, find where the voice was coming from. Even with her glow was difficult to make out just where these ‘Black Lanterns’ were. ‘Oh to have a bat pony’s night vision’ she thought. Suddenly to the farm mare it was like it was daylight, everything becoming illuminated. Nothing was hidden…and she regretted being able to see so well for a moment. She saw there were five of these creatures, all of them in front of her. Two of them were in the trees staring down at her; the other three were on the ground. One was behind a tree, a filly by the looks of her, shielding herself with the tree’s trunk. A stallion and a mare were directly in front of her on the ground. The Stallion’s body was so riddled with holes that he looked like a grotesque parody of swisscheese. The holes seemed to be getting smaller by the moment, closing up and disappearing. The mare moved back, her legs bending and moving wrong, backwards from what they should be. All of these creatures stared at Applejack with eyes so dark and cold they seem to pull light into them. ‘Gotta think of somethin’ , gotta think of somethin’ the farm mare thought. Applejack’s mind raced to think of something to create with the strange ring’s power. When the stallion on the ground suddenly charged, the picture of a thick wooden fence appeared in her head. The stallion crashed head first into the barrier, the boards of green energy snapping and creaking from the collision. The stallion struggled, thrashing his body trying to break the construct. Applejack could ‘feel’ the planks of the construct shattering in her mind. A final heave of his body and the fence failed, splintering in to pieces that turned into dying sparks of light that faded away. “COmE nOw GrEEn LAntErn, I ExpEct bEttEr frOm yOu,” he hissed as he lunged again. [= Will =] Applejack spun so her rump faced him. She kicked with her legs, thinking how better it would be if she was wearing hoofball boots. The ring flared and before she connected with her hooves, green boots made of the ring’s energy appeared over her hind legs. She hit the attacker at the base of his neck a dull ‘chud’ sound came from the body she launched back into the brush with her blow. “What in tarnation are these things?” [= Black Lanterns. Corpse re-animated by a Black Power Ring. Primary mission: to kill the living. =] “Why…won’t…they…stay…hurt?” She smashed another of these ‘Black Lanterns' with a construct hammer. [= Black Power Ring gives Black Lanterns an extremely high regenerative ability. =] “Whatever that means!” The sound of branches rustling made Applejack look up to see the other ‘Black Lanterns’ moving down, to the ground. She backtracked to Twilight keeping the monster in her view. Spike had been trying to get Twilight to move quickly, but her seeing the farm mare wielding the green ring had transfixed the unicorn for the moment. “Git outta here y’all…NOW!” “We’re not leaving you to these things,” Twilight shot back. “There ain’t nuthin ya can do Twi…” Applejack’s voice trailed off as an almost blinding yellow light like the sun suddenly appeared over their heads. [= Presence of Yellow Power Ring detected. =] The green ring chirped. “Wha…another?” Applejack called out. “Another ring?” A green brick wall suddenly surrounded the three of them. [= You have been chosen =] the strange voice coming from the yellow ring said as a ray of its light fell onto Twilight. She suddenly felt cold all over, sweat started to form froth over her coat. The yellow ring of light flew down to the unicorn and swept onto Twilight’s forehoof. Her head jerked around suddenly as she yelled looking at the leering, rotting faces of the monsters. Pain from her damaged horn and new panic clawed at the edge of her self-control. Her stomach suddenly churned and cramped. All strength was sapped from her limbs and she found she could not move. Twilight screamed again. The sound caused Spike to wince while he covered his ears. When he opened his eyes the site he beheld made them widen. Yellow light rolled like waves of a stormy sea over his friend’s body. Her eyes were wild, yet at the same time vacant…as if she were in another place. “Twilight?” [= Ring Analyzing Mind of Host. Searching Out Greatest Fear =] the yellow ring buzzed. “G-get away… Keep back,” she yelled. Twilight now moved in a jerking motion, randomly kicking and moving her head. [= Identifying… =] * And then the zombies were gone….and so were Spike and Applejack. “Wait, what?” Twilight looked up and around. This wasn’t the Everfree or the train station! This was the royal castle in Canterlot! And it was decorated for a wedding, and began to hear a horrid but familier buzzing all around her…. “No….it can’t be!” “Yes, you little foal,” a familiar voice hissed. Twilight turned and saw Chrysalis standing there. Her friends, even Celestia and Luna, were trapped in cocoons behind her, screaming as they transformed into changelings. Lying at the Changeling Queen’s hooves were Cadence, filthy and wasted from starvation, and her brother. His eyes blank, his mind gone. Twilight felt her soul break in half as Chrysalis laughed and pointed at a nearby empty cocoon. “Go right in, Twilight, and join MY family. You don’t seem to have one anymore!” “NO!” And even as she screamed, Twilight reached into the ring with her mind. A Royal Guard pony formed of yellow energy hurled itself into a charge, smashing Chrysalis and her doomed friends into nothing. * The zombies had finally beaten Applejack’s wall down. She turned and kicked at two Black Lanterns trying to rush her, both solid hits that made the zombies fall back onto the ground. “Twilight,” she yelled. “Snap outta it girl!” A pack of Black Lanterns creeping up on Twilight from behind had just enough time to shriek in surprise before a guard pony of yellow light appeared and blasted them apart. Just as quickly their flesh began flowing back together, the body reassembling itself. Twilight became still again, her face twitched as the yellow ring’s glow appeared in her eyes again. “Twilight! Let’s go!” Spike yelled as he pulled on the unicorn’s tail. She was mostly still, her face contorted in a mask of terror. [= Ring Analyzing. Identifying Greatest Fear… =] * A roar shook the soggy earth under Twilight’s hooves. She looked up, startled. She was back in the Everfree, in Foggy Bottom. The Bog Hydra reared its multiple heads up over her. One came down, maw wide, to smash into the earth beside her. Twilight shrieked and dodged, only to be caught by the next head. Its fangs ground agonizingly against her ribs and the forest whirled past her face as it jerked her up into the air. Twilight forgot teleporting, simply writhing wildly as she sought to escape the monster. Then a damp choking heat all around her and slimy wet walls pressing in and an acidic odor as she remembered that book on biology, saying, the Equestrian bog hydra often swallows its meals whole and alive, condemning them to slow digestion while still aware… “Get away from me!” Twilight snatched at the first image in her mind and sent a horde of yellow parasprites out in every direction. She heard something roar in shock as outside of the ring-induced illusion, her constructs ripped into the Black Lanterns around her like starving piranha, tearing them to shreds. All save one dead earth pony stallion that leapt on her and forced her down, looking into her face to laugh before it tore out her heart. Spike now held on to Twilight’s naked front hoof. He had tried to move the glowing yellow band, stop whatever it was doing to his friend. When he had gripped it, terror filled his heart in a way he had never felt before, the feelings the blazing band brought up in him shook him to his core. ‘If it’s doing that to Twilight?’ Looking into his mistress’s face he could see the tears falling from her eyes now mixing with the sweat that now poured off of her coat. [= Identifying Greatest Fear =] * “Discord?!?” Twilight snarled up into the draconequs’ laughing face as he reached down to ravage her mind the way he had her friends. They stood behind him, their eyes swirling with madness and reminding her of the terror she’d felt the first time. Twilight created a yellow energy cockatrice, sent it to stare into Discord’s eyes. He recoiled with a shriek as he became stone again. The cockatrice lashed out with a spiked tail and shattered him. * Applejack bucked another of the undead just in time to see the leader of these Black Lanterns, a unicorn mare stepped forward with a growl as the stallion who had first attack Twilight was reduced to dust. The chill energies of the void began to gather along her horn, a growing unlight forming at the end of her horn. A younger pony joined her to stare at Twilight in lustful hunger. [= Rage =] [= Fear =] [= Will =] Torrents of tears now flowed from Twilights eyes as her jaw clinched tightly, the sound of her teeth grinding together made Spike run and touch her muzzle. “Twilight…please snap out of it! Please…Applejack can’t keep…” the shadow of a pony rose above him. “SO lIttlE…sO stUpId,” its hollow voice mocked him. Suddenly a green ray of light burned through the skull of the creature. The smell of charred putrid flesh made Spike gag, [= Greatest. Fear. =] The yellow ring purred. * “Why did I ever trust an incompetent like you, Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight looked up in shock, panting in exhaustion and terror. “Princess Celestia?” She looked to the alicorn’s side. “Spike?!? What are you doing here? We were just in the Everfree, and – the zombie ponies! Princess, we have to warn…” Celestia’s horn glowed. The blow across Twilight’s face hurt more than she could have dreamed possible. “Your friends are all dead, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia thrust her head out on her long neck, sticking her face into the young mare’s. A pair of potted plants showed withered and dead behind her. Shocked, Twilight recognized them for her parents. The Princess hissed, “They all died because they trusted you, because they depended on you…” “No!” “You really blew it, Twi,” Spike sneered at her. Tears filled his eyes as he spat, “Everypony, even Rarity, they all died because you couldn’t protect them. Because your magic wasn’t good enough, because you weren’t good enough.” “No…” Twilight felt the earth crumbling beneath her, as though dozens of eager hooves sought to drag her down into endless darkness. All about her in reality, the herd of Black Lanterns were doing precisely that. Spike yelled and charged in swinging a branch, beating at them. A casual kick from one sent him rolling. “You always let everyone down, you worthless little filly.” Both Princess and dragon were taunting her now, saying, “You. Failed. Everypony.” Behind her, through a window, the moon eclipsed the sun to the distant ringing echo of Nightmare Moon’s laughter. Eternal night fell across Equestria, freezing everything beneath it. “You should be alone and in the dark forever.” Unnoticed, the yellow ring on Twilight’s hoof glowed like a small sun. The darkness around her became complete save for the cold lights of Celestia and Spike's eyes as they hissed, “You never deserved to have friends.” Something broke inside her. “NO!" * [= FEAR =] A miniature sun and moon shot out from the unicorn, whirling around her. She rose into the air, glowing brightly. The Black Lanterns closest to her tried to step back to dodge the yellow creations of her mind. The ones behind them crushed forward, drawn forward by the raw fear they coming from her. Spike looked up into her eyes. No longer was her gaze vacant! Now they were wide and pupils down to pinpoints burning with a chilling glimmer to them. Her mouth twisted itself into a strange expression half frown, half smile. The Black Lanterns had become still, staring at the unicorn glowing with yellow ring light. The sudden pause in fighting gave Applejack a free moment. She ‘flew along the ground and scooped Spike up onto her back, moving behind Twilight. The dragon did not move, transfixed by the sight of his mistress. “A-A-Applejack…wh-what’s happening?” “Ah don’t know sugarcube…Ah don’t know. Just stick close before it gets weirder.” Copies of her friends made of yellow energy appeared. As a mass they galloped at the Black Lanterns, trampling the undead beneath their hooves. Twilight yelled as the construct ponies crushed the Black Lanterns, “I DO deserve to have friends! I am NOT a failure! And nopony is going to hurt the ones I care about!” [= Greatest Fear Identified =] Twilight lashed out all around. Hard-light blades with edges that could have shaved electrons from an atom cut into and through the zombies; blasts of pure fear-driven energy burned them into ash; energy constructs of timberwolves and horrorspiders and a gang of bullying teenaged dragons seized the Black Lanterns to crush and rend them. [= Twilight Velvet Sparkle of Equestria, you have the ability to wield and instill Great Fear =] And still they rose back up, flesh reforming or simply slithering back together, to throw themselves at a being that, powerful as she had become, was still mortal and capable of exhaustion. [= Welcome to the Sinestro Corps =] “Hold on Spike,” Applejack yelled. Now she moved forward her ring blazing. Spike held on to her mane with his claws as a shower of emerald fire fell onto the Black Lanterns. Twilight pointed her ring bearing hoof above her head as she rose into the air hovering above the undead mass reaching for her. Bolts of yellow fell mixing with Applejack’s green fire reduced the screaming zombies to nonexistence. There was a sound like shattering glass and a strange croaking voice coming from the Black Lanterns. [= Connection severed. =][= Connection severed. =] [= Connection severed. =][= Connection severed. =] [= Connection severed. =] Applejack descended to the ground, landing next to where her friend touched down. Suddenly Twilight shuddered and panted where she stood. Spike hopped of the farm mare’s back and looked up at her. “Thanks for saving us Applejack, I thought we were goners there.” “Don’t mention it, sugarcube,” the earth pony said as she turned to look at Twilight. She eyed the yellow and black clothes that had appeared over the unicorn warily. Something about them bothered her, she couldn’t put her hoof on it The green ring on her hoof seemed to be pulsing warily. “Twi? Honey, we’re safe now. Everything’s okay. Everything’s –“ Twilight turned around. Spike yelled and clung to Applejack’s legs. AJ reflexively pointed her ring at Twilight before she even knew that she’d moved. Twilight Sparkle’s face was a rictus: a wild, ear to ear grin that crossed her muzzle. Her eyes open wide enough to show the whites all around pinpoint pupils, fixed on them both. “Well, hi therrrre,” she said, and “Oh, and hello, Spike. Did I ever tell you that you’re my very best friends? And what are you staring at, anyway?”