The Luminus Seven-The Battle of Appleloosa: Part 1
Equestria, Las Pegasus, Westcanter 3:30 PM
“No Dad, please just sit this one out,” a unicorn mare with golden eyes that stared daggers at Raindrops said. Her brow furrowed together, one corner of her lip turned down in a deep frown. “Besides, you’re too old to fight any more!”
A large batpony stallion with the same coat color as the unicorn came out from a room in the back of the house and stared into her eyes. His lips pulled back flashing his fangs. “Wow Starshine, thanks for that! I guess I’m ready to go out to grass huh.”
His daughter faced him and pushed her muzzle into his, her dark blue coat brushed out in anger. “That’s not what I meant dad and you know it! You did your time in the guards…you did your duty for Princess and Nation! Haven’t you done enough?” Starshine turned away and resumed her intense glare at GL Raindrops. “It isn’t even the Crown asking for you this time!”
“Come on, read that letter again, it’s Squeaker,” he said with a grunt as he hefted bags over his back with a hook on one of his wings. The ache made him grunt a little from the pain. It hurt to use his damaged wings every time, even the easiest tasks, but he had learned to just deal with the pain rather than take medication.
“See, that’s what I’m talking about Dad! It hurts for you to even use your wings for little things,” she moved her attention away from GL Raindrops to her father, a pink magic aura glowing from her horn while she used her magic to set the bags on his back more securely.
Boomerang placed his head on his daughter’s neck, pulling her in with a free foreleg. “Starshine…I gotta do this. You didn’t see them little girl…you didn’t see what they did in Twenty Nine Fronds,” he swallowed hard. “There was no stopping them little bit…the best we could do was run for our lives and hope to Celestia we got out.”
“You can tell that to yourself all you want dad, I know that this is about flying,” Starshine whispered as she pulled back from her father.
“Look sweetheart,” he sighed,” I know you don’t understand but I’ve got to do this. These lanterns are asking me to join and you heard what the ring said, I’m suitable for the job.” He looked at Raindrops with half lidded eyes and slightly lowered head. “Let me speak to the boss please Lantern Raindrops. I’ve got to get some clarification above your pay grade before I accept.”
Raindrops nodded as the green bubble of light she summoned appeared expanding and twisting itself into the small image of an earth pony mare wearing a range hat. “Howdy there sir,” her beaming smile and rustic twang came through clearly. “Ah’m Applejack. Raindrops told me ya might want ta talk ta me before you decided on joinin’ us?”
“Yes Mam. I want to get a few things clear before I accept, alright?”
The image sat on its haunches, a uniform like the one on the pegasus carrying Spitfire’s letter appearing around her as she did so. “Go ahead sir, fire away.”
Boomerang mirrored her posture, but his body was stiffer, his back straighter. He looked directly into the eyes of the image floating before him, trying to read the Green Lantern leader through the animated picture. “OK. First off, if I do this, we do it my way, am I clear? I don’t want to be training someone and have you or any pony else coming in and saying I’m being too hard, too cold, too mean etc. We’re not training for a picnic or the Grand Galloping Gala, we’re training for war. Raindrops told me you said everypony fights and trains, nopony gets out of it, I like your stance. I ask that if you have a question about what I do and why I’m doing it: do please ask but in private. Any problems so far Miss Apple?”
The Applejack image shook her head, “Naw, though I need ta know every step of the way why yer doin’ what yer doin’.” Applejack ‘s face became hard, the lines in her muzzle and over her eyes became deeper,” I understand anythin’ stronger than coffee is forbidden to ya! I understand why an’ Ah don’t have a problem with somepony on the water wagon, but…If’n ya drink, yer out! Ah can’t have that hangin’ over anypony. Fair?”
“Completely,” Boomerang said with a tone that gave no hint of what emotion was going through his head.
“Sorry ta bark so hard. Ah’m just learnin’ all of this on the gallop and…oh, skip it. Ah appreciate ya bein’ honest about the drink and reformin. Ah just …Ah’m learning as Ah go, no leavin me out of the loop with anythin’!”
“Never, and no apologies are necessary mam. I understand more than you know. Alright…I hear you are good at organizing things.” the bat stallion seemed to relax a little, his back was no longer board straight and his tone became slightly softer. “Is this true?”
“Well…farm work heck yeah, but this, Ah’m…kinda lost on organizing for fightin’. I know how ta run a rodeo..”
“Good, you’re better equipped than half the cadets at the academy! It applies more than you think. OK Jackie I’m in,” a broad grin spread across the old batpony’s face. “I’ll head out with Smiley over here and see you soon.”
‘Already started doing it,’ Raindrops thought. She chuckled in her head a little.
There was a sudden puzzlement on Applejack’s face as her projection disappeared. Raindorps had ended the connection as Boomerang Blitz had uttered that he would head out. Raindrops then held up the spare ring and it floated off her leg and floated between her and Boomerang Blitz.
“Dad…at least wait for Mom to come home from the postal conference and talk to you first before you say yes…please?”
He ran a hoof over his white mane closing his eyes while he did. “No sweetie. Someone asked me for help in a way only I can, and they need the help. I gotta go.” He took a deep breath. “Ok…hit me.”
The ring began to glow. A beam of green light shot out and struck the blue bat pegasus. A field like a unicorn’s levitation magic surrounded him. As he lifted into the air the light became more blinding and the field more opaque, surrounding him in a green cocoon. His bag fell to the floor with a thud.
[=Booth Gregory Joules of Equestria, you have the ability to overcome great fear=]
The ring floated over and placed itself on Boomerang’s right front leg. The limb disappeared into the contracting light cocoon.
[=Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps=]
The cocoon now clung to the stallion, forming itself into the familiar uniform of the Green Lantern Corps. He slowly floated down to the floor, the glow around him fading away. He took a moment to look himself over and touching the ‘material’ the clothing was made of. “Hm,” he grunted “Interesting.”
Carefully Starshine came forward looking her father up and down, taking in the sight of him in the strange vestments His new ‘clothes’ seemed to be made of fabric woven from pure light. She reached out and carefully touched his side in front of his arthritic right wing. She looked into his eyes, the grey eyes open wide in a strange expression she had never seen her father make before.
“How…how do you feel dad?”
Boomerang Blitz felt the ring reaching into his mind, fitting itself into his thoughts like he would slip on fine armor. It became attached to him, fitting to him like part of his body. There was no kinks, no stiffness in the way the ring connected to his mind. If it had been a weapon, it would have been perfectly balanced. He had complete control over it.
“I…WOW,” he turned to face Raindrops a huge grin across his face. “So..this is…amazing!”
Raindrops nodded, ”wait until you fly. You can go straight up like you're power diving, and you never get cold or run out of air.”
‘Flying…to fly again.’ ”Ok let me get my kit and we’ll leave.” He reached out and picked up his bag then heaved it onto his back. He then turned and reached out with his ring riding leg and pulled his daughter to him, placing his muzzle on the top of her head, her horn resting alongside his jaw.
“Take care goofy girl. Remember I love all of you.”
“You stubborn old army mule,” she hugged him tightly for a moment. His skin felt like it had become rock hard, preventing her from really giving him a squeezy hug. “There's no talking you out of this, is there?”
Boomerang Blitz smiled, ”No. Sorry. I’ll write your mom and tell her when I get settled. Tell your brother, will you?”
Tears appeared in her eyes, “Come home safe with your crest on your helmet Dad. No drinking! Promise me! ”
He nodded and said “I promise.” Then he turned around and opened the front door, gesturing with a damaged wing for Raindrops to go out first. He followed behind her and stepped through the door, closing it behind him. He could just make out the sound of his daughter starting to cry. He held up a hoof as he talked to Raindrops.
“The ocean is 10 blocks away. Let’s head to the beach. I can swim, so it should be ok.”
“For what”, Raindrops asked, a single eyebrow raised in wonder.
“Water is softer than dirt, so if I crash, I should be ok. It time for you to teach me how to fly this thing.”
***
“Many things have been said about my lieutenant Beatrix Hazel Lulamoon. She’s arrogant, boastful, egotistical, somewhat cruel, proud and vain. All of these are true. She's also intense, determined, as cunning as a robber fox and as sharp as an obsidian spell knife.”
-from the Book of Yellow Lantern Corps by Twilight Sparkle
Equestria, Appleloosa 5:00 PM
The Yellow Lantern lieutenant had shocked everypony when she came into town a second time. Nopony had thought she would be back again that day the way she had talked. When she landed to talk to Sherriff Silver Star again, he pointed out that guards had arrived to help out. Trixie inquired as to where they were and the Sherriff was happy that they were at the old barricade guard house on the other side of town. When she saw them she knew right away what they were, the crest of the Black plain to her. A quick scan from her ring only confirming what she knew.
They were Black Lanterns!
Trixie's first move was to call Twilight and ask for help. The yellow Corps leader told her GL Macintosh was on his way to her.
But she decided not to wait…she decided to do something, and much to her own surprise took action on her own! The Black Lanterns seem to stay outside of town for the moment, but they may not stay that way. The towns folk were in grave danger and needed to be separated from the danger. They needed to get away, quietly and quickly lest they be in the middle of a fight.
She took it upon herself to warn the town ponies that they were in grave danger, that the creatures that had destroyed the town of 29 Fronds were just outside of town…none believed her. She tried to explain what the ‘dark guards’ really were but no one listened. May said that those ponies could not be zombies…after all they ‘looked’ relatively normal and alive; they didn’t look like trotting corpses. “They are just night guards…nothing more,” was a common response. Many laughed at her…
…The Great and Frightful Trixie did not like being laughed at, especially by ponies she was trying to save! One would think that just being a lantern would be enough to make them listen, to command their attention, but no! ‘Fools,’ Trixie thought, ‘Why did I even bother! What to do, what to do…Ah!”
She decided not to wait! Her next move was to call forth the power of her ring. If they would not respect reason, they would obey terror!
She created constructs of horror that frightened the Applelosians. She did things such as making herself appear to be a flame, her skull appeared to be bare with fire surrounding it. Trixie ran all through the town, using the terror she created to drive the townsponies away from the Black Lanterns, clearing the towns folk out and keeping them safe, even though they might not know it.
It was then she then turned to face the undead guards, who had caught wind of something not right in the town and came running. Trixie was strengthened by the terror radiating from the fleeing town folk. Too late it seemed did the zombie guards understand what she had done and that she was now on the attack. The undead pegasi among them had become airborne, moving to cut off her retreat. The other black lanterns on the ground charged her, un-light construct weapons swinging wildly.
They were so…FAST! What in the world was she thinking going it alone!
Trixie had to throw up a shield, which dented but held up when a big earth stallion brought down a mace made of darkness. Trixie gave ground, hover sliding away like she was skating on ice, giving herself more room. A wall of brambles and briars made of yellow ring energy appeared, catching the advancing black lanterns. She quickly cast her vision skyward and saw a pair of ponies diving on her.
A flight of yellow firework rockets flew up and exploded, buffeting the attackers and sending them to the ground off target. ‘Hah! Not bad Trixie’, she thought when ring awareness refocused her attention.
The big earth stallion was on her again. He crashed into her at full speed, Trixie managing to make it a glancing blow by dodging away at the last moment. She rolled on the ground, her hat flying off. It took her mind off the fence of thorns she had created and it disapated. The death lantern stood before her grinning sickeningly.
[=FEAR=]
“I shOUld knOw thE nAmE Of thE lIfE I’m AbOUt tO tAkE- FEAr lAntErn!“
Trixie’s ring glowed. She looked skyward and saw the other two flying opponents above her ready to pounce when somepony behind her yelled in a deep drawl.
“Down Trixie!”
[=WILL=]
A huge snow plow cart made of willpower drove into the undead phalanx, scattering them like bowling ball pins. Buildings crumpled and collapsed from the flying bodies, burying the fel creatures for the moment. The leading black lantern was crushed beneath the wheels of the construct. GL Big Macintosh landed behind his creation, his eyes looking about for another possible target.
‘Twilight did say the handsome Green Lantern was coming.’
Trixie rose into the air to intercept the two foes descending from over head. She created another curtain of fireworks, deflecting one of the attackers as she had the others, the other came on even faster. She created a spiked shield of fear energy that shattered when the force of the black lantern ramming her had landed home. As she fell to the earth she barely had enough presence of mind to wrap her body in a field when she hit the ground, digging a trench in the dirt until she came to a stop.
Mac jumped and landed next to Trixie, his ring blazing. Some of the knocked away undead were emerging from building wreckage.
“Yer one gutsy lady,” the great red stallion yelled. He had created a green construct wall. Guard pony Black Lanterns beat on the barrier attempting to break through. Though cracks had appeared in the construct, it was holding. “You ok?”
“The Great and Frightful Trixie is fine, “she said with annoyance as she climbed out from the end of the long furrow. She re-created her hat and rose into the air, generating another shield of yellow over both of them. “It took you long…why do you have two rings?”
More cracks appeared in Mac’s wall, these were deeper and more pronounced. “Later…we gotta get everypony away from these here Black Lanterns!”
Trixie’s shield was now being attacked by one of the pegasi she had first knocked out of the sky. “Trixie already thought of that! She drove the Apploosians out with fear before she attacked the Black Lanterns. Trixie is not stupid green fool,” she sneered.
Big Mack frowned. “Ah didn’t say ya were Trixie. “
Mac could sense in his mind the cracks in the construct wall and knew it was about to fail. Rather than allowing it to be destroyed, he dissolved it at the last moment, the black lantern pounding on it striking nothing and hitting the ground instead. Mac then created a pile driver over the prone zombie and with a couple of blows drove it into the ground like a post. He turned to face Trixie.
“We gotta meet up with Princess Cadence and Fluttershy!”
“Very well but first,” Trixie began to laugh an almost maniacal frightening laugh, “we deal with these detestable things!”
Trixie allowed her shield to fail, the fragments of yellow construct falling like the floating embers of a dying fire. She summoned a giant hammer with spikes that filled its striking face. The large bludgeon then swung down smashing the black lantern she used it against into pulp. She then focused her ringpower at the still black lantern’s power ring and called out to Mac, who followed suit.
The two beams struck the obsidian object, and for a moment there was nothing. What seemed like an eon passed before there was an explosion of light and unlight as the black band vaporized.
[=Connection Severed=]
The body of the Black lantern that had began to reform itself ceased and was animate no longer.
A dead pegasus appeared from the hole it had dug when it crashed to the ground, a guard shield of darkness protecting it from the same attack that destroyed its compatriot. Other Black Lanterns started to appear from the wrecked buildings, calling out to them.
“Ah think we need more hooves,” Mac said as he raised his ring, a giant grass roller heading at the approaching foes.
“No doubt!” Trixie called an image of Twilight before her as she hid behind a yellow plank wall studded with black arrows. Twilight’s projection looked a little stunned as Trixie continued to fight, yelling at the Yellow Corps leader for help. Twilight lost hesitancy as she was talking to somepony and then told her what she needed to hear.
“Cadence is on her way.”
***
Princess Cadence nodded at the Indigo figure of YL Twilight. Her violet aura grew around her and she started to hover off the ground. “Help is coming Twilight,” she said as she turned away and faced the Chief. “We must go! Black Lanterns are here and two of our group are fighting them in the town now!”
“ON THE WAY!” the Red Lantern screamed. The assembled buffalos were silent when the unicorn ignited, silently in awe of the power of the wielder of rage. ‘She IS wrath,’ many of the tribe thought.
RL Arcana boiled up with crimson fire when Flim relayed the distress call from Trixie, becoming like the brightest fire Chief Thunderhooves had ever seen. The blood that flowed from her mouth scorched the ground where it fell, letting off an acrid smell of char and melted sand. She rose into the air like a sky rocket, the trail of red plasma and light arcing to Appleloosa. The tribe sat silent, amazed at the sight.
“Do…do all…lanterns,” the chief stuttered trying to collect his thoughts together to speak. “By my for-fathers!”
“We will answer all questions as soon as we can,” SS Cadence rose into the air, IH Flim and IH Flam following suit and taking up positions beside her, their Indigo light melding with the princess’s violet. She made a funny face, one eyebrow raised. She half cocked her head and looked at Fluttershy, who remained on the ground. “My Queen…we must go.” There were murmurs from the tribe.
Fluttershy was silent, unmoving. She simply took deep breaths trying to gather courage. She looked up at her most powerful Star Sapphire with a pained look on her face.
“I…I” she stammered.
Cadence held up her ring bearing hoof, shaking her head.“You need to stay here mam.”
Eyes wide in bewilderment, Fluttershy aura seemed to bubble a little. The Queen then looked over at the buffalos. They seemed to move slightly forward, leaning at her, their eyes looking confused, unsure, even… scared. Cadence returned to earth, landing next to Fluttershy, standing over her with her height. She knelt down, placing her muzzle in her face and spoke quietly. “I know you’re afraid but we need…”
“I am…but I understand …they’re scared. They need…somepony.”
The Star Sapphire looked at her queen- nodding. Allies were in trouble…and the battle had to be joined, but the buffalos…
Cadence bit her lip “If we go…and other black lanterns show up…you will HAVE to fight them, you know that?”
She swallowed hard. “I know,” said Fluttershy. “But …I need to stay here for just that reason...for them. So I’ll console them, and answer their questions, maybe even find another Star Sapphire. If the Black Lanterns show up…” she gulped quietly,” I won’t leave them.”
‘Watch your back Shining said to me’, Cadence thought. She rubbed her cheek against Fluttershy’s cheek.” Stay safe my dear,” she whispered.
“Stop them,” the pegasus whispered back,” and be careful! Please!”
“Flam,” she called “Stay with my Queen and help her. Call us if something happens.” The alicorn of love rose into the air passing Flam on his way down. He silently gave a single nod.
“ Flim, we have to go..NOW!” Her voice became hard. Fluttershy seemed a bit taken aback. There was such an edge to her tone.
A flash of light and the two lanterns were gone, following the path their rage lighted friend had.
Chief Thunderhooves walked forward and approached Queen Fluttershy, looking over to the town as she was. A tear was in her eye as she was saying something under her breath. The huge buffalo listened carefully, unable to make out what she was saying but he felt it was something he would do himself soon.
Pray.
“ Miss Sapphire…we are grateful for what you are doing, but….is there anything that can prevent such things from awakening the dead?”
Fluttershy wiped a tear from her eye,” I wish there were sir…I wish there were but nothing seems to stop a black ring from attaching itself to the dead body it has chosen. The best we can do is what my friends are doing now.”
“O Great White Buffalo protect us all,” he grunted.
Flam looked on as Fluttershy faced the buffalos, holding up the glittering Star Sapphire ring, pointing it at them. The power ring glowed and then emanated a soft violet beam of light which fell on the assembled. They could feel it looking into their heart. Chief Thunderhooves shaded his eyes for a moment with is foreleg. “What…what are you doing?”
SS Fluttershy smiled. “Don’t be frightened. I’m just looking for somepony here who has great love in their heart.”
“Why?”
Sitting on her haunches, her wings spread open; Fluttershy closed her eyes, listening to her violet light filled heart. Her aura glowed brightly and for a moment the Queen of the Star Sapphires appeared to the tribe to not be a pagasus but she appeared to be an angel, truly come to help them.
“To make them a Star Sapphire…to give them a ring like mine…” her eyes snapped open.
[=Suitable Candidate found=] her ring sang.
*
Downtown Appleloosa.
“RRRAAHAAAGGGHHHH!”
Trixie looked up in time to see the first of the help she called for arrive. Like a great dragon, RL Arcana’s mouth disgorged a column of burning destruction. Red fire rained down on Appleloosa’s main street like a shower of sparks and lava from a volcano, the drops of Rage plasma splashing down on the guts of the wrecked buildings, turning the main street of of the town into a holocaust of char and flames. The Red Lantern landed, summoning two great burning scimitars with her ring.
[=RAGE=]
Three Guard Black Lanterns faced her: weapons made of darkness before them. They were still for a moment…
A curved flaming red sword swung down, shattering an unlight construct and cleaving its creator in twain. The other red weapon moved in to mow the other undead like a scythe. They moved back, dodging Arcana’s attack. She advanced, the twin swords whirling together back and forth before her. Her eyes wild beneath eyebrows knotted together, her teeth flashed white streaked with crimson blood that dripped from her mouth.
‘Now that is an entrance,’ Trixie thought.
“How many,” Arcana’s words sounded like they were voiced by a rabid animal rather than an educated unicorn mage.
“Eight maybe more,” Mac yelled. The great stallion burst forth from two other guards that had landed on him, the zombies flailing as they were thrown. The green lantern shown like a beacon having created what looked like a set of Hoofball barding over himself. “Trixie and I got two. Where’s the princess?”
“Right here!”
A voice from above answered. The aura of the Star Sapphire was brighter than any other lantern, the violet light filling the horrific scene with light that seemed to mix with the flames and create an alien looking sea of flames. The edges of her field were soft, almost feather like. Her eyes were burnished jewels filled with ring energy. IH Flim was following behind her, a violet Star Sapphire symbol hovered over his horn.
[=LOVE=]
The other lanterns paused for a moment at the sight of her. SS Cadence’s aura pulsed as a beam of energy came out of her ring, striking an undead pegasus. The beam flayed its target sending the reanimated corpus back to earth.
“Kindness is keeping those you love from needlessly suffering,” she declared, “and you CAUSE suffering!”
“Ah…thE UsElEss rOyAl is hErE! WE shOULd be hOnOrEd I sUppOsE.”
Her eyes brightened and two beams shot out of her violet power ring. Bolos appeared abound the black lanterns, holding them fast. Cadence streaked skyward, almost disappearing. She then commanded the ring construct to slam the ensnared things into the earth. Like a giant sling, the violet binding whipped in a circle and then flung its payload at the earth, the two bodies were hurled to down, landing in the middle of the street. A huge plume cloud of dirt and ashes obscured the town, dimming the sunlight and the fire.
The other lanterns lifted off, clearing the dirt cloud to hover with the princess.
“Are you all ok,” she asked.
“Eeyup,” Mac put up a wall between them and the thinning cloud. “That was as sticky as old honey spilled on yer coat.”
Trixie ran a hoof through her mane. “We needed to get some distance anyway. So, what now your highness?”
“Finish it, that’s what!” Arcana roared as she glared at the other lanterns.
“Maybe we should pull back,” Flim offered reaching out with his senses to detect threats behind them. “Besides, it seems all we’re doing is leveling the town.”
Cadence closed one eye as she thought. ‘I want to end them…not just knock them down as we’ve done before,’ she looked at Big Mac. “We have Mac with us! Too bad we don’t have more Green Lanterns…” She floated over to the stallion, looking at his forelegs.
“Mac…why do you have two rings?”
“LOOK,” Trixie pointed to the ground.
Eleven Black lanterns grouped together in a rectangle emerged from the dust, construct weapons pointing upwards at the living lanterns. They now looked colorless, ashen, and decayed. The damaged zombies had fully regenerated and were ready to fight. Dead pegasi hovered over the unicorns and earth pony guards.
Big Macintosh looked into the eyes of Cadence, and then closed his own eyes. “AJ found how to find other lanterns by letting the ring choose. This is here ta find another Green Lantern.”
“Great,” Arcana rumbled, “Now would be a REAL good time!”
“It might take too long! Ah need ta concentrate and...”
Cadence moved forward placing herself between Mac and the death lanterns. “Do It! Drop your wall and do what you have to.” She looked over her shoulder at him a wry smile on her muzzle, “We can hang on until you’re free!” The Star Sapphire reached within herself, summoning power and purpose from within. Love of her fellow ponies and lanterns welled up within her as violet light seemed to pour out of her body. “Move down when Mac drops his wall.”
Mac took his mind out of the wall and it dissolved pulling itself back into his ring. He touched the other power ring through his own. ‘We need a pony like me an AJ,’ he thought. ’Strong willed and never say quit…isn’t that who’s worthy?’ He closed his eyes ‘Find one like that ring. We need them here with us NOW.’ He opened his eyes for a moment looking at the wrecked town when a though popped into his head; ’I haven’t even got to say hi to family here.’
Shaking his eyes he closed his eyes again pushing his thoughts and feelings into the other ring, urgency of the moment spurring him on. The un-imprinted ring levitated off his hoof and floated before him. He opened his eyes his mind in almost a trance like state.
“Find.”
He felt the ring slip away from his mind’s grip. It followed the instructions it had been given using emotion and thought to be its template, absorbing the instruction and ‘digesting’ it with the thoughts and emotions that drove the command. It reached out with its power, seeking that which was needed.
There was a flash of green light.
[=Suitable Candidate Found =] it chirped as it streaked away into the direction of the apple orchards.
Mac looked down at his compatriots for a moment before he flew away. He called out to them as he followed the ring.
“Ah’ll be back,” he said and then he was gone.
*
“Me? Why me,” Little Strong Heart asked.
When the violet light had fixed on her, the small buffalo felt a twinge of fear. The Sapphire Queen had called out to her when the light had touched something within her. She hadn’t moved and when Fluttershy came forward, the crowd parted and let the glowing pegasus approach her.
“Because you have great love in your heart,” The Star Sapphire smiled.
Strong Heart’s mind swam in confusion. She felt no real closeness for anyone, no attachment or deep love for anyone in particular in the tribe. She was worried about them all, her large clan…the family that all the buffalo were. She loved them and did not want them…..
“Ah” she gasped. Some of her training in medicine helped her here. Things were not always so plain…or simple. Love…Love of her tribe! The ring had found the ‘great love in her heart’. It was what had driven her in the fight with the town ponies, and what made her seek peace if it was possible.
Love…her love of her folk.
The small buffalo maiden looked into the shining eyes of Fluttershy, trying to read beyond what was in front of her. She could almost perceive…something…something greater! Yes…something far greater was within the violet light. She could not see it, but she could feel it. What was it?
“So, you're asking me to take the ring,” Little Strong Heart asked.
“I’m offering you the Star Sapphire ring. You have great love within yourself and you can use the ring to protect those you love um… if you want it.”
Chief Thunderhooves came along side one of his smallest and placed a hoof on her shoulder. Little Strong Heart looked up into her chief’s eyes. “Such…a gift is…appreciated, but we know from our shamans that such…power comes with a price,” the old bull stated,” what is the cost to our small but brave one for doing this?”
Fluttershy bit her bottom lip. Did he mean the way the ring changed how you saw things? How you felt? How tiring it could be sometimes? The way pure love could affect you?
“it….it’s not easy if that’s what you’re asking. There is a…burden with it, an obligation.” She looked at Little Strong Heart and smiled,” but it is one of the only ways we can stop them,” she sighed. “You will have to be taught how to use it, told what is expected of you if you become a Star Sapphire…that is, if you want to become one.”
The buffalo maid nodded her head. “I do want to.”
A flash of light appeared to congeal and become solid, turning in on itself, spinning to become a hoop of pure violet crystal. Gradually the hoop changed and became an exact copy of the ring on the pegasus’s leg. It held itself in the air for a moment, as if making a final judgment about who Fluttershy had pointed out to be chosen. The tribe was silent and still as the calf reached out to the glowing band. Suddenly the violet power ring circled around the buffalo calf, becoming brighter as it gained speed. Soon Little Strong Heart had disappeared within a shroud of pure violet light.
[=Tees-iee-lah, Soo-tah, Chahn '-tay of Makoce, You have great love in your heart=] the ring purred.
The shroud collapsed and covered the small buffalo in the radiance that had become like fabric. The new material clung to her, shifting and changing; becoming the uniform of the Star Sapphires. Little Strong Heart’s eyes had become two radiant points matching the ring one her foreleg.
[=Welcome to the Star Sapphires=]
She slowly came back to earth gently landing on her hooves. The sensation in her heart was completely new. The ring was ‘weaving’ itself into her. It was like filaments from the ring and threads from her mind and heart were being woven together, like a blanket of great beauty. Warp of ring and weft of self coming together to make a new being. The violet light of Love seemed to flood her being, the sensation was intoxicating.
‘I..I,” the new Star Sapphire worked to speak clearly. She seemed to be almost drowning in the feelings from the violet light, her psyche being swallowed up and made part of the power of the ring. Suddenly her eyes became normal and clear. She blinked a few times before asking Fluttershy anything.
“I feel…” the buffalo calf stammered. Fluttershy nodded. “What…what do I do now?”
“How about we start with making something?”
“Making something? I don’t understand. “
Fluttershy’s ring flashed. A shimmer of violet like a dust devil made of sparkling light formed into cords that bent into themselves, becoming a basket of the most intricate design the buffalos had ever seen. There were several gasps from the hulking tribe members. Fluttershy pushed the construct over to Little Strong Heart, who prodded the violet basket. Though it was made of energy, it felt real; it had weight and texture, like a real basket. She passed the creation to her chief who did likewise, going so far as licking it with his tongue.
“That is called a ‘construct’ and it is just one of the things the rings can do.”
SS Little Strong Heart looked at her ring in wonder. ‘What else can it do’, she asked herself.
IH Flam felt something. A cold, void like darkness filled his awareness. The Indigo ring seemed to connect with an approaching...darkness. He turned around and saw a line of large figures approaching from the foot hills to the west. To normal eyes, the setting sun obscured the approaching figures, dust rose before them as they came closer. Through the power of the Indigo ring, Flam could feel…
[= DEATH=]
As Little Strong Heart called forth a ball of violet light from her new ring, a row rumble was heard. The Buffalo let out a gasp as they looked out over the plain. A line of huge dark round shapes moved forward, the dust thrown up from their movement started the settle as they came to a stop before the buffalos.
“LEttIng thE pOnIEs prOtEct OUr trIbE? YOU hAvE bEcOmE wEAK ThUndErhOOvEs, “ the huge leading figure said. “YOU shAmE YOUr AnsEstOrs mY sOn.”
Fluttershy shivered and swallowed hard, “Ulp,” her ring glowed as the form of an alicorn appeared. “….Cadence! Help!”
*
Breaburn Apple’s farm house outside Appleloosa.
If the townsfolk stampeding to his front porch had not grabbed his attention, the lightshow and destruction going on in town did.
“Ya want to tell me what happened again,” Breaburn asked a townspony shivering from both terror and fatigue. The terrorized look on the pony’s face caught the orchard founder off guard. “It sounds a little too…crazy.”
Deputy Padlock pushed his way through the crowd to Breaburn. “Some crazy mare came inta’ town and scared the livin’ daylights outta everypony! She came after us and only let up when we left town!” The earth pony deputy’s throat made a gurgling sound and he spat at the ground. “Cursed witch! The things she called up, all glowing in yella!” The crowd behind him shivered at the mention of the mysterious mare in yellow. “Those ‘lantern ponies’ said they were here to help us….and they pull something like this!” Deputy Padlock kicked dust up from the ground. “So we ran here, hoping to meet up with you.”
“Lantern pony? What’s a lantern pony,” Breaburn asked.
“You know…one of those ponies that glow and have those weird powers?”
“No…Ah don’t,” he stared into the eyes of the deputy. “Sounds like too much cider samplin’ ta me.”
The smell of burning wood filled his nostrils. ‘My town…my life’s work,’ Breaburn thought as he turned to look back at the town he had fought so hard to build. He had channeled everything in him bringing Appleloosa into existence. Some said that it was through sheer willpower alone that it was built. The sound of shattering buildings came to the ears of the assembled towns’ folk, many of them ducking their heads reflexively from the battle sounds coming their town.
“Where’s Sheriff Silver Star,” Breaburn asked simply.
“We don’t know. The mad-mare summoned a monster that picked him up and threw him in the river when he refused to leave town!”
“The Duke? Where is the Duke?”
A mare in the crowd spoke up, “We can’t find him either!”
‘We need to save the town….somehow,’ he thought, ‘but how? What do we do?’
He was lost in thought when he heard a collective gasp from the town ponies. An almost blinding green light surrounded him as a strange voice came to his ears.
[=Brandon Burnsides Apple of Equestria, you have the ability to overcome great fear=]
Something warm placed itself placed itself on his right foreleg. A sensation of pins and needles followed, rushing up the leg, into his shoulder, up his neck and then into his head. That same sensation filled his brain, each tingle completing a connection with the thing on his leg. He felt his resolve to save the town harden, his determination become like stone.
[=Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps=]
The light faded and all could see Breaburn clad in strange clothes. His hat had turned black and his vest was a luminescent emerald green over a black body suit with white socks. A glowing ring the same color as his vest was what had attached itself to his foreleg. The crowed was silent, staring at Breaburn like he had grown another head.
“Oh Celestia…he’s become like that yella banshee,” somepony called out. Murmurs rippled through the crowd until a voice spoke above their head.
“Ah’d be nice to that ‘yella banshee’ if’n Ah were you,” a deep base voice said above the crowd’s head.
Breaburn looked up into the sky, “Macintosh?”
The great stallion floated above the multitude, an aura of green light surrounded him. The crowd stood still gawking at the sight of the great earth pony defying gravity. He looked at his new clothes, and then studied the clothes cousin Mac, seeing how they were made of similar materials, if it could be called.
A ray of green light burst forth from the glowing band on Mac’s leg, a band that was just like the one that had just appeared. The light seemed to melt and form itself into a wagon around Breaburn, the light stretching and twisting, forming itself into wheels and springs. The edges of the cart of light grew wings like a royal chariot. The conveyance then began to move, first lifting into the air and then following behind Big Macintosh she he flew forward. The gasps of the crowd below faded away as Mac flew in the direction of Appleloosa.
“Wha? How?” Breaburn stammered.
“No time! Just do what Ah tell ya’ right now and I’ll explain later!”
“Cousin Ah don’t…how are ya doin’… what in the name of“
“Dagnabbit Breaburn, hush! For once shut up an’ listen! Do what Ah tell ya!” Big Mac turned briefly and faced the displaced townsponies.
“All y’all: stay out outta town until Ah say it’s clear. Ah don’t want ta bury anyone ta-day. And if’n any zombies appear...run fer yer lives! Ring, explain to Breaburn how his ring works.”
[=Affirmative=] the ring chirped.
“It…It talks?”
“Oh cousin, it does a powerful lot more!”
[=A Green Lantern Power ring is…=]
*
“Fluttershy’s in trouble” Princess Cadence called out over the din of destruction. “Black Lanterns are attacking the Buffalos.” A violet beam of force struck home, boiling a death guard, its flesh melting and burning, the smell of the burning flesh filled the air. Cadence landed behind the target of her energy attack, forming a large violet battering ram that flew at a line of zombies, shattering their marching line and their bodies like pottery struck with a Griffon club. Stillness descended over Cadence.
“We have to go back,” she sighed as she rose into the air again. “Now!”
Large red scimitars streaked by as their mistress followed behind them. RL Arcana pressed home her attack, slicing through a number of Black Lanterns with each swing of her construct swords. “When we leave they’ll kill everypony in the town,” she growled as she felled another two zombies.
“I must protect Fluttershy,” her voice cracked as she yelled. She knew the Red Lantern was right. Leaving town was trading one slaughter for another, but the queen need help…now! “Follow when you can.”
Cadence left, becoming violet colored lightning in her haste to save her Corps Queen. The Red Lantern roared in frustration while she spewed bloody plasma all over another foe.
“Curse all Star Sapphires, especially their Queen Fluttershy!” growled Arcana as face tic moved over her muzzle.
“Why? What’s wrong with Fluttershy?”
Big Mac came in for a landing pulling a construct cart in which rode an earth stallion. The bewildered looking new Green Lantern climbed out of the cart as the construct faded. He stood in the street and began to pivot his head around, looking at the carnage and wreckage of what had been his home town. When he finished the swing of his head, his jaw had fallen open in utter shock at the destruction of his town.
Big Mac tapped on the pony’s shoulder with a hoof, “Focus Breaburn, remember what I an’ the ring told ya,” he looked at Trixie with a slight sneer leaving his face. ”What’s happening to Fluttershy? Where the hay is Princess Cadence?”
“Black Lanterns,” rumbled the Red Lantern, her scimitars raised for another attack. The construts had grown larger, but more 'ragged' appearing as the fight had progressed.
“Where are they?”GL Big Mac through up a wall construct to shield himself from flying debris from GL Breaburn’s first construct attack. New lantern had made what looked like a paving roller that rolled over several of the undead. He gritted his teeth as he concentrated his mind through the ring. The roller ran over a Black Lantern, flattening the zombie. The construct then shattered like glass, dying sparks of green dissipating into the air. Breaburn became walleyed for a moment as his mind absorbed the idea of the construct's failure.
“We left her with the Buffalos,” Trixie sighed. “They're being attacked by more Black Lanterns.”
“Ah’m gone.” Mac leaped into the air. “She needs another color aside violet! Breaburn, remember what Ah’ve told ya on about how that ring works!” Mac’s new recruit nodded as a green aura appeared around his body.
Trixie created another flight of rockets that brought down two more Black Lanterns attempting to fly up and over them. She wheeled about to face GL Macintosh. “If we leave now, the Black Lanterns will spill out of the town and come after the townsponies I chased out. We can’t leave them to kill anyone.”
Red swords whirled again.” No, we can’t.”
“We gotta split up then. Ah ain’t leaving poor Fluttershy ta face those things.”
“How about we all leave town at once, “Flim offered as he channeled Breaburn’s green energy, creating a giant snow shovel to scoop up undead. “ We make one big attack…knock down as many as we can, then split up. Some go to guard the townsfolk, other help the Buffalos.”
“Yes.” Trixie tittered. All the lanterns nodded their agreement.
All of them fell back to the end of the street, giving distance until they came to the spot where Trixie’s trench ended. They all raised their ring bearing limb, pointing the rings in the direction of the Death Lanterns reconstituting themselves at the end of the street. All assembled behind Flam, the Indigo Herd member raised his own ring on his hoof and his staff with his magic. They lanterns pushed the light of the rings into the Indigo staff. A swirl of colors formed around the staff head then flowed into the Indigo Ring. The various corps symbols appeared, hovering over Flim’s horn, layered on top of one another.
[=Will=][=RAGE=][=FEAR=][=WILL=][=COMPASSION=]
He could feel the emotions all flowing through him even with the dampening effect of his Indigo ring, the Emotional energies moving back and forth through his heart looking for release. He understood now what Rarity had told him. He was a prism, a living lens bending the different lights together.
[=Will=][=RAGE=][=FEAR=][=WILL=][=COMPASSION=]
A ball of light began to form in front of the Indigo ring. It started as a swirl of colors, but quickly the colors blended together, the colors fading becoming an intense white light. Flim looked down the street, seeing the misshapen undead ponies at the far end rising and forming again. He felt connection with the rings intelligence, and beseeched the ring to strike what he saw.
Whitish light tinged with colors burst out from the Indigo ring, the radiance was intense, becoming like Celestia’s sun of a moment. The energy was almost more than Flim could handle. For a moment Flim almost lost himself to the overwhelming feelings of the emotions that flowed through him. Every time he channeled other lanterns power he was numb to the emotions. This was somehow different…something more. It was like he had somehow touched something…more.
Like water from a bust dam the light ran down the street and into the Black Lanterns. At first some of the undead shielded themselves with constructs, but like flood waters, the white light wore at their defenses and worked its way into them. Suddenly the sound of Black rings was heard.
[=Connection Severed=]
[=Connection Severed=]
[=Connection Severed=]
[=Connection Severed=]
[=Connection Severed=]
The light was gone. The Black Lanterns that had not had their rings destroyed were a jumble of parts and pieces, looking like a macabre pile of dolls some giant foal had broken and cast aside. Flim was dizzy for a moment. Something….something was wrong.
“I only got… five,” IH Flim said, his words were labored. Unlight constructs appeared over the reforming bodies.
“Urrrrrr” the Red Lantern growled.
“Yer new at fighten’! We’ll work on yer aim later. Ya got us time Flim! Y’all head back to the local folks and protect em'.” The great stallion rose into the air and was gone in a flash, a streak of green light.
Trixie yelled at Arcana as she created another Yellow fireworks effect. The explosions caused a huge cloud of dust to appear, covering the main street in a dark shroud.
“Follow him, he’ll need help. We’ll protect the town ponies.” The red lantern nodded in a shaky fashion. Blood seeped from her mouth as a wild glaze filled on of her eyes. To Trixie, it looked as if a madness came over the red lantern for a second. She flew off after Macintosh. The Great and Frightful Trixie raised her voice,” You! Stay close to Flim so he can use Willpower to fight with. Get ready to fly.”
“Mac didn’t show me how ta fly yet…he said we didn’t have time…”
“Ugh! It’s not that hard to…fine! Stand next to Flim and Trixie will carry everypony…like Trixie always does in an ensemble.”
As GL Breaburn walked closer to the Indigo Herd member, the pained look on his face became more pronounced. He almost fell to his knees as strange sensation washed over him. His hind legs came out from under him and his rump fell on to the debris filled street.
YL Trixie spiraled in coming to a stop next to him. “What’s wrong? Are you ok?”
“No! Something…something’s wrong with Flam” his pained look deepened. ” Brother what have you done?”
“What’s wrong,” the fear lantern asked as she created a basket around the Indigo light wielder and the Green Lantern. She began flying into the sky towing the construct basket and its burden. “Is it something the Indigo Herd…?”
“No…we’re twins. We’re…connected to each other” Sweat made his coat shine in the afternoon light, making him almost match the color of Trixie’s ring.
“I think…” Flim stuttered,” I think my brother just….died!”