Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were out at their tree house. That was where Twilight had last seen them, anyway. Her mind raced as her hooves carried her along the path to the fillies' getaway. She'd been just heading back to town after helping them with their recent scheme when she heard the screams. She didn't have time to return to town and get help, and desperately hoped it was something she could handle on her own.
When she got to the tree house, her heart sank even more. It looked schorched by something... unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Her fear rising, she rushed ahead and diving into it and looking for the girls. "Girls! Girls! Applebloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Where are you!" She nearly tore the building apart just to find them.
"Twilight?" She heard a familiar voice ask, and literally tore the wall up, not bothering to go around it to see who was there.
Fluttershy squeaked and cowered back at the destruction, and Twilight tossed the wall aside. "w-what's going on here? I was out tending to some animals when I heard the girls scream and..."
"I don't Know! I was just hear and... they aren't here!" Twilight sputtered out frantically.
"w-wait... look! The forest... something's been through here... something big..." Fluttershy interrupted, floating over to a set of branches that had been bent aside, and deep, heavy tracks that had been made in the ground.
"Good eye, Fluttershy! Let's go!" Twilight hurried down the path.
"Shouldn't we go get help?"
"There's no time! Something might have kidnapped the girls! We can't let them get away!"
They followed the tracks for what seemed like hours, though it couldn't have been more than half an hour before they reached the end. Fluttershy brought Twilight to a stop just before a clearing, deep in the Everfree by now.
Quietly, both the ponies peaked out from the brush, and withheld their gasps as they set eyes upon the most horrific sight either of them had seen. Huge, draconic looking creatures wearing strange armors were carrying the girls, and a number of other strange and wild creatures from the Everfree, into their strange and even larger contraption, the size of a house. Twilight could hear them speaking to each other in a strange language that she didn't understand. With a quick application of a spell, she solved that, though.
". . . And make sure you put some food and water in the crate this time! Those cubs look like they'll fetch a nice price with some warlord's spoiled brat or something... but only if they're in good condition. . ." One of them, obviously the leader, demanded of the one setting up crates in their device.
"I knows... I knows..." It responded, lifting the girls and setting them bodily into the crate. "How longs till they wakes up?"
"Hopefully a while... I don't want to hear anymore of that screaming!" Complained the third, carrying a blindfolded cockatrice. The serpent bodied chicken like creature struggled and shifted in his grip, scratching at him. "Argh! Damneded thing!" The beast through the little creature against the side of their structure, and it smacked into it with a wet thud, slumping to the ground.
"Damned fool... you killed it..." The leader admonished, and Twilight ghasped in horror. Her reaction was still more reserved than Fluttershy's had been, the yellow pegasus rushing out with anger on her face.
"How dare you! How d-" Though the underlings were startled by her sudden presence, the leader was nonplussed, and pulled out his weapon, shooting a dart at Fluttershy. After just a moment, the pegasus wobbled and tumbled over, fainting dead away.
"Huh... looks like it followed us. Get another crate ready, Sten. Gaff... check the brush for anymore..." It said as it reloaded it's weapon.
The one named Gaff slowly walked toward the brush, and Twilight's mind raced. Everything was going so quickly, she didn't know what to do. She'd never truly felt fear like this before. Backpedaling, she heard a branch snap, and Gaff stepped closer, pushing the branches hiding her aside.
"Ah... there ya are... don' worry. Gaff's not gunna hurt ya... just put ya beddy by till we find ya a nice home somewhere that'll pay us lotsa money... heheh..." The humongous creature leaned down towards her, reaching out with it's hideous claws.
Twilight didn't think, what she did, she did out of fear and anger. One moment, the beast was looming over her, the next, she had focused her power into one, great blast, and it was thrown against the metal structure, it's body quite ruined by the reflex.
The leader reacted quickly, firing blindly into the brush. His shot wasn't the stun dart from earlier, but deadly bolts of fire. One of them grazed twilight's flank, and she gave a startled yell, falling to the ground. She groaned in pain as she landed on her injured side, and tried to stand up.
"What the hell! What did it do! Look what it did to Gaff! Oh hell! What are we going to do!" She heard Sten cry out.
There was a long pause, and through the brush she could see the leader compose himself for a moment, taking a few breaths to stop his shaking. "We..." He stopped again, and cleared his throat, mustering his bluster. "We kill it... whatever it was..."
*****
Far away, deep in the mountain that loomed over Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, an ancient presence stirred. It was not a truly thinking thing. But it had a purpose, and a need.
And power. Increadible power. But it could not use it's power without someone to command it, to give it direction, and form.
And that someone, had finally, revealed them self to it.
Quickly locking onto the presence, the tiny figure streaked out of it's prison, easily breaking the binds and wards that had long since degraded from neglect. It tore through rock and stone that stood in it's way, and then ripped through the sky, flying unerringly to it's target.
It could feel the presence of others, others who would harm it's target. So it wrapped it's protecting light around them, drawing it's would be host in. Oh, they were all afraid, even the one it was there for. But they... she wasn't just afraid... she was angry.
And she was using her fear to fuel her anger... giving into it... letting it mold her actions.
And bring fear to her enemies.
"Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. You have the ability to instill great fear."
"w-what... who's there..." The pony looked around, her power manifesting in her horn to strike again.
"Take the ring, and speak the oath, and it shall grant you the power to destroy your foes." Slowly, the ring drifted around infront of her, hovering just before her face.
"I... I don't know..." She stopped, and again she solidified that fear into action. "Alright... what do I say..." The ring glowed, and her eyes filled with it's light. Before she even knew what she was saying, the words were spilling from her lips.
******
Sten was not a brave creature. Infact, he was quite cowardly. That's why he'd agreed to this job, it was supposed to be a very basic poaching job on a very backwater world that nobody cared about. So when his brother Graff was nearly vaporized by something he didn't even see, he became very, very afraid. He became more afraid when, as his other brother started poking around in the bush to find their brother's killer, the place the shot had come from began to fill with an eerie, yellow glow.
"What's going on, Geb? What's..." He quirked his head, a voice reaching his ears.
"In blackest day. In brightest night."
Sten quirked his head again, the words had a familiar sound to them, like he'd heard them before somewhere.
"Beware your fears made into light."
He suddenly felt like his heart had stopped in his chest, and his eyes went wide. "Geb! We have to get out of here... NOW!"
"Let those who try to stop what's right..."
"What are you talking about, you idiot..."
"Burn with my power. The Yellow Light"
Suddenly, a great, terrible beast, glowing with a sick, yellow brightness, burst from the underbrush. Geb gave a great scream, but it lasted for only a moment before a quick sweep of the beast's paw swept him up and threw him out into the dark forest.
Sten drew out his own laser pistol, blasting at the thing wildly, tearing a number of holes in the luminescent construct. It wavered, then fell to the ground, seeming to shatter...
But each tiny piece seemed to form into a different, crawling insect, and the entire swarm began to scurry toward him. He loosed shot after shot into the pile, but each one did hardly a thing to stop the mass.
Hurrying back, he saw another one of the creatures native to this world, the horse like creatures. It was wreathed in the yellow light, a golden tiara wrapping it's head, crested in the emblem of fear. He knew what it was.
"Stop! I won't take them! You can have your young one's back! I'll leave... won't ever come back! PLEASE!!! NOOOOO!!!!" He screamed as the glowing yellow swarm rose up like a wave, then descended upon him.
His screaming lasted for half a minute longer, before it was silenced.
Still... Twilight wasn't done. Using her new power, she gently lifted her friend and the fillies from the ground, and carried them to the Pegasus' house. Settling the still sleeping ponies down, she heaved a sigh of relief as she saw they were all still breathing and well.
She began to float up, though she didn't resist it.
"Welcome... to the Yellow Lanterns..."
"Teach me to protect my friends..." And with that, she sped off into the now darkening sky in a flash of yellow light.
******
Celestia hated to be standing here. She hated it so much she nearly would have left. But she had to suffer through it.
For Twilight's sake.
"Princess Celestia, why have you contacted the Guardians." The pale green simulacrums of the Guardians spoke as one, contempt just barely visible through their usualy emotionless expressions.
"One of my people, Twilight Sparkle, has been kidnapped... I believe it was by one of the weapons locked away here on Equestria." She didn't say which, she didn't want to. It would be more information than she wanted to reveal to the Guardians.
The Guardians paused for a moment, then one of them looked to her with a raised eyebrow. "Kidnapped, you say? By your own weapons? How is that even possible"
Celestia sighed, unable to avoid the truth. "A ring. Twilight is my student, and she found a power ring and activated it. It has not been used for centuries, nor did I intend for it to be used by anyone ever again. We in Equestria have more... acceptable sources of power, now." She paused, letting them consider for a moment. "Please, she isn't a warrior, or a murderer, or even truly a protector. She's a scholar. She doesn't need to be caught up in your war of light" She tried to keep the pleading from her voice, but even she couldn't help it, in light of the current situation.
Again the Guardians paused to consider, and again one of them turned to her to speak. "I'm afraid we've no Green Lanterns that we can spare to save just one equestrian, even if they have been kidnapped by a ring..."
Celestia's eyes went wide, and she stepped forward, nearly ready to beg. "You can't do that! -"
"However... There is another way. Allow us to send a ring to begin the recruitment process... and choose a Green Lantern from among your people." They watched her, waiting for her reaction.
Emotions stirred in Celestia. After having imprisoned one of those vial weapons long ago, Celestia had little interest in involving her world in the affairs of light once again. But she saw now that she had little choice. "Very well, allow me to compile a list-"
"There is no need. The ring will find it's bearer, and we will have them trained on Oa. This matter is out of your hands now, Celestia." And with that, the simulacrums faded, leaving Celestia standing alone."
******
Deep in space, lightyears from Equestria, and many billions more light years from Oa, a green lantern ring changed it's course, it's light streaking across the black of space in a great curve as it's direction shifted from the distant green light of Oa, back into the Frontier Regions, to a tiny, pale yellow sun.
Not far from it, another presence noted the change in course, and followed.
******
"Fluttershy of Equestria. You have the capacity to overcome great fear..." The voice emanated from the strange ring as it hovered closer and closer to her.
"Oh... oh no... you must have me confused with some other pony... I can't possibly..." She responded, slowly backpedaling.
"Welcome... to the Green Lantern Corp." The ring said, finally shooting toward Fluttershy.
The timid yellow pony ducked and turned away, then blinked in surprise as she felt an almost imperceptible weight around her neck. She glanced down, and let out a surprised squeak as she found what had once been the ring wrapped around her neck almost as a collar. Emblazoned on the front was a symbol the same as the one the ring had had before.
The ring began to glow once more... and Fluttershy shied away from the light as it engulfed her. It carried her up, out of her house, and through the sky. The ground below sped past faster than anything she'd seen before. Up above, the warm colors of evening quickly gave way to a star filled sky.
"Oh dear..."
******
Fluttershy was quite fortunate. Mainly because she'd run into a Frontier Lantern just by happenstance, sparring her a years long journey to Oa. But also because said frontier lantern somehow looked like a two foot tall squirrel.
"So you see... the ring turns thought into energy and matter. You can make anything you want, simply with the power of your will." Ch'p finished his lesson, commanding the great tree that he'd constructed to wither, it's leaves to fall, and finally for it to turn to dust. "Now you try."
"Oh... I'm not so sure I should... because... well..." Fluttershy hesitated, hiding herself behind her hair once again.
"Don't sweat it, just focus on something your familiar with. You know, something that you know well that it's easy to form it in your head. Then will it into existence." Ch'p gave an encouraging gesture, and Shy took a deep, steadying breath.
She closed her eyes, a dozen images coming into her head as she tried to sort through them for the most familiar one. Picking at random, she willed it into being. The 'ring' around her neck began to glow, and from the emblem came a soft tendril of green light, reaching out in front of her and slowly taking shape. Her face scrunched as she focused, and brought the shape into being. Then finally, she opened her eyes.
"Meeep!" She squeaked, as suddenly, there was a little, green, disapproving Angel.
Ch'p chuckled, rolling back and floating up a bit. "A friend of yours? He doesn't seem to happy about something..."
"He wouldn't be too happy with how... nervous... I am." Fluttershy admitted, lowering her head in shame.
"Like I said, don't sweat it. It's not every day you're given phenominal cosmic powers by beings more than half the universe away." Ch'p said with another chuckle. His good humor suddenly evaporated as his ring buzzed in alarm. Fluttershy's also throbbed in warning. The little creature spun around, it's eyes scanning the sky. "Go for cover... you're not trained yet. Whatever it is... I'll take it on."
Fluttershy didn't have to be told twice, her 'ring' assisting her flight to a shallow cave, where she hid behind the wall. She paused a moment, then peaked out around it, looking out to where Ch'p stood, carefully eyeing the sky.
"I know you're out there! Show yourself!" The fuzzy creature demanded of the unseen threat.
"If you insist..." A menacing... malicious voice said. Suddenly flying out into the open. With a roar of hatred, it let out a blaze of red energy down at the green lantern, who dodged to the side only just barely. His return fire caught the monster in the stomach, tossing it back.
"Red Lantern!" Ch'p exclaimed, jumping up into the air as yet another blast of flaming red energy shot towards him. A swarm of flying squirrels came out of the Green Lantern's ring, tackling the hideous Red Lantern and scratching and biting at it.
A blast of fiery red destroyed them all, and the red lantern pursued Ch'p as he led him away from Fluttershy's cave.
"Be careful..." She quietly pleaded after the adorable little Green Lantern, even though he couldn't hear her so far away. The two lanterns had gotten into a dogfight, now. The red following Chip over the rocky plateau further north as they exchanged blasts.
Thinking fast, Ch'p created a large excavating machine, dragging it along the earth, tossing huge chunks of rock and stone at the red lantern that it couldn't simply melt through with his power. It dodged and weaved, but every now and then a boulder would strike it. "RAAAAAAAHHH!!!!" It roared, and blasted another gout of flaming red energy, tearing through even the cloud of stone and earth to clip the Green Lantern in the side, causing him to waver and swerve, his construct to dissolve.
Much closer to Fluttershy, another Red Lantern came into view, this one setting himself up in the valley her cave was overlooking. He seemed to consider a moment, a scowl of smug contempt on his face, then he constructed a dangerous looking cannon from his lantern, lifting the flaming weapon up and taking careful aim at Ch'p as he struggled with the other Red.
"Too easy..."
Fluttershy didn't know what possessed her, but she didn't question it either. She rushed out from her hiding spot, wings held wide as the ring propelled her forward. "STOP!" She shouted, and a blast of green energy shot from the symbol around her neck, striking the red lantern in the shoulder.
It tumbled through the dirt, but was clearly not so badly harmed as to be bothered, getting up quickly. "Zoxtur! There's another one!" It called out to it's companion.
"Good... a kill for each of us, then. You can claim your kill... and I can have mine... hehehahahaha..." Zoxtur laughed maniakly, dodging Ch'p's now clumsily thrown bolts, and blasting yet another construct apart.
"Fluttershy! GET OUT OF HERE!" Ch'p again demanded, unleashing as many blasts as he could, trying to get both Red Lantern's attention, but Zoxtur intercepted each attack and blasted back. With another roar, Ch'p was forced to retreat, and the chase was once again on.
The remaining Red Lantern looked over to Fluttershy with a malicious grin. "Hear that... you get to be my first kill in a long... long time..."
Fluttershy shored up her resolve, and as the Red Lantern loosed his first blast, she brought up a shield to intercept it. That proved a futile effort, and it shot right through, forcing her to dodge frantically to the side. Another followed, and another, the terrified green, pink, and yellow Pegasus only just staying ahead of each blast.
Finally, one of them zeroed in on her, and she only just managed to erect a thick bubble to shield herself in time, screaming in terror as the blast reverberated off her shield.
"That won't protect you for long... Little Lantern... hahahahaha!!!" Again he loosed his blast, this time sustaining it, the red energy shooting out like a flamethrower to buffet and melt it's way through the thick shield.
Fluttershy cowered under the shield, almost too afraid to even think. Oh... what would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do... wait... That's it!
*******
X'ek was pleased. His first kill in over a cycle, and it was going to be a Green Lantern. His rage blossomed even brighter as saw the dome of green begin to crack under his assault. It wouldn't be long now...
Suddenly, the dome burst. But not from his attack. Instead, the blast came from inside. As the Green Lantern shot up, high into the air, a heavy blast of power spread out around where it had been. X'ek steeled himself against the blow, but it struck him with a force he expected more from starship grade artillery! With a cry, he was swept off his feet and thrown through the air, tumbling into boulders that shattered against the Red Aura meant to protect him against such damage.
He struggled to right himself, but before he could, the Lantern had swooped down, slamming into him and dragging him along the earth, shattering even more of the landscape.
Roaring against the pain, X'ek put everything he had into his next blast, the red energy tearing it's way out of his mouth and blasting into the Green Lantern's side, sending it sprawling to the ground...
... where it shattered, the green light that had composed it's being dissipating into the air.
"A CONSTRUCT! Then where's!?" His question was answered almost immediately as the true Green Lantern, wreathed in green energy imitating a creature similar to it, but almost twice it's size, ran up to him. Rather than ram him to the ground, though, it planted it's forelegs, spun on them and kicked...
The force was unlike anything he'd felt, his defenses already so weakened from the previous assault. He already could feel that several of his ribs had broken, and as he careened through the air, it was all he could do to shore his defenses before he collided into the face of the cliff, shattering rock and stone, and every last bit of energy he had. From there, he fell, letting out a pained grunt as he slammed into the ground ten feet below.
He coughed, his lungs burning from the dust and a most certainly bruised lung, when the Lantern set down infront of him. He glared up at it, trying to bring what little rage he had left into one last, futile attack. But even as he did, a little green animal hopped down from the lantern's back, hopped to his hand, and pulled his power ring free.
"That is enough of that..." She said, her voice stern.
X'ek coughed again. "Go ahead... gloat over me... as you do... Zoxtur is probably finishing your friend off right now..."
The lantern's eyes went wide. "Oh no... Ch'p!" And she shot off into the sky, leaving X'ek alone to reach into his utility belt and retrieve his suicide pill...
******
Zoxtur was lost. He had managed to follow the fleeing Green Lantern through the spatial anomaly, and ultimately was able to catch and butcher him. Now, however, the anomaly had dissipated. Had his thinking not been clouded by the fires of rage, he likely could have found his way to more familiar space, but as it was, he was lost. However, there was an inhabited world nearby. Surely they would have starmaps, or starships, or something he could use. He descended into the atmosphere.
******
Zoxtur was infuriated- even more so than could be explained by the red ring on his finger. This world was primitive, they were no help! And even worse, it was so happy it hurt. With an enraged roar, he tore the throat from one of the quadrupedal natives, then hurled a globule of rage-plasma into the shocked crowd surrounding him. Within minutes, the small settlement he had landed in- someplace called "Appleoosa," a small part of his mind noted- was a burning, bloodstained ruin. He prepared to fly off in search of something more useful, when another fact cut through the fires of his fury. He was cold. Since he'd accepted the ring, the fires of his rage had kept him warm. Even the frigid vacuum of space couldn't chill a Red Lantern. And yet he was cold. Not only that, but he was getting colder fast. He snarled and looked around.
"Who's there? Who's doing that?!" The only response was the whistling of the wind, steadily growing louder.
With a cry of fury, a wash of red plasma rippled out from Zoxtur, turning the hard-packed dirt to glass. The warmth of the fires it ignited lasted for a moment before it, and they, were snuffed out by the bitter cold.
A speck of yellow fear penetrated the red haze of Zoxtur's mind. That shouldn't be possible. Lighting his ring, he took off. This was more than he could handle. Then, less than 30 feet up, another impossibility happened. The red aura surrounding him, protecting him and allowing him to fly, flickered and died, like the last ember of a fire burning out. He tumbled to the ground. Fortunately, the buffeting winds, by now incredibly powerful, slowed his fall enough that he was able to land without damaging anything. As he stood, however, he realized that his boots were already rimed with ice. Looking up, he noticed nebulous four-legged forms above him, circling and coming closed. With a cry of renewed anger, he spat a blast of rage-plasma at the apparitions, only for it to pass harmlessly through them. That was the last he saw before the ice growing on him claimed him. And then there was oblivion.
******
Ch'p was hurt bad, and he knew it. He'd managed to trick the Red Lantern into thinking he'd been killed by sending out a fake power ring, but he didn't imagine it would be very long before the imitation wouldn't be necessary. He briefly remembered Fluttershy mentioning that she was a healer, and entertained thoughts of returning to get help from her.
"No... if she beat or escaped her Red Lantern, I might lead this one right back to her... if she was defeated... No... there's only one thing I can do, now." Ch'p grunted, and commanded his ring to take him to the nearest inhabited world.
He set down easily on the earth a short ways away from a small, peaceful village. Along the way, he'd recognized some sights that Fluttershy had told him about, realizing this was her own homeworld. Ch'p gave a dark chuckle at the irony. "Damn shame she's not here now..."
After a brief moment to catch his ragged breath, he took off the ring, and lifted it into the air. "Begin the selection process... choose well."
******
Zaxtur was dead, his heart coming to a sudden, frigid stop in the storm. His rage had finally ended. But that was not the end of his ring. Even as the former Red Lantern's body was encased in ice, the ring flared to life. With a great roar, it shattered it's icy prison and shot out into the sky.
The search for a replacement had begun.
******
Rainbow Dash was worried. Terribly worried. Twilight had gone missing nearly a week ago, and now Fluttershy was gone too. The last anyone had seen of her was a green light stealing her from her home and carrying her into the sky further than even Dash had flown before.
Since then, she'd been patrolling the skies, praying to Celestia and Luna that there would be some hint of either of her friends. But so far, there was no such luck.
With a heavy sigh, she returned to her home, her wings too tired to carry her any further, and she settled onto the cloud, stamping her hoof in frustration. Her brow furrowed and she glared out into the sky, as though willing it to give her some hint as to her friends whereabouts.
And, much to her surprise, it complied. A tiny green light streaked through the sky, headed right for her. Dash blinked in surprise, not sure that the light was actually there, but sure enough, it was, coming to a stop just ahead of her.
She narrowed her eyes at it, slowly coming to the realization that this... ball of light... and the one that kidnapped Fluttershy could be related. Just as she was about to demand what it'd done with her friend, it bobbed right at her, spinning around, and then shooting off back the way it'd come.
"What the- Oh no you don't! You're not getting away this time!" Dash shouted after the glowing orb, willing her wings to carry her after it as fast as they could.
It wasn't easy, the ring bobbed and weaved and made turns that would challenge all but the greatest fliers. Fortunately, Dash was just such a flier. As the ring twisted and turned around trees and boulders, Dash easily kept it in her sights, if not following it close. She almost was starting to have fun chasing it, but her already burning wings, and her worry for her friends, kept her focused on the task at hand.
Eventually, the light dove into the Everfree forest, and Dash gave not a second thought to diving right in after it. It turned and seemed to settle behind some brush, it's glow slowly fading. Dash put on her best glare, ready to battle down whatever monster had taken Fluttershy. "Alright you! What have you done with..." She charged through the brush, and saw the most adorable horrible monster she'd ever seen, a Giant Squirrel the size of maybe a young foal, wearing a strange green and black costume. It took just a moment to recognize it was hurt, though, with several burns through it's fur and costume quite painfully visible.
Her anger was quickly replaced with worry, and she rushed ahead. "Omigosh! Ohnoohnoohno! Whatdoido!" She said, sitting beside the creature and looking over it's wounds, desperately trying to remember what little first aide she'd ever bothered to learn. "Oh... where's Fluttershy when you need her!"
"You know Fluttershy?" It said with a cough, surprising Rainbow Dash. "Figures the ring would find one of her friends... pity you're not a healer, though." It chuckled, as though there was something morbidly humorous about the situation.
"You've met Fluttershy!? Where is she!? Is she ok!?" Dash asked, almost forgetting the mortal injuries the creature had.
It nodded in response. "Yes... I know Fluttershy... and if she's half as strong as I think she is, she's hopefully still alive. But she's in great danger even so. She needs your help... I need your help."
Again, Dash didn't even have a second thought. "What do I need to do?"
The creature reached out, holding a tiny green ring towards Dash. "Rainbow Dash of Equestria, you possess great courage. Speak the Oath, and take the Ring, and with it you will overcome evil..."
Dash nodded, her eyes determined. "What must I say."
********
Gilda's heart ached. No, scratch that... it Burned. Even though it'd been months, over a year, really, since her closest friend had left her, she still couldn't get over it. And on second thought, Dash hadn't just left her... she'd turned on her. Scorned her. Betrayed her and left her out on her own.
And for what, a bunch of lame, know nothing, can't even fly or fight ponies! It sucked! But the thing that sucked the most was how much it hurt still. Gilda was never really... comfortable... with how possessive Dash made her feel, but and the whole affair was forcing her to confront that feeling, making her even more irritable than she usually was. She found her self blowing up at the smallest thing.
And wouldn't you know it, just such a small thing buzzed right around her head, trailing red behind it. Gilda tried to ignore the annoyance, grumbling under her breath. "Get lost..." She demanded of the thing. It's only responce was to zip right past her face, singing her feathers in the process. "GRRRaaaaahhh!!! That does it! You're toast, Dweeb!" And she rushed off after the tiny ball of red flame.
It's course was mostly straight, un-challenging, but aggressive, leading Gilda through trees and brush, even right through a flock of birds. But she didn't change course at all. It'd pushed her and now she was going to shove it back. The chase lasted a minute or more, but finally Gilda was able to catch the little light.
"Aha! Got ya! Now you're gonna get it!" She said triumphantly, clutching it tightly.
With a burst of red and fire, it threw her off, the light hovering in the air for a moment. All around, trees and brush ignited into flame, but somehow left the griffon not even singed. It slowly levitated down to her, malevolent red energy burning from it's core, where a tiny ring could be seen.
"Gilda of the Griffons. You posses great rage in your heart... Speak the Oath, take the ring, and with it your rage will BURN your enemies..."
Gilda narrowed her eyes, slowly picking herself up again. She was suspicious, she seldom really trusted anything. But there was something compelling about the voice with which the ring spoke. She found herself reaching out to it, and as her eyes filled with red flame, she found herself reciting...
********
"In brightest Day... In Blackest Night."
"With Blood and Rage of Crimson Red"
"No Evil shall escape my Sight."
"We fill Men's Hearts with Darkest Dread."
"Let those who Worship Evil's Might."
"Together with our Hellish Hate."
"Beware my Power, Green Lantern's Light!"
"We'll burn you all! That is your Fate!"
********
The ring began to glow with a great, green light. It floated forward and turned away from Dash, settling at her forehead and changing, it's band growing larger until it wrapped around the pegasus' head like a headband.
A uniform covered her, then. A close immitation of the Wonder Bolts, but instead of Blue and Yellow, it was Green and Black, like Ch'p's. Finally, instead of goggles, a mask covered her eyes.
Dash felt incredible, as though all her exhaustion and tiredness had been replaced and recharged with the energy of the ring, and she found herself doing flips and turns, testing the comfort of the uniform.
"Welcome to the Green Lanterns." Ch'p chuckled with a cough. "Very good... I wish I had time to teach you..."
"Nonesense... With this baby I can have you to the Canterlot Royal Vet office in ten seconds flat." And Dash did just that, her headband creating an ambulance cart and two attendants to lift Ch'p into it, while Dash hitched herself to the cart. "Don't worry buddy, you'll be ok."
"Huh... maybe I will at that..."
***********
The ring surged with powerful red light, and then shot onto Gilda's finger. The light flashed once again, and the Griffon was wreathed in fire her body was covered with a Red and Black imitation of the Wonderbolt's uniform, cut more to her stature and figure, and with a more intimidating pattern.
Her heart surged with rage and hate, and she found herself rearing back and letting out a tremendous, leonine roar. More than just sound poured from her beak-like lips, though, as a great gout of flame like red energy poured up into the sky above her, nearly twenty feet out.
"You belong to the Red Lanterns."
Gilda panted for breath, glancing around for the source of the voice. Her ring began to throb with hate, light coming off of it like fire. "What..."
"There is a Green Lantern somewhere on this world... destroy them, and prove yourself worthy of Atrocitus..."
*******
Dash got Ch'p to the Vet just in time, at least according to the nurses and attendants now looking over him. Fortunately, though, he was looking to be ok, now. "Well... that was a closer call than I would have like... heh... maybe I'll let you keep that ring, this seems like a nice place to retire."
Dash chuckled. "I gotta find my friend, hey... and then bring her back here so she can fuss over you." Dash nudged Ch'p with her hoof, earning a wince from the squirrel like creature. "Sorry..."
Then her headband began to throb in warning, and she glanced up. "Why doesn't that sound good?"
Ch'p gulped, and sighed heavily. "Because it isn't... it means there's a Red Lantern somewhere on this world. Either the one that defeated me... or his replacement if he's been vanquished somehow, himself."
"And what does that mean?"
"It means they're likely going to try and kill you, and barring that, everyone you care for."
******
Gilda soared over the Everfree Forest, short-cutting over it as she followed the directions of her red power ring. As she neared Ponyville, her irritation increased, a suspicion crossing her mind that she quickly and violently dismissed. "Where is this Green Lantern? I've been flying for hours!"
"Not far. It is somewhere near that mountain to the south." The ring told her, pulsing with every word.
"Canterlot!? No... no way. There's no way I'm going there looking for a fight, I don't care how strong you think you are. I'm not taking on Princess Celestia and a Green Lantern both."
"So be it. There is a village nearby. Raze it to the ground and demand that the Green Lantern come and face you. If this 'Celestia' comes instead, flee. And do the same to another village. And another. And another. Until the Green Lantern is found."
More red anger flared in Gilda's heart. She didn't want to go there. But the ring seemed quite adamant, and it fueled amplified her anger into rage. After just a few moments of consideration, she decided she would burn Ponyville. Maybe if she scorched it away it'd cauterize the burning ache in her.
"Fine."
She swooped down, landing out near the outskirts of town. She scanned the ground for her first target. A white and purple unicorn was out near a cottage, doing it's hardest to tend to some animals without getting itself dirty. Gilda spread her wings, leaping and gliding over, landing with a heavy, menacing thud right in front of the unicorn.
"Bring me the Green Lantern! Or I'll burn you, this Village, and everyone in it!" She shouted in rage at the pony, then turned and roared at the cottage, lighting it up with rage red fire. Animals fled from the flaming home, scurrying off before they too could be consumed in the flames. A small part of Gilda hoped that none of them were hurt, but for the most part she just was satisfied at the destruction.
She looked back at the unicorn, who seemed to be caught between absolute terror and violent outrage. So Gilda decided to hurry her along with yet another leonine roar, this time setting the flame just before the cowering pony. "NOW!!!"
Gilda couldn't deny her sense of satisfaction as the unicorn ran off towards the village. Once more, she scanned for a target, deciding that the apple orchards across town would provide a wonderful display for minimum casualties, giving the lantern plenty of time before things truly got ugly.
******
Rainbow Dash had stayed by Ch'p's side while he recovered from his injuries. The little squirrel being was surprisingly resilient, and combined with healing unicorn magics, he was on the fast track to recovery. As she and Ch'p talked, Celestia walked into the room.
Rainbow Dash and the vets all hurredly bowed before the regal Princess, while Ch'p only offered a slight nod.
"So this is the Green Lantern the guardians sent to Equestria?" Celestia asked to Ch'p.
"Ah... no... actually." Ch'p cleared his throat. "I suspect that you're talking about Fluttershy. If you asked for a guardian sent, then the Power Ring likely came here under orders from Oa and selected her."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you would know this because..."
"The ring she now possesses belonged to a friend of mine. He'd been killed by the Red Lanterns, and I was tracking his ring when I met Fluttershy." Ch'p said, leaning back and continuing with his explanation. "They've been targeting Frontier Lanterns like me for years now. I've been staying just one step ahead of them, but they recently found me. Two of them ambushed me and Fluttershy while I was teaching her. I hope she learns fast, I only got one of them to follow me."
"Follow you?" Celestia narrowed her eyes. "You mean there's a Red Lantern here?"
Ch'p gulped, and Dash began to sweat slightly, it wasn't often one saw the Princess angry or suspicious, but it was always just a bit terrifying. "Yes... I had little choice in the matter. Don't worry, I hope that it'll come to us rather than..."
"Princess Celestia!!!" A royal guard burst into the room, heaving from exertion, apearently having run all the way here from wherever he'd come. "Someone's attacking Ponyville! A Griffon, but the description says she's wreathed in red light and breaths fire!"
The Princess turned to Ch'p, glaring at him. His only response was to shrink a little bit. "Oops..."
"Where is the Griffon now?" Celestia said, heading for the door.
"Sweet Apple Acres, it keeps shouting something about a 'Green Lantern'."
"Prepare the guard, we'll head out and..."
"There's no time for that!" Dash shouted, her wings spreading wide. "By the time you guys get everything together, Sweet Apple Acres will be cinders and Ponyville won't be far behind." She turned, looking out the window. She squinted her eyes, and her headband glowed briefly with power as she willed the window to open. Green light surrounded the frame, and it lifted up. Dash carried herself to the open portal with a few short flaps of her wings, leaning out of the frame. "I'll go and try and slow it down, maybe I can even beat it."
"Rainbow Dash... this is certainly a trap. If you go out there without any support, you're going to get killed." Celestia said, her voice commanding. "Wait for reinforcements. You're no soldier."
"No... but I am a Green Lantern." She said, glancing at Ch'p, who nodded in agreement. "And Green Lantern's don't wait for reinforcements when innocent lives are at stake."
"You're not a Green..." Celestia started to say sternly, but she closed her mouth, heaving a sigh. "Alright." She nodded.
Dash returned the nod, her mask materializing over her eyes. With a green flash, she was out the window, and seconds after that, the sky filled with green light as she broke the sound barrier, her Sonic Rainboom green-shifted by the ring's energy.
"Good luck..." Ch'p and Celestia both said as the young hero flew off.
******
Dash could already see the fire raging at Sweet Apple Acres as she sped toward Ponyville. Before she even got into a fight with that Red Lantern, she had to put out that fire. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the area for anything she could use.
Her eyes settled briefly on the rainwater reservoir and an idea came to her. "Don't need the full power... just enough to move it a little ways." She set her course over to there, and commanded her power ring.
The green headband began to glow, and as it did, a dozen green pegasi appeared around her, each of them wearing similar uniforms, goggles, and trailing green smoke and lightning. "Alright! Emerald Bolts! Let's put out that fire!" She shouted after them, and they all gave a grunt in reply.
Staying in a wide formation, the squadron rolled toward the small pond, and then, with perfect coordination, went into the tornado like spin, quickly disappearing into a solid wall of green. Inside, the water rippled and surged, slowly starting to drift upward as it was caught in the wind and magical field the pegasus simulacrum's were generating, until it nearly floated up through the short tornado.
Before it had the chance to spill out, though, Dash led her squadron out of the tight spin and over to Sweet Apple Acres, creating a powerful draft that pulled the water right along with them. Once they were over the blazing orchard, she pulled away, and the water came down in a heavy rain, quenching the fires.
"This is so. Awesome!" Dash said with a bright smile, briefly forgetting why she'd come out here.
She was reminded when a bolt of blazing red rage shot right through one of her wing ponies, shattering the simulacrum.
"Break!" She ordered, and the formation scattered, not soon enough to save another simulacrum from having it's wing scorched off by the blazing red energy, sending it tumbling down to shatter in the charred and ruined trees below.
"Pair up! Take her out!" Dash ordered the remainder of her squadron, and they instantly obeyed, pairing up and turning in to rush her. It was ten on one, seemingly a certain fight.
But as the Red Griffon dodged two emerald pegasi and easily shattered them with a double blast from her ring, it became clear that numbers alone weren't going to cut it.
Instead, Dash and her wingpony, she quickly decided to nickname her Greenfire, shot in, forcing the Griffon to bob out of their way, and right into a dual ram from another pair. She grunted in pain from the strike, but quickly recovered, catching the next to come with her claws and shredding it, and wrapping a rope of red fire around it's second, spinning and throwing it with all her might and it's momentum into the earth.
Dash, Greenfire, and two other Emerald Bolts shot up into the sky as the remaining two distracted the raging griffon. "Green 2 and 3, get ahead of her and draw her fire! Greenfire with me!" Dash barked out, wincing as two more simulacrum were shot down to shatter on the earth below.
Not truly being thinking things, the rest of her squadron had no such hesitation, and immediately set about their task. Green 2 and 3 both buzzed right past the Red Lantern, and she gave a angry roar and gave immediate chase.
For just a few moments, she tried to catch up with the smaller, more nimble fliers, but relinquished that futile task and instead blasted her fire at the closest one, melting through it and shattering the emerald construct. With one more down, she turned to Green 2 and zeroed in on it, readying her next blast. Letting fly, the simulacrum just almost dodged the attack with a sloppy barrel roll.
Staggering through the sky, the rage red griffon had no trouble zeroing in on it again, and charged her blast to make sure it went down this time. Fire shot from her ring, and engulfed half the simulacrum with flame, sending it careening down into the ground below, it's time as a distraction having run out.
But that was all the time Dash and Greenfire needed, and they shot down through the clouds, piercing the sound barrier soon after they began their dive. The Double Emerald Rainboom alerted the griffon to the danger, however, and it turned to face them, unleashing a blast from both it's mouth and ring.
Greenfire was easily engulfed by the wider mouth blast, but Dash was able to evade the ringblast with an expert barrel roll. She pressed on, quickly returning to course, and slamming right into the belly of the beast.
Even with the maneuver bleeding off some of her speed, Dash still slammed into the Red Lantern with as much force as a speeding car, and she carried her down all the way to the earth, dragging her along. The two of them dug a deep furrow in the ground, uprooting and shattering trees the whole way.
Dash grunted as the griffon gripped her with her back legs, claws digging into the pony's skin even through the suit, aided by the red fires of rage. With a great roar, she was tossed up and over the Griffon, her momentum shifted to send her soaring back up to slam into the Apple Family barn, busting right through the structure to smack into the earth below.
Dash shook her head clear. "Sweet Celestia she's tough!" She said, then yelped as another ring blast tore through the barn and right at her. Thinking fast, Dash conjured up a baseball bat, and smacked the ball of red rage right back through the hole with even more force than it had to begin with, slamming into the griffon and throwing them back to the earth. The bat ruined but having served it's purpose, Dash let it fade, and flew through the barn to look at her stunned enemy.
"Alright you, just what do you have to say for yourself you big ugly G-" Floating above her fallen foe on the ground, only now did she recognize her. "Gilda!?" She said in disbelief, totally stunned.
A distraction the Red Lantern immediately took advantage of. At the mention of her name, Gilda came awake with a mighty roar, turning on Dash with her ring and letting loose a powerful blast. The green clad pegasus was too surprised to summon a defense, and instead brought her wings up to block the attack.
Red fire burned through her emerald aura, burned through her suite, burned through her feathers and scorched her skin. Dash was sent careening back into the barn, putting yet another hole in the abused structure, and leaving her in a pile of wood and debris.
Gilda stepped through the recently made portal and raised her ring up to the prone pony, charging her final blow. But like Dash, she recognized the pony before her only now that she was still on the ground.
"Da... Dash!? What!?" To Gilda, it felt like someone or something had reached in and pulled out her heart. The rage in her faltered, and the blast she'd been preparing fizzled out. "No... there's... I can't have been... I can't have..." She stepped closer to her friend and fell to her knees, her eyes rimmed with tears.
But as it always did, the pain in her heart swiftly turned to rage. She glared at the ring on her finger. "YOU DID THIS!" She snarled at it, the fire once again surrounding her, but this time with even greater intensity and heat. "I'll find you... and when I do... I'LL KILL YOU!!"
With a great roar of hate, she shot up through the roof, leaving Dash alone in the ruined barn.
******
Rainbow Dash was quite surprised when she woke up. Not that she was waking up in the hospital, that was rather expected excepting the fact that she hadn't really thought she'd wake up at all. She groaned in pain as she felt her whole body ache from burns and bruises that covered every inch, from singed wingtip to singed wingtip.
Lifting her head very slowly, she scanned the room, noting Ch'p in the bed opposite her, with Celestia and Applejack and the girls all standing around her bed. While her friends all seem mostly concerned, Celestia wore a stern glare.
"Oh boy..." Dash said, quite certain she knew where this was going.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU!!" Celestia said in full Royal Canterlot voice. "The fact that you're still alive is thanks only to Applejack's quick thinking and meeting my guards outside her farm! The damage to Sweet Apple Acres is untold and the farm will probably have to be abandoned!" Celestia raged down at the stricken pegasus. "And you saved countless lives..."
Dash blinked in surprise, and finally realized that Celestia's glare had turned into a soft smile. "Huh?"
"'Huh?'" Celestia repeated back. "You heard me. If you hadn't went in like you did, that Red Lantern would have reached Ponyville too soon, and my guard would have arrived too late, to save the lives of it's residents. And seeing how it dispatched that squadron of constructs, my pegasi and unicorn guard would only have gotten in your way, and, I hate to admit, dieing by the dozen to drive the point home even more." The princess gave a heavy sigh, and her smile brightened. "Good work, Rainbow Dash."
"Good work! That was fantastic work!" Ch'p pipped in from his bed. "You're a natural! I can see why the ring chose you. Why my ring chose you." He settled back into his bed, quite obviously proud. "I've got a good replacement."
"Wait... won't you be taking the ring back once you've recovered?" Dash asked, worried.
"That's not how the Ring works. I thought I was dieing, so I ordered it to find a replacement. It chose you. It's yours now." Ch'p said, gesturing to Dash for added emphasis. "Unless you want to refuse it..."
"No!" Dash responded quickly... then blushed, and shook her head. "Thanks but... I don't know... something about it feels..."
"Right... like it was meant for you. Like it's the best thing in the world that now you can really help people and save lives?" Ch'p said, and Dash just nodded her head in agreement. "That's why it chose you. Because of who you are, what you believe. Because, deep down inside, to the core of your being, you'd never refuse this call."
Dash simply smiled and nodded, in affirmation.
"So... what're y'all gonna do now?" Applejack asked, looking between Dash, the princess, an Ch'p. "Ah mean... Fluttershy's still out there... and Twilight's still missin'. Ah'll just bet those varmint red lanterns got somethin' t' do with it."
"I think you may be off the mark, Applejack, but only just." Celestia said. When all around gave her a curious glance, she just shook her head. "I have my suspicions, but... I can't say right now. I'm sorry."
Applejack sighed. "Alright... not like we don't have time t' think on it all... whatever danger Fluttershy's in, Dash ain't goin nowhere till she get's better."
Rainbow Dash frowned as though that wasn't good enough, and she looked around, quickly spotting Nurse Heart. "Nurse... what kind of medications will I be recieving?"
The white earth pony blinked. "Uhm... mainly pain medicine, with some burn salves and bone regeneratives..."
Applejack narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Rainbow Dash, quickly catching on. "Oh no you don't. You ain't goin nowhere till yer all better! 'specially not by yerself!"
"You'd do the same thing if you were in my position right now." She didn't glare, or even really confront Applejack with it, simply stated it as the pure and true fact it was.
The orange earth pony just sighed and looked down, defeated by that simple truth.
"She doesn't have to go alone..." Celestia quipped in, much to everyponies surprise. "You remember what Fluttershy described happening the night Twilight disappeared?"
Everypony looked at her quizzically, but it was Pinkie Pie who caught on. "The spaceship! You still have the spaceship!" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down in the air.
Celestia simply nodded. "I do, and though I hoped to keep it away, I will let Rainbow Dash and whoever wants to go with her take it on this journey."
"Buck yeah!" Dash exclaimed, punching a hoof into the air and instantly regretting it.
"Uhm... Ah don't mean to burst anyone's bubble... but how in the hay are we s'possed to fly a spaceship? I don't think none of ya's ever done that before." Applejack added, quickly damping the mood around the room.
"None of you have... but I was a fighter pilot in my planet's defense force long before I became a green lantern." Ch'p said from his bed, smirking slightly as he lay back. "I'd be happy to come along with you. Besides, Dash could use some more training, and Fluttershy will need more when we find her."
"It's settled, then." Celestia said with a bright smile. "Everyone who's going should figure out now what they'll need. Once Dash and Ch'p can move, Equestria's first space mission will begin."
******
The night was quiet, and, as though resting from the events of the day behind it, utterly peaceful. Luna's watch was a dutiful one, and not a single thing stirred to threaten a Pony in all equestria.
Unfortunately, that left Rainbow Dash still tossing and tuning in her hospital bed, something still weighing heavily on her conscience. With a sigh, she slid out of bed, ignoring the painful protest of her legs, and walked over to the window.
She looked out into the night, first to Luna's brilliant moon, and then to the stars. Her eyes locked on a single, tiny red star in the night, and she couldn't have been certain how long she watched it.
"Who's Gilda?" Ch'p asked from his bed, startling Dash from her reverie.
"What?" She blurted out, not having expected the squirrel like being to be awake.
"You said Gilda, and it sounds like a name. I asked who Gilda is." Ch'p answered in his usual bright demeanor.
For a moment, Dash opened her mouth to deny ever having said such a word, but as she thought about it, she realized that she had in fact said just that. She sighed once more, and looked out the window, the Red Star now lost in the sea of it's cousins. "She's... I think that Red Lantern was Gilda."
"A friend of yours?"
"Yea... we were..."
"Close?"
"Not like that!" Dash blurted out hurriedly, though Ch'p only gave her a suspicious look, before realization seemed to cross his face.
"Aaaah... you didn't feel that way, but maybe she did. They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and I'd say that was quite the fury for hell to hath no..." Ch'p said, receiving only a disbelieving look from the Pegasus.
"What... you don't really think that Gilda..." Then Dash paused to think on it, and suddenly was taken aback with the revelation. "Oh. My. Princesses! I've been an idiot!" And she smacked her head against the windowsill in exasperation at her own stupidity.
"Hey hey! True as that may be, there's no reason to injure yourself over it!" Ch'p said in immediate concern.
"Why not! She's been in love with me this whole time and I brushed her off! Of course she was being possessive of me... Why didn't I see it..." Dash shook her head, tears in her eyes. "And now she's never coming back."
Silence filled the room for several moments, and Dash looked up at the giant squirrel. "Aren't you going to tell me I'm wrong and I'll probably see her again?"
"Nope... I'd say you hit the nail pretty much on the head." Ch'p somehow managed to sound... well... chipper as he said that. "But that's life. It's terribly unfair. That's why we're around, so that when it's unfair to other people, we can make things more fair. Or at least better."
Dash just glared at him, but then, with a heavy sigh, couldn't help but nod. Her head low, she walked over towards her bed again. She stopped as Ch'p set a fuzzy rodent hand on Dash's shoulder, though.
"But if it makes you feel better... yeah. We'll find her again, right after we find your other two friends. And maybe then you two can sit down and sort out how you feel for each other."
Dash couldn't help but give a soft smile. "Thanks..." She climbed into bed again, briefly appreciating how much easier it was to pull the covers up on herself with the ring to do that for her. "You know... you're pretty wise for a two foot tall talking squirrel."
"And you're pretty bull headed for a tiny, magical, talking winged horse." Ch'p said with another of his chuckles, and he settled back into bed, easily returning, once again, to sleep.
And finally, so too did Rainbow Dash.