LoE The Blackest Night= Passion and Temperance.
“Pinkie,” IH Rarity called out in a weary tone. “I…I can't...”
“Let me bring some hope,” Pinkie offered. Rarity nodded. “Okely Dokely,” said the blue lantern.
Pinkie darted forward in front of Mac and the Compassion wielder. Rarity ceased channeling the blue light, the power of hope sliding from her control feeling like polished silk sliding from her magical grip; soft and flowing like water with no hint of its true strength.
BL Pinkie pressed her front hooves together while she closed her eyes. Her ring aura started to glow brightly and the shape of the aura stretched, becoming vaguely like the bird Pinkie Pie showed them earlier. Pinkie then opened her eyes which shined with the cyan Light of Hope and started to float toward the Violet Dragon. The creature raised its head and gently touched the party pony with the tip of its muzzle. Ribbons of blue light ran through the creature to the three mares within.
Rarity reached out to the mares, letting Pinkie use her blue ring while she wielded indigo. She could feel the dragon suddenly become calmer as Pinkie became the focus of the creature’s attention. Blue, indigo and violet light swirled around each in a scintillating display, the colors seeming to play off each other at the Blue and Indigo lanterns attempted to reach the mares inside of the dragon. Pinkie then spread her front hooves wide as a three globes of blue light appeared.
“Lookie,” she said in a sing song voice.
The blue globes floated in the air, swirling images appearing from inside them. The three mare inside the dragon each stared at the cyan spheres and seemed to drift forward slightly. The great violet beast then sat on its haunches as the light globes flashed images.
Princess Cadence’s face changed first, the alicorn’s face suddenly became softer even as her eyes were shining with the violet light like the other two with her inside the dragon. She reached out to the blue globe and said only two words…
“My foal…”
Fluttershy changed next. Staring at the orb of cyan tears fell from her eyes as her voice cracked and she began to cry. She choked as the tears fell and even though she began balling like a child she also smiled. The pegasus’s wings opened and closed as she stared into the blue globe. Rarity could feel her friend reaching out to the blue object.
Cheerilee was the only one to remain unchanged; her face still like stone as she stared into the blue light. Rarity drifted up with Big Macintosh and floated next to the orb. The school mare first looked at the Indigo Herd’s leader then at the big red stallion. When the teacher looked at Mac a quiver seemed to run through the dragon. IT faded for that moment then become even more solid. Rarity used her indigo power to reach into the heart of the earth mare…
Pinkie’s voice startled the unicorn. The party pony’s voice sounded pained, sad. “She has no hope of love for herself.”
Insight flashed through the unicorn’s mind as she mentally reviewed what she ‘saw’ with Cheerilee. The yearning…filled with the violet light. The shape of the strands like a web…to capture and hold any bit of love that came her way. The emptiness, and the loneliness…the light filled that. Why the hope with Mac then?
‘The closest she’s had to the love of another love for herself was Mac’, Rarity thought. ‘Now the light has filled her with love…she doesn’t want to let go!’
“Mac,” Pinkie called out, “You need to tell her it's OK. You need to tell her she's loved.”
“Um...” The stallion swallowed hard. “Pinkie...it ain't quite that easy...”
Cheerilee's face slid into a sad frown and the violet dragon suddenly became more vibrant.
“It will not go unless you tell it to,” Pinkie suddenly blurted out. It was as if she and the Blue Lantern were sharing thoughts and feeling through the two ring energies. Rarity turned to see the party pony. Pinkie’s eyes now glowed with blue light like the mares within the dragon did. Cheerilee’s face then softened and she closed her eyes.
The beast of violet light opened it's maw and let a long hiss issue forth that shook the ground. Rarity, Macintosh and Pinkie all floated backwards studying the creature.
“I thought that would work,” Rarity moaned. “From what I felt, if I could calm one of them down the others would follow suit...”
“Something must REALLY be driving this dinosaur thing,” Pinkie added.
“It seems to hope...that we will be nice to those things...the things it wants to protect.”
“We've got the battery protected!” Mac offered.
“It's more than that,” Rarity sighed. “...more than the battery!”
Pinkie slapped a hoof against her head. “Silly me! I should have done that first.”
“What?”
The Blue Lantern bathed the giant creature in blue light. The dragon like being stared at the party pony, leaned forward as if it were listening to something in the light. Pinkie's eyes glowed like her ring, shining with the cyan Light of Hope.
A huge bubble of light appeared before the creature, small fuzzy shapes began to appear within the globe, slowly becoming clearer as the bubble grew. Creatures of all kinds appeared within the globe, flashing by briefly in a stream of images. Pinkie saw what she thought were children of all kinds being held by parents, some species she knew, but some she had never seen before. She saw lovers in embrace, again from all kinds of beings, some she knew others she never seen before. She saw for an instant her friends, herself included, together in a group hug. The love in that image burned itself into the party pony's mind and filled Pinkie with an overwhelming desire to…
“I understand...” Pinkie whispered.
The blue light suddenly blazed like a sun and Pinkie's voice became loud. “It'll be OK!” The violet creature tilted its head to one side as it seemed to almost sit down.
“We will protect each other!” Pinkie cried out.
The beast of violet light seemed to dim and it did fully sit down.
“I Pinkie Promise!”
The mares within then seemed to swoon in unison…
…the Violet Dragon suddenly disappeared and the mares fell to earth.
Mac and Pinkie both sprung into action. Blue and green constructs appeared instantly to catch the falling Star Sapphires. Pinkie created a rain of party streamers that rained down on the three. The filaments coiled around the falling Sapphires and gently took hold of them arresting their fall. The streamers then stretched smoothly lowering the mares slowly to the ground. Mac summoned a construct of a large feather bed larger then a house, to catch the falling ponies. Pinkie let them down onto the green construct and let her blue streamers vanish.
Rarity landed on the ground holding a hoof to her chest, a pained look on her face. She fell to her knees as Pinkie and Mac came forward. Her head bowed down the unicorn swallowed hard as the two lanterns approached. Rarity raised her staff up in front of her, Pinkie and Macintosh both stopped.
“Whatever it was…it’s gone for now,” she said with a weary voice.
“Maybe,” Mac said as he looked at the unconscious Cheerilee, His aura blazing brighter now that he was near the Blue Lantern. “It sure looked like that thing Pinkie showed us earlier.”
“It was,” Pinkie breathed. “It wanted to protect what it loved.”
“Come again,” Mac asked. Pinkie raised a hoof up and the green lantern paused.
“It wanted to know that we would protect each other...that we would protect what we loved.” Pinkie then looked upward and to the side of her head as if searching her mind for something. “...and I think what it loved.”
“What could a thing like that love Pinkie,” Macintosh asked.
She opened her muoth to answer when a huge shadow appeared. The three looked up and saw a hydra glowing with a yellow aura pass overhead, heading in the direction of the Crystal Palace.
The stallion began rising into the air. “That CAN’T be good,” he breathed.
Pinkie and Rarity lifted off the ground when the voice of Cheerilee caused them to stop. The school teacher the princess and the element of kindness all stirred like foals awakened in the middle of the night.
“Macintosh...wha….what just happened?”
The stallion Green Lantern floated to the school teacher and gently touched her head.
“What do you remember?”
Miss Cheerilee frowned. “Not much really, everything is mostly just shapes and feelings. I remember feeling...very...large, like being a mountain...but bigger. I felt...needed and I felt...” A tear fell from the mare's right eye. “Loved, and I wanted to keep that safe.”
“That's about all I remember too,” Princess Cadence said as she rose from the ground.
“I felt...” Fluttershy gulped. “Brave?”
“I hope you have some of that courage left my dear,” Rarity sighed. “I have a feeling we shall need it right now.”
“My goodness,” the Queen of the Violet Light said. “What's wrong?”
“In a word,” Pinkie answered. “Dashie.”
***
Buzz Burr’s repose within crystal ended violently. The violet’s gentle caress replaced with the gnawing fire of the red. He gritted his teeth and beat his wings trying to get away from the crawling hell that was eating at him. He struggled to get away from the rage power that held him. He looked into the eyes of the pegasus holding him and despaired for the Red Lantern holding him was the Archon of the Red Corps herself.
Rainbow Dash grumbled, “A scout...for the hive...HERE!”
“Not…a…scout,” Buzz Burr hissed. “Just…a…messenger.”
“Just…a…messenger huh?” Red fire wracked Buzz Burr’s body. He gritted his teeth as the Red Lantern’s power continued to hold him. “Sure you are!”
“Hatemonger,” Buzz Burr spat. “I brought warning…” red fire seemed to cover him now. He groaned and struggled to cast off the grip of the red power ring. He even tried to reach out and kick the Red Lantern but he just tumbled in mid air in maddening agony.
“I'll give you this, you are the toughest Changeling I've ever seen,” Rainbow Dash said. ”Never seen one of you hold up against red energy this long!”
“LET HIM GO!” Applejack yelled
Emerald light suddenly surrounded Buzz Burr, banishing the searing red light. He felt the grip of the green power ring and yield to it resigning himself that his end had come. ‘At least the green will be a merciful end,’ he told himself and with closed eyes he waited for the ring to do its deadly work.
But…nothing happened!
Buzz Burr opened his eyes and saw the green lantern facing her red comrade with himself in the middle. He was slowly lowered to the ground and when the lush grass touched his body, green ropes appeared and bound him into a bundle. He struggled for a moment testing the bonds and feeling no looseness he became still. He couldn’t escape but at least the green lantern was keeping the burning rage a bay for the moment.
“I…yield,” Buzz Burr said in a horse voice. “I plead for mercy.”
Rainbow Dash roared. Red plasma flew out of her mouth, singeing the ground where ever it fell. The red lantern, aura glowing brighter as she rose into the air cast her sun shadow over the prone changeling. Applejack looked up at her friend and saw the sun framing her head and her red ring power summoning an array of wicked looking weapon around herself liking like an extension of her wings.
“RD,” Applejack yelled. “It asked fer mercy an’ Ah’ got it wrangled. It ain’t going anywhere. For Celestia’s sake...”
“Mercy? MERCY! After all they did! After all the ponies they’ve killed! Their kind deserves NONE!”
“The Archangel of Wrath will not be denied,” Buss-Burr sighed in resignation. “So be it.”
“Quiet ya gol dang love tick!” the Green Lantern snapped. “Ya ain't helpin'!”
Rainbow Dash, blazing aura and burning constructs ready, stared to move when a small image appeared before her.
“Boss,” Hoops voice gasped. “We…”
The Red Lantern Archon paused. Her construct weapons became immobile and her gaze turned away from the helpless changeling
“Is…she…dead?”
“Um,” Hoops tongue ran over his lips.”We’ve had a problem…”
"Enough...of this...DISTRACTION!" Rainbow Dash roared.
A torrent of plasma erupted from Rainbow Dash’s mouth scorching the air and the ground between her and the changeling. Applejack moved forward and stood over the changeling, summoning another shield over herself and her prisoner. A curtain of flames started to rise up when the ground began rumbling. Jagged columns of earth began bursting up from the ground. One of Applejack’s hind hooves was pushed upward, throwing her off balance. She levitated using ring power while chaos erupted all around her. Her prisoner was hurled upward still hogtied. Applejack caught the changeling with a construct hook through the ropes and moved to get beyond the eruptions of fire and earth. Smoke billowed around her as she reached out with enhanced senses. The quacking earth just as suddenly became still and the fire died down. Applejack pointed her ring in the direction of Rainbow Dash and levitated higher to get a clear view of the Red Lantern, but found only empty sky.
“Dagnabbit! She ditched me,” the Green Lantern snapped as she flew in pursuit with her prisoner in tow.
***
Queen Chrysalis, horn glowing moved around her yellow prison, pushing the tip of her horn into the construct then looking at her unconscious changelings sprawled out on the ground before looking over her shoulder to push her horn into the bubble again. She could reach the bubble through the spikes pointing in at her, the gnarled horn on her head being longer than the spikes by about half. She half jumped when Twilight’s voice reached her ears.
“You are NOT escaping from this bubble!”
The Changeling Queen looked into the eyes of the Yellow Lantern Unicorn, the green magic of her horn still glowing. She frowned as she snapped her head up and backed away from the bubble’s spiky surface.
“We shall see Twilight Sparkle.”
Rainbow Dash descended from the sky like blazing red shooting star, coming to a halt just short of the ground. The Red Lantern then summoned more of the medicine balls from her ring, sending them flying at the phalanx of Twilight’s Smarty Pants soldiers that guarded the yellow bubble prison of the Changeling Queen. Behind them a red battering ram appeared, following Rainbow’s other constructs to attack the bubble. Crimson balls seem to simply tear through the creations of the Yellow Corps leader, transforming them into shimmering golden dust.
The balls hit the dome and shattered into glass like shards. The red battering ram hurtled at the prison bubble until a yellow ramp appeared and deflected it upwards over the construct and into the ground beyond. Rainbow Dash, flying slight above and behind the ram was then caught in a great yellow butterfly net summoned by Twilight. She then spat plasma fire as she struggled to get free of the entangling construct.
“Rainbow-STOP!” Twilight screamed.
“Yes…” Queen Chrysalis called out. “You should stop now.” Twilight glanced quickly at the Queen.
“After what she almost did Twilight…”
“Yes, and I’ll try it again!” Chrysalis chuckled.
Rainbow roared as Twilight extended a tendril of yellow energy at the Queen.
“You’ll all be food and slaves…” the queen managed to blurt out before the yellow energy formed a muzzle and silenced her. Her horn still glowed as she struggled against the new construct.
“Hush you,” snapped the Yellow Lantern.
Rainbow Dash roared, the butterfly net disintegrating as she used her aura the burn it away. Another baseball bat appeared growing huge by the moment as it swung down with frightful speed. The bat crashed into the bubble…
…there was a clanging sound like the crashing of a thousand bells at once.
Splinters of red and yellow became a shower of shards, scattering from the strike like an explosion. Like razor blades the shards cut, forcing the lanterns present to shield themselves and anypony else close by from the flying debris. The shards imbedded in everything around, buildings, dirt, trees before suddenly dissolving into acrid smoke, leaving only gashes as evidence that they had existed at all.
Rainbow Dash, blazing like a red star floated over the changeling queen who laid on the ground still but with her horn still glowing. Rainbow She growled like an angry dragon as she came closer and closer to the helpless Changeling Queen.
“Rainbow!” The voice of Applejack called out to her. She ignored the farm mare, staring at the prone mother of changelings before her.
Chrysalis suddenly jerked her head up and smirked at the Red lantern as her horn glowed brighter. She didn’t look at the rage wielder but cast her gaze off to one side. Rainbow then summoned a shield before herself, waiting for the queen to strike at her again like she had before. Chrysalis simply looked at her with a glowing horn and cracked a huge smile filled with jagged teeth.
“You great red fool,” she chuckled.
Blinding green light flashed from Chrysalis’ horn, forcing all looking on to shield their eyes for an instant. Rainbow crouched behind her shield, waiting for the strike of the Changeling Queen’s magic, but nothing happened. The only thing coming from the queen what sound of her fading laughter. The Red Lantern Archon then peered over the shield’s edge to see...
...Queen Chrysalis had disappeared.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Rainbow Dash screamed.
She stomped on the ground where the changeling queen has been, raising dust. Rage plasma began to flow from her mouth again as she case her eyes about looking, searching for Chrysalis. When she saw the empty spot where her changelings had been she roared like a dragon, a column of red fire exploding from her mouth. She wheeled and saw the Applejack standing with the weird changeling tied up in construct ropes at her side. More fire poured out of her mouth as she spoke.
“She’s…gone…GONE!” Prongs pushed at the back of her mind again as she stared at Applejack. ‘She has betrayed us’, the red light whispered to her. She put her hooves to her head and trembled in rage right before her ring hoof snapped up and pointed at Applejack. Bloody tears now fell from Rainbow Dash's eyes as she glared at the farm mare.
“WHY?”
Spiraling horns seemed to grow out of the pegasus' head as red energy exploded out of her ring. RL Rainbow Dash screamed as a beam of boiling red energy headed at the green lantern. Applejack's aura brightened as she seemed to grow strange fans of emerald ring energy from her sides. Her face became hard, showing not even a hint of feeling, a mask of resolve. The green lantern ring erupted, mirroring the red power ring's display sending forth a column of blazing light.
The energies collided between the lanterns, twisting and turning around themselves in a strange dance of light as they struggled to reach their targets. Colors swirled around, becoming cyclones that turned within and against each other. The strange marbled light then began to brighten. Rainbow Dash, frothing blood from her mouth as her eyes became uniform red light frowned deeply while Applejack, face creased in focus, began to glow in her eyes as well.
The ground between the corps leaders began to boil and smoke, dirt and sand becoming like magma beneath the now growing globe of ring energies. Grass and bushes near by now burst into flame as the two lanterns, unmoving continued to blast at each other. The confluence of power began to shine like miniature sun, heat and light forcing the lanterns to protect themselves with their ring auras.
“Rainbow! Applejack!” Twilight called out, “STOP!”
She tried to summon barrier between her two friends. The construct shattered the moment it formed, sending glittering shards of amber everywhere.
'My my…such power! No wonder you ponies want to keep it to yourselves.' Chrysalis' words echoed though Twilight's mind as she raised her ring when weakness suddenly filled her body. It felt like her blood was being drained away. The glow of her ring dimmed visibly.
“Pinkie,” Twilight breathed.
The blue lantern landed out in front of Twilight, the blue aura surrounding her brightening as the party pony touched down on the ground. Pinkie then turned to away from the growing globe of energy, dissolving a pair of blue sunglasses that had rested on her muzzle.
Rarity landed next to Twilight, shielding her eyes with her bare front leg. Air shimmered around the clashing corps leaders as each poured more and more force at each other. She sighed as she exhaled, weariness creasing her face before she drew her head up.
“Those two,” Rarity shook her head.
“I...I tried to stop them,” Twilight groaned. She levitated and glided slowly backwards, putting some distance between herself and Pinkie. She then looked at Rainbow for a second before moving her sight to Applejack.
“Why...why isn't Applejack weakening?” Twilight asked in a voice that cracked with frustration.
“Red affects Green like Blue affects Yellow! She should be weakening but she's not! Augh! This makes no sense!”
Mac landed next to Pinkie, the stallion glowing brightly as he looked stared at his sister then at the Element of Loyalty. Both nodded at each other when a thundering voice from above sounded.
“ENOUGH!”
A burning comet of violet light struck the ground, causing the bubble of red and green to explode. A shock wave exploded out, knocking down houses and trees near by that had not been affected by the battle yet. Reflexively, lanterns of every color surrounded the residences in force bubbles, trying to minimize damage. Rippling waves of intense heat followed the shock wave, scorching anything not protected; loose leaves burst into flame and bark burned as open water turned to steam in a flash.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack, still unmoved, halted projecting blazing power at each other and stared with blank eyes at what had thrown itself between them, surrounded in a violet bubble.
“Stop it! Stop it both of you!” Fluttershy yelled out. The Queen of Star Sapphires, flanked by the Princess Cadence and Miss Cheerilee floated within a perfect sphere of violet ring energy. The pegasus' eyes, like the others with her, glowed with burning love energy. She turned and looked at Rainbow Dash with her eyes wide and intense, beams of violet light striking the Red Lantern. Rainbow Dash froze in place, her irises slowly became defined as the Star Sapphire stare held her transfixed.
“I know you're doing what you're doing because you love us,” SS Fluttershy said to Rainbow Dash as tears fell from her eyes. “...but using that love to stoke your hate! Oh Rainbow Dash how could you!”
The red lantern's eyes softened and she then closed her eyes and looked away form the gaze of her friend, flattening her ears. Her red aura began to dim when Fluttershy then turned her stare onto Applejack, who's eyes opened wider when the violet light fell upon her.
“Loving your friends enough that you will fight them to keep them from drowning in their hate is beautiful Applejack,” Fluttershy's jaw suddenly clinched before she continued. “But using that love to justify pride...”
Applejack pressed her lips together hard in a frown and her ears laid flat as she bowed her head. Her aura began to fade and her eyes began to return to normal. As she stared at the earth-pony she saw, still wrapped in green bindings a changeling.
The three Star Sapphires let the violet bubble collapse and they gently glided down to the ground. Fluttershy drifted in the direction of the prisoner, stepping lightly until she stood over the changeling.
She traced around bruises and scratches with her ring hoof. The changeling shifted at her touch, straining against it's bonds. A pair of violet scissors appeared and cut the ropes binding the creature. IT was then enveloped in a violet aura and lifted off the ground. The creature relaxed in the violet rings telekinetic grip.
“Oh goodness! You poor thing! What happened to you?”
“I will be fine your highness. Rainbow Dash did not hurt me too...”
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash's voice suddenly boomed. “What are you doing with that changeling?”
In a blink of an eyes she was hovering near the Star Sapphire and her charge, her ring blazing as she pointed it at the changeling. Buzz Burr shrank from the crimson light, trying to get some distance form the cursed ring of hate until he was completely surrounded in a violet bubble and the fire of red ceased to bite him. Now facing the Archon of Red Lanterns, his queen's face had suddenly hardened and become stern. A large construct shield emblazoned with the Star Sapphire symbol appeared in front of Rainbow Dash.
“Don't you dare hurt him any more!” She said in a tone that held no gentleness.
Princess Cadence glided over the Fluttershy and placed a hoof on her shoulder. The pegasus shrugged, casting off the Princess's touch. Cadence then cocked her head to one side and looked at the bubble held changeling then back at the Queen of Star Sapphires.
“They want to destroy us all Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said again, her ring glowing brighter as the words came from her mouth.
“Not all of them,” she said in a low but firm tone.
The Red Lantern snorted. “That's crazy!”
“Wait a moment,” Princess Cadence said as she moved closer to the changeling in the bubble. She stared into the creatures eyes as her face contorted into a mask of confusion and pain.
Fluttershy, eyes suddenly wide and soft, looked at the alicorn. Cadence glanced at the queen then back into the eyes of the changeling, who looked away and swallowed.
“Princess, after what they did to you of all ponies, you can't believe…”
“I know hate is easy for you Rainbow Dash,” she started in a low voice. “Sometimes I envy that about Red Lanterns; that they can feel hate so easily and be so justified in that emotion.” The princess turned and looked at Rainbow, biting her lip like she was unsure of what to say. “I've carried some of that kind of anger toward changelings for a while now…”
“You have every right!” the red lantern said. Cadence shook her head then took a deep breath and let it out, pausing before she spoke.
“But it doesn't come easily to me,” she sighed. “To one like you it is fuel, energy, reason. It gives you strength and purpose, focus and drive.” The Princess of Love then looked at the changeling cradled in the hooves of Fluttershy and stared for a moment. “For me it's nothing but a deep sickness that does not heal as long as I hold on to that hate, no matter how 'justified' it is. “
The princess then placed a hoof on the bubble and lowered her head slightly. “It becomes a lingering wound that one picks at like a foal, ever reopening it and renewing the pain so that you can hold on to the wounds. “
The princess then looked into the eyes of Buzz Burr. “You really were trying to keep Chrysalis from the battery and keep us safe weren’t you?” The changeling nodded and then averted her gaze.
“Forgive our deception Princess. We meant no harm.” he sobbed.
“Never the less it was harmful to deceive us that way,” Cadence then looked at Fluttershy. “A worse outcome could have occurred.” the princess then spoke to the changeling in a louder voice.
“So who are you? Are you and the others like you of Chrysalis' hive?”
“I am Buzz Burr your majesty and no, I serve not the tyrant Chrysalis,” he spat. “She killed our old hive and queen and tried to kill the new one!”
“You don't believe this garbage do you?” Rainbow yelled. The alicorn raised a hoof as she looked into the red lantern's eyes.
“I will hear this one out Rainbow Dash!” Cadence said in a firm tone. The princess then turned her gaze back to the strange changeling.
“What hive do you now serve?” she asked.
“I serve the Violet Hive and its Queen and Court. I serve the Triumvirate that keeps the violet light,” Buzz Burr shouted. Cadence raised an eyebrow.
“The Triumvirate that keeps the violet light?” The princess asked.
“The Queen of the Star Sapphires Fluttershy, yourself highness, and Visir Cheerilee,” the changeling answered in a low respectful tone. “The holders of the Violet Light.”
Rainbow laughed mockingly, “Nice try bug pony! I'm sure the princess is just going to up and trust you, no hard feelings!”
“She is right Buzz Burr,” the princess said with a sigh. “After what happened to me, I do not trust changelings…”
“See!” The Red Lantern chuckled. Cadence then looked at Dash with hard eyes.
“But after what you did today, I can honestly say that I do not hate you all any more.”
Rainbow roared in outrage. She pointed her red ring at the changeling, boiling red light sparking from the band, anticipating the wielder's command to immolate the changeling.
“Trust must be earned Buzz Burr,” Cadence said flatly.
“Queen Fluttershy trusts us highness,” he offered.
“But everypony else is not Fluttershy.” her voice trailed off.
“The dead can not earn anything,”Buzz Burr said in a sad tone.
“Quite true, and as you did risk your life to come save us and the ring said your love of Fluttershy was pure, you should not be harmed.”
“WHAT!” Rainbow Dash growled.
“But...you shall be watched.” Cadence raised her ring hoof up.
“The Violet Hive of Changelings is now under the custody of the Star Sapphires. They are not to be harmed.” The red lanterns collectively let out a growl like timber wolves. “If any issue shall arise with the Violet Hive, the Star Sapphires shall adjudicate the issue.” Rainbow Dash breathed plasma into the air as she pounded the ground with her hooves in rage.
Fluttershy flew to Princess Cadence and hugged the alicorn fiercely. “Thank you, Thank you Cadence,” she cried. “This is for the good!”
Cadence held up a hoof and paused Fluttershy. “We shall see Fluttershy, we shall see.”
“So, wait a minute gol dern minute. We're...protectin' the changelings now? Is that what Ah just heard,” Applejack asked out loud.
“Apparently,” Cheerilee answered.
“Why am ah' afraid Dash could be right about all this after all!”
“Well this is all well and good,” Twilight sighed as she brushed an errant stand of mane into place. “But we have a bigger issue to deal with right now.”
“What's that?” Pinkie asked in her typical bubbly tone.
“Just what was that thing that held Fluttershy, Cadence and Cheerilee?”
***
Amethyst Star watched as a lady bug walking on a green blade of grass took off and flew to land on her front right hoof. The wings of the insect flapped again before they slid neatly under the be speckled shell. The unicorn stared intently at the bug when she suddenly pondered how the lady bugs perceived of ponies. She chuckled silently to herself at the strange thought. ‘Do lady bugs even think at all?’ She asked in her mind, but even as she asked the question an even stranger thought occurred to her: 'yes they do; but mostly about just trying to live.'
'Where did that idea come from?'
“Sparkler? SPARKLER!” Daisy’s voice pierced her lady bug thoughts. She turned her head and saw her friend, sweating and lips quivering coming to a stop. Nostrils flared and with a slight pant, Daisy reached out with one of her front hooves.
“Daisy? What’s going?”
“F-F-FIGHT,” she blurted out. “There’s a big fight at Fluttershy’s! A huge dragon has appeared…”
“A Dragon! Really?”
“A dragon Sparkler!” Daisy gasped. “A huge one made of that crazy violet magic the Star Sapphires use!”
“Really? Humm…” Sparkler squinted her eyes as she pictured the creature made of violet lantern energy in her head. Strangely she didn’t feel the apprehension Daisy exuded. “Well I’m sure that if it belongs to the Star Sapphire’s Princess Cadence, Miss Cheerilee and Fluttershy will keep things from getting out of hand.”
“No,” Daisy gasped. “Apparently it ate them when the queen of the changelings…”
“CHANGELINGS?!? There are changelings too?”
“Yes!” Daisy answered, shaking at the mentioning of the eaters of love.
Sparkler rose from the lush grass and started walking in the direction of town, Daisy following behind. As she trotted, she wondered about why she was suddenly so worried about her adoptive family. The idea of being adopted suddenly burned within her and she found she cared far more about being adopted then she ever had before.
“That's strange,” Daisy said as she looked over her shoulder.
“What's strange?” Sparkler asked.
“Well the plants all around have not been doing very well this year but you found the only lush patch of green in the whole area to lie in.” Daisy then turned her head to look forward. “You are really lucky Sparkler, first you get adopted by Time Turner then you find that lovely patch of green.”
“Maybe,” Sparkler Amethyst Star answered. 'But it wasn't like that when I first laid there,' she thought.
***
Outside Ponyville, in the Changeling staging area.
Within a large bowl like underground chamber, bright green light exploded.
Winking into existence, Chrysalis fell to the knees in exhaustion. Teleporting her guards and herself had been a strain, even charged with the love of the Violet Battery, such a spell took a great deal of magic.
'Thank my mother I was able to trick the red dog into freeing me,' she thought.
The guards, now separated form the light of love, now began to awaken, slowly beginning to recover their focus. The guard captain was the first to fully awaken, standing up before any others and he approached his tired queen.
“What are your orders my Queen?”
Breathing deeply and panting, Chrysalis swallowed hard before answering.
“We must….we must retreat...quickly captain. There is no telling how long this place will remain hidden and we safe.” The captain nodded. “Go find the workers tending this place and have them come to me.” she shock her head as if clearing something from her ears. “Have them bring one of the hostages. I NEED refreshment!”
“Yes Majesty!” the guard captain said as he bowed. The captain then backed away until he reached the chamber entrance where he turned and departed to carry out his queen's orders.
The queen let out a long breath before she got off her knees and slowly walked to a platform cut out of the side of the chamber. The soft glow of hive lights only dimly lit the chamber and Chrysalis had a sudden pang of guilt as she looked at the guards that were still rousing themselves.
“So close...so close...” she lamented. The violet battery and all the power it represented, was beyond her reach now. Her chance to counter the Red Lanterns and get revenge against Equestria had evaporated when the creature of violet light appeared.
'What was that thing?' she asked herself 'No scout ever reported such a thing, ever!'
What frightened her the most was not just the sheer power the creature. Never had she even imagined an entity of such power even existed. The urge to surrender to it had been almost overwhelming, but resisting it, she had an insight, feeling the pure love that radiated from it.
The energy had been...raw, yes raw. The love was pure; intense! It was a kind of love she had never fed off of before...so...
...primal.
It did not feel like she was simply absorbing the 'distilled' love of the violet rings…the love was even more pure...more vibrant. It felt like the love and the dragon it came from was…
ALIVE!
'Could that be possible? Was the violet dragon not simply a 'construct' of the three mares, was it was alive? Living love itself!'
The thought made the changeling queen's mind reel. Love itself-ALIVE! The very idea that it could be caused her to shudder visibly.
There was a crashing sound in the hall outside of the chamber. Chrysalis peered to see what had happened. There was a soft gurgling sound and a thud. The queen stood up even as her still dizzy guards moved slowly to her. There was movement from the entrance…
A tall figure entered, clad in a broad brimmed pointed hat and cape, dark and somewhat shabby. A very quiet tinkling sound reverberated off the walls as the figure moved. Stepping slowly, the figure moved into the center of the chamber before raising its head. Stringy, dull white hair appeared from under the hat's brim. A skeletal muzzle pointed at the queen as empty black eyes stared into her soul.
One of Chrysalis guards pounced at the creature, flinging itself at the intruder. The intruder simply raised a leg bearing an obsidian colored power ring. Anti-light, or rays of darkness flowed from the ring and halted the changeling guard's attack. The dark creature then shoved it's ring hoof into the body of the guard, who curled into itself and, released from the dark energy fell limply to the ground.
The intruder, with the guards still beating heart attached to it's hoof, faced the changeling queen. More unlight flowed from the ring and consumed the heart like fire burning paper. When the last bit of the heart disappeared.
[=Charge: 55.84% =] the black ring croaked with an ominous voice.
[=FEAR=]
“Who dares!” Chrysalis screamed as she summoned what little magical power remained in her. Her horn started to glow brightly then dimmed; she was almost spent by the teleport. Chrysalis' mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do next.
The dark figure stared at her with cold eyes, it's dead skin flapped a little as it spoke in a hollow voice. “Ah mY dEAr QUEEn ChrYsAlIs sUrElY YOU hAvE hEArd Of mE; I Am StArswIrl thE BEArdEd And I hAvE cOmE tO clAIm YOU fOr thE BlAck LAntErn COrps.”