League 08
Dreams
There was finally room to stretch. There was finally room to bundle up. Powerful analgesics had left him comfortably numb, and a little drowsy. A part of him didn't want to get up, but Spike knew he had promises to keep. He opened his eyes. Following the sliver of moonlight to the wall, he looked up at the clock. It was eleven on the dot. As he stretched, he was pleased to find that just as Celestia's personal physician had promised, the healing spells had been boosted by Zecora's potion. He was now, more or less, in one piece again.
A familiar voice exclaimed, "Spike! Finally, you're awake." The baby dragon turned to see his sister in the chair next to the bed. Bags under her eyes told of a sleepless night spent at his side. The purple alicorn continued, "How do you feel? Should I ask the nurse to give you more pain killers? How about some fresh bandages?"
Spike sat up and yawned widely as he stretched. "I'm fine, Twilight. I just need a bit of breakfast. So, what are we going to do about the Forest Thing?"
"We have a few alternatives," replied Twilight. "We wanted to get your input before we finalized our decision."
"In that case, let's go. Rainbow Dash showed me a shortcut through the kitchen."
Twilight smiled at the thought of her friend raiding Celestia's secret cake collection. Her expression turned serious as her gaze fell on Spike's ring. Casually, she said, "Say Spike, may I take a closer look at your ring? I'll only be a moment."
“Sure!” said Spike, taking off his ring.
Twilight took the ring in her magic and withdrew a small magic vault from under her chair. She deposited the rung inside and sealed the container. "There," she said. "This way, I can keep you safe until this mess is over."
Spike quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously?" He extended his right hand. His ring seemed to phase through the vault before seating itself back onto his finger. A green aura covered him, dressing him in his uniform. He said, "Twilight, I can't stop doing this any more than you can stop being a princess. You have your responsibilities to the Elements, to Equestria. I have my responsibilities to the Corps, to every being in my sector. Once a Green Lantern, always a Green Lantern."
"I know." Twilight sighed. "I just wanted you to be a hatchling while you still had the chance. Rainbow Dash wants the same thing for her sister."
Offended, Spike drew back. "You said you trusted us!"
"I do! I do. After I saw what Forest Thing did to you, I panicked! I don't want to lose anypony else the way I lost Starlight!”
“Twilight, we did what we had to do,” said Spike. “We knew the stakes when we accepted our new roles.”
Twilight sighed again. “Yes, I understand; it's the same as when my friends and I took on the Elements. I just wish you weren't thrown into all this madness.”
“Trouble will always seek us out, no matter how much we want to avoid it,” said Spike with a resigned smile.
"I know." Twilight nuzzled her brother. "You nearly died out there. Promise me you'll be more careful from now on."
“I promise!” said the dragon as he returned the gesture.
“Okay then! Come on, the others are waiting for us. We got the conference room this time.”
Spike's stomach gave an angry growl.
Twilight smiled at this. “Yes Spike, let’s get you something to eat first!”
Spike licked the last bits of sapphire dust from his fingers as he and Twilight entered the conference room. Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor were sitting around a sand table model of Equestria, moving tokens about while the vigilantes listened in on the conversation.
Dash turned to the opened door. "You couldn't convince him either, right Twi?"
Lantern said, "I made a promise when I accepted this uniform. This is my life now."
"This is my choice," added Scootaloo. "So long as I am able, this is my responsibility."
"I admire your dedication," replied Celestia with a frown. "I hate to involve children in life and death matters, but you have shown how much we need your abilities in this crisis."
Luna nodded as she shot a sideways glare at Batmare.
Batmare gave a slight nod, but she didn't look back at the Princess of the Night. They agreed to discuss the matter after the conference. The vigilante was grateful that the princess had accepted her request to meet in person. The filly felt far too vulnerable in the dream realm.
Luna stamped a hoof to get everypony's attention. "Now that everypony is here, we must focus on the matter at hoof, Forest Thing, our little brother. We need to get more information on him, but we must also defend Equestria against his attacks, even though we know they are diversions. He'll be prepared for us this time. Canary, Arrow, I know you still have a trick or two you haven't shown him." Luna looked at the other vigilantes. "I hope the same holds for the rest of you."
Grudgingly, Celestia said, "There is a role for each of us. Twilight, Cadence, and I will each protect our own castles."
Luna said, "I will stand ready to go wherever aid is needed. We have divided Equestria into territories. The rest of you will each be assigned one."
"Arrow and Canary," said Celestia, "as much as I disagree with your actions, you have proven yourselves invaluable to Canterlot. That shall be your territory." Glaring at Batmare, she continued. "As for Ponyville, you get a chance, dark knight; one chance. Do you understand?"
Nodding, Batmare replied, "I now know the monster inside me; it almost cost me two of my friends." She turned to Sweetie Belle. "That's why I need your help. Can you lend me a hoof protecting Ponyville? Can you warn me about my own stupidity?"
Sweetie Belle gave a surprisingly happy smile. "I'd be happy to. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, Batmare. Don't be too hard on yourself."
Canary snapped, "What?! You turned her into a machine, and now you're asking her to fight for you?"
"She's not a machine." Batmare sighed. "In her head and in her heart, she's still the same Sweetie Belle we know and love."
Sweetie Belle added, "Batmare just wanted to make me whole again. I convinced her to add a few extras so I could help her." Briefly, she brandished the cannon built into her right forehoof.
"I wanted to keep her safe." Batmare sighed. "But, who could say no to that face?"
Arrow placed a forehoof on Canary's withers as she tensed.
Sweetie Belle looked over to Canary. "Please, I've already forgiven her. Won't you do the same? I swear, it was just an unfortunate accident."
Canary's eyes narrowed. The smile Sweetie Belle flashed was all too familiar. Surely, there was no way she could have been recognized. There was no way that mechanical eye could actually be winking at her.
Quickly, Scootaloo spoke up. "All right, that takes care of Ponyville. What's next?"
"You reside in Cloudsdale, do you not, young Scootaloo?" asked Luna.
"Yes."
"Then, that shall be your responsibility. With the way it drifts in the wind, Alicorn Marevel can use it as an observation post and monitor all that she can see."
Scootaloo smiled proudly.
Shining smiled at Spike. “The Crystal Empire would gladly welcome its hero back. I talked things over with Cadence and Twiley, and they agreed. Besides, the troops keep asking when you'll be coming back."
Lantern blushed. “All right! Crystal Empire it is.” He looked at Twilight, who nodded sadly. Softly, he said, “So that’s really why you wanted to take the ring from me.”
Twilight sighed. “Sorry Spike, I was just being selfish. I didn't want to lose you. This is your call to make.”
“Twilight, you can always come with us!” said Lantern. “Right?”
“Celestia is right. My place is in Ponyville. But, I know you'll be in good hooves, Spike.”
“I will come home after this is over,” said the dragon. “Green Lantern’s promise.”
“Finally, Rainbow Dash,” said Celestia. “Can you cover the territory between Manehattan and Las Pegasus?”
“Sure! And I’ll be home for dinner!”
Batmare picked up a suitcase from a corner of the room and, with a twist of her neck, hefted it onto the table. She tapped the lock plate with her hoof, popping the case open. She said, "These are miniature transceivers. They'll let us communicate with each other over long distances. We'll be able to coordinate with each other and to ask for reinforcements."
Luna and Batmare watched as the others each picked up a transceiver and went to their assignments. After the doors were closed, Luna gestured for Batmare to sit. The alicorn took the seat opposite the filly's. "Now, about your behavior during the battle."
"I know I should have been more careful." Batmare sighed. "That's why I'm trying so hard to make things right."
"That part I know. What I don't is why you felt you had to destroy the timberwolves."
"Why does that matter? They're just bit of wood held together by magic."
Luna shook her head. "Nay. They are living creatures, just like their fur and blood counterparts."
"What?!"
"They are innocents. They were following orders because of a spell."
"No! They're not really alive, just like the golems!"
Luna shook her head. "My brother was raised by them."
"All this time I thought I was showing that I was not a filly without actually harming anypony."
"You're not the only junior vigilante. Why must you show you are more than your really are?"
"Nopony takes me seriously! Marevel is a full-grown alicorn! Lantern was already Hero of the Crystal Empire before he got his powers! I don't have any special powers, but I'm just as worthy as they are."
Your actions have shown that you are still a filly, my dark knight. Your actions almost cost two of your friends their lives. You still have much to learn."
Batmare nodded. “I know. You are right. You all are right. Why does everypony else have to pay for my mistakes? Marevel is right; I should have been the one to face the consequences."
"We are naught but the sum of our experiences. Your guilt will make you stronger, smarter, better. Your punishment is knowing how much your mistakes have cost. I will we keeping an eye on you from now on."
"I understand," said Batmare. "I will keep an eye on me, too."
“May I see your face, dark knight?”
Batmare hesitated. She had already trusted two of her friends with her secret. She had no doubt that Rarity would have to be informed, also. Luna would find out sooner or later; there was no stopping nightmares, or the Night Mare.
The filly removed her mask and shook you her mane. “My name is Diamond Tiara. My parents were brutally murdered in front of me. This is the only thing keeping me sane.”
The Princess of Night sighed sadly. "This is not sanity, but I will not judge. It is a pleasure to meet you, Diamond Tiara. When the two of us are alone, please, just call me 'Luna'. The path you have chosen is fraught with peril. Will you let me be your guide, your teacher?"
Diamond Tiara nodded.
Luna continued, "Then, Diamond Tiara, you are now my personal student of justice."
Deeps of the Everfree Forest:
The Forest Thing calmly lounged in his hammock, enjoying the wild fruit that he had harvested from the forest as his family sunk their claws into the ground, using them as roots to draw in sustenance from the soil. He sighed as he watched with envy. Why couldn't he be as much plant as his family?
The alicorn gave an irritated snarl as he noticed an unnatural glow in the distance. The timberwolves growled in acknowledgement of their alpha's annoyance, but he dismissed them with a wave of his hoof.
“It’s all right! Those two are my problem. Keep feeding from the earth; I’ll be back in no time!”
The timberwolves grumbled as he leapt from his hammock, but they followed his orders.
A blind pony could have homed in on the glowing crystal beacon that guided Forest Thing to the cave.
As he entered, he grumbled, "What do you want now? Haven’t you annoyed me enough for a week?”
“Don’t take that tone with us, young colt!” said an ethereal voice through the crystal. A casual observer would have sworn it was Celestia's evil twin who spoke. The voice continued, "What progress have you made?"
“Nothing has changed since my last update. We just need to wait. They think they have won because they took care of my diversion so quickly, but I had planned for that contingency. Our timetable is still on track."
"Why are you just lying around on your flank?" asked a threatening, male voice. "We gave you a job, Eclipse Darkness, one job!"
“I do not answer to that name!” said Forest Thing. "You'd think the two of you could have thought of a name that wasn't redundant."
"Enough already," said the first voice. "You are our son, and you will always be Eclipse Darkness to us." She sighed. "Now, please explain how you can be making progress by doing nothing."
"I warned you that I would have to encroach on my sisters' territory for the final phase. After the first attack, their guard is up, and that make collecting the elements needed to free you much more difficult. I need to see how they have set their defenses so I don't waste any more of my resources."
A new crystal materialized in front of Forest Thing. It identical to the one used to summon the golems in the first attack. “You have our resources to bring to the battle. Free us, child. Make your parents proud!” said the feminine voice.
Forest Thing rolled his eyes and then grabbed the crystal with his magic. He stormed off without another word.
His mother timberwolf was waiting for him at the mouth of the cave. She nuzzled him.
“Don’t worry, mother. I swear everything is going to be all right.”
The wolf howled softly.
“Yes, I’m fine, just sick of those two. Come on, let’s go back to eat!”
Ponyville, Rich manor:
“This way,” said Diamond Tiara, opening the door for Rarity and Sweetie Belle. “Randolph! Are the guests’ rooms ready?”
The butler bowed to Diamond Tiara. “Yes, little miss, and we also prepared some welcome tea.”
“Thank you. Is anypony thirsty?” asked Diamond Tiara turning to her guests.
Sweetie Belle raised a hoof, and the butler gave her a cup. Then, he offered a cup to Rarity, who reluctantly accepted.
“Thank you, Randolph. That will be all for now,” said Diamond Tiara.
The butler bowed again and retired in silence.
“Does he know how you've been spending your nights, darling?” asked Rarity, frowning.
“Of course.”
“He helped the doctor treat my wounds,” explained Sweetie Belle.
“He’s an excellent nurse,” confirmed Diamond Tiara. “If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would happen to me.”
Rarity shook her head. “I don’t like it!”
“I know I acted like a fool,” said Diamond Tiara, taking a sip of her own tea. “But don’t worry, it won’t happen again. Also, my father’s construction company will take care of your home in no time.”
“That’s not what I mean! This happened because of your caretaker, who lets you do as you please. He should be trying to get you back into a normal life, not letting you risk your life on criminal scum!”
Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, Canary. What I do with my life is my own business.”
Rarity sighed. “I wonder what Filthy Rich would say if he saw what his daughter has become.”
“Nothing compared with what my mother would say.”
Rarity let the subject drop. If Sweetie Belle were willing to give her friend another chance, Rarity had no choice but to support her.
Dream Realm:
Although the Dream Realm was Princess Luna's domain, she was reluctant to visibly intervene in a pony's dream. Normally, she would give a nightmare a gentle nudge, guiding the dreamer to present an effective defense. While the bulk of her work involved children, adults also benefitted from her guidance. Only the most extreme cases would prompt her to appear in a fashion that the dreamer could recognize. While what she observed this time was not the stuff of nightmares, it was ample justification for her intervention.
It was rare for a pony to dream of timberwolves. It was even rarer for such a dream to be anything but a nightmare. There was only one pony who would actually dream of being a timberwolf. Since Luna was able to finish early with the children, she slipped into this dream. As she expected, she found herself is a clearing around a crystal-clear lake with a redwood tree near one bank. This was the scene she had remembered from the window spell.
The wolves were gathered around a male, slightly bigger than the rest of them. His wood was dark, almost black. His eyes green, gleaming with intelligence.
“Forest Thing,” called Princess Luna.
The big wolf stared at her and growled.
“It would be a lot easier if you talk to me in your regular form,” noted Luna.
The wolf gave her a dismissive snort before turning to rejoin his pack.
“We need to talk,” said the blue alicorn.
Luna’s horn glowed, and the wolf was forced to transform into the male alicorn.
“How did you know this was my dream?”
“You are the only pony I know who can live among these pony-eating creatures and wishes to be one of them.”
A glance of annoyance appeared on Forest Thing’s face. “Pony-eating? How can you ponies be so ignorant? As always, you instantly despite what’s different. A timberwolf would never eat a pony. Never.”
“They attack us!”
“Because you invade our territory. Most of the time, the packs avoid contact with your kind,” explained Forest Thing. “And why I am discussing this with you?”
"Because you're a pony," said Luna. "No matter how much you wish otherwise, you'll never truly be one of them. That's why I'm here, to show you where you belong."
“I belong with my pack!” shouted Forest Thing. “If it wasn’t for the damn geas, you wouldn’t even know about my existence.”
Luna looked her in brother’s eyes, her gaze piercing his soul. “Our parents are the reason that you don’t like ponies, aren't they?”
“Obviously,” said Forest Thing. “The first being who really cared about me was the timberwolf who found me. Ponies have brought me nothing but pain.”
Luna shook her head. “Mother and father were horrible ponies. No decent pony would act like them!”
“I know it wasn’t your fault that they turned me into their pawn,” said the male alicorn angrily. “But that’s what ponies do. They use everyone and everything to reach their goals.”
“Only the worst of us do that. You cannot judge based on the actions of a very few,” insisted Luna.
“I do not. All I want is to be left alone. Is that too much to ask?” explained Forest Thing. “That is why I created these diversions. I could not care less about ponies, but the sooner our parents are free, the sooner I will never have to see another of your kind again."
Luna raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think they’ll keep their promise? From what I heard from the stories, all they care about is pony supremacy. You are much too useful for them to simply abandon.”
Forest Thing chuckled at this. “Promise? What promise? You have no idea who they really are. How old were you when they were captured? Two months? You never got to know them. They trained me to be a warrior from birth. They taught me strategy, tactics, everything they know. Unlike you and Tia, I know how they think; I am prepared to simply vanish. Once they're free they're your problem, not mine, not anymore."
Luna gave a slight shiver at that contingency. Calmly she said, "Please brother, help us. You know this isn't what you want to do. I know we can find a way to break the geas; just stop while you still can."
Forest Thing smirked at her. “Sorry, but it's much too late. This plan has been in motion for centuries; no matter what anypony does, it's only a matter of time before they're free. I'm just using the resources they provided to make sure that happens sooner rather than later.”
He turned his back on Luna and walked back to his dream pack.
“What are you planning to do?” demanded the Princess of the Night.
“This interview is over,” said Forest Thing, not even bothering to turn back.
Luna nodded coldly. “I will have my answers, dear brother.”
Forest Thing howled. The guttural, penetrating wail echoed in the dreamscape.
The timberwolves heeded the call and leapt onto the princess, forcing her to the ground. The trees came to life and bound her hooves with their root. Forest Thing hovered over his sister and growled. The timberwolves dispersed, giving him a clear shot.
"You cannot win here, sister; this is my mind." He unleashed a titanic blast from his horn, straight at her back.
To his surprise, instead of banishing the princess, the energy flowed over her and spread in all directions, dissolving the landscape wherever it touched. Casually, Luna rose to her hooves. "It may be your mind, but this is my realm."
Forest Thing focused, restoring the previous environment.
“Like I said, this is my mind. Just like in my forest, I’m the strongest here.”
Hundreds of vines emerged from the ground and entangled Luna. The ground around her turned to swamp and golems arose. The shambled over to the trapped alicorn and began forcing her down into the depths of the swamp.
Forest Thing commanded, "Leave now."
The vines and the golems suddenly froze. Luna grew to titanic proportions, her size hinting at her true power.
“Do not underestimate me in my own realm, brother.”
Forest Thing clad himself in his battle attire. He glowed with power as he focused his will. Inexorably, he forced Luna into the depths of the swamp.
“It’s over!” said Forest Thing.
Luna smiled. “Indeed.”
Forest Thing turned toward a whizzing sound. He jumped back, startled, when something struck him in the barrel and detonated with a loud bang. Concentrating, he saw a dozen arrows approaching, just before they simultaneously struck and detonated in a bright flash.
As he covered his eyes with his left wing, he returned fire with a blast of pure energy. Peeking between his primaries, he saw the bolt flying straight toward a blue-clad archer; the masked pony ignored the blast as he readied another arrow. The fool was sure to be disintegrated.
To Forest Thing's annoyance, an emerald shield appeared in front of the archer and deflected the blast away.
Sourly, he turned to the source of the shield. "I knew I recognized that shade of green. Are you ready for me to compost you again, dragon boy?"
Lantern shrugged. The baby dragon tried to hide his trepidation as Forest Thing prepared an even more powerful response. Suddenly, like a billiard ball, that alicorn was slammed away, replaced by an alicorn mare in a red body suit with white cape and boots.
Forest Thing hydroplaned on the swamp before sinking, splashing everyone else. He then rose to face his attacker.
“Who might you be?”
“The name is Marevel, Alicorn Marevel.”
Forest Thing snorted and pawed the swamp. As he started his charge, he felt yet another blow to his barrel. Electricity from the projectile arced over his body, making him stumble.
Sweetie Borg stood with her cannon forehoof leveled at the alicorn. A wisp of smoke curled from the barrel.
"Don't move a muscle."
Dash landed beside the girl. "You know, you're supposed to say that before you shoot."
“Sorry! I really wanted to try this thing!”
Forest Thing sighed. “What is this?”
“It’s a shared dream,” explained Luna. “I warned you, brother. You cannot beat me in my realm.”
Forest Thing ground his teeth, and then looked at his dream-pack.
“Destroy!”
The timberwolves multiplied like amoebas, and a dozen charged to each vigilante.
Somepony called them all.
“Hey puppies!”
The wolves turned to the voice. It came from a filly in a bat costume.
“Fetch!”
She threw a metallic sphere to the timberwolves. It multiplied just as the timberwolves had done. The creatures caught them in the air, only to be incinerated seconds later.
Forest Thing turned to Batmare as well.
The vigilante nodded.
“Yes, I was the one who killed the wolves back in Ponyville. That was my mistake; stop blaming Lantern.”
Forest Thing glared at her. “Good to know. My apologies, dragon boy.”
Batmare continued, "You never let anypony close enough to see that they're really living beings. That was your mistake. I hate you for that; I thought they were like golems."
Forest Thing charged toward the bat vigilante. One he had committed to the attack, the fired her ascender and pulled herself out of harm's way. Dash stopped him in his tracks with a super-speed tackle, releasing him as soon as he fell. Arrows, green grenades, hard rubber projectiles, and a lightning bolt hit him simultaneously.
Princess Luna walked to the stunned alicorn and said, "I do not want to hurt you, brother, but I must have my answer."
“Four. To get to the other side. One point seven, seven, two . . .”
“I didn’t ask you for the square root of pi!” said the Princess. “I’m asking what you are you up to!”
“Is not that complicated. I’m just reversing the original spell that the original Dragon Lord used to seal them. Easy to do, but it takes time. In the meantime, they gave me the resources to create more golems. Have fun.”
Luna said a word that sounded too strange in her feminine voice, unmindful of the children in the vicinity. She turned to the vigilantes.
“The time for dreams is over! Everypony wake up!”
Her horn glowed, and the heroes disappeared from sight. Luna turned to Forest Thing one last time.
“Brother please, we can help you. We’re family after all!!”
A new group of wolves materialized into the dream. “They are my true family. You mean nothing to me.”
The dream world disappeared as Forest Thing began to wake.
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Well hot diggity dang, this is about to be one hell of a sight. Good talks with DT and Sweetie here. The Spike one with Twilight was good too.
Hey, Starlight's mentioned again. Why do I feel that something will happen involving her in the future? Does Equestrian gave a Lazarus Pit equivalent?
8866243
I've considered the possibility but I can't really think of a good analog for her. It certainly doesn't help that she's dead since I can't think of many characters who's origins begin with coming back from the dead. I suppose an alternate Equestria Starlight could work but that wouldn't be my first choice.
8867300
What if she's adapting Sara Lance from Arrow?
8867362
It's not really a good analog. It would be weird to use a character that doesn't take advantage of her magical prowess.
8867368
I don't know. Sara's moral ambiguity really fits with Starlight, and instead of specializing in League of Assassins martial arts, Starlight specializes in magic.
8867394
Well I mean if they did go that route the character would wind up being twisted to the point where the analog doesn't really fit anymore. Beside part of Sarah's character is her relationship with her Sister which doesn't really match with Starlight. Besides if all we're talking about is moral ambiguity there are plenty of characters the fit into that mold. Red Hood for example but again I'm not sure that's the best fit. My knowledge of DC characters is just way too limited to make a good guess of what might be a good fit.
8867434
Well, are we in an agreement that Starlight is probably not gonna stay dead, right?
8867565
It's certainly a possibility but I don't wanna get my hopes up.