> My Little Lantern: Friendship is Colorful
>  by enigmaMystere
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. The sky was clear, except for a single cloud. It just so happened that, on that cloud, a cyan pegasus was resting, glad she was done for the day. The sleepy pony sighed, turning over to get a bit more comfortable.

Rainbow Dash of Equestria.

Her eyes snapped open in surprise, quickly bolting upright. “Who said that?” She glanced around, bothered that she couldn’t see anypony else. She held her hooves up, ready to fight. “Show yourself!”

You always leap to the challenge, even when there is virtually no chance for you to succeed. 

A green ring floated in front of her. She scowled at it, slightly annoyed. “Just what do you mean by that?”

You have the ability to overcome great fear.

She blinked, staring at it for a few moments before grinning widely. “Well, yeah!” She puffed her chest out, then stopped when she realized just how silly she looked talking to a floating, glowing green ring. 

She decided that she was dreaming.

Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.

At this, Rainbow was totally confused. “The what now?” She would have called that proof she was dreaming, but she wasn’t creative enough for something like this. 

The ring did nothing but float there in front of her. Rainbow, starting to get bored, shrugged. “Whatever. It looks cool.” She grabbed it with her front right hoof, watching in shock as it's shape changed to fit her foreleg. She silently slid it on, thinking it looked awesome on her, grinning.

Her excited smile quickly turned into a look of panic as what appeared to be green fire started to crawl up her leg. She calmed down as soon as she realized it wasn’t burning her at all. In fact, it left a green-and-black suit in its wake. 

As soon as the flame reached her neck, it stopped. Curiosity getting the better of her, she flew to a nearby lake. She quietly admired her reflection, grinning widely. “Oh, yeah. This is going to be sweet!” She giggled, thinking about the last masked hero that was in Ponyville. “The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well has nothing on this!”

She flew into the air, letting out a loud cheer. “This is the best day EVER!”





So this is a fic I wanted to try out. Please let me know what you think!

Enigma out.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2

Rainbow quickly flew to the road between the town and Sweet Apple Acres. She grinned, thinking of all that she could do now that she had this ring. 

She blinked, frowning as she thought about it. What could she do with this ring, anyways? She held her hoof up, examining the ring closely. She shook her head, sighing softly. “I wonder if I should have agreed to this. Whatever the hay this is.” She looked off in the distance, her mind drifting as she became bored. “I wish something exciting would happen...”
A high-pitched scream broke into her thoughts. Rainbow, worried about what was happening and forgetting about her new appearance, rushed off to help.

A grey pegasus was falling from the sky, her yellow mane covering her face. Her body was charred from what appeared to be a horrible lightning strike. Rainbow, determined to save her, flew as fast as she could. “Come on. Just a little more...”

She reached her hooves out to catch the falling pegasus, slowing down to prevent hurting her further. Rainbow reached out a little further...

...and stared in surprise when a large pair of emerald-green hooves suddenly appeared from her ring, gently catching the grey pegasus less than a yard above the ground and absorbing the impact. 

Rainbow carefully set her on a soft bed of grass, staring at her ring. “Woah.”

Sentient approaching. Concealing identity.

“Hey!” Rainbow wildly swings her arms around, caught off-balance by the mask that suddenly covered her eyes. She blinked, looking around. “What do you mean, ‘sentient’?”

At that moment, pink suddenly filled her field of vision. She reeled back, trying to recognize who or what it was.

“Hello, there! I’ve never seen you before!” It was just Pinkie Pie. Rainbow sighed in relief, but that soon became confusion. How could Pinkie not recognize her? “Oh my gosh, you look so super-duper amazing! I would love to have some clothes that looked like that! Where did you get it? Who are you?”

Green Lantern of Space Sector 3492.

“Ooh, that sounds so exciting! Formal and uptight, but exciting!” She laughed, hopping around Rainbow. "What was that pair of hooves? How did you do that, Greenie?”

Construct manifestation triggered by force of will.

Rainbow turned away from Pinkie, hissing at her ring. “Will you be quiet!?”

Activating silent mode.

Pinkie gasped, grabbing Rainbow and shaking her. “I have to tell everypony about this! We have a hero in town with spectacularly awe-inspiring abilities!” She quickly rushed off, giggling happily.

Rainbow stood there, confused. “...why didn’t Pinkie recognize me?” She immediately remembered how the ring made a mask over her face. "...what else can this ring change?" She looked at a puddle and gasped. 

"My mane! It's...it's green!" 

And indeed it was. Her mane, as well as her tail, was now varying shades of green, her rainbow colors gone. She thought about it for a bit, wondering why this happened. 

Her mind soon drifted from that thought, as she imagined how Twilight would react to her as she was now, smirking a bit as she pictured the unicorn geeking out over her ring.

“How does your ring do that?” Rainbow snapped her attention to the emerald Twilight in front of her, who was now starting to disappear.

She blinked, then looked at her ring. “How did you do that?” 

Her question was met with silence.

She sighed, shaking her head. “You can talk now, ring.”

Construct manifestation triggered by force of will.

“You said that before! What does that even mean?” She looked around, as if the answer was somewhere written into the ground. “Do I just imagine what I want to make, or something?”

Silence again. She groaned, throwing her hooves up in the air. “Fine! I’ll just figure it out myself!” She pointed her foreleg out, focusing on a character from her favorite book series, Daring Do. She watched as a light emerged from her ring, taking the form of the adventurous pegasus. As soon as she stopped focusing, the image disappeared.

She thought for a bit, then grinned, an idea coming to her head. She giggled, walking off to visit Twilight. “This is gonna be so hilarious!”
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight was at her desk, quietly reading a book. It seemed to be a fictional story – after all, who ever heard of a ring that could create something out of thin air? No, that was something for magic alone. 

It was kind of interesting to read about, though, and Twilight couldn't pull herself away. Apparently, each of the seven colored rings, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, represented a light in an emotional spectrum. One of them, compassion, was really similar to Fluttershy's element, kindness. There wasn't much about that one, though.

Another one, hope, seemed like it was the weakest of the lights. At least, it did until she read about how much power it held over the other corps. It had abilities that let it control what Twilight dubbed "the negative side" of the spectrum. She found herself wondering who, exactly, made this book.

As she turned the page, she heard a knock at the door. Sighing, she walked over to it, opening it. She looked out, putting on her best smile. “Hello! What can I-” She stopped in mid-sentence, stunned by the sight before her. 

Daring Do was right in front of her. Granted, she was an emerald green color, but Twilight didn’t seem to notice that. The pegasus took off her hat, grinning widely at her. “I hear you’re a fan of my stories?”

Twilight’s mouth opened and closed noiselessly, trying to find a word, any word that she could say. After about two minutes of this, she fainted. 

As soon as she did so, the emerald pony vanished into a mist. Rainbow peeked out of a nearby bush, giggling excitedly. “That was so cool!” She flew away, thinking of a few more pranks that she could possibly pull with this. 

She stopped by Rarity's boutique, another joke coming to her mind. She smiled and surrounded the building with a coat of translucent green. She soon heard a scream from inside the building. 

"IT'S GREEN! EVERYTHING HAS TURNED GREEN! SUCH A HORRIBLE COLOR! WHAT RUFFIAN WOULD DO SUCH A THING!?" 

Rainbow wondered if this prank was such a good idea. She quickly removed the green coat from the building and looked around, trying to find a place to hide. Rarity burst out of her boutique, looking for the culprit. Rainbow held her breath, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible for a floating pony clothed in green.

For some reason, though, Rarity didn't notice her. As it turns out, the ring allows invisibility to the wearer. The unicorn huffed and quickly went back inside to continue her work, leaving Rainbow more confused than ever. She just shrugged, floating off to see what else she could do. 

As she was floating over to Applejack’s farm, a blinking green light caught her attention. She stared at her ring, confused by the flashing light currently emanating out of it. “Ring? Is something wrong?”

Green Lantern of Space Sector 3492.

She thought for a bit, confused until she remembered that was her. “Yeah?”

You will report to Oa for training immediately.

“...what?”

Have a nice flight.

All of the sudden, her world transformed into a rainbow, and anypony nearby heard the loud boom that her rapid departure made. As she glanced around, she realized that she was somehow traveling through space. She could feel the breeze in her mane, grinning widely at the speed she was attaining. It almost reminded her of her sonic rainboom, but without the colorful trail forming behind her. 

Descending from hyperspace. Universal translator on.

Soon (almost too soon for her), the colors vanished, leaving her floating above a city full of bright yellow buildings. A large number of strangely-shaped creatures were floating around.

She looked around, confused. She was still being led around by the ring, so she couldn’t really get a proper look at her surroundings. “Ring? Where am I?”

The planet Oa. Central Precinct of the Green Lantern Corps. And home of the Guardians of the Universe – immortal watchers and protectors of all.

As she glanced down, she saw a large group in what appeared to be a class of sorts.

Disengaging autopilot. Tutorial off.

Rainbow felt herself falling, so she reflexively used her wings, floating down to the group and landing in what she deemed a perfect landing. She grinned, turning to face the others. She blinked, seeing them laughing at her.

She overheard one of their comments, coming from a masked figure. “Is that an Equestrian?”

"She won't last a moment on active duty!" Looking at this one, he kind of looked like a lion that stood on his hind legs.

Rainbow frowned, turning away from them and, in doing so, almost bumped into a large pink alien. Actually, his face reminded her of the pigs she had seen before on Applejack’s farm. He looked at her with a rude sneer. “Nice landin’, poozer. Name’s Kilowog. Welcome ta Ringslingin’ 101. Or as Ke’haan and I like to call it-” he was right in her face now, yelling loud enough to rival Luna last Nightmare Night, “THE WORST DAY A’ YOUR WORTHLESS LIFE!”

Rainbow stood her ground, a smile on her face. “So this is Flight Camp? Ha!” She turned her head, trying her best to surpress a chuckle. “This will be easy!”

Kilowog snorted, annoyed by her reaction. “Get in line with the rest of the white circles.” Glancing down, she realized that she did, in fact have a white circle on her side where her cutie mark would be. She let out a small yell of surprise as he shot her with his ring.

She got up quickly, wiping the mud off her face. “Oh, you want to go, do you? Fine!” She created a large hoof, bucking him hard in the face with it. Rainbow laughed in satisfaction as Kilowog was sent flying into the mud. "Oh, that's rich!"

Kilowog got up, grinning widely. “I’ve been lookin’ all day for somebody ta make an example outta!” 





Hey, Enigma here! I just wanted to let you know that I'm not sure how often I'll be updating these stories. I hope you all enjoy them, and feel free to suggest anything you might like to see come up in a PM! 

Thanks, and have a great day!

Enigma out! ~
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville

Twilight woke up, confused, in the doorway to her house. She slowly sat up, rubbing her head in pain. "...what happened?" She thought back, remembering that Daring Do was on her front step earlier. She frowned, realizing that the books never mentioned Daring having an emerald green coat...or a green mane...or green clothes. Before she could think about that any more, though, she was knocked on her back, leaving her dazed.

Pinkie was sitting on her chest, as happy and hyper as ever. "Twilight! A new pony is in town, and she has super spectacular powers! She was wearing this green costume and a neat looking ring that let her create these huge green hooves that-" Twilight pressed her hoof against Pinkie's mouth, confused and interested.

"Wait a minute," Twilight stared at her, trying to figure out if Pinkie was being honest or just being...well, Pinkie. "Did you say a ring? What did it look like? Did it have a symbol on it?"

Pinkie quickly scratched the design onto the ground, smiling as she stepped back, giving Twilight a clear look. 




Twilight silently wondered how she got the floor to change color like that, but she shook her head to dismiss that thought, remembering who this pony in front of her was. "I've seen this symbol before, but..." She glanced away, blushing a bit in embarrassment. "...I thought it was just a fictional reference guide."

Pinkie tilted her head, curious. "What was it about?"

Twilight stood up, motioning Pinkie to follow her inside. She walked over to the book, opening it up. She glanced over the pages, trying to find the one with that symbol. When she finally did, she pointed at it with a hoof, reading it. "The Green Lantern Corps..."





A familiar yellow pegasus was sitting in her house, helping a mouse with its fever. “It’s okay.” Her voice was soft and soothing, helping the mouse to relax. After a few more moments, she put it to bed and carefully tucked it in. It seemed that the mouse would recover quite well from its illness.

She gave it a gentle smile before getting up. She was about to go upstairs when she saw a light coming from outside. She went wide-eyed, wanting to run but worried for her animal friends outside. Her concern won, as she was soon at her door. 

She peeked out of her cottage, confused and scared. “...h-hello?” 

A dark purple ring floated in front of her, glowing softly. She glanced around, wondering if somepony was making it float like that. However, she saw nopony else around; just the ring.

Fluttershy of Space Sector 3492.

She squeaked, backing away from the ring in front of her. She had no idea what was going on, and she was pretty sure that she hadn't fallen asleep yet. 

Your heart reaches out to all beings both kind and terrible, bringing them onto your side.

Fluttershy stared at it, confused. How did it know that?

You have the ability to feel great compassion.

Fluttershy stared at it. For some reason, she wasn't as scared as she was earlier. She slowly took a few steps forward, keeping an eye on the ring the whole time. She reached out and touched it, closing her eyes as it flashed a dark purple, taking its place on her foreleg.

Welcome to the Indigo Tribe.

A wave of indigo light enveloped her body, causing her body to tingle. Ragged purple cloths appeared on her body, and markings of a similar color emerged on her legs. Finally, an indigo staff formed in front of her, which she grabbed with one hoof. She slowly opened her eyes, all traces of fear gone from them. If one looked closely, they would see the same symbol on the ring was now glowing in her eyes.

"...nok."





"So the pony I saw before was part of some kind of group?"

Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes at Pinkie's simplification of what she had read. "Yes, Pinkie, that's pretty much correct."

Pinkie grabbed the book from Twilight, reading a few more of the entries. "Let's see, there's Blue Lanterns, the Sinestro Corps, Star Sapphires..." She blinked, flipping a page back and forth in confusion. "Twilight, why is the entry for the Indigo Tribe so small?"

Twilight walked over, looking at the page. "I honestly don't know. I guess they're a secretive group?" She shrugs a bit, sitting down next to her pink friend. "All this book says is that they can tap into the other lights of the emotional spectrum."

"What about that?" Pinkie pointed at a small sentence on the back of the page, almost unnoticeable if you weren't looking for it. "It says that this group's rings 'force its wearer to feel nothing but compassion, blocking out all other emotions.'" She gasped, putting her hooves to her mouth. "Which means they can't feel happiness or love! That's just so sad!"

Twilight rolled her eyes again, moving over to the window to look outside. She frowned; something just wasn't right about that cloud-covered sky. "Pinkie, is it supposed to be cloudy today?"

Pinkie shook her head, bouncing over to Twilight. "Nope!" She looked up at the sky and gasped. "Rainbow is going to be in trouble!" She rushed out the door, leaving Twilight in the library all by herself. 

Twilight sighed, moving back to the book. She wanted to know more about this Green Lantern that apparently took up residence in Equestria. "I hope they aren't dangerous...for the sake of Equestria..."





Rainbow stumbles back in the mud, shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness. Her rose-colored eyes focus back on her opponent, and she bares her flat teeth, ignoring her now-destroyed mask barely hanging on her face. "Okay, Kilohog, you got in a few lucky hits!"

"Try twenty," the crystal from before spoke.

Her eye twitches and she opts not to respond. "But I'm gonna beat you up eventually!" She makes a set of copter blades and launches them at the pig-like alien, following after with a war cry.





Pinkie traveled all over town, looking for any sign of Rainbow Dash. She searched everywhere - Sugarcube Corner (three separate times), Rarity's boutique, Twilight's Library, even the spa. Pinkie couldn't imagine why Rainbow would be there, but that didn't stop her from looking. 

She was really getting worried. "...Dashie..." She stopped in her tracks, thinking quietly to herself. "Maybe she went to Fluttershy's place to get Tank more food!" She hopped down the road, wanting to find her friend. It wasn't that she was worried Rainbow was hurt. She just wanted to know where she was. 

Deep in her heart, she knew all would be well.





The introduction of another lantern! How many were expecting her to become an Indigo Lantern?

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, and have a nice day! Next chapter will continue Rainbow's training on Oa!

Enigma out. ~
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oa

Rainbow grumbled, glaring daggers at Kilowog. Thanks to him, she was stuck in a green bubble. "I. Hate. Losing." Despite being upset, she listened closely to the large alien, hoping that he would give her the key to her escape. 

"The ring can make whatever tool ya need. Just gotta picture it in your mind. Will it to life. Force fields. Energy beams." He looked at the other cadets, all of whom had their eyes on him. "Everyone see that?"

"Yes, sir!" 

Rainbow smirked at him. “That would be my cue!” She pulled her foreleg back, almost as if she was going to punch the bubble. Instead, she used her ring to shoot what appeared to be a pegasus with a fiery mane and tail in a flight suit. "Freedom is sweet." She made some sunglasses and put them on, striking a pose that said 'deal with it'.

“You willed yourself free, Equestrian...” Kilowog picked up a bright yellow disc, smirking. “...now try catchin’ this.” He flung it rapidly at her.

Rainbow laughed at the thought of being beaten by that small disc. Without a second thought, she formed a pillow to intercept it. “Seriously, Kilowog, I thought you’d-”

Her eyes widened in horror as the disc easily pierced her projection. It smashed into her face, knocking her flat on her back into the mud. Everyone there laughed at this, as well as her attempts to wipe the mud off of herself. 

“What the hay just happened!?” She groaned, feeling the small lump that was forming on her forehead.

“It was yellow.” She looked left to see what looked like a floating gem with tentacles talking to her. It also seemed to have a white circle instead of the standard symbol. “A Green Lantern’s ring is useless against yellow. Didn't you know that?”

“She don’t know nothin’ ‘bout the corps. She’s from Equestria.” 

Rainbow had made her way to a pile of the yellow discs, picking one up in her forehooves. “That can’t be right.”

“What was that, poozer?” Kilowog stared at Rainbow, challenging her with a death glare.

She faced him, defiance burning in her eyes. “I saved a pegasus with a yellow mane. From what you told me, I couldn’t have done that.” She held the disc up, frowning at it. “Besides, why would our rings be useless against anything yellow?”

Kilowog grabbed the disc from Rainbow, crushing it in the same motion. “You don’t ask questions in the Corps. You do your duty.”

“And what duty is that? You haven’t told me anything about that!” She flew up to his eye level, as if she was daring him to do something about her tone.

“‘To serve and protect your respective sectors and all life within them.’” He shook his head, growling a bit. “And don’t get all puffy chested again. Next time I won’t be so nice.” He balled his fist up even tighter, crushing the remains of the disc into a yellow powder.

"Bring it, Kilohog!” She sneered a bit, still very much in his face. Her wings flared out behind her, showing just how eager she was to fight.

“Kilowog.” Rainbow turned to the source of the voice, finding herself looking at the weirdest alien she had seen so far. Where she came up to Kilowog’s waist, she reached this...what is that, a furless pink pony with a short black mane? One that only stood on its hind legs? Whatever it was, she reached the middle of its chest. “I’d like to talk with this...what is she, a pony?”

Kilowog stared hard at him, frowning deeply. "What business is she of yours, Rayner?"

Rainbow looked between the two, greatly confused. "Who are you?" 

The alien with the black mane turned to her, putting on a semi-forced smile. "My name is Kyle Rayner. I'm supposed to bring you to the Guardians. It seems they have someone who is going to be training you, as well as staying on your planet."

Rainbow took this time to get a better look at this alien. He - she assumed it was a ‘he’ from the voice - had a mask that looked different from the one she had. It made him look cool. Almost cooler than her...

Nope, I'm not gonna let that happen! If this ring can create this uniform, then it can change it as well, right? She focused on her costume, imagining how she wanted it to look. Slowly, the familiar green flame started to move across her body, causing her suit and mask to change. Her mask mimicked Rayner's almost perfectly, adjusted enough to fit her face properly. As for her suit, the white parts on her forelegs condensed into a white bolt of lightning, encircling her hooves. Similar markings appeared on her hind legs, and the green around her body shifted to her underbelly, jagged markings forming the border between the green and black. She looked down at her new uniform, smiling giddily. For all intents and purposes, it looked exactly like a Wonderbolts outfit. 

Kyle gave an approving nod. "I like it. The mask is not very creative, though I appreciate the simple design. However, the colors could use some switching around."

"Ya didn't answer me, Rayner." Kilowog looked close to harming Kyle. "Why do ya need ta speak with this poozer? The Guardians wouldn't send for her without a good reason!" He jerked a thumb in Rainbow’s direction.

Kyle held up an emerald ring, a look of sadness etched on his face. "She is now the only Green Lantern of Sector 3492. In fact..." He sighed, facing Rainbow. "...her planet is now the only one in that sector with sapient life." 

Kilowog bowed his head, silent for the first time since Rainbow got here.





I was looking up more info on the Green Lanterns. It turns out that there are about two Lanterns for each sector.  Kyle and Guy are posted on Oa, so that's why there are four Lanterns from Earth.

So this means that there will be a second Green Lantern in Equestria. 

Of course, everyone is free to suggest a character for this new slot. :3 I can't wait to hear what everypony has to offer!

Enigma out.~
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

okay, before anypony says anything, i tried my best to stay true to both how the characters would act, and how someone under the influence of the indigo power ring would behave.

now that i've said that, here is chapter six of "My Little Lantern". enjoy!~





Ponyville

Pinkie happily walked up to Fluttershy's house. She knocked three times, giggling. "Fluttershy!" Without a moment's hesitation, she did this again. Three knocks. "Fluttershy!" Three more. "Fluttershy!" She put her ear to the door, listening for the sounds of her yellow friend coming to the door.

No such sound came. In fact, it was completely silent on the other side of the door.

Confused and concerned, Pinkie put a hoof on the door, ready to push it open. Remembering that her friend was sensitive, she called out to announce her presence. "Fluttershy, I'm coming in!"

"Nok."

Pinkie almost jumped out of her pelt, spinning around and facing her friend. At least, she thought it was her friend...she was wearing a confusing outfit, and there was some sort of staff strapped to her back. Pinkie took a closer look at her, slightly shocked. It really was Fluttershy! What happened to her? Where did those markings on her body come from? Why were her front hooves covered in some sort of crimson paint? And just what was she saying, anyways? "Fluttershy?"

“Hello, Pinkie.” Fluttershy nodded, smiling softly at her. “How are you doing?”

Pinkie shivered a bit, seeing her friend smile like that. She quickly recovered, smiling happily. “I’m fine, but Dashie forgot to clear the clouds away!” She pointed a hoof up.

“Pinkie,” Fluttershy gently put a scarlet-colored hoof on her friend’s shoulder, “there are no clouds up there.”

Pinkie stared up, shocked that there were no clouds above Fluttershy’s house. “...wha...bu...huh?” She looked at the yellow pegasus, a thought coming to her mind. “You did that, right? Could you please do it for the rest of Ponyville? We don’t want Dashie to get in trouble! And it would be BIG trouble!” Pinkie threw her forelegs up to emphasize her words, coming in contact with Fluttershy’s foreleg on accident.

She froze, staring in horror at the crimson limb on her shoulder. Why did it feel so...sticky? “...Fluttershy? What happened?” 

Fluttershy looked at her foreleg, her expression unchanged. “Oh, I came across an injured creature deep in the Everfree Forest. It was suffering, so I decided to end its pain. That’s all.”

Pinkie just stared at her. Something was seriously wrong. “I’ll talk to you later!” With that, she rushed off towards town. Maybe Twilight would help her figure this out. Whatever 'this' was.

Fluttershy looked at the clouds over Ponyville. “I guess they do need my help.” She flew off, not even giving the previous conversation a second thought.





Oa

Rainbow Dash flew next to the Lantern from Earth, slightly uneasy. He hadn’t said a thing to her since they left the other trainees behind. “...so...Kyle, was it?” What a strange name. “You said you’re going to be my new coach?”

“Nope.” He didn’t even glance at her when replying. “They have someone else set up for that. I’m just the one escorting you to them.”

“What caused the rest of my...space...sector...” Dear Celestia, what is up with this place!?

Kyle chuckled at the way she stumbled over the words. 

Rainbow rolled her eyes, trying her best to ignore his reaction. “What happened? Why is my planet the last one in my..." She paused, thinking of a better way to put it. "...section with life?”

“Woah, there.” He flew right in front of her, forcing her to stop. “Your planet’s not the last one with life, there. It’s just the last one with sapient life.”

“What the hay does that mean!?” Rainbow poked him with a hoof, annoyed.

“You’ll probably find out when the blue guys explain.” He shrugged, ignoring the fact that she jabbed him in the sternum. 

“No, that’s not what I meant!” She sighed, rubbing the side of her head with the same hoof. Calm down, Dash. “What does ‘sapient’ mean?”

“Oh, it means ‘having or showing understanding or knowledge’, or something like that.” He shrugged. “At least, that’s how Salaak explained it.”

Rainbow was beyond confused now. "...I'm not even going to ask who that is." She threw her hooves up in the air, groaning in frustration. “Forget it, then! Just tell me what caused the other senti-whatevers to disappear!”

“Frankly, I haven’t the slightest idea!” He gave a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “Like I said, I’m sure the Guardians know, and they’ll probably tell you when we get there. Okay?”

“...fine.” They continued their flight to the citadel, though Rainbow couldn't help thinking about Kyle’s earlier words. Even if they were meant to be reassuring, they didn’t do anything to lift Rainbow’s spirits. If anything, they made her worry even more. 





Ponyville Library

Twilight was sitting at her desk, still poring over the tome she'd recently discovered. Apparently, there weren't just creatures that wielded the emotional spectrum; there were also beings made up purely of those emotional drives! These were able to take control of ones that have strong, corresponding emotions. She shivered as she finished the passage about a creature named Parallax. Definitely not something anypony would want to come across.

Before she could read more about these "entities", the library door burst open.

“Twilight, I need your help!”

Twilight glanced up at the white unicorn framed in her door, slightly upset. “You couldn’t take the time to knock?”

“Now’s not the time for that! I just found out my sister has a crush on-”

“Rarity!” Twilight pointed an accusing hoof at her friend, upset. “You were snooping through Sweetie Belle’s stuff again, weren’t you?”

“Yes, but I only did it to confirm my suspicions!” Rarity rubbed the back of her head with her hoof, embarrassed. “Please don’t tell anypony.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, turning back to her book. “...fine. I won’t tell anypony.”

“Thank you. Oh!” She glanced around, slightly worried. “Is Spike here?”

Twilight groaned, facing her friend. “No, I asked him to get some apples from Applejack. Why?”

“Because this...concerns him, as well.” 

“What could you possibly-” Twilight stopped, gaping in shock at Rarity. “...you mean...Sweetie Belle likes...?”

The white unicorn nodded slowly, biting her lower lip in apprehension. “Lately, I've noticed her staring at him with a small smile and a tiny blush.”

“If this is true, why hasn't Spike said anything?”

“She is really good at hiding her emotions when he's looking at her.” She looked down at the ground, growing more and more worried. “...what should we do?”

Twilight stared at her for the longest time before speaking again. “I don’t understand. Is there some problem I’m not seeing?”

“Well, Spike has a crush on me. What if Sweetie confesses her feelings to him, and he refuses her?”

“I honestly don’t think we have to worry about that.” Twilight turned back to her book, flipping to a section with pictures of hot pink-clad figures. 

“Darling, you can’t be serious! What if she gets hurt?”

“I’m sure she can handle it. She’s a strong little filly.” Twilight kept her eyes glued to the strange tome, puzzling over the curious entries inside. “Besides, they are about the same age.”

“Age isn’t the problem!” Rarity placed her hooves on the book’s pages, obscuring them and forcing Twilight to look up at her. “I’m worried that he’s so infatuated with me that he wouldn’t give her a chance! I don’t want my sister to be heartbroken!”

“Enough!” Twilight got up, staring directly into Rarity’s eyes.

Before she could say anything else, though, Pinkie burst in. “Twilight, did that book mention anything about-” She stopped, looking from Twilight, to Rarity and back. “...are you two fighting? Is that why I saw Sweetie running away in tears?”

“WHAT!?” Rarity ran off, leaving a confused Pinkie and a worried Twilight.

Pinkie turned to the violet unicorn, curious. “...did I say something wrong?”

Twilight shook her head, frowning slightly. “I would tell you, but breaking a promise is the quickest way to lose a friend, remember?” She pat the ground next to her, inviting Pinkie to sit next to her. “Anyways, you wanted to know if something was in this book?”





Somewhere in the air above Ponyville

Fluttershy flit about in the sky, striking clouds with her staff to disperse them. She looked around, seeing that she was almost done. With a curt nod, she continued her work. 

Suddenly, a bright magenta light appeared in the sky, flitting over the peaceful town for a few moments. It emitted a beam, scanning the buildings, as if it was searching for something. 

As it passed over a small building in the middle of an apple field, it paused. It sensed that there was a being inside. One with a broken heart.

Without a sound, it slowly began its descent. 

Fluttershy watched this for a few moments, slightly curious. She quickly shrugged, going back to clearing the skies. She didn't give another thought to the strange, floating rock.





Canterlot - the Royal Palace

A white alicorn sat on her throne, reading a letter that she had received from a friend.

"Princess Celestia!"

She looked up, surprised to see a captain of the Royal Guard running towards her. "Shining Armor? Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?"

He stared at her, confused. "Princess, the wedding was a month ago."

"Oh." Celestia nodded, glancing away. "It must have slipped my mind." She motioned for him to come closer, smiling kindly. "Did you need something?"

"Yes." Shining Armor cleared his throat, glancing around to make sure they were alone before continuing. "Sky Watcher has news."

Celestia's face became grim. "And what news would that be?"

He rubbed the back of his head, unnerved by this change in the Princess' demeanor. "He said that three suspicious lights have appeared in Equestria." He looked up at her, curious. "Princess Celestia, what does that mean?"

She stood up, willing herself to stay calm. "It means that the Guardians have broken their promise." She put a hoof to her chin, thinking for a bit. "I need to find my book. And then I'm going to have a talk with the Guardians..." Her horn glowed yellow for a moment, then, in a flash of light, she was gone. Shining Armor was left there, wondering what was going on.





if any of you still have questions, please let me know, and i'll try to answer them without giving away a major part of the story.

enigma out!~
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ponyville Library

Pinkie and Twilight were sitting next to each other, scrutinizing the tome on the desk. 

Pinkie rubbed the sides of her head with her forehooves, upset. "This is taking too long! Who knows what Fluttershy is up to, now?"

Twilight glanced over at the pink earth pony, narrowing her eyes. "Pinkie, we've only been at this for three minutes." She flipped the page, revealing part of the short section on the indigo tribe.

"WAIT!" Pinkie grabbed the heavy book and pulled it to her face, recognizing the symbol by the title. "I've seen that before! It was on the necklace thingy Fluttershy was wearing!" She looked at both sides of the page, confusion beginning to show on her face. "...I know this is why 'Shy's been acting strangely." She tossed the book up in the air, groaning in frustration. "But I just don't see how!"

Twilight caught it, floating it closer. "It says the indigo rings force the wielders to feel compassion." She thought for a moment. "...Pinkie, you remember hearing about that one nurse from Trottingham a couple months ago?"

"You mean Bleeding Heart? Of course! She couldn't stand to see elderly ponies in pain, so she-" Pinkie stopped mid-sentence, catching on. "...so if ponies feel nothing but compassion, they...?"

"Precisely." She frowned, gently putting a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Don’t worry, we’ll figure out a way to help her. As long as we have this book, the answers will be found.”

Pinkie looked at the book, a sudden thought making her curious. “Twilight, where did you get that book, anyways?”

Before Twilight could answer, a bright flash of yellow appeared, blinding them momentarily. After the light died down, they looked over and saw Celestia, wearing a grim expression that caused a chill down to their very souls. 

The princess noticed this, so she tried to calm herself down. “My faithful student, have you seen a book with a green symbol on the front? I’ve looked everywhere in my personal library, not to mention the Canterlot library, but-” She blinked, seeing the book they were poring over floating in front of her face. “Oh, there it is.” Her horn glowed, her face growing stern again. “Now to have a little chat with the Guardians.” Another flash of light, and she was gone, as well as the book.

The two ponies sat there, dumbfounded. Twilight turned to Pinkie, apologetic. “Well, I’m out of ideas.”

Pinkie looked at the floor, starting to get upset. “...no.” She leapt to her hooves, making Twilight flinch in surprise. “There has to be a way. Book or no book, we have to help Fluttershy!” She walked over to the window, watching as the yellow pegasus cleared the clouds away. “...we have to believe that...all will be well...”





Oa

Rainbow Dash and Kyle stopped in front of a large, yellow building. She looked towards the top, barely able to see it. This place is huge! I don’t even think the Royal Palace is this large!

“Well, RD-” Rainbow snapped her head towards her strange guide as he said the nickname, narrowing her eyes at him. “...sorry. Anyways, we’re here.” He handed her the power ring he was holding and turned away, waving over his shoulder at her. “Good luck.” With that, he flew off.

As soon as she couldn't see him, the ring on her hoof began to glow. She stared at it, confused.

Replacement located.

With that, it flew off. Rainbow watched it leave, scratching her hoof with her head. "Well, that was strange..." She shrugged and turned back to the citadel, ready to face these "Guardians".

Rainbow landed in a hallway, walking up to the large doors ahead. She noticed a four-armed alien at a strange type of station. It was emerald green, so it was most likely a construct. Of course, she stumbled for a few seconds to remember that word.

“Rainbow Dash of...Equestria.”

Rainbow faced the alien she noticed earlier. “That’s me.” She held her hoof out, putting on as pleasant a smile as she could. “And your name is?”

He stared at her hoof as if she had a buzzer on it. “I don’t shake hands.” She quickly dispersed the construct-prank, slightly disappointed. “My name is Salaak. And I’m sorry to say that you will have to wait. The Guardians are currently in a meeting.” He turned to his monitors, mumbling angrily to himself. “A meeting that was completely unscheduled...”

“I just...they said...what!?” Rainbow flared her wings out, getting in his face. “They called me here, and now they’re going to make me wait!? I don’t think so!” She rushed past him, slamming through the doors. “You wanted-” She stopped, staring in awe at the sight before her.

The inside of the building looked like a star system. Everything seemed so much clearer than it ever looked back in Equestria. There were multiple short, blue aliens floating in the air, looking down at her. Another of the strange biped aliens like Kyle stood off to the right and was now staring at Rainbow with confusion.

However, that wasn’t what made her freeze in her tracks. 

“P-Princess Celestia?”

Minutes earlier

Celestia flashed into the citadel, glaring at the Guardians of the Universe. "You all have much to answer for."

One of them held up his hand, beckoning the princess of Equestria to calm down. "We give you our word that everything we did was necessary."

She raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Oh really? Need I remind you of what happened to Space Sector 666?"

One of the aliens on her left answered this, her scarred face empty of emotion. "That was an...unfortunate...event. One we have taken great measures to avoid."

"Explain to me, then," Celestia flew up, looking down at them with an icy stare, "why you went against your promise and made one of my subjects into one of your emerald soldiers?"

The Guardian who first talked to her floated up, meeting her eye level. "That will be explained in due time. As for now..." He motioned to the door with a wave of his hand. "...we are about to have a couple of guests."

Before she could ask what they meant, the door opened, revealing a Green Lantern. He walked forward, looking at the alicorn with a hint of stunned admiration. "Huh, I never thought I'd see a flying unicorn in person."

Celestia landed, looking at him closely. He had a green mask over his face, but it was undeniable what race he was. "A human, Guardians?" She turned, looking at them in great confusion. "Have you given up on hiding-"

The Guardian interrupted her, a flash of concern crossing his face. "I did say 'guests', did I not?" 

The door burst open, a blur of color flying inside. "You wanted-" She stopped, looking up at Celestia with wide eyes. "P-Princess Celestia?"

One of the Guardians cleared his throat, causing their attention to be brought to him. "Now that everyone is here, we can explain everything." The Guardian pointed at a section of the space-hologram. The picture zoomed in, showing a shadow in the shape of a star, slowly but surely moving towards the planet the ponies called home. 





Sweet Apple Acres

A small white unicorn was curled up in a small building, tears flowing from her green eyes. Nearby, her friends, an orange pegasus and a yellow earth pony, were watching, thinking about how they can cheer her up.

"Sweetie, Ah know you're upset, but Rarity could be wrong. You'll never know 'til you try, right?" The yellow filly gently placed a hoof on her friend's back, trying to reassure her.

Sweetie nodded softly, forcing a small smile onto her face. "...thanks, Apple Bloom..."

"Yeah, even if she isn't, it's not like it's the end of the world!" The orange pegasus chimed in. "I mean, there are plenty of ponies out there."

Sweetie slowly stopped crying, though she still refused to uncurl herself. "...nopony can replace him, Scootaloo."

"Oh, come now." Apple Bloom carefully picked up a picture frame, the photo inside showing a purple dragon with green eyes dancing with Sweetie. The photo was taken about a month ago, as they were both dressed for the wedding. "Ain't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

“No, it’s not. I...” Sweetie closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek to join its cousins on the floor. “...I love him.” 

"Are you sure?" Scootaloo sat down next to her unicorn friend, Apple Bloom sitting on the other side of her. "You said you started to like him at the wedding, right?"

"I loved him before then!" Sweetie Belle looked up at her friends, hurt that they didn't believe she was being honest. "I think I loved him since I started staying with Rarity. He came over so often, and he spent time with me when he wasn't helping big sis." She drew little circles on the floor with her hoof, sniffling softly. "I just...didn't realize how much I cared for him until the wedding. And now I don't know if I can tell him." She gently took the photo back from Apple Bloom, hugging it to her chest. "I don't want to lose him...my true love." She blushed, realizing what she just said. 

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom stared at each other, unsure how to respond to this. 

Even if they knew what to say, they wouldn’t get the chance. A bright light appeared in the window, startling all of them. Sweetie sat up, staring at the glowing pink rock floating in front of her. 

Sweetie Belle of Equestria.

A feeling of curiosity and confusion flowed through her as she stared at it. "...y-yes?"

You have great loss in your heart.

Sweetie lowered her eyes, trying to keep herself from crying some more. The stone floated closer, eventually coming into contact with her chest. Her eyes widened in shock as it slid into her body, a bright light eminating from where it entered, flooding the whole room in pink.

Welcome to the Star Sapphires.

Her friends had stayed silent throughout this whole ordeal, but what they saw next chilled them to the bone. Sweetie Belle was encased in a bright, pink crystal. 

"SWEETIE BELLE!"

They rushed over, pounding on the structure surrounding their friend. However, try as they might, they couldn't even put a scratch in it. Just as they were about to give up hope, the crystal shattered, releasing their friend.

But she didn't look like their friend, anymore. She appeared to be taller, more mature. She wore what appeared to be a crown, and a shiny, pink suit on her body. There was also a glowing magenta mark in the shape of an eight-point star where the rock entered her body. 

That wasn't what shocked them, though. It was the expression on her face. One they'd only seen on Cheerilee and Big Mac that one Hearts and Hooves Day.

"I saw him." They took a step back, hearing the strange tone in her voice. "I saw Spike. In the crystal." She turned to face her friends, a small smile on her face. "I think it shows you what you love the most." She looked towards the town, perking her ears slightly. "I hear love. It is calling."

Without another word, she flew off, leaving her friends scared by her change.

Scootaloo had one other thought though. "Oh, come on! Even she can fly, now!?" 

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, ignoring what the pegasus filly just said. "Come on, we should tell Rarity 'bout this!" With that, they raced out of their clubhouse, heading towards Ponyville.





Carousel Boutique

Rarity returned from her search, upset. She hadn't been able to find Sweetie, despite having searched everywhere in town. She caught a glimpse of her reflection. Though her mane was visibly messy, she couldn't bring herself to care about it.

A knock on the door caught her attention. She slowly trotted over to the door and opened it, putting on her best business-mare smile. "Hello, darling. How may I help you?"

The cream-colored earth pony walked in, smiling sheepishly. "I would like to buy a dress. I mean, if that's alright with you."

Rarity giggled softly, a warm feeling replacing her earlier distress. "I have to say, you have Fluttershy's voice down to a T! How do you do it?"

An unusual expression flickered across her face for a moment, but she smiled back. "Lots of practice."

"Please step over here, and I'll take your measurements." Her guest did so, standing as still as possible while Rarity worked. The unicorn glanced up at her, always wanting to hear what her customer's stories are. "May I ask what the dress is for?"

The earth pony blushed, turning her head away. "There's this pony I like. I'm planning on asking-"

"Who's the lucky stallion?" Rarity jot down a few numbers on a nearby pad.

"...it's kind of personal."

Rarity blinked, looking at her guest apologetically. "Sorry. I guess I was prying a little too much, there." She finished her work and carefully put everything away. "I'll have a fabulous dress ready for you next week."

She smiled at the unicorn and turned to leave.

"Oh, and I hope that cold you have goes away, soon, darling." Rarity started cleaning up her shop, giving her customer a small wave as she left. "It's not good to be sick for so long, Bon Bon. Goodness knows it makes your voice sound funny."

Almost as soon as she left, the door opened again, this time revealing a familiar purple dragon. He smiled at her, walking up with a single white rose. "Rarity, is there anything I can help you with?"

She turned to him, a small, sad smile on her face. "Hello, Spikey-Wikey! I'm sorry, there's nothing I need help with right now." She noticed the flower, her eyes going wide. "Is that for me?" She used her magic to take it, smiling softly at him. "You shouldn't have."

Spike raised a claw as if to object, but he rubbed it along the scales on his head, instead. "Anything for you, Rarity." He gave a sheepish smile, glancing around quickly. He tilted his head, confused. "Do you know where Sweetie Belle is?"

Rarity frowned, remembering what had happened earlier. "...I'm sorry, Spike. I don't know." She walked over to a window, looking out at the sky above the town. She blinked, watching as two streaks of light, one bright green and one hot pink, flew through the sky. "How pretty!"





Okay, the next chapter is finally up! 

As before, feel free to ask questions about the chapter.

Enigma out.~
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carousel Boutique

Rarity glanced over at Spike, smiling softly. "Spike, you really should see this!" She turned back to the window, watching the green and pink lights flit through the sky.

He sat next to her, curious. "What are they?"

"Oh, I haven't the faintest idea. I do enjoy how dazzling the display is, don't you?" Rarity sneaked a peek at Spike, wondering why he wasn't being as bashful as he used to. Did something change-

He interrupted her thoughts with one question, a worried tone evident in his voice."Is that supposed to happen?"

Rarity returned her gaze to the window in time to see the pink light disappear behind the rooftops. "I don't think so."

"Rarity!"

They turned, seeing Pinkie and Twilight framed in the doorway. Twilight looked extremely stressed, her mane and tail fraying slightly. Of course, Pinkie was just as bubbly and positive as ever.

"Did you hear? We have a new hero in town, and she can make these amazing green things out of thin air!" Pinkie had taken no time in rushing inside, almost nose-to-nose with Rarity. 

"Ahem." Twilight made sure everypony was listening, trying her best to keep it together. "There seems to be a problem with Fluttershy. She's acting rather...strangely."

Rarity quickly became concerned. "If there's anything I can do to help, darling, please, don't hesitate to ask."

At that moment, the door slammed open, letting two fillies fall into the room. One of them quickly got up, eyes wide in panic. "Somethin' happened ta Sweetie Belle!"

Spike sighed, moving over to the kitchen area. "...bluh...this place is getting too full..." He sat down at the table, resting his head on his crossed arms. 

He thought quietly for a minute or so before something came flying through the doorway. He was shocked to see that it was Apple Bloom. His mind flashed to Rarity and he quickly rushed through the door, determined to protect her.

He was shocked at what he found.





Oa

The Guardians finished explaining the threat to Celestia and Rainbow. The alicorn princess was stunned, slightly horrified by the danger presenting itself in the space sector - one she had seen before. Rainbow, on the other hoof, was curious, not only about the strange entity, but with the alien that was in the same room. They sat for a few moments, completely quiet.

Rainbow eventually broke the silence. "...okay, then. So all we have to do is defeat this thing, and our planet will be safe, right?" She grinned, hitting her hooves together in excitement. "Piece of cake!"

"I wouldn't say that." The alien from before stepped forward, crossing his arms. It still amazed Rainbow how anypony could walk only on their hind hooves. "I fought this thing before. It's really quite dangerous, despite its appearance."

Princess Celestia slowly approached him, eyes squinted slightly. "Why are you here, human?"

He turned to face her, able to look straight into each other's eyes due to their similar height. "My name is Hal Jordan. I'm here because I'm supposed to teach our latest recruit here-" he motioned to Rainbow "-how to use her ring properly." He paused for a moment before rubbing his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. "...you are female, right?"

Rainbow nodded, not even attempting to hide her annoyed look. "Are you really unable to tell the difference between a mare and a stallion?"

Hal shrugged, not fazed by her death glare. "I never really had to." He held his hand out, wiggling the appendages attached to the end in unison. "May I have the ring, please?"

She held her forehoof to her chest protectively. "I'm not giving you my ring!"

He shook his head, sighing softly. "I meant the other ring. You know, the one Kyle gave you?"

She blinked, thinking for a moment. "...oh, that one." She motioned to the skies with her hoof. "It flew off."

"Huh..." Hal smiled, putting his hand on Rainbow's shoulder. He paused for a moment before slowly removing it, coughing to try and clear the awkward air. "...it only means that someone else has been chosen."

"WHAT!?" Celestia stomped the ground, pausing to take several deep breaths to calm herself down. "Another of my subjects is going to become an emerald enforcer?" She forced the last two words out through gritted teeth.

"We know of our agreement. We recorded it in that book you are currently carrying." The Guardian floated down, grabbing the book Celestia brought with her. He flipped it open to the first page, turning it towards the alicorn princess. "'We, the Guardians of the Oa, agree to assure no outside forces try to act on Earth of Space Sector 3492, recognizing its status as a protected planet. This includes recruiting Green Lanterns from said planet, unless a valid reason is present for a sapient being there to join the Corps.'" He looked up at Celestia, keeping his gaze even. "We didn't break this vow, Celestia."

"Wait a minute." Rainbow raised a hoof to get their attention, curious. "Why is our planet protected in the first place?"

"Because of the Manhunters." Rainbow turned to Celestia, whose face was grim. "They attacked Space Sector 666, back when I had just banished Nightmare Moon to the moon, and began my lonely, thousand-year rule. I confronted the Guardians, and we struck a deal." She sighed, looking to the side. "I kept their book, to protect it, and two others, from falling into the wrong hooves. In return, they made Earth - our Earth - a protected planet."

There was a few minutes of silence before she spoke up again. "If you are coming to Equestria, Hal Jordan, you will have to follow our customs."

He nodded, waving his hand for her to continue. "What customs are those?"

"First off, no eating meat." She shuddered at the word. "Don't...don't even mention it around ponies. Or else..." She motioned to Rainbow, who was visibly turning green - without the use of her ring.

He groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance. "...how did I know that would be one of the rules? Fine, I can handle that."

"Second," she walked closer to him, inspecting his form the way Rarity would a dress (at least that's how Rainbow saw it), "you will have to change your appearance to fit in among my subjects."

Hal stared at her for a full ten seconds before he burst out laughing. When he saw her stern expression, he immediately stopped, frowning. "Oh, hell no. I'm not going to let myself be turned into some pony."

Celestia leaned forward, her face mere inches from his. She let out a soft yet commanding growl. "You don't have a choice." Her horn began to glow, enveloping Jordan in the same light.





Ponyville

Sweetie Belle soared through the sky, smiling widely. She could feel it - the world below her was full of love. She was amazed that she had never noticed it before. It kind of made sense that the Queen of the Changelings wanted to come here. 

She paused in mid-air, looking down at her friends below her. They seemed to be heading into town for some reason. She closed her eyes and sighed, wishing she could share this amazing experience with them.

That's when she realized she was flying towards her sister's house. She quickly changed direction, silently landing behind a building nearby. Her pink costume disappeared in a wave of light. She didn't want to startle her sister, after all. 

She quickly trotted over to the front door, knocking on it with a hoof. She had to know the truth. 

"Come in!" She could hear her sister's voice clearly through the door. It made her feel...annoyed. 

The door swung open, and she walked inside. She tried to, anyways - she froze in the doorway, seeing the stares that everypony was giving her. She nervously smiled, waving a hoof. "H-hello."

Rarity walked over, smiling kindly. "Hello, how may I-"

"OHMYGOODNESSISTHATSWEETIEBELLE!?" Sweetie flinched as Pinkie suddenly appeared right in front of her. "It is! How are you doing, Sweetie? Why do you suddenly look older? I'm sure I didn't forget your birthday!" Pinkie quickly turned around and pulled out a thick calendar, flipping through it rapidly, a worried look on her face. "I didn't, did I?"

Twilight shook her head at Pinkie, cautiously approaching Sweetie. "...so...back at the library...exactly how much did you hear...?"

She looked down, sighing softly. "...I heard enough." She looked up at Rarity, fire in her eyes. "...why?"

Rarity backed up a bit, concerned by the fierce expression her sister currently had. "...w-why what?"

"Why did you have to take Spike from me?" Sweetie's eyes flashed pink, and her body slowly lifted off the floor. "I love him! You just want him as a lowly assistant!" She growled, her uniform rapidly reappearing on her body in a blast of light and energy. 

The powerful shockwave knocked everypony backwards. Scootaloo was sent flying out a window, breaking the glass and startling several passersby. Twilight slammed into a group of mannequins, scattering them. Applebloom sailed head-first into the kitchen, and Rarity crashed into her mirrors, shattering them, pieces of glass covering her body, laying on top of her now-disheveled fur. 

Sweetie pointed an accusing hoof at her older sister. "You can't stand the thought of us together!" 

Rarity cried out in surprise as she started to lift off the ground. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to free herself. "...p-please...you have it all wrong, Sweetie Belle..."

"My name is not Sweetie Belle!" She brought her sister close, snarling slightly. "I AM STAR SAPPHIRE!" As she talked, a crystal began to form around the helpless unicorn's hooves.

It was at that point Spike came back into the room. His eyes were wide in shock, staring up at the two unicorns. "Rarity!" He grabbed a nearby sewing needle, his face becoming a mask of determination. "Don't worry, I'll save you!" He charged at the pink-clad pony, unaware of who it was. 

She stopped him, floating him closer to herself, her face showing the hurt in her heart. "...you really do love Rarity..."

He blinked, confused by her statement. "...yeah..."

She turned away, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "...you never loved me..."

He tapped her crown with the needle, frowning in annoyance. "I don't even know you!" 

She gasped, flinching like he had struck her, dropping him on the ground. "...you..." Her eye twitched, a low growl escaping her lips. "...you're going to LOVE ME!!" She turned her attention back to Rarity, who was now almost completely encased in the crystal. "Think about that while you're in there, big sister." 

"...'big sister'?" Spike's jaw dropped, everything suddenly clicking. "...you're...you're Sweetie..."

She scowled at him for a moment before returning her attention to Rarity. "My name is Star Sapphire." With a final flash of light, the crystal sealed, trapping the fashionista inside. She let it fall unceremoniously to the ground, floating over to Spike. 

He gulped, glancing over at his crush before deciding what he should do. He held up his fists, prepared to fight. "Release her right now, Sweetie!"

Star Sapphire laughed, poking his head with her hoof. "Sweetie isn't here, anymore, you foal."

A bright emerald light flew through the window, blinding them both momentarily. When they could finally see, and the light had dimmed significantly, they looked at it. 

Neither were prepared for what they saw floating there.
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Outside the Carousel Boutique

Scootaloo groaned, rubbing her head with a hoof in confusion and pain. "...did somepony see the cart that hit me?" She sat up, glancing around to get some bearing on her surroundings. She saw the broken window, her eyes growing wide in fear. She quickly looked her body over, and, not finding any wounds, sighed softly. "Thank Celestia!"

She frowned, remembering exactly what sent her through the window. "...Sweetie Belle...what are you doing?" 

A bright green light caught her attention, and, turning, she saw it was heading straight for her. With a surprised yelp, she leaped off to the side, trying to dodge it. 

The light flew through the smashed pane, illuminating the inside of the building for a few seconds before dimming.

Overcome with curiosity, Scootaloo peeked into the broken window. Inside, she saw one of the weirdest things she had ever seen: Spike was backed up against a wall, and Sweetie Belle was staring in surprise - at least, it seemed like surprise - at the ring floating in front of him.

Spike of Equestria.

He blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "...yes?" He knew it was odd to talk to a ring, but, hey, it talked to him first. 

You stand up for what you believe in, even when others attempt to persuade you to do otherwise.

Spike thought back to the dragon migration a few months ago, remembering when he refused to break the egg. He then recalled that he had fled from the other dragons. "But I wasn't that brave. I ran away!"

Bravery requires not just sticking to one's morals, but knowing when to fight and when to walk away.

It floated even closer to the dragon, gently bathing him in its emerald light.

You have the ability to overcome great fear.

It slowly wrapped around the middle claw of his right hand. He closed his eyes as the light became blindingly bright once more.

Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.





Oa

Rainbow stared at Hal, confused and surprised. He noticed this and slowly raised his hand to his face.

Hal blinked, surprised that it was just that - a hand. He looked exactly the same. "...huh?" He turned back to Celestia, curious. "I thought you were going to change me into a pony? I mean, I'm happy to stay human - no offense." He turned to Rainbow, who had raised an eyebrow at the remark, hands held up in front of him. He quickly looked to the pony princess, confused. "What's going on here?"

Celestia smiled at him, giggling a bit. "I wasn't going to permanently turn you into a pony, if that's what you thought."

Hal looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "...I see. Then what was with the light show?"

She looked directly in his eyes, stern but warm at the same time. "You are still not setting a hoof on my planet until you're in pony form. That's what the light show was about." She waved her hoof, a sly smile forming on her face. "It's just a charm that I added to your ring - a modification, if you will."

Hal leaned in close, frowning slightly. "What did you do to it?"

Celestia laughed softly, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "I'll let you figure that out for yourself. As for you..." She faced the still-costumed pegasus, an eyebrow raised. "...who are you?"

Rainbow blinked, confused. "...Princess...you don't recognize me? I'm-" Before she could continue her sentence, her costume dissipated. Rainbow held her hooves up to her face, curious, glancing up at Celestia.

The pony princess was just standing there, her mouth open in shock. "...wha...R-Rain...?" Then she did something that Rainbow thought she would never see.

Celestia fainted.





Spike opened his eyes, blinking as he got used to the green glow coming from...himself.

He did a double-take, raising one of his claws to his face. It was covered in white cloth, tinted green from the aura around him. He glanced down, seeing that his legs were covered in green, and his chest had a white circle on it. His eyes snapped open wide as he noticed he was a good foot off the ground. "Holy guacamole!"

He was brought out of his reverie by a gasp in front of him. He looked up at Sweetie - no, Star Sapphire - as she floated closer to him, a smile on her face. "You look so handsome, Green Lantern..." She took his hand in her hooves, leaning forward, her face inches from his, pink eyes looking into his emerald ones. "...I just want to-" 

She suddenly pulled away, her face contorted in a strange mix of anger and fear. She turned away, her hooves pressed to the sides of her head. "Stop...struggling!" She seemed to be arguing with herself. "N-no! I w-won't let you do this!" She turned to Spike, her green eyes brimming with tears. "Spike! P-please...run! F-find somepony who...can r-remove the g-gem!" She tapped a hoof to her chest.

Spike stared in a blend of fear and morbid curiosity as her eyes slowly morphed into pink. Before she could say anything more, he flew off, intent on finding a way to save Sweetie.

Star Sapphire growled, tendrils of pink energy flowing off her body. "...if I can't have you willingly..." Her mouth twisted into a vicious grin. "...then no one can." She flew after him, completely ignoring the orange filly she passed over.

Scootaloo gulped, looking back at the crystal containing Rarity. "...oh...what would Rainbow Dash do?"

"She would be reckless."

She jumped in surprise, turning around to see a yellow pegasus slowly approaching. "...F-Fluttershy?"

"Don't worry, little one. I'll take care of her." She faced Rarity, frowning in concentration. A pink circle appeared over her forehead, an eight point star in the center.

Love.

With hardly any effort on her part, Fluttershy shattered the crystal, freeing the white unicorn inside.

Rarity sat up, shaking her head in confusion. "...wha...Big Mac...?" She looked at the two pegasi in front of her, blinking in surprise at her best friend. "...darling, why are you wearing that tattered outfit?" 

It was at that point she noticed the state of disarray her shop was in, horror growing on her face. "And what happened to my beloved boutique!?"





Sugar Cube Corner

A tan mare walked inside, a wide smile on her face. Her grin quickly turned into a look of confusion, seeing Pinkie hard at work scribbling something on a notepad. She carefully approached her, prodding her with a hoof. "Pinkie, are you okay?"

The magenta earth pony looked up, smiling brightly at her. "Oh, I'm doing fine, Bon Bon! I really like how you mimicked Twilight's voice! You have her speech pattern thingy perfect, right down to when she raises her brow to ask a question!" She turned her attention back to her notepad, missing the frown that flashed across her guest's face. "How does one celebrate multiple birthdays at once?"

Bon Bon blinked, unable to recall and ponies who had a birthday soon, much less many of them. "...who all are having theirs?"

Pinkie laughed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't throw one party for a bunch of ponies! No, this is for Sweetie Belle, who apparently gained three or four years overnight!"

Before the tan mare could ask what she meant, a green streak of light soared through the building, followed closely by a magenta one. Both ponies turned to look at where the lights exited, shocked.

Pinkie jumped to her hooves, outraged. "Hey! Nopony invited me!" She raced after the lights, leaving behind a very confused Bon Bon.

"...I'll just ask the Cakes about catering, then..."





Once again, sorry for the relatively short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it!

This may be the last chapter until June, considering that I'll be on vacation starting Friday.

Have a nice day!

Enigma out.~
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweet Apple Acres

A familiar orange earth pony sighed, sitting down to rest after harvesting half of the south field. She looked up at the sky, hoping for some clouds to come and save her from this intense heat. Sadly, it seems that Rainbow didn't shirk her duties, as the sky was perfectly clear. She groaned, wishing for some rain, or maybe even a gentle breeze.

What came instead was a hailstorm of light, destroying most of the ground around her. She stared in shock, looking at the two glowing figures in front of her. She couldn't really tell who they were, but they definitely seemed familiar.

The green figure spoke, his voice distorted enough that Applejack couldn't recognize it. "Stop and think about what you're doing! What would Rarity say?"

"She won't mind." The other figure, glowing a brilliant pink, approached the smaller one, the pleading tone evident in her voice. "She wants us to be happy-"

"Then why did you put her in that crystal?"

Her expression hardened, strands of energy emanating from her hooves. "She was in the way. Not because of her feelings - trust me, she likes somepony else-"

"Liar!" He grit his teeth, an emerald cannon forming in the air beside him. "She loves me! She even told me so!" He shot the cannon, making both Applejack and the pink-clad pony recoil in shock-

As multiple shreds of confetti and streamers blew the unicorn back into a tree. She groggily sat up, watching as he flew away. She shook her hoof in the air, growling angrily. "Mark my words, Spike! You will be mine!" She flew after him, a pink stream of light left in her wake.

Applejack sat there for a few minutes, pondering what she just saw. She shook her head, carefully holding it in her hooves. "...Ah must've hit mah head, er somethin'..."





Oa

Rainbow found herself in a circular chamber. In the center of the room was a large emerald lamp, which she and this Hal human (whatever that was) were currently approaching. She looked up at him, bumping him with her shoulder. "So what is this? The Griffon's Goblet?" She was joking around, but he didn't know that.

He just stared at her for a moment, confused, before shaking his head. "I will never understand you ponies." He motioned to the green object, smirking slightly. "This is the Central Power Battery. You recharge your ring here." He stepped forward and held his fist up, quickly speaking a series of words that Rainbow couldn't begin to understand at that moment. It wasn't that she was too dense - she just wasn't paying attention, enraptured by what she was seeing.

Bright green light slowly stretched from the battery, small tendrils that gradually grew larger and larger as they approached her instructor. They crawled up his arm, wrapping his body in an emerald glow. Eventually it stopped, and he turned to her.

She stared at him. He stared back. After a moment of silence, she tilted her head in curiosity, finally saying something. "...what was that?"

He blinked in surprise before sighing in slight annoyance. "...that's right...you don't know about the oath..." Ignoring the pointed glare she gave him, he waved her forward. "Hold your hand...er, hoof...up to it and repeat after me."

Rainbow nodded, lifting her hoof, albeit awkwardly. She ended up holding it straight out, even though the ring was facing straight up. She was ready to repeat the oath now.

In brightest day, in blackest night.

The tendrils of light began to form once more, stretching toward Rainbow's hoof. She wasn't scared - no, she was fascinated. 

No evil shall escape my sight.

They slowly wrapped around her limb. It was a curious feeling, not like she was being grabbed at all. Rather, it was a pleasant tingling sensation, soothing and invigorating at the same time.

Let those who worship evil's might

The light was covering her entire body now, almost making her fall asleep, as it gave her the sense of being in a bed of clouds. She should know - she has one, after all. She kept going, though, knowing she needed to get her ring recharged.

Beware my power - Green Lantern's light!

All too soon, it was over. Rainbow blinked, the familiar feeling of her mask returning as it began to form on her face. Glancing down at her body, she saw her uniform was back on her body. Not the regulation one. Rather, the one she made. The same green belly, the lightning bolt patterns, the white circle on her flanks-

That were no longer blank. She stared at the symbol which had formed in the center of the circle. It was the exact same one that was on her ring...not to mention Hal's chest. 

Before Rainbow could contemplate that further, Princess Celestia entered the chamber, her eyes locked on the multicolored pegasus. "We need to talk."





Ponyville

Scootaloo rode her scooter through the streets, determined to get back to the clubhouse. There had to be a clue there - it was where Sweetie had been changed, after all! If there wasn't something there to help, then-

"AGH!"

She was so lost in her thoughts, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. As a result, she crashed into a large, blue item, sent flying due to her momentum into a tree. 

"...ow..." Groggily getting up, she trot back over to her scooter. She looked at the object, and, confused, picked it up. The strange insect-shaped item was heavier than it looked, so she was struggling to hold it. 

Unable to figure out what it was, she placed it in the wagon. Deciding that somepony else could figure out what it was, she rode back into town.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville – First Pony POV

I awoke, staring up at the all-too-familiar stone ceiling above me. I slowly got to my hooves, slowly walking over to the fireflies that allowed me to see. They had just been replaced, the previous group having passed on yesterday. I’ve lost count of how many times they were switched.

How long have I been down here? It feels like years. I remember that one unicorn - what was her name? Dusk Twinkle? She had just come to town.

The next day...she appeared. 

I don’t know why I trusted her. I shouldn’t have followed her down here. I should’ve noticed that stupid frying pan...

I shook my leg, hearing the rattle of my chain. I sighed, feeling my stomach rumble slightly. Any minute now...

The door opened wide, letting in its blinding light. “Good evening. I hope you slept well.” Her voice sounded squeaky, like a balloon being rubbed. It actually reminded me of that pony who helped at Sugar Cube Corner.

I just stared at her, doing my best to keep quiet. I knew what she wanted, and there was no way I’m giving it to her.

She pouted, levitating a tray of food over to me. “Still being silent, I see.” She set it down on a table, sitting close to me. “I know it still may not make sense to you, but I just want to fit in. And for that...” She gently placed one of her cream-colored hooves on my mouth, a sullen look flickering across her face. “...I need your voice. It’s the only thing I don’t have.” Her voice changed, this time making her sound like a tomcolt. It, too, was familiar.

I shook my head, refusing to say anything.

She sighed, rubbing her hoof through her pink and blue mane. “Is it really too much to ask?”

...Scootaloo. That’s who the voice belonged to.

“Ah’ve been through fifty diff’rent voices, tryin’ ta figure out which one was yours.” Another change in her voice, with a definite country twang. It must be one of the Apple Family. “None of them seem to be right, considering the strange looks everypony keeps giving me.” 

I turned away, trying to hide the tears in my eyes. That last one...it sounded just like my best friend. I missed her so much.

A few more minutes of silence passed before she finally stood up and walked away. “I guess I can try again tomorrow.” She looked over her shoulder, framed in the doorway. “Sleep well, Bon Bon.” She closed the door, leaving me alone in the stone room.





Oa

Rainbow and Celestia followed Hal, the former trying her hardest to keep a brave face as her ruler stared down at her intensely. The three of them eventually made it to a hangar, where the human brought them to a white object. If Rainbow was to be honest, it looked like one of the air boats she saw in Canterlot on Twilight's birthday. If you took away the balloon. And flattened it. And added two fish-shaped things on the side and a ball of green near the back.

"Like her?" She got startled out of her thoughts by Hal's words, turning to see him gesturing to the object in question. "She's a prototype spaceship that runs on Green energy. One of a kind."

Celestia couldn't help but interject, allowing the Element of Loyalty a chance to relax as her intense gaze was averted. "She?"

"Yep! She is an artificial intelligence." He grinned at them as what appears to be a green being with piercing blue eyes and white armor stepped out of the vehicle. "I call her Aya."





Ponyville

"Where did ya even find it?"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were standing over the bug-like thing the orange filly found. The latter poked it with a hoof, much to her friend's chagrin. "I found it on the road. It didn't seem to be doing much."

They continued to stare at it for a while longer.

"Think it could help with Sweetie?"

"I dunno. Maybe?" Scootaloo shrugged a bit. "Maybe we should take it to Twilight."

"Take what to me?" They turned to see the mare in question walking up to them, rubbing her head in pain. "Seriously, what just happened?"

The fillies glanced at the vial being held in the mare's magic, then back to her, confused. "You don't remember Sweetie trashing the Carousel Boutique?"

"No, I think that I would." She sighed, staring hard at the vial beside her. "...did I...? Yeah, I think I did..." Sighing quietly, she brought it up to her lips.

In that exact same moment, Apple Bloom picked up the beetle like object and placed it on her back to carry it over to the library.

Crunch.

At first, none of them knew what that was, up until the farm pony felt a searing pain in her back and screamed at the top of her lungs. Scootaloo, startled as she was, leaped away from the noise and into Twilight's chest, the vial falling from her grasp and crashing on the floor, the liquid splashing the two of them.

So distracted and disoriented was everyone, they didn't realize what was happening to themselves. For Scootaloo and Twilight, they watched as the beetle slowly sunk into the yellow filly's back, unable to fathom the pain she must be going through. The unicorn's perspective was slowly getting lower, she belatedly realized.

For Apple Bloom, while she could barely see through the blinding agony, she was at least able to see that the mare had vanished, and that her friend's eyes had turned a pure white.

There was a long silence as the two of them stared at each other, subsumed by the heaving breaths of the farm pony. Finally, they each pointed a hoof at the other.

"What just happened to you?!"
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot

Shining Armor patroled the halls of the castle, frowning a bit as he notices some of the guards eating a cake off in a room to the side. If he was still captain, he'd have instituted a new protocol that food was only to be eaten when out of uniform. He paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "...actually, maybe I can suggest that to the new captain. Who is that, anyways?"

"That would be Aegis Shield."

The unicorn nearly jumped out of his fur, quickly turning to look at the source of the voice. He sighed in relief, placing a hoof on his chest. "Don't startle me like that!"

The orange pony saluted, keeping a straight face like all of the guard are taught to do while in armor. "My apologies, Your Highness. You asked, and I answered."

"Yes, but you didn't need to scare me." He huffed sharply out his nostrils, then turned to leave. "Also, get your armor looked at. Your enchantment is wearing off."

"Of course, sir."

The white stallion spared a glance back at the guard, an ear twitching slightly as he tried to recall his name. Crash Entry? Bashin' Tree? He wasn't sure. What he did remember was that he saw him patrolling around Twilight's library when she was here in Canterlot.

"Eh, it doesn't matter." He glanced around furtively. "Now where did she ask me to meet her for our fun, again?"





En Route to Planet Equus

"We should be getting close to their home planet, now." 

Hal nodded as Aya confirmed this, looking at Rainbow and the two green lanterns on her back. "You hold tight to those now. I don't think they're easily broken, but I can assure you don't want that to happen."

"Yeah, sure." She huffs, glancing back at them, her feathers twitching around them. "Couldn't I use my rings for this? Or Princess Celestia use her magic?"

"...you know, you could've brought that up sooner."







Ponyville

"Okay, so, let me get this straight." Scootaloo started, rubbing the side of her head in confusion as she stares at the filly across from her. "You put something unknown on your back... after seeing Sweetie get taken over by a rock?"

"T' be fair," Apple Bloom replied, giving a sheepish grin, "Ah don't have many options, an' it went through her chest."

So you thought it was safe to touch? You could've done tests! Made some observations! DONE SOMETHING!

The farm pony blinked, tilting her head to one side. "Scoots? Why're ya wincing like that?"

The pegasus just stared at her like she'd gone insane. "Because Twilight's so loud! Seriously, how aren't you at least flinching from her volume?"

She opened her mouth to respond, stops, and taps her chin, looking around the room for a moment. When she finally gets the guts to speak up, she says, "...because Twi's not here?"

Of course I am! How dare you tell me I'm not here!

Scootaloo blinks, bringing up a hoof and smacking it against the side of her head.

Stop hitting me!

The filly pales, an eye twitching slightly as she stares at her friend. "...I think I'm going insane. I'm hearing Twilight's voice in my head."

Apple Bloom stays silent for a moment, frowning as she considers this. A series of beeps comes from behind her and she shakes her head. "No, I don't think she's crazy."

Her friend just groans, pressing her face into her hooves. "...oh. Great, we're both crazy, and one of us is a robot."

I don't think that's the case. Scootaloo jumps once more, standing up and looking around. I think that beetle... is... why am I moving? Who's making me move?

The orange pony blinks, then stares straight ahead with her blank eyes. "...oh come on. Why am I suddenly possessed by Twilight?"

You're not possessed. A book pops into existence beside them. I can summon items! A ghost can't do that!

"...can ghosts do that?" Her muzzle scrunches up a bit. "I don't really know." She quickly shakes her head, groaning quietly. "Enough of this! We have to go save Sweetie!"

Save her? What happened?

She just gives a long-suffering sigh, rolling her blank eyes as best she can and walking away. "We'll explain on the way there."

"Th' way where?" Apple Bloom jumps up at this. "Hey, Scoots! Don' jus' ignore me!" A few beeps come from her back. "Yeah, what he said! It's rude!"
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Upper Atmosphere of Planet Equus

"Alright, we're starting to get close." Hal Jordan looked back at the others from where he sits in the pilot seat. "Anything else you girls would like to share with us?"

"No," Rainbow raised her hoof, "but I do have a question."

"Oh?" He glanced at her curiously. "And what would that be?"

Celestia spoke up next, her smile wan. "Can you tell us if it hurts to transform?"

It took a moment for her words to register, and by the time he looks at his hand his fingers have started shrinking. "...I somehow forgot about that."





Ponyville Marketplace

If you'd asked Vinyl Scratch what she thought her day would entail, she would've said something along the lines of sleep, beer, and partying the night away, as one is wont to do when they have a day off.

What she didn't expect was to find herself in the midst of a melee with multicolor lights blasting around her. 

Cautiously peeking over the toppled table she finds herself behind, barely having the presence of mind to push her shades back up, she beheld the spectacle before her.

"If you flee again, I won't be held responsible for the ponies in this place!" The one that looked like Rarity with Sweetie's hair spoke up, the light making them clear to her behind her lenses.

"Fine! Then I won't run!" The dragon landed on the ground, glancing at his hand and muttering to himself. "Just like Radience... concentrate..." He took a measured breath and puts up a shield, blocking a bright pink hammer. "...seriously? You couldn't wait?"

"You talk like this is a fair fight." She sneered in return, poking him in the chest with a blade. "But everyone knows love is stronger than will."

"If you're consumed by it, yes." Spike, as that is undoubtedly who this is, frowned, his claws clenching into fists. "But if you have the will, you can save others who are consumed in their own desires. You just..." He sighed, holding a hand out to her. "...have to be there for them."

Her mouth fell open at this action, her hooves wavering and her eyes watery, the pink fading from them. "Y-you mean...?"

"SPIKE!"

They both jumped at the shout, turning to look at the two ponies rushing towards them. Spike was the first to speak. "Scootaloo? You're flying!"

She blinked. "I am?" She glanced down and immediately started flailing about at the height she's at. "Holy- I am!"

"Enough 'bout that!" Apple Bloom skidded to a halt between the two light bearers, holding a hoof out to the aged-up unicorn. "Sweetie! Ya gotta stop this!"

"How many times do I have to say it?" Her hoof lit up, and she pointed it right at the earth pony. "I'm Star Sapphire!"

The farm pony's eyes widened in shock as a pink train starts speeding towards her. She closed her eyes and holds up her hooves in an attempt to protect herself, feeling an itching sensation from the middle of her back as she does so. She flinched at the crash, could feel herself get pushed back from the force, but didn't feel any pain, much to her confusion. An orange eye peeked open, seeing a few things that made her question her sanity.

A shield was up in front of her face.

Her body was in a bucket, much like her sister used for catching apples but green.

And her forelegs were connected to that shield in front of her.

She blinked as the shield retracted into the blue armor now surrounding her, and she got up unsteadily. "What jus' happened?" The beetle on her back answered, two antennae-like appendages beside her head flickering as it does so. "That was you? What else can you do?"

A strange barrel-shaped object popped out of an antenna. Before she could question it, it let loose something yellow that struck Sweetie in the chest and sent her flying. The beetle then beeped at her. "...so... a blaster? Like Pinkie's party cannon?" Another beep. "Cool."

"Aw, come on! Surely I can do more than fly!" There's an awkward silence, and Spike opened his mouth to speak up when Scootaloo cuts him off. "No, I don't think making a mustache would help."

The dragon scrunches his nose a bit. "I wasn't going to say that!"

"Quiet!" She snaps at him, then grimaces, tilts her head up slightly, then sighs and gestures to him. "Fine. I'm sorry. It's hard having two voices talking to me at once."

Apple Bloom frowned, putting up another shield to protect herself. "But he was the only one speaking."

"No, there's also Twilight." She taps her head. "In here." She suddenly turns, groaning. "Yes, I know how stupid that sounds! Help me to prove to them it's true!" Her body suddenly glowed, and she's left wearing a purple outfit the color of Twilight's mane and a headpiece and goggles.

Spike's jaw fell open. "W-what? Masked Matter-Horn?"

Scootaloo tilted her head, then scrunched up her face in confusion. "Radiance, you have my permission to date Humdrum?"

His cheeks promptly flushed in embarrassment. "...please don't quote my fanfic, anymore." He yelped when a spear launched past him, barely missing his nose. "Okay, Twi, do you have any spells that can help us out, here? Please?!"

There's a moment of silence. "...really? Huh. Well, we have to get it out of her, first."

"Get what out?" Spike asks, confused.

"The crystal in her chest." Apple Bloom responds, darting forward and holding a hoof to her side. "Give me a weapon, bug!" Beep. "Scarab, then!" Her hoof seems to extend into a blade, and a jet pack forms on her back, launching her forwards to fight Sweetie in the air above them.

"...you know, if I wasn't able to fly, I'd be jealous." Scootaloo shrugs and picks up a rake, changing it into a spear and charging in beside the farmer.

The two of them swung their weapons at the filly in the pink spandex, each of them desperate to save their friend. However, in doing so, their weapons clacked against each other and Star Sapphire gets in the hits that they keep fumbling. Bear claws, mike stands, even a rodent or two were used as light-based weapons against the two would-be superheroes. The ground and surrounding buildings gather more and more damage as the fight drags on.

The third time they're knocked away, they stayed on the ground, panting heavily and with bruises on their bodies. "This isn't... working," Scootaloo panted out.

"Well, what're we supposed to do 'bout it?" Apple Bloom retorted, staring at the broken section of what used to be a blaster.

"I don't... know."

"Well I do." A large dragon's claw ripped the weapon right out of the pegasus' grasp. "You lose."

With that, she stabbed it into Scootaloo's leg, making the filly scream out in pain as it goes deep, stopping with a reverberating thunk as it hits bone. This was enough for the bright light to leave Star Sapphire's eyes, and panic to fill her features.

"Scoots? Scoots!" She rushed over, carefully picking her up and staring at what she did in horror. "I... I did this... I hurt one of my best friends..."

Thunk.

Sweetie Belle collapsed on top of the orange pony, who looked up at the last member of their group, who had a mallet formed at the end of her hoof. "Sorry, but we needed t' stop ya." She glanced at the wound, grimacing in sympathy. "Jus' wish it was a different way."

Spike hurried over, sweating from how much rushing he'd done to get everyone else to safety. He glanced at Scootaloo, wincing slightly before shaking his head and reaching for the glowing spot in Sweetie's chest. "We have to hurry. You said it went in here?"

"Yeah, but how're we gonna-" Apple Bloom's eyes widened as his claws reach into her friend's chest, pulling the gem in question back out. "...get it out?" The filly promptly returned to her original size as they watch, though Spike's claws clutched the crystal such that it wouldn't attempt to return to her.

He stared at the crystal incredulously. "This is what make her go all crazy? It looks like an amethyst, not something that... could..." He trailed off as his eyes go unfocused, gazing deep into the source of all their problems.

The dragon promptly jumped in surprise when it suddenly turns into a Smarty Pants doll, glancing at Scootaloo in shock.

She simply grinned back, sweat beading on her forehead. "What? Was I gonna let you guys be the only ones who do something cool?" Her head fell back against the ground, and she groans in pain. "Ghhh, this hurts!"

"Nok."

They all jumped in surprise this time, the prone filly biting back a curse, before they turned to see Fluttershy, standing there with her rags and staff. She walks closer, eyes roaming over their faces before gazing down at the pony below before she wrenched out the spear. Ignoring the young pony's now bulging eyes, she placed her hoof on the spot, the symbol that was on her forming in the air in front of her head.

Compassion.

The two that aren't injured stared in awe as indigo tendrils of light come forth from that hoof, stitching up what had been a gaping wound, leaving behind the crimson trails down her leg as the only sign she'd been injured. With that done, the animal caretaker stood up to take her leave.

She promptly stopped when she spied a few beings enter the marketplace. The tallest was obviously Princess Celestia, and the shortest one seemed oddly familiar to her.

The last, a tan griffon with a darker brown head which looked reminiscent of a hawk, stared blankly at the destruction all around him, at the ponies all gathered in one spot in the center, and only had one thing to say.

"Did we... miss something big?"
> Catching the Alien Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A brown gryphon sits at the center table in the library, his face in his claws. "...so much happened before I even got here." He sits upright, pointing his ring hand at Apple Bloom. "You decided it would be a good idea to put some unknown object on your back." His talon shifts to point at Scootaloo, whose eyes were still glowing white. "Whoever is inside you somehow recreated the Firestorm Matrix." He extends another talon and points at Spike and Rainbow. "There are now two brand new Green Lanterns on this planet." He finally points at Sweetie Belle. "And you were possessed and became one of the Star Sapphires. Anything else I'm missing?"

The baby dragon points at Fluttershy, who is staring at a bee's nest outside.

"Right," Hal grumbles, putting his face in his claws once more. "A brand new light in the emotional spectrum."

"How was I supposed to know the scarab would do that?" The yellow filly grumbles, looking at the blue object over her shoulder.

"Rule of thumb says to be careful with stuff you can't identify." He shoots back.

"Why's it called the Firestorm Matrix? Should we call ourselves Matrix?" Scootaloo speaks up.

"The hero on my world with it calls themselves Firestorm," Jordan points out.

"Well then we should be unique!" She tilts her head slightly. "Nexus? I like that. Let's use it."

"I wasn't planning on being possessed!" The white unicorn finally blurts out, on the verge of tears.

"None of the Star Sapphires do," Hal admits, raising his head to look at her. "It usually happens because of a strong love being broken, or just a powerful heartbreak."

Spike looks at Sweetie, uncertain what to make of this revelation. She glances at him, then away, ashamed of what she did as Star Sapphire.

"Listen, I understand how much all of this must be causing a headache," Rainbow says, laughing softly. "Believe me. But it's something we can all work through together, as friends!"

Celestia, who has been seated next to Hal, smiles warmly at her. "Well said, Rainbow Dash. Friendship is a powerful force."

Jordan looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

She turns her head away, refusing to meet his gaze.

The gryphon sighs and shakes his head. "Alright, so we have some other stuff to go over." He points at Spike once more. "You need training, so we're going to get it for you. You won't be getting the symbol until you finish."

Spike nods. "Makes sense."

Celestia huffs softly. "I still can't believe my son is a Green Lantern," she quietly grumbles.

Before anyone can reply or even start a new subject, a guard bursts through the door of the library, making Scootaloo wince as Twilight throws out protests in their shared mental space. "News from northern Equestria!" He falters, seeing everyone else around the princess. When she nods, he gives a bow. "Your highness. They say that... it has returned."

Celestia softly gasps, though everyone else just looks on in confusion.

Jordan groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose... beak. He grumbles as he forces himself to correct his words, knowing that he has to get used to it while on this planet. "Okay. So what is it?"

Celestia looks around, frowning softly that she has to reveal this to everyone. She breathes softly, relaxing herself. "The Crystal Empire." She looks to the guard. "Send Shining Armor and Princess Cadance up to greet them, and protect them until they are ready to return to our world."

He salutes and rushes back out the door, leaving everyone to stare at the solar diarch. "What would you like us to do, Princess?" Rainbow asks, giving a smart salute and mildly impressing Hal.

She grimaces, looking upon each and every one of her subjects before her, silently weighing how much she should tell them. Eventually, she sighs, inclining her head towards them. "We shall discuss it on the way."