LoE- The Blackest Night= Staking Claim

"The trickle of refugees began to grow then, more and more arriving in Ponyville every day; ponies, mules, great dogs, even griffins all seeking to be safe by being next to the lantern corps. Ponyville, for the first time in its history was getting congested.”

“We did what we could do to help; Applejack hired some to work on her farm, giving them a job and a place to shelter while devoting all her energies to building the Green Corps and fighting the Black Lanterns. Rarity got donations from the town’s wealthy for open places for the homeless to set up shelter and feed. Fluttershy helped with taking care of the children seeing that Cheerilee had help and support for the school. I did what I could with Rainbow Dash to make things safe for the town. We did not know at the time just what was already inside our community; what Rainbow’s foolish little side crusade had wrought until it was too late.”

-The record of the Yellow Lantern Corps by Twilight Sparkle

Equestria, Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres Farm the morning of the fourth day after the battle of Appaloosa.

Rufus’s first meal with the Apple Family had been one of interesting contrasts. He had expected complaint from the ponies and belittling insults about his behavior. To his surprise and delight, the farm family acted much as he did, eating with the noisy abandon most of his folk did. The youngest child Applebloom was particularly surprising to Rufus; He could not believe that a filly so small could eat so much. The Apples didn’t even flinch when he let out a burp. Granny Smith’s only word to him was a simple ‘ya might wanna say pardon after that, some ponies are more sensitive to that noise then others.’ After she simply patted him on the head and asked if he wanted more.

The tension at breakfast today was not one of manners, it was one of building.

“Why not the farm Jackie?” Boomerang Blitz asked as he threw back a cup of black coffee. He had finished only half of his plate of hash browns passing the griddle fried potatoes to Rufus. The Diamond Dog ‘wolfed’ down the food, making rude noises as he did so.

Applejack stared quietly out the window of the dining room, the rays of the morning sun casting their warm light over the trees and grass. She watched Applebloom walking in the lush grass, towing that wagon behind her. She never was parted from the wagon or the sack that rode in it lately. She listened to the birds singing on the roof; the song of her youth of the days when Ma and Pa were alive, she was sassy and care free, when Applebloom still cried for a bottle. The accident that took her parents away was like her real birthday now, her life with them, that time seemed so far away now, so distant; almost another world. Family had a bigger meaning to her now, the feelings she was starting to have for these ponies and the dog all wearing the green ring….

 She took a deep breath before turning around to answer the old soldier.

“The Corps needs a base, a place ta hang our hat. Twilight has dang near made the Library’s basement stretch out til’ it’s under half of Ponyville. The Star Sapphies as buildin’ a castle outta that crystal that their rings make and Ah won’t even start on RD and her sky fort.” Raindrops sitting next to Breaburn at the end of the large table nodded silently in agreement. 

“I agree that we need to set up our own base of operations. But that doesn’t answer my question Jackie.” The bat pony looked over the coffee mug’s rim, watching the wisps of steam rising out of the inky beverage it contained. “Why do you not want us to set up here?”

Applejack’s lips pressed together tightly.”It don’t feel proper pitchin' our tents here Colonel, not ta me at least. The Green Lantern Corps is not mah property and setting up here says it is,” she turned back to the window and looked out over the trees again.

"There's nothing wrong with defending your home Jackie. As a matter of fact, I'd question your sanity if you didn't." the new instructor sipped at his coffee again. Breaburn fidgeted.

"Ah'm still gonna sleep here. So is Mac. Rufus is talkin’ some kinda barrier out of rock for the farm an’ Twilight has a ward spell that will tell us somethin’ is commin’ our way. Nah; protecting the house ain't the issue. The message it sends ta everyone, and the way and why we're doin' all this is as important as the thing itself." Applejack sighed.

"The corps itself needs a home, that belongs to all of us, and we...Ah need a place Ah can step away from it to ta keep mah sanity even if only for a' bite an' gulp. Besides; seein’ other lanterns in the Book of Oa, Ah don't think the place could take the poundin' of our practices."

Raindrops nodded as she sipped at a glass of grass juice. Applejack had talked to her while Boomerang Blitz has secluded himself the last few days studying the rings abilities. The Green Lantern Corps Leader confided in the not-to-be denied Alpha Lantern about her misgivings establishing the corps headquarters out of the farm. She was pulled by conflicting needs: protection vs. utility, appearances vs. necessity, ownership and a host of other issues. The urge to protect her family and her town clashed with Applejack’s sense of propriety and the Book of Oa. What she was doing fighting the Black Lanterns, protecting life, building a corps was not enough; the ‘why’ and ‘how’ were as important to her as the ‘what’.

"Um-hum," the bat pony closed his eyes in thought. "I see your point girl, and I agree, mostly. That being said, where do you propose to set our 'home' up?" Breaburn grimaced when the instructor spoke.

"Ah got us the place." the Corps Leader said.

Applejack walked into the living room and came back with a long tube. She bit into the lip of the tube cap and pulled the lid of the container off. She then shock out the contents, a flurry of papers falling out. One large scroll began to open as it cleared the tube, revealing itself to be a map.

"This is where Ah want us to go." she pointed to a very sparse looking patch of land on the map west of Ponyville, the flat scrub lands at the foot of the mountains west of town. "Rufus told me about the area an' Ah remembered that it was on the way to that mountain the dragon wuz sleepin' in not long ago. Ah checked with the Mayor's an' shire's office: no one claims it. The spot is next to our property so it’s close enough we can protect everyone an' far enough away no one should get hurt by our practicin', and you said we all begin practicing startin’ today right Boomerang?" He nodded. 

Applejack the sighed and looked at her lanterns in their eyes as she spoke. "So, ta get the ball rollin’ Ah...'lent' the Corps the money to buy the land.” There was sudden silence in the room save the eating dog. “It was cheap as its mostly hard ground and scrub, not a lot of anythin' growin' out there and..." The green lanterns all but the chewing Rufus, gasped.

"AJ! You lent the corps...MONEY?" Big Mac said as his eyes threatened to pop out of his head.

'You're still acting better than Applebloom did this morning when she found out,' Applejack thought. Her little sister had just about had a case of apoplexy when she had discovered what her big sister had done. The sight of her grinding her teeth, the roar of her accusations had surprised Applejack and she felt the pangs of guilt…

…until she saw the unmitigated mess of the filly’s room.

 'Gotta remember to get with Granny after we tell the new field hooves what to do and clean out that mess she has surrounding her bed.' Her muzzle scrunched.

"Technically...Ah cosigned a loan" Applejack said flatly.

Boomerang Blitz shook his head. “We could have gotten a royal grant Jacky..”

“It ain’t right doin’ that. No.”

Breaburn snorted as Big Mac hut his hooves to his shaking head. Raindrops and Boomerang Blitz murmured back and forth as the two earth stallions began to try and speak to the farm mare. Applejack cut them off by waving a ring bearing leg.

"Look...Rufus says that he knows the geology of the place and says it's rich in gems an' that the loan will be paid..."

"The Diamond Dog wants gems. Of course." Breaburn grumbled. A low growl from the breakfast table stopped him.

"Then why has Rufus promised by his lanternship, to forgo ANY profits from such a build," the large dog growled.

"Really?" Boomerang Blitz's eyes were wide as faced the canine. "You agreed to no spoils at all? Why?"

"Because this is for warpack...we do what we need to for warpack FIRST. Then after war pack has what it needs to...op-er-ate, then may take a profit...only then. Is it also the law of 'the book' not to no?" He turned to look at Raindrops as he said the last statement.

"Principle 6: Refusing to use the equipment, resources or authority of The Corps for personal gain." Raindrops said as a strange, almost bemused look came over her face. "You did listen to me!"

The dog shrugged and let out a large burp. "It time you ponies learn...not all of us obsessed with gems." he said as he scratched at his ear with his rear left leg. “What I promised will happen…there will be enough gems to pay for everything our Corps needs.” The dog then took a deep breath. “Now, is there any more to eat?”

Applejack and Boomerang Blitz got burst out laughing at the same time. Rufus sat up and stared at the two ponies, his ears pricked up. The old bat pony the slapped the farm mare on her side hard.

"Jackie...this one's a 'gem'," he chuckled.

"He...he struck you Pack Leader...without proper challenge!" Rufus growled as he rose and faced the bat pony. Applejack shook her head, her continued laughter seem to give pause to the canine.

"Naw, naw sugarcube it's fine. Striking me like that shows our...togetherness in adversity." She wiped a tear from her eye.  

"Oh! Then should we all not strike each other as well?" The dogs looked about. Now all the ponies began laughing. Boomerang Blitz trotted up to the canine and smacked him on the side with a hoof.

"Bow Wow," the old warrior snorted. "You are a hoot! Jackie, I'm bunking with this character from now on."

‘Ponies are all strange,’ The thought. “I thought ponies hated living in den holes?” the dog questioned.

Boomerang Blitz shook his head. “I’m a batpony Rufus. Caves in the mountains are what we call home. A good cave would be a bit of comfort to me.”

Rufus now wagged his tail. Not all pony humor was lost on him. “Good, then you can help me in the design of the Citadel and the defenses of the farm. By the way instructor, I drink no coffee.” 

“Nobody’s perfect Rufus.”

“True, but we try building a perfect place together no?” 

“Alright you two, we still ain’t done here.” Applejack stifled her laughter.  “Hate to dampin’ the laugh we just had but we still gotta talk about Oaton!”

“Oaton? What about it cuz?” Breaburn looked at a map of Equestria from his ring.”Ah’ve never heard of the town.” 

“Nor will ya, it’s gone!” Applejack created an image of smoking ruins with her ring. “This is all we found.”

“Nothing living?” Raindrops asked.

“Not-even-a-mouse.” Applejack said. The room had become silent. Even Rufus had stopped eating. "We've got ta do better y'all, we've gotta!"

***

Equestria, Canterlot Castle, Private Apartments of Princess Luna five days after the Battle of Appaloosa.

 “Your majesty…please reconsider taking this action. We know very little of these rings, their effects on a wearer, the nature of the power they utilize,” a violet eyed pegasus protested. “From all information you gave me indicates that this particular ring is the most dangerous of all of them.”

“I understand the risks Dr. Yearling”, she answered. “But there are things that must be known… “she gazed into the crimson band. “Things I must know."

“I’ll give you top marks in guts princess, but these rings are so unknown. I’ve seen artifacts like this before.” A.K. Yearling bit her bottom lip. “We just don’t know enough mam, we don’t know all the risks.”

“You are one of the greatest researchers in esoteric artifacts and strange phenomena Dr. Yearling, you are also something of a risk taker yourself,” she smirked at the pegasus.” Is not your nom de guerre Daring Do?”

“My risks are calculated and it’s my own neck, no one else’s.”

“Am I not doing the same?”

“I am not a Princess of the Realm,” the pegasus looked into Princess Luna’s eyes deeply. “Why you? Why not…why not me?”

“I…have greater resiliency than any of my subjects, and intimate experience with strange powers out of this world,” Luna smiled. ”I also have you, my sister and Midnight Rain to watch over for me.”

“Princess Celestia would not approve of you trying this ring majesty,” Midnight Rain had pleaded. “Do not do this…please!”

Daring Do shook her head. “Forget it. I’ve seen that look in her eyes before; in my mirror. The best we can do Miss Secretary is support her with all our abilities.” She nosed at a bottle on the table next to her. ”Ready when you are Princess.”

She placed her leg into the glimmering blood colored band, closed her eyes and concentrated.

‘To be with a Red Ring, you have to get angry, very angry! The ring will use that to touch you, to be part of you’, the Red Lantern Arcana had told her when she had brought the red ring to Canterlot. All the Lantern Corps had sent a ring, complying with the Royal Sister's request. No black ring had been captured intact as of yet and thus none was available to be studied. She had tried them all, save this one…the last and most dangerous one.    

[= Scanning for Rage =]

She touched old pain trying to access the ring. Visualization was one of the things she excelled in beyond all others; after all she was princess of dreams. Feelings of old were brought up, trying to stimulate the red ring to connect.

‘Imprisoned for millennia…love they have for sister, fear they have for me. Why?’

She could feel the ring reach out to her, touch her mind…

Nothing.

She tried again.

[= Scanning for Rage. =]

‘Tia is always so perfect! Always!’ The heat of anger rose into her face. 'Tia can do no wrong!'
 
She could feel the red ring reaching out again, trying to see if her rage was sufficient.

[= Scanning for Rage. =]

‘I found my own from my subjects…my beloved subjects…’ Her thoughts went to the Black Lanterns, and Hurricane the Returned. ‘I had love…LOVE!’

A rotting pony in tarnished, blackened armor rose from the inky mists, a black power ring on its hoof.

'YOU!'

[=Rage found. =]

The broken jaw that hung by strands of corrupted flesh did not move when it spoke..

‘ThE BlAcK Owns yOUr nIght prIncEss…dEAth wILL ExILE yOU AgAIn! ThE BlAck shAll tAkE All yOu hAvE AwAY!’

'To Tartarus with you!'

‘EvEn TArtArUs cAnnOt cOntAin thE VOId PrIncEss!’  

[= Assessing Rage. =] [= Rage Sufficient for bonding process =]

The red rings crimson fire flowed into her veins. A throbbing booming sound filled her ears as a mist of wrath fell across her eyes. The red light shined through all the dark corners of her mind, finding all the outrages and using them to fuel the bonfire of fury that grew in her heart. The moon princess’s muscles trembled as her will to remain in place fought with the boiling anger that demanded she charge. Luna let out a roar that no pony should have been able to utter.

…and at that final moment Luna removed the red ring; lest she loose herself utterly to it. It felt like she was tearing her own chest open and ripping out her beating heart in trying to stop the fiery hate from consuming her soul.

Pity filled her last thoughts before she blacked out; pity for the Red Lanterns…then darkness took her.

“Princess? PRINCESS!!!” Midnight Rain shrieked.

***

Equestria, Ponyville, behind Silversmith’s metal works six days after the Battle of Appaloosa 2:35 A.M.

 
“Shush! Can’t you levitate that bag quietly,” a pegasus stallion said as he hovered. “We just got into this town and I want to pull a few more jobs before we’re discovered.”

“It’s not that easy with this much silver and gold,” the unicorn mare said, her strain telling in the stress in her voice. “You could carry some you know.”

“I’m the blocker. I have to keep moving to look out for the constable night watch,” he hissed. “Especially with a large haul like this.”

“The glow of my magic is going to give us away Top Floor. This town isn’t like Manehatten, all lighted up.”

He shrugged as his listened with his ears pointed forward. ”Gateway I don’t think so. Besides with all these ‘lanterns’ flying around…”

“That’s another thing,” she whispered. “I know we wanted to blend in with the ponies moving here, hide in with the scared herd and pick em’ clean…but don’t you think those lanterns will ketch us, aren’t we borrowing trouble?”

“Nah…there’re to busy fighting the zombies to care about a couple of sneak thieves,” he finished scouting the next intersection. “It’s clear. Let’s head out of town by that apple farm. When we’re out of site of the farm house, we’ll nick some of their apples to eat.”

They had walked for about an hour, the only other pony they saw was the constable night watch making his rounds. Hiding from him had been a simple thing for experienced thieves like them, after all he was a small town cop, not a big city inspector.

They came to a crook bend in the road, the forest on one side of the road, the apple farm on the other. The bend formed a clearing on the forest side of the road behind the trees. Nopony from the farm house or the town would be able to see them. At the edge of this clearing they stopped and began to look through their purloined treasure. Quietly and under the gentle glow of Gateway’s magic, the gold and silver implements glittered.

“Quite a hall eh? These townies are rubes ripe for picking,” Top Floor chuckled quietly.

“Well we got it out of town alright. Now we just have to melt it down to change it into something we can get rid of.”

“I’m going to get some apples,” the pegasus said. He was suddenly very hungry and the smell of apple trees made his appetite increase. He hovered next to one of the large apple trees looking at the ripening fruit. “Want some?”

“…yeah…I’m hungry too.” Gateway said. “That was a lot of work.”

“Well then…lets eat. Nopony can see or hear us..so I doubt the farmer will miss any of his crop until we’re long gone.”

Top Floor picked a number of apples off the tree and batted them to his pardner. The unicorn began eating, munching the apples with a greediness he had not seen in a while.” Easy there…save some for me!”

“Sorry….just so hungry all of a sudden…”

“Well now what do we have here?” A small voice came out from the darkness. “Looks like ah’ couple ah’ thieves eatin’ mah apples!”

Top Floor flew in a circle looking for the source of the voice. He saw nothing. Gateway dropped her light and pulled on her owl-vision goggles. She looked around and seeing nothing called out.

“Did you hear that,” the unicorn asked as she searched with her magical goggles.

“Yeah,” her partner agreed. “where did it come from?”

Top Floor flew around the clearing listening. There was no sound he could hear not even breathing to give away where the voice came from. The only thing he could here was the rustling of leaves in the nighttime breeze.

The pegasus landed, still looking here and there, but seeing nothing. “If it was the cops, they would have grabbed us by now. Let’s get a couple more apples and get out of here.”

There was a flash of bright orange light that struck Top Floor, knocking him to the ground, surrounded by an Orange glow.

“Nopony, NOPONY takes what’s MINE!” a high pitched growl came from somewhere in the forest.

Gateway’s horn glowed brightly. She summoned a shield of magical energy over herself as her eyes stared into the darkness from where the light had come from.

“Listen…we don’t want any trouble…look we can give you some of this stuff…pay for what we took.”

“Ah'll take it all! “

The light exploded onto Gateway, melting her shield like acid melting wax. She was surrounded by the same glow that Top Floor was enveloped in. She couldn't move, or use her magic. Suddenly she felt like she was being torn in two, she could feel herself being pulled into the light, yet something was also holding her to the ground like a restraint spell.

“Wh….why…” Top Floor stuttered as he settled into the grass, yielding to the strange hold the light had on him. He felt like his very being was being peeled up like a sticker.

“What’s mine is mine…and not yours!” The voice of the orange light said. “That’s the whole tellin’ of it.”

Two balls of orange light now formed over the still forms of the ponies on the ground. The lumius spheres expanded and changed shape, stretching like taffy pulled in a machine. The glowing shapes became more defined and finally completed the transformation, becoming the image of the ponies on the ground but made of orange light.

“Now then, y’all mah hoard needs a’ new home. You’ve got some movin' ta do.”

*

Equestria, Ponyville Sky Castle Boiling Point at that same moment of the thieves’ altercation.

“Where the heck is that looser Score?” Red Lantern  Rainbow Dash hover passed over the cloud floor of her castle. “He was supposed to report back about that nest.” The red lantern brought her ring up to her face. “He’s not even answering my ring calls!”

“He’s at the quarry letting his rage run wild.” The haunting voice of RL Wildfire told her corps leader. “He was on his way here when he felt the madness coming on.

Rainbow Dash’s sneer disappeared as she faced the protector of the Red Battery. “Is he alone?”

“No, his friends are with him. They meet up with Arcana who was already there doing the same thing.” The lantern of crimson energy shook her head. “She almost tore the head off a waiter at the café when she realized what was about to happen and left.”

Rainbow turned away from Wildfire and glided silently over to the battlement wall. The lights of Ponyville burned silently in the night, the serenity of the town at this hour something the pegasus felt she could not be a part of. She swallowed hard and placed her head into her hooves.

“Is it getting worse Wildfire,” she asked

The sudden warming at her side told the red lantern leader the construct lantern was next to her. “Yeah it is.”

Rainbow dash turned to look at the energy lantern. “How about you? Do you just….get overwhelmed with rage? Does it turn you into…”

“A rabid animal? No.” Wildfire’s wings opened and bent. The tips of her wings pointed back at herself. “One of the only advantages of having an energy body apparently.” Wildfire now looked out of Ponyville herself. “We have to solve this Dash. The rage attacks are getting more frequent and lasting longer.” Wildfire gently drifted backwards,” Did this happen to the old Red Lanterns? What did they do when they got like this?”

The red lantern corps commander stared at her ring for a moment before answering. “Well…the ‘old’ Red Lanterns where all pretty much like that all the time unless they bathed in the Blood Ocean of Ysmault.” She pointed out with a wing and made a sweeping motion. “There is no blood ocean here.”

“Then what do we do?” the Red Battery guard asked. “If we don’t do something soon…somepony innocent is going to get hurt…or worse.”

RL Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and scrunched up her muzzle. “I don’t know Wildfire…I do not know.”