The War of Light Series: In Blackest Day, In Brightest Night.

by Malfrost

Rating: teen
Tags: Crossover, Human, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Other, Princess Luna, Adventure
Length: 7714

When a yellow ring powered by fear ends up choosing Luna to become its wielder, will she embrace its power and become the feared tyrant Nightmare Moon once again? Or will she find someway to use her new found powers for good?

Fear, it is one of the most primal emotions any sentient being can feel. Fear of the unknown, fear of death and fear of loss. Fear can overtake and consume a being in so many ways. It has been this emotion that Thaal Sinestro has built his Sinestro Corp on. They plan to rule all of known space, using fear as their weapon.

Fear, it is often a word associated with the infamous Nightmare Moon, and even though Luna is no longer the infamous mare of legend, one can never totally discard the past. When a mysterious yellow ring appears before Luna, granting her untold and immeasurable power, will she give in to the temptation and enslave Equestria with fear, becoming the tyrant Nightmare Moon once more? Or will she find some way to use her new powers for good?

Cover art provided by Supersheep64

Published 2013-07-03 15:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-05 16:42:04 UTC

Chapter One: Fear's Arrival

The Antimatter Universe

Sector 1

The Planet Qward

The yellow light of fear shone brightly from the central battery of the Sinestro Corps. Thaal Sinestro hovered above the battery, a grin gracing his red face. It felt good to be out of the damned sciencell on Oa and free once again. However, his freedom only brought him problems it seemed. Mongul had stolen most of the Corps away from him while he had been imprisoned on Oa, and the Star Sapphires had captured and begun the conversion of Karu-Sil and other members of the corps. Worse still was the arrival of Atrocitus and his Red Lanterns and the sudden appearance of Blue Lanterns which leached away the power of the yellow light. Sinestro would take it in strides though as he always did; he had to focus on the most serious issue first. Atrocitus had threatened his daughter, his daughter that he had done his utmost to keep hidden from the universe. To have the only being he still loved and cared for in the universe threatened was unacceptable. Still, before he left to Korugar he had to make some perpetrations for the upcoming battles.

He pointed his ring towards a spot on the ground near the central battery. The ground parted way to the yellow light and a sizeable lockbox emerged from the ground. As the box opened, hundreds of small objects began to shine in the yellow light of the central battery. After a few moments they shot out at great speed; they raced into the air and eventually appeared to vanish from existence.

"Those were...power rings?" Romat-Ru, the bird faced serial killer from Sector 2813 spoke up, his tone one of confusion. "How? I thought those vile Green Lanterns shut down all the forges."

"They did, Romat-Ru." Sinestro replied pointedly and with annoyance, "However, I had the Weaponers forge a secret stockpile of one hundred rings. I stored them away here with the central power battery for a day such as this. Those rings will seek out new wielders and bring them here to Qward for training. I want you and some other members of the Corps to stay here to ensure that their training is complete so that they will be ready and useful for the coming battles." Sinestro commanded Romat-Ru and the handful of other Lanterns who had rescued him from the vengeful hands of Atrocitus.

"And where are you going, Sinestro?" Romat-Ru questioned as he watched their leader began to soar higher into the air, his power ring glowing brightly.

"Thanks to Atrocitus, I have a family matter to attend to. Ring."

"Yes, Master." the ring responded in an emotionless and somewhat computerized voice.

"Return me to Korugar." Sinestro gave his command and his body was engulfed by yellow light. It felt invigorating to Sinestro, to have such power coursing through him after being locked in a cell for so long. He grinned as a bright flash temporarily blinded the others and then he was gone; he was off to ensure his daughters' safety and kill anyone who got in his way.

***********

The Universe

Sector 2814

Planet Equestria-Manehatten

Fear gripped the ponies in the streets of Manehatten as one of the regal princesses trotted down Mane Street. Many prostrated themselves before the regal figure, while others fled into nearby alleys. The princess in question merely let out an exhausted sigh. She was used to this type of treatment. Whenever she went anywhere outside of Canterlot or Ponyville she received this type of reaction. They feared her, they all did; they feared what she once was, and what she might be again one day. Her translucent mane fluttered in the spring breeze and shimmered in the evening sunlight as she looked down to her traveling companion.

"It is no use, Rainbow Dash. As you can see, everyone here fears me, just as they do everywhere else." Luna closed her eyes in frustration as she spoke to the cyan pegasus who was trotting by her side. Rainbow responded by flying around her quickly and jabbing her on the shoulder a few times before stopping in front of her, flying just slightly above the ground so they were on eye level with each other.

"Nonsense, Princess! You just have to chill out! Show theses ponies that you know how to have a good time! Like you did in Ponyville!" Rainbow Dash took her hoof and pushed Luna's chin up a bit as she gave her a wide grin, "Don't worry! By the end of this evening, every pony in Manehatten will realize how awesome and cool you are!"

"I hope you are correct in your assumption..." Luna clearly had doubts, her tone expressed that as they continued to walk down Mane Street towards their hotel. Celesita realized that most of Equestria still feared Luna; she wanted her subjects to come to love her sister as much as they loved her and so, she had tasked Twilight and her friends with taking Luna across Equestria to try and boost Luna's image. Rainbow Dash had been chosen to be the one to accompany Luna to Manehatten. They were on their way to the hotel that Celesita had booked for them, a two night stay in the Ritz-Hoofington, one of the fanciest hotels in town.

As they walked into the grand lobby, business came to a complete stop. Once again, ponies prostrated themselves before the two, shaking in fear as they did so. Some pegasai tried to hide in the massive glass chandelier hanging from the ceilings. Others slid under the grand oak tables, trying to make themselves as invisible as possible. The clerk manning the front desk seemed absolutely petrified.

"Perhaps YOU should take care of checking us in." Luna scoffed slightly as she frowned at the reactions of her subjects; her expression a mixture of sadness and annoyance. Rainbow Dash sighed as she flew up to the counter, slamming her hooves down on the counter to get the attention of the fear-stricken clerk.

"Yeah, we have a reservation under the name Luna. Wanna hurry up and do your job and get us set up?" Rainbow was blunt and straightforward with the brown unicorn worker. He quickly used his magic to fetch a pair of key off the rack.

"Room...621...enjoy your stay." the clerk replied with a shaky voice as he looked up and noticed Luna standing before him now. He let out a sigh and passed out, his body falling off his chair and onto the floor. Luna sighed once more as she used her magic to levitate the room key.

"Let us go, Rainbow Dash. A nice evening to rest and relax is needed." Luna trotted away towards the elevator as Rainbow followed swiftly behind her.

"Hey, Princess. Don't let them get to you, alright? We are going to have a blast this evening! I promise ya that!" Rainbow spoke cheerfully as she tried to cheer the depressed princess up as they entered the elevator. Luna smiled softly, she was thankful to have such kind and understanding friends as Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. Without their help, she would most likely still be feared in all of Equestria. Thanks to their efforts, she was at least loved and well received in Ponyville.

"Thank you, Rainbow Dash. Shall we partake in an evening of what you call...oh...what was it, pranking?" Luna spoke up, her voice cheerful for the first time today. She remembered that Rainbow Dash seemed to be quite the master prankster, performing masterful pranks on Nightmare Night. She chuckled slightly at the memory of zapping Rainbow Dash in the rear as she was preparing to strike another hapless victim.

"Yeah! A night of pranks sounds fun! And we can fly around and race too! I bet you are pretty fast, aren't you!?" Rainbow was quick to affirm Luna's statement and suggest more forms of entertainment. A happy Luna beat a sad Luna any day of the week.

"Oh! A race sounds like it could be very...fun indeed! I must warn you though, I am extremely quick and agile! Well, I used to be at least! It's been awhile since I've flown seriously!" Luna and Rainbow both laughed now as the elevator arrived on the 6th floor.

They both continued to converse, reminiscing about Nightmare Night and other events that had transpired since then. They arrived in front of room 621 just as Rainbow Dash was describing her first flying lesson with Twilight.

"...and then, smack! Straight into the side of Applejack's barn! She wasn't able to see straight for a few hours! It was great!"

"I still can't believe her wing power measured in at a measly 0.3. I'm surprised she can even lift herself off the ground with such numbers!" Luna and Rainbow Dash let out a collected laugh as Luna unlocked the door to their room. It was a luxurious room with two large king sized beds, a deck, and large bathroom with a spacious tub and shower.

Rainbow Dash soared into the room and flew out, taking in the spaciousness. It was much larger than any other hotel room she had ever stayed in. She plopped down onto one of the beds, stretching her wings out as she did so.

"Awwwww yeah! Now this is what I call a room! This is awesome!" Rainbow Dash could hardly contain her excitement as Luna walked in with an amused chuckle.

"This is quite the nice room indeed. We shall have much fun here the next two days!" Luna proclaimed as she too rested on a bed and stretched her wings out. Despite the reactions of the other ponies, Luna felt that she would have a good two days in Manehatten; so long as she stayed by Rainbow Dash's side.

The two mares spent the evening continuing to tell tales of the recent happenings in Equestria, most of which centered on Twilight and her friends. Before they knew it, night had fallen. The stars shimmered in the black sky and the moon was beautiful and full this particular night. Rainbow Dash was the first to realize just how much time had passed.

"Oh geez! It's night time already!? Time sure does fly when you are having fun with a good friend, doesn't it?" Rainbow Dash gave Luna a large smile, wanting to her let know that she truly thought of her as a close friend, and not just a princess who she had a duty to serve. Luna returned the smile with a radiant smile of her own. It was the first time Rainbow Dash had seen Luna look so happy, and she was determined to keep it that way.

"Indeed it does! Is it already too late to perform the pranking?" Luna questioned, unsure of the etiquette of proper pranking.

"Of course not, silly! It is never too late to prank! Just give me a few moments to round up some storm clouds and other materials and we'll have a blast!" Rainbow Dash stretched her wings out as she opened the door that lead out to the deck.

"Careful now, for the night is dark and full of terrors; night is the dominion of the feared Nightmare Moon. You never know when she might...STRIKE!" Luna sprung forward as she finished her sentence, baring her hooves and putting on the scariest expression she could muster. Rainbow Dash fell to the floor laughing and grasping at her sides with her front hooves. Luna began to laugh as well and they both continued to laugh for a few moments before Rainbow Dash finally managed to calm herself down.

"See, you are pretty funny when you try! Just act like that around other ponies and you'll have tons of friends in no time! Now, I'll be back in abit. Stay put and wait for me, okay? We'll have an awesome night when I get back!" With those words, Rainbow Dash took off, bolting out of the window and flying away into the night sky.

Luna left the window open as she let the cool breeze of the night enter the room. It helped her relax as she looked up to the moon, to what had been her prison for over a thousand years. Those years now seemed liked a blur to her, she could hardly remember any of it, and for that she was thankful. The parts she did remember frightened and scared her; for what she remembered was feeling completely and totally alone and isolated, and that scared her.

Just as those thoughts were crossing her mind, she noticed a yellow streak in the night sky. She couldn't make it what it was, it was so small, and just barely noticeable. She figured it might have just been a shooting star; until the streak made a violent change in direction and started coming her way. It soared across the night sky faster than anything she had ever witnessed before. Before she had time to react and shut the window, the streak stopped directly in front of her. The object shone with a bright and yellow light, one that reminded Luna of the rays of light emitted from the sun. This light felt different from sunlight though; instead of the warm and loving light of the sun, Luna only felt fear and dread. It made her spine tingle and make her skin crawl with goosebumps as the object slowly approached her, the light shining brighter. Then, a bodiless voice spoke to her, it's tone emotionless and robotic.

"Princess Luna of the planet Equestria. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps."

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Malfrost here, and this is my first non-World Building Alliance contest story! I have recently become a huge fan of Green Lantern and when the thought first crossed my mind of doing a crossover story with it, I thought Luna would make a perfect Sinestro Corps member! I hope you will enjoy following Luna's journey down this long and winding path as she struggles to deal with her new found powers and role in the universe. I do not own Ponies or Green Lantern; they belong to Hasbro and DC respectively. If only I owned them, if only! Likes and comments are always appreciated! Let me know what I did both well and poorly so that I may continue to improve as a writer!

Chapter Two: Arrival and Preparations

Chapter Two: Arrival and Preparations

The Universe

Sector 0000

The Planet Oa- Planetary Citadel

Hal Jordan of Earth; he was considered one of the greatest Green Lanterns in the entire Corps. He, alongside fellow Earthling Lantern Kyle Rayner, were the ones who defeated Sinestro and finally brought the rouge maniac to Oa to face justice for all the atrocities he had committed. Hal was far from perfect though; he had given into his rage on Ysmault and become a Red Lantern, a being of pure rage. If it wasn't for the quick thinking of Saint Walker to deputize him into the Blue Lantern Corps, then he might have still been one of the rage filled beasts. Now here he stood, standing before the Guardians of the Universe as he often did, having to explain the situation to the little blue aliens. He found it hard to take the Guardians seriously at times; their short little blue bodies conjured images of blue gnomes. Hard to believe a bunch of blue gnomes were suppose to be the all-knowing protectors of the universe. He always managed to maintain decorum at least though, unlike Guy Gardener, another fellow Earthling in the Corps.

"That's what happened, Guardians. Sinestro escaped while we were dealing with these Red Lanterns. Don't you worry though, I'll find him. I won't let Sinestro get away scot free. He will pay for all that he’s done." Hal's brown eyes gazed at the Guardians above him as he finished explaining the events that had just transpired. He began by recounting the ambush by the Sinestro Corps, the arrival of the Red Lanterns and then the appearance of Saint Walker as a Blue Lantern; he then went on to explain what occurred on Ysmault. He told them of his transformation into a Red Lantern and his subsequent salvation by being deputized into the Blue Lantern Corps. Finally, he reluctantly spoke of how Sinestro had fled and most likely returned to Qward.

"I'm sure you will, Hal Jordan of Earth, but we have other pressing matters to attend to. The appearance of two new Lantern Corps is troubling indeed; these Red Lanterns must be dealt with swiftly, and we must investigate these Blue Lanterns as well. "One of the Guardians spoke, looking down on Hal from on high, as they always did. His tone lacked any sort of emotion, they all lacked emotion, pure logic was all they stood for. He glared at the Guardians through his mask, his hazel eyes shimmering with annoyance and frustration.

"I'm telling you, the Blue Lanterns are our allies! If not for them, I would still be hell bent on ripping out the hearts of every member of the Green Lantern Corps! We should be focusing our efforts against Sinestro and Atrocitus!" Hal knew his argument was pointless however, once the Guardians had made up their mind they rarely ever changed it.

"Your concern has been noted, Hal Jordan. However, until we can examine or remove the blue power ring that is currently on your personage, you will be detained here on Oa. We do not know what the ring might do to you or those around you, and we must take time to examine it." Another Guardian spoke as he pointed at the blue ring on Hal's left middle finger. When he had returned to Oa they had tried to remove it to little avail. As Hal made ready to protest their decision, small lights began to flash all across the universe map.

"That is never a good sign; what's happening?" Hal questioned the Guardians; they remained silent for a moment, examining the map before one of them finally addressed the confused Lantern.

"It would seem that approximately one hundred yellow power rings have recently emerged into the universe and our now seeking out new owners."

"How is that possible!? I thought the forges were all shut down!?" Hal’s eyes widened in shock as he ground his teeth together in frustration. Had Sinestro somehow built new forges somewhere?

"They were, Hal Jordan. Be at peace, these rings are most likely just Sinestro's last stockpile that he has sent out in a last ditch recruitment drive. It will do him little good at this point." Hal felt relief at the Guardian's statement; knowing that this would be the last of them was welcome news.

"It seems there is one heading towards Sector 2814...."

"Is it heading towards Earth? I have to stop it then!" Hal’s ring immediately began to shine as he flew towards the exit of the Citadel, only to be stopped by one of the Guardians.

"Calm yourself, Hal Jordan. There is more to Sector 2814 than just Earth. It is already in the atmosphere of the planet of Equestria " The map of the Universe zoomed in on the peaceful and idyllic world of Equestria. To Hal, it looked remarkably similar to Earth.

"Still, if I can stop it...." Hal’s voice contained a tone of duty, but also one of resignation as he realized what the Guardians would say next.

"No, Hal Jordan, it is already too late. The ring seems to have selected its owner already. They will be taken to Qward for training no doubt. It is already beyond our grasp."

Hal let out a frustrated sigh as he looked at the flashing yellow dot that would undoubtedly ruin the future of the planet and whoever was unlucky enough to be selected by the ring.

The Universe

Sector 2814

Planet Equestria- Manehatten

"What manner of trickery is this?!" Luna had finally managed to calm her nerves and bellowed at the floating ring in front of her. She began to wonder if this was some kind of prank. Perhaps Rainbow Dash had decided to start the pranking by pranking her first. Well she wouldn't fall for it. She would show that trickster of a pegasus that she didn't scare easy.

"Very funny, Rainbow Dash! Nevertheless, I have seen through your ruse! It was a valiant effort, but in vain! You may come out of hiding now!" Luna commanded as she craned her neck up slightly, sweeping her dark mane across her face as she tried to appear as regal and calm as possible. She grinned stupidly to herself, assuming that Rainbow Dash would now give up and admit her failure to scare her.

That was not what occurred, much to Luna's surprise. The ring shot towards Luna's right hoof; it moved so quickly that the mare had no time to react as the ring slid up her hoof and latched itself on, securing itself to her firmly. She brought her hoof up and examined the object with hinted curiosity. It was pure yellow in color and on its face was an insignia she had never seen before. Before she had time to contemplate about the insignia however, here vision filled with a bright yellow light. She was overwhelmed by it as she was forced to close her eyes fearing she might be blinded if she didn't as she was engulfed by a wave of heat more intense than even the hottest of summer days. Finally, the light subsided and the heat vanished as Luna slowly and hesitantly opened her eyes.

When she managed to open her eyes fully, she quickly turned her head to look at the window. She caught sight of her reflection and let out a startled gasp. She was now wearing some kind of uniform; primarily black in nature with streaks of yellow that resembled the flames of the sun running up her legs and just under her chest. The suit glowed softly with the same light that was emitted from the ring. Her cutie mark had also been replaced; instead of the normal crescent moon that normally adorned her flank and chest, there was now the strange and foreign circular insignia that had been on the ring.

"Wha...what is all of this!? I demand answers!" Luna yelled, using her royal Canterlot voice for the first time in what felt like years. She was confused and above all else, afraid. As she struggled to comprehend her situation, the ring spoke once again.

"Princess Luna, please prepare for Antimatter Universe transport." the automated voice chimed in as the ring emitted even more of the yellow light. It slowly engulfed Luna who was doing her best to cast any sort of spell she could, but found she was unable to. Just as she was getting ready to scream for help, to call out to her sister and her friends, the light engulfed her completely and then she vanished from existence.

A few moments later, Rainbow Dash burst into the room through the open window. She had a grin a mile wide on her face as she landed on her bed. She looked around the room, noticing that Luna was nowhere to be found.

"I told her to wait for me! Where did she run off to? Is she in the bathroom?" Rainbow Dash quickly trotted over to the bathroom door. She knocked and called out Luna's name for a few moments before she slowly opened the door, peeking her cyan head inside only to find an empty room. Her wings fell dejectedly as the grin vanished from Rainbow's face to be replaced by a frown.

"She didn't ditch me, did she? No way! Princess Luna wouldn't do that! She's too cool to do something so lame like ditch me! I bet she just started the fun without me! Yeah! That must be it! She must have been so excited she couldn't contain herself! I better not keep her waiting then!" Rainbow's grin quickly returned to her face as she convinced herself of what she wanted to believe. Surely, the princess was just out stretching her wings to get ready for the race or something like that. With those thoughts in mind, Rainbow Dash raced out of the window again to go search for her missing roommate.

The Antimatter Universe

Sector 1

The Planet Qward

When Luna opened her eyes again, she found herself in an environment that was foreign and unknown to her. The land around her was sheer rock with no signs of vegetation or life at all. Nothing but jagged rock formations seemed to exist here. As she took in her new surroundings, a strange being approached her. It walked on two hind legs much like a Minotaur did. Instead of a bulls head however there was instead an odd mixture of bird and reptile; it had the pointed beak of a bird, yet the frill of an iguana atop its head. It stood tall and was on eye level with Luna as it approached her; the beak began to move and it emitted a strange combinations of caws and random assorted utterances. She cocked her head to the side in a confused manner as she tried to speak with it.

"I'm sorry...whatever you are, but I cannot understand you." Luna hoped the creature would be able to understand her somehow. The creature paused for a moment, stroking its chin with its fingers before finally snapping, as it seemed to reach some sort of answer. It brought its right arm up and on its middle finger was a ring that appeared to be remarkably similar Luna's. A beam of light shot out of the creatures ring and connected with hers. She drew back slightly in surprise, but as she seemed to be under no immediate threat, she allowed the creature to finish whatever it was doing. After a few moments, the light ceased and the beak of strange being in front of her began to move again.

"So, can you understand me now?" A voice that was now understandable to Luna spoke as her eyes widened in surprise. It was fairly high and sharp, but from what Luna could discern it was the voice of a male. Had he done something with their rings so they could understand one another? Could her understand her? She figured there was only one way to find out.

"Yes, strange creature. I do understand you now; so tell me what you did and where we are. I demand answers!" Luna spoke in her regal tone, trying to sound as collected and confident as possible. The creature pinched the rim of its nose with its fingers in frustration. It let out a sigh and then looked back up to Luna, speaking in an annoyed tone.

"I fixed your universal translator; you'll be able to speak with anyone now. As for who I am and where you are. Just know that I am Romat-Ru, your superior, and this is the planet Qward, headquarters of the Sinestro Corps of which you are now a member." Romat pointed at Luna as he finished his sentence. Luna only appeared more confused which only added to Romat's frustration. To Romat, Luna was from a backwater planet that had never even heard of the Green Lantern Corps, which meant he had a lot more to explain, but it also meant he could put some negative spin on the Green Lantern Corps.

"Just walk with me, I will explain everything." Romat motioned for Luna to walk beside him. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should trust this strange man, but she wanted answers and he appeared to be the only way to get them, so she walked. They walked for quite some time as Romat explained just how large the universe was and what purpose the Sinestro Corps served in it.

"We bring order to the otherwise chaotic universe through use of fear. While most consider fear a weakness, if one learns how to harness it, it can become a powerful ally. We learn to live with and overcome our fears so that we might harness its power. With its power, we bring justice and order to the universe." Romat was stretching the truth a bit, but what he was saying was never the less still true. Sinestro did desire to bring order to the universe, order through fear.

"So...we would make people fear us so that order and unity might be achieved? Is it not better to achieve those through being loved though?" Luna questioned Romat as neared an outcropping of rocks. Romat merely shook his head.

"So naive, you can be betrayed by those you love, never by those who fear you. Haven't you ever had that happen?"

"Yes...yes I have." Luna looked up to the sky, remembering how Celestia had betrayed her and exiled to the moon for so long. The cold and lonely moon, it made her skin crawl just to think about it, but then, an odd reaction. She felt, anger; anger that her sister who supposedly loved her had locked her away to suffer for so long. She could feel it inside her; she could feel her old self trying to get out, to be free once more. She shook her head; she promised herself that she would never give in to it again. She then noticed that they had stopped at the entrance of the outcropping. It hid the entrance to a cave.

"What is in there?" Luna questioned as she look towards Romat for answers.

"The first part of your training; in order to control fear, you must first face and overcome it. Prepare yourself, Luna of Equestria. You will either overcome your fears, or you will die."

Author's Note

Hey everyone! Malfrost here again and I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of In Blackest Day, In Brightest Night! This chapter was most definitely a building up chapter and helps to establish some key factors for later in the story. Such as wither or not the Green Lantern Corps will get involved and the temptation of Luna to become Nightmare Moon once again. Next chapter will be tons of fun as it will be examining Luna's time in the Fear Lodge and the reaction of the ponies when they realize Luna has gone missing. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as you did the first, and I hope you will continue to follow along with me!

Malfrost

Chapter Three: To Face Fear.

The Antimatter Universe

Sector 1

The Planet Qward

Luna and Romat ventured deep into the cave. It was pitch black inside, the only light provided was that of Romat's ring as it lit the path before them with yellow light. Romat had explained to Luna what she was about to do; she would enter into what was known as a fear lodge. Her ring would be drained of all power in the fear lodge and it would be up to her to activate again by confronting and embracing her greatest fear. She would be left in the lodge until she broke out or until she died. She was reluctant to agree at first; after all, why should she risk her life just to become a member of some odd space club. It was only after Romat had described the tragedy of Sector 666 that Luna was convinced to proceed with her training and induction into the Corps.

He described how in a matter of days trillions of lives, entire planets and species were wiped out of existence. Luna's face paled as she heard the number, she just couldn't believe it. Equestria's total population only numbered maybe a billion souls; the idea of thousands of worlds like hers being destroyed was beyond her comprehension. All she knew was it was the most evil act she had ever heard of and it made her blood boil to think of it happening again. Romat changed the story however; instead of the robotic Manhunters committing the massacre of over a trillion lives he put the blame on the Green Lantern Corps. He told her that Sector 666 refused to bend to the Guardians’ wills and that they ordered the destruction of the sector to teach the rest of the Universe a lesson.

"These Guardians and Green Lanterns are monsters! If we really are the only ones who can stop them, then I must take my place in the Corps for the sake of my people! I will not allow harm to befall them at the hoofs of these wicked Green Lanterns!" Luna spoke, her tone full of disdain and disgust towards her new foe. They would regret the day they ever tried to do anything to Equestria, but first she had to pass her trial.

"Correct, we are the only ones who can stop those vile Green Lanterns. We are the true keepers of order in the universe. They hide behind a sham, a lie." Romat's beak moved as he spoke; his 'little' white lie to help indoctrinate the naive mare. Technically, it wasn't all a lie; that massacre could ultimately be blamed on the Guardians who now control the Green Lanterns. After walking for a while longer, they finally reached the fear lodges. Romat approached one and used his ring to open the shell like container as he beckoned Luna to enter. Luna hesitated for a moment, but then steeled her nerves. There was no way this could be worse than being banished to the moon. She drew a deep breath and then let it out as she slowly gave Romat a nod. She trotted up towards the shell and slowly stepped inside. She turned and gave Romat another nod, one that he returned.

"Good luck." With those brief words, he disengaged his ring, and Luna was sealed completely in darkness, isolated and alone.

The Universe

Sector 2814

Planet Equestria- Canterlot

Celesita trotted back and forth across the throne room, her brow furrowed in frustration as her eyes gleamed in the moonlight. She was completely alone, except for one other being. On the floor slept an exhausted and ragged Rainbow Dash. She had searched the streets of Manehatten for any sign of Luna for hours, and when she realized that Luna vanished, she flew non-stop and as fast as she could to Canterlot to inform Celesita of the news. She then promptly passed out from exhaustion, leaving the Princess of the Sun to try to deduce what had happened to her sister. She had used her magic to try and sense out Luna to see if perhaps she were kidnapped or lost, but she could not detect her sister's presence on the planet at all. It was as if she had simply...ceased to exist entirely.

"Oh my sister, where have you vanished to? Wherever you are, I hope you are safe. I swear, I will not rest nor cease to worry until I can see you once again." Celestia looked up and spoke to the full moon as its light graced her body. The light shimmered against the stained glass windows depicting the famous scenes of Equestrian history. Celestia looked towards the one that depicted Nightmare Moon's banishment.

"Sister, I am so sorry. I wish I had never been forced to do such a thing. We have been apart for so long; I loved having you back in my life. I don't want us to be apart again. So please...wherever you are, come home soon." Celestia's voice began to crack as warm streaks of water flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks. She wept silently, not wanting to wake up the young mare who had tried so hard to find her sister before coming to tell her of the horrible news. After a few moments, Celesita brought her hooves up to wipe away the tears, rubbing her puffy and reddened eyes. Once she had calmed her she slowly stroked Rainbow Dash's mane, trying not to disturb her too much.

"Thank you, Rainbow Dash. Thank for trying so hard, and for being my sister's friend, you have no idea how much it meant to her to have friend like you." Celesita managed to smile as Rainbow let out a quiet yawn in her sleep. Just as Celesita was getting ready to lift up Rainbow Dash to get her into a bed, the room began to fill with a green light. Celesita quickly turned to the source. A figure had mysterious appeared near the entrance of the throne room. She had dismissed her guards for the evening, but the door was still locked. How then did this being get into the throne room? Celesita didn't have time for such questions however as the glowing green being approached her and Rainbow Dash.

It was foreign to her; she had never encountered a creature like this in all her time on Equestria. It walked on two legs, much like a Minotaur, but its upper body was much smaller, and its head lacked fur and horns. In fact, its entire body lacked fur except for the upper part of its head upon which it had an extremely small portion. Celestia dropped into a defensive stance, readying to cast a spell as she pointed her horn at the intruder.

"Halt! I don't know who or what you are, but if you can understand me do not come any closer until you have stated your business!" Celesita made sure to keep herself between the intruder and the slowly awakening Rainbow Dash; perhaps this odd creature was the one who did something with her sister?

The creature stopped once Celesita spoke and slowly raised its hands above its head. As it did so, Celesita managed to get a better look at it. It was tall, standing on eye level with her. It wore some kind of strange glowing green uniform with a symbol that looked a lot like a lantern colored green on its chest. Its furless face was partial concealed by a mask covering its eyes, but the princess could see its eyes clearly. They were a deep brown, and they burned with a sense of righteous vigor and duty.

"Sorry ma'am, I didn't mean to just barge in like this, but I didn't want to disturb anyone else if I could at all help it." the creature spoke, it's voice deeper than most ponies; its tone was collected and firm as it gazed back her, completely unafraid. This only unnerved Celesita more as she continued to point her horn at it. In response, it let out a sigh and spoke again.

"I am Hal Jordan, of the planet Earth. I am an officer in the Green Lantern Corps, and I need to speak to you about your sister."

The Antimatter Universe

Sector 1

The Planet Qward

It was just like the moon, dark and lonely. It was as if she was floating in nothingness and that unnerved her. It wasn't the darkness that unnerved her though, it was that dreadful sense of being totally alone. She wanted to call out, she wanted to be back with her sister and her friends, but she knew that could not happen. To her surprise however, she began to hear familiar voice in the void.

"What a scary pony! Like I'd ever be friends with her!"

"I'm sorry, but why would I ever be friends with such a scary pony like you?"

"I never loved you, 'dear' sister. I wish you were back on the moon."

Luna couldn't believe what she was hearing; the voices of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and her sister all came at her at once. They spoke with such venom and contempt, each word saturated with hatred. Then she saw all three of them appear before her and they began to walk away. She couldn't move however and all she could do was pitifully cry out to them.

"No! Please! Don't go! You are the only ones who care about me! You are my only friends! Please don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone again! Please!" She begged and cried as the figures slowly vanished into the darkness, leaving her alone once again. The bitter isolation, the fearful gazes, that was all that remained in their wake. Luna wept uncontrollably, how could they just leave her alone like this?

She was left, just as she had been on the moon, abandoned and unloved. She wept bitterly; why did the ones she cared for always betray her it seemed? Was Romat right? Perhaps she should just abandon the idea of having anyone love her and just rule with fear. As she thought this, the darkness felt like it was closing in all around her, suffocating her. She found it harder and harder to breath. She was scared, is this what her subjects always felt whenever she walked by? It was a horrible feeling, one she wished she could purge from herself. She thought back to Nightmare Night and all the fun she had with Twilight and her friends. She thought back to the fun she was having in Manehatten with Rainbow Dash. A smile graced her face; those memories drove the fear away and made her feel almost like she was at home in the dark. That's when it struck her, she realized what her greatest fear was.

"I fear being alone. I wish not to be alone. I will not allow myself to be alone! I will have others be with me! I will make them be with me, even if they do not wish it! I will not be alone again!" Luna yelled out into the void her resolve firm and clear. Then, a small spark as her yellow ring began to glow and illuminate the shell. Using the ring’s power, she forced open the shell, emerging like a newborn hatchling. Romat was there waiting, an expression of pleasant surprise on his face.

"I must say, that was quite impressive, Luna of Equestria. That was the fastest I have ever seen anyone get out of a fear lodge. Normally takes a few days at least." Romat's voice shuddered slightly as he recalled his own time spent in the fear lodge vividly.

Luna landed beside Romat, her eyes glowing a faint yellow as she began to grow accustomed to the power of the ring. With her spark now activated, she had complete access to the ring's databank. She already knew the basics of the rings functions as she looked to Romat, her eyes back to their normal shade of blue.

"I spent a millennium trapped in something just like that; I did not want to spend any more time in there than need be. Now, take me to the training area, I wish to test my powers." Luna spoke with confidence as she activated her ring once again basking in the glow of the yellow light. She levitated herself off the ground and looked expectantly at Romat.

"Good, I've been itching for a fight ever since I got back! Try to keep up!" Romat quickly took off after he finished his sentence. He soared through the cave, easily breaking the sound barrier, as he didn't bother waiting for Luna at all. Luna grinned as she took off after Romat; she had missed her race with Rainbow Dash, this would have to suffice for fun for now.

She glided through the cave at an incredible speed, faster than she had ever flown before on Equestria. She easily dodged stalagmites as she soared out of the cave exit and after Romat, increasing her speed to as fast as she could manage. Romat looked behind him, surprised that an initiate already had such control; she had potential.

They flew for a while before they finally reached a flat clearing; unlike that rest of the world, which was jagged and uneven, the ground here was flat and smooth. Romat landed first and Luna landed a few yards just across from him. Romat grinned as he popped his neck; this rookie had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"I won't pull punches just because you are new. I'm going to beat the living crap out of you and show you why I'm one of the best in the Corps! I'm gonna make you bleed!" Romat boasted as he dropped into a low offensive stance, his ring glowing brightly as he snapped at her with his beak.

Luna closed her eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath before she slowly began to rise off the ground. Her ring began to glow brightly as well as she opened her eyes, now full of vigor and resolve.

"No, Romat-Ru of Xundar, you will do no such thing. You are nothing more than a petty killer. I was the very essence of fear on my planet; you will learn your place and show some respect. For you will burn like my power... "Luna spoke back, her voice causing the very ground around them to quake as her ring shone brighter as her eyes began to glow faint yellow. She then bellowed the rest of words in her royal Canterlot as the yellow light engulfed her.

"LUNA'S MIGHT!"

Author's Note

Once again, hello everyone. I hope you enjoyed the third chapter of In Blackest Day, In Brightest Night. I feel this chapter is a tad slower than the other two, but I think for good reason. We have Hal Jordan's arrival on Equestria and Luna's successful completion of the fear lodge. Romat better watch out, because I think Luna is out to get him! While I have managed a daily chapter a day so far, I'm not certain I will have one out tomorrow, but I will certainly try. So long as people keep telling me they enjoy reading the story, I will do my best to write it! So again, I hope you enjoyed the third chapter and please be looking forward to the fourth!

Malfrost