Back in the valley, Twilight narrowly avoided another fireball as she and Fluttershy flew towards the massive behemoth that was her little brother, the Dragon in turn letting out a menacing roar as several spiked chains erupted from his body, shooting towards the duo like vicious snakes. "SPIKE WANT! YOU BELONG TO SPIKE! SPIKE WILL HAVE ALL SPIKE WANTS!" The mighty Dragon roared as his chains attempted to ensnare the two lanterns.

However luck seemed favor the two mares as they swiftly and gracefully evaded the chains, narrowly avoiding the dangerous spikes while blasting away the ones that got too close.

"Spike, please! You need to stop!" Twilight yelled as another chain narrowly missing her leg. "This isn't you!"

Sadly, the only response she received was a vicious roar. "SPIKE… WAAAAAANT!!!" He bellowed as his chains started regenerating themselves. the very force of the Dragon's roar shaking the entire valley around it and forcing Twilight back several feet.

Just then, the valley wall behind him lit up as several gemstones erupted from within, various rubies, sapphires, and emeralds launched towards the unsuspecting dragon and pelted his wings and face. Then while he was distracted, a light blue blur of feathers circled the Dragon's enormous body as Fluttershy drove in from behind, summoning a construct in the form of a muzzle and clamping it over the Dragon's mouth before he could exhale another fireball.

"This won't hold him for long!" Fluttershy yelled amidst the sounds of the Dragon fighting to break free, including a few attempts to use his own fire breath that the muzzle denied him. "We have to figure out a way to either calm his greed down or get his ring off!"

Twilight briefly glanced at the struggling Dragon that was her closest friend… and then to the ring. "I think… I might be able to do both…" She mused as she began charging her horn.

[Twilight, what are you planning?] Celestia inquired, uncertainty evident in her voice.

"The spell you taught me a year ago!" Twilight exclaimed as she summoned multiple shields around her body, the innner one comprised of her ring's energy while outer one was formed from her own magic. "It's a long shot, but it might calm him down just long enough to get that ring off!" She smiled before charging towards Spike.

[Are you… sure using such a spell is wise?] Celestia asked with a rising concern in her voice. [It may be too dangerous Twilight.]

"No, I can do it right! I know that I can!" Twilight yelled as her shield began to crack, its energy quickly being drained into the Orange Ring. "It will work! It has to work!"

[Twilight, WAIT-]

However before Celestia could protest any further, the lavender Unicorn swiftly darted past the Dragon's thrashing limbs. Then, just as the shield surrounding her shattered, Twilight landed right on Spike's snout and pressed her horn right between his eyes. 'Please Spike... please snap out of it!!' Twilight mentally pleaded, pouring as much magic as she could into his mind. 'Remember who you are, remember what we mean to each other!'

As Twilight struggled to maintain her spell, it seemed as though she was gaining some level of control, slowly but surely dredging up various memories of Spike's past, The Dragon's eyes started to loose their primal, bloodthirsty glare and were soon replaced with a look of concern as his struggles began to cease... but soon, as Twilight kept probing his mind she suddenly found herself struggling to maintain control of his consciousness, as if something... or someone was controlling what he thought... or rather... what they wanted him to think.

'What the... no, this... this isn't right...' She thought as she felt her magic become weaker and weaker... only for her vision to slowly fade to black, her mind feeling like she was suddenly being dragged in…

Twilight found herself inside a bizarre space, nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see, save for a single light in the form of her ring's icon right beneath her. "Am I... is this Spike's mind?" Twilight pondered as she started trotting around, the icon following her where ever she went.

However before she take any action, she felt a shiver shoot up her spine... and she quickly realized she was not alone.

WHO DARES INTERRUPT OUR BONDING?! A voice roared at her in the confines of Spike's mind… a voice that didn't sound like Spike in either form.

"I-I... I'm Twilight Sparkle, Spike's big sister! Here to free him from your grip!" She shouted at what she assumed to be the source of his greed lust. "You can't have him, and I won't allow-!"

OH? I 'CAN'T HAVE HIM'?! The voice hissed back at her in a mocking tone. DEAR CHILD... DO YOU NOT KNOW TO WHOM YOU SPEAK TO?!

Suddenly, the Unicorn felt something scaly moving beneath her hooves. Something much, MUCH bigger than whatever Spike currently was measured at. Soon, the source of the voice became clear as a creature emerged from the darkness.

"What... what in Equestria!?" The Unicorn stammered, frozen in place while staring at the terrifying beast before her. "W-What are you!?"

I... AM OPHIDIAN, ENTITY OF AVARICE!!!

Back in Manehattan, Apple Bloom watched from the window of her room as Applejack and Pinkie guided the refugees from Appaloosa towards the Central Park, a sigh escaping her lips as the filly found herself focusing solely on her big sister. Ever since she got that ring, Applejack had gone through one rough battle after another, diligently defending Equestria from those cruel heartless monsters while saving any civilians she could alongside Twilight and now Pinkie.

And yet, every time she thought back to those moments she couldn't help but feel a small lingering sense of dread...

"Bloom? uh... youse doin' okay?" Babs asked, tapping her shoulder, momentarily spooking her cousin and causing her to jump. "Sorry! Sorry just… this is all a bit much."

"Yeah… yeah it is Babs." Bloom said with a somber tone. "And ah just… Ah wanna help! Ah wanna do more than just sit and wait!"

"Admirable, but there isn't really anything we can do..." A third voice chimed in. The Apple cousins turned their attention to the doorway and saw Sweetie Belle casually trotting towards them. "...you both saw what those monsters are capable of. Unless you have one of those Rings like Twilight, Pinkie, or your sister, those things are basically unstoppable."

"But there's gotta be some way to help..." Apple Bloom protested, her tone becoming more somber as she turned her attention back to the window. Both Sweetie and the Babs shared an uneasy glance as the filly watched her big sister assisting with the construction of another Safe House near the park. "Ah just... don't wanna lose another part of mah family..."

"Cuz, there IS a way we can help... we can help by stayin' safe an' helping others here." Babs said as she put a hoof around her cousin's shoulder. "Ah think if we just go around and try to see if some folks need some help, it'll at least keep yer mind occupied you know?"

"...Ah... Ah suppose that would be helpin'." Bloom said with a sigh. "Thanks Babs."

"Y'know, Granny Smith once said: when it feels like yah can't do nothin', and there's nothin' yah can do… it's best tah just do what yah can." Babs said, giving her cousin a gentle hug. "So let's do what we can."

With a more positive demeanor, the Apple cousins quickly rushed out the door. Sweetie was about to follow, but took a moment to gaze into the starry skies.

'I don't know how, I don't know why… but know you're out there somewhere Rarity… you just have to be…' She thought before running down the hall to join Babs and Bloom.

She could only hope…

Just down the hall, as she followed her cousin, Apple Bloom couldn't help but glance out the window, catching a glimpse of her big sister assisting with more construction. While Babs had given her the drive to keep helping others, she couldn't help but think about how much more she could do if she had that ring…

'Ah could protect mah sis… mah family…' The youngest Apple sibling thought as Sweetie Belle caught up with them. 'Ah could protect everypony…'

In another part of Manehatten, Applejack stood atop the roof of the newly constructed safe house, clad in her Green Lantern armor as she watched the refugees from Appaloosa being escorted to the various shelters she'd helped set up around the city. The farmpony let out an exasperated sigh as she glanced down at her cousin Braeburn. It put her at ease to know that another member of her family was safe… despite the tragedy that cost them their home.

"You okay, AJ?" A bubbly voice asked. The farmpony turned to see Pinkie Pie, also in her Blue Lantern gear, floating down next to her with a look of concern plastered on her face.

"Y-Y-Yeah Ah'm fine Pinks... just a bit worn is all." She answered with a false smile.

The party pony simply shook her head before giving her a warm smile. "Y'know, you're REALLY should stick to farming because you've got a TERRIBLE poker face."

"Oh ha ha ha..." Applejack replied, rolling her eyes and she turned her attention back to the civilians with another sigh. "Ah'm gonna level with yah Pinkie. What ya'll said before kinda got me thinkin', and Ah... Ah don't feel comfortable leaving the city either..." She explained, lifting her hoof as she glanced down at her ring. "We were lucky that ya'll managed to get one of these rings when the Black Lanterns invaded... but what if there's a second attack and we're not around tah protect the city?"

"Well I mean... they're not gonna be completely alone. I mean, there's the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guards." Pinkie pointed out while gesturing to some of the Pegasi delivering supplies such as food, water, and blankets to the civilians. "I think these ponies are gonna be in good hands."

"Yeah but..... Ah'm sorry. Ah just feel worried is all. Mah family is here now and after.... a-after Granny...." Applejack stammered as she sat down on the ledge.

But then, the farmpony soon felt Pinkie's hooves wrapping around her as the party pony pulled her into a gentle hug. A wave of calmness washed over Applejack's body as she felt the aura from Pinkie's ring surrounding her. "I know what that's like AJ… trust me, I'm worried too." Pinkie whispered in a reassuring tone. "But there are places like my home village that are even more vulnerable and need our protection…"

"Ah know… Ah just… consarn it! Ah just can't stay upset around ya can Ah?" Applejack said with a warm smile.

"Well, getting my friends to smile is what makes my whole life worthwhile!" Pinkie replied with her trademark grin. "But in all seriousness though, you're right. We do need to focus on protecting more than just one location..." She elaborated as the two of them flew off the roof towards the meeting point. "I mean, it's not like we can put the entire city in a bubble or something..."

Applejack came to a halt in midair as she registered the words of the party pony... with a wide smile spreading across her face as an idea came to her. "Pinkie... yer a genius!"

"YAY! I'm smart! Wait… what am I smart about?" Pinkie asked before her friend took off towards the center of the city. "Hey wait up! What did I figure out?!"

Within the confines of Spike's mind, the lavender Unicorn could only stare in terror at the beast before her.

Before Twilight was a massive orange Serpent. No, massive was an understatement... Twilight herself was as big as it's eyeball! This thing, this... behemoth... was practically long enough to coil around Mt. Canterlot seven times over! It was covered in shining orange scales, it's fangs were like giant knives, and it bore the same symbol from Spike's ring on its forehead.

"Avarice…. l-like the desire?! Greed?!" Twilight asked with a nervous tone as the serpent got closer to her.

RATHER QUICK TO YOUR GUESS. BUT CORRECT. AND YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON MY TERRITORY. The giant Snake hissed at her, seemingly getting bigger with every word spoken. NOW TELL ME, WORM OF PARALLAX. WHY SHOULD I NOT SIMPLY RIP YOUR SOUL FROM YOUR BODY?

"I... I won't..." Twilight stammered, her ring flickering as she took a hesitant step back... only for a pillar of yellow flames to erupt between them. For a brief second, Twilight could have sworn she saw something else in the fire, but then as the light died down she saw none other than the translucent form of her mentor; Princess Celestia, standing before the orange Serpent.

[STAY. BACK.] Princess Celestia ordered with a calming voice, a shimmering yellow aura encircling her form.

The Serpent however stood its ground as it glared down at both of them. OH, HOW ADORABLE THIS IS... THE FALSE ONE... PRETENDING TO CARE. Ophidian hissed before cackling at Celestia. PARALLAX WILL NOT PROTECT YOU. YOU KNOW HE WILL NOT.

[I SAID. STAY. BACK. MONSTER.] She growled at him, summoning some of her own magic and blasting him in the eye! [And I'm not waiting on HIM to appear you beast!]

RRRAAAAAAGH!!! INSOLENT WORM! YOU NOT ONLY INTERRUPT MY BONDING PROCESS, BUT DARE TO STRIKE ME!? THE VERY EMBODIMENT OF GREED ITSELF!? The Entity hissed violently as his massive body circled the two Equines, his head slowly morphing to resemble the hood of a cobra and his fangs becoming longer. I SHALL SEE TO IT YOU BOTH ARE-

Whatever threat was about to make was cut off as a massive roar echoed through the void, prompting both Twilight and Celestia to cover their ears in pain as the massive serpent shrieked in agony.

Then suddenly, a cyclone of indigo light erupted from below all three of them…

YOU HAD TO GET HER INVOLVED?! HER?! Ophidian roared as several purple tentacles that were almost as big as he was wrapped around various portions of his body.

"P-Princess Celestia what is this?!" Twilight yelped as she several tendrils circled around them. "Is this another creature like him?!"

[Indeed it is... and unlike the serpent, this one seems to be targeting anything with everything in sight!] The Alicorn replied, summoning the shield around both of them just two more tendrils erupted from the cyclone, slamming into the shield and leaving very sizable cracks across the surface. [While your attempt was admirable Twilight, we need to get out of here now!]

"But Spike's mind... he's still trapped in here! I need to save him!" Twilight yelled as she watched Ophidian struggling against the tendrils.

[Right now staying inside here will do more harm than good!] Celestia shouted, firing a blast of magic at one of the tentacles just as it attempted to strike her left wing. [But if this thing is rampaging within the mindscape then out allies outside will need assistance as well!]

"I… but…" Twilight tried to think of a way to explain how she needed to still be here... to try and save Spike from himself. But she knew Celestia was right. If this much chaos was raging in his mind then outside it must be absolute chaos and disaster. Turning around she looked at Spike's mindscape one last time and saw the two strange creatures fighting harder. "I'll free you little brother. I promise you."

Shedding a single tear, Twilight's horn glowed brightly as she ended the spell...

"-light, Twilight! Please wake up!"

The Unicorn groaned as she came to, Rarity's worried expression greeting her as she pulled herself up. "Ugh... whuh... what happened...?"

"W-Well, whatever you were planning didn't go very well..." Rarity began as se glanced at the unconscious Diamond Dog beside her. "You were hit pretty hard by Spike when you tired casting the spell. And the shockwae from the blast knocked poor Rover out... and collapsed the cave he'd dug. So, no more gem barrages..." She explained just as an enraged roar echoed throughout the valley. "And well, that's when Fluttershy... uh... well she..."

Looking up, Twilight could only gasp in shock as she witnessed Spike viciously attacking what looked like an indigo construct of a massive octopus... with Fluttershy at the very center.

"That... that thing's controlled by FLUTTERSHY?!" Twilight shouted in disbelief. "B-B-But how did she-?!"

"It just... came out of her! But she wasn't acting like herself. It's like something just took over her body!" Rarity yelled as one of the tentacles slammed into the cliffside.

[She may be in control at the moment, but that may not last long.] Celestia elaborated from within the ring. [I can sense it... another entity... fighting from within...]

"But what can we do!?" Twilight asked, watching as Spike sank his fangs into one of the tentacles before slamming it into a cliff. "It took almost all of my energy to cast that spell on Spike alone..."

"....what if you used some of my power? To at least give you... maybe a boot of some sort?" Rarity managed to get out in between sounds of loud hissing and roaring!

"I-I mean yeah we could but.... the strain could be too much for you! You could get hurt or worse! I can't ask that of you-!" Twilight started to protest, only for Rarity to get dangerously close to her face.

"I REFUSE to be on the sidelines while others I cherish are in the line of fire and are endangered by these... these monsters that think they can control us!" The fashionista snapped, her expression leaving no room for an argument. "I cherish them too much to see this happen!"

Twilight was still tempted to refuse, but just as she opened her mouth the entire forest shook violently, knocking everyone off their feet! Turning her attention back to the fight, everyone saw that Fluttershy, or rather whatever was controlling her, had wrapped more of its tentacles around Spike's massive body and slammed him into the cliff wall! Spike himself however was thrashing violently in its gasp, snarling while spewing flames at the target of his rage.

Biting her lip, Twilight knew their opinions were very limited at the moment, and if they didn't do something soon, no matter the victor, they'd most likely all perish! "...alright, but the moment you start experiencing any symptoms of magic fatigue, stop casting your spell. Got it?" Twilight replied as her ring started to glow.

"I understand completely, darling." Rarity replied with a nod, the fashionista then began charging her horn with magic as well, focusing on saving her two rampaging friends.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight levitated herself off the ground as she felt Rarity's magic enter her body, her ears flattening against her head at the feeling. 'Focus Twilight... this is the only way to save them...' She thought as she started channeling more energy into the ring.

Suddenly, several spiked chain constructs extended outwards from Twilight's back, shooting towards both Spike and Fluttershy at full speed. Without a moment's hesitation Twilight mentally commanded the chain to wrap around various parts of Spike's body while piercing through parts of Fluttershy's construct as well. "Alright... I think I've got them… contained!" Twilight grunted, struggling to focus as she charged up her horn once more…

…but as Rarity continued to share her power, something caught her eye… both beings were turning towards them!

'NO NO NO! NOT NOW!' Rarity thought as Spike's gaping maw released a massive fireball while the remaining tentacles of Fluttershy's construct lunged towards them! "TWILIGHT LOOK OUT!" She yelled, bolting right in front of the lavender Unicorn before summoning up a diamond-shaped shield.

But the Entity of Avarice wasn't done just yet…

"AGH!"

As both being's attacks slammed against Rarity's shield, Twilight let out a pained gasp as she suddenly felt a foreign energy shooting through her body! Unlike Rarity's from moments before, this energy felt… vile, like a poison…

'Wh-what's… going on…?' She thought, only to feel another painful shockwave shoot through her body. "AAAHH!!!" She shrieked, losing focus as her body was overwhelmed by pure agony, it felt as if every pain receptor in her body was being attacked at once!

"T-Twilight!? What's wrong!?" Rarity stammered, struggling to keep her shield up as glanced over her shoulder… only to gasp in horror as she saw her ally weakly collapsing to the ground, writhing in agony with several sparks of orange electricity coursing through her chains and surrounding her body.

The Orange Lantern's energy.

"YES! SPIKE WAAAANT!" The Orange Lantern Dragon roared as he fed on her energy, the aura around his body getting stronger as he did so.

"NO! N-NOT NOW!" Twilight yelled in pain, but even as she struggled to pull back her chains, her inner strength was getting weaker by the second.

Rarity could only watch in horror as Twilight's Lantern uniform slowly began to dissolve away, her ring flickering as its energy was sapped by the Dragon. Terror then gripped the fashionista's heart as cracks began to spread across her shield, each blow from the tentacled construct and every blast from the raging Dragon putting a strain on her mind as she desperately tried to keep her shield up…

'Is… is this it…?' She thought, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed up at her rampaging friends. It wasn't long before blackness oozed in from the edges of her vision, the Unicorn struggling to move forward despite being on the verge of passing out. 'Is this… how I die… at the very hands of my own friends…?'

As the cracks continued to spread across the shield and she slowly lost consciousness, she found her thoughts drifting…

She could see all of her friends…

Her beloved parents…

And her… her little sister…

'...NO!'

"I REFUSE TO DIE HERE!" Rarity roared, her eyes shooting open as she desperately reinforced her shield. "I REFUSE TO LET MY FRIENDS DOWN! TO LET THEN BE TAKEN BY SOME… SOME BIZARRE CREATURES THAT CARE ONLY ABOUT THEMSELVES!" The Unicorn shouted as she struggled to her feet, taking step after step towards the two entities even as her shield started to decrease in width.

"I WILL PROTECT MY FRIENDS!" Rarity shouted as her shield endured another blast of pure Avarice.

"I WILL PROTECT MY HOME!" She continued as another tentacle struck her shield much harder than before.

"I WILL PROTECT MY FAMILY!" The Unicorn screamed, her shield on the verge of breaking, and yet she continued to march forward… completely undeterred. "I WILL PROTECT! MY! SISTER!!!"

And then, for a brief moment, everything around her seemed to slow down…

The Entities in turn suddenly froze in place an unexpected, yet familiar pulse of energy seemingly caught their attention…

And just as the Unicorn's shield shattered, a beam of bright pink energy shot down from the sky, engulfing Rarity while releasing a shockwave powerful enough to force both Entities back, halting their attacks in the process.

Twilight, fading in and out of consciousness, could only watch as pink crystals erupted from the ground around the fashionista, who began to levitate off the ground, her eyes seemingly glazed over as she was slowly drawn towards and object at the very center of the beam:

A Ring.

Meanwhile in Canterlot, Princess Cadence was being escorted down the hall by Shining Armor and Princess Celestia's secretary; Raven, a white-coated Unicorn with a deep-brown mane tied in a bun.

"…and so, with the right amount of resources, we should be able to begin reconstruction on the inner section of the city in a matter of weeks." Raven explained, casually looking through the papers on her clipboard. "We'll need to go over the construction details during the next meeting however."

"While that is understandable, with all the homeless civilians taking refuge near the castle, I think we could-ooohh…" Cadence suddenly groaned, her legs getting wobbly as fell to her side.

"Princess!?" Shining Armor exclaimed as he ran to her side, her own stability having almost completely left her. "Is something wrong?"

"I… n-no it's… I just felt an immense surge of pure love…" Cadence explained as she slowly got feelings back in her hooves. "And that… that's almost impossible to feel unless I'm the cause of it, or somepony has found their life partner-hhrrk!" Before she could elaborate further, the Alicorn shivered as she felt another pulse of energy and turned her head towards the window.

In the distance she could see a pillar of pink energy erupting into the sky, pouring out an immense amount of love.

"What in Equestria is that...?" She whispered in shock, staggering to her hooves as she approached the window...

‘...am… am I dead…?’

Those were Rarity's first thoughts as she slowly came to. As she picked herself up, she found herself on a small island in the middle of a rather large lake in a cavern of some sort. Its walls, ceiling, and even the bottom of the lake itself were covered in pink crystals. The largest ones being the five protruding from the sides of the island she woke up on,

The fashionista looked around, unable to find an exit of any kind.

‘Where in Equestria am I…? Are these the caves beneath the valley?’ She mentally mused to herself, her thoughts drifting back to the well-being of her friends. Were they alright? Had those creatures controlling Fluttershy and Spike been eliminated??

Shaking her head, the Unicorn drew herself up into a standing position. 'Worrying won't get me out of here any quicker, I have to-'

Her train of thought was cut off as a sudden rumbling started in the cavern, the crystals within the caves quickly began to glow as Rarity struggled to stay on her hooves, it was almost as if the entire cave was moving! But then, as Rarity looked around once more, she realized that the rumbling was not coming from the cavern itself... but the island she stood on!

Before she could even consider getting off said island, she saw that the five crystals at the edges of the island had begun to move... and then... something burst out of the lake right in front of her.

Before Rarity was... well, she couldn’t exactly tell what it was.

It was as massive, that was for certain, with its head along seemingly taking up most of the lake itself! It almost resembled that of a Dragon with deep pink scales and various spikes erupting from several parts of its body, a wide maw full of sharp teeth, and a strange icon on it’s head that almost resembled a star.

And then Rarity realized that the “island” she’d woken up on was actually its hand, and each of the crystals were its claws!

And yet... for some strange reason... the Unicorn felt... calm?

Despite the creature's fearsome appearance, Rarity found herself not the least bit fearful of it, as if she knew it meant her no harm... it's eyes, while fierce, held an oddly comforting quality about them. And although its scales and spikes were terrifying to behold, she felt a strange sense of calmness come over her as she stared at them.

Like this being... was one who meant to protect, not harm.

'Rarity of Equestira…' The creature spoke as the crystals started to glow brighter, a unique yet empowering aura engulfing Rarity and lifting her into the air. You have great love in your heart. Welcome to the Star Sapphires.’

As she was lifted to the face of the creature, a bright light surrounded her, Rarity could feel it, the power, the very same one her friends used... was now hers to utilize as well. 'With this power, I can protect my family... my friends.. no, all of Equestria!' She thought as she saw the very ring appear on her right hoof, smiling up at the creature, the unicorn nodded in understanding.. and spoke her oath…

For strong hearts filled with dread and fright,
Or those alone in the darkest of nights,
Fear not for soon all shall be right,
For Love shall bloom with violet light!

Author's Note

This story went 2 whole years without being updated, so I wanted to make sure it got done before January ended! There was supposed to be a scene with Scootaloo and another with the Changelings, but there wasn't a proper place to add them so I decided to save them for the next chapter.

Anyway, be sure to leave a comment and don't forget to check out (as well as contribute to) this story's tropes page!

Also if you want a story written for you or just want to see certain stories early? Just PM me or hit me up on one of my pay-to-write sites!

Here's hoping you all enjoyed this chapter! And don't worry, The Second Front is up next!