Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Yep, longest book ever.  I was actually considering putting up a poll to see everyone's favorite book, but then that'd clutter up the thread should I get to Book 200 or something (not bloody likely, I guess).

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
The White Lanterns

"Actually we've powers beyond normal White Lanterns," a different voice said, this one a bit more cheekier and female.

When the light cleared away enough to see that there was many of them, all in White Lantern uniforms.  One also wore a snow white cloak, another's uniform was more like armor.

They stepped forward, unafraid of Malice's minion force.  The RAFians were struck dumb.  These weren't just new beings.  They were old friends. . . .

"I see you've been busy when I was away, Malice," the cloaked Lantern said.

"CLOAK!  No, this cannot be.  You're dead!"

"Yes, we all were.  But we were allowed to come back briefly to see that you get what you deserve." White Lantern Blaze said coldly.  His wings were now the purest white, but his fury at his torture remained white-hot.

"Yeah," White Lantern Gaz said, holding up a fist where a white ring was worn.  "Now let's get this done."

"Wait -- let's not forget something." White Lantern Shorty said.  He held his hand were a where his ring and Mark reacted in a strange, yet mesmorizing way.  Then he fired a beam of white energy over to the wound RAFians.  The other White Lantern RAFians did the same.  The wounds were healed.  Energy replenished.  Green Lantern Sam's ring recharged.

"Wait . . . White Lanterns can't do that," Sam said, "can they?"

"We told you," White Lantern Blue said, "we're beyond normal White Lanterns."

"Yes," said a White Lantern of considerable size and power -- Estelore.  "Now that that's done.  We need to complete our task here, guys."

Now, that RAF was whole, for now, they lined up in and prepared to attack.

[Blazing Angel]

I BLOODY KNEW IT!

[Cloak]

It wasn't because of that comic thing, Blaze.  I had this planned from the begging . . . partially to ease into what will happen in the next book -- "Corps Feelings".

[Blazing Angel]

I was still right though. ANd that;s all that matters.

That comic is the order of the stick, the best webcomic ever, in my opinion.

[Cloak]

Besides, it's a trope, isn't it?

I probably should mention that the next book is gonna be set back in present-day.  Or is that obvious?

[Estelore]

*all the happy glowing* ^_^

This turnaround pleases us much.

[Cloak]

Now that I think of it . . . Esty, you're kind of the RAFian equivalent of Mogo . . .

[Estelore]

He seems like a nice fellow. ^_^
Thanks for the comparison.

[Blazing Angel]

Now that I think of it . . . Esty, you're kind of the RAFian equivalent of Mogo . . .

0_0 you're right.

[DinosaurNothlit]

Whoa, epic twist.  This is going to be a suh-weet battle!

Kinda glad that the next book will be set in present-day, though.  While I do enjoy the dystopian feel of this book, there's just generally something about the idea of RAFians dying, that always begs to be retconned.

[Gaz]

Whoo! White Lantern! No clue what that's about....but it sounds cool.

[Blazing Angel]

Whoo! White Lantern! No clue what that's about....but it sounds cool.

In the green lantern universe, theirs another group of lanterns for every color of the rainbow.

[Cloak]

Whoo! White Lantern! No clue what that's about....but it sounds cool.

In the green lantern universe, theirs another group of lanterns for every color of the rainbow.

WHICH will be elaborated further in the next book.  Anyway, Gazzy, here's the link to the wikipedia article.

It's where the whole emotion spectrum thing comes from.

I'm not sure if I've the time to add another chapter.  But I'll try to sneak a short one in.  BTW, the next book probably won't be this long.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
A Brief Mistake

Horse saw one of the White Lanterns, shrieked, and hid behind Dino.  Why? Well, one of the White Lanterns happened to be Pootang.

Parker heaved a sigh, I knew that was a mistake, giving it a ring.

Cloak walked up to the Pootang, made a white newpaper-like light construct, and wapped Pootang smartly on the nose.  "No, Pootang!  Bad, Pootang!  Baaaaad, Pootang!"

Pootang whimpered a bit.

"You know that if you so much as even think about eating Horse, you'll lose that ring." Goom said, stomping Pootangs head a bit.  Goom, having no fingers to bear a ring, wore his around his middle.  It was rather entertaining seeing a goomba atop a large, rabid Pikachu, making skipping movements with his little goomba feet.

"You guys made the Pootang a White Lantern," Dino said, "and you thought that this might be a good idea?"

"It was a good idea at the time," White Lantern Broken said at the same time as White Lantern Ash.

"It was a good idea on paper," White Lantern Ash said at the same time as White Lantern Broken.

"Guys, focus!!" Blaze shouted.  He was still quite miffed about the torture thing.  But, really, can you blame him?  "There's still a battle to go!  Then . . . you know."

"What??" Shadow said immediately.  "Uncle, what does he mean by that?!"

"All in due time, my dear Shadow," her uncle said evasively.  "But there's a task that needs to be done.  And you've long since known your role."

"To finish Malice," Shadow said, but she wasn't so easily deterred, "but don't try to change the subject!  What did Blaze mean?!"

"Prepare youself for the battle ahead," Cloak said, gently, deliberately not answering her.

Malice had remained silent through out all this.  She apparently was in shocked that she was now at a disadvantage.  Because, while normal White Lantern rings are powered with the love of life and such, that wasn't precisely the case here.

Their rings were fuelled, powered, by these RAFians desire to save and protect their fellow RAFians and the denizens of this world, as well as topple Malice and allow Shadow do what destiny required of her.

But there was a small little string attached with this. . . .

[Sakki]

I don't even want to think of what that'll do to Dino's pootang. Sakki ish scared D:

[Cloak]

. . . Oh.  It took me a moment before realizing what you meant, Sakki.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
Shadow and Malice

And so it went.  It was discovered that the white light from the White Lanterns had a very interesting the effect on the Genedrone xenocytes and the Babistarro parasites.  Upon exposure to this light, they decide to abandon their hosts, unable to bear the light.  Of course, this just made them meat for the RAFians to destroy.  Even with this new wrinkle, it would take them hours to finish.

Then there were the ones that got reinfected when the light passed -- so naturally the White Lanterns made multiple sweeps.

Shadow, however, headed to Malice's citadel, after failing to convince her uncle to come with her.  Cloak insisted that Shadow no longer need him to hold her hand.  And that she could do this.  He had faith in her ability and skill.  He also mentioned that Shadow had better control of her emotions than he ever had.

Shadow found the citadel appearing to be deserted.  She waited for a moment, expecting that Malice was expecting her.  After a while, Shadow got impatient.  She decided that she needed to get Malice's attention.

So, Shadow made a few gestures that caused the stone-metal almalgation of the base of citadel to appear as if she sliced it with a sword.  The citadel slid to the left slightly, before falling over with a deafening "WHUMPF".

But Malice had leaped out and landed rather less gracefully than she imagined.  She still had her Maleficient cloak and staff, which had snapped in two.  Shadow had the irresistable image of Blaze giving Malice the Nelson Muntz "HA HA".

"Ah, Malice," Shadow said blithely, "so you ARE home.  I believe we have unfinished business?"

"You destroyed my citadel, you little punk!" Malice screamed.

"'Punk'?  You really can't do better than 'punk'?"

"I will kill you!"

"You can try," Shadow said, drolly, "but you will fail."

Suddenly, Malice fired a fiery blast of black and maroon energy.  Shadow easily deflected it.

"Was it something I said?" Shadow taunted, knowing that by causing Malice to focus on her rather than her armada, that her concentration on them will fracture and dissipate.

Malice roared, but Shadow wasn't remotely afraid of Malice.  "You impudent . . . arrogant . . ."

"Do you require a dictionary to finish that sentence, Malice?"

Another wild shot.  Shadow easily avoided it using her simian mobility.  Shadow still appeared not to take it seriously.  Which caused Malice to shoot hundreds of wild shots.

"Puh-thetic." Shadow said tonelessly.

Two more wild shots.

"Oh, is it my turn?" Shadow said with mock surprise.  Then Shadow proceeded to demonstrate her elemental might.  And Malice was afraid, truly afraid.

Shadow's eyes leaked out energy as she proceeded to summon her elemental powers to the very zenith of her power.  Something Cloak would be EXTREMELY reluctant to do himself.

Malice saw this and ran, apparently forgetting she could just swirl her cloak and leave right then and there.  But Shadow followed in a whirlwind sphere, and she was still in full control of herself.

Then Malice looked up, and Shadow struck. . . . And Malice was no more.