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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Maybe I missed something, but at what point did they establish that they'd gone to the future instead of the past? Sheeda etc make it more likely to be the future, but there's always the possibility of a looped universe per Futurama?

They established that when they saw the Sheeda and the weird sun.

After they saw those chances were high they came to the future.
 
in the future, everyone is Amazo, if you have the cash, and by cash I mean internet points.

And yet people still get superpowers the usual way like that people that got stuck as superpowered beasts. And is heavily hinted that while everyone is born with superpowers, 90% of them are crap Plus is quite likely downloaded powers, that were not included in the collected edition, have time limits, limiters and spyware.
 
While cool, I can't help but think that Renegade and Artemis becoming, if not time abysses, something like really seven hundred years old, does provide some challenges regarding keeping the characters relatable. Worry.
Maybe to you. This can only help Grayven's ability to relate to his marefriend.

Luna: Where've you been?
Grayven: Stuck in a library for 700 years.
Luna: Cool. I was stuck alone on the moon for a thousand years.
Grayven: Cool. Let's never do anything like that again.
Luna: Agreed.
 
I love the fact that the Librarian just nonchalantly planned to spend the rest of his life getting info for Graven, along with arranging instructions for his successor to continue his work when he dies. Good on the Sheeda for having such extensive records on a planet that kills everything it can.

That scenario makes me think of a sort of a reverse history- instead of going on about what member of your family did what "Great uncle George added the west wing to the manor, Great-Great aunt Emily comishioned that fountain..." it would consist of planing out which of your decendents would build what and then spending your life laying the foundation and having kids so you have decendents to finish it. Now I want to see a race like elves and dwarves- Known for great works and constructions that probably took ages, but not long lived, just planning for thier great great something son to be the one to lay the last brick or so. Or-heck, go the other way, have a race of mayfly like being that pull of impressive stuff via such planning, which frankly would be the only way such a species could have a civilization at all. Building even a basic shelter or group of shelters would be the work of generations.
 
Gateway (part 3)
Late Summer, IC 687

Not the fastest a new Lantern has grasped a power ring's basic functions, but far from the slowest. His actual speed in the air leaves a little to be desired, but he's understandably of two minds about this whole endeavour.

At least he's not filled with fear any longer.


"And.. that is how a man's desires affect his nature?"

"No."

"Then-. I don't understand. Why have you explained this 'Hierarchy' to me if it isn't true?"

"In the Imperial Library, how do they order the books and scrolls? Is it by the name of the author? The date? Or is it by the subject?

"For the most part, by their subject. So I should organise my desires in the same way? To… Make them more comprehensible?"

"Just so. 'Architecture' has no objective reality. Take the universe, grind it down to the finest powder and run it through the finest sieve, and you will find not a single atom of architecture. Architecture is a label we apply to a group of concepts as a shorthand. Likewise, how we classify sets of desires is irrelevant. That we do is relevant. If you have a better system, use that instead."

"No, I.. don't."

"Studying your own desires is the first step to mastering the orange light. This is how I will begin your instruction."

He glances in the direction of Alnus Hill.


"Do I have time to reflect on them adequately?"

"Throw some at me, so that I know what I'm working with."

"What's the second step?"

"Identifying and resolving contradictions. But please, Prince Diabo El Caesar, focus on the task I set you. If you die, I will have to find another, and that will be inconvenient."

"My brother?"

"I will never be that desperate. His pet rabbit on the other hand is desperate enough to obey me and heed my words. Rebuilding the Empire from ash after she has taken her revenge will be time consuming, but time is a resource I have in abundance."

We dip in the air as he
loses his focus.

"Interesting. That made you genuinely afraid. You understand that for that to happen you would be dead, and thus entirely beyond her-"

There's a flicker of light from a forest I can see in the distance. Alnus itself seems relatively quiet at the moment. Infiltrators? Commandos?

"-wrath."


"I just-. Imagined what would happen if you'd chosen her instead of me."

"I doubt that she would specifically target you. Your brother and your father, yes, but if you ran fast enough then you would probably survive. But that isn't-"

There's another flicker. Hm.

"-relevant. Stop for a moment."

Stopping, he manages easily.

"That flash of light in the forest over there. Identify it."


"A forest fire?"

"That isn't what I meant. Use this ring. Want to see it, want to know, and you will. Want it because it could be a threat, or because it could be an opportunity to advance yourself. Want it because you care about the people in this region or because you want them to care about you. But unleash your want, in whatever way you see fit."

He raises his left hand, and I.. feel it, as he wants the knowledge so that he can better understand his position. That work-.


And he feels fear and we're heading for the ground again.

"Do you want to break your legs? Because while this ring can heal your injuries, I assumed that we'd have longer before you needed that lesson."

He recovers almost instantly, his desire to keep his own hide intact having the expected effect. It was either this or strengthening his environmental shield enough to take the landing. Now, what did he see?


"It's a dragon."

"Okay."

"A giant, ancient dragon. It's burning its way through a forest village."

"Good show. Let's go and kill it."

"It's a dragon!"

"When I'd been a Lantern for a year and a half, I fought and killed an ancient, sentient, magic-using dragon who also had a ring like this one. Can I assume that the creature you are looking at is simply a large and strong reptile?"

"Very large and very strong."

"The orange light is stronger. As long as you want to be unharmed, you will be proof against fire and claw."

"And how exactly am I proof against fire and claw?"

"Imagine armour. Full plate. Imagine that the dragon is attacking you, striking you, breathing fire over you and doing its level best to kill you. Imagine that the armour is the only thing keeping you alive in the face of its assault. Hold in your mind your desire for it to stay there."

"And.. it will?"

"It will. That is the power of the orange light. Likewise, it can generate any weapon you want, and the weapon will be as strong as your desire for it to be strong."

"And you want me to fight that dragon?"

"Can you imagine arriving at the gathering of armies with a dead dragon's head in your hands? The looks on their faces? The reverence in their hearts?"

"I…"

"I know that you don't trust me. That is fine at this stage in our relationship. But please at least accept that this is far more effort than I would need to put in if I simply wanted you dead."

"I-."

"And that I have no desire to see the inside of a dragon's digestive system firsthand."

"You guarantee that I will be proof against its attacks?"

"The strength of your defences is proportionate to the strength of your desires. Try it now."

"I've been wearing armour under my clothes for years. Armour is something I know that I want."

And appear armour does, construct full plate such as a medieval knight might wear. Not something that existed in Rome where they were limited to light horse, but the Saderan Empire isn't exactly Rome. The construct isn't super strong by any means. I wouldn't want him to try fighting an apostle like this. But it'll do for a dragon.

But what about offence? He's been hiding himself in the courts for years, not drawing attention to himself for fear that he'd be executed like his eldest brother. Weapons don't come naturally to him. So, perhaps something a little different?

"Have you ever ridden a dragon?"
 
Last edited:
Late Summer, IC 687

Not the fastest a new Lantern has grasped a power ring's basic functions, but far from the slowest. His actual speed in the air leaves a little to be desired, but he's understandably of two minds about this whole endeavour.
I bet he's still flying like he's swimming, isn't he? And hey, not everyone can be as clever as you were, especially on their first day. :)

At least he's not filled with fear any longer.

"And.. that is how a man's desires affect his nature?"
Ah, explaining the hierarchy of needs, eh? I wonder, is that still expected reading in this time for new Orange Lanterns, or if they've devised better options.

"No."

"Then-. I don't understand. Why have you explained this 'Hierarchy' to me if it isn't true?"
It's a useful cheat. And it's how OL did it, so surely it'll work for others.

"In the Imperial Library, how do they order the books and scrolls? Is it by the name of the author? The date? Or is it by the subject?

"For the most part, by their subject. So I should organise my desires in the same way? To… Make them more comprehensible?"
Easier to peruse, certainly. I bet their library is still pretty unorganised within that 'subject' grouping, too. I can't stand sloppy libraries...

"Just so. 'Architecture' has no objective reality. Take the universe, grind it down to the finest powder and run it through the finest sieve, and you will find not a single atom of architecture. Architecture is a label we apply to a group of concepts as a shorthand. Likewise, how we classify sets of desires is irrelevant. That we do is relevant. If you have a better system, use that instead."

"No, I.. don't."
Paraphrasing the great Sir Terry, eh? If you've got to steal, steal from the best.

"Studying your own desires is the first step to mastering the orange light. This is how I will begin your instruction."

He glances in the direction of Alnus Hill.
He does have a point, OL. Have you been teaching so long that you've forgotten what it's like to actually be in the field, with needs pressing from all sides?

"Do I have time to reflect on them adequately?"

"Throw some at me, so that I know what I'm working with."
As if you haven't already been sifting through his Desires. I would have done that the second he put the ring on...

"What's the second step?"

"Identifying and resolving contradictions. But please, Prince Diabo El Caesar, focus on the task I set you. If you die, I will have to find another, and that will be inconvenient."
If you're lucky, it'll be a member of the JSDF teams he was fighting. And much easier to work with. But letting Diabo die would suck...

"My brother?"

"I will never be that desperate. His pet rabbit on the other hand is desperate enough to obey me and heed my words. Rebuilding the Empire from ash after she has taken her revenge will be time consuming, but time is a resource I have in abundance."
I expect it'd be harder to keep her on task, though.

We dip in the air as he loses his focus.

"Interesting. That made you genuinely afraid. You understand that for that to happen you would be dead, and thus entirely beyond her-"
Heh, his first lesson in what happens if you screw up. Thankfully, he's learning well.

There's a flicker of light from a forest I can see in the distance. Alnus itself seems relatively quiet at the moment. Infiltrators? Commandos?

"-wrath."
A JSDF scout team signalling someone? Unlikely, they're still a long way from the portal.

"I just-. Imagined what would happen if you'd chosen her instead of me."

"I doubt that she would specifically target you. Your brother and your father, yes, but if you ran fast enough then you would probably survive. But that isn't-"
Ah, that sort of blind revenge. The kind that a Red Ring would enjoy tapping into. Definitely worth ensuring one never gets close to her, then.

There's another flicker. Hm.

"-relevant. Stop for a moment."

Stopping, he manages easily.
Because it's one step from running away. And, like Rincewind, that seems to be something he has a talent for?

"That flash of light in the forest over there. Identify it."

"A forest fire?"
...Well, it could be. Especially if there's smoke too. But that's not the lesson here.

"That isn't what I meant. Use this ring. Want to see it, want to know, and you will. Want it because it could be a threat, or because it could be an opportunity to advance yourself. Want it because you care about the people in this region or because you want them to care about you. But unleash your want, in whatever way you see fit."

He raises his left hand, and I.. feel it, as he wants the knowledge so that he can better understand his position. That work-.
Okay, I know this guy isn't the best candidate around here, but seriously, is it this hard to use Orange Light? You'd think it would be the most user-friendly Light, especially if the possibility of overload were handled properly.

And he feels fear and we're heading for the ground again.

"Do you want to break your legs? Because while this ring can heal your injuries, I assumed that we'd have longer before you needed that lesson."
Let's not mention the fact that doing it without preparation (like blocking pain receptors) can hurt. A lot. Something OL learnt his first day too.

He recovers almost instantly, his desire to keep his own hide intact having the expected effect. It was either this or strengthening his environmental shield enough to take the landing. Now, what did he see?

"It's a dragon."
Well, that's hardly a problem. Perhaps you can give him a lesson in Identity Theft!

"Okay."

"A giant, ancient dragon. It's burning its way through a forest village."
Potential casualties is a definite problem. Perhaps you should do something about that, rookie.

"Good show. Let's go and kill it."

"It's a dragon!"
And? Kid, OL...

"When I'd been a Lantern for a year and a half, I fought and killed an ancient, sentient, magic-using dragon who also had a ring like this one. Can I assume that the creature you are looking at is simply a large and strong reptile?"
...What he said. On the upside, this one won't have a power ring. Unless something is very wrong.

"Very large and very strong."

"The orange light is stronger. As long as you want to be unharmed, you will be proof against fire and claw."
Just have to avoid imagining what'll happen if you don't want to not die hard enough.

"And how exactly am I proof against fire and claw?"

"Imagine armour. Full plate. Imagine that the dragon is attacking you, striking you, breathing fire over you and doing its level best to kill you. Imagine that the armour is the only thing keeping you alive in the face of its assault. Hold in you mind your desire for it to stay there."
With enough want, you will be truly invincible. Of course, Want that strong is the territory of Larfleeze and other madmen.

"And.. it will?"

"It will. That is the power of the orange light. Likewise, it can generate any weapon you want, and the weapon will be as strong as your desire for it to be strong."
I bet he can't wait to show Diabo all the cool toys he can make. Things that can pop that dragon like a soap bubble...

"And you want me to fight that dragon?"

"Can you imagine arriving at the gathering of armies with a dead dragon's head in your hands? The looks on their faces? The reverence in their hearts?"
There'll be lots of yellow, at least. Either in their hearts, or down their legs.

"I…"

"I know that you don't trust me. That is fine at this stage in our relationship. But please at least accept that this is far more effort than I would need to put in if I simply wanted you dead."
Honestly, if he wanted you dead, well... You wouldn't be wearing the ring anyway. You're more useful alive.

"I-."

"And that I have no desire to see the inside of a dragon's digestive system firsthand."
Not an image I wanted to have floating around. Especially since I know that's someone's fetish. A lot of someones, honestly.

"You guarantee that I will be proof against its attacks?"

"The strength of your defences is proportionate to the strength of your desires. Try it now."
And wanting to not die? That's a strong desire. Especially from the heart of a coward. Or at least someone who's been forced to be one all their life.

"I've been wearing armour under my clothes for years. Armour is something I know that I want."

And appear armour does, construct full plate such as a medieval knight might wear. Not something that existed in Rome where they were limited to light horse, but the Saderan Empire isn't exactly Rome. The construct isn't super strong by any means. I wouldn't want him to try fighting an apostle like this. But it'll do for a dragon.
Anachronism soup fantasy settings. Got to love them.

But what about offence? He's been hiding himself in the courts for years, not drawing attention to himself for fear that he'd be executed like his eldest brother. Weapons don't come naturally to him. So, perhaps something a little different?

"Have you ever ridden a dragon?"
A lasso? Binding nets? Or are we going straight to Branding? That's an advanced skill. This promises fun times ahead.

As expected, a cutaway. Surprising we aren't getting to see the Paragon, but I doubt we'd want to see snippets of his side of the invasion. At any rate, it's good to see the rookie settling in. With OL's expert tutelage, he'll be overthrowing his father resolving the invasion in no time!

Hold in you mind your desire for it to stay there.
Hold in your mind your desire for it to stay there.
 
Ah, explaining the hierarchy of needs, eh? I wonder, is that still expected reading in this time for new Orange Lanterns, or if they've devised better options.

They may have made a new system for teaching, but they probably still have a lot of the Hierarchy in it.

He does have a point, OL. Have you been teaching so long that you've forgotten what it's like to actually be in the field, with needs pressing from all sides?

He has been a ring for the last few years.

Ah, that sort of blind revenge.

After everything that happened to her can you blame her.

Okay, I know this guy isn't the best candidate around here, but seriously, is it this hard to use Orange Light? You'd think it would be the most user-friendly Light, especially if the possibility of overload were handled properly.

The kid just started out, it's a miracle he can even use it as well as he is now.

Well, that's hardly a problem. Perhaps you can give him a lesson in Identity Theft!

That may be a bit more advanced than what he can do now.


An he's never fought a dragon before and is rightfully scared shitless.

Just have to avoid imagining what'll happen if you don't want to not die hard enough.

Well that will be so easy(said in sarcastic voice)

Not an image I wanted to have floating around. Especially since I know that's someone's fetish. A lot of someones, honestly.

OL has been inside a giant creatures insides before.

Specifically Mother of Mercies.
 
I almost want to see this story. She's bound to be more interesting than this guy. I'm not sure Orange would be the best fit for her thou. All that Red would keep glitching her constructs :/

You know, now I'm picturing some of the other versions of Paul doing something similar to what paragon is doing here, that being traveling to other universes and giving those they deem worthy rings.

Like say Raul coming to this universe and giving that bunny girl a red ring.

Or maybe Goldie, who was similarly tortured by an evil bastard, gives her a gold ring, because she may have developed some serious willpower.
 
Hold in your mind your desire for it to stay there.
Thank you, corrected.
I almost want to see this story. She's bound to be more interesting than this guy. I'm not sure Orange would be the best fit for her thou. All that Red would keep glitching her constructs :/
More exciting, at least in the first few days. But she didn't lose a war with the Saderan Empire because she's good at building things.
 
"Just so. 'Architecture' has no objective reality. Take the universe, grind it down to the finest powder and run it through the finest sieve, and you will find not a single atom of architecture. Architecture is a label we apply to a group of concepts as a shorthand. Likewise, how we classify sets of desires is irrelevant. That we do is relevant. If you have a better system, use that instead."

Must...resist urge...to discuss...philosoThere are so many aspects of reality that only exist because we decide they exist!

Intersubjective reality, like money, country borders or human rights.

I always wonder about people saying stuff like "the universe doesn't care" or "life is objectively meaningless" because caring, meaning, beauty etc. are all clearly subjective and intersubjective things.

You need a person to care about something for it to become meaningful.

The Emotional Lights should be, by their very nature, only be able to exist within or between living things, yet exist as an objective outside force in the DC Multiverse.

Meanwhile magic is said to explicitly need living things in close proximity.

So is magic intersubjective, while emotion itself is considered a physical aspect of reality that people just "tap in to"?

So many questions!
 
More exciting, at least in the first few days. But she didn't lose a war with the Sanderan Empire because she's good at building things.

I'm pretty sure he was talking about her destroying some of the worst aspects of the Empire at least, like its Emperor and one of his children among some of those worst aspects, not about building things.

Also while I'm not all that familiar with Gate I would like to point out that just because someone lost a war that doesn't mean they aren't competent or that they're incapable of building things, it could mean the other side was more competent, better equipped, or just lucky.
 
He rehabilitated people like her before surely?

Yep he did.

Komand'r comes to mind. Thanks to him her chances of becoming an evil, warmongering warlord like her comic self are reduced.

She might still become a warmongering warlord, but not an evil one.

He could do the same for the bunny girl, and if she or Komand'r ever decided to abuse their rings and use them for unnecessary destruction and depravity then he can either just kill them and then find another user for the ring, or just give them the Melmoth treatment, a mind alteration.

Ohh and he helped Dr Blight, a person that tried to destroy the environment multiple times.

And unlike with Blight all he would have to do for bunny girl, who hasn't tried to destroy the environment, is help her to hurt a power hungry Emperor and his crazy son, and not a bunch of kids that have stopped the plans of a crazy scientist who wanted to destroy the environment.

Still surprised he didn't just alter her emotions, given everything she's done and her general personality.
 
I'm pretty sure he was talking about her destroying some of the worst aspects of the Empire at least, like its Emperor and one of his children among some of those worst aspects, not about building things.

Also while I'm not all that familiar with Gate I would like to point out that just because someone lost a war that doesn't mean they aren't competent or that they're incapable of building things, it could mean the other side was more competent, better equipped, or just lucky.
She wouldn't destroy the worst parts of the Empire. She'd destroy the entire empire and drag the few survivors off in orange chains as slaves.
 
She wouldn't destroy the worst parts of the Empire. She'd destroy the entire empire and drag the few survivors off in orange chains as slaves.
I mean... She could certainly try...

But I am pretty sure the other gods would stop in to end both her and Paul before things got to that point...
 

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