Bryan flipped the ring into the air for a few moments. Catching it, he rolled it around on his palm, looking at its emerald surface. He closed his hand around it, then slipped it onto his finger, sighing.

Switch: ^_^ Yay! He’s going to tell us!

Zackary: *Leans back in his chair, smirking* So we get to hear how Bryan was a superhero…

Tal: *Crosses his arms* This should be good.

Xiu/Reala: *Take each other on in a heated match of Jan Ken Pon*

Bryan: Hmm… *Looks at the ring, then rubs his forehead.* Do I have to?

Everyone: *Facefaults*

Switch: *Leans up against him, purring* Pleeeeeaaaaaaaase? *Bats her eyelashes*

Bryan: =\… -_- all right. *Sips some sake* It happened like this…

The Cataclysm wasn’t too long ago, and still fresh in my memory. I drifted through dimensions alone, empty, without purpose.

This new form that I had come upon was still baffling, and I didn’t know what it could fully do. My body had become a sort of energy sync, absorbing all it could to fill the void that had once been my soul.

I had taken in the raw power of entire stars… derelict, of course. I couldn’t bring myself to go near anything living. But it still was not enough. Eventually, I drifted to a dead planet. Its atmosphere was nearly gone, and there was no life anywhere. Not even bacteria.

I might be able to stay here, I thought to myself.

After a bit of exploration, I concluded that the planet used to be Class M. But from the acidic bits of atmosphere that still clung to the dead heap of rock, one would assume that a large asteroid, probably composed of hydrogen chloride or some other acid, had impacted the planet, vaporizing on contact.

It was rather easy to tell, as the little atmosphere left ate away the last shreds of clothes I wore.

The planet itself wasn’t very large, but it had a tremendous gravity, gravity that hardly affected me. Being rather small, it didn’t take that long to explore the entire planet. I found nothing. Anything that had been there was now gone. A completely desolate ghost planet… no life whatsoever.

I fell to my knees, and then collapsed forward onto my face. Perhaps… perhaps here I can finally rest…

As my eyes were closing, they caught a glint of something polished, catching the light of the faraway star the planet orbited. Reaching out, I discovered it to be a ring, emerald in color, and composed of some sort of crystal. Closing my hand around it, I let my head fall limply to the ground, unconsciousness swallowing me.

It was night, somewhere in the western United States. A crescent moon hung in the sky; cradled by the glowing blue stars, and shedding it’s benign light upon the dessert. A train ran along a railroad, billowing steam and chugging along a track. It approached a bridge over a ravine.

It began here. On Earth at least… for the most part… It began here.

KAH-THOOOOOOOOOOOM

The train, while passing over the bridge, suddenly exploded, for reasons unknown. Fiery debris rained down into the ravine, the cars, engulfed in flames, falling down into the water.

It was an object inadvertently delivered from ancient days long ago. Three times would it flame green; with each, it would fulfill a promise. It first delivered death. Then it gave life. It had waited centuries to come this far and it would wait even a millennium to deliver its third promise.

A single man, weak and weary, stumbled away from the wreckage. Miraculously, he was unharmed, though disoriented, his clothes tattered and hanging like rags from his form. He trudged toward a light, shining brighter than even the moon. Its color was green, but the man thought that the crash had maybe messed up his vision.

For the third gift was power. It knew that the recipient had to be of the purest heart. Noblest spirit. And indomitable will.

The man grabbed hold of the source of light, lifting it up before him, bathing himself in emerald light.

It did not need to wait a thousand years. The last prophecy came to fruition. The power had found a bearer. He is Alan Scott. And the power is the Green Lantern.

Alan grabbed the strange lantern with both hands, holding it up before himself. Green fire flared all around it, yet its touch did not burn him. He gazed into the light, the fire encompassing him, drawing him in… it seemed as though his body had been turned to ash underneath the green flame.

On that day old forces, fate, and the strength of one man came together… and made a hero. Bearing the name of the magic that fuels him… it began. With this power he protected the defenseless. Battled evil in all shapes and forms. He fought wars. Alan Scott still takes to the skies. He watches us all.

Gripping the control stick tightly, dressed in a flight suit, he gritted his teeth against the force. He sat in a replica of a jet cockpit, currently activated and throwing his senses into disarray. Across his helmet was stamped “Hal Jordan. Ferris Aircraft.”

Arrogant. Quick-tempered. Headstrong. And at the same time possessing nerves of steel. A cool head in the face of danger. Lightning reflexes… and a strong will.

“Biff, just less back talk and more simulated flight chatter, okay?”

A voice crackled over the comm. “Will do, Falcon, over.”

Hal squinted against the g-force, setting his jaw. “Damnit—Biff, this was a stupid idea—I’m half a step away from blacking out—shouldn’t have left the hospital—dials are all mush—shut it down.”

“My heart bleeds, Jordan. Tower requests your DC.”

“I’m going to abort.”

TA-TOK. POK. POK. POK.

Was someone watching the simulator, they would see the pod disconnecting from the frame, the bands snapping apart.

“Biff? What the hell are you—“ His eyes gave away a sense of panic, and for good reason.

“Nice, Jordan, I’m not getting any readings. Did you abort or did you hit the kill switch? This was your-- What? What are you yelling about, Davis? Look where? I—good God… how’d he do that?”

The simulator pod had broken free, and smashed through the hangar wall, flying off into the distance.

Logic and order. That is what the Guardians sought to maintain. After generations of personal failings, this race of powerful immortals began to take action. The succeeded in creating The Corps.

The pod slammed into the ground, meters away from a wrecked craft, in the middle of the dessert. Hal climbed out, half-conscious, and slowly made his way towards something that could not have been made by humans. Inside, he came upon a man, broken, bleeding, jagged metal sticking from his chest. His bright red skin made Hal think he had been burnt in some sort of flash. A green aura encircled the being.

This was Abin Sur. Green Lantern, space sector 2814. The Corps is the root to all logic and order. The Corps is the maintainer of life and the guardian of truth. The Corps is without fear. Without anger or corruption.

Hal approached Abin, recoiling as his uninjured eye opened, focusing on him.

The Corps has battled against the forces of evil and Chaos for a millennium.

The ring on Abin’s finger flew off, and settled itself on Hal’s. Hal looked shocked, stumbling backwards.

To serve is the ultimate honor. The ring sought him out, recognizing his potential. Knowing that fear is merely in the mind.

The green aura enveloped Hal, replacing his flightsuit with a formfitting black, green, and white uniform.

If one wills it, they can overcome fear, doubt, recklessness… they can wield power with a disciplined hand. The ring chose him.

And one of the greatest warriors to ever bear the burden was born. And there would be others.

Hal stood on top of a building in a New York neighborhood, next to one of the Guardians. He was a short blue-skinned man, with a receding hair line, white hair, and a large head. His red robe fluttered in the wind. Hal was looking at him with surprise.

“Him? Really?” He motioned down to the sidewalk below.

“You question our decision? With what cause, Lantern?”

Below them, a young black boy and an old man sat out front of a store, playing dominoes on a small folding table. Two policemen were there, one eating a bagel, the other telling the two off. “Don’t make me tell you again-- move it along. You’re blocking the sidewalk.”

“Who are they hurting, officer?”

John Stewart.

A black man in his late 20’s stood on the street corner. He lifted an eyebrow, addressing the officer. “I’ll admit that I’m no expert but I don’t believe there’s a law against playing dominoes on the street corner.”

The policeman’s face gave away his anger. “You want trouble?” he growled.

John crossed his arms. “No. Do you?”

Above, the Guardian addressed Hal once more. “He has all the due qualifications. We are not interested in your petty bigotries…”

Hal was taken aback. “Hey-- that’s not what I meant. It’s just obvious that he’s got a chip on his shoulder the size of the Rock of Gibraltar. I’m not sure that he has the proper temperament to be a Green Lantern.”

“Our judgment stands.”

Later, inside the store, which was a soda fountain, Hal sat with John.

John leaned back against the counter, grinning. “Okay. I’m in.”

Hal reached out to shake his hand, which John did. “Glad to hear it. Welcome to the Corps.”

“The what?”

Persistent and questioning, John Stewart’s tour of duty was a challenge for him. Nevertheless, he was exemplary. And amid the Crisis of Infinite Earths came another. Through a twist of fate the original candidate chosen to accept Abin Sur’s mantle-- was passed over.

Fate intervened again and a new Lantern was born. He was Guy Gardner.

A red-haired man, dressed in green clothes bearing the Green Lantern crest, stood in the center of a large council room. Around the perimeter of the room sat the Guardians themselves.

One of them spoke. “We now offer you the ring of power—will you accept? Will you use it as our soldier? Will you become a Green Lantern?”

With an affirmative, Guy raised the ring over his head, letting out an enthusiastic whoop. Some time later, Guy could again be seen, this time reclining in a chair bearing Batman’s crest, surrounded by his ring’s creations. Power Girl was fanning him with a large palm leaf, and Wonder Woman brought him a tray bearing a mug of beer, and a bucket of miniature wine bottles.

Ever the rogue, ever the egotist, but at the end of the day, he could always be regarded as a hero.

Countless Green Lanterns floated through the space above the planet Oa, drifting… dead.

Years later came the trouble times. The darkest hour of the long journey. When so many saviors of the universe, so many great protectors… fell.

On Oa’s surface, near the Central Power Battery, great explosions of green light were given off. Hal Jordan, older now, grey patches clearly visible at his temples, was fighting another Lantern. Hal was battle-torn, and breathing raggedly. Pinning the other Lantern’s feet in a set of restraints, Hal knocked him out with a blast from his ring. Stepping heavily towards him, Hal created a knife, and jammed it into the last Lantern.

The day the Corps died… at the hands of its brightest star. Driven mad by grief, the great Hal Jordan destroyed the very thing that had defined him. Or perhaps, the greatest part of him perished along with the millions who died in his home city. What was left only wanted retribution. It only desired vengeance.

Hal flew up, and into the Central Power Battery. The light emanating from it ceased… before a glowing figure, encased in green flame, erupted from the lens.

The Corps was no more. And Parallax was born.

I shook myself. I watched Parallax zoom off through space, away from the deadened planet. Hanging in space, unharmed, it was as if I was in the middle of a full-environmental immersion playback. I noticed the ring from before was on his finger. The same ring that the Green Lanterns I had witnessed wore.

“WhAt iS yOuR pUrPoSe? YoU aRe nOt Of ThIs PlAnE…”

Spinning around, I found myself face-to-face with a… a ghost? It was in the form of a man, at least, with pale grey skin, a green cape and cowl, and matching mask. An open circle was on his chest, spouting green flame. And aura of the same energy surrounded him.

I opened my mouth slowly, then shut it. There were several conflicting thoughts and emotions firing around in my mind. I decided to speak. “My… my name is Bryan. Bryan Amethyst. Who are you? Where am I?”

“I… aM kNoWn As ThE sPeCtRe. YoU hAvE fAlLeN iNtO tHe TiMeStReAm… I aM cOnCeRnEd… ArE yOu HeRe As An ObSeRvEr Of ThEsE eVeNtS… oR dO yOu PlAn To Be A pArTiCiPaNt?”

We floated in the void of space for a few moments. Speaking, lately, was not one of my strongest points. Wandering aimlessly between realms alone didn’t warrant much conversation. I wasn’t sure how, but I could sense that this Spectre was a very powerful being. Again, I spoke to him. “I’m not here to change anything…” My voice took on a more bitter tone, “I’m here because I couldn’t change anything.”

Spectre remained silent, regarding me. He looked familiar, somehow. When he spoke, it was clear that he had scanned my thoughts. “I wAs OnCe HaL jOrDaN. tHe RiNg On YoUr FiNgEr PuLlEd YoU aLoNg ThIs… ReTeLlInG oF eVeNtS, iNaDvErTeNtLy. YoU aRe LoSt?”

I looked away for a moment, searching the abyss of space, finding nothing. “Yes. You’ve no idea.”

This time, I felt something. As if a slight breeze, only through my mind. He was scanning it again.

“I dO kNoW, nOw. Do YoU wIsH tO rEcEiVe GuIdAnCe?”

I lifted my eyes to his. They were white, blank, and unreadable. His expression was benign, and he gave off no feelings of malice. With a slight nod, I felt myself being pulled forward, slipping through space-time. Without warning, my feet hit ground, and my legs crumpled underneath me.

I lay on my back, on a smooth pavement, of something like marble. It was cool, and relaxing. For once in a time longer than I cared to remember, I was able to relax. The air was clean, and the clearest azure blue you could imagine. I closed my eyes, and when I reopened them, a blue face filled my vision.

I gave a surprised yell, and scrambled away. The blue face, attached to a small blue-skinned boy, also gave a yell and ran, hiding behind one of the bushes lining the paved way. After a moment, he peeked out from behind at me with large, shining emerald eyes. He had white hair, falling down to near shoulder-length.

We stared at each other for another few minutes, before he cautiously walked out. He was wearing a toga-like draping of white cloth, with a rectangular green symbol stamped on it. Approaching, he smiled.

I smiled back, sitting up straight. He came over to me, holding out his tiny hand. “Come?” he asked.

I took his hand gently, and stood. He laughed delightedly, then ran off, myself in tow.

“Come! Come to Papoo!”

Papoo. A rather whimsical-sounding title, I thought. But I didn’t know who or what Papoo was. Until we reached a large park-like clearing, filled with other children like himself, male and female, all seated on a lawn of soft grass. All eyes turned to the child and me. A solid gaze of emerald followed us, as he led me to the center of the clearing where, seated upon a platform, sat a Guardian.

He looked surprised, putting down a tablet he was reading from. He, like all the children, had emerald eyes, and white hair, though his was long and tied back in a ponytail. He smiled as the child brought me forward.

“Papoo, look who I found!”

‘Papoo’ patted the child on his head, then beckoned him to join his fellows. He looked at me, then the ring on my finger. “I am Ganthet. Who, may  I ask, are you?”

“My name is Bryan Amethyst. I was brought here by… the Spectre.”

Ganthet raised his eyebrows, and looked at the ring on my finger once more. He beckoned me forward, and took hold of my hand, lifting it to examine the ring. “By all the stars in the cosmos… another survived.”

I was about to ask what it had survived, and then it came back to me. Parallax. The Corps.

“How did you come to find this?” Ganthet now wore a quizzical look.

“It was on a desolate planet, one that had been struck by an asteroid, and died.”

Ganthet stroked his chin. “Were you not suitable, you could not be wearing that ring right now. I suppose… I have found the first candidate for the new Corps. That is… if you will accept.”

Blinking, surprised, I was suddenly aware of the murmurings of the children all around. They were all watching intently, almost excitedly. I lifted my hand, to look at the ring.

“I accept.”

Ganthet smiled widely, and the children all clapped and cheered in pleasure. “Welcome to New Oa.”

Weeks were spent in training, mastering the ring’s capabilities. I learned more about the Guardians, and the source of the Green Lantern’s power. Ganthet also told me of the supposedly last Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner. I spent time with the children, helping Ganthet care for them. Ganthet also helped me learn to control my new form, halting the violent influx of energy.

My new form. Silver hair, eyes ironically the same as my name, amethyst. I was shorter, younger-looking, and much more confused. Until I could find something else to fill the void inside me, I was infused with the green flame. I would not be given a specific sector, as I was not actually from this universe, but finally the day came when Ganthet decided my training was complete.

We all were gathered in the center of the city, in front of an enormous statue of Hal Jordan, who was holding the Central Power Battery. Engraved in the base was a message of hope.

Light Never Dies.

I looked up at Hal, unable to keep myself from smiling. I was at peace, and had found a new purpose. Ganthet approached me, holding a lantern-shaped Power Battery.

“This shall be your conduit, your connection to the Central Power Battery, your connection to Oa.” He handed it to me. “Wield this for me, for yourself, but most importantly for those you shall uplift and protect.” Ganthet glanced around to the children. “I hereby appoint you Green Lantern, Bryan Amethyst.”

The children all laughed and giggled, cheering me. I smiled more broadly, rising into the air. I stopped in front of the lens of the Central Power Battery, and lifted my ring hand, holding the lantern, to point right at it. The lantern suddenly changed shape, suited to my preference.

The Central Power Battery’s lens flared to life, the green energy reaching out to meet my outstretched ring. Taking a deep breath, I recited the oath, officially activating my ring.