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Chapter 350: Why Did the Emotional Entity Surrender First?
The Yellow Lanterns who had come to Planet Avadel were all dumbfounded. What they were experiencing was likely the most bizarre situation in the hundreds of millions of years since the Emotional Spectrum was discovered—
—being chased all over the sky by their own Emotional Entity.
The Yellow Lantern Emotional Entity, Parallax. The embodiment of the concept of fear, the incarnation of the very source of fear energy used by the Yellow Lanterns. It should have been the trump card for the Yellow Lantern faction in this war, yet the reality was that this venerable being had appeared and, without a second word, started chasing and biting them.
Two of the Yellow Lanterns had no chance to react. They were still in a daze when Parallax swallowed them in one gulp. The protective yellow light force field around their bodies was completely useless against it—and that was no exaggeration.
Wrapping oneself in Yellow Lantern energy as a protective force field in front of Parallax was about as effective as slathering oneself in mayonnaise before being eaten.
"Counterattack! All units, counterattack!"
A Yellow Lantern roared. Only then did the remaining Yellow Lanterns snap out of it, hastily unleashing a concentrated barrage of firepower at Parallax.
However, the effect of blasting Parallax with a Yellow Power Ring was predictable. The harder they attacked, the more it enjoyed it.
Ever since following that guy with two lightbulbs for eyes, Parallax had been chronically malnourished. After being blasted to smithereens and having to reform last time, it had been starving and never had a full meal. Now, with someone bombarding it with fear energy, it couldn't be happier. It looked at the little yellow figures flitting through the sky as if sizing up a pile of lively, fresh ingredients. It was so tantalizing, it was enough to make a child drool.
While an Emotional Entity held almost complete dominance over Lanterns of the same spectrum, it wasn't absolute. For example, Hal Jordan could surpass the Green Lantern Emotional Entity, Ion, with his willpower, and Sinestro, though merely a Yellow Lantern wielder, had once forcibly subdued Parallax and bent it to his will.
Realizing their attacks were utterly useless, the Yellow Lanterns turned and fled. As they ran, someone shouted with a tearful voice, "This isn't right! Parallax is our Emotional Entity! Shouldn't it be on our side?"
The war between green and yellow was on the verge of breaking out, the all-out war hadn't even begun, and their own Emotional Entity had betrayed them? What the hell was this?
We, your subjects, were about to fight to the death; why did Your Majesty surrender first?
"How the hell would I know?" the Yellow Lantern leader yelled. "Less talk, just run, or else—Arghhh!!!"
A cloud of yellow mist caught up from behind, instantly engulfing the leader. His force field shattered in an instant, his flesh dissolved and his bones pulverized. Even his Power Ring seemed to dissolve into a part of that yellow mist and vanish.
"Lead—er—" a Yellow Lantern shrieked, his voice filled with anguish.
...
A few moments later, when a fully satiated Parallax appeared before the Guardian and the Green Lanterns, everyone on this side was also stunned.
Several Green Lanterns, out of professional instinct, immediately raised their Power Rings, ready to fight for their lives. That is, until they discovered that Parallax had no hostile intent... no, that wasn't quite right. It would be more accurate to say that Parallax completely ignored them, as if they were invisible.
The entity flew straight to Orin Vale and lay down before him, quiet and well-behaved.
It didn't look like an Emotional Entity that had just slaughtered an entire squad of Yellow Lanterns. Instead, it resembled a husky that had just brought a frisbee back to its master.
The entire squad of Green Lanterns looked at each other in bewilderment, seeing a similar thought reflected in each other's shocked eyes—
—Am I seeing things? I must've gotten up too fast...
Hal's eyes widened. "Is that... Parallax?"
"It is," Orin Vale nodded.
Hal remained in disbelief. "The Emotional Entity of Fear."
"The genuine article."
Even the Power Ring's scan confirmed this result.
But with its identity confirmed, Hal was even more confused.
"So, aren't we about to go to war with the Fear Spectrum?" Hal asked blankly. "So shouldn't it... uh... I mean, be on the other side?"
Upon hearing this, Parallax's hackles instantly rose. It leaped up and let out a strange howl at Hal, baring its fangs and claws with great ferocity.
Its meaning was probably: Slander! How dare you sully my good name out of thin air?
I, Parallax, hereby solemnly declare that I have never participated in any operation involving that Sinestro person or the Yellow Lantern Corps. I am not aware of any of their evil plans, nor have I ever been in contact with the leader of that evil gang.
I hereby make this statement to draw a clear line!
The Green Lanterns: "..."
Wait a minute, you're an Emotional Entity, the Incarnation of Fear!
Is this behavior, this vibe, really appropriate?
But after speaking, Parallax lay back down, projecting an air of being too lazy to waste any more words on these puny mortals.
Hmph, mortals. Such a narrow perspective.
If one does not first learn fear, how can one become the Incarnation of Fear?
"There's no need to be so tense," Orin Vale said. "I know your Green Lantern Corps has always been prejudiced against the yellow spectrum, but the truth is, fear is also an indispensable part of reality."
"Yellow and green are both just parts of the laws of reality. Whether a power is good or evil depends only on the one who wields it."
"The same is true for Parallax. It only represents the rules of fear and cannot be judged by simple standards of good and evil. I've communicated with Parallax. It now agrees that the universal spectrum needs to achieve balance, and the powers of the seven lights must work together to face the prophecy of ruin. Both positive and negative spectrums are indispensable."
This was indeed the truth. Parallax itself was not evil. Even the world-destroying boss of the Blackest Night, Nekron, could only be said to stand on the opposite side of life, not judged as "evil." They were all part of the rules that constitute reality.
Eliminating either fear or death would cause reality itself to collapse.
This line of reasoning was acceptable. But to say that Parallax had agreed to join their camp and work together to fight the prophecy was a bit too surreal for the Green Lanterns' understanding.
Thus, several Green Lanterns couldn't help but cast suspicious gazes at Parallax.
Hal frowned and asked, "Is that really true?"
Parallax quickly raised its head, craned its neck, and shouted, "Yessss—"
The Green Lanterns: "..."
So this was the kind of being the Emotional Entity of Fear was.
Somehow, everyone suddenly felt their image of an Emotional Entity was a little shattered.
"Alright, is this everyone present?"
Orin Vale glanced around at the Lanterns.
Hal nodded. "This is everyone I brought. Thanks to your timely arrival, there were no casualties."
"Good. Then let's continue on our way."
As Orin Vale spoke, he was already taking flight.
Only then did everyone suddenly remember—wasn't he originally planning to follow the Guardian to Oa?
Continuing on to Oa now, didn't that mean...
The Green Lanterns' gazes involuntarily fell upon Parallax.
This thing is coming with us?
At this, everyone's expressions became complicated.
It was one thing for you, an unrelated person, to go sightseeing in a Green Lantern military restricted area, but bringing this thing along too? Wasn't that going too far?
Seemingly sensing their dilemma, Orin Vale waved his hand. "Oh, it doesn't have to go inside. It can just wait outside the interstellar port for a while. It'll be fine."
Parallax nodded repeatedly, indicating that it was no problem, no problem at all. *You go handle your business, I'll just float in space for a bit. I won't wander off, I promise.*
The Green Lanterns no longer knew what expression to make.
And so, their gazes all turned to the only Guardian present.
In the end, the Guardians were the masters of Oa; they were just working for them. In a matter like this, they just had to listen to what their leader said.
The Guardian looked at the huge lump that was Parallax, then at Orin Vale. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself several times.
But after opening his mouth a few times, he finally closed it, shook his head, and indicated that he had no objections.
*Forget it. Whatever. Anything is fine.*
*As long as you're happy.*
(end of chapter)
The Yellow Lanterns who had come to Planet Avadel were all dumbfounded. What they were experiencing was likely the most bizarre situation in the hundreds of millions of years since the Emotional Spectrum was discovered—
—being chased all over the sky by their own Emotional Entity.
The Yellow Lantern Emotional Entity, Parallax. The embodiment of the concept of fear, the incarnation of the very source of fear energy used by the Yellow Lanterns. It should have been the trump card for the Yellow Lantern faction in this war, yet the reality was that this venerable being had appeared and, without a second word, started chasing and biting them.
Two of the Yellow Lanterns had no chance to react. They were still in a daze when Parallax swallowed them in one gulp. The protective yellow light force field around their bodies was completely useless against it—and that was no exaggeration.
Wrapping oneself in Yellow Lantern energy as a protective force field in front of Parallax was about as effective as slathering oneself in mayonnaise before being eaten.
"Counterattack! All units, counterattack!"
A Yellow Lantern roared. Only then did the remaining Yellow Lanterns snap out of it, hastily unleashing a concentrated barrage of firepower at Parallax.
However, the effect of blasting Parallax with a Yellow Power Ring was predictable. The harder they attacked, the more it enjoyed it.
Ever since following that guy with two lightbulbs for eyes, Parallax had been chronically malnourished. After being blasted to smithereens and having to reform last time, it had been starving and never had a full meal. Now, with someone bombarding it with fear energy, it couldn't be happier. It looked at the little yellow figures flitting through the sky as if sizing up a pile of lively, fresh ingredients. It was so tantalizing, it was enough to make a child drool.
While an Emotional Entity held almost complete dominance over Lanterns of the same spectrum, it wasn't absolute. For example, Hal Jordan could surpass the Green Lantern Emotional Entity, Ion, with his willpower, and Sinestro, though merely a Yellow Lantern wielder, had once forcibly subdued Parallax and bent it to his will.
Realizing their attacks were utterly useless, the Yellow Lanterns turned and fled. As they ran, someone shouted with a tearful voice, "This isn't right! Parallax is our Emotional Entity! Shouldn't it be on our side?"
The war between green and yellow was on the verge of breaking out, the all-out war hadn't even begun, and their own Emotional Entity had betrayed them? What the hell was this?
We, your subjects, were about to fight to the death; why did Your Majesty surrender first?
"How the hell would I know?" the Yellow Lantern leader yelled. "Less talk, just run, or else—Arghhh!!!"
A cloud of yellow mist caught up from behind, instantly engulfing the leader. His force field shattered in an instant, his flesh dissolved and his bones pulverized. Even his Power Ring seemed to dissolve into a part of that yellow mist and vanish.
"Lead—er—" a Yellow Lantern shrieked, his voice filled with anguish.
...
A few moments later, when a fully satiated Parallax appeared before the Guardian and the Green Lanterns, everyone on this side was also stunned.
Several Green Lanterns, out of professional instinct, immediately raised their Power Rings, ready to fight for their lives. That is, until they discovered that Parallax had no hostile intent... no, that wasn't quite right. It would be more accurate to say that Parallax completely ignored them, as if they were invisible.
The entity flew straight to Orin Vale and lay down before him, quiet and well-behaved.
It didn't look like an Emotional Entity that had just slaughtered an entire squad of Yellow Lanterns. Instead, it resembled a husky that had just brought a frisbee back to its master.
The entire squad of Green Lanterns looked at each other in bewilderment, seeing a similar thought reflected in each other's shocked eyes—
—Am I seeing things? I must've gotten up too fast...
Hal's eyes widened. "Is that... Parallax?"
"It is," Orin Vale nodded.
Hal remained in disbelief. "The Emotional Entity of Fear."
"The genuine article."
Even the Power Ring's scan confirmed this result.
But with its identity confirmed, Hal was even more confused.
"So, aren't we about to go to war with the Fear Spectrum?" Hal asked blankly. "So shouldn't it... uh... I mean, be on the other side?"
Upon hearing this, Parallax's hackles instantly rose. It leaped up and let out a strange howl at Hal, baring its fangs and claws with great ferocity.
Its meaning was probably: Slander! How dare you sully my good name out of thin air?
I, Parallax, hereby solemnly declare that I have never participated in any operation involving that Sinestro person or the Yellow Lantern Corps. I am not aware of any of their evil plans, nor have I ever been in contact with the leader of that evil gang.
I hereby make this statement to draw a clear line!
The Green Lanterns: "..."
Wait a minute, you're an Emotional Entity, the Incarnation of Fear!
Is this behavior, this vibe, really appropriate?
But after speaking, Parallax lay back down, projecting an air of being too lazy to waste any more words on these puny mortals.
Hmph, mortals. Such a narrow perspective.
If one does not first learn fear, how can one become the Incarnation of Fear?
"There's no need to be so tense," Orin Vale said. "I know your Green Lantern Corps has always been prejudiced against the yellow spectrum, but the truth is, fear is also an indispensable part of reality."
"Yellow and green are both just parts of the laws of reality. Whether a power is good or evil depends only on the one who wields it."
"The same is true for Parallax. It only represents the rules of fear and cannot be judged by simple standards of good and evil. I've communicated with Parallax. It now agrees that the universal spectrum needs to achieve balance, and the powers of the seven lights must work together to face the prophecy of ruin. Both positive and negative spectrums are indispensable."
This was indeed the truth. Parallax itself was not evil. Even the world-destroying boss of the Blackest Night, Nekron, could only be said to stand on the opposite side of life, not judged as "evil." They were all part of the rules that constitute reality.
Eliminating either fear or death would cause reality itself to collapse.
This line of reasoning was acceptable. But to say that Parallax had agreed to join their camp and work together to fight the prophecy was a bit too surreal for the Green Lanterns' understanding.
Thus, several Green Lanterns couldn't help but cast suspicious gazes at Parallax.
Hal frowned and asked, "Is that really true?"
Parallax quickly raised its head, craned its neck, and shouted, "Yessss—"
The Green Lanterns: "..."
So this was the kind of being the Emotional Entity of Fear was.
Somehow, everyone suddenly felt their image of an Emotional Entity was a little shattered.
"Alright, is this everyone present?"
Orin Vale glanced around at the Lanterns.
Hal nodded. "This is everyone I brought. Thanks to your timely arrival, there were no casualties."
"Good. Then let's continue on our way."
As Orin Vale spoke, he was already taking flight.
Only then did everyone suddenly remember—wasn't he originally planning to follow the Guardian to Oa?
Continuing on to Oa now, didn't that mean...
The Green Lanterns' gazes involuntarily fell upon Parallax.
This thing is coming with us?
At this, everyone's expressions became complicated.
It was one thing for you, an unrelated person, to go sightseeing in a Green Lantern military restricted area, but bringing this thing along too? Wasn't that going too far?
Seemingly sensing their dilemma, Orin Vale waved his hand. "Oh, it doesn't have to go inside. It can just wait outside the interstellar port for a while. It'll be fine."
Parallax nodded repeatedly, indicating that it was no problem, no problem at all. *You go handle your business, I'll just float in space for a bit. I won't wander off, I promise.*
The Green Lanterns no longer knew what expression to make.
And so, their gazes all turned to the only Guardian present.
In the end, the Guardians were the masters of Oa; they were just working for them. In a matter like this, they just had to listen to what their leader said.
The Guardian looked at the huge lump that was Parallax, then at Orin Vale. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself several times.
But after opening his mouth a few times, he finally closed it, shook his head, and indicated that he had no objections.
*Forget it. Whatever. Anything is fine.*
*As long as you're happy.*
(end of chapter)
