Author's Note: I've been working on another Dante's Inferno Crossover and I figured I had it in me to another one on the side. Please note that this is a one-shot that will not have a continuation. It's just something I did as an afterthought. Be sure to tell me what you think in your reviews!

Holier Light

As Dante Alighieri made the lone journey back home from the sun and blood-soaked lands of Acre and Jerusalem, he found his silent trip taking a detour through some dense woodlands. The trees stood so closely to each other that their tops brushed up against one another. A light fog seemed to dance across the ground, and as Dante rode his horse through the maw of the woods, he felt a rapidly growing sense of trepidation almost immediately. A part of Dante wanted to turn back around as fast as he could manage it, but he also knew that this was the only way back home, unless he wanted to go around the forest, which would take twice as long at least. And that would mean twice as long away from Beatrice.

Beatrice. He should never have left her. He realized that now. The more he'd lost himself to the insanity and bloodlust of the Crusade the more he missed the comfort of Beatrice's company, and of the stability of his life at home. He should have hung up the axe for good. Become a poet like he'd always wanted to be…

But fate had other plans for him.

As he continued to ride through the forest alone, Dante's ears picked up the faintest of sounds. Looking about, he could see a wolf trot through the forest, not appearing to be after anything in particular. It stopped briefly to look at Dante, who's heart froze as he saw it stare at him. There was something to the animal's eyes, something unnatural, that compelled him to move forward and away from the hound that looked at him in such a way.

Passing forward through what seemed like a labyrinth of muscular trees, Dante eventually found his vision become clouded. But not by fog. Rather, he soon realized by the smell and the thickness of it, smoke. Turning his head to the direction the smoke was emanating from, Dante followed it against his better judgment, curiosity and a sense of foreboding both beckoning him to go ever further despite common sense dictating that he stay away from the source.

And then he saw it.

There in a crater formed by it's impact was a large metal object that Dante did not recognize, nor could he imagine anything remotely close to it in appearance. It sparkled with what appeared to the eye as miniature bolts of lightning and broken glass littered the area near it along with broken off pieces of the thing's hull. In all it was the strangest thing Dante had ever seen and for the life of him he could not identify it or fathom where it had come from. Then he turned to the left of the crash and saw an even more incredible sight still.

There, lying slumped up against a tree was a gaunt figure that looked like a man but with a color of skin that no human had. It was a very dark pink, and the figure's eyes were a piercing green that matched the color of his attire, which was largely a dark green with some black. A purple-colored blood trickled out of his mouth and also spilled out of his side, with the figure trying in vain to keep it at bay with his hand, which was now colored purple too.

Dante stared in shock at the figure for what felt like minutes on end. What was this strange being? Obviously it was no human, though it did have the build of one. What was it then? A demon? That would certainly explain the skin tone and the blood. But never had Dante imagined a demon to look like this. Of course after all that had happened recently Dante had certainly had much cause to question that which he thought he knew about his faith.

Extending it's other hand weakly, the figure beckoned Dante to come to him. "You...please...come to me"

"Who are you strange creature? What is that thing you came from?"

"I am...Abin Sur. I crash-landed on your planet after a battle with the Five Inversions"

"What do you mean 'crash-landed'. Are you saying you come from the Heavens above? Are you an angel cast out of heaven?"

Abin Sur shook his head. "No, I am neither Angel nor Demon. I am from a place called Korugar. But that is of no consequence now. I am dying human. I cannot go on, and I need someone to continue where I have left off"

"What do you mean?"

With some strain, Abin Sur held out his hand once again. This time Dante saw something he had failed to notice before: a green ring worn over one of his fingers. From this ring came a light of identical color and then a larger bright light that manifested in-between Dante and Abin Sur. From this Dante felt he could see the vastness of space all squeezed into this one light, before then out of the light came something else: a green lantern.

The lantern floated on it's own to Abin Sur, who took it with his ring-hand. "Listen to me now human, and listen carefully. For what I am about to tell you will seem unbelievable. I am what is called a Green Lantern. One of the sworn protectors of the universe. We maintain peace with the ring you see on my finger. It has the power to create anything you can conceive, limited only by your imagination. It's power is maintained via this lantern, from which we get our name. Now that I am to die, it falls on another to carry on where I have left off"

Dante simply stood there as he heard all of this. Much of it was beyond his ability to understand, so he made no attempt at understanding it. The rest sounded like downright babbling, and to hear the Bishop of Florence put it blasphemy. There was no intelligent life beyond the Earth. There couldn't be. Could there?

And yet here was something that had come from the stars. A protector no less. In essence Dante thought, a knight. A knight whose loyalty was not to a lord or king but rather to the cosmos itself. Dante was forced to admit that the premise was an admirable one. But could it be true?

Abin Sur spoke again, this time more softly as what little remained of his life began to leave him.

"I urge you to...take the ring. Use it's power...to defend your world and the universe. Become...a Green Lantern…"

"But I do not know how to wield such power" Dante protested. But Abin Sur ignored him and gave the former Crusader his ring, as well as the lantern.

"Worry not. The Guardians will…"

But before Abin Sur could finish his will finally gave out and in an instant his eyes closed and he was gone from this world. Dante could feel his death, and was struck by how much it affected him. In just the few moments he had known this being Dante had already felt a connection that was now severed before it had ever had a chance to thrive.

And now here were two items of supposedly great power that belonged to him. What was he to do with them though? He still did not know how to use them. The pink-skinned man had spoken of "Guardians" but had expired before he could elaborate. Judging from what he had been about to say Dante assumed that they would somehow contact him, and instruct him in how to properly use his power. But when would this happen? Would it ever happen?

Furthermore, Dante was beginning to question whether or not he should even trust a word of what the being had told him. Already he had said many things that should not have been true. There should not be life beyond the Earth, and there certainly should not be these strange and unusual powers and items that the holy scripture said nothing about.

But at the same time, Dante found he could not just dismiss it as mere devil's trickery. This being had died. Dante had not just seen it with his own eyes, he'd felt it too. And what kind of trickster would sacrifice his own life just to fool another? No pleasure could be enjoyed from damning a soul if you were not around to witness or experience it.

No, there was more to this than a simple devil's game. Dante knew it. He felt it. What it was exactly he wasn't sure, but for now at least he was content to bear both the ring and the lantern with him on his ride back to his beloved Beatrice, and from there see what the future held…

-X-

This was not how it was supposed to have been.

As Dante Alighieri now bore witness to the full horrors of Hell laid out in front of him like a grotesque picture, he felt himself overcome with despair at how he had condemned both Beatrice and himself to this place as a result of his own actions. The sins he was all-too guilty of were already displayed on the cross stitched onto his chest for all the world to see. Now all of Hell could see it too.

But Beatrice's soul could still be saved. This was a truth he would hold fast to no matter what. All other truths he had ever dared to put stock in now did him no good. Faith was of little use now it seemed when the Crusades had damned him anyway. He had broken his vows to Beatrice while there, and now Lucifer had her in his own personal clutches as a consequence of that faithlessness. Dante could not allow this.

With this in mind he continued to fight his way through the legions of condemned souls, wingless demons, and other monstrosities that dared to stand in his way. After cutting down the last of a group of demons, Dante allowed himself a moment to stop and catch his breath as Vergil materialized in front of him once more.

"Enjoy your brief reprieve now while you can Dante" the Roman Poet's shade warned. "Things will only become more trying from here"

As Vergil said this, Dante thought back to something he had shoved to the very back of his mind ever since he had come back home to see Beatrice dead and then condemned. The lantern and the ring. Dante had earlier placed the latter over one of his armored fingers on one hand while holding the lantern firmly in the other. Truth be told the latter was becoming quite the burden, and Dante was not sure how much longer he could carry the clumsy, cumbersome thing while simultaneously fighting off Hell's legions. And he still didn't have any inkling as to how to actually use the ring he had been given.

He decided that perhaps he could ask Vergil.

"Great poet, I must ask of you a question that I fear no one else can answer: this ring and lantern you see on my person: do you know anything of them?"

"Where did you acquire them?"

"From a dying stranger who fell from the heavens. He claimed to be a protector of the universe"

"And do you believe him?"

"I'm not sure. Most would call me a fool for taking him at his word, and insist that he was just some demon trying to tempt me. But I know that is not it. I saw him die. Felt him die. He was something else. Just what I cannot say…"

"I'm afraid I cannot help you much with this Dante. All I know is that a long time ago during the Golden Age before the time of Christ there were many fantastical stories told of strange events that were impossible to fathom. Some said they were gods among men, champions of justice. To whether these stories were true or false I cannot say. Only that it is possible your ring and lantern given to you by this stranger from above may be connected to them"

Dante snarled. "That tells me nothing as to how I may use this ring! The stranger claimed it to be how he and his fellows protected the universe. But how did they do it?"

"He did not tell you?"

"He tried to but he died before he could finish. He said the Guardians would help me. But I do not know who those are"

"Nor do I" Vergil confessed. "But I suspect they will reveal themselves to you in good time if indeed they are the ones to teach you how to use your new power"

"I pray you are correct Vergil. To have power sufficient to defend the universe at my side in this place..that would truly be a blessing".

-X-

It was in the Circle of Heresy where Dante first heard them.

Deep in the lower depths of Hell where the worst of all sins were punished, Dante found the legions of the Inferno stepping up their efforts to stop him as he fought tooth and nail through the City of Dis. Carving his way through the previous five circles with precious little in the way of rest had left him tired, battered, and continuing onwards solely because of his all-consuming drive and fervent desire to press on no matter what. Not for his sake at this point so much for Beatrices. He could hear her call out to him, urging him on, begging him to save her from Lucifer. And so onwards Dante went.

And in the circle of Heresy, as Dante soon found himself surrounded on all sides by all manner of fiendish minions and denizens of Hell, he heard them at last:

"Dante Alighieri. Your will is what drives the ring. What fuels it's power. It is this ability to face down fear, and overcome it that is what will give you the power you need. Clear your mind then, and focus on what matters most"

What mattered most. For Dante Alighieri that was not a difficult thing to determine. Quite the contrary he had known the second he'd dived right into the Inferno what mattered most. It was not his salvation, but rather the salvation of the woman he loved more than anyone else. This was his singular goal and one he would not yield in. And the more he thought of this, the more brightly the green light shined out of his ring. And seeing this, Dante thought all the harder of his beloved and how he could not bear to let her suffer in Hell, least of all for his own misdeeds.

And then they came to him. Like the Ten Commandments being delivered to Moses from above, Dante felt the words he now needed to say more than any other spill into his head without warning, and then right out of his mouth as he held up his ring-hand, now consumed in a bright green light that was rapidly covering up his entire arm.

"In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power...Green Lantern's Light!"

And then in a flash of emerald that knocked back and blinded all who accosted him, the newest Green Lantern was born.