Chapter Six: Rules of the Game
Goten didn't know what to expect when he and his friends arrived at the new Fun Center. He figured that it would be no different than any other building, and in a sense it was. The flashing sign was something he hadn't really seen before, but that wasn't really what shocked him. The inside wasn't really special either, at least the main part wasn't. There was a rather nice man behind the counter who greeted him and his friends, and after taking the money gave the eight of them the gear.
Apparently everyone had to wear special vests when playing laser tag, as well as use fake laser guns. When someone hits someone else with a laser their vests light up, as well as make a sound, to let that person know that they are out. The game continues until only one person is left standing. It seemed simple enough, but it could actually be a little more complex. One such variable was the space in which the game is played, which is pretty dark. Not only does it help people see the lasers, but also makes it harder to see others.
Once he and the girls were ready they entered the playing room. The half-Saiyan found himself in a dark room, and on his own. There weren't any teams, and it was everyone for themselves. He was no stranger to this, but unlike those times the fate of the planet wasn't in the balance. Now it was just a friendly game... where he had every kind of advantage. His vision was already a little better than everyone elses', but what would really help was his senses. He could detect everyone in the building, and he knew where they were at all times. It may have been unfair, but there weren't any rules against using his techniques.
And so he stood behind some kind of wall, with both hands gripping his fake laser gun. Since he was in cover, and because there wasn't anybody else in the immediate area, he took a moment to get a feel for the arena. It wasn't so much getting a lay of the land, more so figuring out where everyone else was. Not surprisingly, his friends were all spread out. That didn't really concern him though, and in fact served to make things a little more interesting.
His eyes then drifted over to his right, where he sensed Applejack approaching. From where he was she was coming around the corner, most likely trying to get the drop on him. A small grin came to his face as an idea came to his head. Putting this plan into action, he quickly moved out from behind cover.
Applejack had simply been wandering around, trying to find where her friends were hiding. She tried to be as stealthy as possible, while also trying to cover a lot of ground. When she saw nobody was around her she decided to check behind the wall that was in front of her. As she headed toward it though Goten sprang out suddenly, catching her off guard. Before she could even process it her chest-plate lit up, signaling her defeat.
"Hey I did it!" He cheered.
"Boy ya sure are quick, ah didn't even see ya pop out."
He grinned sheepishly in response before rolling to the side, confusing his friend. The half-Saiyan then sprang up before shooting behind him, taking out Sunset Shimmer.
"Damn I thought I had you!" Sunset had spotted him from a far, but he had moved before she could line up her shot. So she moved closer in the hopes of getting the drop on him, but he somehow knew she was coming and dodged her sneak attack.
"This is actually pretty fun." To Goten this was similar to a real battle, except with less physical combat and without universe-destroying threats.
Feeling excited for more, he decided to stop hiding and just go out there. And so he did. Without worrying about being out in the open the half-Saiyan quickly moved around the arena, right toward where his friends were. Obviously he couldn't get to all of them at once, since they were split up, so he just went to the closest one.
Twilight was never one for much physical activity, as she personally preferred to hit the books, but that didn't mean she couldn't find enjoyment in something physical. Laser tag was a great example, as it wasn't all about fitness. Sure, being more athletic would definitely help, but having a good mental mind was just as important. Quite a bit of strategy went into the game, and luckily she was pretty good at thinking up strategies.
Her goal was to lay low and take things slow. She could easily run out there and hope for the best, but that kind of thing never usually worked. So she opted to remain behind cover and simply wait for the right moment to strike. Her heart beat picked up as she stood behind the wall. It was just a game, but that didn't mean she couldn't get a little nervous while playing it.
Curious to see if anybody was around, the studious girl slowly peered out behind her cover. There was nobody there, which made her sigh in relief. As she went back behind cover she noticed Goten standing a few feet away from her. An audible scream escaped her mouth as she jumped up in the air. She hadn't expected him to be right there, and wasn't sure how he had completely snuck up on her. Her shock then turned to slight disappointment as the target on her chest-plate was shot.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you Twilight." He realized after the fact that sneaking up on her probably wasn't the best idea... and it wasn't that necessary either.
"Oh d-don't worry about it, G-goten." She replied in between heaves.
The half-Saiyan gave her a sheepish grin before his senses informed him of his next target. He quickly moved around the corner and navigated his way through the area. His senses told him Fluttershy was over near a corner, most likely trying to stay out of sight. From what short amount of time he's spent with her he knew how shy she was, so something like laser tag probably wasn't her thing. That's not to say that she couldn't enjoy it, but he figured being in a dark room and not knowing when someone could jump out made her a little scared.
Sure enough, Fluttershy was sitting behind a small wall. She wasn't necessarily hiding, but at the same time she wasn't rushing out into the fray. It's not that she was scared... well, maybe just a little. In the game of laser tag she was all alone, in a dark room, with nobody to rely on but herself. The shy girl knew it was just a game, but that didn't mean she could just relax. So naturally the pink-haired girl chose to stay low and hope not to get noticed. It may not have been a winning strategy, but she was mostly trying to survive... as well as avoid getting startled.
So when she heard the sound of footsteps getting close to her position, she felt herself getting a little nervous. 'Okay Fluttershy, you can do this.' Steeling her nerve, Fluttershy gripped her fake gun tightly. She waited for the right moment, which came when the sounds ceased. With a sigh she got up from behind her cover, but before she could even raise her weapon she was shot. She jumped a bit from the sudden shot, but calmed down shortly after.
"Gotcha Fluttershy." The half-Saiyan smiled.
While the shy girl was disappointed that her moment of bravery didn't amount to anything she was glad to have not been completely scared. Besides, she could have easily just remained hidden, but she actually confronted what was coming for her. All in all it was a win, and she found herself smiling at her new friend. "Good job Goten."
He felt relieved that he hadn't startled her like he did Twilight, and after flashing her another smile he ran off.
Rainbow Dash was in the zone, a place she usually went to when in a fierce competition. Her back was pressed squarely against a wall, with her laser gun at the ready. One of her favorite things in the world was sports, or just anything competitive. There was nothing better than getting into a tough game, and having to push herself to the limit just to win. Of course there was never a guarantee that she would win, even if she would never admit it, but that didn't mean she wouldn't give it her all.
Laser tag was always a favorite of hers, and it was always a fun time. While she loved the intensity of a regular sport she also enjoyed the sneakiness of laser tag. A dark atmosphere, lots of places to hide and ambush someone, cool glowing lights, the game had it all. Of course she would never get the same thrill as soccer, but the game was still great.
She took a quick peak out from behind the corner, and once she knew it was safe she made a run for it. The rainbow-haired girl navigated her way across the open area before getting behind more cover. A slight snicker escaped her mouth at her sneakiness.
"Hi Rainbow!"
Jumping high into the air, Rainbow then fell flat on her butt. She then noticed Pinkie Pie standing next to her, smiling brightly while ironically pointing a laser gun at her. Without even thinking she rolled to the side, just barely avoiding getting taken out of the game. 'Man I still don't know how Pinkie Pie does that.' The rainbow-haired girl thought to herself as she did her best to stand up and find some cover.
Luckily for her she seemed to have found a good spot, as her friend hadn't quite found her yet. A smirk came to her face as she prepared to make her move. Out of the corner of her eye though she noticed Rarity moving toward them. That was perfect, as that meant she could take both of them down at once. With her plan set the cyan girl got up and prepared to fire... only to be shot in the chest by Goten. "Huh?"
The half-Saiyan smiled to himself. "Hey I won!"
On her part Rainbow Dash was still stunned, as she hadn't even seen him approach. One moment nobody was there, and the next her new friend was directly in front of her. She had no idea how he had gotten there so fast, and she found herself staring dumbly at him. In fact she was so stunned her mind couldn't even process that she had lost the game.
"Three cheers for Goten! Woo-hoo!" Pinkie exclaimed as she threw confetti into the air.
Goten and his new friends had left the Fun Center not too long ago, and were now hanging out at the park... having grabbed some milkshakes first though. He had found a good amount of enjoyment in laser tag, and would definitely consider playing it again. It was rather nice having a friendly game with his new friends, and then being able to relax afterwords.
"Fer someone who's never played laser tag before ya sure are a natural."
"Th-thanks." He replied in a somewhat nervous tone.
"I still can't believe you got all of us." Sunset Shimmer noted as she took a sip of her strawberry shake.
Rainbow Dash wasn't as relaxed, as she hadn't been the winner. Of course she was learning not to be a bragger, and to not let defeat get her down, but she still felt a little ticked. "I still can't believe you showed up out of nowhere and took me out!"
"Come on Rainbow, you know it's only a game." Fluttershy reminded softly.
"Yeah and it's not like he cheated or anything." Twilight added.
"Actually... I did kind of cheat." He admitted, surprising his friends.
Rarity gasped. "Goten, I never pegged you as a cheater."
Meanwhile the rainbow-haired girl was smirking. "Ha I knew it!"
Seeing the reactions he was getting, the half-Saiyan figured it was best to clarify. "Wait it's not what you think." He noticed their confusion, and in response he sighed. "Well the thing is I'm fast, like very fast. I can move at hyperspeeds, which is a lot faster than what any of you seem capable of. Also I can detect the ki inside of living beings, meaning I can know where all of you are at any given time, and I can't exactly turn my senses off. I wasn't trying to cheat, I just couldn't help it."
A moment of pause ensued as each girl stared at him, being too shocked to say anything. Ordinarily if they heard something like that they would have thought he was crazy, but after seeing what he was capable of they felt inclined to believe him. As such they were amazed by what they had just learned about their new friend. Not only was he super powerful, capable of flight, and able to shoot beams of light, but he could also move at insanely fast speeds and know where they were even if he couldn't see them.
When he noticed they were still staring blankly he assumed the worst. "I'm sorry for not mentioning anything before, but I was just really excited to try laser tag and-"
Before her friend could finish speaking Pinkie was directly in front of him, gripping him by the collar. "Are you saying you can find me anywhere, anywhere?!"
"Uh, well as long as you're still on the planet I can."
"So if we were to... play hide-'n'-seek you'd totally be able to find me?" She didn't even wait for a response, and instead just ran off in a random direction.
"Since we're on the subject, what other kinds of things can you do?" Twilight had never gotten a chance to actually study foreign creatures before, even if her friend wasn't exactly a creature... well, technically everyone was a creature in some sense, but he was a little different. Her friend was technically an alien, so being able to learn about him was fascinating.
Goten paused for a moment, trying to think of something he could tell or show them that they didn't already know. "Hm... well, how about this?" He held out his palm for them to see, and several seconds later an orb of light appeared. "I know you've seen my Kamehameha Wave, but this is just a basic ball of energy."
They all looked on with wide eyes as the ball of energy pulsated in his hand. It was beyond incredible. Not only was it super bright, but it also seemed to be radiating with power. It was as if they were gazing at a star, but much safer. Just staring at it was mesmerizing, and it was just a little ball! Their shock would only increase when he launched it into the air, only for it to explode in a bright flash of light like a firework.
Some of the other people in the park took notice of the sudden flash of light, and they were just as impressed. They weren't sure where it had come from, but it was cool none the less.
"And as you've seen I can also fly." He demonstrated by slowly rising up off the ground, and soon enough he was hovering about a foot off of the grass.
Earlier when the seven of them were escaping the mall they had seen him fly, but that been a brief glance at best. Their main priority had been escaping the danger zone, and not on their friend. Now though they were in a peaceful park, and not in danger, so they could look on at their friend without any worries. And now they found themselves completely shocked once again. Their friend was floating off of the ground, using only his own power. It was amazing!
"Obviously I can go much higher, but I figured I'd keep it simple." To accentuate his point he rose up higher into the air, and then slowly came back down.
Not a moment later Rainbow Dash walked up to him. "Sorry for thinking you cheated, I just don't really like loosing. Also you're like one of the coolest people I've ever met!"
The half-Saiyan shrugged. "Don't worry about, and I should be sorry for using my powers to win the game."
"You said it yourself that you can't really turn them off. Besides, if I had your powers I'd use them all of the time." Sunset noted.
"So can anyone learn how to fly and use energy?" Fluttershy questioned, mostly out of curiosity. It's not that she didn't find his abilities cool, she just wouldn't want to have such dangerous powers.
"Yeah, but it takes a lot of training and hard work."
Hearing that made the cyan girl's eyes light up. "Really?! So do you think you can teach me?!"
The thought hadn't occurred to him, but he saw no harm in doing so. Sure he wasn't much of a teacher, but he had been around his brother and father enough to pick up on a few things. Not to mention it would further motivate him to get back into his own training. "Sure, but I'm going to warn you it won't be easy." For him it took no time at all to master his abilities, which may have been helped by the fact that he was part Saiyan.
In response Rainbow squeed with delight.
Applejack shook her head, as this would just add more fuel to her friend's already blazing ego.
"And if you train hard enough you can eventually do this." His hands closed into tight fists as he began building up his power. Seconds later a white flame erupted from his body, completely engulfing him.
"WHOA!" Was the collective response.
A smirk came to the Saiyan's face. "I still don't really know how to explain it, but when I raise my power it makes this aura appear. And if I continue to raise it I can make it even bigger. Oh and Pinkie Pie's in the tree behind me."
Suddenly Pinkie emerged from within the top of the tree, upside down, with a smile on her face. "Wow you're good!" It wasn't just his hide-'n'-seek skills, but everything else he had shown off. She had been lucky to catch a glimpse of his display, and much like her friends her mind had been blown. Her new friend was straight out of a comic book, and it was truly awesome. She then slid down the side of the tree, while still being upside down, and then when she reached the ground she stood back up.
Rarity found herself blushing at the sight. There was just something about the aura, as well as the smirk upon his face, that made him seem even more attractive. He just looked so powerful, so heroic. While she had to remind herself that he had recently been in a bad breakup she couldn't help herself, and as much as she didn't want to she had to turn away as to not get caught ogling. 'Patience Rarity, patience.'
After a few more moments Goten released his aura. He then noticed how shocked his friends were, and let out a sheepish chuckle. "Uh that might be enough for now, any more and your heads might explode."
"Yeah I wouldn't want my head to explode, that would be awful!" The pink-haired girl stated rather cheerfully.
"So... what do you guys want to do now?" Sunset Shimmer asked.
"Well it's still pretty early in the day, so maybe we could go see a movie or somethin'." Applejack suggested.
"That's a good idea... b-but nothing scary though." Fluttershy would gladly see a movie with her friends, as long as it was nice and happy.
Rainbow crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, but we are not sitting through another cutesy kids film again!" While she obviously cared deeply for her shy friend she did sometimes get annoyed around her, more specifically when choosing group activities. Some things were just too much for her friend to handle, which sometimes were ideas that she herself suggested.
A slight smirk came to the amber-skinned girl's face. "I could've sworn you said you liked that Pony movie."
"W-what are you talking about, I-I never said that." Rainbow Dash replied nervously.
"I hardly see what you're so embarrassed about Rainbow Dash, after all one of our friends is a Pony." Rarity stated, only to realize that Goten had no idea what she was talking about.
"What are you talking about?" The half-Saiyan questioned.
They all exchanged glances, unsure if they should tell him. Their doubt didn't last long though, as they all quickly decided that they should tell him. After all, he had shared his past with them, even if he thought that it could end their new friendship. So why should they keep anything from him?
"Much like you I'm not from this world, I'm from an alternate version of it. The other world is similar to this one, except everyone over there are Ponies. I was the student to the Princess, but we kind of had a falling out so I ran away to here." Sunset explained, all the while being reminded of the most shameful thing she had ever done. Of course that was in the past, but it's not like she ever went back to see Princess Celestia to apologize. 'Maybe when the portal opens up I can pay her and Twilight a visit.'
"Wow, that's pretty cool." Goten had heard of alternate worlds, thanks to his brother, and from the sounds of it their alternate world was a lot better than the one he heard about.
"Yeah I guess it is pretty cool." Sunset admitted somewhat sadly, as she was still thinking about her mentor.
It was then that Pinkie Pie noticed something lying on the ground in front of them, and seeing what it was made her smile brightly. "Hey girls I found a movie we can watch!" She exclaimed as she bent down to pick the DVD up. "Ooh and it's about Goten!"
The half-Saiyan grabbed the DVD from his friend. "It's not about me Pinkie Pie it's for me."
"Very strange. How did that get there, and why is there a note saying 'to Goten' on it?" Twilight questioned, all the while putting all of her mental energy into figuring this out. Because that certainly wasn't there when she and her friends arrived. There had to be a logical explanation, there just had to. Unless it was magical... but that was silly, as who ever heard of a magical DVD?
"Pinkie Pie is this some elaborate scheme ta give Goten a present?" Applejack certainly wouldn't have put it past her, and right now it was the only thing that made sense.
"Sorry but it wasn't me, although I'll have to remember that for the next birthday party." In order to help her remember she reached into her hair and pulled out a small notebook and a pen. The cover read 'Party Planning Ideas'. She scribbled something down before closing the notebook, which she then put back into her hair along with the pen.
Sunset Shimmer furrowed her brow as she thought about this was. "So what do you girls thinks on that DVD?"
"There's only one way to find out." Rainbow Dash noted.
"B-but what if there's something scary on it?"
"You don't have to watch it if you don't want to Fluttershy." The fashionista told her worried friend.
Much like his friends Goten was also curious. The only people in this world he knew were the seven girls around him, and none of them had placed the DVD there. Perhaps it could have been from Earth, like a message from his family. That probably wasn't the case though, as the only way they could send something like that was with Shenron, and at that point they would have just wished him back. 'I wonder who sent this?'
After deciding to watch the mystery DVD the group of eight went back over to Pinkie Pie's house, as she had a pretty big TV making it ideal for watching mysterious DVDs. Naturally when they got to her house she started making popcorn, as well as gathering whatever kind of candy she had around the house, which was a lot. If she and her friends were going to be watching a movie, they might as well have a movie going experience.
"I also have drinks if you guys want, but I'm all out of 3-D glasses."
"I think we'll be fine Pinkie." Twilight assured before stuffing a handful of gummy worms into her mouth.
Pinkie Pie giggled. "I know, I just wanna be the best movie host that I can be!"
"Is that why you're wearing that outfit?" Goten questioned.
Instead of her normal attire, Pinkie was wearing something completely different. She had a white collared shirt on, with a red vest over that. On said vest was a gold pin that said manager. Her lower body consisted of black dress pants and black shoes. "This is what all move theater managers wear silly, and I Manager Pinkie Pie will uphold this tradition!" She stated with a salute.
Since she seemed so determined, and that it had no real affect on anything, he decided to just let her play the role. "Sounds fair I guess, I just want to find out what's on this DVD."
"Me too, I still have so many questions regarding it." The studious girl stated.
"You're the only person I know who would take notes during a movie." Rainbow noted.
Twilight shot her friend a small glare. "Hey whatever is on this DVD could be important, and some of us want to know everything they can about a mysterious DVD!"
"Well ah'm not sure what we're gonna find, and fer all we know it could jus' be a prank."
"Maybe... but I feel like this is going to be important." Sunset knew that weird things could happen in Equestria, and she had a strong feeling this was another one of those things.
"SHHH! No talking in the theater!" Pinkie yelled before giggling. "What, I'm also the usher."
"Um maybe we should just watch this already." Fluttershy suggested.
The pink-haired usher/manager opened the DVD and grabbed the disc, which then placed into her DVD player. With that done she quickly shut off the lights and took a seat, and then grabbed some popcorn and her drink.
Static was all that could be seen on the TV before something popped up on screen. "Is this thing on?" It was a very bizarre looking creature, appearing to be a combination of various other animals. Its head was horse-like, except it had a deer antler and a blue goat horn jutting out of the top, as well as a snaggletooth of sorts. It had a long snake-like body, with a lion's arm, an eagle claw, a lizard leg, and a goat leg. On its back were a small bat, and a Pegasus wing. To top it off was the dragon tail, which was actually a little more snake-like.
Everyone stared at the creature, unsure what to think.
After fidgeting with the camera for a few moments he stopped and then took a seat in the nearby throne. "Now then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Discord, the Lord of Chaos! You're probably wondering just what kind of creature I am, well I'm a Draconequus. That's just a fancy way of saying I'm a bunch of creatures rolled into one. You're probably also wondering how I know you and sent this DVD, well to put it simply I have many magical powers."
"Magic?" Sunset questioned with a hint of worry in my voice.
"Yes, magic. With my power I can create whatever I desire, I can move from one spot to another in no time, I could rip the very world asunder... okay maybe not the whole world, but you get my point. Unfortunately I have just recently awoken from a rather nice sleep, and my powers are still returning to me. Now that doesn't mean I'm completely drained, as how else do you think you got here?"
It then clicked in Goten's mind just who he was speaking to him. This was the master, this was the one who made those monsters that attacked both Earth and Equestria. This was the villain that needed to be stopped, and he certainly wasn't what the half-Saiyan was expecting. Of course not all villains were muscle-headed aliens, but it was still a surprise seeing such a creature. Despite the numerous questions forming he kept quiet as he was sure there was more to be revealed.
"Now then, I'm sure you're curious as to why I chose you of all people. Well honestly you were one of the first people I came across. Now don't take that the wrong way. Just because I chose you randomly doesn't mean you aren't worthy, in fact your previous fights have shown you are more than capable of handling yourself. Oh and don't worry, you'll have many more opponents, each one stronger than the last."
"So is this all some kind of game?" Applejack wondered aloud.
"Why yes, it is." Discord answered, surprising the viewers. "Interactive DVD. Don't you just love new technology? Anyhoo, this is indeed a game. You see with the power I have now I could take over Equestria without a second thought... but what kind of fun would that be? I want my conquering of Equestria to be dramatic, a battle for the ages. Obviously as I am now I'm in no shape to fight, but we'll meet face to face soon enough."
Since his friend's question had been heard, he figured he would ask one. "So why are you telling me this?" Normally most villains wouldn't reveal their master plan, yet Discord had done just that. So there had to be some reason, unless of course his newest enemy was completely stupid.
"Because if I don't then you'll just be clueless and end up wasting your time searching for answers you'll never find. I'm in a place far removed from Equestria, so you'll never reach me. Besides, just because you're my enemy doesn't mean I don't care about you. I want you to enjoy your time in your new home, as well as enjoy your new friends. That way it will be all the more satisfying when I tear it all down! And don't worry, I'm going to be sending a message to your family on Earth, which will take quite a bit of magic so you're welcome, just to let them know you're safe and will be returning shortly... or not. Well that should just about cover it, and if you have any more questions you don't know where to find me. Ciao."
The screen went back to static moments later.
Pinkie Pie stood up and flicked the lights back on, and once that was done she turned back to her friends. "Eh that was alright, but hopefully the sequel will be better."
"I don't think there's gonna be a sequel Pinkie Pie." Rainbow stated.
Twilight finished jotting down her notes. "Well that was actually pretty informative. We know who's brought Goten here, where those monsters came from, and where this DVD came from." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her Saiyan friend staring off into the distance, as if lost in thought. "Are you alright Goten?" In her excitement she didn't even think about how he was dealing with all of this.
He didn't respond right away, as all of this information was swirling around in his now frazzled mind. While he was glad to know who sent him here and why, it was all pretty crazy. He was essentially just a pawn in someone else's game, except at the same time not really. To be fair he had gone into the portal of his on volition, and so he had decided then and there to be a part of it. Still, it felt like he was being used to give some chaotic creature a cheap thrill. What was he supposed to think, what was he supposed to do?
"Are you okay dear?"
The half-Saiyan snapped out of his thoughts and noticed Rarity's hand on his shoulder, as well as the look of concern in her eyes. He then took a look around and noticed the rest of his friends seemed concerned as well. "Oh, yeah I'm fine. I guess I'm just thinking about what Discord told us."
Fluttershy frowned. "You're not upset about what Discord did to you are you... because it's okay if you are, but I just want to make sure it isn't something worse we should know about." She assumed it was about Discord, but she just didn't want to have any more bad news. Learning about a Lord of Chaos planning on taking over her home was pretty scary, even with someone strong around to protect her and her friends.
"It's not that I'm upset I'm just..." He exhaled deeply. "I just don't know. I mean I'm glad to finally know what's going on, and that my family will know too, but this is just weird."
"Well it's no weirder than alternate Pony worlds, magic, demons, or sirens." Pinkie smiled.
He glanced over at her, having no idea what she was talking about.
Applejack let out a small chuckle. "We've dealt with magic and evil before, so ah guess this is becomin' normal fer us." That obviously didn't mean she enjoyed having to save the world from evil. She was happy to do it, and it usually helped reinforce her and her friends already strong friendship, but that didn't come without any hardships.
Goten nodded in understanding. "Yeah I've fought my fair share of villains, but none really like this. I mean most villains aren't shy about sharing their evil plans, but Discord's doesn't make much sense. He wants to take over the world, yet he brought someone who could stop his plans."
"At least he promised to tell your family what happened to you." The shy girl stated.
"Yeah right, I'll bet he lied about that." Rainbow said.
"I don't know, he seemed pretty intent on making Goten happy while he's here." Sunset noted.
The rainbow-haired girl scoffed. "Are you kidding?! That guy's evil, and there's no way someone as evil as him would do something nice fo-" Her sentence was cut off by something falling on her head, which turned out to be another DVD. While rubbing her head she bent down and picked it up, opened it, and then took out the other DVD and put the new one in.
After a few brief moments of static the screen revealed Discord yet again. He snapped his fingers and an average sized TV appeared, which was displaying him. He then snapped his fingers again and the TV vanished, and with a third snap a portal opened up in front of him. The portal was displaying the inside of a house, where two people were inside. One was an elderly woman, and the other was man, both looking worried. A few moments later the TV popped into existence, and then fell onto the floor. They both turned to face it, and after a few moments moved closer to it. On the screen Discord popped up.
Moments later the portal closed suddenly. "Goodbye!" With that the video ended, returning to the static.
A bright smile came to Pinkie Pie's face. "Hey I was right the sequel was better!"
"I guess I was wrong." Rainbow admitted.
The studious girl frowned. "That was your family wasn't it Goten? Goten?"
Everyone turned toward the half-Saiyan, who was simply staring blankly at the static. It didn't take them long to realize what was going on. Those people just had to be his family, as there were many similarities between them. Sure it may not have been that long ago since he's seen them, but it was probably still a little hard. Besides, if the worst were to happen he might never be able to see them again.
Goten kept staring before shaking his head vigorously, as he had realized he went down a metaphorical hole. Seeing mom and Gohan had made him happy yet it also made him sad. He was very far away from his family and his home, and was stuck on another planet for who knows how long. There always the Dragon Balls, but he had a feeling Discord would find a way to prevent that from happening. So that meant he was truly stuck... but at the same time he didn't feel all that stuck, maybe it was because of his friends.
It was then that he noticed their looks of concern, no doubt because of his blank staring. "Sorry girls, I was just lost in my head for a moment."
"Are you going to be okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah I'll be fine. I mean, I do miss my family, but at least I have all of you. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I already feel like were great friends."
With big smiles every ran toward Goten and trapped him inside of a big group hug. They had been touched by his words, which may have been helped by the fact that they believed them. He may be an alien, but he's one of nicest aliens they know... they only know the one, but still. He also may have lied about his past, but he's been trying to make up for it. Their friend was a hero, and had saved their lives twice already. They all really liked him, and felt like they were all the best of friends.
He found himself smiling as well, happy to know that his new friends would be sticking by his side no matter what.
Chi Chi could hardly sit still, in fact she couldn't sit at all. Her baby boy Goten was missing! It had been almost a day and her son hadn't returned home, which wasn't a common thing for him to do. This worried Chi Chi greatly, as she had no idea where her son was. She last saw him when he said he was going out to clear his head, because of his recent break up. 'It was all that city girl's fault, she made my Goten run away!'
While her mind went to the worst possible scenario she also thought about other explanations. The first that came to mind was that he had spent the night with Trunks, but that hadn't been the case. Her son hadn't visited Bulma either. She then figured he must have just gone over to see Gohan, perhaps for moral support after the breakup. Unfortunately her other son hadn't seen him, but had promised to come over right away.
Now Chi Chi was waiting for her eldest son to arrive, and then they could figure out what happened to Goten. A few moments later there was a knock at the door, and she instantly ran over to answer it. Once the door was open she noticed Gohan standing there, and the first thing she did was throw herself at him.
Gohan wasn't surprised by that, and he fully returned the embrace. "It's okay mom."
After a few more seconds Chi Chi let go, and she looked up at her son with teary eyes. "Oh Gohan your brother is missing, he hasn't come home!"
"Look I'm sure Goten is fine. I heard about what happened with Valese, so maybe he just needed some alone time." His brother had really liked Valese given how much he talked about her, and so for him to have to breakup with her would be tough.
"But he's been gone for so long, and he hasn't tried to contact me. Trunks and Bulma haven't seen him either!"
The half-Saiyan's brow furrowed as he closed his eyes. His senses would tell him where his brother was, and then he could go talk to him and make sure he's okay. That was all well and good, but he was having trouble finding his brother's energy signature. It shouldn't have been hard, given how powerful his brother is and the fact that he doesn't lower his energy that much. He kept on searching for several more moments, but he still couldn't find anything.
"Well, did you sense him?" She felt a little silly for forgetting that her family knew how to sense energy, but given her panic and stress it had slipped her mind. That didn't matter now though as with Gohan helping finding her missing boy would be a cinch.
Gohan sighed. "No, I can't seem to find him."
Tears started coming to the worried mother's eyes. "Oh this is terrible!"
Suddenly a noise was heard, making the two people in the room turn their heads. An average sized TV dropped into their house, having just appeared out of nowhere. It hadn't fallen from the sky, as there was no hole in ceiling. So it seemed to have just materialized in their house, which was very odd. Perhaps someone made a wish on the Dragon Balls... but that was a silly thought, as no one would waste a wish on TV.
The half-Saiyan and his mother took a few steps toward the TV, and as soon as they got close enough a video started playing. Now Gohan was a well educated man, and had seen all kinds of weird aliens, but even he was at a loss for what he was looking at. To him it looked like someone took a bunch of animals and mashed them together, and then threw that into a blender.
"Hell there Mr. and or Mrs. Goten, I am Discord the Lord of Chaos. Your son has chosen to participate in a little game of mine. This game is taking place in Equestria, a far away world that would take you a long time to reach. To keep it brief your son will be staying in Equestria for a good amount of time, at least until the game is over. Now don't worry, he's fine, in fact he already has some new friends." He snapped his fingers and a picture displaying Goten and his new friends appeared, which he took. "They're a group of seven girls who sing about the wonders of friendship, so he's in capable hands. So in conclusion I just wanted to keep you in the loop, so you don't worry yourselves to death when you don't find him. Well I must be going, there's a lot of planning I have to do. Bye!"
Chi Chi stared at the TV until it disappeared, and even then she found herself staring at the spot where it had been. Her son was alive, if that picture was any indication. She felt like crying tears of joy, yet at the same time she felt like crying tears of sadness. Her son may be alive, but he was apparently really far away from Earth. She had never heard of Equestria before, and had no idea exactly how far it was. Plus her son would only come home when that 'Discord' returned him, and there was no telling when that would happen.
Without saying a word Gohan started heading for the door.
"Where are you going son."
"To go see Bulma... we're getting Goten back."
That should wrap it up. As you can see laser tag was a breeze for Goten, and afterword he showed off some of his powers. He and the girls then watched the DVD Discord made, which explained the whole situation. Chi Chi and Gohan know what happened to Goten and Gohan is determined to get his brother back, but will he be able to? I feel like Discord would want Goten to know what's happening, just as you would want someone to know how to play a game before actually playing it. But just because Goten knows about the game doesn't mean he's in the clear, not by a longshot, but now he can focus on his new life and his new friends. That's all for now, so be sure to R&R and have a wonderful day!
FutureShock