Saga Two: Cannonball Run to Canterlot
Chapter 31: Adventures in Teleportation
Two days ago…
Goku teleported to the Supreme Kai's planet with Baba.
Everyone was still watching their own crystal ball, focused on the system and nearby stars.
"Hey! We figured out what's going on!" Goku ran over.
Elder Kai spotted Baba. "You know I could have used my own ball if you just gave me the information."
"This will be quicker, Elder Kai," Baba said. "The stupidity of this event would be hard for you to focus on…"
"I have witnessed hundreds of millions of years of stupidity. Mortals cannot surprise me anymore."
"Even him?" Supreme Kai pointed at Goku.
Elder Kai looked at Baba. "This isn't Goku's fault, is it?"
"No… It's Vegeta's."
"How is Vegeta involved with this rogue system?" the Supreme Kai asked.
Baba hopped off. "Just watch…"
15 minutes later…
"Why didn't he just wish her back?" South Kai facepalmed.
"Vegeta's always been a man of action," Elder Kai said. "Rushing to her location would be first in his mind instead of any semblance logic."
"At least he is with kind individuals," King Kai said, watching Vegeta being cared for. "The pink one seems especially friendly and energetic."
"Trunks said they are some of the main characters in the story. So, they are in a town called Ponyville," Goku said.
"And Bulla?"
"She was with a zebra," Baba said while waving her hands.
The image shifted and showed Bulla running wildly around town with no adult in sight.
"Bulla, you are so lucky your mother isn't watching right now…" Goku sighed.
"At least she seems safe and care free right now," King Kai said.
Baba switched the image.
There was a visibly pissed off zebra walking with a pony wearing a cowboy hat. They were crossing a bridge into town.
"That must be Applejack," Goku said. "I… can't remember the others…"
"Of course, you only remember the one related to food," Baba said. "The ones with Vegeta are Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Who's who should be obvious." She waved her hands and showed a building decorated like a carousel. The scene shifted inside and showed a pony at a sewing machine.
"This one is Rarity. She's Bulla's favorite and will be her destination." She waved her hand again to show two purple beings surrounded by stacks of books. "This is Princess Twilight Sparkle. She's a librarian. That is her assistant, a young dragon named Spike. As you can see, he's a person as well."
"King Kai, can you help me find this place like you did with New Namek?"
"Yeah, sure Goku." He led Goku off to the side. "Now remember, these are people with fully formed memories. Do not tell them they didn't exist a couple days ago. This was a teleport spell gone wrong…"
"Seems these colorful creatures come in several combinations," the Supreme Kai said, "And then there are the tattoos. Wait…" he looked back at the other ball. "That star should not be that bright, even at such a close distance."
"I brightened it. Trunks did say the colors are duller and washed out compared to the show."
"This is dull?" the West Kai pointed in surprise.
"Well, even the dragon balls are limited by reality…" Elder Kai said. "Wait, we need to contact the overseers of the mortal soul planes at once! Where did Shen Long get all the souls from? There's over a billion of them!"
King Kai came back over. "Well, Goku's on the planet. Best I could do is get him on the same continent."
"North Kai! We need you to contact your Lords of Death at once! Start with King Yema. We need to find out where the dragon stole over a billion souls from."
"Yes!" he ran off.
He pointed at the directional kais. "You three do the same."
"Yes!"
"I will double check the Hall of Heroes," the Grand Kai said, standing.
Goku found himself in a dark blizzard. The violent winds almost threw him off his feet and the snow stung battering his skin.
"OH, FUCKING KAIS IT'S COLD!"
Goku put a dome shield around him.
"Ah," he sighed as the wind and snow stopped hitting him. "But still cold!" He began rubbing his arms and jumping around. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…" He stopped jumping around and put his two fingers to his forehead.
Then he started jumping again. "Nope! Too cold! I gotta get out of here first."
He jumped in the air and took off.
Goku flew up to break above the clouds. But it didn't happen.
"How far up does this go?" Goku said to himself, picking up speed.
He finally broke up into the daylight. "Huh…" he looked up at the sky. "It's supposed to be daytime. Maybe this place has two suns and that's just the tiny one? Lots of movies have that." Goku scratched his head, "But I didn't see a second star in the balls." He looked back down at the clouds…
— And saw they were chasing him.
He heard a massive screech like a horse's scream had an unholy offspring with nails on a chalkboard, and three blue beams shot at him. Goku dodged and saw they were millions of shards of ice as sharp as razors.
One of the blasts hit his shield and the first impacts turned into steam before it began to instantly ice over. Goku dropped his shield and the half ball of ice plummeted down.
"I'll be blind if I keep this up." The wind hit him again and he shivered. "Cold…" Goku put his hands up. "I come in peace! We don't have to fight!"
Another blast of ice came from the clouds, but Goku saw that it would miss by a large margin. Goku immediately jumped back as a huge tornado of wind came from behind right where he was and impacted the beam.
Goku looked behind him and saw what was attacking him for the first time. They looked like ghostly ice horses glowing softly in the dim light.
They'd be pretty if they weren't trying to kill him.
He saw more plumes of clouds rising up above the storm like smoke trailing a stunt plane.
More blasts of wind and ice attacked him as he skillfully darted around. Fog began to form blocking his vision, and he felt ice on the hairs of his arms. It was cold before, but he could feel the temperature dropping hard and fast, numbing his body. He covered himself with ki to try and stay warm, but any heat was instantly sucked away like it was not ever there.
"Ok, it's official. These guys are the storm and they are trying to kill me," Goku said, crossing his arms. He screamed as he let out a giant ki blast to clear the area around him. He heard sounds full of pain as the clouds and fog vanished around him, putting him back in clear skies. The horse ghosts retreated to the edge of their mist and turned back to look at him.
"Sorry guys," Goku put his hands together. "No hard feelings… Ka-me-ha-me-ha!"
He let the beam loose and arced it through the crowd in front of him. There were brief screams then nothing. Goku stopped and looked at the giant hole in the herd. "Oops. Dang they're weak… I wasn't trying to kill them…"
Suddenly the clouds below erupted with thundersnow and the entire cloud top began to rise at once. Goku found himself in the eye of the storm, ringed by thousands of glowing ghosts as the storm twisted into a hurricane of rage, the wind and thunder in a competition on who could drown out any thoughts trying to form in his head.
Then all of their eyes glowed at once.
Goku felt the warmth try to leave his body, but that wasn't the sensation that worried him.
"Fuck, these things are devils like Spike!"
Goku darted toward the ground, the creatures right on his tail.
He focused on spotting the ground so he could pull up at the last moment. He almost missed it and smashed his hands into the ground to redirect himself. He flew out of the six-foot snowpack and looked behind him, hoping for a crater.
He didn't see one, but clearly heard screams of pain.
Goku looked up and saw a blue glowing grid above him and the ice ghost things that smashed into it screeching as they evaporated into steam while the others looked on.
After the last of the screams finished the ghosts screeched a banshee neigh before disappearing into the blizzard.
"A magic shield?" Goku looked around, but saw nothing. "Is there something under the snow?"
Goku made a small gentle ki blast and began removing the snow around him.
"Train tracks! Awesome." He looked in both directions. "Well, here goes nothing." Goku made a larger blast now that he knew where the ground was and destroyed a large amount of snow. The steam froze midair and formed an odd cave-like effect.
Goku stopped to take another chance to dance and rub his arms. "You'd think they'd make that shield with a heater…" Goku flew off, blasting more snow as he went.
Goku stopped momentarily when he uncovered a tall black pole with a glowing light blue crystal on top that looked like it was spewing something like a fountain.
"That's the same color as the shield," he said looking up. "These things must make it."
Then, Goku heard a train whistle. The snow around him evaporated into an ice dome larger than the shield, but he felt no heat. Even with no snow in the way, it was a while before he saw the faint glow of the headlamp. Then the train ran past him.
"That's one slow train," Goku said. "It's not even highway speed."
He jumped on the roof of a passing car.
"Kais it's cold! Please get where you're going soon, train."
Shining Armor was in a control room that could have passed for belonging to a nuclear reactor.
"Prince Shining Armor," a crystal unicorn in a starry cape called out. "There was just a major draw down of power between poles 1087 and 1088. Enough to count for dozens of dead windigos."
"Keep on it," he ordered. "Watch for any more attacks."
"Sire, there were no trains running anywhere near that position. They just… randomly attacked an empty section of track."
Another crystal pony wearing crystal mufflers on his ears turned around in his chair, "Sire. Word from the westbound train from Vanhoover: Multiple passengers spotted what they thought was an orange clad minotaur by the tracks at Pole 1053. Then a thump and clopping noises on top of the carriages. They are searching for an intruder."
"That's three miles from the windigo attack…" Shining Armor tapped his chin.
"No minotaur could run that in less than five minutes in six feet of snow, sire," the one in the cape commented. "And any magic capable of clearing the snow to make that remotely possible would have triggered every pole in a mile in either direction."
Shining Armor looked at the clock, "Another two hours until it is scheduled to arrive, correct?"
"Two hours and nineteen minutes, Sire."
"Do you want soldiers waiting for the train, Sire?" a guard with a train emblem on his armor asked.
"Let's wait for the final report on an intruder. Not like anypony would stay outside during a windigo attack."
A new crystal pony soldier entered with an open scroll. "Sire, the mages have finished their analysis of the Crystal Heart. The summary states the pulse of chaos magic that originated from the south has had no lasting effect on the Heart. It's actually fully charged, as if we just did the yearly ceremony. They believe the activation of the city shield was not defensive, but from an overflow of power from the Heart from converting the chaos magic into love power. There's some heat damage in the surrounding crystal around the conduits, but no damage to the conduits themselves. That means they briefly reached over 1500 degrees Fahrenhock."
"So, the palace almost burned down?"
"… It's not listed in the summary. The mages are waiting for you in the throne room."
"Why?"
"Princess Cadence has delegated it to you."
"What?! Why?!"
"Her Equestrian staff all got a mountain of instascrolls from friends and relatives in Ponyville and the castle within minutes of each other. I don't know the contents, but judging from the panic they caused, your sister and friends are most likely quite busy at the moment."
Shining Armor sighed and turned to the member of train security. "Lieutenant, only post soldiers at the station if an intruder is found. No pony in their right mind would be outside in a windigo attack. The shield alone can't protect a pony from freezing to death from the inside out."
He left the room.
One long meeting later…
"How long until the damage to the palace is fixed?"
"About a month to regrow and align the crystal matrix. Assuming another overcharge event does not happen," the lead mage answered.
"Any idea why the Crystal Heart reacted to the burst while no other artifacts were affected?"
"Love can sometimes color an unrelated spell because of the emotions involved while casting. That burst most likely had a great deal of love in it."
"Any relation to the sudden windigo attack so late into spring?"
"No. There was no trace of activation due to dark magic or hate-tainted spells in any of the crystal detectors or the Crystal Heart itself. We have no idea why they are here. Perhaps the other team will have answers, but it is unrelated to the burst."
"So, this is also proof against the existence of the alicorn dark mage my wife galloped off about?"
"He may or may not exist, but if he does, he is not responsible for the windigos."
An Equestrian guard galloped into the throne room. "Sire! Panic at the train station! There was an intruder! He was found in a block of ice that fell from the roof."
"So they're dead?"
"No! Alive! Moving and talking, no sign of any cold burns or frostbite, but he seems blind. He's being brought to the dungeon."
Shining Armor stood. "Why not the hospital?" he shouted furiously.
"No one knows what species he is. His appearance was enough to cause the Equestrians to stampede, causing wider panic in the station. There is a huge split in the guards, but he's agreed to cooperate with anything as long as he can get warm."
"The native crystal guards are the only ones being hospitable to him?" Shining Armor sighed.
"Yes…" he said embarrassed. "My peers are being as aggressive as the civilians are panicked."
"Walk with me, Flash Sentry," Shining Armor said, trotting over.
The two left the throne room.
"What do we know?"
"His name sounds like san-go-cut, but his teeth are chattering badly. His race name was indecipherable, but begins with an S sound and ends with either an N or a M. When asked why he was in the snow, all he could make out were the words 'king' and 'teleport' and 'far away'."
Shining Armor slid to a stop. "They've locked up a possible foreign dignitary?"
"Yes. They don't trust him. It was a crystal guard who slipped away that reported back. He borrowed a civilian talking stone and casted the emergency spell to contact the secured lines."
"What about his appearance makes him look untrustworthy?"
"His fur, teeth, and eyes."
"Meat-eater?"
"'No one can tell. They just don't look right,' is what was said."
"And his fur?"
"None except his mane. His skin is completely naked to the air. No scars or burns. It looks completely native to his species."
Shining Armor fought hard and failed to hide the instinctual disgusted look on his face. "His eyes?"
"They are small. Like smaller than a newborn foal's but on a large head. He says his eyes are normal and claims he has no vision problems. He doesn't seem to understand it is not in the middle of the night and keeps asking why it is so dark."
"What else about his appearance?"
"Um. Bipedal. Between 5 and 6 feet tall. Minotaur-like hands. His orange and blue clothing covers every inch of him except his lower arms and head."
"Anything else of note?"
"No, that was the full contents of the warning. He should be arriving in the back of the magic-propelled police wagon shortly."
"Light security cell. Dress it up. Get a large bed and a tub with a water heater. Prep the doctors for his physical appearance."
Goku was soaking in a steaming crystal tub with his clothes scattered on the floor. He smiled blissfully as he took his arms off the sides of the tub and sunk deeper into the water, completely ignoring the gleaming magical forcefield of the cell.
"So he threw off his clothes in front of everyone as soon as he saw the steaming tub and jumped in?"
"Yes, Sire," Flash Sentry said. "I can confirm he is completely furless except for his mane and umm… stallion area."
"And his sight?"
"The crystals were turned up as high as they could go. He said it was better but still seemed dim to him."
"Tell the doctors to pay special attention to his eyes."
"Yes, Sire.
An hour and a half later…
"What do you mean magic doesn't affect him?"
"Magic doesn't affect him!" the doctor shouted. "Every single test says he doesn't exist! It passes straight through him like nothing is there! We can touch him and do basic physical tests, but anything magic related goes right through him! Even air should cause a reaction! He's nothing! An impossible void!" The poor pony's eyelid twitched.
"That… might actually prove he was telling the truth actually…" Flash Sentry said.
"What did he say in interrogation, Lieutenant?"
"That, umm, he's an alien that was trying to teleport to Ponyville because his friend and his daughter got teleported there by a magical artifact he called dragon balls."
"Alien from what country?!" the doctor shouted. "That doesn't explain a thing!"
"Flash…" Shining Armor looked at him. "That's not funny."
Flash Sentry handed his folder over to Shining Armor, "I'm not joking, sir. I mean Sire."
Shining Armor opened the folder, but slammed it shut almost immediately. "He's from the other side of the portal, shit! Get me down there!"
Shining Armor flipped through the file as he and the guards galloped through the palace.
"Portal? What portal? We've been in contact with these creatures before?" an Equestrian guard asked with a bit of disgust in his voice.
"Starswirl's," Shining Armor said. "My sister went there officially recently."
"You mean the place where she met somepony who looked just like me? Left."
Shining Armor turned with everyone else, his nose still in the papers.
"Yeah. That place. Wait, he writes in Pondarin and Neighpon characters?"
"Yes. He speaks Equestrian, but has difficulty reading it. He called them Qina and Nippon however. Qin was the name of an older dynasty Weigh descends from and is a word the peasantry still calls the region according to the old books in the library."
"So, Weigh or Neighpon has access to Earth somehow?"
"We haven't confronted him with that knowledge yet. Stop."
Shining Armor stopped as they came to the door to the dungeons.
Shining Armor poofed the folder away. He took a deep breath. "Ok. Let's welcome our visitor."
Goku was sitting on the bed wrapped in thick blankets holding a steaming cup of tea.
"Oh, this is good," he said, taking another sip.
"Announcing Prince Shining Armor!"
Goku turned his head and saw a group of guards surrounding a naked white unicorn.
"Greetings, representative of Earth. Welcome to the Crystal Empire."
Goku put the cup down and got out from under the blanket. He walked up to the screen, put his fist in his palm and bowed. "I am Son Goku, nice to meet you." He stood and held his hand up, "But you can call me Goku. I don't do formalities." He grinned. "Everyone's a friend until proven otherwise."
"I see," Shining Armor smiled back, now seeing why everyone was creeped out by his teeth. "I'm glad to hear you assume the best in beings when you meet them."
Goku sneezed. "Sorry," he said, wiping his nose.
"Goku, would you be willing to have a proper meeting with me in the royal office while we prepare a room for you for the night? Surviving a windigo attack isn't something to shrug off."
"You mean those horse ghosts?"
"Yes. Even if their ice magic does not directly kill you, exposure is still serious. Medically, we would like you to spend the night."
"If you think it is best. But could you get a message to Ponyville that I'm here for Vegeta and Bulla? I'm sure they would feel better knowing I'm here on the planet."
Shining Armor nodded. "Don't worry. We will get a message through."
Goku walked forward and passed through the barrier effortlessly to the shock of everyone. "Sounds good." He then rubbed his arms, "Oh, it's cold here. That glowing window was keeping the heat in, wasn't it?"
"Yes…"
"Can I bring the blanket?"
Shining Armor recovered enough to smile. "Whatever it takes to keep you comfortable."
Goku went back and grabbed the blanket and wrapped himself up.
This time he collided with the forcefield.
"What the?" The impact knocked him back. He reached out and his hand went through like normal, but when he held the blanket, it did not.
"Huh…" he said, putting his fingers to his forehead.
He shocked everyone by teleporting through and appearing in the hallway.
"Ok. Take me wherever you want me to go," Goku gave his oblivious grin.
News of the strange visitor had spread through the palace and staff was peeking out from every nook and cranny.
Goku was wrapped tight in the thick, puffy blanket, obscuring most of his body.
"I seem to be popular. Guess I really stick out with how tall I am."
"Yes, you must be tall for your species," Shining Armor made small talk.
"No, I'm average, if not a little short. There's plenty of people taller than me."
"I see…"
"Yeah, I can't really," he chuckled. "It's just naturally this dark here, huh? I guess that's why everyone has such large eyes."
"How bright is this compared to Earth?"
"Hmm… I'd say after sunset. When the light is almost gone and the stars come out in the countryside."
"Really? Why do your rulers keep it so bright?"
"What do you mean?"
"The rulers who control the movement and brightness of the sun."
"No one controls the sun."
"But then how does your sun go around the planet?"
"Earth goes around the sun."
"What?! How? Why?" a guard shouted.
"It just… does?"
"Then who controls the Earth?!" he asked.
"No one. Earth just moves."
"Lighting Crash," Shining Armor snapped. "My apologies, Goku."
"No. It's ok. Sorry I'm not more of a help. I never graduated from middle school. But both my sons went to high school. They are both book smart. My oldest even went on to college." Goku's endless smile faltered, "They are stupid in a lot of other ways, but all my wife and everyone else cares about is books, so I just get ignored."
"So, why didn't you graduate?"
"I have a hard time reading words and numbers. Brain just doesn't work like that. I can do everything else, and I'm one of the most important warriors in the galaxy. But on Earth, if you can't read, you're nothing and no one cares about anything else."
"You're a soldier?"
"Martial Artist. Trained in temples then directly under the gods."
"When you say 'gods'…"
"Earth's personal Guardian and later the Kais. I just teleported from the Supreme Kai's planet."
"And he is?"
"The god of creation for the whole universe," Goku said, confused. "You really don't know who the kais are?"
"I've never heard of them," Shining Armor continued. "Where is their planet?"
"The highest point in the afterlife. It's pretty far. Originally, I had to two-step to the Endless Fields. But I've been able to jump the full distance for decades now."
"You claim to be able to enter the afterlife at will without dying?" another guard asked skeptically.
"And, also by dying," Goku's shrug was hidden by the blanket. "I've been resurrected twice now. Death hurts— a lot." He chuckled, "Try to do it only once if you can help it." He sneezed.
"Quiet!" Shining Armor snapped. "Goku, you're clearly a very nice individual. But on this planet, manipulating death is the realm of dark and evil magic. I wouldn't mention that you've been resurrected as that would make ponies think you are evil."
"Oh… ok… But you guys really can't cross over? There's lots of ways. From gates, to spells, or I use instant transmission. You guys are all about magic right?"
"Like I said, those lines of research are considered dark magic."
"So, it's a morality thing? Ok, I can respect that."
"And here we are," Shining Armor said, grasping a handle with his magic. The group entered the room.
Servants were in the middle of switching out the chair.
"Oh wow, you have chairs for me."
"There are bipedal races on this planet of similar build," Shining Armor said, climbing the step to his small throne behind the large desk. "If you would excuse me a moment, I rushed to greet you as soon as I was told you came from Earth. I have yet to fully read the report of what happened at your arrival. Should you like more tea while we wait?"
"Yes, thank you."
Shining Armor opened the folder and continued to read.
"You want to start at the beginning on how you ended up in the blizzard?" he began several minutes later.
"Well, I don't know how much the kais would want me to tell you. …Oh, thank you," he said as the tea arrived.
"Use your best judgment."
"Ok, well, umm, I guess it all started a week ago…"
Shining Armor put down his pen and looked at his scribbled notes.
"Ok, let me go over this one more time…
"First, there's no magic on Earth except for items related to your gods, beings from the afterlife, or artifacts gifted to your world?"
"Yes."
"Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi are considered ancient mythical creatures on Earth, but are no longer believed to exist by adults. However, they are frequently used in children's stories. One currently popular story with a large likeness manufacturing industry is set in a make-believe kingdom called Ponyville."
"Yes."
"So when this Bulla used one of the artifacts she was gifted for a holiday, instead of it not working, it brought her and her father to town. And after they were missing for a day, you used divination to discover what happened to them. Prince Vegeta was turned into a completely pink filly in a ballerina tutu and is currently with 'the pink one' and 'the yellow and blue ones with wings' in a hollowed-out tree used as a zoo. And Bulla is a white unicorn with blue hair and she was last seen running excitedly around Ponyville alone."
"Yes."
"And it was this North Kai, who you call King Kai because he rules over the part of the universe Earth is in, who helped you teleport here because you had no familiar 'key' to lock onto."
"Yes."
"And the Kais were having their own meeting, because stars were being moved around. They thought it would be dangerous as our solar system is not stationary, but actually moving, and is approaching inhabited space?"
"Yes. In a couple weeks if I remember right. Once we make sure they are ok, whoever is doing it will have to work things out with them to make sure no one gets hurt as you move through."
Shining Armor scratched the side of his head, "Quite… Definitely quite the story you have there, Goku."
Goku shrugged. "It's the truth."
Shining armor went back to the file he was given. "Is your race naturally immune to magic?"
"No, why?"
"The doctors were trying to do scans to look for any damage from the windigos, but they literally came back with nothing. Your body did not register as existing. Even air causes a reaction."
"Oh? I thought they were freaking out because I look weird to everyone. The ones covered in glitter have been nicer about it. The others looked like Vegeta when he's on his last nerve and is about to lose his temper with their faces twitching like that." He scratched his nose. "Was hard not to laugh, to be honest."
Then he sneezed again.
"Goku, how did you survive the windigo attack?"
"You mean the fight? I could have ended it quicker, but King Kai asked me to keep my power low to not scare the locals. I'm just glad I accidently found the tracks. I was thinking I was going to get in trouble taking it more seriously. I recognized the type of sin attack they started using after I killed a few, but even if I'm immune, it made the air a thousand times colder." He rubbed his arms, "I still can feel the ice forming on my arm hair."
"You killed a windigo? How? It takes powerful magic to even damage one," a guard spoke up.
"I said quiet," Shining Armor snapped again.
"Well, ki kills them," Goku said. "Really easily. The barrier at the tracks made them scream just something awful. At least ki was quick. I wouldn't wish pain like that on anyone."
"You're showing sympathy for windigos?!"
Shining Armor slammed both his hooves on the table. "That's enough!" He pointed at the door, "Get out! Everyone but Flash and the crystal guards! The rest of you are being unbelievably rude." He pointed at the door, "Now! Don't make me repeat myself."
Everyone hesitated.
Shining Armor grabbed the doors with his magic and swung them open. "N—" he stopped seeing the aide that was about to knock.
Shining Armor took a more regal pose, "Yes. What is it?"
"Forgive me, Prince Shining Armor. Fourteen of the old embassy staffs have gathered demanding to see the 'buddha' that was taken away by the guards. All far eastern nations. The group is being led by the old Neighponese ambassador and his modern partner."
"You recognized that word," Shining Armor said, seeing Goku's face as he turned around to look at the open door.
"Yeah, I think they mean me."
"Show the two ambassadors in. The guards I ordered out, out."
Two non-sparkling earth ponies entered the room, and Goku immediately recognized the robes and dots on their foreheads.
Shining Armor was glancing back and forth at the similarly bright clothing when Goku suddenly rushed to his feet and bowed with his fist in his palm.
The two ponies sat on their haunches and tapped their hooves together mimicking the pose.
One spoke, and Shining Armor figured it was the original ambassador as the translation spell was spitting out nonsense, if anything at all.
Goku spoke next, and the spell barely did anything either. The three spoke rapidly, with him only getting a third of the conversation before he intervened.
"Gentle ponies, I must ask Ponish be spoken. The translation spell is struggling with what I assume are different dialects."
Goku turned around and pointed at his face. "You mean this right?" Goku said in English.
"Yes," he nodded. "Guards, fetch two pony chairs on your way out for the ambassadors. Ambassadors, I ask you to stay and answer a few questions on how you know our guest here."
"But we literally just met," Goku said.
"Yet you recognize something about them to immediately scramble to bow and then speak the same language."
"You don't question why we can talk," Goku pointed out the obvious.
"That will come up as well," Shining Armor answered.
The new chairs arrived.
"Please sit, everypony."
The three sat and the equestrian guards begrudgingly left, leaving only crystal guards.
"So, Goku. Judging from the fact you can write in Neighponese and Pondarin, I assume those were the first languages you were schooled in for this trip? Why? When your destination was Ponyville?"
"I wasn't schooled in anything. I speak Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and English. Those are all Earth languages. I thought it was just some translation thing you had, but I guess the same languages exist on both our planets."
"That is highly improbable Goku. I understand the individuals you believe are gods asked you not to be fully honest, but make up something more believable."
The old ambassador spoke. "Doest the two faces of a coin knoweth of each other, or the two halves of an hourglass see what lies beyond the hole that giveth and taketh the sand? Yet both art joined as one and the same by what tis impossible for them to witness yet tis obvious to all once removed from the world and can experience the true reality."
"Are you claiming Earth and Equus are perfect copies of each other?"
"Not perfect. Tis not an accident that an enchanted mirror binds us. We art the reflection of the other. Identical, but flipped at the same time."
Goku gripped his armrests excitedly and began to speak Japanese before catching himself. "There's a magic mirror that connects Earth and this place?"
"Yes…"
Before he could continue, Goku looked up at the ceiling. "Hey! King Kai! Are you still watching this?!"
Suddenly a voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, spooking all the ponies in the room. "Yes, Goku. I've been checking up on you while the Supreme Kai has all of us running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Souls are crossing over now and we don't even have a Lord of Death assigned to organize processing."
"Well, someone has to be doing the job if people aren't becoming ghosts."
"We know, Goku. But there's no Korin Tower there to make it easy to locate the gods like on Earth. Continue with the meeting, I'm listening. If this mirror sounds useful to get back and forth, I'll pass it on."
Suddenly the modern ambassador shouted in Neighponese, and the disembodied voice responded in kind.
Again, Shining Armor was only getting half of the conversation.
("Are you truly one of the Kais?")
A few moments later both ponies got out of their chairs and dropped to their knees.
"(The teachings came through the lost Sacred Mirror of Teabit millennia ago. Its reflection was to Tibet and the Middle Kingdom.)"
"(There is no need to apologize, your holiness! If the Royal Sisters have burdened you, then that is Equestria's sin.)"
"(Yes, they are the ones who move the sun, moon and stars of our world.)"
"Wait," Shining Armor said forcefully. "What did you just say about the princesses?"
"I explained my busyness was due to your solar system unexpectedly entering my territory without a proper hand off," the disembodied voice said. "I don't even know the names of the terrestrial gods I'm looking for. Don't worry. Everyone's working to make sure your planet's souls will get to where they belong one way or another. There will be no interruption in the death and birth cycles on your world. The paperwork is just…" he sighed frustrated, "going to be unbelievably disorganized and messy for a few more weeks on our end."
"What do you plan to do to the princesses?"
"Nothing but a stern talking to. Obviously, mortals wouldn't know about an otherworldly boundary like that, but they are moving you in the direction of some of my inhabited planets. So there needs to be some close cooperation to pass safely through the area in the next few months. Even if Vegeta didn't screw up, again, Goku would still be visiting your planet as our representative for an official visit, not in this undignified ad hoc emergency rescue mission."
Goku sneezed.
"Goku… why are you in a blanket?"
"I almost froze to death battling demon ghost horses."
"With how powerful you are?"
"You told me not to use it!"
"… Ok. You're right. That's on me."
"I'm better than I was, but some of the cold won't go away."
"Have you been meditating to stay warm?"
"Yes. From what I've been told about these wind-ee-goes, that might be the only reason I'm alive."
"Let me look at you a moment. … Oh my. That's one nasty death spell. Goku, keep meditating. That coldness you're feeling is spiritual. It's sapping your ki, but it has a limit. Keep it elevated."
"Would transforming make it instantly go away then?"
"And have everyone with a scouter in 100 lightyears know where this rogue planet is?! No! Son Goku we spoke about this."
"Then how long? They want to keep me overnight."
"Then I would listen to them. We'll keep checking up on Vegeta and let you know if there is a change."
"What's happening with him now?"
"Let me check… huh… that's definitely him… Seems he's not pink anymore. He's a large black stallion. He's in a cast in a hospital and the blue rainbow-haired one is crying."
"Poison joke grows around Ponyville," Shining Armor said. "Its magic takes what you are most proud of and turns it on its head."
"So he's probably not pink?" Goku said. "Good to know. He hates that color. I thought Shen Long did him dirty."
"Who?" Shining Armor asked.
"Oh, the dragon balls. The magic stones I mentioned that did all of this."
"The artifact?" Shining Armor went back to the folder, "I don't remember—"
"Goku!"
Goku flinched, "Sorry King Kai."
"So, that was one of the things you were told not to say," Shining Armor said matter-of-factly, putting the folder back down.
"Well, I need to get back to work. I'll let you know if Vegeta or Bulla get into any danger."
Shining Armor couldn't put a hoof on it, but it almost felt like something in the air left the room. A scent? A temperature change? A breeze on the fur?
The ambassadors moved quickly from bowing in front of their chairs to bowing to Goku.
Goku awkwardly put his hands up. "Come on guys, I'm no one special. Really. I've turned down every offer to become a kami and everything else. I'm just a man. And not even a teacher. Just a forever wandering student."
"Your name says otherwise."
Goku began waving his arms. "No. No. No. I'm not THEE Son Goku. My grandpa called me that because I was born with a tail and the name stuck. I'm not an immortal or a god in any capacity."
"You are an emissary of the divine."
"Guys, please, if I wanted to be honored like this, I would have become a kami instead of running off with the girl I married."
"Kame," the old ambassador said standing, "Thou art is making our fellow guest uncomfortable before this land's ruler."
"Yes… Lord Mutaito," he said, getting up.
Goku's face blanked. "Ahhh-ummm…" he raised his finger limply. "You don't by any chance usually wear a pair of sunglasses, do you?"
"Yes!" Kame said surprised.
"I believe thou hast met his reflection?"
"Yes, Kame-Senin was my first master."
"I am nowhere proficient enough for a student, let alone called a Senin."
"A reflection tis not a perfect copy. His teacher's skill versus thy ineptitude tis perfectly believable."
"But I don't even need bracers!"
"That was a basic fact of life in my time. That ponies haft fallen so far in eight generations tis troubling." Mutaito sat back down. "Our apologies, Prince Shining Armor."
"Wait… Does that mean your sister was crushing on some loser teenager who plays Ogres and Oubliettes instead of a respectable stallion?"
"The mirror works?!" the two ponies shouted in unison.
"From what I was told, Starswirl's mirror opens randomly for a few hours every several years. I doubt it's the mirror you mentioned."
"No, the mirror was Starswirl's. It was his prison mirror that he abandoned after he lost control of it in Teabit. He agreed to fix it after it stopped working and we never got it back."
"He used Earth as a prison?" Goku asked, surprised.
"All magical beings are supposed to lose their powers there," Mutaito said. "The realm itself sucks them dry."
"Ah… that would make sense," Goku said, scratching his nose. "I guess that's why the ghost horses eat ki then, if we're opposites." Then he sneezed again.
"Ki exists here alongside magic," Mutaito said, shaking his head. "But magic blocks ki use. One must break the wall to access it."
Mutaito turned his hoof up and a ball of light formed. "Ponies have an especially hard time and need intervention at a very young age to even stand a chance."
"Ah, yeah. Most humans can't use ki either unless they're taught as kids too."
Shining Armor turned his head and raised his hoof at the light. "So, you were taught this power as a child?" He said flipping through the file. "Why don't you douse that light and we switch topics to what this 'key' actually is and how you used it to kill the windigos, Goku."
"Ki is just a person's life energy. Use too much and you can pass out and die. People are born with different amounts, but with training you can raise it up. I was born a third class Saiyan but I'm now one of the strongest in the galaxy."
"What is a third class Saiyan?"
"My species. I'm not human. I was raised on Earth since I was a baby, but Saiyans originally come from the planet Vegeta."
"He was named after the planet?"
Goku smiled. "Yeah, sure."
Shining Armor saw how uncomfortable he was, but did not press the subject.
"So, you can focus this life energy like magic and use it as a weapon?"
Goku shrugged.
"Yes," Mutaito said. "That tis correct. A raw magic blast tis the most accurate. It burns with heat but also acts like a physical blow. It can also be used to mimic earth pony magic in increasing strength." He then stood and rose in the air. "The skilled can even fly like pegasi."
Shining Armor picked his jaw off the ground as he landed and took his seat.
"And your teleportation," he looked at Goku, "it is also ki based?"
"Yep."
"Interesting power…" Shining Armor tapped his hoof on the desk. "And this has been kept a secret from the rest of the world?"
"No," Kame said. "The isolation wars that were thankfully fought after the Crystal Empire's disappearance were over the spread of Buddhist teachings. It is outlawed in almost every nation and has led to great suffering for the races who refuse to abandon it. Even in Equestria, it can lead to death."
"Very few things lead to the death penalty in Equestria. And as the former head of the Royal Guard, I know all our nation's laws. And I have never heard of Buddhism or ki before."
"Ponies must use magic locks to suppress their magic in order to even hope to find their ki beyond the mana heart. The western nations do not believe delaying the acquisition of cutie marks by a few years is worth the effort."
Shining Armor stamped his front hooves on the table as he reared up. "You magic lock your foals?!"
Mutaito smiled. "I will prepare the embassies and staff for exile then. Now that the road to Earth has reopened and no longer requires magic, we no longer must wait on Equestria's broken promises."
"Prince Shining Armor," one of the crystal ponies spoke up. "Isn't your reaction right now the same as the Equestrian magic delegation you ordered to be removed by force from the kingdom when they came to study 'lost and primitive magicks' and to 'educate the masses on the proper methods'?" The unicorn tossed his spear down, approached the front of the table, took off his helmet with his magic, and placed it on the table. "If you continue with your emotional reaction, then I will have no choice but to deliver my resignation from the royal guards."
All the guards in the room began dropping their weapons and placing their helmets on the floor.
A guard also took off his cloth pauldron marking himself as a combat mage. "Prince Shining Armor. Ki usage is taught as electives in the Imperial Academy. I took Life Energy Theory 101, but I know higher classes are available that voluntarily use magic locks in experiments. Before you show the rest of the empire your Equestrian blood, learn about this kingdom. Remember, you did not save us. A dragon did."
He then walked out of the room. The other crystal guards grabbed their helmets and followed.
"Respectfully captain," Flash Sentry said, now the only guard left in the room. "You just bucked up, really hard."
Shining Armor sat back down, "Could you three stand outside for a moment, so I may talk with my subordinate alone."
"More than happy too," Goku said awkwardly. He stood behind the chair and pulled the blanket back over his head. "You do you. I'll just be outside." He walked backward a few steps before turning around and leaving.
Mutaito and Kame left silently.
The door shut with a thud.
Shining Armor sighed, laying his head on the table. "Thoughts? Since you clearly have them also?"
"While I have the same emotions on magic locking a foal… when I saw the earth pony fly, all I thought was of that disabled pegasi that hangs out with your sister and her friends. The one that will never fly because she was born with mangled and missing filaments in her back and wings. I think she would willingly delay or even sacrifice ever getting a cutie mark without a second thought if it meant she could learn to fly."
"Anything else?"
"Even if Goku misunderstood the windigos ability to vaporize and reappear elsewhere as death, he teleported right through that cell's containment field, something that can stop everypony but a trained unicorn mage. This power is real, and it can completely overpower or even bypass magic. Even if his claiming to be one of the most powerful beings in… I guess everything, is the reason he could walk right through it, that means he could be the equivalent of an alicorn of this ki, or at least Starswirl."
"And that voice was no telepathy spell…" Shining Armor said, lifting his head. "That was… eerie… unnatural even…" He stood with his hooves on the desk. "Alright, I've made up my mind."
"Sir?"
"I'm going to college."
Flash Sentry took a moment to shake the look of horror off his face. "Shall I fetch your IEP, sir?"
"No. Celestia, if Twilight found out I'm dyslexic, she'd never forgive me for embarrassing her like that." He sighed, "Thanks for doing my homework for me… I would have never had the grades to get into the army otherwise. Special talent or not."
"Keep talking," he smiled. "What else has your wing stallion done for you?"
Shining Armor rolled his eyes, then came over and put his front leg over his neck, "And who wants what with my sister?"
"Hey, she's crushing on me. And apparently not the real me but some loser me. I'm not gonna treat her anything but like a princess until that kid can tell the difference between us." He paused. "So, I'm going to college too to keep you looking good, right?"
"Of course."