Dragonball MLP by Almost Interesting
episode 5: The most unsettling news! (Edited)
[Daybreak - Castle Friendship 8 a.m. - Third Person POV.]
The quaint town of Ponyville was once again buzzing with activity. However, this time it was not from the residents welcoming delegates or watching a visual spectacle. This time, elite royal guards occupy the streets. Celestia had sent word to Canterlot to transfer 25 of her most skilled solar guards to Ponyville and link up with 25 of Twilight's newly formed guards. Thankfully, the delegates left earlier on before she sent her letter. A sudden influx of guard activity at what was supposed to be a peaceful event would have sent the wrong message. So, instead, they all assembled in front of the Castle and waited for the princess's orders.
"Guards!" Celestia said in an authoritative voice. At Celestia's command, every royal pony present stood at attention. "We have gathered you all here today to address a growing situation that may lead to a potential threat to Equestria." She finished while some of the guards shifted uncomfortably at that statement. They had always known what a threat was and what wasn't a threat to their country, so to hear the princesses sound unsure of the matter was unsettling.
"During the event last night, some residents of Ponyville wandered into the Everfree forest without supervision," Celestia added. "Under normal circumstances, this issue would fall under the Twilight Guard jurisdiction. However, we have reason to believe that said residents may have encountered a ghoul. As well as a new creature within the forest," she finished as the guards muttered.
"A Ghoul?!" An alarmed guard articulated.
"Out here?" Another replied with skepticism.
"A new creature?" A guard inquired.
Celestia raised her hand to stop the chatter as she continued. "Furthermore, we have an eyewitness statement that confirms that this new creature defeated said ghoul in singles combat," She concluded. The guards' murmurs became louder as the situation started to look bleak.
"Someone battled that creature solo and triumphed?!" A stunned guard exclaimed.
"No way, only the princesses are capable of that," Another said vehemently.
"Pardon me, Princess Celestia, but there is still much we do not know about the Everfree Forest, nor what lurks within it. So why should some creature cause such an immediate reaction?" A solar guard said. Celestia knew him as Cautious Step. He was good at avoiding what he deemed unnecessary risks.
"While you are correct that the mysteries of the forest are largely unknown, what we do know is that this creature is sentient and goes by the name of Son Goku," she said as the guards looked more troubled by this news and were about to ask more questions.
This time, Twilight stopped the chatting to remind them of the critical issue, regardless of whether Son Goku had seen it. He does have members of Ponyville with him. Members who are close friends and family to the crown. We do not know his intentions with them, but he can defeat a ghoul without the aid of magic, so who knows what his real purpose is?" She said. The hint of worry in her voice caused all her guards to push down any further hesitation and aid their princess in her request.
"Princess Luna was able to find the location of Spike Solaris-Sparkle and some fillies last night in the dreamscape," Celestia said as she stepped forward. "You are sure of your find, sister?" she asked low enough for Luna to hear.
Luna paused before answering as she thought back to her search last night.
[Last night - Luna POV - Dreamscape.]
The Dreamscape: A realm that taps into the subconscious to turn fantasy into reality. As the princess of the night, I must safeguard the dreams of my subjects from nightmares. Here, in this realm, it connects to every living being. It is here where I shall find young Spike and the fillies. I may even be able to discover more insight into Son Goku. I activated my magic, causing many doors to materialize before me. All I need to do from here is locate Spike's and others' unique magical signature.
The search seemed to be taking longer than usual for some reason. This delay is typically the result of the dreamer having an empty dream — a situation where a pony sleeps without dreaming. But, with Spike and the CMC, somepony was bound to be dreaming. So I continued searching until I felt a different magical signature, unlike any I had ever encountered. Nonetheless, I followed it, and I came across a strange door. The door was pretty standard, orange, but what was on it was perplexing. A plaque on the door read 'Kame House,' and a symbol I've never seen before, nor could I understand. It was a circle with a black outline; the inside of it was white. At the center were strange characters similar to the japoneighese. There was a character that was a straight line that curved at the end, and two others that resembled boxes stacked on top of one another.
I stuck my hand out to open the door, when suddenly it was encompassed by a fiery scarlet red aura. Taken aback, I retreat from the door and watch the atmosphere more intently. It was the strange magic signature I followed, but it didn't move like magic. Magical auras flowed smoothly like the autumn breeze during the fall season. This essence, however, seems to flare and crackle like fire. I reach for the door again, infusing my aura around my hand to bypass it. The result was something I had not accounted for as the two powers clashed against one another.
Electricity started to snap out as an invisible force pushed me back slowly. I added more magic to get through, but the resistance was strong. Eventually, the two auras produce a massive shock wave that blows me back. When I recovered, my scorched hand stung with pain, and the door had faded away. I stared at the space where the door had vanished. This instance had never happened before. I couldn't enter another pony's dream and didn't know what to make of it. However, if I follow this foreign power, then we shall find the culprit behind it.
[Present time, Third Person POV]
Snapping out of musings, Luna turned to answer her sister. "Verily, sister. While we could find young Spike and fillies' dreams, we found the creature's strange idea. We'll spare you the details, but we've devised a way to track it. We can leave at your leisure." Luna said as Celestia caught something odd about what she just said; she gazed at her a moment longer before nodding. Luna noticed her lingering gaze and hoped she would drop the matter. It was not out of mistrust that Luna did not tell her sister of what transpired last. She did not want to admit she failed in one of her primary duties.
"Very well, Luna. Let's not delay any longer." Celestia said as she faced her guards again. "Members of the royal guard, it is time to move out, reclaim our loved ones, and face whatever adversity Son Goku will bring." She finished as there was a resounding chorus of battle cries from the guards.
Luna stepped forward and prepared her spell. She designed for her horn to grow brighter as they got closer to the power she felt in the dreamscape. Luna glowed as it got a lock, and the moon goddess began to lead the small platoon of guards into the forest. "Onward!" she exclaimed.
As Twilight and her friends began to follow, Shining Armour pulled her to the side. "Good luck out there, little sis. I'd rather go with you, but Cadence and I should stay and watch over things here," he said apologetically.
"It's fine; I don't want to risk Cadence's safety. We can handle this," Twilight said confidently, and Shining Armour nodded. She then rejoined the guard, and they disappeared into the forest.
[3 hours later]
The journey through the forest has been vastly uneventful, thanks to the princess's presence. No creature would be foolish enough to engage celestial deities and Zecora's unique knowledge of the area. Instead, she wanted to provide more assistance to the cause. Luna's horn continued to glow brighter as they neared the location of the foreign power.
"Hey Twilight, do you think this thing is as tough as Zecora made it out to be? I'm still having doubts," Rainbow said with boredom.
"I'm just as skeptical as you, Rainbow Dash. I don't want to discredit Zecora in any way, but maybe she could be wrong this time," Twilight said as she glanced at Zecora. "It happens to the best of us."
"Well, she seemed pretty sure of herself," Fluttershy added. "She has always come through for us before, and I don't think now's any different if that's okay, I mean,"
"I trust Zecora's character far more than this Son Goku creature. I can only imagine the horrors little Sweetie Belle witnessed of all the worst things that could happen. Of all the things that could have to happen, this one is THE WORST POSSIBLE THING!" Rarity said as she lifted her fainting couch and fell over it dramatically.
"Rares, you're doing this now? And how the hay did you bring that thing way out here?" Applejack asked, slightly annoyed by friends' antics.
Rarity raised her head from the couch and spoke. "Hmm? Those nice strapping young guards over there were enough to assist. They just needed convincing." She said while batting her eyelashes.
"I think that-"
"We have arrived!" Luna said, cutting off Pinkie Pie as the group entered the clearing. The area showed clear signs of a battle taking place. "Guards, survey the area for possible clues on the creature. Studying how it may yield better success in our mission."
"Yes, Your Highness," the guards said as they surveyed the area. After 5 minutes, they returned and gave their report. "Your Highnesses, we have several surrounding trees with claw marks and puncture holes within, as if something was clinging onto the tree. In addition, we found many hoof prints on the ground; five of them belong to the fillies in question, and two resemble the dragon's feet, so that they could belong to Sir Spike and the ghoul. However, we found one more set that we can't identify," the guard said—both the princesses and the elements raised their brows.
"You can't identify this set of hoofprints? What's so strange about the?" Twilight asked.
"We believe that they could be the hoofprints of something in armor, but the shape of the prints is all wrong," the guard said as Celestia spoke up.
"Show us these hoofprints," Celestia said as Guardard led them to the opposite end of the clearing. There, they all examined the suspicious hoofprint. "What do you make of this, Luna?" she asked.
"The indentation is far too shallow to be armor, sister. But they must belong to Son Goku since we classify him as a new creature." Luna said. The rest of the group gave their theories about the prints, except for Rarity, who firmly used her keen analytical eyes on said indentations.
"SHOES!" Rarity blurted out before wincing at her outburst.
"Wait, their shoes?" Rainbow said as everyone mirrored her bewildered look.
Rarity cleared her throat before speaking. "Why yes, darling, or, more specifically, their boots. You can tell by the unique way the grooves of the impression are. Also, I saw these same prints in several different spots in the area," she finished as she showed everyone the different locations. What's truly vexing is these hoofprints seem to break off and start again with a significant gap in the space between."
"Okay, so we know their boots and the footprints appear in different areas, but what does that tell us about what happens here?" Twilight asked as she turned to Celestia, who was studying the ground by the overturned tree. "Princess?" she asked warily.
Celestia's gaze never tore from the ground as she stared intently at a dried red stain in the grass. It didn't take long for her to see that it was blood, but when she scanned it, her face twisted into horror. "This is Dragon's Blood!" She said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"BLOOD?!" everyone screamed out while Fluttershy fainted.
"D-Dragons blood as in..." Twilight couldn't even finish as she hyperventilated.
Rainbow Dash's wings flared out, and she zoomed over to Zecora to confront her. "Nice going, Zecora. Spike got injured cause YOU left them high and dry!" She barked. Zecora, however, was not going to take such an accusation lying down.
"Make no mistake, Rainbow Dash. It is never a wise move to be brash." Zecora said, aiming her stern gaze at her. "If I had sensed that they were in danger, I would have donned the role of a ranger. There is no greater crime than to leave one's friends behind!" She said, but Rainbow did not falter either.
"How can you say that when that's what you did. I mean, come on, you say we should trust this thing with the safety of our friends cause you had a 'feeling' he wouldn't hurt them. Well, I have a feeling you lost your head in all those herbs that you make-"
*SLAP*
The sound echoed throughout the clearing, stopping all activity. Everyone turned to the music and was shocked at the sight before them. Although Fluttershy had stepped in, she held a stern yet teary-eyed expression as she brought her hand down from a slap against Rainbow Dash.
"F-Fluttershy?" Rainbow croaked out.
"You know as well as I do that Zecora would never do such a thing as abandon her friends. However, if she felt no danger, we should have no reason to doubt her." Fluttershy said affirmatively.
"How do you explain the dragon's blood we found?" Rainbow countered harshly.
"W-well, I think that-
"Exactly, you can't say a word cause you can't argue facts, and Spike was hurt right now, and it's all her fault!" Rainbow said as she pointed her Zecora, who glared hard at the pegasus.
"ENOUGH!" Luna shouted, amplifying her with the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Bickering amongst ourselves will lead us nowhere. And I expect loyalty to act accordingly to her element."
"WHAT? OF COURSE, I'm ACTING TO-" Rainbow was going to say until a harsh glare from Luna left no room for arguments.
"Thine earlier assumption is false. We did not attain all of the facts. The clearing holds more than what we have gathered so far." Luna said as she looked at Celestia and Twilight. "Sister, young Twilight, I require your aid with a spell I have developed."
"What spell, Princess Luna?" Twilight asked as she was finally able to calm down.
"We have dubbed it the recall period!" Luna exclaimed dramatically. "We shall gather the surrounding magic to view what has happened. But first, we must cast my spell together. It uses large quantities of magic. Now let us join hands. Since you are both unfamiliar, we shall perform the cast while the two of you will maintain the magic flow." Luna finished as Celestia, and Twilight nodded.
The three princesses joined hands in a circle while Luna's horn glowed. Celestia and Twilight soon followed suit and poured their magic into the spell. Soon, the clearing became enveloped in a dome of magic, and the magic began to take shape and don the images of Spike and the fillies.
"Lookie, there's Spike, and oh, there's the CMC, and those two are the sugar lumps, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," Pinkie said. "Say, I can see their mouths moving, but I do not hear any words."
"This spell merely displays past events. It does not convey sound. So let us hope nothing of importance is said." Luna explained.
The images show Spike moving to retrieve a Tiara sitting on a stone. Once he picked it up, the ghoul appeared, attacking and gravely injuring Spike. Everyone watched Spike make a valiant effort to defend against the ghoul. Still, his injuries significantly hindered him, and the monster knocked Spike into the tree where Celestia found the bloodstain. The fillies were frozen with fear as it went to finish off Spike, but before it could, a giant orb of light appeared. Once it dissipated, a new figure appeared; however, its image was unclear, and no one could make out what it was.
"Why is this guy all shifty? I can't make out his face," Rainbow said with irritation.
"As we said, this spell uses the magical energy in the area and other beings to display visuals. We cannot get a clear image if the being holds no magic." Luna said this only further cemented that Son Goku could not use magic.
Everyone watched as the recall spell continued. The group saw the distorted figure look around and then walk over to Spike. It then took some strange bean and fed it to Spike. The group watched in complete excitement as the food item brought Spike back to full health, but bafflement soon turned to horror as the ghoul went for another attack. Unfortunately, all it hit was the tree while Spike and the figure stood beside the fillies unharmed. The character turned to face the ghoul, which then attacked but could not land a single blow.
The battle went on as the ghoul jumped from tree to tree, gaining speed for its attacks, but it was all in vain as it passed right through him without leaving a scratch. Next, the ghoul used its powers to grow into a hulking beast and tried to crush the figure. Finally, however, the fight ended with the character landing a single blow. After the battle, the creature leads the fillies and an unconscious Spike away. The images then fizzle out, and the dome disappears. The group is stunned at this discovery as mixed feelings well up within them.
"That figure had to have been Son Goku, but...how did he do all that?" Twilight wondered. She was significantly more relaxed now that she knew Spike was okay.
"Tis a good question indeed. We must double our efforts to learn his secrets." Luna said.
"He was somehow able to not only stop the bleeding but also completely heal Spike," Celestia said in summation.
"And he beat the meanie weenie ghoulie so quickly. Say, where is it?" Pinkie asked as the group searched for it in the designated spot. Unfortunately for them, they only found its mutilated form. Its belly inards exposed to the world. Teeth marks riddle its face, and small traces of wood lay in the wounds.
"Some Timberwolves had gotten to it. At least it's no longer our concern," Celestia said coldly. She used her magic to teleport the corpse away.
"Well, RD?" the apple farmer asked almost coyly.
"Well, what?" Rainbow countered with a huff.
"Don't ya think you owe Zecora an apology after that wild accusation ya sent her way," Applejack said firmly.
"Well, kinda, I mean, she still left Spike and those fillies with that thing," Rainbow said defensively.
"Rainbow Dash, we all saw Son Goku defend Spike, and those fillies from that mean old ghoul, just as Zecora said, so you owe her an apology right now!" Fluttershy said sternly.
"Oh, come on, they could be in even worse danger now. This guy could've saved Spike and the girls just for himself. Back me up, Rares." Rainbow said as she gave Rarity a pleading look for support.
"While I am not entirely sure what to believe, at the very least, you owe Zecora an apology." Rarity said.
Before Rainbow could utter another word, Zecora spoke up. "The apology will have to wait. We must get going before it gets late. Their path starts here, which means their camp must be very near."
She did shoot Rainbow a little glare that made her wince. Rainbow lowered her head and held a forlorn expression as she paused for thought. "Me and my big muzzle." She thought as they made their way on the new path.
[Goku's Ship, Third Person POV]
Spike began to stir from his slumber as the sun's morning light hit his face. "Ahh, best night's sleep I've ever had. I wonder why Twilight didn't wake me?" he said while stretching. This situation was unusual to him as she would always ensure they woke up no later than 8:30. He got up from his bed, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and went to the window. He took a look outside, and he saw nothing but rows of trees. Just then, he jumped back and fell on his butt as a Timberwolf was looking back at him from the outside. It clawed at the window to get at him, but its wood-like structure could not break through the highly reinforced glass. It reared back to pounce through, only to shatter against it. Spike's eyes darted around the room, panic evident in his face. He saw he was in some big metal room. The fillies were in similar beds to his, still sleeping. Spike's eyes drifted to a strange object with an even stranger-looking wheel.
"What is this thing?" Spike thought aloud as he slowly approached it. His fingers went to touch the buttons on its side when static electricity shot out and zapped him, causing him to yelp. He was so loud that he woke up the others.
*Yawn*
"What the hay's all that racket?" A sleepy Applebloom asked.
"Yeah, if I don't get 30 extra minutes of sleep, my cuteness suffers." Diamond Tiara said as she whined.
"Geez, Spike, screaming as a filly is so not cool." Scootaloo chides.
"Girls, what happened last night? Where are we? And how did we get here?" Spike asked in rapid succession that could rival Pinkie Pie.
"Don't you remember, Spike? Mr Goku brought us here when he beat that ghoul, and you passed out." Silver Spoon said.
Suddenly, the events of last night hit Spike like a ton of bricks. He remembered getting hurt, healed, and watching as Goku trounced the ghoul. He took another look around the inside as his eyes landed on the gravity machine and then on the flight console. At first, he thought Goku had a strange taste in decor, but then, a crippling realization donned on him, but he needed to confirm his suspicions first.
"Say, girls, what did you say his name was again?" Spike asked.
"He said his name was Son Goku~." Sweetie Belle said with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Yeah, he said our names were weird! As if his name was any better. But we all started to laugh when he said his name did sound more alien," Diamond Tiara recalled happily.
"Right, and did he do or say anything weird when we got here?" Spike asked, ignoring the lovestruck gaze of the filly.
"Well, first, he went to that metal tube and made these beds come out." Silver Spoon added.
"On the way here, he kept saying that this was a spaceship that flies, but we all know that's impossible, right Spike?" Scootaloo looked at Spike, whose expression had gone blank.
...
"ALIEN, HE'S A BUCKING ALIEN!" Spike screamed out. "This is just like in Power Ponies issue 25. The heroes meet a strange newcomer who seems friendly at first. But then, he reveals himself as an alien visitor who wants to use the power ponies to take over the world." Spike finished his panic-induced rant as the fillies gave him a deadpan look.
"Seriously?" Apple Bloom asked. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Not even Discord can come up with that."
"Yeah, Spike, why would he help us if he were a bad pony?" Sweetie Belle said.
"That is what he wants you to think. He wants to gain our trust so we fall into a false sense of security. We must get out before he returns with his mind control tools." Spike said urgently.
He looks around the room again in hopes of finding an exit. Unfortunately, the unfamiliar layout of the ship's interior made that impossible. He figured there had to be some button that would get them out of there. So, he went over to the gravity machine and checked the console. There were various switches, and the temptation to press them all became immense. But he knew that was a bad idea. While Spike continued his internal debate, Scootaloo became interested in the flight controls again. The little filly snuck over and sat down in the seat. She recalled their conversation with Goku last night about his home being able to fly. Naturally, being a Pegasus meant she had an innate knowledge of flight. She concluded that Goku must have been joking, yet she had this nagging feeling that he wasn't. She noticed next to the wheel was a big red button. Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to press it. At first, nothing happened. Moments later, the entire ship began to shake, and a voice came on to alert the group.
"Main power on, manual control engaged. Beginning flight protocols in T-minus 20 seconds," the voice said, confusing the others.
"Ah, what did you do?" A panicked Spike said.
"I dunno, all I did was press this button, but what was that voice just now?" Scootaloo said.
"Yeah, what was with all the words it said. Could I only make out the word 'flight? Was Mr. Goku telling the truth about this ship?" Applebloom asked while Scootaloo started beaming with joy.
"What NO! It's taking us back to its home planet where they'll put tubes up our noses and suck out brains like in issue 28 of power ponies," Spike said as everyone deadpanned again.
"Spike, you're reading way too many comic books, and hey, is that Pinkie at the window?" Sweetie said as she pointed to the pink mare.
"Pinkie Pie?" Spike asked as he spotted the pink mare. "Pinkie, quick, get us out of here before it's too late!" Spike frantically tried to wave Pinkie over, but to his horror, Pinkie waved back at him. "Aw, Drake, she can't hear me!"
"3. 2. 1. Commencing flight protocols, takeoff engaged," The voice said as the ship started to shake more violently, causing everyone to lose their balance. Spike got up and rushed to the window to discover they were five feet off the ground.
"Oh, buck-" was all he had to say as the ship rocketed to the sky.
[5 minutes earlier - Third Person POV]
The search party, consisting of the princesses, the elements, and the royal guards, finally came upon Goku's ship. The walk there had been relatively quiet, with no threats against them or continued drama among themselves. However, once they looked at the boat, they were surprised to see a large, spherical metal structure. It was even more surprising that they saw a Timberwolf attempt to breach, only to be stopped by the hall, unable to reform.
"Okay, what is that, and why was Timberwolf trying to smash it?" Rainbow asked.
"It appears to be some ball made of metal," Twilight said as she scanned the strange object before her.
"Twilight, you silly filly, balls are made of rubber, not metal. How else would you expect it to bounce?" Pinkie stated as she went for a closer look.
"Everypony, we will approach with caution. We do not want any surprises to befall us." Celestia commanded as they slowly moved closer to inspect the ship.
"Hey girls, I found Spike and the fillies," Pinkie said. She was standing on the shoulders of a guard, trying her best to remain stoic in her awkward situation. "Hey, he's waving at me—Hiya Spike," she said as she waved back.
"Spike!?" Twilight exclaimed as she rushed to another window to see Spike and the fillies, dirty and scuffed but unharmed. They appear to be okay, but they've most likely trapped him here, and we need to."
The violent shaking of the ship cut Twilight off. The landing gear retracted, and the vessel started hovering a few feet from the ground. Soon enough, the ship blasted straight into the sky, leaving the group stunned beyond belief.
"D-did that ball just fly?" Fluttershy asked as her eyes bugged out.
"Nay, tis impossible!" Luna said, unable to hide her shock.
"W-wait, it still has Spike and the girls!" Twilight said as her worry overcame her shock.
"Not to worry, Twi, fastest flier in Equestria, remember, no way some wingless ball gonna out fly me!" Rainbow confidently said as she shot up after the ship.
"It looks like it's heading back toward Castle Friendship. Everypony gathered around me while I prepared a mass teleportation spell." Celestia ordered as her horn lit up, and the group vanished in a golden orb of light.
[Meanwhile - on Goku's ship]
The ship was soaring wildly as its inhabitants held on for dear life. "We're flying; WE'RE FLYING!" Scootaloo said excitedly. "This is like 20%, no 50%, no 100% MORE AWESOME IN THE HISTORY OF FOREVER!" This moment is a dream come true for her.
"Speak for yourself," Diamond said sickly. "I *hiccups* hate flying!"
"Is there any way to get back to the ground?" Silver Spoon asks fearfully. She never liked heights.
Scootaloo expressed her disappointment, stating, "What, no way, we just started."
"I think we'd better get moving; Spike is not looking too good," Sweetie said as the group saw Spike clutching the ground, wide-eyed and hyperventilating.
Scootaloo then eyed the flight controller and the monitor that displayed the outside to them, and a wicked grin spread across her face. "Alright, fillies and hatchlings." She paused to pull a replica Wonderbolt goggles from her hoodie and slid them over her eyes. "We're about to do some real flying, hehe,"
"I don't know if I like that look in her eyes," Silver Spoon said as the girls nodded in agreement.
"Geronimo!" Scootaloo yelled as she took the controls and began to pilo (haphazardly) through the sky. She pulled the levers downward, and the ship followed. She pulled side to side, and the vessel mimicked her perfectly. Then, she began to pretend she was racing in the Wonderbolt Darby. "Watch out, mares and gentle colts, the number one rookie of Wonderbolts just blew past veteran flyer Fleetfoot and had taken the lead on the last lap of the race. Will she pull off the biggest upset of the year and win first? Let's find out now." Scootaloo said, sporting a huge grin.
The other fillies saw the novelty and fun in flying the ship and wanted a turn. "Oh, oh, let me have a turn. I wanna see what Manehattan looks like in the air." Sweetie Belle said as she grabbed the controls from Scootaloo.
"Hey!" Scootaloo said as she pouted. So Sweetie Belle changed course and flew toward Manehattan until the sugar lumps wrestled the controls from her.
"It's our turn now. Now, Lady Silver Spoon, shall we go to Canterlot in our new exotic carriage? We're sure to be the talk of the Gala," Diamond haughtily said.
"Why yes, Madam Tiara. We will most definitely be the center of attention." Silver Spoon stated in an equally arrogant voice. But before they could change course again, Applebloom pushed them aside and took over.
"Sorry girls, but I gotta show Granny Smith and Big Mac. They won't believe me otherwise," She said as they flew towards Sweet Apple Acres. The other fillies soon got up and started bickering and fighting over the controls.
"Give it here!"
"It's mine!"
"No, Mine!"
The argument continued until a loud snapping sound rang out through the interior. The fillies watched in horror as they held the steering wheel. "Uh, Oh..." They all said in unison.
Spike recovered from his mild panic attack as he got off the ground and moved to the fillies. "What do you girls mean, 'Uh Oh'?" he asked as the girls held up the flight controller with sheepish grins. "Uh, Oh!" he said as a warning label flared across the monitor. It displayed Canterlot Castle fast approaching.
[Rainbow's POV - First person]
I was flying closely behind this mysterious metal ball as it ascended. It was fast for a big, wingless hunk of metal, but it was nothing I couldn't match. Then, suddenly, it broke off and started maneuvering all over the sky. Whatever this thing is. It has no idea how to hold a proper flight pattern. It's like a little Pegasus that discovered flight for the first time. Anyway, I started gaining on it again until it shifted course back and seemed to be heading for Manehattan. So I changed course and began to catch up still. Then, just as I was right on top of it, it altered course AGAIN. I started to get annoyed by this ball trying to shake me, ME, Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria, and Wonderbolt reserve.
This thing, whatever it is, was heading toward Sweet Apple Acres, but it wasn't going to make it far. So I poured on more speed and closed the gap quickly, but it turned again, to my groan. It was heading toward Canterlot Castle this time, but was moving much faster. Now I've had it with this thing; no doubt that Son Goku character was flying this whatever it is. Ever since he got here, he's been nothing but trouble. He foals naps Spike and those fillies, beats some ghoul-like a big shot, causing the fight between Zecora and me, and now he thinks his hunk of metal can out-fly me? Well, now it's time to show him some real speed. So I started flying faster and faster until the Mach cone formed around me.
I was just moments from pulling off my great sonic rain-boom; the thing shot straight into the sky. It moved way faster than before; it looked like it broke through the atmosphere. But every pegasus knows never to fly that high, or we freeze and plummet to our doom. It's a metal ball, not a flesh-and-blood Pegasus, so maybe the cold won't hurt it. Finally, I had a horrible realization. I wasn't fast enough to help Scootaloo or the others, and now they're gone. I never felt so empty inside, and what's worse is now I have to tell Twilight and the others. Like the flight of shame, I took what flight back to Ponyville.
[Back to Goku's ship - Third Person POV.]
"We're out of control; we're gonna crash into Canterlot!" Spike said with urgency. He took a glance at the flight controller on the ground. He picked it up and tried to fix it.
"Spike, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"No time! Ship! Crash! Danger!" Spike said. He then jammed the flight controller back in place and pulled down with all his might. The ship narrowly avoided colliding with Canterlot and shot upwards. It continued its course until it passed the outer atmosphere.
Spike and the fillies soon felt weightless as they floated from the floor. "Whoa, whoa, we're floating!" Spike exclaims while he helplessly flails around.
"This is cool! It's like we're sitting in jello." Silver Spoon said as she slowly drifted to the wall.
"It's a little hard to move around," Diamond said while she tried to study herself as she floated upwards.
Scootaloo was busy attempting to use her wings to steer herself, but found this difficult as she only succeeded in spinning in place. "I'm getting kinda dizzy," she said.
"I dunno, this seems kinda like swimming. Y'all need to kick your hooves and swing your arms like this," Applebloom said as she showed off her swimming technique, and the others followed suit.
"This is pretty fun, huh, Spike?" Sweetie Belle said as she looked at Spike, who managed to find his way to a window. He was unable to form words as soon as he took in the view.
"Girls, you have to see this," Spike said without looking away. Each of the fillies then made windows of their own.
"Wow..." Sweetie Belle said, awestruck.
"So this is what space is? Hey, look at the moon." Diamond said as she pointed to the giant orb.
"Wait, does this mean we got banished?" Silver Spoon asked fearfully.
"No way. We can always fly back and check out the sun. It looks way different from up here." Scootaloo said.
"You girls realize that if we never got our current cutie marks, we would've gotten cutie marks in space exploration," Applebloom said eagerly.
"Oh, what about cutie marks in alien discovery since we found Mr. Goku?" Sweetie Belle said.
"Um, didn't Goku technically found us?" Scootaloo pointed out.
"The same thing," Sweetie Belle responded.
At the time, Spike finally snapped out of his trance at the mention of aliens. "That's right; we still need to get out of here before that thing wakes up!" Spike cut himself off when something brushed against his back. Spike quickly turned around to see Goku floating aimlessly to the center of the room. Unfortunately, he still appeared to be sleeping, so Spike had to limit himself to whispering.
"What the hay, how did he get here?" Spike asked in a small voice.
"Duh, he floated up from downstairs," Diamond said matter-of-factly.
Ignoring the snide comment, Spike took this time to study Goku. He resembles the beings back at Canterlot High School. Hoo-mans, Spike believed, but that made no sense. If this were a human that stumbled through the mirror, he should have turned into a pony; plus, he wouldn't have this ship that can fly into space, and those humans can't do what he can. Pushing those thoughts aside, Spike floated back to the flight controller. All he had to do was guide the ship back to Equis. Then, he would find Twilight as quickly as possible. Once this thing was under quarantine, everything would go back to normal.
"Alright, Girls, I'm taking us home," he said as he grabbed the controls. 'This should be easy. All I have to do is tilt it in the direction I want to go.' Spike thought. Too bad for him; the ship's manual flight controls were very lax. Couple that with the damage the meteors caused to the vessel. These events led to the restrictions being far more sensitive than usual. The boat shot straight toward the planet faster than ever when he tilted the controls. This reaction caused the fillies (who were using Goku's body as a floaty device) to slam against the wall behind Spike. Thankfully, Goku hit the wall first, and the fillies, in turn, all hit him. Amazingly, he remained asleep. The girls soon found themselves stuck on the wall like a magnet on a fridge.
"Spike! Do something!" Sweetie Belle cried out.
"I'm trying; the controls locked up!" Spike exclaims as he forces the controller to budge. Sadly, this made the driver break out of place again. "Ah, drake!" The free driver sent him flying into the wall. The fillies and Goku were also stuck, while the ship continued plummeting.
The ship crashed into a mountainside adjacent to Canterlot, sliding down a hill. Once it hit the ground, it bounced from the impact like a rubber ball and went straight to Ponyville.
[Castle Friendship - Twilight's POV - Third person]
We reappeared before Castle Friendship after Celestia performed the mass teleportation spell. I rushed over to her, knowing the strain that teleportation of that magnitude puts on a horn.
"Princess, are you alright?" I asked as the princess stood there, albeit shakily.
"I am fine, Twilight, although recovering may take some time. Now we must reunite with Cadence and Shining Armour to see if they have news of the aircraft," She said. Fortunately for us, Cadence and my brother detected the magic fluctuation of the teleport and came running to take it.
"Twilight, Aunties, all of you are okay. Were you able to rescue the fillies and Spike?" Cadence said, a worried look plastered on her face.
"At the moment, we believe them to be unharmed. Unfortunately, however, we were unable to recover the young ones. Pray to thee, have you and your husband seen an unusual flying object?" Luna asked.
"If by unusual you mean a big glowing metal ball that can fly, then yes. It was heading toward Canterlot, and we saw Rainbow Dash not far behind it." Shining explained. I prayed that Rainbow Dash would be able to save them.
"Hey, look, there's Dashie," Pinkie called out, and my heart filled with delight. However, that feeling quickly faded away as I saw that Rainbow was by herself, and her face was downcast. She landed next to us, and I wasted no time questioning her.
"Rainbow, what happened up there? Where's Spike?" I asked as Rainbow's ears splayed against her head.
"And Sweetie Belle, what of my dear Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked.
"And Applebloom?" Applejack added, Rainbow Dash's reluctance to answer grew concerning
"T-there, there..." she trailed off as her voice hitched. "I couldn't save them. I was not fast enough!" she said, barely a whisper, as her guilt-ridden face looked dead at the ground.
"Spike's gone?" I said in disbelief.
"That stupid ball thing shot straight up to the sky, like past the outer atmosphere. I couldn't follow it. They're gone..." she said as if all the life had just left her body. I wanted to scream and throw. Tantru, I'm right, regardless of my station. I felt so weak and helpless. I almost turned to Zecora to tear into her for leaving them alone, but I knew that wouldn't be fair. In my whirlwind of emotions, I nearly missed what happened next.
"Say, Rainbow; Y'all told me you lost the ball in the sky, right?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah, AJ, I wouldn't lie," Rainbow said defensively.
"Oh, I have no reason to doubt you," Applejack said, much to our confusion. She pointed her arm out, and we followed in its direction. Everypony was shocked at what we saw.
[Goku's ship - Third Person POV]
The ship kept its bouncy, destructive path as it tore through Ponyville. Several carts and market stands never stood a chance against the immense weight crushing them. Finally, a beautiful flower garden ended as three ponies screamed in agony, "The horror, the horror!" Inside the ship, its occupants were hanging on for dear life.
"Make-it-STOP!" Spike yelled as he and the fillies stayed glued to the wall.
"This-is-so-awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed between bounces.
"You-said-it!." Applebloom added with a huge smile that adorned her features.
"I-think-I'm-gonna-be-SICK!" Sweetie Belle said as her fur turned green and her cheeks puffed out.
"Us-too!" both the sugar lumps said. All the while, Goku, somehow, remained asleep. The ship reached Castle Friendship and cleared the entire structure with one last bounce while the ponies below watched with bewilderment. Finally, the ship's bouncing ceased, and it came to a slow stop. The landing gear activated, and the boat righted itself. Once in position, static electricity encased the hull, and smoke belched from the top. Inside, the fillies, dragon, and Goku all, unceremoniously, fell from the wall. Each one lets out a groan while one slightly snores.
"Urgh- never again...!" Spike whined as Sweetie and the Sugar lumps nodded in agreement.
"Aw, come on, you, Foals, that was the most fun we've had in forever." Scootaloo beamed happily.
"That was better than carriage rides at the local fair, but..." Applebloom said something before, trailed off, and looked at the mess inside. The flight controller lay on the ground, and the gravity machine gave small sparks. "I think we broke Goku's ship. He's gonna be pretty sore if we leave it like this," she worriedly said.
Spike shakily got to his feet and looked around. He noticed the door was open and saw that Goku was finally stirring from his slumber. "Girls, look, the doors open. Let's leave before he wakes up," He said with urgency.
"But Spike, we should stay and help clean up Goku's home; it's only right," Applebloom said, but Spike remained firm.
"No way, he'll be furious now that his plan failed and the ships wrecked. We have to go now." Spike urged as the fillies reluctantly followed the dragon out the door.
Spike and the fillies made their way outside, and, much to the girl's surprise, Spike dropped to his knees and started furiously kissing the ground. "Land, sweet, beautiful, dirt-tasting land!"
"Seriously?" Applebloom asked ruefully. "Say, girls, we're back in Ponyville, and look, here comes my sister." No sooner did Applebloom say that than the fillies and Drake found themselves tackled to the ground by their family members.
Sweetie Belle found herself showered with kisses by an overly dramatic Rarity. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! I thought I lost you forever!" She wailed as Rarity nearly suffocated Sweetie Belle between her bosom.
"I'm okay, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle insisted with a muffled speech.
Applebloom wasn't much better as she was caught in a crushing embrace of her sister, although Applejack was far less kind with her concerns. "If Y'all ever pull a stunt like that again, I'm going to hogtie ya to the beam in the barn!" She threatens as Applebloom looks solemn until she beams up again when her sister hugs her.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon received similar treatment, with hugs courtesy of Pinkie Pie. Unfortunately, she gripped them so hard that the guards had to pry her off.
Scootaloo and Rainbow exchange, knowing it looks like neither of them was significant in public displays of affection. So Rainbow just settled on ruffling up her mane, which caused her to giggle. "Glad you're okay, squirt, not that I wasn't worried. I know you can kick some flank." Rainbow praised in an attempt to bide her time.
"Oh, come on, look who you're talking to. I don't know the meaning of scared." Scootaloo said as she puffed out her chest.
Spike had it the worst as Twilight refused to let him go, her head buried in his chest as she cried softly. "You have no idea how scared I was. First, you disappeared during the meteor shower, then you encountered a ghoul and a strange creature. We thought it had foal-napped you and taken off in a flying metal ball. Finally, Rainbow said she wasn't fast enough and- and I figured I was never gonna see you again." Twilight sobbed into his chest as he slowly went to pet her head.
"Relax, Twilight, I had everything under control," Spike said, but instead of reassuring her with his statement. Spike, inadvertently, roused her anger.
"Under control?, UNDER CONTROL! Tell me, Spike, at what point did you have control? You went to the forest with a group of fillies unsupervised. You fought against a ghoul and were severely hurt. Finally, you let yourself get foal-naped by Son-Go-Ku..." Twilight trailed off from her rant as Spike watched her with uneasiness. "SPIKE! WHERE'S SON GOKU!" Twilight yelled at the Drake.
"Wait, how do you know about the alien?" Spike asked, much to Twilight's confusion.
"Alien? Spike, this is no time for games. The fate of Equestria could be at stake, so where is he?"
"We would like to know as well," Luna said as her sister flanked her with Cadence and Shining Armour.
Spike shot up to his feet and faced the Royals. "He's in there sleeping; he had us on these beds and locked inside!" Spike explained.
"Guards, remain steadfast. We are moving in to apprehend Son Goku and bring him in for questioning." Celestia commanded as the Royals grunted acknowledgment. The fillies, however, shot up in protest.
"Wait, Y'all don't understand. Mr Goku is not a pony." Applebloom said.
"Yeah, he saved us from that ghoul!" Scootaloo added.
"He gave us food and let us sleep over when it got too dark. Please don't hurt him," Sweetie Belle pleaded.
"It's unfair to lock him up when he didn't do anything wrong." Diamond pointed out.
"Are you girls kidding? He foiled you and almost got away on his flying ball. So he's owed a flank kicking." Rainbow said as she shadowed the box in the air.
"Girls, whether or not Son Goku did anything wrong remains to be seen. He still has much to answer for; if he comes quietly, no harm will come to him." Twilight murmured as the group approached the ship.
Inside the ship, Goku finally awoke from his slumber. He looked around to find that those cute horses and dragons were gone, and left the vessel door open. "Huh, they must have gone outside. I'd better hurry and get the dress before they wander off," he said as he went downstairs and put on his training gi. Heading back up, he went to the door and stood outside in the daylight, determined to find his friends. He looked around to see his young companions, discovering they were among even more ponies. He quickly recognized the same power levels he had felt the night before as they stared back, with equal astonishment and apprehension.
Goku and the ponies had been sitting there for a little longer before Goku decided to break the silence. "Hey there, horse people, my name's Son Goku, but you can just call me Goku," he said with a cheerful smile. The ponies, however, did not relay the oddly warm welcome.
"We already know of you, Son Goku, and we are known as Ponies!" Luna barked as she held a stern glare aimed at Goku.
"You're called ponies? That's so cute. Wait, how do you know me already? We just met," Goku said, giving Luna a confused look.
Goku's cute comment elicited different reactions, ranging from a flush to annoyance. "Flattery shall not help you on this day. We wish to know thy intentions and why you attempted to foal-nap these young ones," Luna said with venom laced at the end.
"Umm? What does foal-nap mean?" Goku said as he cocked his head to the side. Rainbow was at her limit and flared her wings aggressively.
"Don't play dumb with us. You took our friends after you beat that ghoul, and then you tried to fly off with them in your metal ball. Was that your plan? Act like a big shot hero so that you can eat them later." Rainbow accused, leaving Goku more perplexed.
"Hey, I wasn't gonna eat them. I sensed that these guys were in trouble and helped out. And what do you mean I flew off? I only just now woke up." Goku explained as he looked at Spike and the fillies, each holding sheepish, nervous grins. "Hey now, did you all fly my ship while I was asleep? You know it's not nice to mess around with other people's things without permission!" Goku chided, but it was kind and gentle while still having its intended effect. The fillies and Drake bowed their head in shame for a moment and went to explain themselves. But Goku, but they were cut off.
"*GASP* The nerve of you scolding my sister and the others, accusing them of a crime, have you no shame?" an incensed Rarity scorned.
"That's quite enough!" Celestia said as she stepped forward. "Son Goku, we have questions that you seem to hold the answers to. Now I must ask that you come along quietly!"
"I'd love to go with you, but right now, I need to find my friends, so take care," Goku said as he began to look off. Rainbow Dash had finally had enough of the newcomer.
"Oh no, you don't. You are not going anywhere." Rainbow said as she took to the air and drove straight at him. "I'm gonna turn you into jerk-cider. Yaaaaah." She yelled as she came inches from her target, only to find she hit nothing. "Huh?" She looked confused as she saw Goku still walking the same path. She snorted and went for another dive bomb but was met with the same result, leaving her confused. "What the hay?!"
The rest of the onlookers who viewed the scene were in shock. Celestia quickly recovered and turned to her guards. "Guards, detain Son Goku!" she ordered. While they had witnessed Goku's prowess, a distorted shadow of his true strength, Celestia figured that cornering Goku would make him reveal more of his true strength.
Five solar guards responded quickly and surrounded Goku, stopping his movement. "That is far enough, creature." A gruff-voiced guard commanded as he stood in front of Goku.
"Listen, I can't afford to waste more time here. My friends could be in grave danger." Goku said as he stared down at the guard in front of him. Tguardard gave a cocky chuckle.
"That is not our concern. By order of Princess Celestia, you are, at this moment, placed under." That was all the guard could say as Goku launched a straight punch to his muzzle. The guard fell to the ground unconscious; his muzzle held a fist imprint as blood seeped out of his nose and mouth. The guards surrounded Goku, backed off, startled at the fact that they had defeated one of their own so definitively.
"Wow, you really shouldn't leave yourself wide open like that," Goku said as he faced the other guards. You all should take your friend and leave. I have no desire to fight with any of you." The guards looked at each other as if considering his request for the first time. Finally, however, they were given orders and decided to brandish their swords.
"Not a chance, creature. Come on, everypony, let's flank his sides," a guard ordered as two guards flanked Goku's left and right sides. They charged forward with their swords overhead, going for a downward strike. But Goku shot out both hands faster than either guard could process and caught both blades with his fingertips. The pure shock was evident on their faces while they tried to overpower Goku, only to find they couldn't budge under his grip. "H-how are you so strong?" the guard asked, but Goku only responded by smiling at him.
The other two guards decided to attack while Goku was preoccupied. One charged from the front, while the other came up from behind. Goku reacted by performing a kickflip, then knocked the sword right out of the guard's hand in front of him. Next, he pulled the two swords from the guard's grip while throwing them to the ground, still in mid-flip. Finally, he landed and performed a sweep kick to the laguardard as he righted himself. The four stunned guards recovered and warily eyed their target; they nodded at each other and attacked Goku from all sides. Goku crossed his arms over his chest and thrust them outward. The result was a shockwave from Ki that blew the guards away, save for the unconscious guards at their feet. Goku then turns his attention to the remaining guards, princesses, and elements, all of whom had their jaws agape. Goku stood still while he waited for their next move.
Several unicorns got into position after snapping out of their stupor. "Unicorns, switch to long-range offensive spells!" A guard yelled out as the guards fired their spells. However, in their haste, they had forgotten that their fallen comrade was near their target.
"Hold on, CEASE FIRE!" Shining Armour called out, but fortunately for the guard, it was far too late. Goku yelled out as the magical beams came close. But, unfortunately, the force of his shot dissipated the rays before they could do damage.
Celestia and Luna watched on in disbelief. "Sister, didst thou see what we have just witnessed?" Luna shakily asked. Celestia could stare and nod her head. She was having severe doubts about her guards being able to handle this opponent.
"You all should give up now. Otherwise, I will start fighting back!" Goku advised. His voice was far more forceful this time, making many Twilight Guard hesitant while the Solar Guard remained firm.
"You won't deter us, creature! We, the royal Guard and Equestria's elite military force, shall not waver." A Solar Guard proclaims. Goku responded with swift movement, appearing right in front of the guard. He launches a quick strike straight into his stomach, causing the guard's eyes to go blank and causing him to collapse. The guards were surprised that Goku had quickly closed the gap and was now stumbling to maintain formation. More unicorns attempted to fire offensive spells again. On the other hand, Goku had studied how their horn had glowed before performing their spells.
'That's a pretty big tell if I ever saw one, he thought. He disappeared again and targeted the unicorns with precise strikes to their bodies. When he reappeared, the unicorn guards remained still before falling. With the unicorns all incapacitated, the royal guards only consisted of pegasi and earth ponies. The guards began to disintegrate. Their training could not hold a candle to Goku's superior skills. Before things could spiral out of control, Luna took command.
"Seems it would have been prudent to assign some of my night guards to this mission," Luna said ruefully, highly disappointed in the Solar and Twilight guards' performance. "Pegasi shall maintain aerial distance with bolts at the ready. Earth ponies shall fall behind me as we engage." The Guards reorganized and were far more confident with a princess now supporting them. Goku sensed that the pony in front was among the most reliable power levels he had felt since he landed. He would need to eliminate the weaker ones before fighting her.
For the first time since the battle, Goku took a fighting stance. He turned his body sideways, spread his legs, and slightly bent his knees. He tucked his left arm to his body, clenched his fist, and brought his right arm upwards with his index finger and middle semi-closed. Luna was surprised at first, but then she quickly smirked.
"So thou hast decided to battle us seriously. We are honored to engage an active adversary such as yourself." Luna said almost condescendingly. Goku remained silent, much to Luna's contempt. "What? No witty banter? Pity. Very well, Son Goku. HAVE AT THEE!" Luna roars in the Royal Canterlot Voice and charges ahead. Goku met her halfway, and just as the two were about to collide, Goku smirked and threw his afterimage at Luna. She flew right through the picture while Goku pressed forward to the guards. "What trickery is this?"
Meanwhile, Goku appeared in front of the guards and punched, but stopped just an inch short of the defender's chest plate. Before they could react, a shockwave followed Goku's punch, blasting away another 15 Earth pony guards. A guard attempted to retaliate with a punch, but Goku only dodged it and, with a swift kick to the midsection, sent him flying into 9 of his fellow guard ponies.
Luna had realized she'd been tricked and turned around to see another set of the royal guards defeated. Her anger started to rouse. "Cowardly cur!" Luna spat out. "You would attack those weaker than thyself? We shall make you pay," she said as she launched a powerful beam spell at Goku. However, her anger clouded her judgment, and the last group of guards was in harm's way. Rather than dodge, Goku swatted the beam away with his bare hands. Thus, redirecting it to a far-off mountain. The said mountain became instantly atomized. All the ponies once again stared slack-jawed at the sight. It wasn't the peak's destruction, but that Goku deflected the blast of that magnitude effortlessly.
"Oh, my stars!" Applejack said in amazement.
"Aunty Luna went a little overboard with that spell. That was scary," Cadence said.
"What may be truly frightening is that Son Goku redirected that spell," Celestia said.
Luna gazed upon the atomized mountain with a severe look. 'We must control my temper better, but why did Son Goku choose to redirect that spell when the safer option would have been to dodge. It's almost as if he were defending guards. No, had he faced us honestly, the guards wouldn't have been okay. Maybe he thinks further displays of his prowess will discourage us from battle. Arrogant whelp!' Luna thought to herself. She then noticed Son Goku was distracted by her display of power and decided to take advantage. "Pegasi, launch your bolts now!" she ordered as the pegasi aimed their enchanted crossbows at Goku. Luna prepared another beam spell(albeit much weaker than the first) and fired it. The pegasi shot their bolts as well. The beam hit near Goku's feet, drawing up a dust cloud, as the bolts rained down on top of Goku's position.
"Huzzah! We are victorious." Luna beamed with triumph.
"Luna, we wanted to question Son Goku, not harm him!" Celestia scolded her reckless sister.
"Relax, sister; mine blast was a distraction while the bolt is meant only to stun their targets. Now we may take Son Goku's unconscious form back to Canterlot-"
"Everypony look!" Fluttershy yelled out as she pointed to the dust cloud that started to settle. Once it cleared away, Goku's form was unscathed as he managed to put up a barrier at the last moment.
"Whew, that was a close one," Goku said, relieved. "Now it's time to clean out those archers," he said as he dropped his barrier and leaped past the pegasi. They tried to aim again, but Goku brought both arms to his forehead and extended eight fingers on his temples. "SOLAR FLARE!" What came next was a flash of light that blinded all the ponies save for Celestia. Goku used their disorientation to his advantage and extended his arms forward. "RAPID FIRE!" Several yellow Ki blast homed in on all the pegasi and remaining earth ponies. When the blindness subsided, the princesses, the elements, Shining Armour, Spike, and the fillies bore witness to the sight of all 50 royal guards defeated.
"No way, he beat all the guards!" Scootaloo said with far more eagerness than she meant to.
"Yeah, but how did he make the flash of light and beat those guards?" Twilight asked as her mane curled up, and she wore a manic look in her eyes.
"Calm yourself, Twilight, and prepare to use your rainbow power with the other elements," Celestia said stoically. Her eyes never left Goku, who landed back on the ground.
"B-but Princess, if we use our rainbow and he gets sent to Tartarus, then we may never get answers." Twilight pleaded, but Celestia remained firm.
"I fear we may belong to past questions and answers. While you all were blinded, I could see everything that transpired. Son Goku is far too strong to let run amok. Wait for Luna, Cadence, and me to create an opening to strike," Celestia said as the elements nodded. But the fillies had spoken up.
"But Princess Celestia Goku's not a bad pony—" they tried to say, but Celestia silenced them.
"My decision is final, my little ponies," Celestia sternly said as she turned away from the sad look in their eyes. If she looked, she might have lost her resolve. "I'm sorry..." she said in a soft voice, too quiet to hear.
Back at the battlefield, Goku was once again staring down Luna. "Blinding us, then striking while we are disabled? A cheap tactic!" Luna said with disgust.
"But isn't that what you did to me before I countered?" Goku said matter-of-factly. This effect caused Luna to suck in air through her teeth at the valid point. Goku gave a small chuckle. "Besides, I wanted to be able to fight you without distractions," he said with a smile and returned to his fighting stance.
"Aw, so thou did want a decisive battle. You merely should have requested as such." Luna said with a small smile of her own. But it quickly faded to a cold, stoic demeanor. "Though I'm afraid we shan't do battle this day or any other," she said, sounding quite depressed.
Goku cocked an eyebrow in bewilderment. "Huh? What do you mean-" Goku cut himself off as he felt several power levels spike up. He turned to see the elements assume their rainbow forms and began to float in the air. They radiated power as they prepared their spell. "Whoa, whatever attack they're gonna use is something. It's matching the same strength as Vegeta's Galick gun he used on Earth." Goku watched the gorgeous array of colors. "While this is pretty, Vegeta's attack was way faster than this. I'm also pretty sure they won't destroy the planet so that I can dodge it." As the Saiyan prepared to avoid, his body got encased in bright auras. Goku struggles to turn his head under the ethereal grip to find Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armour's horns lit.
Silence fell around the girls as they fired their rainbow power at Goku. The elements powered down and landed on the ground, and the girls looked triumphant.
"Aw, yeah, we're awesome. That shows that dude not to mess with Equestria," Rainbow boasted.
"He was an ornery fella. I'll give him that, but we came through alright." So Applejack said, but for some reason, a tinge of guilt hit her. 'What in tarnation?' She thought.
"We most certainly did not come through alright. This battle launched millions of dust particles into the air, which got all over my new dress. It will take hours to clean. Oh, of all the worst things that could happen, this is-"
"Don't. Say. " Applejack said, shooting Rarity a stern glare. Rarity responded by pouting and huffing.
"It's a shame we couldn't study him. He had some unique abilities." Twilight said forlornly.
"Some things are better left unknown, Twilight. Although you all handled yourself well," Celestia said as she gave them a gentle smile. However, Luna is pouting. "What is the matter, Luna?"
Luna looked up at Celestia, her pout still on her features. "We feel saddened that we did not get to test our mettle against a worthy foe," Celestia shook her head at her sister —next the The solar alicorn turned her gaze to Spike, who was looking somewhat relieved that fighting was over First, however, Celestia looked toward Zecora, who stood by the fillies as they held depressed expressions She knew that the fillies had bonded with Son Goku, and Zecora had vouched for him for whatever reason But in the end, the Sun Princess could not risk the safety of her subjects based on hunches She could only hope they could understand in the future that this was the right call.
Spike let out a breath of fresh air before speaking, "Boy, am I glad that's over."
"Umm, so was that all there was to your attack?" A voice questioned as all the ponies, Zebras, dragons, and fillies froze. Then, they all turned over to see Goku still standing completely unharmed. "I mean, it was something I've never seen before, but it doesn't seem all that practical," Goku said. At that moment, everyone's jaws hit the ground.