Ooooowwww…. Why does my everything hurt? Gohan thought to himself as he tried to move. He felt something tightly wrapped around his chest, arms, legs, and head. He slowly opened his coal black eyes, the light blinding him for a moment as they adjusted. He finally got to look around the room, and to say he was shocked at what he saw would have been an understatement. Is… is this room made out of freaking crystal!?
Sure enough, the whole room he was currently resting in gleamed beautifully in the bright midday light, the sun’s light fracturing off in a thousand directions. He covered his eyes to keep from aggravating his already pounding head as his mind tried to figure out where he was and how he could have gotten there.
He felt his tail twitching around behind, shocking him lightly for a moment until he remembered that he had asked his mom to let him keep it, feeling it kept him close to his father… Why do I do I need to feel close to my dad? He’s at home… isn’t he? He clenched his fist tightly, not realizing he was crushing the bedside tables edge in his grip, having been looking for something to pull himself up with, the beautiful crystal fracturing like glass as his head began pounding harder, a dark sense of loss hovering over him, yet it was just out of reach of his memory as to why.
The child warrior froze as he heard a door open, moving his arm so one eye could see who could of walked in. It would seem fate wanted the fighter on his toes as he was, once again, shocked beyond words. What stood in the doorway was a girl, at least from what he could guess, it was difficult to see her.
She wore a long light blue dress that fell almost to floor in a windswept, yet somewhat restrained fashion and a tiara with a pink crystal star at the top. She was barely as tall as him, with a small horn on her head just above the top of her hairline and two disproportionately large wings seated on her back, topped off with a head of dark purple hair with blue highlights through it. She had a heart shaped face with big, curious opal eyes that were currently alight with happiness as she ran into the room, coming to a halt beside the large king sized bed, all but bouncing off the walls.
“You’re awake! Oh, wow, I was really afraid you weren’t going to wake up for a while there.” She said excitedly before just randomly hugging the warrior much tighter than he would have thought possible for someone so small. Guess I’m forgetting about Krillin.
“Yow!! Too tight, too tight!” Gohan cried out as he felt his already abused body screaming in pain.
The female squeaked (it’s so cute when they do that) as she let him go quickly when he cried out, a dark blush on her smiling face. “Sorry, I was just really excited. I really didn’t think you were gonna get out of this bed. Oh, are you comfy? Is the bed too soft? I really like it to be plush enough it feels like I’m sinking, but I know a lot of people don’t like that, but you don’t really seem like an Equestrian, more like some kind of hairless monkey, especially with that tail of yours-“she rambled on.
Gohan smiled a bit as he listened to the girl’s rambling before placing his hand over her mouth. “The bed is fine.” He pulled his hand away. “I like that feeling. It makes me feeling like I’m on a cloud-“
“Drifting through a calm sky.” The girl smiled and giggled a bit as she extended her hand. “Princess Flurry Heart.”
The half breed alien smiled more as he tentatively took her hand in his, pressing his lips to it. “Son Gohan. Nice to meet you, Your Highness.” Sometimes being the son of a warrior princess had it's upsides.
She giggled, her face flushing lightly. “Just Flurry is okay.”
Gohan chuckled a bit as he looked around the room again, closing his eyes as they traveled to floor, which was still reflecting the sun’s light. “Flurry, I need to know where I am.”
Flurry cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Well, you’re in my room, silly.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean, where is your room located?” Gohan’s coal black eyes opened again, locking onto the alicorn-blood’s opal orbs, a level of understanding and strength in them no eleven year old should possess.
She was taken aback by the look in the child’s eyes. It’s almost like I’m talking to my dad. Scary. “You’re in the Crystal Empire, a kingdom in the northern reaches of Equestria.”
Equestria? I have to be on a different planet, but how? And what about the Cell Games? the saiyan thought as he finally found a hold on the table, groaning as his body fought against his moving. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at the young female. “You shouldn’t be moving. You need more time to rest.” The warrior only smiled softly, earning a small blush from Flurry.
Though he appreciated it, he just pushed on, letting out a sigh of relief as he could now freely look around. The room was every bit as spacious as he thought, but it was just as you would expect for a little girls room. A large vanity sat beside the eastern window, next to that was an even larger wardrobe. The curtains hanging around the window matched her coats color, same as the ones on the posts of her bed, the sheets of which matched her eyes.
“Why were you screaming?” Flurry asked innocently, causing him to look at her, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. “A little bit ago, my Auntie Tia had to put a soundproofing spell on my room because you were screaming. You were apologizing to somebody. Why?” she asked, worry tinting her otherwise innocent voice.
Gohan chose to ignore her odd choice of pronoun usage, sticking to being captured in her blank, innocent stare. The child warrior cleared his throat as he felt his chest tighten. It’s like I’m talking to my dad, freaky. “I don’t know. I can't remember.”
The girl narrowed her eyes at the half-breed. “Are you lying?”
Gohan narrowed his eyes at her in return. “How old are you?”
Flurry smiled broadly. “Nine. You?”
“Eleven.” Flurry’s smile dropped like Vegeta after Frieza’s ‘tale’. “What, thought you were older than me?” Gohan asked, not meaning to sound as smug as it came off. Flurry glared at the boy, the force of which reminded the boy of yet another parent of his.
Before anything else could be said, the massive double doors that led to her room opened, revealing another female, an (rather well developed) adult this time. Her eyes were nearly the same shade as Flurry’s hair, a deep violet color that seemed to be brimming with unfettered love, though it was tamed in some sense. Her hair was more of an eye catcher than that of the girl’s, being three different colors, a bright blonde, dark pink, and deep purple. She wore a simple outfit, a yellow sundress with an open red blouse.
Like Flurry Heart, she also bore a horn on her head and a large pair of wings on her back. Must be her mother. The alicorn-blood’s eyes lit up the moment they fell on Gohan. “Would you look at who woke up? How are you feeling, dear?” she said softly, shutting the door behind her and making her way to the bed as Flurry closed the distance and hugged her mother.
Gohan lifted his cast covered arm and turned it in a circle to test his wounded shoulders flexibility, crying out with a short yelp as a loud pop rang out. Both females rushed the bed, only to be stopped by the saiyan putting his hand up. “I’m okay, just really sore. You two must really be related. You came to help me pretty quick.”
The older woman smiled while her daughter just pouted lightly. “I’m a mother, it’s in my blood to worry about children, even if they aren’t mine. My name is Mi Amore Cadenza. You can call me Cadence. I’m sure you guessed that I’m Flurry’s mother.”
The fighter simply nodded with a simple smile, his body aching lightly from his now dislocated shoulder. He did a good job of hiding it from the two. They were worried enough as it is. “My name is Son Gohan, Your Majesty.” The warrior bowed his head (as much as he could) in respect, earning a little mumble of ‘He didn’t bow for me’ from a still pouting Flurry. Then she blushed after looking down at her hand.
Cadence giggled lightly and pat Gohan’s head. “Cadence works just fine, Gohan. After all you’ve obviously been through, I think a more informal relationship would make you feel more comfortable.” Her smile weakened as Flurry looked away from the ailing boy. “If I may ask, Gohan, what happened to you? I’ve never seen anybody suffer the kind of punishment you have and survive.”
Gohan chuckled a bit after Cadence said ‘punishment’. “Did I say something funny?” Cadence asked in confusion.
“No, it’s just… I’ve taken much worse ‘punishment’ than this, trust me.” The half breed popped his neck before speaking again as both Cadence and Flurry looked at him in disbelief. “I…” Gohan stared down at his covered legs as his eyes became listless and unfocused. “I don’t remember.”
Cadence reeled back a bit. “You don’t remember? Anything recent that may have lead to you ending up here?”
Gohan simply shook his head, his eyes still unfocused. “I think... I think I was-guh!” he cried out as his head began to pound, his one good hand coming up to hold it together. He could feel Flurry on one side of him, holding his dislocated hand, obviously not realizing he couldn’t use it.
After a few seconds, his mind began to clear of the pain, while his face reddened as the sound of his stomach filled the air.
Cadence smiled softly as her daughter started laughing at the blushing warrior. “Well, regardless of how tough you are, you’re still a growing boy, or whatever it is you are. You’ll be joining us for dinner.” The princess turned to walk out of the room, the alien fighter opening his mouth to argue. “And no, that wasn’t a request. Your outfit has been repaired and is in Flurry’s wardrobe. I’ll have the guards standing by in case you need help. Come along, Flurry. Papa is waiting for you.”
Flurry’s face lit up as she started out the door, hollering about daddy being home. Gohan watched, a mixture of sadness and a tinge of jealousy that was quickly crushed in his chest.
Cadence smiled as she watched her daughter jump into her father, Shining Armor’s, arms, squealing happily as he spun her around. “She doesn’t get to see him very often anymore. Being both a prince and Captain of the Royal Guard, he doesn’t have much time to spend just being a father.” She turned back to the fighter, seeing his far away gaze. He wasn’t there, he was back in the darkness of a nightmare he couldn’t remember.
He jumped when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, looking up to see an even softer gaze in the eyes of the princess. They stayed that way for several moments before Cadence backed away. “Aren’t you going to ask me what’s wrong?”
She shook her head, still smiling. “When you grow to trust us, I’m sure you’ll tell us. I’m patient. Now get dressed. Dinner’s gonna be late enough as it is.” She said, excusing herself from the room. It was then something struck him. A memory, but why it was there, he didn’t understand.
“Cadence.” She turned to look at him, the boy looking down at his covered legs. “There was someone else with me, wasn’t there? A young woman. Where is she?”
Cadence sighed lightly as she shut the door again. “I’m sorry Gohan, but your companion was long since gone from this world when we found you. The force of whatever impact you took seemed to have taken her life, though it looked like you took the brunt of it to try and save her.”
The warrior’s fist clenched, his heart pounding in his chest. That poor pilot. Her family… I’ve gotta find a way home so she can be buried properly. What was her name? Angelina, right? Wait. How is it I remember someone I’ve never met, but I can’t remember how I know them? “One more question.” Gohan chose then to look at the alicorn-blood. “How long have I been unconscious?”
“…Three days.” Cadence walked over to the boy, knelt down a bit, seeing the pain in the child’s eyes, a pain many men wouldn’t be able to endure, and pulled his head to her chest, very nearly smothering him. “It’ll be okay. I know you’re confused, but I promise, we’ll help however we can.” She said softly, as if she were his mother, holding him after a nightmare and telling him everything would be okay.
Gohan watched her leave, his mind reeling from everything that’s happened, but one thing still stuck in the boys mind, outside his recent knowledge of tragedy and the mind numbing confusion. Why do they have horns?!
…
“So, where is this young man that you were telling me about, Flurry?” Celestia asked as she took another drink of her wine, Cadence refusing to let them eat until their guests got there.
“He’s probably getting dressed. Mom told him he was gonna join us for dinner. You know how persuasive she can be. And he’s a boy, but he’s not an Equestrian, I don’t think.” The young princess said, an air of grace around her that had not been there before.
Theirs was a relatively small dinner. The Crystal Nobles were joined by the princesses of the sun and moon, Celestia and Luna, as well as soon to be joined by the princess of friendship, her assistant, one of the best pastry chefs in Equestria who just so happened to have provided the chefs with the pastry recipes for the night, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony. It was a special occasion, after all. It was Flurry Hearts ninth birthday.
“Oh, then what is he?” Luna asked as she finished her second glass of wine, Shining Armor sitting in solemn silence as he watched his little girl’s face light up for the hundredth time tonight. It seemed whenever he came up, she became excited.
As Flurry opened her mouth to speak another voice filled the air space. “My ears are burning a bit. Is someone talking about me down here?” Gohan said, a small grin on his face. He still wore the bandages he’d been given, but now most of them were covered by the orange and blue gi that had been repaired for him, his well toned arms and upper chest on display, though his left arm was in a hastily made splint. If his mother had been there, she would have mistaken him for his father. There had been a suit for him to wear, and he had tried it on, but he quickly decided he hated it.
The young girl ignored his smart ass comment, causing Shining Armor to glare at him a bit while also causing the princesses to chuckle amongst themselves. Flurry hopped up out of her chair and ran over to the fighter, grabbing his hand and trying to tug him to the table. “Come sit by me! Come on!”
Gohan laughed as he allowed himself to be pulled along by the younger child, pulling her seat out for her as they got to the table. This actually made the girl’s over protective father smile a bit. “Nice to see the warrior has good manners.” He stood up from his seat, walking over to an increasingly wary Gohan, extending a hand. He easily towered over Gohan, wearing a red and blue outfit that fit somewhere between regal and militaristic. It complimented his paler complexion and, like his daughter and wife, he had a large, white horn sticking from his forehead. “Prince Shining Armor.”
“Flurry’s father. Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Son Gohan.” He said, taking the princes hand and giving it a brisk shake just before Shining flipped his hand over, knuckles up.
“Some deep callouses there. You’ve been through some intense training, I take it?”
“Yessir, since I was four.”
“Rather young for that kind of training. Something happen?”
Gohan smiled a bit, though there was little emotion behind it. “You could say that.”
“Armor, stop interrogating the colt. He hasn’t killed anybody.” Cadence said with a smirk, noticing the immediate tension in Gohan’s shoulders. “Right?”
“No, you’re right. His past is just that. Take a seat, Gohan.” The man said, noticing the boys tension as well as said boy sat beside his daughter.
All eyes were on Gohan as he sat quietly, fiddling with the frayed end of one of his bandages. His face grew steadily warmer as he tried desperately to look for some kind of conversation. His stomach found one for him, his blush deepening.
Flurry giggled off to his side as the adults shared a laugh. “Getting hungry, Gohan?” Celestia asked, smirking behind her now empty wine glass.
Gohan cleared his throat. “Wine, a fairly large and obviously expensive table cloth with a more feminine color, the smell of baking cake in the air…” He smiled. “Are we celebrating one of your birthdays today?”
The princesses blinked in confusion, too stunned for words for a moment before Luna started giggling. “Observant, aren’t we? I have a feeling that you and I would enjoy a wonderful game of chess, Gohan. Yes, we’re celebrating Flurry’s ninth birthday.”
The boy cocked a brow as he looked over at a blushing, but still smiling Flurry. He smiled as well before turning back to ask why they would be drinking alcohol at a nine year olds birthday, his question being lost as a guard, a pegasus-blood, pushed open the door to the large dining area. He walked over to the table and knelt before the royals and their guest. “My ladies and sirs, Princess Twilight, Lord Spike and the Elements of Harmony have arrived.” The guard looked up at Gohan as those in attendance thanked him. “Sir Gohan, how is your shoulder? Still hurting?”
The saiyan fighter just chuckled lightly and rolled his slung arm a bit. “More of a dull ache now. Thanks for setting it back in for me.”
The guard bowed his head to the warrior respectfully before excusing himself from the room. Gohan wasn’t used to this treatment, just smiling awkwardly at the display. Flurry turned and gave the half blood a pout. “What happened to your shoulder? It wasn’t hurt that bad when we brought you to my room.”
Gohan starting chuckling nervously as he fought for an explanation that wouldn’t get him smacked upside the head. The sound of a door being opened saved him again, his coal black eyes turning to see the six new visitors.
One of them, the one up front, was a young woman that had a lightly tanned complexion with dark purple hair with pink highlights and a large set of wings on her back, complimented by a horn, another with a near white complexion with deep purple hair and a very pregnant belly as well as another horn, a tanned woman with a rainbow colored hairdo and an almost military like uniform with a few custom touches to it, such as a place for her wings to stick out from.
Then there was another with a farmers tan and sunburst blonde hair with a cowgirls hat on. Oddly enough, she didn’t have any traits like the others did, seeming like a regular human in his eyes. And then last female was a pale young woman with light pink hair who seemed to be hiding behind the last guest, her wings covering her face, but the last one threw him for a loop.
It looked like a purple humanoid dragon. He was mostly human from a first glance, but a quick look around told the story. His forearms were covered in amethyst scales, tipped with emerald green claws. To top it off, he had a massive set of leathery wings seated on his back as well as a tail longer than Gohan’s whole body behind him. Also somewhat disconcerting was the fact that he towered over everyone in the room, being at least seven and a half feet tall. He was nearly as tall as Piccolo.
Flurry’s face lit up as she saw their guests walking into the room, jumping out of her seat and running to the purple haired. “Aunty Twily!”
Twily, Princess Twilight, from Gohan’s guess, squealed as she knelt down to pick up her little niece. Then, the oddest, and quite possibly funniest thing happened as the two broke away.
“Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake, clap your hands and do a little shake!” Everyone smiled at the sight, the dragon-blood simply rolling his eyes, everyone except Gohan, who didn’t know if he should be horrified, laugh uncontrollably, or just stay quiet, so he chose to stay quiet. No point in making the situation odder.
A soft laugh broke the two from their reunion as all eyes turned to Celestia. “Now, now, lets calm down and enjoy ourselves, shall we?”
…
After a good meal consisting of fruit salads, juice, and a variety of pastries served by a bright pink haired earth-blood, if what he was told about their races was right, with more energy than an atom bomb, of which Gohan ate enough to satisfy the rest of the participants of the party, shocking even the pink haired woman.
“Never thought I’d see the day that somebody actually could out-eat Pinkie Pie.” The dragon-blood, Spike, said in wonder as he watched Gohan eat his second helping of cake… after eating six servings of fruit salad. Very large fruit salads. And a meat pie. The whole pie. Only reason that was served was because Spike ate meat as well as precious stones ever since his growth spurt. He had no idea the odd creature he’d found the other day ate meat too.
“So, um, Gohan, mind if I ask what you are?” Twilight asked as she watched the half breed swallow about half a pie in a single bite.
He nearly choked on the pastry in his mouth as he was asked this, Rainbow Dash, the rainbow haired one, slapping him hard in the back to get it loose, which, somehow, barely moved the boy and left the woman with a badly stinging hand. But, it was enough to help him stop choking. He took a few deep breaths before giving a sigh of relief.
“Thanks, Miss Dash.”
The woman scoffed a bit with a cocky smirk, hiding the fact that her hand felt as if she just slapped a steel wall. “Just call me Rainbow, kiddo.”
Gohan chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his head, flinching at the slight pain in his opposite shoulder. Flurry looked at the boy oddly before he undid the sling and stood up, walking away from the table a bit. “Gohan, what are you doing?” she asked.
Gohan’s answer was to fling his arm out to the side with his body’s weight, a sharp crack filling the room and the saiyan standing still for several seconds. Afterwards he just smiled again and apologized before giving a few quick test punches, and they were definitely quick. None of the experienced fighters of the room could see the movements.
Not at a hundred percent, but definitely better than before. He thought before taking a seat, only to realize the guests and birthday girl in stunned silence. “What?”
“So, um, Gohan, darling, I believe you were telling us who you were.” The pregnant woman, Rarity, said, having finished her somewhat large meal and was now knitting. What she was knitting, Gohan had no idea, but the vibrant colors of the threads and the odd glow of her horn said it was a work of love and that it wasn’t going to be an easy one. The boy did see the loving look Spike gave the woman just before he kissed the top of her head, causing her to giggle.
Gohan smiled at this. "Newlyweds?"
Spike kinda chuckled at this. "Yeah. Me and Rarity tied the knot about a year ago and then the little one happened pretty shortly after that."
"How far along are you?"
Rarity smiled softly as she rubbed her belly. "Eight months." She looked up at Gohan with a quick glare. "Stop changing the subject. It's rude."
Gohan chuckled nervously before earning a couple of quick slaps upside the head from Rainbow and Flurry. "Hey come on, haven't I been through enough?" Everyone in attendance began laughing at this. "But, honestly, Miss Twilight, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you the whole story, so suffice to say I descend from a warrior race. At least on my fathers side. I lived quite the life because of his bloodline, but even the bad times are precious to me because they always taught me something new and they always helped me to see the true hearts of the people around me."
He looked around to see everyone, even Pinky, silent from what he'd said. The rather shy, introverted, pink haired one, Fluttershy as he was told by Rainbow Dash as the woman herself was too shy to say her name loud enough for him to hear, was the first to speak. "Wow, Gohan. You really have been through a lot, huh?" she asked in wonder, causing the boy to chuckle a bit.
Flurry tugged gently on his sleeve, her opal eyes wide. "Do you think you could tell us a story of some of the things you've been through?"
"Flurry." Shining Armor said sternly, causing the girl to pout and look down at her lap.
"W-well, I don't see why I couldn't, but right now is your party, right? Shouldn't we be focusing on you?" Gohan asked, trying desperately to steer the conversation away from him.
"That's right!" Pinkie shouted, catching all of them off guard. "Dinner and cake have been served and eaten, so you know what time it is?!"
Everyone just stared at the party pony for a moment before Spike raised his hand. "Present Time?"
"Darn tootin'! Dash, Pinkie, let's get the presents up here, Spike, you come and help us." The blonde haired woman said, Applejack if he heard right. She had a very 'big sister' feel to her and Gohan felt he could trust her pretty easily.
Cadence called out to them, telling them they'd be moving to the commons room. Gohan stood up from his seat, excusing himself from his seat before following after the group. When asked, he simply smiled and said, "Sitting around and not helping isn't really a forte of mine."
He caught up to the group, telling them he wanted to help out. Both AJ and Spike told him no, saying he was still healing after his accident, but he persisted. Pinky came to his rescue, hugging him and pressing his face unintentionally into her rather plush chest. "Come on, guys, he's not the type to just sit around. He's like me. He's gotta be doing something or he gets really bored really quick."
"Uh, Pinkie?" Spike pointed at the struggling boy, the young woman only just realizing she was suffocating the poor boy. She giggled and let him go, apologizing as he took a few deep breaths. Is this gonna become a thing?! He thought to himself as Rainbow only laughed at him, causing him to glare at her before straightening back up.
AJ sighed a bit. "A'ight, y'all can help, but if y'all start hurting again, Ah want y'all to tell us, okay?" Gohan nodded and the group began their walk again.
Spike kept glancing at the boy beside him, wondering what he was and how he got there, but he noticed him thinking about something, he could see it in his eyes. "Bit for your thoughts, kiddo."
Gohan looked up at the dragon. "Hmm? Oh, nothing, it's just..."
"It's the female that I found you with, isn't it?"
Gohan nodded solemnly as his eyes welled with tears at the thought of another innocent he hadn't been able to save.
"Judging from the look on your face, I'm guessing you've been through this before, losing an innocent that is." Another nod. The women had decided to remain quiet and let them have their talk, speeding up so the two could be alone. "It's never easy. I know because it's happened to me too. AJ's older brother, Big Mac, was killed in a manticore attack on our town. I wasn't able to get there in time to save him and our more powerful unicorns were away in Canterlot for a convention Twilight was hosting." Gohan's eyes widened at this, looking back up at the drake.
"For a long time I blamed myself for what happened, but I figured out after a long time and a lot of help that it wasn't my fault. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control and you just can't stop it. Always remember what they did and who they were, but don't let your guilt drag you down, kay?" Spike nudged him a bit, earning a small smile from the boy. The dragon smiled himself, tousling Gohan's spiky hair, causing him to chuckle and playfully shove the older male, before they noticed how far off the women had gotten, picking up the pace to catch up.
Once they did, the women asked what they talked about. Spike just said he gave the kid a pep talk. The women only smiled, Pinkie giving the boy another near bone crushing hug to help him feel better.
They got to the end of their walk, noticing that the present pile was... a lot bigger than they remembered.
"What in tarnation!? This here pile's gonna take ferever to move."
Dash looked at a few of the tags. "Looks like a lot of them are from the citizens. Makes sense."
Spike sighed as he pulled off his jacket. He had a feeling they were gonna be working up a sweat, but he stopped halfway through. He noticed they were on top of a large net and an idea popped into his head. "Hey Rainbow Dash, we can do this in one go if we use my idea." The others looked at him oddly until he pointed at the net. They all smiled as they figured out his idea. "Me and Dash'll pick it up using the net and fly it back to the commons... Room?"
He trailed off as he watched the net rise, coming to rest in the hands of a floating Gohan, the boy lifting the presents with little trouble. The women looked at Spike oddly before turning to see the injured boy easily outclassing them all. The fighter simply smiled a bit as he lifted the presents further up. "Come on, guys, Flurry's waiting."
"Wow, Gohan, you're so strong! How did you get that strong!?" Pinkie shouted in awe.
"How are you flying without wings?" Dash asked.
Gohan chuckled as he began floating forward. "Lot's of training. Now, where's the commons room?"
Spike woke from his stupor, getting under the net and pushing up on the bottom to let some of the burden rest on his shoulders as to keep Gohan from hurting himself further, not truly understanding how tough the half breed was. Though, he was grateful for the help. Spike turned the net in the direction they needed to go, directing Gohan's path as the women followed behind, picking up any presents that dropped out.
Once they got to the commons room, the faces of the other party members were written in shock. Whether by the sheer amount of presents being brought in or the sight of who brought them in. Spike got out from under the net, letting Gohan set them down, the boy letting the net open.
He floated back to the ground, smiling a bit at the shocked audience until they all broke into laughs as a present fell down and struck the boy on the head. He rubbed the top of his head in pain. First, he was still sore, second the box was really heavy. What in the heck is in this damn thing?! He grumbled a bit before tossing it back onto the top of the pile.
Twilight just watched in awe and slight horror as her eye started twitching. “H-how did he… I don’t…” She teleported her hand book and a quill into her hands, starting to quickly write down everything Gohan did.
Flurry giggled a bit more before walking over to the pile, her eyes wide in surprise. "Did the people of the kingdom really send me all these?" She said, sounding as though she hadn't expected anything like this.
"Not all, sugarcube. Ours are somewhere in there.” Applejack said, a sweat drop dropping down the side of her face.
The party laughed at this as Flurry looked over at Gohan, tilting her head as he had moved a bit away from everyone, the boy nervously glancing at the window. It was getting dark out and this seemed to worry him. She walked over to him, tapping his shoulder and causing him to jump, making the princess giggle a bit. “You okay, Gohan?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I-I’m fine.” He laughed nervously, causing Flurry Heart to narrow her eyes at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-it’s nothing, but just curious, w-when is the next full moon?”
Flurry tilted her head in confusion before turning to the people talking amongst themselves. “Auntie Luna, when are you making the next full moon?”
Gohan lifted a brow at this, clearly confused as to why she’d be asking her aunt when she was making a moon! But, Luna answered, further pushing the saiyan warrior into the dark. “Well, not for another week or so, why do you ask?”
The half blood sighed in relief, catching Flurry’s attention again. She then smiled broadly. “Hey, Gohan!” The boy looked at the young girl, a bit startled at her sudden outburst. “Could you tell us a story from your life for my birthday?”
“Flurry.” Her father scolded, causing the alicorn-blood to pout.
Gohan laughed a bit as he moved to the hearth in the room, forming a ball of ki in his hand before expelling it into the fire, lighting up the sticks and logs already in it. Those in attendance gasped whilst the fighter simply threw more wood on the fire. “I’d be happy to, birthday girl.” Flurry giggled and nodded, the rest of the present people still trying to wrap their heads around the odd magic that this creature just used, Twilight’s quill moving at a hundred miles an hour. He turned to the rest of them and sat down in front of the fire.
“I think a good way to begin would be to start from the beginning. My father’s name is Son Goku and he is my worlds greatest warrior. Kind, gentle, fierce, and strong. My father was and still is my hero. The gi I’m wearing is modeled very closely to his own.”
“Your father didn’t have very good taste in clothing, did he?” Rarity asked.
A dark scowl crossed Gohan’s face for the briefest of moments before he put on a smile, though the scowl didn’t escape the gazes of Shining Armor and Spike, making mental notes to not inadvertently insult his father. “Well, my dad didn’t become a hero because of his fashion sense.”
Rarity’s eyes widened a bit at this. “Oh, I’m sorry, Gohan, I didn’t mean-“
“It’s alright. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” Gohan smiled kindly at the woman, causing her to blush a bit, earning a strained laugh from her husband. “Anyway, I guess if I’m gonna start my story, I should start with his. My father was adopted by a kind old man who lived at the top of Mount Paoz. This man’s name was Gohan…” The young warrior began telling the story of his father, from when he met Bulma, to his first tournament, the Red Ribbon Army, to the deaths of his friends at the hands of Demon King Piccolo and his offspring.
He told them of his fathers final battle with Majunior, or Piccolo Jr., his eventual teacher. The story went on for some time. It earned many laughs and some tears, but the conviction in his voice told them this boy was telling the truth.
“It was at the same tournament my father fought Piccolo again that he married my mother. About a year later, Mom gave birth to me.” Gohan’s demeanor darkened a bit. “Four years later, the Earth had been at peace for so long. A man, a Saiyan warrior by the name of Raditz landed on our planet, looking for his little brother so they could purge the planet and prep it for auction.”
The people in attendance gasped collectively as they were given this information. “That’s horrible!” Celestia cried, Gohan donning an emotionless smirk.
“That’s not even the worst part. Raditz’s brother, Kakarot, is actually my father, Son Goku, meaning that monster was my uncle.” The rest of the party was too shocked for words, so the boy continued.
“Raditz decided to use me as leverage against my father, wounding him and kidnapping me. Dad was nowhere near strong enough to fight Raditz, nor was Piccolo, but together they thought they had a shot. They were… less than successful in that endeavor.
Piccolo lost an arm and my dad was too broken to fight back anymore as Raditz began crushing him under his boot. Even in his ship, I could hear my father screaming in pain. Something in me snapped. I obliterated the ship, jumped from the wreckage and landed in front of Raditz. I screamed at him to stop hurting my father and lunged full force into his chest, shattering his armor and severely wounding him. I tried to run to my dad’s side, but Raditz was nothing if not resilient.
He walked over to us and bashed me in the side of the head. I don’t remember anything after that point, but from what Piccolo told me, my father caught Raditz in a full nelson and Piccolo bore a blast through both their chests. My dad sacrificed himself to save the Earth from his own brother.”
The women (and Shining Armor) sniffled lightly. “Gohan.” The young half-breed turned to Twilight, who was wiping her cheeks. “When you said you descend from a warrior race, you meant the Saiyans?”
He nodded. “The Saiyans were known throughout the universe as some of cruelest and most powerful warriors in existence. They were basically galactic pirates, going from one planet to the next, killing the indigenous life forms and selling the planet. But, beyond that, Saiyan’s all have one thing in common: A love for combat. We love fighting stronger opponents and testing our limits. It’s our greatest pride and our greatest weakness. Even I can’t say that I don’t enjoy a good fight every now and again. I don’t like fighting without a point and I detest senseless murder, but I do enjoy training and even fighting with my dad or Piccolo.”
“Wait, how do you train or fight with your dad? Didn’t he die?” Flurry asked, earning a smack upside the head from her mother. “Ow!”
Gohan laughed lightly and nodded. “Yes, he did, but we brought him back a year later.”
“Ah, those Dragon Balls you told us about, correct?” Luna asked.
Gohan nodded again and smiled. “The very same. But, for now, I’ll leave the story there.” The room was quickly filled with disappointed groans, even from Celestia and Luna. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all the rest of the story before I find a way home. But, right now, shouldn’t Flurry be opening her gifts?”
Flurry gasped happily and looked up at her parents. They nodded and she hopped up and ran over to the pile of gifts, before being stopped short by their impromptu guest. He fished a capsule out of his gi’s pocket, pressing the button grabbing the item that came from the puff of smoke. It was a small sheathe with a rope attached and a small red pole sticking out from the top.
“Happy birthday, Flurry. This is the Power Pole, an heirloom my father gave me when I was younger.” The girl gingerly took the sheathe, pulling the staff from it.
“It’s… really small.”
Gohan chuckled as he held a hand out to take the staff back. The younger female placed it in his hands, the saiyan spinning it between his fingers, before smirking. “Power pole, Extend!” Immediately, the pole shot to twice it’s original length with Gohan expertly twirling it around his body. “This pole is magic. It can extend to any length you want, or shrink, and it’s completely indestructible.”
Flurry’s face lit up as Gohan exhibited what the powerful tool was capable of, topping it off with a behind-the-back spin. He twirled it between his fingers a couple more times, just to show off, before shrinking it back down. He slid it back into it’s sheathe, looking over at the birthday girl’s parents. Cadence seemed a bit conflicted, but Shining Armor didn’t see any problem with it and nodded. The saiyan child turned back to to the alicorn-blood child and presented the staff back to her.
She took it eagerly before a nervous look crossed her face, a light blush crossing her cheeks. “Um, Gohan, do-do you think you could teach me how to use it?”
Gohan chuckled again, patting her head. “I’d be happy to, Flurry.”
“Gohan.” The fighter turned to the Crystal Princess as she called him. “Not that I’m not grateful, surprised, but grateful that you gave Flurry such a nice gift, I’d like to ask why?”
“Well, to be honest, I don’t usually use a weapon when I fight.” he stated. “I believe that if you can’t settle a confrontation with your words or your fists, you shouldn’t have gotten into it. Plus, my father told me when he gave the staff to me that when I found someone I believed would use it for the right reasons, that I needed to pass it on.” He looked back at Flurry and smiled. “When I look into Flurry Heart’s eyes, I see a girl a lot like me. Someone who’ll find anyway she can to avoid violence, but won’t hesitate if it means protecting someone she loves.”
Flurry blushed brightly as she smiled sheepishly, her wings coming around to hide her face. Gohan and the others got a quick laugh out of this, even Fluttershy, who did the same thing anytime she was embarrassed. Gohan swung the pole around her back, pulled the ropes back to the front and tying them off so the sheathe hung off her back at an angle so she could grab it.“Come on, Flurry, you’ve got other presents to open.”
The alicorn-blood nodded, hugged Gohan tight, then ran to the rest of her presents. She grabbed a green one from the pile with a grunt, noting how heavy it was. Gohan had been blushing a bit as she hugged him, still not all that used to female affection, but it was quickly forgotten as he sensed something… it was momentary and minute, but he knew he sensed it. Malice. “This one is from a Miss… Chrys… Chrysalis?”
All the people familiar with the name in the room eyes widened as Shining Armor and Cadence made a dive for their daughter, only to be blasted back by two bolts of magic. The other Equestrians (and saiyan) in the room were quickly blinded as the room was flooded with light. Flurry’s shriek filled the room alongside the sound of shattering glass. “Dammit!” Gohan moved towards the sound, only to be tackled to the ground.
He gave a rage filled cry, his ki shoving his attackers away and into the walls. His vision finally began to clear up as he started looking around for Flurry or their attackers, shocked to see that the room was filled with them. They were… odd looking, to say the least. They were like beetle people in the shape of humans. They’re skin seemed to gleam like chitin and there were holes everywhere in their legs and arms.
“What in the name of Dende are these things?!” Gohan cried as he tried to piece what the hell just happened together.
“Changelings. Where did you take my daughter, you monsters?!” Shining armor bellowed, a broad sword appearing in his hand with a bright flash.
The changelings simply laughed, transforming into the Equestrians (and saiyan) in the room. “Queen Chrysalis has her plans for her. Plans you don’t need to know.”
Gohan stepped forward, rage clear on his face as the floor under his feet began to crack. “You have five seconds to tell us where she is before I have to tear it out of you.” he said, the changelings backing away slowly.
The lead invader shook his head and stared the boy down. “Enough! Like we said, you don’t need to know! All you need to know is that we changelings will be taking Equestria for ourselves!”
Gohan growled as his aura sprang to life around him, shoving both the changelings and people back. “I don’t give a damn who or what you are, this ends NOW!” With that final word, the fighters aura exploded around him, creating an impact crater under his feet, and he launched himself into the group of changelings, oblivious to the others following him.
…
“How goes the plan, General?” Chrysalis asked over the mirror the changeling commander held.
“All according to plan, my queen. They fell for our trap and Princess Flurry Heart is currently on her way.”
“General Diserex!” a grunt screamed as he flew to the elder changeling, kneeling down in his imposing presence.
“Speak.”
“Sir, something has gone awry. The princesses and Elements our warriors could stave off for a bit, but there is a massive source of power in the castle tearing our forces apart like tissue paper. We’ve lost the entire forward guard!”
“What?!” Diserex bellowed, the pressure of his power plowing the poor changeling into the earth beneath him. “How could our entire forward guard be gone already?!”
“I-I don’t know, sir! Please, I’m sorry! I’m only a worker! Please, show mercy!” the young changeling cried out as his body was slowly crushed under the generals power.
“Diserex.” The general let his energy go lax as he turned back to the queen. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing, milady, just a minor annoyance. It will dealt with posthaste.” He answered, saluting his queen before cutting the connection.
“Uh, sir?” The changeling grunt said, standing shakily to his feet. The general turned back to him, anger clear on his face. “I was sent here to inform you that whatever destroyed the forward guard is tracking Flurry Heart and is on it’s way here.”
The changeling warrior growled fiercely. “Inform the advanced guard that they are to intercept and destroy whatever this interloper happens to be. And tell the carriers to make the princess watch as her hero is destroyed. Hope is a dangerous force and it must be crushed.”
“Yessir!” The changeling turned and flew off quickly, leaving the general to his thoughts. What kind of creature could devastate over a hundred changelings that quickly without destroying the palace in the process? Celestia, Luna, Cadenza, even the Elements have the power to stop our forces dead, but not like that and not that precisely. I should go and see this for myself.
…
Gohan, Rainbow Dash, and Spike flew as fast as they could (as fast as Dash and Spike could), trying to catch up with the changelings. He growled in frustration as he kept track of Flurry’s energy. If only I could speed up a bit, I’d catch them!
“How the hell are they so fast?! I’m the fastest flier in Equestria!” Rainbow screamed.
“We’ve gotta be getting close!” Spike shouted.
“They’re not too far ahead of us, about a hundred yards!” Gohan said.
“How do you know?!” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I can sense her ki, her life energy! It’s how I’ve been tracking her this whole time!”
“That is AWESOME! You have gotta teach me that!”
“Dash, can you not right now?! We got a girl to save!” Spike scolded, flapping his wings harder.
Gohan had had just about enough. No, he didn’t really know these people, but he did like Flurry, at least enough to want her to be his friend, and even if that weren’t the case, he’d be damned if he was just gonna sit back and let an innocent get hurt. He floated over to Spike first, pulling him close much to the drakes surprise. Next, he grabbed Rainbow Dash.
“H-hey, watch where you’re grabbing, kid!” cried the red faced pegasus-blood.
“Hold on tight!” was the only warning he gave before he surged forward, an ear shattering sonic boom sounding behind him. Neither Spike or Rainbow were able to open their eyes, the wind was too strong. Considering Dash was the fastest flier in Equestria, that was some serious speed he was putting out.
In no time at all, the changelings came into view, a thrashing, kicking, and biting Flurry in between them. They turned in time to see an enraged saiyan stop dead in front of them, releasing his ‘cargo’. The two fliers took a moment to let their stomachs catch up before confronting the two changelings alongside Gohan.
“Let her go.” The boy said, his teal eyes glazed over in fury. His anger was so potent at that moment that he was consciously staving off his transformation.
The two enemy fliers flinched at the venom in his words, but kept a hold on her. “Let me go, you backwards, bug brained idiots so I can shove my feet up your tail holes!” Flurry screamed, thrashing around harder. Gohan chuckled a bit at this, but shelved it.
As the three were about to attack, three other bodies appeared in front of them in a flash of light. Rainbow and Spike turned away, but Gohan didn’t bother, simply staring the new fighters down.
“An admirable feat, my friends, but this where your little rescue mission comes to an end.”
“… I got this. Pretty one,” Gohan looked to the slimmest of the three, his hair (or whatever it was) straight and shimmering slightly. “Stupid one,” He looked to the hulking mass of muscle and chitin. “One with the freaky powers.” He turned to the last, a mid build changeling with a scar over it’s right eye.
“Oi!” The big one cried. “I appreciate that, but I’d say I’m more handsome than pretty.”
“And my powers aren’t that freaky!” The pretty one said. The last one just gave some kind of roar.
Gohan was struck silent for a moment. “Okay, I take it back, you’re all stupid.” He turned to the other two. “I can handle these three, go and get Flurry and get her home safe. I’ll meet you back there once I clean up.” Besides, even if they wanted to fight, these three would tear them apart. They’re all as powerful if not stronger than Recoome.
“Oh, no way in Tartarus am I letting you fight-” Spike put a claw on the hotheaded woman’s shoulder.
“He’s right, Rainbow. Let him handle these guys.”
“Somebody better check the clock, cause I do believe it’s go time!” The big one rushed a now smirking Gohan, punching through what he thought was the boy’s chest when in reality it was only the top of his gi.
“Olè.” He said sarcastically before slamming the tip of his elbow into the changeling’s skull, sending him flying down. The freaky one rushed in with a flurry of attacks, all of which Gohan dodged or deflected. “Go now, you two! Flurry’s getting away!”
The two shocked beings shook their heads before taking off after their target. The big one launched himself back into the air as Gohan focused on the one currently trying to punch a hole in his face. He noticed the attacker and fired an energy blast. The one he was fighting used his power to open a hole in his chest, laughing triumphantly.
“You idiot! He wasn’t aiming for you!” Another large blast then consumed the freaky one, disintegrating him. “That time he was though.”
Rainbow and Spike turned back to see the big one chasing after them and closing fast, but something else was following him. It looked like that odd ball of energy that Gohan had used to light the fire in the common room.
The other flier turned back to see the ball as it closed on him. “No, no, no, no!” He started trying to outmaneuver it, but it was following his every move. “Nononononono, NO!” He finally decided to try and stop the blast, but was quickly overwhelmed, joining his friend in oblivion.
The pegasus and dragon-blood had no idea what they just saw, but they didn’t have time to think about it as the third crony went flying past them, screaming, Gohan close behind. The changeling extended a magic blade from his hand, slashing at the saiyan child wildly until said child caught the blade between his fingers.
“Good game, but not good enough I’m afraid.” The fighter punched through the changeling’s chest, covering his forearm in greenish-purple blood before sending him flying down. The boy turned from the falling changeling back to his target, blasting off full speed ahead.
As he drew close, he saw Flurry flying towards him and saw that Dash and Spike were tangling with the changelings that had been carrying her, Spike having less trouble than Dash. She had them in speed, but it was obvious they had more combat experience. He flew past Flurry, slamming his foot into the changeling fighting the rainbow haired pegasus-blood. The force of his kick was great enough that it sent the changeling flying to the ground below and across it for several hundred feet.
The other changeling turned to them, taking it’s eyes off Spike who put his clawed hands around his opponents head, a large surge of electricity being expelled from the palms of his hands. The creature gave a blood chilling shriek before it went silent, the dragon-blood grabbing it’s body by the head and throwing it to the ground with as much force as Gohan had used the kick the first one.
Rainbow Dash was pretty well shocked by that little display her friend just made. “A little trick I learned some of my people are capable of while I was training in the Dragon Lands.”
Flurry flew up to them quickly, hugging Gohan first for two reasons. One: It was Gohan and she liked him. Two: He was closest. She did notice something though. “Hey, Gohan, weren’t your eyes black before?”
The half-breed chuckled nervously before a tremendous power revealed itself, flying towards them fast. He shifted around, putting himself between this new enemy and the young princess.
A massive changeling appeared before him, a light green caped around his shoulders and a form fitting uniform that matched it. He had a large, gnarled horn that stuck from his forehead and piercing blue eyes, unlike the other changelings he’d fought so far. His hair was snow white and fell around his face in the front until it reached his temples, being shaved short the rest of the way back, like a crew cut. He wore two golden earrings and a slight smirk. He stood every bit as tall as Goku and had a heavier muscle structure than Tienshinhan, making him seem all the more intimidating.
“Well, I’m guessing you’re the one who gave my fighters so much trouble, child.” The elder being addressed Gohan, affixing his gaze on the half breed. The air became super charged with raw power as the warriors stared each other down, sparks actually beginning to appear in the air around them.
“I was, if you call those scrawny pukes fighters.” Gohan sneered, letting his inner Saiyan have a bit more fun.
The changeling laughed. “Yes, well, if I’d known we’d be entertaining a true warrior, I’d of met you myself. General Diserex, first son of the exalted Queen Chrysalis.”
“Son Gohan, first son of Son Goku, the saiyan who defeated the tyrant warlord, Frieza.”
“I’ll take your word for it as I have no idea who that is.” Diserex said dismissively, a smile spreading over his face. “But, if your power is any indicator, I’m sure both your father and this Frieza were very powerful in their own right.”
“My father and I have long since surpassed Frieza in power.” Good thing, too. This guy’s every bit as strong as Princess Celestia and she’s about as powerful as Frieza at full power. How is it we never sensed these people?
“Oh? Is that so? Well, if you’re that much stronger than this ‘tryant’, why not indulge me a bit?” He said with a sneer.
Flurry began pulling on Gohan’s arm, trying to pull him away. Gohan simply turned and smiled kindly at her, patting her head. “I’ll be okay. I can handle this. Go back to the castle where it’s safe and wait for me.”
The girl looked like she wanted to argue, but didn’t, simply hugging him again, this time blushing as she felt his arms wrap around her for a moment. “Promise you’ll come back?”
“Promise.” He let her go and pushed her towards Rainbow and Spike before turning back to Diserex. Flurry’s bottom lip quivered before taking her escorts hands and activating a spell. With a bright flash, the three were gone, leaving the saiyan warrior with the changeling general. Gohan smiled lightly. “Thanks for waiting.”
The elder man smiled in return. “I don’t like involving others in my battles. I can simply recover the princess once you’re dealt with.”
The boy chuckled a bit and floated forward, extending his fist. “You may be my enemy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t show a warrior that understands honor proper respect. You have earned that respect in my eyes.”
Diserex followed his example, his wings buzzing lightly as he floated forward, letting his fist meet Gohan’s in a show of mutual respect. “Well, respect is good to have, but let’s see if that life of yours is up for grabs.”
The young fighter laughed lightly as he floated back. “No offense, but better people than you have tried and failed.”
Diserex laughed loudly as he returned to his place. “No, my boy. Different people, not better.” He gave a loud, prolonged scream as he flooded the area with his energy, his aura a sickly green color. Gohan gasped a bit as the elder fighters energy skyrocketed.
Damn! There’s no way I can beat this guy without getting serious! There goes war of attrition. Depend it is! Gohan followed the generals lead, his black hair flying and shifting around his face as his energy exploded, causing the ground several hundred feet beneath them the shatter and rise into air around them, bolts or power arcing between them. A white flame-like aura erupted around him, releasing a white column, matching Diserex’s in size and potency, the storm between them growing in severity.
With twin cries of excitement on the part of Diserex and anger on Gohan’s part, the two began their war with a thundering clash of their outstretched fists, the two backing off only a few feet from each other, charging twin blasts in their hands before slamming them into each other, the clashing energies growing into a large orb in between them, the shockwaves shaking the kingdom beneath them.
Will Gohan defeat the powerful Diserex, Changeling General and first son of Chrysalis, or will the invading armies leader prevail over Goku’s first born child? The battle of elders takes place, next time on Crystal Vanguard!
Diserex: Let’s see if you have what it takes to back up your claims, boy!
Gohan: I can’t just sit back let you do what you want, Diserex! Your invasion ends now!
…
The scene opens with Gohan flying into frame as a Super Saiyan, landing and powering down with a broad smile on his face before catching a falling Flurry Heart, the young girl wrapping her arms around the boys neck and kissing his cheek as the logo for Crystal Vanguard appears overhead.
Gohan: Hey guys, it’s Gohan!
Flurry Heart: And Flurry!
Gohan: Dammit! I can’t seem to land a single worthwhile blow! How is he so strong?! This keeps up, I may have to transform just to stay alive! Wait, his power comes from what?!
Diserex: My, you’re an angry young one aren’t you? Your wrath is quite strong.
Gohan: Sorry, but I have a party to get back to. KAMEHAMEHA!
Flurry Heart: Next time on Crystal Vanguard: Mounting Pressure! General Diserex Attacks!
Diserex: I’m enjoying myself, Gohan. Don’t give in now. Entertain me a bit longer.