//------------------------------// // Long Train Ride Ahead! Welcome to Ponyville, Gohan! // Story: Crystal Vanguard // by Benkei Urahara //------------------------------// Gohan looks over the mountainous expanse, his eyes closed before he smiles, turning to see Diserex standing on another rock spire, grinning in return. They both rushed off their perches, clashing loudly and trading blows. They separate and power up with twin cries, Gohan transforming before they slam their fists together. An explosion of light covers the area before The Crystal Vanguards logo appears. Last time on Crystal Vanguard, a wounded Gohan clashed with the powerful Diserex, General of the Changelings, who had launched an attack on the Crystal Empire in the hopes of absconding with the young Princess Flurry Heart, with Gohan close behind. The young saiyan warrior quickly found himself outmatched against the generals ever increasing power, his hopes of stopping the changeling dwindling until Diserex made the mistake of insulting Gohan’s father, Son Goku. “I have to say, Gohan, I’m rather disappointed!” The general said, tossing Gohan into the air, following after him and slamming his knee into the boy's gut before slamming his balled up fists into the half-breeds back, or so he thought as he struck through an afterimage. The elder fighter turned quickly as Gohan attacked with hard right hook, knocking a mouthful of spittle from his mouth, before following up with a roundhouse kick, passing through the changelings own afterimage. “I honestly expected more from the son of the man who defeated this Frieza. Maybe I was wrong in assuming this was an actual achievement.” he said from behind his opponent with a sneer, the boy turning to face him. “DON’T YOU TALK SHIT ABOUT MY FATHER!” Gohan roared as he rushed the changeling, using the power his anger gave him to break the general’s defenses with a brutal gut check of his own before unleashing a savage series of punches, alternating between striking him in the gut and face before floating behind him and planting his boot squarely into Diserex’s back, sending him flying back down into the city. Hoping to end the fight before it went much further, Gohan used his father’s signature technique, badly wounding Diserex, but not enough to discourage the battle hungry warrior. His smile disappeared as his energy began rising again. “There’s no talking my way out of this, is there?” The changeling warrior only grinned. “Didn’t think so.” The boy widened his stance, his white aura shifting to gold as his hair began flutter in an invisible, energy rich wind. Saved by the proverbial bell, Diserex promised that he and Gohan would settle things the next time they met, vanishing with the rest of his army. The wounded boy promptly passed out into the arms of Prince Shining Armor, his beloved, Princess Cadance standing beside him. As they gazed, astonished, what could they be planning for this young warrior. What is the plan these two have for the young warrior, and what are the plans of the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis? Find out now. A shot of the Crystal Empire with the six Elements of Harmony appears and the chapters title fades in. A Long Train Ride Ahead! Welcome to Ponyville, Gohan! Flurry giggled as she ducked and weaved midair with Gohan chasing her, laughing as he kept reaching for her tail, only to have it slip from his grasp just as he was about to touch it. It had been five days since Gohan was able to turn Diserex and his army away and he’d been revered as a hero by the citizens of The Crystal Empire. He was showered with gifts and gratitude whenever he so much as walked by the entrance of the castle, making him retreat into his bedroom and hide under the bed. He didn’t like all this attention at all. He didn’t know how to handle it. The saiyan warrior only came out when Twilight and Flurry coaxed him out his room with promises of Applejacks homemade beef, apple, and cabbage stew and a new book to read as he’d already read all the books that Shining Armor had given him as well as a new outfit that matched his old casual wear outfit from his mother. During his time in the Empire, Gohan had held true to his promise to teach Flurry how to properly use the Power Pole, running her through a series of what he believed to be easy drills that normally left her panting, tired, sweaty, and sore. But even in that short span of time, they got results. Seemed Gohan was a pretty competent teacher. And in that time she’d started teaching Gohan how to be a kid, including, but not limited to, pranking her father, her mother, Twilight and the other princesses, Pinkie Pie, Dash, who then helped them prank the others. They did a lot of pranking. Which normally ended with Gohan Instant Transmission-ing them out of the area. In the heat of the moment whilst they were fighting the changelings, Gohan had forgotten that his father had (painstakingly) trained him in the Instant Transmission technique and the Spirit Bomb. He taught his young son the Kaioken, but Gohan said it would be more of a liability than an asset considering how powerful they were without it. He’d do more damage to himself using it then his opponent. They also learned that Goku was a pretty crappy teacher. Gohan smirked before raising his energy a bit, flashing in front of Flurry and catching her in his arms, the younger girl giving a quick yelp of surprise. She was about to glare at him and remind he said he wouldn’t use his full speed before she saw that goofy, kind smile. She blushed and smiled back before taking one of his hands in hers and putting his other hand at her waist, her free hand moving to his left shoulder. He’d of been surprised by this if it hadn’t been for the fact that he’d learned how much Flurry loved to dance and how good she was at it. He hummed a soft tune as they start dancing mid-air, the alicorn-blood princess giggling as she was spun out then back in. They danced like that for a bit, her back to his chest, his arms seemingly wrapped around her as he hummed. Normally, something like this would have embarrassed him, but he did have to admit, it was fun and he knew his new friend danced her best when she was happy. Plus, it was a nice way to unwind after He spun her around, dipping her down with her laughing as he did, the princess extending her arms out as she leaned down. A voice from behind them caused them both to jump and float away from each other, their faces bright red. “Having fun, you two?” They looked over at Flurry’s mother, the alicorn-blood chuckling before gesturing to the balcony of the castle where Shining Armor waited for them with a raised eye brow, crossed arms and a smile. They both chuckled nervously before looking down at him for a moment, waving lightly. “Gohan, it’s almost time to go!” He shouted up at them. The saiyan looked at the now rather depressed alicorn-blood girl before taking her hand and floating down with her. She smiled softly and wrapped her soft hand around his more calloused one. They touched down beside Shining Armor, Flurry jumping onto Gohan’s back. The older male quirked his brow in confusion. “I lost a bet.” Gohan said, a light blush on his cheeks as he started walking into the castle, Flurry giggling as he walked. Shining Armor chuckled as he walked over to them, lifting his daughter off the saiyan’s back. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I’d like to talk to Gohan alone for a bit.” Flurry pouted a bit before the two began walking down the hall together, Gohan tousling the younger girls hair a bit. She giggled at this before frowning a bit as the fighter walked away with her father. She felt her mothers arms wrap around her from behind, the older woman lifting her with her magic and putting her on her back between her wings. “Now, I know I’m not Gohan, but he did lose that bet and since he can’t ante up...” Cadence said before running down the hall, Flurry squealing happily as they ran. Gohan looked around the halls of the Crystal Palace, still shocked that such a beautiful place existed. “With how powerful the people of your world are, Shining Armor, I’m kind of surprised my dad never sensed you guys. This place is pretty amazing.” The prince looked around the hall they walked and chuckled. “Yeah, this place is pretty incredible. Every time I walk this hall, I remember how I almost lost everything when we came here. The Crystal Empire was under King Sombra’s curse back then. Sombra was once a unicorn-blood of immense knowledge and power, one of Equestria’s finest scholars. Man was a genius.” Armor stopped in front of a decorative window pane that shown with a melody of darker colors and hues. Gohan turned and looked at it. It depicted a story of some kind, though the usually intuitive saiyan warrior hadn’t figured it out yet. It was two sided window, the art work similar to a Yin-Yang depiction. It showed a man with dark skin and a black horn on one side, the only bright object in the darkness, and on the other it showed the same man, a savage grin on his face as it seemed the shadows swirled about him. The side with the darker form was brighter and showed a snowy waste with what seemed like bodies littered over it. “Sombra was powerful and a talented magic user, not unlike me or Twilight, but he was also very curious. Being the only son of Star Swirl the Bearded, our history’s most famous and powerful unicorn-blood, up until Twily was born, made Sombra naturally want to learn as much about magic as he could. He dabbled with Dark Magicks to see what they could do.” Shining Armor looked down at Gohan from the corner of his eye. “Now, don’t misunderstand, Dark Magic isn’t inherently evil, though it is dangerously unstable and naturally destructive.” “Sounds like most of my race.” Gohan said almost bitterly, the sight of Vegeta in his Oozaru form crushing his father coming to his mind. The unicorn-blood smiled a bit at this. “From how you described them, you wouldn’t be far off, but Sombra was also very intelligent. Dark Magic is as powerful and addicting as it is unstable, moving you to the darker side of your mind. It has the power to stop an army dead or destroy a country, and that’s in the hands of a being with little knowledge of it’s grasp on you. Sombra gave himself over to the power and was changed forever. He gained a level of power and mental clarity that few could understand, but he used it for all the wrong reasons.” Shining Armor placed a hand on the glass pane. “I made a promise to Flurry when she was born that people like that would never harm her. And I failed.” Gohan was confused for a moment before he realized what Armor was talking about. “Shining Armor, sir, what happened with the changelings wasn’t your fault.” “No, but them getting close enough to pull it off was. If I had been a bit more vigilant and careful-” “Sir, if I may?” Gohan said, cutting the prince off. It didn’t surprise Armor that he started with that. Gohan didn’t see any of the royals as being above or below him, but he showed them due respect as royalty and nobility (for the most part) was earned through hard work here and that was worthy of Gohan’s respect. It just made it a bit odd considering the boy talking to him was a prince himself. “The changelings coordinated their plan just so you wouldn’t be expecting the attack. Even if you had doubled the guard, who’s to say they wouldn’t have slipped some of their own into your ranks?” Gohan looked at the window pane, understanding why the man had told him Sombra’s tale. “Diserex wasn’t just strong, the man is a genius in and out of combat. He could have replaced your entire guard and I doubt you would have noticed, unless you knew the guards rather intimately.” Shining Armor looked at the boy inquisitively. “And what makes you say that?” Gohan crossed his arms as he began thinking. “My father always told me the best way to learn about another was to face them in combat. An exchange of fists can teach you more about a person than an exchange of words ever could.” The Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard hummed lightly in thought on that one. “I kind of understand what he means, though I find it bit hard to believe. I’m sure you noticed that I, unfortunately, lack serious combat experience. I’m an experienced fighter and I’m rather well trained, but nothing I learned could have prepared me for the fight we had during the party.” “I speak from experience when I tell you that what you learn very rarely ever prepares you for something like that. I hadn’t fought so many enemies in a single sitting like I that before, but I have trained very hard for that instance. My training wasn’t anything like that. Nothing my dad or Piccolo could have prepared me for that.” “Piccolo? Isn’t he the being that tried to kill your father and his friends?” “For the most part, that was Daimao Piccolo, but essentially yeah. When he killed my dad and Raditz, he kidnapped and trained me for the next year in preparation for the two saiyans that fought with Raditz. We got crushed in just about every sense of the word until my dad showed up.” Armor’s eyes were wide in shock as he stared at Gohan. “He kidnapped you?” The boy chuckled and nodded. “Then he trained you?” “It’s odd, I know, my fathers greatest enemy training me, but it’s what happened. Piccolo changed for the better when he trained me. I think it was because he had a real friend for the first time in his life. He told me when he threw himself in front of Nappa’s attack for me that I was like the son he never had.” “You have a lot of respect and love for him, don’t you?” “He’s my best friend.” Gohan said with a smile. “I see him as another sort of father. Kind of odd considering both my father figures are battle obsessed lunatics half the time.” He added with a light hearted laugh laugh, the elder prince joining him. “So, besides to let me know you blame yourself over something out of your control, what did you wanna talk about?” Armor’s eyes widened at that. “Damn, Flurry was not wrong. You are blunt as a club.” Gohan chuckled at this, his cheeks heating up a bit. “Well, the reason for the story and for my wanting to talk to you is because I realized something. You saved not just Flurry, but potentially all of Equestria that night. You’re stronger than any being in this palace, the princesses included. I know you were holding back when you fought Diserex, whether for your own reasons or because you were wounded, I don’t know and I don’t really care. You’re strong. That’s why I want you to take Flurry Heart with you to Ponyville. Help her grow, protect her.” Armor looked down at the shocked boy, smiling. “Be her friend.” Gohan continued to stare at the man before smiling softly. “That’s a lot to ask of a boy you’ve only known for five days.” The saiyan chuckled lightly and turned to face Shining Armor, his smile even wider than before. “It’s a lot more to accept, stupid even. But, honestly, I’m tired of making the smart choices for a bit. And I’ve never really had a friend my age.” “So you’ll do it?” The boy nodded. “Do I get a new uniform?” he said jokingly. Shining Armor smiled, knowing it was a joke that was about to get a lot funnier. At least for him. “Rarity just finished it. It’s in your room.” … Flurry sighed a bit as she walked beside her aunt, the elder alicorn-blood looking over at her obviously depressed niece. “What’s wrong, Flurry?” The girl hummed lightly, looking up at Twilight. “Oh, i-it’s nothing, Aunt Twilight. I’m just gonna miss you all is all.” “And Gohan! Can’t forget your crush, now!” Flurry’s face turned bright red at Rainbows’ comment as she flew by. “Rainbow Dash!” The elder princess shouted as he rainbow haired friend flew by, looking back at her niece who was currently hiding herself in her wings… behind a stall. Twilight sighed lightly, walking over to the girl. “Come on, Flurry. You wanna see us off, right?” she said, holding out her hand. Flurry took it and stood up with her aunt. “I’ll make sure Gohan sends a letter every day if you’d like.” The girl simply nodded as she walked. The two princesses jumped and squeaked as a familiar voice shouted above them. “That won’t be necessary!” They both stopped and quirked their brows as they saw a growing shadow on the ground, screaming as a body slammed into the dirt in front of them. The dust cloud settled and the rest of the girls (and Spike) crowded around the dust cloud, the dragon using his wings to cover Rarity as a blast of air threw the dust away, revealing the saiyan their subject was on. He rubbed the back of his head gently, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Most of the girls glared daggers at him while Spike just chuckled, Rainbow Dash stepping forward and offering a fist bump, one Gohan accepted. Rarity stopped glaring long enough to realize something. The purple haired unicorn-blood squealed in delight. “Gohan, darling, that gi looks divine on you! I knew those colors would look good on you. They compliment those deep, dark eyes of yours.” The young saiyan stood before them in the new giRarity had so painstakingly worked on for him. The top of the martial artist outfit was pitch black with the Son family kanji over the heart with the under shirt being a deep red color. On the back of the top was the kanji for ‘Ma’ or Demon. It showed the world who Gohan’s first teacher was. It was finished off with a belt the same color as his under shirt, a pair of black trousers, and a pair of black boots with gray stripes that ran up the front with a set of gray laces holding them together. On the shoulders of the red under shirt sat the crest for the Crystal Empire, a purple shield with a blue, crystal heart at the center, all surrounded by the gems that once represented the Elements of Harmony. (This is just a quick paint over without the kanji or crests, but I'm working on an actual full body picture for you all, as well a few pictures of Gohan and Flurry, Gohan vs. Diserex, and so on.) The boy did a quick once over of himself. “You really think so, Miss Rarity? I mean, yeah, it looks cool and the fit is perfect, but I didn’t know if I’d look good in it.” “I think you look really good, Gohan.” Flurry said, smiling at the boy kindly. Gohan chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. After that, the princess noticed that her friend had been carrying several rather large bags. “Hey, those look like my bags.” Gohan donned a bright smile. “That’s because theyare your bags. I would have gotten them here sooner, but your mom packed them pretty full.” “What do you mean?” Gohan only smiled brighter, hefting the bags with ease. “Come on. We’re gonna miss the train.” … Well, Mama and Papa may not be letting me go alone, but at least Gohan is someone I can deal with. Thought the young princess as she looked out the window. “Wow! The plains are so big! It’s like a sea of soft, green, grass!” Flurry said in wonder as the train chugged along the tracks, Gohan sitting beside her in a state of meditation, only opening an eye to ask a question. “Flurry, is this the first time you’ve left the Crystal Empire?” The princess didn’t look away from the window as she answered. “This is the first time I’ve been this far away from the palace! I’ve always wanted to see the world, but Mama and Papa were always too scared to let me go unless I agreed to have an entourage of guards with me. You can’t enjoy the world if all you see is the back of your bodyguards.” The boy chuckled before returning his meditation. “Well, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Something in his mind clicked after a few moments before her turned to the knitting Rarity, smiling as he watched her knit the afghan she was making for her baby with cautious, but experienced strokes. “Excuse me, Miss Rarity.” The white horned mother hummed lightly in response. “Mind telling me how you got the fabric you used for my new gi? It feels like the same fabric my saiyan training armor is made from.” “Well, darling, that’s because it is, though I didn’t know that odd outfit of yours was armor.” Rarity answered with. As the boy was about to ask how they had his armor, Spike spoke up. “When I found you, there were these odd capsule things laying around you and I opened one on accident. Your armor fell out and I gave it to Rarity to see if she could figure out where it came from.” “To be honest, I’ve never seen fabric like that. It’s a high tension polymer with with the flexibility of Neighgyptian cotton while also weighing near to nothing at all. That gi could take a full power magic blast from me and Twilight and I doubt it’d even have a scratch on it.” Rarity said, setting the afghan aside. “Replicating it was quite the chore, but I’m very proud of the finished product. I also put the two symbols I saw on your other outfit on it for you. But I would like to know, how in the world did you get a hold of such a thing, Gohan?” The boy chuckled as Flurry sat beside him again, leaning her head against his shoulder, bringing a bright blush to his face. “W-well, the suit you found was actually the same suit I wore when I trained with my dad in the Room of Spirit and Time. An old family friend of ours, Bulma, the woman Dad traveled with all those years ago, made the polymer that made the battle suit from the remnants of the old armor of Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz’s armor. It’s tougher than the original and can stretch just as much. I think she named it ‘Ultra-Mesh’.” Twilight poked her head over the back of Gohan and Flurry’s seat, having been listening rather intently. “Hey, Gohan.” she said sweetly, causing the boy to look up at her. “I’d love to study that armor of yours a bit. Do you think you’d be willing to lend it to me?” She laid the sweetness on thick, making the other occupants of the car chuckle or sigh. Except Flurry, who just glared at her aunt. Gohan chuckled a bit. “You don’t need to be so sweet to try and get stuff from me, Miss Twilight. You’re a good person, so all you have to do is ask.” The boy turned to Spike as the dragon-blood tossed the capsule to him. He pressed the top on it and it exploded, causing most of the people in the car with them to start coughing. He presented the armor to a still slightly shocked Twilight, who blushed a bit as he smiled at her. If only he was a few years older. She thought. The alicorn-blood took it with a small thank you before a pink blur appeared out of nowhere, slamming Gohan’s and Flurry’s heads between her bountiful mounds in a tight hug. “Oh, you’re gonna love Ponyville! I can show you everything and you can meet everyone and we can throw you guys a big ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!” The pinkette gasped loudly, letting the children go. Good thing too cause they were beginning to turn blue. “Oh my gosh! I gotta go ahead and start setting up!” And like that, the physics breaking Equestrian was gone. Gohan was left with his eye twitching and his jaw hanging. “How?!” Twilight looked up from the armor for a moment. “Don’t ask. I’ve been trying to figure her out for years. It’s an exercise in futility.” “Just like trying to teach Dad.” The boy said under his breath. “Hm?” Flurry responded with, cocking her head to the side. “Don’t ask. It’s about as mind numbing as trying to figure out Miss Pinkie.” The occupants of the car had a good laugh at this before they fell into a comfortable silence. “Hey, Gohan.” Flurry said, breaking the silence. The saiyan hummed in response, having returned to his meditation. “Since this is gonna be such a long train ride, maybe you could tell us a bit more of your story.” “YEAH!” came the very loud response of the other women and dragon-blood, Pinkie somehow included. (Gohan: Seriously, does she know Instant Transmission too?! Ben: Don’t bother trying to figure it out, Gohan. It’s like Twilight said. Gohan: Beating my head against a brick wall, got it.) Gohan chuckled lightly before leaning back a bit. “Where was I?” “Piccolo just killed your dad and your uncle.” Rainbow said, yelping as her head was smacked for her lack of tact. The boy laughed lightly at this. “That’s right. Well, after that, Piccolo was informed that Raditz wasn’t alone and that two saiyans of even greater power were going to be landing on Earth in a year. So, to help combat this threat, Piccolo kidnapped me, tossed me into the wilderness for six months with nothing but a new gi and a sword, then came back after that for another six months of hard training.” He looked around after this to see a cabin full of horrified and enraged expressions, especially from Twilight and Flurry. He laughed again at this. “Don’t worry, Piccolo was hard on me, but he wasn’t cruel.” He sat back again after this, closing his eyes. “Anyways, a year passed and I was scared out of my mind. I mean, what five year old wouldn’t have been? The fight started off with the saiyans growing these things called Saibamen. Horrible little green creatures that only exist to fight. Tienshinhan was first up. He beat the Saibaman that he’d been pit against and one of the saiyans, Vegeta, killed it as a warning to the rest of them. After that, Yamcha stepped up next. I had trouble keeping up with the fight because I was relying too heavily on my eyes. Piccolo told me I had to-” “Focus on your other senses and your eyes will follow?” Rainbow interrupted. Gohan looked at her, a bit shocked. “Y-yeah, how did you-?” “Mine and Pinkie’s martial arts teacher used to tell us the same thing.” “Sounds like a good teacher.” “He was an asshole.” they both said in a deadpan, shocking the rest of the cabin. “And that sounds like Piccolo.” The rainbow haired woman went silent for a moment. “Fair enough. Continue.” The half-saiyan chuckled a bit before continuing with his story, his smile disappearing for a hard frown. “Well, Yamcha did great. He had the Saibaman all but beat, but he let his guard down. We all did. We had no idea what would happen when the Saibaman were pushed into a corner. It jumped up and latched itself to Yamcha and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t shake it off. It self-destructed… and took Yamcha with it. We had barely started the fight and we already had our first casualty. After that Krillin used his Scatter Kamehameha to kill what was left of the Saibaman, minus one that had hidden away that Piccolo killed. That was when the real fight started. Nappa, the other saiyan, stepped forward and told us all to come at him at once so he could get warmed up. Tien said that he could handle him, but he was very, very wrong. Nappa took off one of his arms as if it was the easiest thing in the world, and then started really brutalizing him. Chaotzu, Tien’s friend and fellow Crane Style student, attached himself to Nappa’s back and self-destructed, but it didn’t even faze the saiyan. With Chaotzu dead, Tien tried fighting him again, but was even less successful this time. Piccolo and Krillin attacked him to try and give the Tien a moment to get away, but they were beaten back. They gave me a chance to attack Nappa while he was too occupied to notic, but I was too scared. I ran and hid behind a rock instead.” He said, the level of self-loathing in his voice shocking and somewhat scaring those listening to him. “In a last ditch effort, Tien poured all the energy he had left into one final attack, his signature Ki Ko Ho, but still Nappa shrugged it off. Tien fell, having given his all to try and avenge his friend.” Gohan’s eyes were closed, so he couldn’t see the sobering sight of most of the females in the car crying, Pinkie Pie’s having somehow ‘deflated’, and leaving Spike too horrified for words. How could a five year old endure seeing so much pain and death? Fluttershy held tight to Rainbows shirt, having trouble even imagining what any of them went through, watching their friends die one by one at the hands of a monster. Flurry took Gohan’s hand in hers, gripping it as she felt his fingers wrap gently around her small hand, Twilight hugging the saiyan armor he’d given her to her chest. He was honestly happy for the support. Warrior or not, he was still just an eleven year old boy. “After that, Vegeta found out that we’d used the Dragon Balls to revive my father, so he gave us three hours and sent Nappa off to have fun elsewhere. Probably went out to kill off the rest of the military, I don’t know.” “And your dad showed up and beat them both?” Flurry said hopefully, her smiled fading as Gohan shook his head. “Three hours passed and Nappa was back on the war path. Krillin and Piccolo fought him as best they could and I did what I could, but it wasn’t enough. We only managed to make him angrier. And unfortunately it was me he wanted dead. He threw his attack and I was too scared to get out of the way, again, so, at the last second, Piccolo threw himself in front of me and took the full brunt of the blast. When I saw him die, something in me snapped, just like it did with Raditz. I hit Nappa with all I had, but it still wasn’t enough. The man was a monster. Nappa was ready to crush me under his boot when I was swept from underneath him. I was on my father’s Nimbus Cloud and in front of me was the man we’d been waiting for for so long. And to say he was nettled would have been an understatement. I’d never seen him so angry before. He took Nappa apart with no problem, leaving the saiyan elite paralyzed. Vegeta decided that a paralyzed saiyan was useless to him and killed him himself.” “You really have dealt with a lot of death in your life, huh?” Rainbow asked, the boy simply nodding his head. “More than most kids my age. More than most people in general, really.” He said, the princess by his side moving a bit closer to offer some comfort to the boy. “How could anyone be so cruel as to kill their own friend when they needed them most?” Fluttershy said, mulling over what Vegeta did. “Don’t waste your tears on the foolish, Miss Fluttershy, you’ll be crying all day.” Gohan replied. They were all shocked to hear such a cold reply from him, his expressionless face catching them further off guard. It seemed that recounting the past was starting to get to him. Gohan smiled at his friend, receiving a smile in return, before pulling his hand free and wrapping his arm gently around her shoulders. She blushed lightly and settled against him, happy for the unusual amount of warmth he exuded. “If it’s all the same to you guys, I’m kinda spent on the story telling for today. I’m sure whatever party Pinky has planned for me in Ponyville will drag more out of me there.” He said apologetically. He looked up to see Applejack giving him a soft, kind smile. “It’s fine, sugarcube. After all that, Ah’m surprised you didn’t stop earlier.” “You’ve led a very tough life, Gohan. You don’t need to drudge bad memories just to satisfy our curiosity.” Came Twilight’s response, the boy only receiving a quick hug from Fluttershy (which he was sure Master Roshi would hove loved since his head all but vanished into the woman’s cleavage with Flurry wondering if she could do that one day). Once the pegasus-blood woman released the boy, he smiled at them all. “You know, I’ve only known you guys for a few days, but I can say that you guys are some of the best friends I’ve ever had.” “Well, considering your other friends are, as you said the other day, an Asian midget and a giant green alien that constantly hits you, I’d really hope so.” Spike said, laughing as his beloved smacked his arm. Gohan laughed at this, the girls joining him. They shared a good laugh for a few seconds before the saiyan felt something pushed into his hand. He looked down to see a pastry in his hands, looking up into Pinkie’s blue eyes. She simply smiled that sweet, happy smile of hers. “I thought it might cheer you up.” The saiyan smiled broadly at the party girl, before noticing that Flurry was trying to (poorly) hide the fact that she was staring at the sweet. The boy simply chuckled, pulled the wrapper off and extended a little ki blade from his finger, before tossing the cupcake into the air. In a flash, he sliced it in half, catching both halves in the palms of his hands before offering one half to the alicorn-blood girl. She smiled almost as much as he had before taking it, thanking Gohan before going onto explain how Pinkie’s pastries were the best. Rarity smiled at the generous display of the young gentleman, suddenly getting a craving for sweets. As she was about to ask her friend if she had another to spare, Gohan’s half floated in front of her. She stared at it incredulously for a moment before looking and seeing the boy sitting in what seemed to be deep meditation, though the kind smile on his told her that he knew she was looking. “You seemed like you could have used it more than me, Miss Rarity.” Damn hormones. Rarity thought as she sniffled a bit, Spike wrapping his arm around her. “Thank you, Gohan.” she said gratefully before taking a bite of the cupcake. Gohan has eaten Pinkie’s cooking before, so he knew how good it is. And he still gave his gift to others all because they wanted some, even considering his immense appetite. He’d of made an excellent Element of Generosity. Twilight thought to herself as she watched the warrior fall deeper into his meditation. The Princess of Friendship looked out the window, smiling as she saw the Rainbow Castle coming into view. She gently shook Gohan’s shoulder, getting the boys attention. The alicorn-blood pointed out the window, the saiyan gaping at the castle. “Whoa! That castle is huge! It’s bigger than the town!” Spike chuckled. “Yeah, well, a good bit of it is the library, which is a nightmare to organize.” Gohan turned to him. “Wait, YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR OWN LIBRARY!?” He shouted happily, his dark eyes twinkling like stars as Twilight and Spike laughed. Rainbow smiled, but rolled her eyes. “Oh great, another bookworm. And here I thought there was hope for you, Gohan.” “Hey Rainbow, guess what?” “What?” “Shut up. LIBRARY!” Gohan shouted again, causing everyone in the cabin to laugh. The saiyan child was too excited to be embarrassed. He’d of made a fine Element of Laughter too. Twilight looked over her seat at her niece and her niece’s bodyguard. “Gohan, Flurry, welcome to Ponyville.” They both shook in anticipation. This was an adventure for both of them and they were going to get the most out of it they could. The two children, one a warrior who never had the chance to act his age, and the other a sheltered princess, finally have the chance to live as two children for a bit. But, evil forces move beneath the shroud of peace that covers this world. Will they’re happiness be cut short, will Gohan have to fight once more to protect his new friends? Find out next time on Crystal Vanguard! … 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 me, Gohan! Flurry Heart: And Flurry! Gohan: Holy shit, this place is massive! And this is my room?! Twilight: Happy to hear you like your accommodations Gohan… Gohan? Where’d you Go han? Spike: I think he went to the library… What was that? Rainbow Dash: There’s a manticore attacking the town and it’s cornered Rarity! Flurry Heart: Next time on Crystal Vanguard!: Spikes Defiant Roar! This is Super Saiyan Gohan! Spike: You took Big Mac away from us, I won’t let you hurt Rarity!