//------------------------------// // Diserex Appears! Part 1 // Story: Crystal Vanguard // by Benkei Urahara //------------------------------// Diserex smirked and crossed his arms. “My, oh, my, I didn’t think I warranted such a diverse welcoming committee.” His gaze shifted to Piccolo who took his stance. “Piccolo Jr., the son of the former Demon King.” He then looked to Trunks. “And Trunks Briefs, Vegeta’s estranged bastard.” He chuckled lightly as they both looked shocked that he knew such crucial details about them both. “We’ve never been here, so how the hell do you know us?!” Trunks asked as Chitin fell into her brothers' arms, who unceremoniously slung her over his shoulder. “Simple, ‘Princess’ Trunks. I am a soldier and information is one of the many weapons in my repertoire. After my first bout with Gohan there, I decided to do a bit of research.” Diserex vanished as a Makankozappo beam shot through the space he had been in. The general reappeared, looking up to see Piccolo above him, ready to strike. Diserex dropped his sister, the teen being caught by some of her soldiers as the changeling warrior stopped the nameks attack with his hand. “Oh? You are quite strong. It seems my info on you was a bit outdated.” “There’s only so much you can learn through others. Allow me to demonstrate what I can really do!” Piccolo roared, kicking the changeling back before starting a highspeed brawl with the general. Trunks was focused on keeping the changelings back with the help of Spike as Twilight and Armor got to work helping the kids. Flurry woke after a few seconds, but Gohan made no moves to get up. A multicolored streak flashed from the sky, sending several of the changelings flying back. Rainbow Dash landed in front of her friends, dispatching a few more of the soldiers before Trunks blasted a few more away. Two bursts of magic got their attentions however, the two siblings looking up, and their pupils all but shrinking. Piccolo roared as he and Diserex slammed their foreheads against each other, bolts of energy traveling between them. “Your power, it’s much higher than my research said! Oh, how happy a miscalculation that was!” Piccolo growled before kicking the changeling away. “Guess you didn’t see when I fused with Kami, huh?” The namek smirked before snap vanishing behind Diserex. “Kami?!” “It means God.” Diserex turned to the namekian, finding his green enemy in a crouching position and a highly condensed ball of energy forming in between his hands. “Now bow. LIGHT GRENADE!” He threw his hands forward, loosing the blast into Diserex’s chest. Light filled the area as a deafening explosion tore the area apart. The blast could be seen from Cloudsdale, miles from its epicenter, as it covered the area for literal miles in every direction in brilliant light. Discord looked down at the land below in horror. The clashing energies he was feeling down there were… monstrous to say the least. 'And now those two are involved. This is getting bad.' Discord had been convinced by his wife and mother-in-law to stay in Cloudsdale for a couple of months as her mother took a cruise for her birthday. Now, the Spirit of Chaos was really wishing he was home to help his friends. “Discord?” The god-like being turned to his beloved, who nearly fell over as the shockwaves of the blast finally reached them. Discord caught her, worry on his face. He normally tried to keep a light hearted approach to life, but now… “It’s getting bad down there, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked, cuddling close to Discord as their children ran to them. Discord adopted a scowl as he looked down. Then, he smiled a bit. “It’s getting a bit chaotic, but they can handle it. They’re strong.” He knelt in front of his children. “Who wants to play tag with Dad?” Screwball, her twin, Songbird, Entropy, and his twin, Pandemonium, all raised their hands, squealing as Discord growled and began chasing them. Fluttershy smiled as she watched her family, but her smile faded as she looked down at the area her home was in. 'Twilight… I hope you’re all okay.' Piccolo pant lightly as he stared at the cloud of smoke in front, not at all shocked to see Diserex with a barrier around his body. “Impressive, Namekian. But, all together fruitless. Besides, I’m not here to fight. Not yet, at least.” “Then what are you here for?” Piccolo asked. The namek wasn’t near as tired as he made himself out to be and the changeling knew it, but he didn’t press it. “Simple. Chitin was here to drain Gohan of his energy so that he’d be more… complacent.” Diserex said with a mirthless chuckle. If anything, his voice dropped a bit, as if he didn’t like the idea. “Complacent? For what?” Then it clicked it Piccolo’s head. “Your mission wasn’t to kill or fight Gohan. You’re here to kidnap him!” Diserex nodded slowly, seemingly so confident in his plans that telling his enemy would make no difference. “Why?!” “You don’t need to know that, just that he will serve a much greater purpose in the hands of Queen Chrysalis than with these Equestrians.” Diserex spat before raising his barrier again as Piccolo began bombarding him with shots. “You’re not taking him anywhere, changeling!” “Is that so?” Diserex smirked and retaliated by launching a blast at, not Piccolo, but Gohan and company. Trunks, Armor, and Twilight had moved from the group, with the alicorn-blood and unicorn-blood having done all they could in the way of first aid. Now the blast was headed straight for Gohan and Flurry. “NO!” Piccolo abandoned the fight to try and outrun the blast, receiving a savage punch from Diserex, his fist bending the namek over it and hitting with enough force to show on the other side. As the blast neared, two beings unveiled themselves to the warriors, erecting a barrier of impossibly powerful magic, swirling yellow and blue energies showing on it’s surface. Diserex scowled as he dropped the now unconscious Piccolo, who was caught by Trunks. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” Luna’s glare held a fury few had seen with Diserex simply meeting it with a glare of his own, though his wasn’t near as intense. “I would not have believed that you of all people would be capable of such a deplorable and dishonorable tactic, Diserex.” “History is written by the survivors, Luna.” He answered back with, freezing up as one of Celestia’s magic blasts tore straight through his barrier. “You seem to have forgotten who you are dealing with. Allow me to remind you!” The Princess of the Night materialized a large crescent moon scythe, leaping through the hole Celestia made for her. She was faster than Diserex had anticipated, the general barely able to back away in time to dodge a fatal blow, though it did still cut through his armor like it wasn’t there. 'She’s grown even stronger since the last time. But so have I.' Diserex caught the blade of her scythe, grabbing the woman by the hair at the top of her head, pulling her down into his knee. Blood shot up as Luna reeled back, the Princess of the Night sent spiraling to the ground as Diserex slammed both his feet into her chest. Celestia fired a magic bolt at Diserex, who backhanded the blast aside. “Get Gohan and Flurry out of here! Take them to where the sky meets the ocean! The people there can help!” She turned to see her friends frozen in fear. “Do as she said, now!” Piccolo roared, shoving Trunks back. “Go with them!” “But, Piccolo-“ “We’re here to take Gohan home! We can’t do that if this Diserex gets ahold of him! Go!” The namek roared, flying up into a smirking Diserex’s reach, the two starting another midair fight, Luna joining the green giant. Their fighting styles surprisingly fit together well, keeping the changeling too busy to do anything about Twilight charging a teleportation spell, taking the group with her in a flash of light and a pop. He roared, shoving the two back with nothing but his raw power. He closed the distance between him and Piccolo, impaling the Namek on his arm before using that same arm to blast Luna. The alicorn-blood screamed as the blast plowed her into the earth below, moving into the Everfree Forest before it finally exploded. “Luna!” Celestia had finally seen enough. Her power erupted as she started firing blast after blast at Diserex. The general made a move to dodge, but he underestimated how durable Piccolo was as the former king grabbed his arm, holding him in place before swinging him around into the blasts, dislodging the mans arm from his stomach. 'I’ve heard of an empty feeling, but letting him punch a hole in you was a bit much, don’t you think?' 'Kami, shut the fuck up!' The dust cleared to show a wounded Diserex. The air began to shake as Celestia launched into the air, unleashing a flurry of attacks on the changeling as Piccolo regenerated. The namek joined her, pressing the general hard before they finally broke his guard, Piccolo punching him hard in the gut and Celestia spin kicking him in the face. 'Told you it was effective.' 'The ends don’t justify the means.' The general stopped flying forward with a shout and blast of energy, turning back to his opponents, a slightly wounded Luna appearing behind him. The changeling smiled for a moment. “Seems that I’m outmatched.” “It’s over, Diserex. Give up. I’d rather not fight an old friend if I can help it.” Celestia, her weapon, a large broadsword, appearing in her hand. “Old friend?” Diserex chuckled. “Is that what you saw me as when you betrayed me? Or how about when you sealed me in a rock for over a thousand years? Was I a friend then, ‘Princess’?” The venom in his voice caught even Piccolo off guard. 'Seems as though these three have a history.' Kami observed. “You left us no choice!” Luna cried. “Just like when your own sister sealed you within the moon? Are you telling me there is no bad blood at all there? That that particular wound has healed up without leaving a scar?” Luna faltered for a moment before she regained her countenance. “But, in all honesty, I’m happy you sealed me away. It gave me time to grow. Time to understand the truth. The only true justice is power absolute. And now… I have that power in my grasp!” Diserex started building up a shout, the air and earth around and under him shaking violently. Light began to radiate off his body as his muscles began to bulge, veins popping up over them. The light turned to swirling darkness, blanketing the area around him in a thick, black fog. The three warriors watching this froze as horror passed through them. 'H-his power… it’s enormous! And it just keeps growing!' Piccolo thought. 'No, it can’t be!'Celestia cried internally. Diserex gave a final cry, dark light flooding the area with his power. The three warriors looked on in shock as the changelings transformation finished. “Piccolo?” Celestia croaked out. “Yeah?” “You feel that?” “I taste that.” He barked. “What does 'that'mean?” Luna asked. “You’re fucked.” So, there's that chapter for you guys, hope you enjoy. The second half will be done soon, I promise, just give me the benefit of the doubt.