Equestria: Canterlot
A story book opened before the tale within was recited.
“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and their champion who defended Equestria from all threats. The champion may not have been of this world, but these three brought harmony to the land.
As the champion defended the land from threats, the elder sister used her powers to raise the sun at dawn, and the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. In time, the younger sister became resentful.
The ponies relished and played in the day the elder sister brought while they shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon and make way for dawn. The elder sister and champion tried to reason with the young mare.
In the end, the darkness in her heart transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness. Nightmare Moon. She vowed to shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister and champion harnessed the most powerful magic known to pony kind. The Elements of Harmony.
Using this magic, they banished the younger sister to the moon. Shortly after, the champion left for the stars, so the elder sister took on all responsibilities alone.” A purple unicorn with a dark purple mane and star cutie mark had been reading the book.
“Harmony has been maintained for generations since.” She touched the book. “Hm, Elements of Harmony? I know I’ve heard of those before.” She looked at the sky deep in thought. “The question is where?”
Some Time Later…
The purple pony was walking along the road when she was stopped by three other ponies. A yellow one with a blue mane, a white one with a pink mane, and a blue one with a blue and white mane. All three were carrying presents.
“There you are Twilight!” The white pony happily stated. “Moon Dancer is having a little get together in the West Castle Courtyard. You want to come?”
The ponies looked at her expectantly, but Twilight pulled back. “Oh, sorry girls, but I got a lot of studying to catch up on.” Before they could ask any questions, she was out of there. “I know I’ve heard of the Elements of Harmony.”
Twilight’s Home
Twilight burst into her tower home and hit a purple, baby dragon with green scales sending him crashing to the ground. “Spike, there you are.” The unicorn ran to her library. “Quick, find my copy of Predictions and Prophecies.” She noticed a present stuck on his tail. “What’s that?”
Spike noticed the present and removed it from his tail. “Well, it was a gift for Moon Dancer.”
A teddy bear fell out.
Twilight rolled her eyes before getting back to searching. “Oh Spike, you know we don’t have time for that.” She began desperately pulling books with her magic without finding the one she was looking for. “Come on, where is it?”
Fortunately, Spike found it. “It’s over here!”
Twilight pulled it, and by extension Spike, down. “Ah.” She took it to a podium and began flipping through the pages until finding what she was looking for. “This is it. See Mare in the Moon: Prophecy.”
“The Mare in the Moon?” Spike questioned. “That’s just an old myth like The Champion.”
“I’m not sure about The Champion, but I think the mare may be more real than we realize.” Twilight walked away from her book. “The longest day of the thousandth year is soon upon us. This means she will be free once more.” She turned to her companion. “Spike, take a letter.”
Spike pulled out some parchment and quill. “I’m ready.”
“My dearest teacher Celestia,
My continuing studies of magic have led me to the conclusion that we are on the precipice of disaster. For you see, the Mythical Mare in the Moon is Nightmare Moon. She’s about to return to Equestria and bring with her eternal darkness. Something must be done to ensure this terrible prophecy does not come to pass. I await your response.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.”
“I got it!” Spike declared.
“Great, send it.” Twilight replied.
Spike asked, “Now?”
“Of course.” Twilight replied.
“I don’t know Twilight.” Spike stated. “Princess Celestia is a little busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“That’s just it Spike.” Twilight got close to the baby dragon. “The thousandth year depicted in the legend is soon upon us, so it’s imperative that the princess is told right away.”
Spike sighed before rolling the scroll up. “Alright, you got it Twilight.” He blew fire on it sending the scroll out. “It’s on its way, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
Twilight was confident. “I’m not worried because the princess trusts me completely. In all the years she’s been my mentor, she’s never once doubted me.” Spike burped up a scroll. “See, I knew she’d want to take immediate action.”
Spike picked up the scroll and cleared his throat.
“My faithful student Twilight,
You know I value your diligence and trust you completely; however, you must stop reading those dusty, old books. There is more to a young pony’s life than studying, so I’m sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year’s location, Ponyville. That’s not all as I have an even more important task for you to complete. Make some friends.
Your dearest teacher,
Celestia.”
Twilight fell to the ground groaning.
“Come on Twilight, it won’t be that bad.” Spike looked at her. “The Princess has arranged for you to stay in a library, and it says here that Shining Armor will be there to see you off. Doesn’t that cheer you up?”
“Shining Armor will see me off?” Twilight smiled. “That is great news, but the library is absolutely perfect. I know I’m right, so I’ll speed through checking the preparations before looking into proof of Nightmare Moon’s return.”
Twilight began rushing around to pack.
Spike looked at her concerned. “When will you make friends as the princess asked?”
“She said to check on the preparations, so I’ll do my royal duty as her faithful student; however, the fate of Equestria doesn’t rely on me making friends.” She gathered Spike. “Now, let’s get going.”
Twilight then sped out of her home.
Chariot Docks
Twilight ran to the docks where she found her brother waiting for her along with two of the royal guards who were to fly her to Ponyville. Shing Armor was a white unicorn stallion with a blue mane and shield cutie mark. He wore purple armor with gold trim.
Shining armor approached her with a smile. “Twili!”
“Shining!” Twilight reciprocated.
The two hugged before pulling apart.
Shining rubbed her mane. “Look at my little sister getting such an important task from her mentor.” He smiled proudly. “It just goes to show how good a student you are. If mom and dad could be here right now, they’d he just as proud as I am.”
“I’m aware this is rather sudden.” Twilight stated. “That is why I’m glad you’re at least here to see me off. It almost makes the second task the princess gave me bearable.”
“You mean to make friends?” Shining had heard about it. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course, you would.”
“Believe it or not, having friends isn’t the waste you seem to think.” Shining smiled. “I’m not going to expect you to come back having made a friend, but could you at least try for your big brother?”
“Alright.” Twilight sighed. “I’ll try… eventually.”
“That’s my Twili.” Shining walked away. “Now, you two should get going. Your tasks are waiting.”
“Twilight, I think Shining is right.” Spike looked up. “We won’t gain any time standing here.”
“That’s right!” Twilight ran to the cart. “Come on Spike. There isn’t a moment to waste.”
Universe 7: Capsule Corp.: Age 774
Kid Buu, the greatest threat to the universe, had been defeated by the combined efforts of several heroes of this world. With the villain vanquished, the world could know peace. Currently, those heroes, their friends, and their loved ones were celebrating.
A certain party goer, a boy, had quickly lost the joy he had felt earlier as the night wore on. This child had messy and unkempt black hair, currently under a brown cap, brown eyes, and a pale complexion. He wore a yellow, long-sleeved shirt, green overalls, and a red bow tie.
He was currently looking to the sky deep in thought. All day he’s been hearing stories of his father and brother’s deeds. Granted, he grew up on these stories, but to have those same stories spoken all at once, plus what happened recently to threaten the earth, made him contemplative.
“Goten!” He heard someone calling out to him. “Hey, where you at man?” Another child, roughly a year older, had come outside. “Oh, there you are. What are you doing out here? The party is inside, and I overheard our moms saying they weren’t going to enforce a bedtime.”
This other boy had lavender hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. He wore a light green, long sleeve hoodie with short sleeved, black undershirt, blue denim shorts, and golden boots. Unlike Goten, he seemed like his usual self.
“Hey Trunks.” Goten greeted while being unusually reserved. “What’s up?”
“What’s up with you?” Trunks asked. “You just up and bailed on the party.”
“This night just has me thinking is all.” Goten sighed. “The more I thought, the more I started to feel really down on myself.”
“Oh geez.” Trunk sighed and shook his head. “Alright, let’s hear it. I can’t have my number one underling acting like this, so tell your commander what’s up.”
This was how the two’s relationship was. They were friends, but there was a hierarchy Trunk bought into more than Goten. Trunks was older and stronger. A fact he liked to flaunt. It didn’t mean they liked each other any less. It was more that this was just how things were.
Hey, after all the time they put into training together to stop the latest threat, even though they hadn’t accomplished much, had softened Trunks. Goten could tell just by his friend calling him his number one underling. Yeah, he was the only one, but Trunks never said it before.
“It just suddenly hit me that we had the chance to be heroes yet failed. Gotenks failed.” Goten stated. “Our failure kept pushing my brother, dad, and others to fight in our place. With everything said and done, I’m wondering if I’ll live up to my brother or dad.”
Trunks was shocked to hear the younger Half-Saiyan talk like this. He was usually the upbeat one, and it was only in extreme circumstance that he wasn’t. Personally, he couldn’t relate. Especially after learning more about his father.
Trunks still thought he was a hero but learning of his father’s past deeds put things into perspective. In his mind, no one was born a hero. You had to work hard to become one. That means they just had to put in the work.
“Look, we’re still young Goten.” Trunks stated. “Yeah, we failed against Majin Buu, but from what I heard, Gohan failed in his first outing before later beating another threat himself.”
“I suppose, but it feels like I’m not living up to my potential.” Goten stated. “I grew up hearing how awesome my dad was from mom, and Gohan seemed to follow in his footsteps becoming a hero in his own right.
I guess I’m wondering if I blew my chance. From what I heard, I was the youngest to achieve and quickest to learn Super Saiyan. I think all I’ve done is waste my potential. What I want now is to become a hero like my dad and brother.”
“You can be.” Trunk stated. “We just need to train.”
“I don’t doubt we could become stronger Trunks, but what could be left out there?” Goten looked back up at the stars. “Maybe Buu is the end of any real threat, and I’ve missed my shot to be like the two people I look up to most.”
“Man, he’s really gotten himself into a funk.” Trunks looked at his friend before deciding on what to do. “Wait here. I’m going to talk with my mom and see about doing something special. You’re going to love it.”
He ran off leaving Goten alone. Honestly, he didn’t like feeling this way, but the kid couldn’t ignore these emotions. They had hit him so suddenly that not even the promise of a surprise could lift his spirits.
“Dad and Gohan have proven themselves heroes.” Goten thought. “Trunks was honestly underplaying what big brother did when Vegeta was bad. Yeah, he failed to an extent, but he still had a hand in beating Trunk’s dad in the end.
Trunks and I don’t even have that to our name. Heck, even Trunks has more to show since he beat me in that tournament before Buu appeared. Am I just meant to be left behind and forgotten? I don’t want a danger like Buu, but how else can I be like dad and Gohan?”
He clenched his fist and gained a sudden burst of determination. “I have to stop thinking like this. Dad and Gohan don’t think like this, so I can’t either. If a new threat comes along, I’ll actually help.”
Goten still felt down, but that feeling was starting to alleviate as his new determination welled up within. He finally felt ready to return to the party.
Before he could leave, a distinct, commanding voice spoke up. “Stop.”
“Who’s there?” Goten looks around for the voice. “Where are you?”
Suddenly, a green portal appeared before Goten, and he could see a faint, transparent figure standing there with his arms crossed. If not for the rather serious expression on his face, the son of Goku would think this man was somehow his father or an older version of himself.
This man was tall and muscular with the same hair and eyes as Goten. That’s not to say they were entirely similar. The man was tanner, and his eyes were sterner. He had a long, thick scar running down his left cheek. A long, prehensile tail with brown fur was around his waist.
He wore a dark blue and green armor set with dark blue combat pants, red armbands with matching leg warmers, black and green boots, and a red head band around his head. This transparent figure looked like a warrior.
“W-who are you?” Goten asked.
“K-Kakarot?” The man growled at his emotions taking over for a moment. “No, I got distracted by his looks. My visions have shown me who this is. So, Goten resonated with my element, huh? That’s something I didn’t see happening, but I won’t argue.”
“Mister, who are you?” Goten asked.
“Who I am is unimportant. What you need to know is that a distant land is going to be met with dangerous times, and they won’t survive without a new champion.” The man held out his hand and a green gem appeared above it. “This is reacting to you, so you’re who they need.”
“Me?” Goten asked.
“Yeah, you.” The man stated as the portal started to become unstable. “You got to make your choice before it’s too late. Are you content to let countless die or will you act to save lives?”
“Countless will die?” Goten clenched his fist. “This is it. My chance to be a hero like dad and Gohan.” He ran into the portal. “Let’s go!”
Once Goten entered the portal, it vanished, and nearby cameras had caught everything.
Equestria: Ponyville, Day…
Once Twilight and Spike arrived in Ponyville, the pair went about doing the main task Princess Celestia assigned them. It proved to be rather trying for the unicorn. First, she met a pink earth pony who ran away for unknown reasons. Next, she tried to find a cyan pegasus.
That turned out to be irritating since she seemed more concerned with the Wonderbolts over doing her job of clearing the skies. Then, came an orange earth pony and her whole family. That led to a lot of food just because she couldn’t say no to some filly.
Afterwards, she went to town hall where she and Spike met a white unicorn designer that was way too into Canterlot. Lastly, Twilight checked on a shy, yellow pegasus who oversaw music. Even when Twilight tried to speak with her, the shy pony proved to be too timid.
That is until she noticed Spike which brought the shy pony out of her shell. As a result, Twilight had to endure them talking about the baby dragon’s life story as they walked. In the end, Twilight was tired and aggravated.
All she wanted was to study the Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon, but all she got were ponies getting in her way. Even entering the library, usually a safe space, didn’t help. Twilight tried to find a light switch; however, the pink pony from before turned it on.
She stood among practically everypony in town. When they all yelled surprise, Twilight had been shocked, but that faded into disappointment. The pink pony just continued to annoy Twilight until the student of Celestia ended up drinking hot sauce by mistake.
This was the last straw prompting the unicorn to run up to her room. Later, Spike came up to try and get Twilight involved to little success. The unicorn couldn’t exactly sleep since ponies were meant to stay awake and welcome the coming sun.
Town Hall, Latter…
Spike had come to get Twilight for the rising of the sun, and upon their arrival, the pink pony had joined them. “Isn’t this exciting!? Are you excited? I’ve never been so excited except for maybe when you arrived in town, but who can top that?”
Then, the music started drawing everyone’s attention to the stage where a tan pony stood.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts. As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration.” The mayor declared causing everypony to cheer. “In just a few minutes, our town will witness the sun rise and celebrate the longest day of the year.”
Twilight looked at the moon and saw the image of the mare vanish once four stars converged on it. “Now, it is my honor to introduce the ruler of this land. The pony who gives us the sun and moon every day. The good, wise, and kind, Princess Celestia!”
The birds sung again as Rarity moved the curtain aside only to reveal no pony.
“This can’t be good.” Twilight stated worriedly.
A dark mist started to gather on the balcony before becoming a black alicorn with stardust hair and moon cutie mark. “Oh, my beloved subjects.” Everyone looked at the alicorn. “It has been so long since I last saw your sun loving faces.”
Rainbow spoke up. “What did you do with our princess!?”
She tried to fly up, but Applejack caught her tail. “Whoa nelly.”
The alicorn chuckled. “Am I not royal enough for you? Do you not know who I am?” No one spoke up. “Does my crown no longer mean anything since I’ve been imprisoned for 1000 years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”
“I did.” Twilight declared. “You’re the mare in the moon. Nightmare Moon.”
Everypony was shocked.
“Well, somepony remembers me.” Nightmare Moon stated. “So, you must know why I’m here.”
“You’re here to… to…” Twilight gulped.
“Remember this day little ponies.” Nightmare Moon chuckled. “For it shall be your last. From this moment onward, this night shall last forever.”
At that moment, the green portal opened and Goten stepped out for all to see. He immediately felt weird. He couldn’t quite explain it, but something had changed. He still felt as strong as ever and chose not to focus on that since a real problem was before him.
“I heard what you said, and I don’t like it.” Goten stated. “You need to leave these ponies alone.”
Any normal person may have been shocked to see multi-colored, talking ponies, but Goten wasn’t most people. He could regularly see Namekians, fought a being made of bubble gum, and heard countless stories of weirder out there.
Currently, he just assumed this was a race of aliens that looked like ponies. Saiyans looked much like humans, so it wasn’t out of the question. As for the ponies, save Nightmare Moon, they had little to no idea what Goten was.
“Why would I heed the words of a mere child?” Nightmare Moon challenged. “You’re probably even weaker than those fowls in the armor.”
“With how weird everything currently feels, it’s hard to sense those around me. Even if she is stronger, dad and Gohan wouldn’t back down.” Goten stepped forward with a firm expression. “I don’t care how you see me. My name is Goten, and I won’t let you harm anyone.”
“Aren’t you brave?” Nightmare Moon mocked. “Let us see if your actions can speak half as well as your words.”
The alicorn began charging a magic blast to her horn which she leveled at Goten. She’d wipe this familiar looking spec away like he was nothing. With his demise, the others would surely fall in line with her wishes. The ponies recognized this and tried to warn Goten.
“You need to get out of there!”
“Dodge her or you’ll die!”
“Don’t risk your life for us!”
Goten merely put his hands up and prepared to block the blast. Said blast soon fired and hit the child while destroying the area around him. This kicked up dust and debris which obscured the Half-Saiyan from view.
Everyone watched on in horror as they assumed the boy was no more. Nightmare Moon laughed causing some ponies to feel anger while others were saddened that this brave child’s life had been ended on their behalf.
“This is what happens when you question my rule!” Nightmare Moon declared. “You could be a foal, mare, or stallion, yet it would not matter. If you defy me, there shall be no mercy.”
“Oh man, I didn’t think you’d be strong enough to ruin my outfit.” Everypony turned to where Goten had been standing. “My mom’s not going to like this one bit.”
The dust cleared to reveal Goten who was alive. That said, he did have minor signs of battle damage, and the top part of his outfit was gone. Currently, the kid was using what remained of the upper fabric to tie up what remained of his overalls as not to go naked.
“Looks like I underestimated you child.” Nightmare Moon declared. “Rest assured; it will not happen again.”
The alicorn’s eyes glowed and lighting shot down at him. This time, Goten was on guard and swiftly moved around the room avoiding the magic lighting. Eventually, Nightmare Moon took to the air before diving at the child intent on impaling him.
Goten stood his ground and grabbed the horn with both hands managing to hold his ground. He had to admit that this pony was stronger than she looked. She even beat her wings more furiously hoping to come closer to impaling him.
Before Goten could figure out how long he could hold her, he decided it was best to throw her into a nearby wall which cracked upon impact. Nightmare Moon slid down to the floor feeling pain. It wasn’t anything major, but it was something she hadn’t felt in ages.
“You’re tougher than I thought you’d be, but I’m starting to get bored.” Goten commented. “Please, don’t tell me this is all you got.”
Nightmare Moon stood up clearly angry over this mere child insulting her. She rushed Goten again and prepared another magical attack with a bit more power behind it. This time, Goten wasn’t about to wait as he charged to meet her preparing an attack of his own.
“Get ready because this is something my great grandfather came up with. Janken!” Goten balled his fist. “Rock!” He punched the mare in the face knocking her back. “Paper!” He slammed his palm into the mare’s chest. “Scissor!” He jabbed two fingers in Nightmare Moon’s eyes.”
Each consecutive attack managed to push the alicorn back, and after the initial ‘Rock’, the magic she’d intended to use dissipated. The final ‘Scissor’ had knocked Nightmare Moon into the stage destroying it. Needlessly to say, everypony was shocked that he was managing to fight her.
“Who are you child?” Nightmare Moon recovered and stared at him. “What are you?”
“I already told you my name is Goten.” Goten declared. “I am a Half-Saiyan.”
There was one word that caught Nightmare Moon’s attention. “Saiyan… Spikey black hair… It can’t be. Bardock! How is he alive after 1,000 years? He said he wasn’t long lived like Celestia and I. Even then, he wasn’t this young.”
“Hello!” Goten called out. “We’re in the middle of a fight, remember?”
“You have given me new information to process child.” Nightmare Moon turned into blue mist and jetted off into the night through a window. “I will be making a tactical retreat for now.”
“Hey!” Goten ran to the window. “We’re not…” The Half Saiyan noticed the lavender unicorn. Twilight, running down the road. “She seems intent on something, so maybe she knows about this Nightmare Moon. If Gohan taught me anything, it’s that knowledge is valuable.”
Goten was starting to acclimate to this world making it easier to sense powers, but he was hesitant to call it Ki since it didn’t feel like it. Regardless, he could feel the townspeople walking up to him. The five ponies Twilight had met were at the front of the people.
“Hello there pardner.” The orange one with a cowboy hat spoke. “We were wonderin’ if you wouldn’t mind talking to us?”
“Oh, sure.” Goten stated.
The Half-Saiyan had nothing against the townsfolk. He obviously hadn’t been there from the beginning, but he had heard and seen enough. That Nightmare Moon was the villain. He began taking note of the five ponies which stood ahead of the other townsfolk.
The orange one with the hat had a yellow mane and apples printed on her flank. Then, there was a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane. She didn’t seem happy and had a rainbow with a lightning bolt on her flank. Next, there was a pink pony with a poufy mane, and balloons on her flank.
There was also a yellow pegasus with a dark pink mane, wings, and butterflies on her flank. She seemed cautious and hid behind the cyan one. Lastly, there was a white unicorn with a purple mane. Everypony seemed to be staring at him without saying anything.
Goten decided to speak up. “So, you probably heard it a couple of time during my fight, but my name is Goten.”
Everypony looked at each other before the orange one spoke up. “Ma’ name’s Applejack, and these are some friends of mine.”
The pink one started bouncing around Goten excitedly. “My name is Pinkie Pie, and I think that was awesome how you beat Nightmare Moon!”
“My name is Rainbow Dash.” The cyan one declared with a competitive tone. “I’m the fastest flyer in the world.”
“My name is Rarity.” The white one was staring at what remained of his clothes. “Darling, please let me get you some new clothes. What you were wearing simply clashed in my opinion. Now, you don’t even have that.”
“I wouldn’t mind some new clothes, but perhaps we should save it for later. After all, Nightmare Moon still needs to be dealt with.” Goten then looked at the yellow pegasus. “That said, I don’t think you’ve said who you are yet.”
“I-I’m…” The yellow pegasus looked at the ground. “…Fluttershy.”
“As nice as it is to meet you five, I really should get going.” Goten let his Ki flow causing it to appear around him as a white aura. “Maybe we’ll see each other later.”
The Half-Saiyan then rocketed out the window.
“He can fly to!” Rainbow shouted.
Once Goten was gone, everypony began to internalize the past few minutes. This led to them remembering Nightmare Moon causing all hell to break loose. Almost everypony panicked, ran around, and yell in terror.
Goten was really starting to get back his Ki Sense; however, he still couldn’t sense Nightmare Moon. He decided to instead stick with the idea of going after the lavender pony. She ran with purpose, so she must know something, right?
Golden Oak Library
Spike was being put to bed, but he tried to resist. “We got to stop Nightmare!”
Ultimately, it was too hard for the baby dragon, and he was soon fast asleep.
“You’ve been up all-night Spike.” Twilight tucked him in. “You are a baby dragon after all.”
The unicorn then went downstairs. Honestly, she was shocked that someone resembling the champion existed. It made her rethink the legend, but ultimately, she couldn’t focus on that. She had to investigate the Elements of Harmony.
Then, her door was thrown open by Goten. “Sorry to barge in.” He walked in while Twilight was shocked. “Please, don’t freak out. I just want to defeat Nightmare Moon, and I’m guessing you know something. That is why I am offering my help.”
Before Twilight could reply, Rainbow was there. “I don’t like this, but the kid makes a good point.” The pegasus’ ego had been bruised, but she couldn’t deny that he had fought Nightmare Moon on their behalf. “Are you a spy?”
Applejack pulled Rainbow back by the tail as she, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy came to stand with them. “Simmer down Sally. I don’t think Twilight is a spy, but I do think Goten is onto something. Twilight knows something, don’t ya sugar cube?”
“I read The Prediction of Nightmare Moon.” Twilight stated. “Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her.” She looked out a window at the moon. “I don’t know what they are, where they are, or what they do.”
“I find that a little hard to believe.” Goten crossed his arms. “I mean, these elements are probably a way to stop her, but I think I can handle that bad pony.”
Rainbow was simmering at that remark.
“Maybe you can.” After what this kid did, Twilight wouldn’t doubt it. “Still, I’d feel better having the Elements of Harmony.”
Pinkie was looking at a book. “The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.”
Twilight rushed over and pushed her out of the way. “Where did you find it!?”
Pinkie bounced by. “It was under E!”
“Oh.” Twilight stated before getting the book. “According to this, there are six Elements of Harmony. Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty while the sixth is a mystery. It is said the last known location of the five elements was within the Castle of the Two Sisters.
Further reading speaks of an element unique to the champion. While the six elements can function fine without it, this element can further empower the others. According to this, the sperate element is courage and was lost to time.”
“That explains what we need to do, but the Castle of the Two Sisters is within…” Applejack gulped. “…the Everfree Forest.”
“The Everfree Forest.” The other ponies stated scared.
“Why are they fearful of some forest?” Goten contemplated confused.
Pinkie happily said, “Wee, let’s go!”
“Not so fast.” Twilight stopped her as she looked at them. “Look, I appreciate you 6 wanting to help, but I’d rather do this on my own.”
“No can-do Sugar Cube.” Applejack stated. “We would never let a friend of ours go into a place like that alone. We’re sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple.”
“If you send me away, I’ll just track down Nightmare Moon myself.” Goten declared. “I can’t let her win and send you all into eternal darkness.”
With or without them, he was intent on getting his fight with Nightmare Moon. He knew she was holding back. He was to, but that was beside the point. What mattered now was overcoming this villain. Fluttershy approached and tapped his leg snapping Goten out of his thoughts.
The pegasus looked at the ground before looking at him. “When I saw you, I was terrified. Even more so after you fought Nightmare Moon. I didn’t understand, but now I know you’re not bad.” She looked at everypony. “I think, after hearing how sincere you are, we’d welcome you along.”
Everypony, except Twilight who just sighed, nodded in agreement. Some of them may still be weary of him, and Rainbow’s ego was being tested, but they seemed to want him along.
“Looks like it’s settled.” Goten nodded. “I’m with you ponies. Don’t worry about that mean horse. If she shows up, I’ll handle her.”
Unlike if anyone else said it, this wasn’t bragging. Goten had the power to compete with her. Nightmare Moon’s mist had been outside the window listening in. Given her prior experience, she had suppressed her power as not to alert Goten. With the conversation done, it flew off.
Everfree Forest, Night…
Goten walked with the six ponies through the forest. Honestly, it didn’t seem that bad.
“So, none of you have been in here before?” Twilight asked.
Her question was more directed at the ponies since Goten had arrived via a portal.
“Heavens no.” Rarity replied. “Just look at this place. It’s simply dreadful.”
“It ain’t natural.” Applejack continued. “Folks say it don’t work like the rest of Equestria.”
The blue mist entered the cliff they were on.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight questioned.
Rainbow stepped out of the shadows approaching Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Goten. The three ponies stepped back, but Goten had faced Super Buu. Rainbow couldn’t compare to that.
“Nobody knows.” Rainbow stated. “You know why?”
“Rainbow, quit it.” Applejack stated firmly.
Rainbow continued. “Because no pony who enters the forest, ever comes out!”
At that moment, the cliff they were on gave way sending everypony, except Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Goten who could fly, sliding down the cliff.
Everfree Forest
“We need to save them quickly!” Rainbow shouted.
The three flyers dove down to catch the others. Rainbow got Pinkie, Fluttershy managed to catch Rarity, and Goten got Applejack. Twilight continued to slide before managing to grab onto the cliff where she now dangled.
Goten knew he could easily get Twilight, but Applejack spoke up since she could guess what the boy was thinking. “Wait sugar cube. She’s scared. Let me talk to her and be ready to catch her.”
The Half-Saiyan had to admit she was right, and he didn’t want to further terrify the poor pony. Goten merely set Applejack down letting her slide to Twilight while he got into position.
“I got you.” Applejack declared while grabbing her hooves.
Twilight was terrified. “Applejack, what do I do?”
“You need to let go, so somepony can catch you.” Applejack stated.
Twilight didn’t quite trust in that. “Are you crazy!?”
“No, I ain’t.” Applejack declared. “What I’m telling you is the truth. Just let go, and someone will catch you. I promise.”
Twilight looked into Applejack’s eyes before taking a deep breath and letting go. She started to fall, which prompted her to scream, before Goten caught her.
“Don’t worry because I got you.” Goten stated with a smile.
Goten lowered them to the ground, and the pair rejoined the others. Nightmare Moon’s mist flowed on down the current path before hitting a menacing shadow which growled. It was too far for the group to hear, so they started walking onward.
Rainbow eventually began recounting the story of how the fliers saved the group. In this instance, she was more okay sharing the credit since she felt she’d done an equal share. It helped that Goten wasn’t the sole reason for Twilight being saved.
“…Fluttershy, Goten, and I managed to catch three of the ponies before Applejack and him came to your rescue.”
“Yes Rainbow.” Twilight was exasperated. “I was there, and I’m grateful; however…”
She was stopped as a manticore appeared in their path roaring at the group. To Goten, it reminded him a little of the dinosaurs he used to play with back home. Not in looks, but everything else seemed to match.
“That’s a manticore, and we must get past him.” Twilight stated determined.
Goten was ready to show that this wasn’t a threat. On the contrary, this was a potential playmate. Then, he noticed Fluttershy seemed rather apprehensive.
The beast lunged at Rarity who bucked it in the face. “Take that you ruffian!” The manticore roared at the unicorn. “My hair!”
She ran back.
“Wait.” Fluttershy called out softly.
Now, the Half Saiyan was getting the idea that Fluttershy knew more about this than them. Maybe this was one of her playmates, and he was angry over something causing him trouble. Either way, it seemed like Fluttershy had an idea what they should do.
Applejack suddenly jumped on its back. “Get along little doggy.”
The Manticore began bouncing around attempting to buck Applejack off. It eventually succeeded sending the mare flying. At this point, Goten decided it was worth giving Fluttershy a shot. She just needed a little help is all.
Goten took a deep breath. “Fluttershy says to wait!”
Goten could be loud when he wanted. Heck most Saiyans could especially when they powered up. The child even heard that his father and brother were prime examples when it came to their initial transformations into Super Saiyan 1 and 2. In the end, everyone stopped.
Now, Goten would have gladly beat this manticore, but if it were in trouble, that’d be a bad thing to do. His father only ever hurt animals that had bad intentions and usually helped animals with their problems. He had a feeling that’s what Fluttershy wanted to do.
Goten now looked at the pegasus in question. “Alright, the floor is all yours.”
“Oh, thank you.” Fluttershy nodded before walking up to the manticore. “Shh, it’s okay.” The manticore showed its paw which had a thorn in it. “Oh, poor baby.”
“Poor baby?” Rainbow questioned.
“Oh, he just has a thorn in his paw.” Goten stated with a smile.
“Now, this may hurt for just a second.” Fluttershy warned.
She removed the thorn causing the manticore to pick Fluttershy up and roar in her face.
Goten remained quiet while everyone else worriedly shouted, “Fluttershy!”
The manticore was purring as he licked the pegasus. She, in turn, doted on the manticore. This made everyone smile as they moved past them safely. Fluttershy soon rejoined them.
“How did you know about the thorn?” Twilight asked.
“I didn’t.” Fluttershy replied, “Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.”
Twilight thought on those words before walking on with the group. Once they were gone, the thorn became the mist and moved passed them possessing nearby trees. This caused things to dim as the branches moved to cover the night sky above.
“Ugh, my eyes need a rest from all this icky muck.” Rarity stated.
As if on cue, the branches obscured the sky completely.
“Wait, I stepped in something.” Applejack stated before Fluttershy screamed. “It’s just mud.”
She walked forward only to stop before a tree with a scary face. The rest of the girls, save Pinkie, screamed in terror. Again, Goten has seen scarier. Before he could speak, everyone heard Pinkie giggling.
“Pinkie, what are you doing?” Twilight questioned.
Goten laughed with her. “She’s fighting the fear using her own method.”
“Exactly.” Pinkie shook her head. “Don’t you see?”
Pinkie Pie: When I was a little filly and the sun was going down...
Twilight Sparkle: Tell me she's not...
Pinkie Pie: The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown...
Rarity: She is.
[Pinkie Pie]
I'd hide under my pillow
From what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way
To deal with fears at all
Rainbow Dash: Then what is?
[Pinkie Pie]
She said, "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears
You'll see that they can't hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear."
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Goten: I think it works.
[Pinkie Pie]
So, giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky
And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...
Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!
Pinkie’s song genuinely made everyone laugh together.
Later…
Goten and the six ponies had to stop before a raging river.
“How are we going to cross this?” Pinkie questioned.
Before Goten could voice his idea of the fliers just helping everyone across, they heard crying. The group followed it to a large, long, and purple sea serpent with orange hair and half a mustache.
“What a world? What a world!?” The serpent declared mournfully.
“Excuse me sir, but why are you crying?” Twilight questioned.
“I was just here, minding my own business, when a tacky cloud of smoke whizzed past me tearing half my beautiful moustache off.” The serpent explained. “Now, I look simply horrid.”
The serpent fell into the water splashing the group.
“Give me a break.” Rainbow groaned.
Applejack asked, “That’s what all this fuss is about?”
“Of course, it is.” Rarity stepped forward. “How can you be so insensitive?” She approached the serpent. “Oh, just look at him. Such lovely scales, expertly quaffed mane, and that fabulous manicure. Ah, the whole thing is just ruined by the loss of his moustache.”
“It’s true!” The serpent shouted in distress. “I was once fabulous, but now I’m hideous.”
Rarity took one of the serpent’s scales and used it to cut her tail off before using magic to place it as the missing half of his moustache. “There, now you look smashing.”
“Oh, it is perfect!” The serpent declared.
“Rarity, you’re beautiful tail.” Twilight stated shocked.
Rarity turned to her. “Oh, it’ll grow back, and short tails are in this season.”
Rainbow whispered to Goten. “So would the moustache.”
“It does seem silly.” Goten agreed.
Twilight noticed that the water had stopped. “Alright, we can now cross to the other side.”
She started to cross, but before she made it to the other side, the serpent used his body as steppingstones allowing everyone across. The group jumped from each part of the body until they made it to the other side. After a little more walking, they could see the castle.
“There’s the ruins of the Two Sister’s Castle.” Twilight stated.
The student rushed off, followed by everyone, until she almost went over the edge because the rope bridge was gone. Goten rushed forward and pulled her back to safety by her tail.
“That was close.” Goten stated. “You seem really drawn to falling off cliffs or something.”
Pinkie sighed. “Oh, now what do we do?”
“We could just fly everyone across.” Goten offered.
It was a good idea, but Rainbow saw a decent alternative. Not to mention, it would be slightly faster all things considered. If they went with Goren’s idea, it was unlikely Fluttershy could carry one of the non-fliers over this gap. That meant wasting time flying from one side to the other.
“That may not be for the best.” Rainbow noticed that the bridge had fallen on their side of the cliff. “I got the perfect, safe way for all of us to cross. Just wait here.”
Goten merely shrugged. Yeah, he could do it himself, but his father didn’t do everything. Sure, he ended up saving the day, but he still gave others the chance to be a hero. Goten figured he should do the same. Rainbow flew on down and got the bridge before taking it to the other side.
She was just about to tie it in place before an alluring voice spoke. “Rainbow…”
“Who’s there?” Rainbow looked around. “Who said that? I’m not scared of you. Show yourself.”
“We’ve been waiting for you. The best flier in all of Equestria.” She turned to the fog as the voice continued to speak. “You are even stronger than the Half-Saiyan to boot.”
“Really?” Rainbow liked the sound of that, so she nodded. “Yeah, I totally knew that. Say, you wouldn’t mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would ya? I’ve been trying to get in with them forever.”
“No Rainbow, we want you to join us.” Three figures dressed in purple attire ran out of the fog. “The Shadowbolts. We’re the greatest team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in Equestria. First, we need a captain. You.”
“Yeah!” Rainbow’s eyes shone brightly. “Sign me up.” She walked over to the bridge. “Just let me tie this, and we’ll have a deal.”
“No!” One of the Shadowbolts got in her way. “It’s either them or us.” The fog became thick to make certain the others wouldn’t get involved. “Just think about it. Join us, and you can face that naked ape back there. We know you don’t like him, so this sounds like the perfect opportunity.”
“Whoever said I didn’t like Goten?” Rainbow questioned to the shock of the Shadowbolts. “I’ll admit that his strength really gets on my nerves, but he’s helped us. I may have wanted to fight Nightmare Moon, but he did it to protect ponies he’s never met.
Then, he joined us to stop that same alicorn even though it didn’t concern him. The kid’s got guts. I want to beat him but abandoning them isn’t the way. So, I must refuse your offer, but I would like to thank you for the consideration.”
Rainbow tied off the bridge and flew back to her friends.
“Good job Rainbow.” Twilight declared.
The group had started to cross.
“See, I never leave my friends hanging.” Rainbow stated.
The group came to stand before a huge castle. Goten was staring at the building intensely since he could now sense Nightmare Moon in there. In fact, her power was only able to be sensed now, so the Half-Saiyan was certain the alicorn was calling him out.
“Nightmare Moon is beckoning me to her.” Goten declared. “I got to face her.”
“Darling, I think you should reconsider.” Rarity stated worriedly. “You may have held your ground earlier, but I’m fairly certain the Elements of Harmony are what we need. Would it not be better to get them before confronting her?”
“I already told you that I’d face her whether it be with or without you.” Goten declared. “This isn’t up for debate. I need to know where I stand against her.”
Fluttershy had been intimidated by the Half-Saiyan at first, but this journey into the forest, as well as his earlier fight with Nightmare Moon, told her who Goten was. He wasn’t a monster. This was a brave child, but a child nonetheless which worried her immensely.
“Please see reason Goten?” Applejack begged. “This isn’t your average tousle. Nightmare Moon means business, and she’ll end you the first chance…”
“I know!” Goten exclaimed. “You seem to forget that I was in that earlier fight!”
His voice silenced the group. The young Half-Saiyan clenched his fist firmly and looked at the castle. He knew he was young and that those around him saw it that way. The problem is, he couldn’t be seen that way if he wanted to stand alongside his idols.
“Please understand.” Goten implored. “I need to do this. Have faith in me, and I won’t let you down.”
“Girls, let him go.” Twilight stated. “We all saw how capable he is as a fighter. He can keep Nightmare Moon distracted while we get the elements and figure out how they work.” She nodded. “Go.”
Goten smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
He rocketed into the castle heading straight for Nightmare Moon. The others were uncertain about this, but they decided not to raise a fuss. They certainly would have with anypony else, but Goten was different. That didn’t stop Rainbow from attempting to join the fray.
“Whoa girl, you aren’t going anywhere near that.” Applejack lassoed Rainbow and dragged her along as the ponies entered the castle. “It’s best to let Goten handle distracting her.”
“This isn’t fair!” Rainbow complained while attempting to struggle free. “I should be allowed into the fray!”
“No!” The other ponies declared.