"Apple Bloom!"
The hoof stopped mid punch, hovering just an inch away from Daiko's. In hindsight he should not have been worried, but by reflex he expected it to hurt a lot. When the voice called out the filly's name, the hoof stopped, but the filly kept looking at him for a few seconds. Only when the voice came closer and called again did she react.
"Apple Bloom! What in tarnation are y'all doin'?" Both Daiko and Apple Bloom turned their heads to face whoever had spoken. They were faced with an older looking mare, she was thin and wrinkly, but her glare was one of authority. "Get off that colt, young lady!"
With just the tiniest amount of hesitation, Apple Bloom did what the older mare asked and got off the young Saiyan. Daiko stood up, dusting himself off as the older mare approached. "I'm terribly sorry about that, young fella. Apple Bloom is usually a very well behaved young filly."
"Uhm, sure, no problem." Daiko replied, still a little taken aback by the aggression of the filly.
The older mare nodded, then looked at the filly in question. "Apple Bloom, what are you thinking of jumping on some young fella like that? Apologize."
The foal made a face of anguish. "But, but Granny, I-"
"Now," Granny repeated sternly.
Apple Bloom glared at Daiko, looking like she was on the verge of crying. Before any tears could show themselves, she spun around, and ran for the orchard. "Apple Bloom!" Her friends called out, clearly concerned, but the filly was gone. Not wanting to leave their friend alone and upset, the two remaining fillies took off after her.
They watched them vanish in the orchard, and the older mare let out a sigh. "I'm mighty sorry, but she's been very emotional lately."
The mare turned, looking over Daiko, as if inspecting him. They were about the same height, though the mare was a little taller, which was something Daiko had noticed. Most ponies were just a little taller than him, while the princesses were as tall as a full grown human. He was a head taller than the foals though.
"So, you're that fella from space?" She suddenly said, tilting her head. "Hard to imagine a little colt like you could be that giant monkey monster from last week." Daiko's eyes widened a little, surprised that she knew. The mare however, just chuckled. "No sense in hiding anything from old Granny Smith, besides, Aj already told me about you."
"Oh, uhm.." Daiko felt his cheeks flush red. "I had hoped that would be a secret.."
Granny just chuckled, then sent him a warm smile. "It's hard to keep something like that a secret in this town. Ponies are gonna figure it out." Reaching down, she poked his armor with her hoof. "And that fancy space armor isn't going to help either."
Daiko looked down, then back up at her. "But I don't have anything else.."
"Fiddlesticks! Applejack is friends with that fancy mare that makes clothes. Rarity is her name, have you met her?" Daiko nodded, and so the mare continued. "I'm sure she would help you if you asked her. Otherwise, get your guardian to help you out. Your guardian is Fluttershy, right?" Daiko nodded again, and Granny smiled satisfied. "Good heart that one. Go ask her, she will help you out."
"Uhm, yeah, I guess you're right.." Daiko admitted, looking down at himself again. Did he look intimidating? If he did, then it certainly would be harder to make any good impression on the ponies. He thought his armor looked cool, but if he was going to play the part of a Saiyan warrior changing his ways, then a new set of clothing might seem appropriate.
"Now," continued Granny. "What can I help you with?"
Daiko perked up, having completely forgotten about the whole reason he showed up in the first place. "Oh, Fluttershy asked me to go get some apples."
"Well you come to the right place then! We got plenty of apples. Let me fix ya right up."
Soon enough Daiko stood with a basket full of delicious looking apples. When he asked the old mare if he needed to pay, she said they were on her, welcoming him to Ponyville. Daiko smiled, thanking her, and then he took off. Leaping into the air, he let his Ki lift him high above the apple trees, and soon out of the mare's view.
He didn't get very far over the orchard before his scouter gave off a sound, he looked, and found it indicating there was a lifeform down there. The power level was not very high, so Daiko concluded it wasn't the big red stallion, or Applejack. Likely it was one of the foals that ambushed him. A part of him was still annoyed, though when he thought back on the look Apple Bloom gave him, he couldn't help but feel bad.
What could he have done to make her hate him so much? No ponies were wounded or killed, and it wasn't like whatever had been destroyed could not be rebuilt. Daiko stopped in mid air, floating there for a few moments before curiosity overtook him. He made his way down to the ground and soon enough spotted the little filly.
She was sitting by herself, her head low, and the tears slowly moving down her cheeks. Daiko couldn't help but feel bad, even though he didn't know what he had done. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he saw her ears suddenly shoot up, swirling towards his position before she herself turned to face him.
When she did, her face turned away again, trying to hide her tears. "Go away!" She yelled at him, her voice sounding like she was trying to sound more tough than she was. He could still hear the sobs and sniffles in her voice, and so Daiko found it hard to stay mad at her.
Daiko put down the basket of apples, picked two of them, and made his way over. Her ears were still turned towards him, but she didn't look at him, and neither did she run. Once the former human came over to the tree trunk she was sitting in front, he planted himself on top of it.
He didn't speak, instead he led one of the shiny red apples to his mouth, and took a big bite. The sound was unmistakable, and Daiko couldn't help but notice how the filly's ears twitched when she heard it. The juicy apple was delicious, and Daiko couldn't help but let out a satisfied hum as he chewed. "Mmmhmmm!"
The filly still didn't look at him, and she still refused to move. Again, Daiko took another bite, making it loud and slow, making sure she heard all the details. Her ears twitched, and he was sure he saw some annoyance in her face, even if she didn't look at him.
This continued for two more bites, until the filly finally had enough, turned towards him with a frustrated expression. "Will you cut that out?!"
Daiko looked at her for a few seconds in silence. Then he swallowed, smirking a little. "Want the other?" He offered, holding up the second apple he brought. Apple Bloom however, shook her head, looking more angry than sad now.
"No, I want you off my family's orchard!" She scowled, then suddenly gestured to the tree. "And off this tree!"
Daiko didn't answer, he just shrugged, and started to eat the second apple. He wasn't here to annoy her, but instead find out what was up with her. If she was angry, then perhaps she had a chance of letting off some steam. He hadn't been ready for her last time, but he was now.
For maybe a minute he didn't speak, just took his time as he ate. When he noticed she was about to gear up for another volley of protests, he spoke up, cutting her off just in time. "I don't have a clue why you're so angry with me, but.." He swallowed some of the apple, then tossed it aside. "If you really want to have a go at me." His eyes turned to look at hers. "Then I'll give you the chance."
Apple Bloom seemed taken aback, almost like she wasn't sure about what he'd just said. "W-what?"
To be fair, Daiko wasn't sure he heard right himself. For a moment, the idea in his mind had seemed so logical, so natural. She was angry with him, she had wanted to punch him, so why not give her the chance to vent? Though now that he actually thought about it, he would have never suggested such a thing back in his own world. Was this his saiyan side? Or had he just become cocky with his new powers? Maybe deep inside it was an excuse to test himself? No, that last part wasn't true.
Still, now that he had said it, he might as well go through with it. "I'll make a deal with you. If you win this match, then you don't have to worry about seeing me on the farm or the orchard ever again." While she still didn't look too comfortable with the idea of fighting an alien, Daiko could still see a hint of interest. "Tough if I win, then you have to tell me why you hate me so much. Deal?"
The filly looked unsure. A part of her would probably love the chance to give him a black eye. "But.. It's not nice to fight.."
Daiko had to bite his lower lip in order not to let out a laugh. Not because he wanted to mock her, but considering the ambush before, he was pretty sure that excuse was out the window. Then again, he remembered the older mare who had stopped Apple Bloom from punching him. Clearly this filly had a lot of respect for her, and the mare's words were likely the law of the land on this farm.
Daiko smiled, jumped off the tree and landed beside her. "Don't worry." He said, winking at her. "It won't be a real fight, but more like.. A sparring match."
" A sparring match?"
"Yup, just a friendly match between friends."
Apple Bloom glared at him. "We're not friends!"
Daiko shrugged, walking about ten meters away from her before stopping and turning. "Alright, but only if you win." Of course he was just goading her into the fight, and from the look she gave him, it worked.
"You're on, mister! But you better keep ya promise!"
Daiko smirked, got himself into a stance, and nodded. "I'll always keep my promises."
Apple Bloom didn't take a stance, not that Daiko had expected her to. Instead, she seemed to move back a little, as if ready to leap forward.
For a few moments they just stared each other down, both of them preparing themselves mentally for the battle between two children. Then, without warning, Apple Bloom leaped forward, charging towards him faster than he had expected from someone like her.
Daiko stood his ground, letting her use up energy in running towards him. As soon as she came close enough, she tried to land a punch, and he could tell she wasn't holding anything back. Apparently his goading had more than done the trick.
Guiding his hand up, he blocked the punch with ease. The filly tried again, but just like before, Daiko blocked her attack. Frustrated that her two attacks had failed, she stepped up her game. With surprising effectiveness, she started a barrage of kicks and punches.
Her attacks were fast, and did not lack power. Daiko was actually surprised, as he soon found himself at the defense. Not that he had planned on attacking her, but she was a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. He kept dodging and blocking, letting her tire herself out.
A part of him found this to be exciting, the thrill of the fight, even if it wasn't a serious one. At times, Daiko found himself wanting to retaliate, but kept himself from doing so. A smirk however crept onto his face, and as soon as he gained some distance of about two meters, he said. "Nice try, but how about you just give up if you aren't going to put in the effort? Or is it because you're a girl?"
Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed, and he charged forward, raising a hoof to punch him with. Daiko got ready for another block, but at the last second before the supposed attack, the filly stopped, using the momentum to spin, and kick him in the stomach.
"Aoufh!" The armor absorbed most of the damage, but Daiko still lost his balance and fell.
Apple Bloom was on him like a wild animal, trying to get as many good punches as she could. Though at this time, the filly's strength seemed to fail her. She was panting hard, and her punches seemed to be lacking in actual power. She did manage to land one on his right eye, missing his scouter.
The rest of her punches became more tired, and less effective. He felt her hitting his chest over, and over again, but none of them had their intended effect. The more exhausted she got, the more tears appeared in her eyes. Her anger was fading, and he could tell she was losing her will to fight.
Before she gave up, he placed a hand under her, then lifted her up into the air. She let out a yelp, but he didn't throw her or anything. Instead he just held her above him as he stood up to his full height. Her four legs moved around in desperation, but she had no real energy to resist anything he did.
Daiko looked up at her, smiling at her. "You know I could end the fight quite easily now, right?" She didn't answer him, but just gave off a slight nod as she hung her head. Despite the very one sided fight, Daiko wasn't about to mock her for the effort she put in. Instead, he just gently put her down on the ground, making sure to be careful so she did not fall. He smiled at her. "How about we call it a draw?"
Sitting herself down, she let out long breaths, trying to catch her breath. She looked up at him, not seeming satisfied with the result, but she wasn't in any shape to continue the fight. Daiko chuckled, walking over to the basket, pulled out two apples, and tossed one of them to Apple Bloom.
She caught it, looked at it, then at him with a confused expression. "You earned it." Daiko said, smiling. "You're pretty strong, for a filly." She still looked annoyed, but Daiko could swear he saw a faint blush. Reluctantly, she took a bite of the apple.
Daiko did the same, smiling as he once again felt the sweet taste of the apple assault his senses. He heard a giggle, and looking over, he saw Apple Bloom trying to hide it with her hoof, as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have.
"What's so funny?" Daiko asked, smirking a little.
"Nothing!" Apple Bloom insisted. "It's just.. You look like you enjoyed it.."
"What? The apple?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "You like apples..?"
Daiko chuckled. "Best fruit there is. I ate all kinds back in the Everfree, but nothing ever came close to the apples."
The filly eyed him. "You stole from us?"
Daiko just shrugged. "I guess you can call it that, though at the time I was still new to this planet. I didn't know if it was safe to even talk to you. So I decided to keep hidden, well.. Until you saw me that night." He turned his head, looking into Apple Bloom's eyes.
He couldn't read her expression, she didn't look angry, she didn't look sad, more neutral if anything. "My sister said you couldn't help it.. The big monkey thing."
"I couldn't.. It takes a lot of training to be able to maintain control when we transform into our Oozaru form. If you can't do it, you're only acting as an animal, an aggressive animal. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt.." Daiko sighed, looking forward towards the fallen tree. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry.."
While he didn't look at her, he could feel Apple Bloom's eyes on him. She was examining him, as if trying to trace any hint of lying, or danger. When she found, or didn't find, whatever she was looking for, he heard her let out a sigh. "I'm sorry too.. I was just angry because you destroyed something of mine.. Something that meant a lot to me and my friends."
He looked at her again. "What did I destroy?"
Their eyes met for a moment, and then she stood up. She didn't speak, but instead started to trot towards the large apple tree that had been broken and ruined. Daiko didn't ask anything, he just followed her. She took him up to the crown of the tree, ruined apples still hung from some of the branches, others were mashed on the ground itself.
Walking closer, Daiko began to see planks hidden beneath the branches. Apple Bloom pushed some of the branches aside, that way he could better see what exactly he was looking at. There were more planks, painted planks, some drawings, and other small stuff scattered around. Then Daiko understood.
"A treehouse?" He looked at her, not sure if he got the larger point she was trying to make.
Apple Bloom just nodded. "Me and my friends worked on the treehouse for an entire summer.. It is our clubhouse, it is where we plan out our crusading.. Where we hang out.."
Daiko got the point, it wasn't what they were using it for, it was just something special to her. A place filled with joyful memories, and he had destroyed it. Letting out a sigh, he turned to her with a small hopeful smile. "Well.. Unless you want me to stay away.. Perhaps I could make it up to you and your friends?"
She looked back at him, again with this puzzled expression of hers. It made her look cute, though he wouldn't say that out loud. "How..?"
"I could help build a new one?"
At first she looked confused, then unsure. "You.. You would do that..?"
He shrugged, turning towards the basket of apples, and started walking. "Seems fair, I ruined your old clubhouse, so I'll help you build a new one." Picking up the basket with both hands, he turned towards her with a questioning look. "If you don't mind?"
Apple Bloom seemed to consider, for a few moments she tapped her chin with her hoof. Then she looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "Alright, you can help out build a new one."
"Great!" Daiko grinned, then slowly moved up into the air. "I'll see you tomorrow then!" And with that, he was off towards Fluttershy's cottage.
Fluttershy let out a sigh, looking at the little snow white bunny. "Now angel, you promise to be good when Daiko comes back?" The little bunny scowled, but after receiving one back, he nodded. Fluttershy smiled, seeming satisfied with that answer. "Good! I just know you two will become friends!"
The front door opened, and Fluttershy turned towards it with a big smile. "I'm back!" Daiko called.
Fluttershy made her way out of the kitchen. "Welcome home, Daiko. I hope you-Daiko! Oh my gosh! What happened to your eye?!"
"Hm?" Daiko looked at her, then turned his head towards a small mirror. His right eye was all blue, probably from the punch Apple Bloom managed to deliver. It didn't hurt, and it wasn't bad. He couldn't help but grin slightly. Turning his head towards Fluttershy, he smiled widely, and said. "I think I made a new friend!"