//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: Trouble Awaits / The Art of Laughter and Fun // Story: The Legend of Broly // by I-C-U-P //------------------------------// The day was still young as the sun rose higher in the sky. The citizens of Canterlot were all out and about, having a pleasant day. But for Princess Celestia, there had been a change. Numerous ponies all questioned her about the alien invasions that had been happening lately. But sadly, she had no explanations about where they came from. Or if there would be a next attack. But for the most part, the questions she was given was about Broly. While she was fine with explaining it to them, such as the identity of his species, but the troublesome part was that so many questions were thrown at her all at once. Making the explanations all the trickier. Fortunately, the constant questions were put on halt when she left the throne room to take a breath of fresh air. Once in a while, she was glad to be surrounded in silence. As she walked through the corridor, she began to think back to those questions the ponies were asking her. She began to recall hearing a certain question amongst the rabble. The question of… how she met him. The white Alicorn felt unnerved from hearing the question. Fortunately, it was one of many questions that she couldn’t answer in time. Especially when other ponies kept on talking over each other. But what if that pony was the only one in the room with her? What then? She knew that she couldn’t tell the truth of what happened. That Broly tried to kill her and Luna in their first meeting. The crowd would end up being terrified of him. An act that would very likely provoke him. Which would end very badly for them if he surrendered to his anger again. Whole cities would be wiped off the face of the world before she could even get the Elements of Harmony. The only option she would have was to actively lie to them. But being a bearer of the elements herself, it would be a difficult task. Furthermore, she would feel morally wrong in doing so. It would be deceiving her own people. But if it should come down to risking her world or lying to her people, she would have to pick the latter. She would hate to lie, but it was better than having her home destroyed. But the grim thought only lasted for a moment. Broly going rouge might actually be less apparent than one would think. She smiled as she began to think back. She had read Twilight’s letters. As she walked towards a balcony, she was greeted by her younger sister. Whom she assumed was also trying to avoid the crowd. As Luna looked at her, she saw the warm smile on her face. “Hello sister. You seem cheery today.” Celestia began to reveal to Luna what she had learned. “I have a very good reason. Twilight had sent me a letter about Broly. He’s already gaining a grasp of friendship far quicker than expected.” Despite retaining distain for the Saiyan, the blue anthro Alicorn breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. Seems your idea is working.” Celestia’s smile grew bigger from the results. “Hmm. To think that someone so powerful could be reformed so easily. It truly is a momentous achievement.” She then looked over to Luna as she continued. “Surely even you must think so.” Luna hesitated for a moment. For Celestia to say those words, it was clear to the white Alicorn that her little sister was still fearful of Broly. Him being the one who almost killed her was what started her unsettled attitude. But the discovery of him being the Saiyan of Legend, a Saiyan warrior born every thousand years, with the power to annihilate entire planetary systems with ease… that was what cemented her fear. But Luna cannot deny the facts that laid out in front of her. Her sister’s plan on helping Broly was working even better than expected. It seemed that there was hope for the Legendary Super Saiyan. “Well… if nothing provokes him.” Luna answered. But a stray thought lingered in her mind. She could never unsee the moment when Broly’s body got ripped apart from his own overflowing power. And then revealing his green-haired, muscular form beneath. Truly a physical manifestation of his uncontrollable rage. She hoped that she would never see that form before her on Equestria’s soil. Luna’s thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of Celestia’s voice. “Luna? What’s that?” Gazing towards where Celestia was looking, Luna glanced up high in the sky towards the town of Ponyville. There she could see what had caught Celestia’s interest. Dark swirling clouds were forming high above. Steadily growing wider and wider. “Strange. Didn’t the weather Pegasi say that today was going to be clear skies all day?” Luna asked. Recalling the morning report from Cloudsdale. Celestia however grew uncertainty as she kept staring at the dark clouds. “Odd. I don’t remember ever seeing clouds like those. Not even from the Everfree Forest.” Luna looked down towards the ground. Analysing precisely where the dark clouds were above. “It seems to be above Ponyville.” “I got a bad feeling about this, Luna. Let’s go.” Following her sister’s lead, Luna followed Celestia off the balcony and through the air. Flying towards the town by the base of the mountain. Glancing up, the Sun Princess began to see that the dark clouds were becoming more visible from the ground. And only growing more and more wider. She had a feeling that by the time she and Luna would reach Ponyville, the clouds would’ve passed over Canterlot. ………………………………………………………………………………………................................................................. Meanwhile across the fields of Equestria, the quiet scenery was disturbed by a pair of streaking blurs that shot across the sky. Both causing a massive draft of wind wherever they went. Rainbow Dash was far from her casual pace. Beating her wings hard and keeping her body as streamlined as possible. But as she looked ahead, she could see that Broly was still in front. But she could also see that unlike her, the Saiyan was showing practically no effort. Probably goes to show that flying without wings was far easier. Then Rainbow Dash came up with an idea. Though she knew that she could never match Broly’s top speed, but she was curious to see how much her own best would stack against his. “Ok. How about this!” With great determination, Rainbow Dash began to pull away and fly higher into she sky. Sensing the change, the curious Broly slowed down as he turned around. Wondering why his blue friend had done a U-turn. He would soon get an answer. Because as Rainbow Dash circled around to fly towards him, she suddenly was gaining tremendous speed. Going faster and faster until… “SONIC RAINBOOM!!!” Rainbow Dash’s outburst was swiftly joined by her signature trademark with the same name. Following the sound of a sonic boom, an explosion of colours erupted from the Pegasus. Shrouding the area in a bright display of every colour of the rainbow. For a moment, Broly was stunned at the magnificent display. Never before he had seen such a colourful spectacle. But the sight of Rainbow Dash speeding towards him snapped him back to reality. He could hear her cheering as she sped past him in speeds he had never seen her do. Far ahead of the Saiyan, Rainbow Dash felt ecstatic. “HAA! I did it! I overtook him!” But her celebrations didn’t last long. Her ears caught the sound of another sonic boom. And what unsettled her was that it came from behind her. Turning her head back slightly to look behind her, the blue mare was startled to see a white glow fast approaching her. Though she knew it, she still couldn’t believe her eyes. She was at her max speed, but Broly was quickly gaining on her. She remained surprised as Broly, shrouded in his white ki, shot past her and gained further distance from her. Despite being overtaken by someone faster than her, Rainbow Dash smiled. She knew that she was going to be slower than Broly. But she managed to find out just how much faster he was compared to her. Feeling that Rainbow Dash had maxed out, Broly slowed down and descended towards a nearby hill. Condensing his ki back in his body, Broly landed on the firm ground and turned to see Rainbow Dash catching up with him. The rainbow trail that was behind her was gone as she slowed down. Approaching the Saiyan, she revealed to be worn out. Landing on the ground with her wings flopped to her sides, he huffed and puffed to get some air in her body. “Woah, I’m beat!” She said as she wiped the sweat from her head. “Are you alright?” Broly asked. Seeing how exhausted the mare was. But Rainbow Dash reassured him. “It’s alright. I…I just…need to take a minute. Using the... Sonic Rainboom, is never easy.” After taking in several deep breaths, Rainbow Dash looked at Broly with a question. “Hay. So how does it work? How do you suddenly go so much faster?” Being enquired about his speed, Broly answered what he knew. “I use my ki. The higher I raise it, the faster I go.” After getting her breath back, Rainbow Dash spoke back. “Oh, I get it. Your whole… life energy thing.” Then a question popped in her head. “Hay. So when you turn all blond, do you go even faster?” “You mean when I’m a Super Saiyan? Yes, and even stronger.” “Wow. I bet it feels awesome.” Broly took note at Rainbow Dash’s tone of voice. To his surprise, it sounded a little… envious. It matched well with her facial expression. While she was ok, her face looked a little down. She clearly felt bad about something. But after taking into account of the subject they were just talking about. Broly quickly figured out what was bothering her. She was the type of person who enjoyed thrills and excitement. And from what the Saiyan could remember from his early childhood, as fragmented as they were, he could remember how happy he was when he learnt to control his ki. Using it to fly. But understanding Rainbow Dash’s predicament, it was the kind of thrill she would never experience for herself. She just doesn’t have the ability to use ki like he could. But then he had an idea. A thought that might just work. However, it was something that he had never done before. At first, he was uncertain if it would even work. But for reasons beyond his understanding, he felt like he should cheer his new friend up. But what reassured him was that for the past few days, he was gaining more control of himself. Especially in his base form. Deciding to try it out, Broly walked over to Rainbow Dash. For the blue mare, she was startled from the sight of the towering Saiyan approaching her without speaking a word. And was then further startled when Broly placed his right hand on her right shoulder. “W…Wh-Wha!! What are you…!?” “Stay still.” It was all Broly said. Having no idea what he had in mind, Rainbow Dash tried to calm down and stand still. But the feeling of the Saiyan’s massive hand resting on her shoulder made her feel uneasy. As for Broly, he controlled his breathing as he closed his eyes. Hidden under the surface, Broly was using his own ki for a specific purpose. Due to his inexperience of such a task, he had a little trouble at first. But in a matter of seconds, he found it. Deep within Rainbow Dash’s very being, he could sense it. Rainbow Dash's own life energy. Next came another tricky task. Something that Rainbow Dash would feel in a few seconds. Oblivious to what Broly was doing, Rainbow Dash just stood there. Confused as to why Broly still had his hand on her shoulder with his eyes shut. “Uhh… what are you doi…!” Her sentence stopped when out of nowhere, she suddenly felt something welling up from within her own body. Then what came next, she could only describe was a massive rush of adrenaline surging all over. “Uhh? WHOOOOOOOOOAHH!!!” She uttered as she felt the rush of adrenaline erupting from within her body. Even after Broly removed his hand from her, she was still breathing quite erratically from the experience. “Woah! What in Equestria was that!?” She then turned towards Broly. “What did you just do!?” When Broly answered, Rainbow Dash was left the most surprised mare. “You said that you wanted to know what it feels like. So I gave you some of my energy.” Rainbow Dash stared at Broly in complete bafflement. Did he really just say that or was she just hearing things? She looked down at her hands in amazement. Flexing her hands to test herself out. “I don’t believe it! I don’t feel tired anymore! Ha! I feel even better than before!” She said as she began to fly around in circles. She felt as though she could keep on flying for hours without end. “This feels so awesome!” She exclaimed as she landed back where she was. But Broly was about to reveal something else quite startling to her. “That’s only a small amount of energy you feel.” Rainbow Dash looked at him in disbelief. “Really!? Only a tiny amount!?” She began to wonder. If she felt that incredible from only a tiny portion of the Saiyan’s energy, than how must Broly himself feel. She then thought of something. “Hay, Broly. Do you think I would be able to do the things you do with this?” She asked. Sounding very keen. “No. Your body isn’t suited for that.” Despite receiving what could put her down, it didn’t bother her. She was just glad to experience what it felt like to have such energy. “Alright. I think I would be able to get back to Ponyville with this. Honestly, I don’t think I could make the journey back if I was still tired.” Rainbow Dash had a point. Given the amount of flying she and Broly had done, they were likely far away from civilization. It would’ve taken the blue mare hours to make it back to Ponyville if Broly hadn’t given her some of his ki. However, the land around them may not be as empty as they thought. Both Broly and Rainbow Dash’s ears caught the sound of snapping twigs. The two turning to face where the sound came from. “You hear that?” Rainbow Dash asked Broly. “Hmm.” The two crept forward. Unsure if someone was spying on them or that it was just some animal. Then to their surprise, what appeared to be a ball of pink puffy fur appeared behind a large rock. Only to reveal itself to be the mane of a certain pink party pony mare. “Oh, hi Rainbow Dash! Hi Broly!” “Pinkie Pie? What are you doing all the way out here?” Rainbow Dash asked. Wondering why her Earth Pony friend was in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, the pink mare provided an answer. “Oh, I was just trying to find the rock that my sister Maud threw the other day. She said she needed it back.” “Oh yeah. Your sister does have a very good throw,” Rainbow Dash replied. Understanding the situation and recalling how good Maud Pie was at throwing large boulders. However, Pinkie Pie revealed that she was at a dead end. “Well, that rock isn’t around here. I guess it’s where Maud is.” Seeing that Pinkie Pie had nothing left to do, Rainbow Dash thought of an idea. “Hay, how about you help Broly here with anything you want to teach?” Pinkie Pie gasped in response to the question. Her moment had finally arrived. “Really!? I get to teach him next!?” “Yeah, since you’re here an all.” As Pinkie Pie was busy bouncing around in excitement, Rainbow Dash turned towards Broly. “Well, big guy. Pinkie Pie will take over from here. So, try not do anything crazy.” Overhearing her blue furred friend, Pinkie Pie reassured her. “Oh, we won’t. We’ll be on our best behaviour.” “Bye,” Broly said to the Pegasus. “Good. See ya all later!” Rainbow Dash said before spreading her wings to take off the ground. Then with the power of several energy drinks, the blue mare took off like a rocket and flew back to where she came from. Disappearing over the horizon. With Rainbow Dash gone, Broly turned towards Pinkie Pie. Wondering what the hyperactive party pony had in store for him. “What will you be teaching me?” Broly asked her. After clearing her throat, Pinkie Pie suddenly took on a different persona. Trying to sound tough and professional. “Well, Broly. I will be teaching you what could be the most important lesson of your life.” Broly was slightly taken back by what she said. Nor was he expecting such a statement from a pony who like to throw parties. In fact, he was expecting that from Twilight. So to hear that from Pinkie Pie, Broly for once felt uneasy. Unsure what kind of important lesson the pink mare had in store for him. He soon got his answer. “I’m going to teach you…” Just after her pause, her tone returned back to its hyper upbeat tone that she was well known for. Throwing her arms in the air in sheer joy. “…how to have fun!” Silence filled the air as Broly looked at Pinkie Pie in bafflement. Clearly the whole professional stint was just an act. However, it didn’t help the fact that the Saiyan was confused on the subject as a whole. “F…fun?” Seeing how confused Broly was, Pinkie Pie explained herself. But in doing so had to bring up the delicate subject that was his past. Just talking about it made her a little sad. “Well, Broly. With what we’ve… seen in your memories, your past was sad. I bet there was never a moment when you really enjoyed yourself.” Broly paused from hearing the pony’s words. But thinking back to his past, there really never was a moment where he had any enjoyment. Granted, there were some moments with the Saiyan who he thought was his mother. But the memories were too fragmented to give him any true details. Aside from that, nearly all his life he was either on the run from monsters or the Frieza Force. Or being subjected to mind control by his father. He then listened to Pinkie Pie to see what else she had to say. “Which is what this lesson is all about. I’m going to show you that life is more than just fighting and yelling. There’s also laughter and excitement. All the nicest things.” She then gasped in excitement from getting an idea. “And I know the best place to have fun!” Broly continued to stare at her silently. Never in his life had he met a creature so excitable. The following was what Pinkie Pie described as, ‘Operation: Fun Day. Through Pinkie Pie’s requests, Broly was soaring through the air with the pink anthro mare riding on his back. She didn’t want to tell him where they were going. Saying that it was a surprise. She also mentioned that the journey would’ve taken a couple of hours to get there on foot. But with Broly’s speed, they could get there a fraction of the time. Speeds that Pinkie Pie was thoroughly enjoying. “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” She exclaimed. Enjoying the strong winds blowing against her face and through her messy mane. Broly was uncertain if Pinkie Pie was able to hold on while flying at such speeds. Since her arms were tightly crossed around his neck. But to his surprise, she was having the time of her life. “We’re almost there!” Pinkie Pie shouted. Trying to get Broly to hear her while traveling at high speed. “Almost where?” He asked. “The one place where there’s always fun at every corner!” After seeing some strange buildings ahead of him, Broly slowed down to a stop. Pinkie Pie then revealed the identity of the location after peaking her head over Broly’s shoulder. “The funfair!” Upon closer inspection of the area, the strange buildings were revealed to be colourful tents of various sizes. With a massive one in the heart of the activity. What’s more, was that there were lots of fairground rides and attractions. But what had gained Broly’s interest the most was the scent of food in the air. Food that he had never smelt before. Descending down towards the ground, the Saiyan landed on the firm soil. The pink mare released her hold before gazing in amazement at her surroundings. “Alright! Time to have some fun!” She said before grabbing Broly’s wrist. Trying to get him to follow her. Without them even realising, the two had already gained quite the attention from the other funfair goers. Not just from the sight of the tall Saiyan, but from seeing him descend from the sky. Showing to them that he could fly without any wings. Soon gossip began to spread. “Hay. Who’s that tall fella?” “I don’t know. Never seen him before.” “I heard that an alien lives near Canterlot. Maybe that’s him?” “Can’t be. He doesn’t look strange enough.” “Maybe he’s from a faraway land?” “Must be. Never seen those kind of clothes before.” “And he’s wearing gold. Could he be a prince of some sort?” Despite the gossip, it didn’t distract Pinkie Pie from teaching Broly how to have fun. They practically ignored them. While the Earth Pony was pulling him along, Broly was busy looking at his surroundings. Mesmerized by all the colours and the lights. The sounds of the fairgrounds. The sight of all the smiles on all the faces of the crowd. The children all running around playing games. His ears then caught a roaring sound as well as screams of joy. Turning his head in its direction, it turned out to be a huge roller coaster. The anthro ponies on the ride roaring in excitement as the ride thundered along its tracks. Broly was so distracted from the sight that he didn’t notice that Pinkie Pie lead him towards one of the food stalls to buy something. His attention was gained when a big ball of pink fluff suddenly blocked his vision. Looking down, he realised that it was Pinkie Pie holding up a treat that was nearly the same colour as her hair. “What’s that?” “It’s cotton candy. Here. Try it,” She answered. After holding onto it by its stick, Broly inspected the treat. The scent of the sugary snack reached his nose. Instantly causing a reaction in him to take a bite. Which he done so. The second the section of the cotton ball entered his mouth, the floss quickly melted. Releasing the flavour within. As soon as he swallowed it, his mouth instantly felt like it was watering. Which explained his second larger bite. Pinkie Pie chuckled in response from the sight. “I knew you’d like it.” The two continued to walk as Broly finished off his cotton candy. He then turned towards Pinkie Pie to see how cheery the smaller mare was being. “You like having fun?” He asked. Pinkie Pie looked over her shoulder as she answered. “Of course, I do. Ever since I was small, I always loved being joy to others. To make them feel better whenever they feel down.” She continued as she stopped to turn to face Broly with a smile on her face. Stopping him in the process. “But what I enjoy the most about it, is to see other people smile.” “See them… smile,” Broly uttered. Trying to understand for himself the joy in seeing the joy of others. Then Pinkie Pie said something that surprised Broly. “I really enjoy it when I see you smile, Broly.” Broly paused for a moment when he heard those words. Stunned at how true they sounded. “You do? Why?” When Pinkie Pie answered, the kind of reply she gave would’ve left her other friends stunned. “Because from what we saw in your past, you never had a break. Didn’t you? Your life was so hard, that you never had a chance to smile. Which was why when I saw you smile yesterday, I was so happy for you. I believe Princess Celestia is right. You can be a good person. And I would like to see you smile again.” Broly was taken back from what Pinkie Pie said. When Celestia healed his chest injury the previous day, he did recall letting out a smile. The one that Pinkie Pie noticed. Back then, he thought that the pink mare was just overreacting. But from hearing her words, it truly meant something. Something important that Pinkie Pie believes in. So to see him, a Saiyan who had the worst kind of upbringing, make a genuine smile, it was something that the pink mare viewed as something very special. Broly then felt it again. It was just like when the others taught him lessons. He once more felt good about himself. Something that he never truly felt back in his old life under Paragus. Broly was then brought back to attention from the sound of the excited Pinkie Pie. “OOOH! Broly look! Games!” Pinkie Pie then rushed ahead. For what lied in front of her were numerous stands that featured all sorts of games. All of which contained all kinds of prizes. Some of which were even bags of goldfish. One such prize had gained Pinkie Pie’s full attention. A huge alligator plushie. “Oooh! I bet Gummy would love this!” She said, thinking about her pet toothless alligator. The stallion in charge of the stand caught on and spoke up to the pink mare. “Well, little girlie. All you have to do to win it, would be to knock down all those cups.” The stallion pointed towards six plastic cups that were stacked up like a pyramid. After paying him her bits, he gave Pinkie Pie three small beanbags. “Alright. Here I go!” She said as she reared her arm back to throw the first beanbag with Broly watching from behind. Pinkie Pie’s first throw was a direct hit. Knocking the top cup off. Then throwing her second, she just grazed against the bottom right cup. Pushing it back slightly. The girl then got ready with her third and final attempt. “Now. Third times the charm. Right in the middle.” Pinkie Pie swung extra hard for her last throw. But while the beanbag landed a direct hit on the middle lower cup, it barely nudged it. Much to her surprise. “Ahh, tough luck there. Better luck next time.” The stallion said. His tone secretly carrying a hint of mockery. What the two didn’t know was that the game was rigged. Five of the six cups were genuine plastic. But the bottom middle one was in fact a pot made to look identical to the cups. Therefore, it was impossible to knock down all six to win a prize. Pinkie Pie however took the loss well. Not realising the truth. “Oh, I see. I had to take out the top cups first to lessen the weight of the bottom ones. Oh well.” Broly looked at Pinkie Pie with a raised brow. She looked very keen on getting the large plushie. But had a bit of rotten luck in her way. Feeling that his friend was a little down, Broly stepped forward towards the stand. “My turn,” He sternly said. Surprising both the stallion and Pinkie Pie. “Oh, you want a go?” Pinkie Pie asked. Seeing how keen Broly was being. The stallion took a quick glance at the tall Saiyan. Despite finding his appearance strange, he decided to have fun with him. “Alright, big fella. I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you one on the house,” He said as he placed a single beanbag in front of Broly. Without saying a word, Broly took the bag and took a single step back. ‘Ha. Good luck, sucker,’ The stallion thought to himself. His actions was to simply try embarrassing the Saiyan in front of his friend. Broly looked at the six cups. His sights zeroing in on the lower middle one. Then with his muscles slowly tensed and his grip on the beanbag locked, he reared back his arm and threw it. The beanbag shot straight out of his hand like a cannonball. Slamming against the pyramid with such force that it shattered the pot, knocked away all the other cups, and then smashed straight through the stand itself. Leaving behind a large hole through the woodwork. Silence filled the area as Broly relaxed himself. Pinkie Pie silently stared at what happened. Thinking that Broly went overboard with his throw. The stallion however looked at the scene with absolute shock and fear. The single throw had damaged his stand and what’s worse, ruined his rigged game. He knew that if the higherups were to find out, he would be in big trouble. He had to get rid of the two quickly. “Umm! Y-You win! Yes, you win! T-Take a prize!” He said with a tone mixed with fear and urgency. Hearing those words made Pinkie Pie gleefully rush over to pick up the huge alligator plushie. “YAY!!! I got it!” She continued as she rushed over to the Saiyan. “Thank you so much, Broly!” She then gave him the biggest genuine smile she could muster while hugging her prize. Expressing her gratitude. “Wooo! Let’s try another game!” She continued as she rushed off to another stand. Broly stood still as he watched his energetic friend rush off. He just then remembered all the things Pinkie Pie said about how to have fun and the whole speech about making others smile. He had won a prize for her, and it made her smile. He made her smile. And seeing her smile made him feel something inside of himself. Was seeing her happy making him feel good about himself? Was it making him happy? Furthermore, he felt good about himself. Was that what Pinkie Pie was talking about? Was he… having fun? The answer soon came to be not through words, but through expressions. Seeing how happy Pinkie Pie was because of his thoughtful actions, caused his lips to curl up at its sides. He felt happy seeing her happy. Broly was smiling. Pinkie Pie then rushed back towards him. “Hay, Broly. You have to check out the game I’ve fou…!” Pinkie Pie paused from seeing the expression of Broly’s face. Causing her to gasp in astonishment. “Broly! Are… Are you smiling!?” The last time Broly smiled in front of Pinkie Pie, he was quick to switch back to being neutral. Not really understanding how things worked around him. But at the present moment, he no longer felt so insecure. In fact, he felt a bit more open. Having nothing to hide, he answered back. The smile stayed with him all the while. “Yes… I am.” It had been quite a long time since Pinkie Pie felt so overjoyed. She felt so happy she felt like exploding. She expressed her overflowing feelings by rushing up to give Broly a great big hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. “Best funfair day ever!” Broly watched her as she embraced him. He could see how happy she was from him having fun for himself. He never said it out loud, but he was really starting to like the amount of affection his friends had been showing him. The understanding. The gratitude. The caring. The fun. All the things that his own father never taught him. It really was happening. With each passing moment he spend time with his new friends, the more he liked their world. And if they wanted to, he would be more than ok to stay. The look of surprise from the sudden hug gave way to another soft smile. And with all the hugs he had received, he never really gave any back. But with how much smaller Pinkie Pie was compared to him, he would have to make do another way. He done so by placing his huge hand on her shoulder. Feeling the large hand on her shoulder made Pinkie Pie looked up at him. Smiling at him while doing so. It was clear to her that her lessons for him were going better than she ever hoped for. “So… what do you want to do next?” She asked him as she released her hold. After looking at his surroundings, seeing all the other rides and attractions, Broly answered back while giving Pinkie Pie another small smile. “Let’s… have fun.” ………………………………………………………………………………………............................................. Back in the town of Ponyville, the citizens weren’t feeling the same elements of fun. In fact, they all began to feel uneasy. Causing unrest amongst themselves. Among them were Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Spike. All of them standing outside in the streets. All of them looking up at the sky. Only to see that the sun had been completely blocked out by dark swirling clouds. “What’s going on, y’all?” Applejack asked her friends. “I don’t know. The sky has gotten all cloudy,” Rarity answered. Joined by Fluttershy. “But I thought today was going to be sunny.” As Twilight stared at the dark clouds intensely, she noticed the oddity. “Strange. I’ve never seen clouds like those before. Look. They’re moving in a swirling pattern.” As the group looked up at the sky, Spike began to notice something else. To which he informed the others. “Uhh, guys. Is it me, or is it getting colder?” The ponies began to notice it too. Not only getting a sudden chill, but they began to see the vapour of their breaths. Much to their surprise as Twilight spoke up. “You’re right! It is getting colder!” Looking around, the group saw that several other ponies were starting to take precautions. Such as seeing a worried couple quickly putting on warmer clothing before moving on. Causing the group to grow more worried. “Something’s very wrong here,” Applejack commented. Looking in one direction, Rarity then spotted a pair of familiar faces approaching them. Descending from Canterlot Mountain. “Everyone! It’s the princesses!” Surprised by the sudden announcement, the group all gathered to great Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as they landed in front of them. “Celestia! Luna!” Twilight exclaimed, happy to see her fellow princesses. “It’s good to see you all alright,” Celestia said, joined by Luna. “But what is going on here?” “We don’t know. Dark clouds just appeared and now the air is getting colder,” Starlight explained. The group were then joined by another voice coming from the distance. “Hay guys! Incoming!” Following the sound of the voice, it turned out to be Rainbow Dash. Speeding towards them before coming to a stop in front of them. Twilight walked up to her with a questionable look. “It’s good that you’re here, Rainbow Dash. But where’s Broly?” After taking a quick breath, she answered back. “Oh, he’s with Pinkie Pie.” She continued as she looked up at the sky. “But what’s up with the sky? What’s with all those clouds?” The group looked surprised at what she said. “Wait. So ya got nothin’ to go with this?” Applejack asked. “No. And I’m sure that the other Pegasi would know that it’s supposed to be sunny today.” Rainbow Dash’s answer confirmed one thing for the group. That whatever caused the clouds to appear and effect the temperature, it wasn’t the fault of any pony. After a quick glance at the clouds, Twilight had an idea. “Rainbow Dash. See if you can move those clouds away.” “On it!” After a quick solute, Rainbow Dash immediately took off to the sky. From the ground, the group could see her image growing smaller as she ascended higher. Then disappearing through the clouds. But after only a couple of seconds, she re-emerged from the clouds and rapidly falling back down to the ground. After the blue mare made a hasty landing, the startled group received an even bigger surprise. Rainbow Dash looked even bluer than usual with literal frost and ice formed on parts of her body. Her arms wrapped around her sides for warmth while her teeth clattered from the cold shiver. “WWHHHHAAAA!!! IT’S FREEZING UP THERE!!!” She shouted while trembling from the cold. Further showing how cold the clouds were up above. While Fluttershy was quick to help warm up Rainbow Dash, the group all looked at the blue mare in shock. Then back up at the sky in deep confusion. “This just proves it. Those are not normal clouds,” Twilight declared. Then to their surprise, the group suddenly heard loud chirping sounds. They turned out to be a flock of distressed birds. One of which flew down to Fluttershy. “Why what’s the matter?” She asked it. But as the bird replied with more chirps, Fluttershy let out a gasp of shock that surprised the group. “W-What is it, Fl-luttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked while being defrosted. To which the yellow Pegasus answered. “It’s terrible! The lakes around Ponyville are starting to freeze!” “WHAT!!?” The group all shrieked in disbelief. Using a quick teleportation spell from Twilight, the group arrived by a nearby lake. And were shocked at what they were seeing. “It’s true. The lakes are turning to ice,” Starlight said as she placed her fingers in the water. Surprised at how cold it felt to the touch. The group then all looked at each other in uncertainty. “The weather keeps getting colder by the minute,” Luna said. Joined by a grim sentence by Celestia. “Yes. But unless we find the cause of this big freeze, our daily lives would be thrown in turmoil.” The group all felt unsettled by the sentence. But were confused as to where to start. “But how do we find the cause of all this?” Rarity asked. As the group all tried to think of a resolution, Twilight looked back up at the clouds. She then started to notice something. “Wait. Those clouds all swirl in one direction. Perhaps we could find the source if we follow the pattern.” Her idea was backed up by Luna. “Yes, you’re right. Before me and Celestia came here, we noticed that the clouds were forming somewhere above this town. So, the source is nearby.” Following the guidance of Twilight and Luna, the whole group looked at the clouds carefully and too started to follow the pattern. As they zeroed in on where they think was the epicentre, their sights all began to line up. “It’s somewhere over there. Close to the Everfree Forest,” Luna said. But out of the group, Applejack began to feel nervous. “Wait. Sweet Apple Acres is in that direction!” Knowing where to go and feeling concerned for the Apple family, the group all rushed over to the apple orchard as quickly as they could. Upon reaching there, the group were surprised to see Granny Smith, Big Mac and the Cutiemark Crusaders all standing outside looking up at the sky. “Everypony? What are ya doin’ out here?” Applejack asked. Concerned for her family. “Ah, the weather took a turn. We’re just want to see what’s goin’ on,” Granny Smith replied. Joined by Big Mac. “Yep.” “We just want to see if we can help,” Applebloom said. With Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodding. While Applejack was worried about her family, especially Big Mac due to his previous injury, she was happy that they were eager to help. “Right. Just… be careful.” Twilight then explained to the five what they were doing. “Listen. The source of these clouds is somewhere in this area. We just need to pinpoint where in the sky the clouds are coming from.” “Alright. We can do that, no problem,” Scootaloo said as her friends gave a determined glare of support. With everyone on board, the group all began to split up across the orchard. Looking up at the sky to try and find the source of the swirling pattern in the clouds. As Applebloom walked further away from the barn and closer to the forest nearby, she began to get a lead. The pattern in the clouds looked converged before spreading away. “Hay. I think ah found it.” But she was disturbed by the sounds of rustling bushes by the edge of the forest. But her sudden nerves gave way to curiosity. Taking slow steps closer to the forest edge with a questionable look. “H-Hello?” She uttered. She crept closer to a nearby bush. But just as she thought she wasn’t getting a response, a pair of huge yellow eyes appeared in the plant growth. Looking right at her. “Hello yourself.” …………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................... As the group kept searching, they were all alarmed from the sound of a loud scream of fright. But for Applejack, her shock gave way to absolute concern. “APPLEBLOOM!!!” She shouted as she rushed over to where she heard her sister’s voice. The orange Earth Pony ran as fast as she could. She was then joined by Rainbow Dash and Twilight. Two being the nearest to her. As the three got closer, they saw the younger pony. Sitting up on the ground and staring towards the forest. “Applebloom! Are you alright!?” Applejack asked as she rushed up to comfort her. Joined by Rainbow Dash and Twilight. The spooked Applebloom said nothing. All she did in response was point her finger at the forest. But as she did, a voice spoke out. Surprising the three. “Hay! Don’t you know it’s rude to point like that!” Following the voice, the three older mares too saw a pair of huge yellow eyes. But were then even more surprised when the creature walked out of the bush to reveal itself. The strange creature was short. Less than half the height of a full-grown stallion. As well as having large eyes, his skin was green, small horns on his head, pointed ears, red lips and had a face that resembled a frog. His arms were long, but his legs were short and stubby. But that they thought was some creature, turned out to be wearing clothes. Blue pants and brown boots. The creature began to cackle in laughter from seeing the shock expressions on the girls faces. “Are the pony girls scared?” Just as he zeroed his sights on the four, he then noticed that more anthro ponies were fast approaching. No doubt responding to the scream earlier. After letting out another chuckle, he turned away to call out for someone. “Hay, Wings! There’s more of them!” Then another voice was heard. “What’s that, Medamatcha? More pony people?” The four ponies were intimidated from the sounds of heavy footsteps. Then emerging from a nearby tree was a much larger imposing figure. Standing next to the creature called Medamatcha, the second creature called Wings looked like a demonic gargoyle with his own set of wings on his back. By the time Wings made his appearance, the rest of the pony group all converged to the area. “Wha-what in tarnation is going on!?” Granny Smith asked. Being the last to arrive. But another strange voice surprised her and the group. “What’s the matter, old lady?” With all eyes on the creatures, the two were joined by a third who emerged from behind Wings. The new arrival was tall with cyan coloured skin, pointed ears, small horns and long shaggy blond hair. And his own clothing consisted with a purple toga, cape and bandana, red earrings, white pants and blue bracers and boots. He then finished his sentence as he faced the pony group. “You never seen an invasion force before?” The group were all startled by what he said. Letting out gasps of fright and disbelief. “Now now, Angila. You’ve just gone and scared them,” Wings said to the third arrival. But the tone he used clearly wasn’t sincere. But Luna took in account of what was said, their strange appearances, and to her as a magic caster, their surprisingly potent power. “Invasion? You mean… you’re aliens!?” The three aliens chuckled in response. Confirming the answer. The pony group couldn’t believe it. It had only been a couple of days since they had dealt with the aliens under Turles. They weren’t expecting another group. But even if they were, it was too soon. But then the group all heard another voice not known to them. The tone used was also full of mockery and bravado. “Well, someone give her a gold star.” Then hovering from the trees beside the other three aliens came a forth. The forth alien was tall but much bulkier with orange skin and dark red hair. “Oh, so you decided to join us, Commander Zeeun,” Angila said. Partially mocking him due to what happened to him before. But the ponies caught on the name of the individual. Mostly his title. “Wait, commander?” Starlight asked. Joined by a stern Twilight. “So you’re the one in charge?” To the surprise of the ponies, the larger alien suddenly felt intimidated by the question. To a point where he went fearful. Quickly denying the claim. “N-No!! Definitely not! I’m not the boss here! That honour goes to someone else! Someone much grander than I!” He flinched for a couple of seconds. But seeing that nothing bad had happened, he breathed a sigh of relief. But the ponies were confused as to why he was suddenly so scared. As well as to why the other three aliens were snickering at him. But the moment only escalated when the ground suddenly rumbled. Then as soon as the ponies tried to see what was going on, the sound of destruction was heard. They then got a clear view of what was happening. Behind the four aliens in the edge of the forest, a huge tree had been uprooted and was seemingly floating in the air. Then as the tree stopped ascending, a fifth voice was heard. Louder and mightier than the others. “The one you’re looking for is right here!” Then the giant tree was tossed to the side. Crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact. Looking back to where the tree was before, the pony group all saw someone hovering in its place. The new alien crossed his arms as he glared down on them. He was tall and muscular, and much of his body was covered in clothing. A purple helmet that covered his head. Orange gloves as well as the scarf around his neck. Purple trousers with orange boots, brown medallion with straps and a yellow undercoat under it. Plus from what little of his skin they could see, it was coloured dark green. For the non-magic casters, he was just another imposing alien. But to the Unicorns and Alicorns, they could sense his energy. Just like with Turles before, it felt staggering and radiating with pure evil. Wanting to impress his boss, Zeeun prepared an introduction. “T-That’s right! Listen creatures of this planet! You all have the great honour of looking upon your new overlord!” Not wanting to be outdone, the rest of the aliens joined him in revealing the identity of the warlord. “Behold! The mighty, Lord Slug!!”