//------------------------------// // Chapter 31: Test of Worthiness / Velvet’s Potential // Story: The Legend of Broly // by I-C-U-P //------------------------------// In the Canterlot gymnasium, Broly was dominating the scene. Having invited the Saiyan to a mock battle, the members of the royal guard wanted to prove to the alien that they weren’t pushovers. The end result was a total loss on their part. So many of them were already defeated. Only a select few remained. Worn out but standing. As for Broly, he remained in the exact same condition as he was when it all started. Barely a scratch and still in his prime. Due to the fact that he was forced to hold back so much of his power. All the while his expression remained disinterested. Not even breaking a sweat. While on the side-lines, the onlooking crowd watched the clash in awe. Some even brave the battlefield to help drag the beaten out of harm’s way. In front of the crowd were two guardsmares. Velvet and Magnolia. While the pair too were fixated on the battle, it was the Earth Pony who had the ecstatic expression on her face. Much to the surprise of the Pegasus. “V-Velv?” Magnolia asked. Having just realised why her best friend wanted to see the Saiyan so badly. But the dazzled mare was lost in her own little world. Staring as the Saiyan fought. Mesmerized by his muscles. “Just look at him, Mags. His form looks sculpted to perfection! Lean but strong! It can’t get better than this!” The weirdness vibe began to wear off as Magnolia looked at her. Then back to the action. She truly thought that Velvet wanting to see Broly would have more meaning. Something that was tied to the past. Something more personal, nothing like the answer she just received. In a way, she felt a little let down. But a painfilled grown snapped the pair out of their awe when the last guard finally admitted defeat. “Ok. I give. Fight’s over.” He said. Barely able to stand. With the apparent end of the mock battle, some of the crowd began to disperse. And some of the remaining active guards had to drag the defeated out of the gymnasium. The two mares however were perplexed. “What. It’s over?” Velvet asked. “Guess we missed most of it,” Magnolia added. But for the Earth Pony mare, the end of the clash meant one thing. “But then… he’s going to leave?” While Magnolia was a little let down by the abrupt end, she had to remind her fiend about their daily duties. “Seems that way. But we do have to get to our posts and...!” Her sentence was put on hold from the sight of her long-haired friend rushing forward into the gymnasium. Quietly gasped while letting out a surprised expression. “Wha-Wait!” She said as she forced herself to follow her. As Velvet rushed past the last of the guards leaving, she saw that the Saiyan was about to make his leave. But she was not to miss her change again. “H-Hey wait!” Hearing a voice calling out to him made Broly pause as she turned his sights over to the approaching mare. The second eye contact was made, Velvet suddenly flinched as she slowed to an awkward halt. She couldn’t explain it. But being in close vicinity of the Saiyan made her instinctively pause. As if she could feel the overwhelming power emanating from his body. As for Broly, he paused from seeing her with a slightly surprised expression. He had seen her before the last time he was in Canterlot. As he was leaving, she walked past him with her eyes closed. It was at that moment when she sensed something from her. And with the two meeting each other again, he sensed it again. It wasn’t his imagination playing tricks on him. ‘It’s her from before,’ He thought to himself as he stared down the guardsmare. As silence filled the air, Velvet began to feel uneasy. After finally getting the chance to see the Saiyan up close, she suddenly got cold feet. She was still surprised that she finally got to see the alien warrior up close. But not wanting him to leave so soon, she eventually spoke up. Trying to make an introduction. “Um… hi. Y-your name’s Broly?” “Yes,” The Saiyan answered back. His tone was somewhat confused as to the mare’s odd behaviour. “Well… nice to meet… you…” Velvet tried to make conversation. But was distracted by the alien’s muscular body. It was just too much for her to resist. Aside from his lack of a snout and tail, the rest of him looked just like her own kind. Which only made the appeal more apparent. Broly stood still in confusion. The mare looked as though she suddenly stopped functioning. Mesmerized by his exposed chest. But it was another voice speaking out to him that averted his attention. “I’m sorry about her! She doesn’t mean to be rude.” Looking at the approaching Pegasus mare behind the frozen Earth Pony, Broly recognized her immediately. The one who he saved from Lord Slug. “Hmm? I know you from yesterday.” The Pegasus guardsmare flinched from being called out. Surprised that the alien even remembered her. She felt a little flattered in fact. She then introduced herself as her friend began to encircle Broly. Eyeing up his form some more. “Mm. Yeah. Though it would’ve been better if we met without being attacked. My name is Magnolia. A member of the royal guard. It’s good to meet you.” She then glanced over to her friend. Deciding to make fun of her. “And miss creep over there is Velvet Willow.” Hearing the remark made the latter snap towards the former. “Hay! Now that’s uncalled for!” “Says the mare who’s invading someone’s privacy,” Magnolia retorted. Seeing that her actions were indeed questionable, Velvet quickly backed away form Broly while apologizing. Blushing in embarrassment. “S-Sorry about that. It’s just that… I always wanted to meet you.” “You did?” Broly asked. His voice showed genuine surprise. Never had he met someone who wanted to see him. Especially with such enthusiasm. “Yeah. I mean, you saved us on three occasions already. Ever since that night when we were attacked by that giant ape monster, I just had to meet you.” Broly paused as he listened. Realising that she must’ve been present at the battle with Turles. Magnolia began to calm her nerves. Thinking that Velvet may have finally gotten a hold of herself. However… “Can I touch your arm?” Magnolia was surprised by how forward Velvet was being. Was her fascination of muscles that extreme that she was fine of fondling them? Broly however, seeing no harm in the strange question, was oblivious. “O-Ok.” Despite not knowing Velvet’s intentions, he was still quite shy from such interactions. He was still new at being friendly with others. But still, he allowed the enthusiastic mare to walk up to him. Seeing the guardsmare up close, Broly could see that she was taller than Twilight and her Ponyville friends. But a tad shorter than Luna. And through rough estimations, Magnolia was a little shorter than Velvet. Compared to him, the height of the two mares were around the level of his chest. As she got within reach, Velvet wasted no time in grasping her left hand onto Broly’s right bicep. The muscle dwarfing her entire hand. The very touch caused the mare’s spine to tingle. Almost letting out a gasp of excitement. “W-Wow. Soft yet very firm. Even when relaxed. Is this a species thing? Or do you have to workout a lot?” Despite the questions asked, Broly felt as though Velvet wasn’t even asking him directly. Like she was talking to herself. But with the subject of his identity being brought up, it got Magnolia curious. “Speaking of which, what are you again?” “I’m a Saiyan. A… warrior race,” Broly replied as he looked over to the Pegasus. “A warrior? Well that I believe,” Magnolia said with a smile. It would take little to convince her otherwise of Broly’s expertise. But remembering the responsibilities of her own profession, Magnolia tried to break Velvet away. “Come on, Velvet. Our shift starts soon.” But as the Earth Pony was about to be dragged away, she spoke up. “Wait. There’s one more thing.” After recomposing herself, Velvet spoke to Broly about what had happened earlier. “Broly? Were you really having a mock battle just now?” But before the Saiyan could answer, Velvet revealed what she wanted. “If you were, can I have a go!?” Both Broly and Magnolia paused in surprise. Not expecting the Earth Pony mare to make such a suggestion. “You… want to fight me?” Broly asked. “Why not? Since you’re here and I won’t know when I will get to see you again. I just want to see you in action up close. Magnolia, who had seen the Saiyan in action the day prier, was understandably concerned. As well as reminding her of their tight schedule. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Velv. I know you’re skilled, but it won’t be enough. And need I remind you of our job?” “Come on, Mags. I might not get another chance. Besides, those other guards didn’t even last a minute with him.” As the two argued, Broly took the time to look at Velvet. From the surface, she didn’t seem much. While she does look stronger than the other guards he fought, she was still far weaker than him. However, there was still the fact of that something he sensed within her. He couldn’t figure out what it was. Could it be… some hidden power within her? Such a thought had peaked his curiosity. As the two mares sternly stared at each other, trying to make the other back down, they were surprised to hear that Broly made his response. “Alright.” Blinking in surprise, Velvet and Magnolia turned towards the tall alien. Wondering if what they heard was true. “What? You mean…!?” Velvet asked. Her tone showed excitement. Broly nodded as he replied. “I want to see what you can do.” Upon receiving permission, Velvet grinned in excitement. She was really going to test her skills against the Saiyan warrior. Magnolia, however, let out a sigh of defeat. “We’ll get in trouble by the end of this. Aren't we?” Not taking part in the upcoming fight, Magnolia walked to the benches alongside the wall of the gym. Broly stood firm in the middle of the large room. Expecting his challenger to either make her move or grab a weapon. But to his surprise, it was neither. Walking towards Magnolia, Velvet began to undo the strings that held her armour on her body. Already removing her armoured wrists. “Wha-what are you doing!?” The surprised Pegasus asked. “Taking off my armour of course. You’ve seen how quick he was. All this metal will just weigh me down.” While Magnolia saw the tactical advantage at play, her friend gave up defence for speed, but that wasn’t the reason for her dismay. “It’s going to take ages to put all that back together.” After some effort, Velvet finally stripped herself from her armour. Revealing her black skin-tight underclothing that was normally worn under the metal plating. Broly’s eyes briefly widened in interest from seeing the Earth Pony’s figure. Not expecting it in the least. His sights were still transfixed on the mare as she moved to the other side of the room. Opposite his own position. Resting in her grip was her lance. The blade tip gleaming in the sunlight. “You ready?” She asked. Broly’s expression went back to stern as he nodded. Despite the upcoming clash, the Saiyan was still in his neutral position. Remembering that he still needed to hold back much of his power. On the side-lines, Magnolia felt nervous. At the end of the day, she didn’t want her childhood friend to get hurt. As for Velvet herself, she was feeling confident. Without her armour, she would be free to utilize her full range of movement. As she got into her stance, Velvet closed her eyes as she steadied her breathing. Calming herself to be in the right state of mind. Then snapping them open, Velvet suddenly leapt from her starting position and dashed across the room with a burst of speed. Broly’s eyes slightly widened in startlement. Not expecting such speed. As Velvet swung her lance at the tall Saiyan, he was quick to evade the blade. Broly was mentally stunned at one fact. He didn’t need to give her the talk about going for the kill like he did for the other guards. After swinging around, Velvet then gave several quick japs of her lance at Broly’s chest and face. But the Saiyan’s reflexes made him impossible to hit. ‘She’s much quicker than the others,’ Broly mentally noted as he kept dodging. Then Velvet pulled a manoeuvre Broly didn’t expect. After raising the lance overhead, she lunged the weapon to the ground. The Saiyan stepped back as the blade embedded the ground. But then using the weapon as a pole, Velvet swung her body around it to kick Broly’s head. The alien leaned back to avoid her foot. As Broly performed a backflip, Velvet swung back around to pull her lance out of the ground. After a brief pause, Broly’s expression became less stern. ‘Her movements are sharp. Much better than the others. However…’ After Velvet threw her lance at Broly, the latter merely backhanded the weapon away. Almost leaving himself to be attacked by the Earth Pony herself. The mare rushed up to him with a flurry of attacks. But Broly was quick to dodge all her punches and kicks. ‘…her power is still not enough.’ Broly then stopped Velvet’s onslaught by catching her right fist with his own left palm. The anthro pony froze. Despite the warm skin of Broly’s hand, the grip behind it felt like a steel trap. She tried to counter with a kick with her left leg. But her attempt was halted by the right hand of Broly. Grabbing a firm hold of her leg, the Saiyan surprised the girl by raising his arm and swung her to his side. Not expecting to be flung aside so effortlessly, the tumble Velvet received from landing on the floor was rough. But despite groaning from the pain, she was quick to stand back up. But just as she tried to charge in again, Broly unleashed an invisible pulse of ki. Like a big gust of wind, the ki burst almost blew the Earth Pony girl clean off her feet. Crossing her arms to fight out the gust. “Velvet!” Magnolia shouted as she too was forced to close her eyes from the winds. When the gust died down, Velvet was still standing. But battling against the winds took a lot of her strength just to resist it. Lowering her arms to look at Broly, she panted for breath. Finally seeing how the other guards quickly fell to his strength. “He really… is incredible. This is perfect,” She said to herself. Grinning afterwards. The grin of which Magnolia caught on. “You still want to go on?” Broly asked. Wondering if the mare was too worn out to continue. But raising her hand at him, Velvet objected. “Hold it! This isn’t over yet. I got a little trick up my sleeve. Just for something like this.” Broly blinked in curiosity. Velvet was an Earth Pony. She couldn’t fly like a Pegasus. Nor was she a magic caster like a Unicorn. Nor she had any other weapon in her possession. What was she planning? Feeling that it had something to do with the strange feeling he sensed from her, it might probably be it. Magnolia however, knew what Velvet was going to do. Making her feel anxious. ‘S-She going to do it!’ She thought to herself as she nervously gulped. Thinking back to her childhood. Back to when she first met Velvet. Broly stood still. Curious to see what his opponent was going to do. With a confident glare, Velvet closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Steading her breathing. ‘Ok. You can do this. Just like many times before,’ She mentally said to motivate herself. As she closed her eyes, she could feel it. A warm presence within her very being. In her mind, the presence felt like a calm pool. Through mental concentration, she began to feel the pool bubble up. The feeling inside of her was beginning to surface. Ahead of her, Broly let out a quiet gasp as his eyes widened in surprise. The odd feeling he felt from Velvet had suddenly spiked. Flowing within her body. It was a very familiar feeling, but was shocked that a creature from Equestria was able to do it. “What?” He quietly uttered. It wasn’t just Broly. Back in Twilight’s castle in Ponyville, the red scouter the Alicorn left on her desk began to beep. Already having a lock on Velvet Willow’s vitals, it began to register her rise in battle power. When it first locked onto the Earth Pony, her initial power was at eighty-five. But with what she was doing, it steadily rose. Even entering the three digits. In Canterlot, Velvet was still concentrating. Her eyes began to squint harder as she began to grunt. As she did, her hair began to sway. The hidden energy rising to the surface. Then shortly afterwards, a very faint white aura began to emerge around her body. Like a soft flame from a candle. Then with her last push vocalized as a loud grunt, she had done it. Opening her eyes and panting heavily, she looked at Broly with a look of triumphant. Broly however was stunned at what he saw. ‘Is she… using ki!?’ The revelation reflected on the scouter back in Twilight’s castle. The alien device registered Velvet’s power level as one hundred and fifty! On the side-lines, Magnolia grinned from seeing how thrilled Velvet was being. ‘There she goes again. It’s been some time since she last did this.’ But her smile vanished as she looked at the glow around Velvet’s body. Then glancing over to Broly. Remembering the glow he had back in his fight with Lord Slug. ‘It really is just like his. But… he’s far stronger.’ As Broly stood dumbfounded, Velvet saw her chance. “Here I come!” She shouted before making her move. Charging at the tall Saiyan with even greater speed than before. Broly had only a few seconds to register what was going on before evading Velvet’s punch. Her fist barely grazed against his cheek. The only thing on his mind was Velvet’s sudden change. ‘How did she do it!?’ But for Velvet, she was slightly surprised by Broly’s dodge. ‘Wow! He dodged that!?’ Undeterred by her miss, Velvet did not let up. Turning around, she began another flurry of attacks. But thanks to her boost, her attacks were much faster. Though Broly was able to dodge them, he felt the power behind them. They really were enhanced by added energy. As he ducked down an overhead kick, his thoughts began to process. ‘So that’s why she’s so different from the others. It’s very basic. But, she can use her own energy.’ It then dawned on the Saiyan. Velvet was the first anthro pony he ever met who could utilize ki at its most basic level. Within Broly, his shock gave way to amazement. Even though she was still far weaker than him, but unlike the other royal guards, she was actually showing effort. Then as Velvet swung her left fist to strike Broly, the Saiyan leaped to the side. But as he did, the left corner of his mouth curled up. Smiling. Velvet than paused after her failed punch. Looking down at her fist. ‘Amazing! Even with this gift, I still can’t land a hit on him!’ Her thoughts continued as she glanced over her left shoulder. Just barely seeing the Saiyan. ‘I can only hold this power for so long. I just need to land just one blow.’ With a quick U-turn, Velvet charged in again. But as she threw her punch, Broly blocked it with an open palm. Velvet felt the impact of her punch. It was very powerful. Enough to knock out her fellow guards. Some even tried to block it to no avail. So to see her strong punch blocked by someone and being unaffected was all new to her. The Earth Pony briefly paused as she looked at her fist connecting to the Saiyan’s palm. She was using her gift, but he was treating it as if it was just an ordinary punch. Spurred on, the mare tried another flurry of heavy blows, but Broly kept blocking them with the same hand. Seeing that she was getting nowhere, she tried a high kick to Broly’s head. But that attack was blocked when the alien raised his other wrist. Again, the guardsmare felt the force of her attack. Only to see that Broly was unaffected. Seeing her attacks ineffective against Broly, Velvet jumped back to gain some distance and assess the situation. All the while puffing for breath as sweat started to drip from her head. One would think she would become frustrated by her lack of progress. But in her mind, it was the exact opposite. ‘He’s beyond incredible! Even at my best, I can’t make him budge! But still…’ She paused as she began to remember the battle at Canterlot. Having bested the giant ape monster, Broly began to shine like a star. Then exploding in a powerful golden light like a second sun. ‘…I know he’s holding back.’ Velvet began to grin. Despite being on the back foot, she was enjoying herself. Magnolia however, began to worry. ‘I don’t like this! Velvet has never gone this long while using that power! The last time she did this, she almost…!’ As Velvet stared at Broly, she was too in the moment to realise that she was taking much deeper breaths than before. That and the glow around her body began to flicker. Broly however, did notice the change. But the mare was not backing down. Making him wonder why she’s carrying on. Despite her legs starting to wobble, Velvet decided to charge in regardless. Trying to carry on by mental motivation. ‘Please. More! I want to carry on! I want… to…!’ But as she got within a few feet of the Saiyan, Velvet let out a sudden gasp of shock. She felt as though her body suddenly weighed like a tone of bricks. The faint aura around her body faded away as heavy fatigue kicked in. With no strength left to support her, her legs began to give way. The mare’s vision blurred as her run turned into a stumble. She would’ve crashed to the floor if not for Broly rushing up to catch her. The anthro pony’s body went limp in seconds. “Velvet!!” Magnolia cried out as she rushed up to the fallen mare. By the time she reached her, the Earth Pony was unconscious. After minutes of calming down, Velvet was laid to rest on her back. Having fallen into a deep slumber. Knelling beside her was the concerned Magnolia. And standing above the two was Broly. Eyeing the slumbering anthro mare in curiosity. But his attention moved over to the Pegasus as she let out a heavy sigh. “I always knew that this would happen one day. She went on too long and burned herself out.” Broly raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Magnolia knew of Velvet’s hidden power. Seeing that me may find out the answer to his newfound questions, the Saiyan made his inquiry. “You knew that she could do that?” Seeing that the Saiyan was talking to her, Magnolia quickly glanced up at the towering alien. She could see that he was truly curious. From seeing his reactions back in the mock battle, she knew that he would want answers. So rather dragging it on, the anthro Pegasus began to talk. “I guess you want to know everything?” She glanced back at the sleeping Velvet. Thinking of the best way to tell the story. As she did, Broly crouched down beside her. Magnolia then began to talk. “You see, me and Velvet go way back. We’ve known each other since we were kids. And all that time, she always had this… special gift. A hidden power within her that makes her strong. And we never knew what it was.” She paused as she began to think back to Broly’s battle with Lord Slug. Remembering the similar glow the Saiyan had. She was surprised when Broly spoke up. Revealing what the glow was called. “You mean her ki?” Magnolia snapped her head to look at Broly in shock. Only to then stutter from realising how close she was to the alien. Blushing in surprise. “Wh-What was that? K-Ki?” Broly then explained himself. “It’s the energy that’s inside every living being. All creatures have it. Some more than others. Enough to use it for many things.” The surprised Magnolia looked down at the slumbering Velvet in realisation. “So that glow is… her life energy? And you can use it to make you stronger?” As he looked at the sleeping mare, Broly made one thing clear. “I’m still new here. But she’s the first of your kind that I met who can use ki. I didn’t think that would happen.” Broly was speaking the honest truth. Because of the lack of power from the anthro ponies, as well as some using magic as an alternative, the Saiyan didn’t think the race of ponies were physically capable of using ki. So to see Velvet using such power threw him off-guard. As she kept looking at the slumbering mare, Magnolia continued her story. Smiling as she began to remember. “It was actually how I first met her. Once when I was little, I was attacked by Diamond Dogs. Then suddenly, she came and fought them off. Her body had that very glow. She even told me that it was the first time she felt such power. And we became best friends ever since.” Her thoughts then traversed to other events during their royal guard career. “She saved me that day. And it was because of her that I decided to make myself better. So I won’t be so helpless again. After training camp, we both became members of the royal guard. And because of her gift, Velvet was able to make great strides among the ranks. So she’s highly regarded around here. Though, I still think using it in mock battles is kind of like cheating.” She then became concerned. “But she only ever used it in short bursts. Never longer than a minute. This is the first time she ever used it for so long. I guess fighting you is the first time she ever had such an experience. Which was why she wanted to keep going.” As she glanced over to Broly, Magnolia was surprised to see that the Saiyan was staring straight at her. As if he was looking within her. She let out a whimper of surprise in response. “Wh-What is it!?” Broly then revealed what peaked his interest. “You two were friends… when you were little?” Magnolia was a little startled by how intrigued Broly was being. It was as if the notion of being friends from a young age was new to him. She then explained herself. “Y-Yeah. Velvet and I are childhood friends. We even call each other by nicknames. I call her Velv for short. And she calls me Mags.” “You’re close?” Despite the question asked, Broly’s tone showed that the question was aimed at himself. The Saiyan thinking back through his past. But he found only one answer. He never had a childhood friend. After all, he spent a lot of his early life on the run. The only resemblance to his childhood he could think of was Goku. But he didn’t count. He absolutely hated him. Despite the large gaps in his memory, Broly knew the truth. Which wouldn’t change even if he got all his memories back. Magnolia could see that Broly was lost in thought. Guessing that he was reflecting, she spoke up. “You… don’t have a childhood friend?” Despite glancing away, Broly answered in a surprisingly sombre tone. “No. I don’t.” Those words tugged Magnolia’s heartstrings. Feeling sympathy for the alien. Her mind began to form questions. Why didn’t he have any friends? Was he all alone? Did something happen? Did he do something? All sorts of questions entered her psyche. The fact itself surprised her. Broly was more complex than she initially thought. Broly then looked at her with a response. “You’re very lucky to have one.” Magnolia flinched from the unexpected compliment. Despite being the weaker of the two, Broly praised her for something that he didn’t have. She looked at him in surprise. “Broly,” She uttered. A small blush of flattery forming in her cheeks. However, a small groan from the slowly awakening Velvet gained the attention of the pair. Broly and Magnolia turned to see the weary anthro Earth Pony sitting up while rubbing her head to sooth a painful headache. “Uuurgh. My head. What happened?” Rising back to his full height, Broly answered back. “You ran out of ki. Your body couldn’t carry on.” Velvet let out a heavy sigh in acceptance. “So that’s what happens when I go overboard.” Her eyes snapped wide open when she realised something. “Wait!? What do you mean, ki? What’s that?” As she stood back up, Magnolia shared the information Broly gave her. “You know that special gift you always had? It turns out to be your own life energy. Apparently, it’s called ki.” “Really? So it’s not some magic spell? Or curse?” Velvet replied. Amazed to discover that the source of her gift truly was within her. And not some theory the other guards thought up with. Velvet then glanced up at Broly. Her expression while still in awe, but her voice showed a hint of annoyance. “You can do that too, right? How come you didn’t use it in our fight?” But when Broly revealed the reason why, his tone showed that he meant every word. “I had to hold back for your sake. If I used any more power, you wouldn’t survive.” Both Velvet and Magnolia were startled at how bluntly honest Broly was. Meaning that a fight with him would be a death sentence. For the Pegasus, she understood fully. Having already seen him against Lord Slug up close. For the Earth Pony, she already knew that she couldn’t beat the Saiyan. But she never realised by how much. “Wow. Well, that’s a fact. I mean, the idea of trying against the princesses is one thing, but you really are in a whole other league.” But as Velvet seemed content with her statement, Broly had some news for her. “That’s not true. You’re stronger than them.” The two mares looked at the tall Saiyan in a mixture of shock and disbelief. The Earth Pony rising up on her feet in complete surprise. Almost startling Broly. “What was that!?” Magnolia uttered. Followed by Velvet. “Y-You mean at that moment, I’m stronger than both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!?” “Only by a little,” Broly answered. Velvet was awestricken. She knew that she was strong when using ki, but to think that she surpassed the Alicorn Sisters. Who were regarded as the most powerful magic casters in Equestria. “Wow. Guess that makes me the strongest pony in the world,” Velvet sheepishly said as she rubbed the back of her head. But she then frowned a little. “But still, our battle was amazing. Wished it lasted longer.” Magnolia however, disagreed. “Maybe some other time. But we need to get to our posts soon.” As the two mares conversed, Broly looked over to Velvet with a curious gaze. There was something about her that he had just noticed. Something that surprised him. Velvet began to notice Broly’s pause as he looked at her. “W-What is it?” She asked. Broly then gave his reason for his silent stare. “You used up a lot of energy. But you have recovered very quickly. That… doesn’t usually happen.” The two mares looked perplexed by the fact given to them. “You mean… it usually takes much longer for one to recover?” Magnolia asked. A nod from Broly confirmed her suspicions. Velvet looked down at her hands in confusion. “I mean… I feel tired. But I’m up on my feet.” She then looked at Broly with a puzzled, yet almost fearful expression. “What does this mean?” As Broly looked at her, mentally feeling out her energy, he began to ponder. “I don’t know. But… maybe…” As he wondered, an idea formed in his head. Something similar to what he did to Rainbow Dash the day before. He wasn’t sure if the intended thought would even work, but it was the only solution he could think of. And wanted to put it to practice. “W-What is it?” Velvet asked. Curious as to what was going through the Saiyan’s mind. Deciding to go with the idea, he took a step forward towards Velvet and placed his right hand on her left shoulder. The Earth Pony mare let out a quiet whimper from the weight of the alien’s hand resting on her shoulder. As well as blushing from the sudden physical contact upon her. “Wha…What are you doing?” She nervously asked. Both she and Magnolia questioning Broly’s actions. But upon looking at the Saiyan, the two could see that he had his eyes shut. To which then he replied. “I’m trying to sense your centre.” The answer confused the two mares. “My… centre?” Velvet asked. But out of the two, Magnolia was the one who was on the right track. “Wait. I think he means where your ki comes from within you. Like a core.” When Broly answered, he surprised the anthro Pegasus by revealing she was right. “Yes.” Knowing what Broly was doing, the two mares fell silent as they watched Broly. The tall Saiyan clenched his closed eyes as he concentrated more. Mentally feeling the essence of Velvet’s very being. In the alien’s mind, he could see streams of light in the darkness. Which were traces of energy within the guardsmare. As he dug deeper, he found it. Velvet’s core. A bright ball of light shining brightly. It was like what he felt when sensing Rainbow Dash’s energy. But much stronger. “I found it.” The two mares silently gasped from what Broly said. But then wondered what was going to happen next. “Well, what going to ha…!” Velvet paused her speech when to her surprise, Broly’s body suddenly emitted a white glow of ki. Very similar to her own. Then it got larger. The smooth ripples of energy grew more jagged. Unseen by the naked eye, Broly was about to make contact with Velvet’s core. Mesmerized by Broly’s glow, Velvet was not prepared for what came next. The glowing energy she was seeing, suddenly engulfed her! She loudly gasped from the sudden feeling. But feeling the massive rush of energy all at once caused her to yell very loudly. But the yells were not of pain and agony. The yells were of something else entirely.