//------------------------------// // Equestria's Worst First Impression Part 3 // Story: Vegeta's Stay in Ponyville // by GoodKnight //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash's courage faded as she zoomed through the streets of Ponyville. Her determined expression at the farm had given way to her inner terror. For a good while, the rainbow pegasus had been doing everthing she knew of to get rid of this unwanted tailgater. She tried double-backing, loop-de-loops, and even barrel-rolls! Nothing had seemed to have given her any more space between herself and the monster. She could feel the creature swatting at her tail trying to get a grip. She swooped left down an alleyway. Vegeta felt the tail slip from his grasp for the umpteenth time that day. He would NOT let this creature -female or not!- live any longer. His rage seethed as he arced upward into the sky, following the rainbow streak below. He smiled inwardly. He arced downward picking up speed. Rainbow was oblivious to the intense divebomber. Vegeta was so close, he could reach out and stradle her wings. SPLAT! Vegeta rolled in the air skidding cross the ground on his feet. His vision was obstructed by something that smelled of cherry. "No one hurts Dashie!" a shrill voice cried out. His ki flared, and the object flew off. He was expecting to see blood, or the guts of some pest that he charged into. Instead, landing on the ground beside him was something that closely resembled bloody entrails. He would've been happy, if it weren't for the object lying with it. It was round, shiny and slightly dented. The smell of cherry still hung in the air as his anger was redirected at cognitive processing. "Sweet smelling insides... metal thingy... " he thought briefly. This engaging and surprisingly intellectual problem solving was cut short by a loud, agitating, and very familiar laugh. "Hehehe~! You look funny!" Vegeta turned. Fun fact about the saiyan known as Vegeta: The phrase "seeing red" does not apply to him. In truth, saiyans in general don't really associate the two. Being driven by the love of battle, they would naturally love the color or as close to love as an average saiyan can get, which is cold indifference. Vegeta also shares this notion. So, what hue did the saiyan see when something drove him so far off the edge, you may ask? Pink. Why? It was for many reasons. One of were due to an incident regarding the duration and aftermath of Majin Buu. While fighting Kid Buu, Vegeta was both enraged and extremely happy. Happy because he was fighting past his physical limit. Saiyans love the thought of getting stronger and beating ever-stronger opponents. What enraged him was that he was losing. What made it worse was the fact that the opponent he was being beaten by was pink. Not just pink, though. That blob was the pinkest pink that Vegeta ever had the pain of seeing. It was also because of this color that the lower class saiyan warrior, Kakarot a.k.a. Goku, had made the promise to an old alien that in exchange for his life, the elder would get to kiss or possibly touch Vegeta's wife. That color sommewhat indirectly caused the promise to be made in the first place. It was Kakarot's fault for doing the deed, but it was also the fault of that pink slime. When Vegeta turned, his raged easily doubled what it once was. He could kill the rainbow later. Right now, he was concentrated on the pinkest of pinks he ever saw. It was made worse by the obnoxious laugh. It was worse than Buu's. Something within Vegeta wrenched itself free of supressed memories and emotions. He couldn't describe the feeling. It was as if his anger did that Kai-o-karma move that Kakarot did. With this newfound burst of rage, he shot forth with a tightly balled fist. -=-=-=- Pinkie Pie, local baker and unofficial welcome commitee of Ponyville, was bouncing along as in her usual spirits. She was somewhat hindered by her inner sixth sense this morning. She woke up with jiggly hooves. It was unusual and also a new warning. She had never had jiggly hooves before, which meant she had better be on her guard. So far, though, nothing had happened. She was nearly finished with her work for the day. She only had one last delivery to make today. A Cherry Pie with whipped topping. Suddenly, her hooves felt jiggly again. Looking all around, she saw a small dot with rainbows streaming out. She was about to call out to her friend, before she saw the face her friend had. Above that, a golden beam of light was heading straight for her. Processing at supercomputer level speeds, she knew exactly what to do. The party pony pulled out a pink megaphone from nothing and shouted, "EVERYPONY! CLEAR THE WAY!! JIGGLY HOOVES!!!" The street immediately cleared as everypony shut their windows and deadbolted the doors. Funny how the crazy pony had more power over the townsfolk than the Mayor did, but the universe worked in mysterious and crazy ways sometimes. Then, took the pie in hoof and silently apologized to Rain Drops. She would bake a pie later. Reacting on pure comedic timing that she practiced everyday, she felt the dessert slide free from her grasp. It landed perfectly on target with the golden light. She issued a verbal threat to the- "Ohmygosh!" This thing... was the funniest thing she had ever seen! It reminded her of an "Eighth World Wonder" or an "Unexplainable Phenomenon." She found it funny, mostly because she couldn't explain it. She couldn't contain herself not to laugh. Her back left ankle began to itch, an immediate signal that something was going to hit her. She quickly and deftly dodged. In all honesty, she had been in a few fights before. Some ponies just couldn't hold thier cider and being sugar crazed definately didn't slow her down. She had some experience in combat, but nothing to practice. Vegeta stood stunned for a second before throwing a left hook. Again, Pinkie ducked. Vegeta did an undercut sweep with his leg. Pinkie bounced in the air. The angry saiyan clenched his teeth and began a barrage of near-invisible strikes. The pink pony giggled, easily keeping up with him. Vegeta ended it with one furious blow heading straight for what he assumed to be it's throat. Pinkie hopped back giddily. Vegeta was fuming and concentrated. It wasn't easy being overwhelmed by sheer anger, but he managed to form a small and erratic orb of charged ki. Pinkie "ooh"ed in curious fascination. "Let's see it get out of the way of this!" he thought. He pulled back his arm, savoring the stupidity of his opponent.He hated seeing a foe that couldn't match his wit, but when it came to pink he would gladly make the exception. His concentration was lost when he felt himself pushed. He was about to right himself, when he saw the familiar backside of an orange- Applejack bucked the creature with all her might, or what was left of it. She had just made it into town when Dash told her that Pinkie had him distracted, but wouldn't for long. Running off after her friend she came upon the scene of two oddities; one with a light brighter than the sun it its claw, the other staring right at it. Dash flew up and had knocked the thing as hard as she could into her hoping that Applejack could take care of the rest. The farm ponies' back hooves went numb once more as she turned to watch the golden creature spin in mid fall and land on the other side of the street. Her flank flopped to the ground in defeat. She thought it impossible to ever break her, but this creature, whatever it was, had done it. She sat up watching as Dash hovered in front of them. She would've gotten back up to help, but she couldn't. Applejack was strong, but she also knew her limits. She couldn't move, even if she wanted to. The only thing she could do, was hope that Dash could finish it off and that a miracle would transpire. Rainbow Dash shook the dullness out of her hooves. Her courage and focus for the preservation of her friends now resonating wildly in her soul. She shot a glare at the creature on the other side. Vegeta stood up from his crouched position as the dust cleared. His aura danced wildly tossing up small debris away from him. Wind whipped around him as the earth cracked slightly beneath his feet. The cool emerald-azure eyes met with crimson from afar. The two silently exchanged glances. Behind Rainbow Dash, Pinkie helped Aj to a standing position, concern mounting to both her and Dashie. Vegeta's eyes never diverged from the burning crimson. Dash stared down the saiyan's steely gaze. The air between them seemed to throw sparks, neither side giving an inch to the other. Then, in the same moment, the two shot at each other. Dash flapped in well-reheresed repetition, with one hoof outstretched, while the other was coiled. Vegeta made a glunge forward both fists tightened and to his left and right. Both clenched their teeth and growled. This was it. The final battle. Nothing could stop- "STOP!!!" yelled a purple unicorn jumping into the middle. Rainbow snapped out of her drive and pulled up first. Vegeta never skipped a beat and proceded after her. He made it a few feet into the air, when he found himself stop. He tried forcing himself upward, but quickly foiund himself unable to. His body moved without his consent into a standing position, if he were on the ground. He struggled entirely in vain. He was completely immobilized. His fatigue washing over him, and anger driven Super Saiyan power spent. Fluttershy knew who to go to in this situation, and admittedly should've gone to it in the first place. With any luck, the pony she was running to would have the exact answer to her predicament. Twilight would help her... ...that is, if she wasn't too busy. She rushed through town moving past her normal speeds, ignoring all the odd looks as she made her way to the library. She landed on her back hooves, forlegs raised in full-on panic mode. Then, with all the gentleness of a newborn kitten knocked thrice upon the threshold awaiting for somepony to answer it. She stood in well-practiced patience. A few moments passed and the drake known as Spike answered it. "Hey, Fluttershy," he greeted with a wave of his claw. "Hello, Spike. Can I see Twilight?" she answered shyly. "Sure. Come on in." Spike ushered in the once panicked mare to Twilight hunched over a table. "Twilight, Fluttershy's here!" Spike called leaving the two alone. Twilight turned from her studies. "Hey Fluttershy," she said levitating some books into their appropriate shelves. "What do you need?" "Am I interrupting something?" she asked timidly, looking at the papers strewn about. "No, you're fine. What's up?" Twilight asked. "Well..." she began. "There's this creature I found outside my house, and... it's nothing like any animal I've ever seen before." Twilight raised a brow at this, mildly intrigued. "It walks on two legs, has hair sticking straight up and of it's head," she said getting braver. " and also has a tail like a monkey's, but it isn't and-and it tore it off-but that's not the most surprising thing! It can talk- no wait, it can fly, Twilight and it wears clothes and... and..." Fluttershy ranted. She soon shrunk under the confused gaze of the lavender mare. "Why don't you start from the beginning," Twilight suggested, clearing away all other papers on the table. "Um... o-okay..." Fluttershy sat back and began to unwind her tale of how she came across the creature. Twilight listened, and as the story went on, she stopped Fluttershy only once to retrieve a quill, inkwell, and parchment. The two sat there for a few mintues before Fluttershy ended it. "Has... no regard... for... tail," Twilight said as she wrote down the last bit of information Fluttershy had given her. She turned to the yellow pegasus across from her. "I think we have enough info for some research." Twilight's horn lit up with a soft glow as books floated and opened around her. Her eyes skimmed the pages for anything that might possibly be the creature. Flutterhsy waited as her friend worked. All too soon, though, the books began to reshelve themselves again. As Twilight skimmed the last book, she sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy," she apologized. The pegasus across from her fell a bit. "Oh... It's okay... I mean, you did your best right?" "Yeah, but even with all the information you gave me," she said shaking her head. "Is there anyhting you left out?" "Well..." Fluttershy pondered. "Let's see... I fed my animals, then Rainbow Dash came over-" Fluttershy mentally kicked herself as she gasped in absolute shock. "Oh no!" "what? What's wrong?" Twilight asked watching her friend float upward. "Oh no, Oh no, Oh no!" she repeated. "I-I left to go get help and- and I was sidetracked with-with research and-" "Spit it out, Fluttershy!" Twilight said grabbing the mare by the head and bringing her gaze to hers. "I left to get help because Rainbow Dash is being chased by the creature!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "WHAT?!" Twilight shouted letting go of Fluttershy's face. She began to pace around. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?!" "I-I'm sorry! I was in a hurry, and the tail and Angel..." she trailed off on the verge of sobbing. Twilight stopped and went to comfort her friend. "It's okay Fluttershy! I forgive you," Twilight soothed. "Now's not the time for crying. Right now, we need to find those two!" Fluttershy calmed down, silently agreeing. Suddenly, as if some strange plot device was being abused by a lazy author in this incredibly convenient and climactic scenario, a rainbow flashed past Twilight's window. The two mares took it in before bolting toward the door. Twilight emerged first out the door looking in all directions, followed quickly by Fluttershy doing the same. "Do you see them?" Twilight asked. "Over there!" Fluttershy pointed towards a town intersection where a flash of gold light flew past in a small arc. Twilight saw and sprinted. "C'mon!" she called, hoping that Dash hasn't done anything to hurt the creature and vice versa. The two made it to the end. Twilight glanced both ways down the street and did the only thing she could think of. "STOP!!!" she shouted. Twilight scrutinized the creature held in her magical grasp. It was as Fluttershy described it, but nothing like the lavender unicorn had imagined it to look like. It struggled in her grasp, but she had him perfectly under control. Her friends gathered together watching the creature closely. "It's alright everypony," she assured. "I've got it." She turned to her three friends. "Now, can somepony tell me what's going on?" The ponies exchanged unsure glances. "Well?" "Well," Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground, her eyes glaring at the creature. "This thing was chasing after me from Fluttershy's cottage." Twilight gestured her to go on. "And, well, I tried to escape, but it was too fast," Rainbow admitted begrudgingly. "I did a sonic rainboom and even then, I couldn't shake it!" Twilight's eyes widened in shock. "And Ah saw it," Applejack chimed in. "Ah saw it hunting after Rainbow, and assumed the worst," she said. Applejack explained what happened at Sweet Apple Acres. She was actually quitehorrified and increasingly curious of this creature. Then, once AJ's story ended, Pinkie Pie went into a long-winded explanation of her encounter with the saiyan that was half-relevent and half Pinkie Pie relevent. Twilight was rubbing her head by the end. Vegeta didn't try to attempt reasoning it out mostly because he didn't care. "...and that's why snakes don't have wings," Pinkie finished. Rainbow and Applejack stared at their pink friend with a mixture of confusion and concern. Turning back to Twilight, Applejack said, "Ah think Ah speak for most of us when Ah say that this thing is a danger to us all." "Um... girls?" Fluttershy squeaked. "I don't think it's dangerous," Pinkie stated. "Girls?" "Pinkie," Rainbow Dash started. "He tried to hit you! How can you say he is anything but dangerous?!" "Girls." "Maybe it's just having a bad day." "Girls!" Fluttershy shouted. All eyes turned to her, making her shrink back. "Oh, um... I just wanted to say something that we missed." "Missed?" Twilight echoed. "Yes," Fluttershy said hiding behind her mane. "I think that, um... all this happened..." Fluttershy swallowed. "because... because you," She said pointing a hoof at Rainbow. "Kinda, sort'a, maybe, hurt it." "WHAT?!" Rainbow dash subconsciously hovered a few feet off the ground. "I didn't hurt-" "You said it looked like a shaved monkey from the circus," Fluttershy interrupted looking at Rainbow with saddness. "and then threw a rock at it." All eyes traced to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. "I... Well..." "RAINBOW DASH!!" Applejack scolded. "Dashie! That's not how you make friends," Pinkie said. "Ya'll mean ta tell me that you were bein' chased 'cause you taunted it like that?!" Applejack hollered, her stetson shifted backward a bit. "HEY!" Rainbow shouted over her friend. "I think we all have forgotten that this monster tried to KILL all of us?!!" Soon the orange and cyan ponies were in an extreme shouting match with each other. If Vegeta could roll his eyes, he would've. "EVERYPONY QUIET!" Twilight declared. The two friends stopped immediately. Even Vegeta's attention was caught by the purple unicorn's outburst. "Both sides are at fault. It doesn't matter who did what first or the actions they took after that." Twilight looked to each of her friends before ending with a sideways glance to Vegeta. "What matters now is that we accept the responsability of our actions we have caused and move on," Twilight finished. Her friend's moods changed for the better. They reflected on Twilight's words of wisdom, knowing it to be true. They all agreed silently with their friend. Pinkie was the first to speak up first. "I'm sorry for hitting you with a pie!" "I'm sorry too," Applejack apologized readjusting her stetson. Rainbow sat back, crossing her forelegs. Her eyes were shut and her expression was stubborn. Applejack nudged her friend. "What?" "C'mon now. Say you're sorry," Applejack said with a bemused stare. "Oh fine." Dash sighed and mumbled through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry." The ponies waited expectantly for the creature's response to this. What they did not know was that he was trying to escape. It took Vegeta some time to figure out that struggling was not working. He relaxed himself as his mind wracked itself. The saiyan, after stewing in his own thoughts he came across a familiar feeling. He felt a faint and strange tingling sensation over every inch of his body. The feeling itself was faintly remenisccent of something he had felt before. It was so familiar... Then he remembered. Magic. It was magic. He felt it once before in a less than happy memory. It was back during the Buu incident. He felt Babidi's evil magic assault his mind. It had started with a tingling sensation. His mind searched for answer. The last time he tried resisting magic... it didn't end well. He did remember resisting it and it was a little bit lesser than his last encounter with the stuff. He would've tried if it weren't for these midget horses distracting and disrupting his concentration. His attention shifted to each one that talked. Over the course of events they all began staring at him. He saw the look in their eyes. "You've got to be joking..." the saiyan thought. Vegeta had been insulted, in many ways that day, and they had driven him over the edge. This time though, he would draw the line. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he would apologize. Then, anger bubbled to the surface once more as he realized the fact they the purple one was not only lecturing the others, but him as well. Yet another strike to his pride and honor. His mind clicked. All was silent. Taking this chance, he began resisting the magic encompassing him. Twilight had given the creature the ability to move his eyes and mouth back. She, along with the rest of her friends awaited the creatures apology. She still had her magical grasp She was absolutely confident that she could handle it. She even had a failproof spell ontop of her stasis hold. There was definately no possible explanation for the creature to escape. Vegeta didn't need one. All he needed was to escape, and he did. Twilight Sparkle first felt a little disturbance in the flow of magic, but then after a while it grew. It was a constant disturbance that grew in size. She still wasn't worried. She still had her failproof- The sound of glass shattering resonated in the air. Twilight fell hard against the ground as Vegeta slowly ascended.It felt as though somepony had bucked her in the chest. Fluttershy and Pinkie rushed to aid their fallen friend. Applejack stood stalwartly in front of Twilight as Rainbow Dash regained her warrior-like stare. Vegeta stared down his less-than-worthy adversaries. The thin blue veil had reappeared. He raised an open palm as a blue sphere of ki appeared. Twilight looked up at the strange light brightened. Vegeta had all the right to end their existence. They insulted his pride countless times. He had enough strength to do it. He had all the power to do so. ...but he couldn't He could not bring himself to end it. As much as he wanted to just let loose the balled up tension inside him, he could not. Vegeta lingered in this position as his mind went to work. After some seconds passed, he made some startling revelations. For one, he was tired. He was really, really tired. The saiyan couldn't recall a time he felt this drained, physically and mentally. He also remembered his original plan. He could fly. He had no further desire to stay here. At the same time, he looked into the eyes of each pony as he mulled over his decision. His gaze ended on the yellow one. The ball of energy grew in size, and then disappeared in a clenched fist. The ponies below watched as the creature shut it's intense eyes and crossed it's arms. "Hmph," he grunted. "Not even worth my time." Vegeta then soared off into the endless blue sky. "WHAT?!" Rainbow exclaimed in insulted rage. She nearly shot off after it. She was halted by Applejack who held the pegasus to the ground by her tail. Pinkie Pie made sure that Twilight was alright.Twilight tried to convince the pink mare that she was okay while at the same time mentally preparing a letter to Celestia. Fluttershy stared at the empty space that Vegeta once occupied. She took a few steps toward it, as if the creature was still there. "Maybe," she thought. "Maybe... maybe Pinkie was right. Maybe it-" She paused, reflecting on the creature as a breeze passed. "Maybe he was just having a bad day."