"Hey, Goten." Goku called out to his son as the three completed the days training.
The half-saiyan turned to his father with a look of 'what's up?' on his face.
"Could you head back to the Earth entrance ahead of me and Apple Bloom?" He told Goten. "Get the bath ready to go, and pick something for dinner. Don't wanna waste any time before we pack it in for the day."
Apple Bloom looked over to Goku confused as Goten nodded and began to fly over to the only structure in the white void of nothingness that was the Time Chamber. If Goku was that adamant about time, he could just use Instant Transmission to get them all back to the Earth entrance in less than a second. Was something up?
Uh-oh, she thought; was he going to say something about Goten to her? Was he making his son fly off so he could chastise her without interruption? No, maybe she had just messed something up during training today. That had to be it; he probably just didn't want her to be embarrassed in front of Goten. Not that she would've been, at least she didn't think s--
"So," Goku started. "about you and Goten..."
Oh, horseapples, it was about that. She flinched a bit when she heard the words come from the saiyan's mouth, and braced herself for whatever he was going to say. Surely he was going to tell her to not seduce his son, or not to try anything or he'd make her sorry. Maybe he was going to yell as loud as he could for her to stay away from him like that; maybe--
"I think you're mind is making up excuses to not tell him."
That quote was not harsh, and in fact carried a kindness in the tone that Apple Bloom had not been ready for. She turned towards him, and saw silly smile on Goku's lips as he looked at her sympathetically. He wasn't mad at all, it seemed. quite the contrary, he seemed rather happy.
"What...what do you mean?" Apple Bloom asked, finally finding her voice.
"I mean, you're thinking too hard about your feelings and way too hard about how others will view them."
"Huh?"
"I know you have a big crush on my son." Goku said, the smile not even wavering. "But I also know you keep holding yourself back. The insecurity radiates off you at times, and I see how you look all worried at me when I leave you two back in your bed."
Apple Bloom blushed very slightly; she had thought her looks had not been that obvious.
"Apple Bloom, even if I did disapprove of you wanting to be with Goten, which I don't by the way, it shouldn't matter in the end. Your feelings are yours, and yours alone; no one can make you feel a certain way. No one can force you not to love someone that you clearly are lost in. If you feel you have to do something, don't let what others think hinder you from doing it. Don't let your irrational fears stop you from achieving something that could be the best thing in your life."
Apple Bloom couldn't help but feel a big smile of relief cross her face at Goku's words. He understood, and she'd never said anything to him about it. He sure was good at people reading. Or maybe she was just obvious, like Applejack had said; she decided it was the latter.
"But he's still a bit younger than I am..." She said, just remembering the fact now.
Goku chuckled. "He may be younger, but he's old enough to know what he's doing, and I trust him as a young man to make his own decisions."
"So, you're sayin'...I should...go for it..?"
"Of course you should go for it." The saiyan nodded. "I can't guarantee that he will feel the same, but between you and me..."
He leaned down to whisper in Apple Bloom's perked up ears. "I think there's a good chance."
Her heart just about did a backflip in her chest at those words; the thought of her and Goten actually, really, truly being together was enough to make her flustered. She giggled slightly as she suddenly thought of Rarity and Sweetie Belle doing something similar. She controlled her elevated heart rate, and regained her tough gal composure. Tonight was the night she was finally going to admi her feelings to Goten. She hoped...if she didn't "Scootaloo out."
* * *
Discord crashed once again against Sapphic in the air; the changeling's blows were becoming more and more hurtful to the god of chaos as the fight continued on. Discord had tried various silly things from making the ground come up and try to eat Sapphic, to making literal knock-knock jokes out of doors that hadn't been destroyed yet. Everything he tried only made Sapphic stronger, and that was definitely not good.
Discord remained outwardly composed, however; putting up his air of amusement and general randomness.
"You know, Discord," The self-proclaimed king began. "I have had a question I've just been dying to ask you this entire fight."
"Oh? And what question would that be?"
There was a short pause as a malicious smile creeped it's way onto Sapphic's zombie-like features. "Why are you still holding back?"
Discord's heart skipped a beat before returning to normal. How could Sapphic know he wasn't going full power?
"Judging by how outstandingly large your power level is, I think I know why, but I'd like to hear your take." Sapphic added, coyly.
So that was how; he could sense power levels just as Discord himself could.
"Maybe I'm bored, and just want the fight o go o a bit longer." He tried, popping a newspaper and a lawn chair into existence, acting no more interested in things than a snail.
Sapphic wasn't buying it, and chuckled darkly. "You truly are a trickster, but you're starting to lose your touch."
Discord made the new items vanish once more, and looked straight at the changeling biped, a bit of fear working it's way down his spine as the tension rose.
"Come now, Discord;" He said, spreading his arms wide as if waiting for an embrace. "you surely know that as each attak hits, whether blocked or not, I get stronger. The only way to beat me is to go full boar right now and obliterate me. Hit me with everything, and end the nightmare."
The draconequis grunted, ad hesitated before doing anything at all. Seeing this, Sapphic raised an eyebrow, his cocky grin never fading.
"What's the matter? Why can't you do it? Are you afraid that your awesome power won't be enough to stop me? Are you afraid that I, King Sapphic of the changelings, has become more powerful than even you; the God of Chaos?"
Discord knew what he was trying to do; he was trying to goad him into hitting him with his full magical abilities. Sapphic would perish, yes, but so would all of Equestria with him as Discord's chaos magic would irreversibly unravel the reality of this dimension. He wanted Discord to destroy everything for him.
It was true, though; Discord could not beat Sapphic unless he unleashed all of his unimaginable power right now. If he waited much longer, Sapphic wouldn't even be brought down by that. It was now or never, in a quite literal sense.
Raising his arms skyward, Discord started to charge up an attack; the energy being given off was awe inspiring to say the least. He started to sweat as he saw the tyrant's smile grow ever wider at the sight of the massive purple and crazy fluctuating ball above Discord.
All hehad to do was throw it; throw the ball and it would all be over...all of it..
He raised his arms back as if to toss it, but once again, hesitated.
"I--I'm sorry..." He muttered to himself; his thoughts flashing with images of his pony friends.
He couldn't do it. With a snap, the huge energy sphere disappeared and Discord floated there, his head hung rather low. His eyes shot open when he heard Sapphic's sickly sweet voice from behind him.
"I knew you couldn't do it, Discord." He chuckled. "You've forgotten how to be ruthless; how to do things that need to be done. That's what ties to other ponies gets you..."
He felt the rise in energy and turned around to see the changeling prince holding a small sphere of bright ki energy in his left hand.
"...dead."
Sapphic pushed the ball into Discord's body, and instantly, glowing cracks of energy appeared all over the god's slender form; he looked like he was breaking out of his stone prison he had once been trapped in, but this time, his flesh was the stone. He let out one last painful howl and exploded into glittering dust. Sapphic laughed amused as each dust particle turned to an orchid in full bloom one it hit the ground.
Even in death, the draconequis was still doing nonsensical things. He landed on the ground and burned all of the newly born flowers away with single blast. His changeling brothers and sisters cheered as they celebrated his win over Discord. He bowed as if in a theater play in front of them.
"Only one stop remains, my siblings!" He rallied, taking to the air once more. "First, Canterlot; tomorrow, all of Equestria!"