Luna's entire body burned as she lay on whatever hard surface she had found herself on; it felt like stone, but her nerves were so frayed she couldn't tell for sure. For all she knew, she could laying in a spike pit, bleeding out slowly and not even know. She had been an absolute fool for doing such a rash thing as amping her Kaioken up again. She'd had the bigot right where she wanted him, and somehow had thought increasing the risk of her Kaioken was a good idea. If Tia (Celestia) was still alive, she was going to kill Luna.
Speaking of her older sister, Luna realized she didn't hear anything; no battle, no blasts...she thought she may have gone deaf, but discarded this train of thought as the wind began to pick up audibly. Her hearing was still intact, and her body as still unmoving. Sapphic must have really tossed her for a loop.
That was all she could hear for what seemed like hours to the helpless alicorn; wind. No other sound permeated the thick blanket of silence that was enveloping her. She began to feel a little scared.
"H-hello?" She managed, her voice cracking from the dryness of her throat. "C-can...anyone hear..me?"
There was still nothing but silence as her words did not even seem to echo. Perhaps she was not being loud enough; that was a first.
She breathed in as much as she could without hurting her chest, and gave a louder cry.
"Please, can..someone help..?"
Once again, no words were spoken in return. The princess of the night started to give up hope that anyone was nearby to assist her, and closed her eyes as the wind picked up again.
As she lay there a few ore minutes, about to fall into unconsciousness, the unmistakable sound of hooves clopping against rock were heard. The hoofsteps were getting closer, and Luna tried to turn her head to see who was making them, but her body still would not respond. She desperately hoped the pony was friendly.
"Princess Luna?" A rather dull and monotone female voice seemed to drone out. "What are you doing out here?"
* * *
Goten and Apple Bloom stood like soldiers before Goku, as if he were a drill instructor about to give them a smoking. The only thing that made it not so was the fact all three were smiling.
"Here in a few minutes, you two are going to walk out that door, and go back to the land of the living." Goku explained. "Remember that there has only been one day that has passed there, so it might get a little disorienting."
The two nodded an affirmative before Goten put on a quizzical look and raised his hand.
"Uh, dad?" He spoke up. "If I'm still dead, how the heck am I gonna go back to Earth?"
"Very good observation, Goten, but I'll explain in a minute." Goku replied as his son put down his hand, placing it in Apple Bloom's.
The mighty saiyan reached into one of the drawers in the room, and pulled two very beautiful earrings. They were long and had blue colored orbs on the end of the chains. Apple Bloom, not being one for jewelry usually, was still amazed at how beautiful something so simple could look. Just looking at them made her think of Sweetie Belle as a sad smile came across her face.
"These," Goku started again. "are potara earrings. They allow two people with any difference in power level or height or even species to fuse into one very powerful being. Vegeta and I once used a pair of these when the evil Majin Buu as still around."
He examined them for a second before continuing.
"But this pair is different than the one Vegeta and I used. The earrings that we had were a permanent fusion, and we were only able to separate because of Majin Buu's magic cancelling out the kai magic in the earrings. These earrings aren't permanent, though. Unlike the fusion dance way of fusing, which has a maximum of thirty minutes, this type of fusion isn't time based. The way these work is if either or both of them are removed or destroyed, the fusion will end, and you two will become yourselves again."
Apple Bloom looked awestruck. She was going to become one single being with Goten? She wondered very curiously how that was going to feel, and how it was going to be. Would se not be in control of herself..or...themselves...or...
"Goku?" She asked him before her mind knotted itself. "When we fuse, what's it gonna be like...you said we'd become ourselves again when the earrings aren't being worn, but is that implying we won't be ourselves while we're fused together?"
Instead of Goku answering, Goten piped up, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"When we fuse, we'll become a whole new being with it's own mind and consciousness. It'll be like we're in a lucid dream; both of us will be in control, but not in control. I guess it's hard to explain. The point is, it's going to be what we would be as one person. We'll still be us, but we'll be the new being also." He tried to say.
This didn't make her head stop hurting anymore, but she decided the details weren't important right now.
"So...how do we fuse..?" She asked, a bit nervous.
Goku gave one earring to each of them before explaining the procedure. "One of you wears one on your right ear, and the other will wear one on their left ear. Once both earrings have a host, you'll be pulled together and smashed like a pair of molecules."
"Smashed..?"
Goku realized his choice in words was not that assuring. "We'll, yes, but it's painless...mostly."
Apple Bloom swallowed slightly. She stared down at the beautiful ear piece as if it were a holy relic she wasn't sure she should use.
"And to answer your question, Goten; since only one of you two fusees are dead, the new being you create will be a live one. He or she will not have the restrictions dead people like us have, and that will allow her or him a.k.a., you and Apple Bloom, to both go back to Earth and to Equestria." Goku finished, pointing casually at his youngest son.
Goten nodded, not even hesitating to put his earring on his right ear.
Apple Bloom still hesitated; she knew it wouldn't be permanent, but she was still afraid of the unknown. She'd always been adventurous, but what would she become when she and her lover were one being? How would she act? What would she talk like? Would she even be remotely close to what she would be right now?
Goten placed a hand on her shoulder; the half-saiyan's touch calming her nerves a bit. As he looked into her big amber eyes, he smiled, taking the earring from her outstretched palm.
"Would you like me to do it?" He asked as softly as he could.
She nodded, knowing she probably wouldn't on her own. He moved to the clip it to her perked up left ear, but she stopped him suddenly. He looked at her confused, and seemed to non-verbally ask what was the matter. She looked him back in his beautiful eyes, and said one thing.
"Just in case...will you...will you kiss me while you do it..?"
Goten chuckled a bit, but nodded, and as the two locked lips in a passionate kiss, the half-saiyan clipped the other ear piece onto his lover, and a faint light seemed to glow round them. They did not break he lip lock; not even for a second as the earrings' power forced them together like magnets. They were plastered against each other, and in ere moments, a brilliant white light engulfed the pair, and as it faded, Goku smiled at the new form that stood there, looking curiously at her hands.
She was toned, but her skin still held the feminine qualities of Apple Bloom's, and that was probably due to the yellow fur that still covered her body, though not as thickly as before. Her long black hair draped behind her to her waist, and her bangs framed her ponyfied facial features beautifully; making her glistening brown eyes pop. Her ears, which the potara objects were affixed to, flicked as if shooing of non-existent flies. She wore an orange t-shirt,and tight blue jeans that seemed to hug her slender yet muscled form. The new creature; surprisingly still very anthropomorphic in looks, continued to examine her body with curiosity while her long black tail swished from side to side.
The biggest difference Goku noticed though was that she actually had feet rather than hooves. At least physically that was what stood out to him; what truly caught his attention was her enormous power level. He sensed both Apple Bloom and Goten's powers within the new creature, and together, it was a trueforce to be reckoned with. He almost wanted to have a quick sparring match against her, but knew it was not the time.
"What do you think?" He asked the female being as she whirled around gracefully to look at him.
"So this is fusion, huh?" She asked him, both Apple Bloom's and Goten's voices talking at once, with Apple Bloom's being the more prominent.
The saiyan nodded, and motioned for her to try a few moves in this new body. The potara warrior did not hesitate, and began to ick and strike at the air around her. Her smile grew ever wider as she realized how easily her attacks transitioned into each other; it was a combination of Goten's and Apple Bloom's fighting styles, and it was a near seamless concoction.
"Hot damn!" She exclaimed, rather happily as she returned to a standing stance. "No way Sapphic stands a chance against me! I'll kick him all the way from Canterlot to Saddle Arabia and back again!"
"I hope you do just that, uh..." Goku hesitated. "What is your name?"
The beautiful creature seemed to just now be realizing she was nameless. This look of realization turned to a concentrating one as she thought of what to call herself.
"Let's see...Apple Bloom and Goten...guess I'll call myself...Appleten." She said. "Yeah; Appleten! Call me Appleten, Goku."
"Well, Appleten," He said, giving a good-bye wave. "This is where we part. I'll be watching you from Otherworld once King Yemma's multiverse cable stops acting up. Good luck!"
"Thanks, dad." She said. "I'll make you proud."
Goku laughed at her calling him dad; it was fitting for both fusees. One as his son, the other may very well be his daughter-in-law someday.
Placing two fingers to his forehead, he vanished with one final wave.
Appleten stood, staring at the wooden door that would lead her to Earth, and to whoever Goku had waiting for her outside. She took a deep breath, and reached for the doorknob.