Blooming Talent

by Griffin Productions

Here's an Idea

After eating an amazingly good breakfast, Apple Bloom, Goku, Gohan, and Goten took a short hike out to a field. The training they were planning for today was to have a few quick sparring matches to see how Apple Bloom held up in battle against different opponents. She was thankful and relieved that Vegeta would not be joining them.

As they walked, Apple Bloom had started chatting with Goten. She had found out he was a couple years younger than her; sixteen years old to be exact. She had also found out little things like the fact he loved racing games, and that he was really good at dodgeball. She also learned that the young half-saiyan had a crush on someone from his school, and her ears had involuntarily shrank back at that.

She still managed to enjoy the trip, though. For one thing, even if Goten did have a crush, it wasn't a relationship. There was still a good chance for something. She was a bit confused as to why she suddenly thought of Goten this way. She had only just met him this morning, and the only thing he had done to her was pet her and scratch her ear.

Something Applejack had said to her once randomly came to mind.

"Just cuz a stallion can make ya feel good by touchin' ya, don't mean he can be good to ya."

But Goten wasn't a stallion. He was a totally different species, and that made things even more confusing for the poor mare. Not to mention she doubted that that was the "touching" Applejack had meant. All she knew was she seemed to have developed an instant crush on the young man.

"Ok, guys," Goku called over his shoulder, dropping his pack. "we're here!"

Apple Bloom looked around. It was a wide open field full of lush green grass which moved gently in the slight breeze. The sun shone down from above, making the morning dew glisten like diamonds embedded in the ground.

Gohan and Goten followed their dad's example as Goku began to warm up with some stretching. Apple Bloom assumed she should do the same, and tried following Goku as much as she could with her pony body.

However, she kept glancing over at Goten without being able to help it. The half-saiyan was just about finished lumbering up, and stood up, ready to train a few seconds later.

The group huddled together as Goku began to speak.

"Ok, guys," he began. "today, we are gonna see how Apple Bloom does against different styles of different opponents. Since she's still pretty new, I suggest she fights you first, Goten."

Goten nodded, and Apple Bloom started.

"Are..are ya sure I can't start with..with Gohan, maybe?" She asked.

"Nope." Goku said, oblivious to her predicament. "Goten is the least strong out of us three, so we have to start you from the bottom of the ladder."

She sighed, and looked down a bit. Of course it'd be her luck she'd have to try and hit that handsome face.

She looked up, and gasped, a blush coming across her muzzle one more. Goten had removed his shirt, and his muscular torso was now exposed for all to see. She had read in one of Twilight's books that humans (or half-saiyans in this case) normally wore clothes because in their culture it was unacceptable to walk around naked. Why Goten had suddenly removed his top article of clothing boggled her a bit. What boggled her more was why she was suddenly so entranced by the foreign male musculature. She didn't bother to figure it out, she only knew she liked it.

"Why...why did y'all take your shirt off..?" She asked meekly, her blush growing.

Goten looked confused. "I just didn't wanna ruin my favorite shirt while sparring, that's all."

"You should have worn your gi like we said, Goten." Gohan chided from the sidelines, sitting cross-legged next to his father.

"Yeah..." Apple Bloom agreed. "It's....distracting..."

Goku waved at her. "Don't worry, Apple Bloom. Don't be intimidated by his size, Goten won't hurt you."

The young Goten nodded to confirm. "I'll be gentle, don't worry."

She felt her face get hot. She then shook her head, and prepared to fight. "Don't...don't take it too easy on me." She said, a bit of her stubbornness returning to her.

It wasn't the fact she was scared to get hurt. It was the fact she might not be able to focus enough to spar correctly. But she decided sh would do her best.

Goten made the first move, and charged forward, throwing his arm out in a punching motion towards her. She hopped out of it's trajectory, and struck at his side. The half-saiyan blocked her strike with his other arm; catching her hoof in the palm of that hand.

He then twisted it, but she was prepared as she flipped around with the torque of the move, and grabbed at his head with her hind legs. She threw her weight back, and arched so she would land on her belly while Goten was to be flipped forward onto his back. But he put his feet down first, and the two made a bridge.

She released him, rolling forward, and leaping back to turn into a kick, which Goten sidestepped. He grasped her kicking leg with one hand, and pushed against her chest with the other, pushing her towards the ground. She impacted, but had managed to grab his head in her forelegs, and drag him down with her.

He caught himself with his hands before his head hit the ground, and then flipped forward, dropping into another fighting stance. Apple Bloom recovered, and did the same. They charged, and the two exchanged blocked blow after blocked blow; their limbs moving in rhythm with each other as if...

"Does that...look more like a dance to you, dad?" Gohan questioned.

"Yeah." Goku agreed, a bit of bewilderment on his face. "It's so graceful and well timed. It's like they're one person."

The two concluded their session when they clashed elbows; the legs they had used to land on intertwining with each other.

They looked at each other, smiling and panting slightly. Now that Apple Bloom was on her hind legs and not moving, she was eye level with Goten. He had a look of pure childlike excitement in his eyes. It was an invigorating thing to see in his innocent soul. She never wanted to look away.

She must've been leaning into him or something, because he backed up a bit and held her back. "Hey, don't lose your balance now." He laughed.

She blushed deep red as she realized she had been moving herself closer to him in that stance. She was glad that he only thought she was falling over.

Goku looked thoughtful. He then looked over at Gohan, and the two nodded.

"Ok, Apple Bloom," Gohan said, standing up and tightening his waist sash. "now you get to face me."

The fight between them had not been as graceful. Her moves were a bit clumsy, and did not sync up well to Gohan's. Her spar with Goku was over in seconds, as she was even more uncoordinated against him.

After a long day of training, Goku called everyone around for lunch. As they ate, Goku turned to Apple Bloom.

"So, I've been watching how you fight, and the match with Goten aside, I've come to one conclusion."

Apple Bloom swallowed her mouthful of rice. "What's that?"

"You aren't gonna be able to train with us effectively because of your body." Goku told her.

She looked shocked, then crestfallen. "But why?"

"Well," Goku began to explain. "you're biggest weakness that I can see is your lack of hands."

He held his up and moved his fingers for emphasis. "Since the majority of people on this planet, or this version of it, have hands and fingers. Without those, you kinda have a big disadvantage."

She looked down at her front hooves in disappointment.

"Another thing is that your center of gravity is off from ours. Your pony body's center of gravity is too high for you to stand on your hind legs without moving for more than a few seconds. In some fights, you have to watch your opponent, or try to fake him out, and unfortunately, you would be unable to, because to attack, you have to rear up, and that makes it obvious, whereas for us, we can strike at anytime, because we can stand on two legs for...well, as long as we want or need to."

"You're right, Goku." She said. "I...I guess I wasn't cut out to be--"

"Hey now," Gohan interrupted her, looking up from his meal. "Don't give up on us yet. We have a way we can fix this."

She seemed confused. "How can y'all "fix" me to be like you? That seems a might impossible."

"The Dragon Balls." Gohan answered.

"Dragon Balls?" Apple Bloom queried, interested.

"The Dragon Balls are seven magical orbs that when collected together can summon the eternal dragon and grant any wish you desire as long as it is within Shenron's power." Gohan explained.

"And trust us," Goten added. "getting you a body meant for fighting is well within Shenron's power."

Apple Bloom was both excited, and a bit scared at this idea.

"So your plan is to wish for me to be a human? To make me...not me anymore?"

"Well, no." Goku said. "That would be mean and a bit unjustified. However, we can wish for you become part human. What do they call it..?"

"Anthropomorphic." Gohan said.

"Yeah, that!" Goku said, snapping his fingers. "We can have you become part human, but keep most of the things that make you a pony. You'll still be you, just improved."

"I...I don't know about this..." She mused.

"You can think about it tonight, Apple Bloom." Gohan said. "Tomorrow, when you've had some time to think, come talk to us."

She nodded thankfully to him, and looked down at her food. She didn't feel much like eating anything now.

Comments

[Voltaje]

Wiudn't it be better if they wish for appleblom to control when she becomes human or pony at will, make her an anthro doesn't sound convincing.

[Griffin Productions]

5718598 Perhaps, but I toyed around with the idea in my head a bit, and to be honest, I haven't actually decided on if she should be able to or not. We'll see how things go :)

[Philosophysics]

Welcome to the Saiyan Family!

Where we summon Shenlong every other birthday for our kids!

[HB_DS2013]

I think I liked it better when Apple Bloom is able to switch between human and pony form while she's in THIS part of the multiverse.

[Fluffy-Boi]

Please... Make Super Saiyan Apple Bloom!

[p0nypanda]

5718781
I think you mean the Z-Force family!

[TH3C001]

Goku waved at her. "Don't worry, Apple Bloom. Don't be intimidated by his size, Goten won't hurt you."

Lol, oh Goku, if only you knew what she really meant by his shirtlessness being distracting!

[Ink Sword]

Goten- Um, Applebloom, I need an adult.
Applebloom- I am an adult.

[Artimis whooves]

"Just cuz a stallion can make ya feel good by touchin' ya, don't mean he can be good to ya."