Blooming Talent

by Griffin Productions

"Time To Play The Game"

Octavia lay awake in the center of the cold and damp dungeon as she soothed the last of the now orphan foals to sleep. Even though the armor smith, who she found out was named Steel Toe, had booby trapped Sapphic's armor, what were the chances he was going to activate the weapons in the suit to start the countdown? If he had something he wanted done, he would just most likely send some of his changeling drones to do the deed for him. Now that he had conquered Equestria, there was little plausible reason for him to do anything at all.

She sighed deeply and rested her weary head on her hooves as she laid down and got ready to sleep. It was pointless to worry or even think anymore; afterall, they were ever getting out of this place...

A sudden series of vibrations startled her back into waking; what was this now? Was it an earthquake? Judging by the nature of the shaking in recent ties, she figured that that could not be it. Something else was happening. Was a fight breaking out? Had something exploded?

The rumbles felt like they were getting closer and increasing in intensity. If this was indeed an explosion, she feared it may very soon engulf the entire dungeon and fry them all alive.

As she went to stand, the ground beneath her suddenly burst open, and she was forced to jump back so as to not fall into the new hole that had suddenly opened up. The rest of the ponies looked on, not sure what was happening due to being half-asleep. They all perked up when a gray earth pony emerged from the hole. They all were snapped back to full awakening when Princess Luna herself emerged next, and they all gave a loud cheer, which the alicorn princess quickly shushed with urgency.

"Fear not, loyal subjects," She spoke in a hushed tone. "we have come to liberate thee from your captivity."

"Princess Luna..." Octavia breathed, not believing the sight she was seeing. "I..we...we thought you had died.."

Luna smiled slightly. "Lucky for me that your thoughts do not dictate reality, then."

The cellist did a double take when she saw none other than another pony she thought had been killed pop out of the hole in spectacular fashion. "Pinkie Pie!"

"That's me!" The party pony perkily pronounced.

Wait, what? Pronounced? Why did I write...Pinkie...please stop messing with my keys...their bad enough as it is...let's stay in character shall we?

"Oops, sorry." Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Sorry for what?" Octavia questioned the out of the blue statement.

Pinkie Pie just shrugged and smiled, making the gray earth pony cellist shake her head in confusion. She returned her attention to the princess of the night, deciding that was a more important focus point.

"We're grateful for your rescue, your highness, but--"

She stopped, looking down at her hooves in some kind of shame.

"What is it, subject?" Luna asked.

"It's...it's just that you couldn't stop Sapphic even with Princess Celestia...and now she's gone...what can you alone do against him even if we do get out of here?" Octavia said, trying to hold eye contact.

Luna frowned deeply at the confirmation of her sister's passing, but she snapped out of the grief. There would be time to mourn later.

"I will not be the one who faces the tyrant this time." She answered, regaining composure. "We have allies that are...admittedly far stronger than I or my elder sister."

How in the world was that possible, thought Octavia. Luna and Celestia were goddesses; what could be more powerful than that aside from the evil king?

While Octavia pondered this, Pinkie Pie trotted over to the still shivering and twitching Twilight Sparkle in the corner, who seemed tonot even be aware of what was going on.

"Twilight..?" Pinkie tried. "It's me...Pinkie Pie..."

The lavender alicorn did not even seem to hear her friend, and just continued to twitch and dart her eyes in ever direction they could go. She was broken; traumatized and looked beyond help.

The party pony tried not to cry as she hugged one of her best friends tightly; this became increasingly hard when Twilight would not even move to hug her back, or even escape her embrace. She just...lay there and took it.

"Pinkie Pie." Maud called to her younger sister from across the room. "Time for your part of the plan."

Pinkie sniffled and nodded to her sister, but gave Twilight one last mournful look before zipping out of the dungeon; bashing down the door with her head.

* * *

A loud boom was the only thing Sapphic heard as the castle started to slightly shake. This was followed by another, even closer boom, and then the farther away one went off again. Multiple explosions in different places? Impossible for one pony...and that meant--

His train of thought was cut off as he sensed three large power levels approaching his throne room, and another large one somewhere in the lower levels.

"Drones!" HE ordered, standing hastily. "I want as many able bodied changelings as you can get to get down to the dungeon level right now! Stop the intruder there!"

His siblings took off in the desired direction as ordered, and the king himself began to run towards the massive doors that led to the outside. He would deal with this right now.

Before he reached the door, he was kicked in the side of the head suddenly, and pushed back a fewfeet by the force. Thanks to his death's head, he hadn't really felt it, but was angered greatly it had hit him. When he turned to see his intruder, he gaped when he saw--

"Piccolo?!"

The namekian floated just in front of the tyrant; his large white cape draping behind him as he smirked down at the usurper.

"Hey there, Prince Sapphic." He said with a cocky tone. "I see you got some new duds. Very nice; almost makes up for your lack of durability without it."

"This armor will do more than make up for that, namekian!" Sapphic shouted. "How did you even get here? I destroyed the seven star ball!"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because if you don't I'll just beat it out of you!"

"Good luck with that. You'll never catchme to do so." Piccolo laughed as he flew up through the sky light in the main hall, prompting a goaded Sapphic to take flight after him. As the changeling king exited the castle and chased the namekian into the sky, he was suddenly kicked away again from his left side. Before he could regain composure, he was knocked up by another assailant, and then smashed downward by the very namekian he had been chasing not a second before.

He fell a ways, and regained his stance before he made contact with the empty Canterlot streets. He looked up to see who else had crashed his party and saw Vegeta's son Trunks, and an unknown anthropomorph hovering above. Not one, but two of his enemies had followed him to Equestria somehow, and wherever the anthro had come from was a mystery as well. Her ki felt slightly familiar, but he didn't feel now was the time to analyze it further.

"I see you brought some friends, Piccolo." He shouted up at his assailants. "What's the matter? Can't take me on your own?"

Piccolo smirked and scoffed at the attempted bait. "It doesn't matter whether I can or not. The point of the situation is I have two extra sets of hands to help me beat the tar out of you for what you've done to these innocent ponies."

"You're here to save the ponies?" Sapphic questioned. "What are they to you?"

"They're living beings that deserve a chance to live a normal life without you screwing it all up!"

"Hate to burst your heroic bubble, Piccolo, but I've already killed half of this places' population!" He cackled. "I'd say their lives have already ended, and on such a pathetic note as we--"

He was suddenly struck and sent flying several yards down the street. He hit the cobblestone and bounced and skidded several times before being able to stop himself.

He looked to see what had just hit him, and not even inches in front of him was the anthro. She stared down at him with a rage present in her eyes he hadn't seen before. Whoever she was, she was pissed about something, and planned to take it out on him.

He leaped back to gain some distance as Piccolo and Trunks landed beside the mysterious fighter.

"Be careful and control your anger, Appleten." Piccolo told her in a warning tone. "Just a little longer, and you can let it all out, but for now, you have to control yourself."

Control herself? Was the namekian putting a figurative on the anthro? Why? Was he doing it to mock him, or just play mind games with him? He looked at the one he had called Appleten, and sensed for her power level. She had a very impressive on, yes, but not enough to beat him like Piccolo been implying. He was trying to puff her up to be more than she was and intimidate him. That had to be it.

"So you wanna play games, eh, Piccolo?" He finally said. "Fine. We'll play a game. But let me tell you something; I'm the type of game you just don't want to play."

Comments

[ace_attorneyfan800]

The second I saw the title thought this:

[Philosophysics]

Over enlarged dickiness has just reached maximum dickiness capacity. Dickiness capacity is now filtering over into evil bad guy cliched to make it easier for protaganists to kill.

Dickiness is still dicky however.

[ponylover2]

next chapters please

[Griffin Productions]

5854179 That's exactly what I named it after XD The King of Kings, The Game, The Cerebral Assassin >:)

[HB_DS2013]

Looks like Appleten knows how to restrain her power level.

[Fictional Fanatic]

Good chapter, like always.

[SRXwarrior]

I wouldn't be surprised if Appleten taps into Goten's Super Saiyan transformation, just for Sapphic.

[Cloud Dreamer]

5855112 For now. Once it breaks, all hell will break lose and I am looking forward to that.

[HB_DS2013]

I've also been wondering this, but since Sapphic is Bardock's son, is he able to tap into the SS transformation?

[Griffin Productions]

5858292 It was stated in an earlier chapter that because of his changeling heritage he does not have the ability to go Super Saiyan

[Artimis whooves]

Appleten...
add an I to it
sound familiar?

[DC Slayer1]

5991714 I dont get it...

[Chrome Masquerade]

5854179
Beat me to it by miles.