Interlude: Returning Home
Beerus and the others waited for the time to pass as they headed to Universe 13, though he was allowing Goku and Vegeta to remember the last time they had come to this universe, which was when they watched Rainbow and Applejack dueled Sunset with all their might. That thought made him wonder just how much stronger the God of Destruction for the now official universe had gotten since he last saw her, since she had been strong enough to battle him to a draw, though at the same time they all knew that this visit was merely to help the girls move in before they finally said their goodbyes for now. He and the others were silent because of that fact, considering everything they did for the girls over the years, but they had regained their memories and gained the strength to stand on their own, meaning that if Sunset asked them to aid her with something they would have the power to complete their tasks... though something told Beerus that Sunset might just tackle the task on her own, instead of calling for assistance.
As he thought about that he had to wonder if Sunset had fought Tirek and had destroyed him already, since it appeared that she was focusing on something that wasn't the centaur, but he guessed that he might ask her about that while he and the others were visiting... especially since he and Whis were sure that this Tirek was a danger to all of the universes while he was alive, since he could drain the power of the gods.
"I wonder how the other residents of Ponyville have adapted to their new bodies," Vegeta eventually said, referring to what happened the last time they visited Equus, where Rainbow and Applejack had come from, before he turned towards the rest of the group, "you know, since none of them have the experience our friends have in the bodies that they have been using since we first met each other."
"Well, if Twilight and Celestia were able to adapt within four years, the others might have done the same within the last year," Applejack said, though at the same time Rainbow nodded her head, indicating that she agreed with her, before they stared out of the bubble they were in and looked at the planets that were passing them by, "at the very least they, along with Sunset, have likely taught the others how to use their new bodies. What I'm interested in is if there are other villages, towns, or even cities that have allowed the transformation process to be done on them, like Canterlot or the Crystal Empire."
"A lot could have changed in the last year." Rainbow stated, though as she spoke she thought about Scootaloo, as she was curious as to how the young girl had managed to learn the ability to fly, since she had no idea how much time Sunset, Celestia, or even Twilight spent on Equus since Pinkie returned, "There's no telling what's awaits us when we return home, or who for that matter."
"You think another pony might have come home already?" Shin asked, because if that was the case then he was sure that it would have been mentioned while they were talking to Celestia, though he knew that the girls were hoping that one of their missing friends had come home while they were gone.
"It's always a possibility," Rainbow replied, as there were at least nine other ponies that had stepped through that mirror and had been displaced to whatever world they had been sent to, with the only other pony to have returned being Pinkie Pie at the moment, "but we won't know until we get to Equus, and then head down into Ponyville."
Beerus already knew that such a thing hadn't happened, otherwise they would have gotten a call like they did some time ago, back when Pinkie and her group returned from the planet that she had been sent to, but that didn't mean that the others might not come back. From what he knew, as they were told this the last time they visited Sunset, Discord, the being behind all of this, was searching for the planets that all of the others had been sent to and was trying to retrieve them before something terrible happened to them. He also knew that a few of them, namely Chrysalis and Sombra for that matter, must have been enemies of Twilight and her friends in the past, but since they were worried about them that told him that they were more interested in saving them than letting them suffer in whatever reality they were sent to. He guessed that the thought process behind this was that if ponies could change the world around them, or the people around them, than the world might change the pony, given the right circumstances.
Another thought he had was that if any of the displaced ponies were dangerous, like if they had tried to topple a government or something in the past, he was sure that they would have been plucked from the world they had been sent to, but since this was Sunset's business he wasn't going to tell her how to run her universe.
From that point forward any major conversation was merely small questions that were immediately answered, though for the most part the group remained silent as they finally passed through the barriers between universes and entered Universe 13. From there they traveled by all the planets that were inside Sunset's universe, wondering which ones she had been sent to on her own adventure, or wondering which ones the other ponies had been sent to when they stepped through the mirror. Even if they managed to find a planet that contained one of the other ponies, however, they couldn't stop and rescue them, since that would go against the fact that they had to wait for Discord's spells to wear off, as removing them earlier might cause permanent damage to them. Still, Beerus and the others found it enjoyable to simply fly through space and point out all the planets they had flown by earlier, either remaining silent or making a light statement about the planet in question.
It wasn't long before they reached Equus, to which Whis slowed them down and carefully maneuvered them through the atmosphere, though at the same time Rainbow and the others got back onto their hooves, and feet, as they stared down at the planet they were approaching. A few minutes passed before they broke through the atmosphere and descended to where Ponyville was resting, though as they draw closer to the town Beerus noticed that every pony he and the others could see were definitely using their new anthro forms, complete with new clothing for them to wear. The casual clothing that they were wearing reminded him of the people he had seen in West City over the years, when they weren't busy with work, and guessed that these ponies were appreciating a new lifestyle thanks to the transformation process they went through a year ago. One thing they all noticed was that the guards, now wearing what appeared to be a lightened version of their old armor so they didn't sacrifice their speed, glance up at them for a few seconds before returning to their posts.
Beerus suspected that some ponies had gained the power to sense ki, or had learned it from someone during the last year, but he decided that asking that particular question would have to wait for another time, as they finally came to a stop in front of the crystal castle... where Whis released the bubble and let them all touch the ground at last.
"Excuse me," Beerus said, causing the guards to stare down at him and his group for a moment, though what he liked about it was that they weren't hostile glances that they were being given, "but could one of you tell Lady Sunset, Lady Celestia, Lady Twilight, or whoever is available that Rainbow and Applejack, along with their family and best friends, have arrived at last?"
"Certainly sir," one of the guards, definitely a male by the voice, said, before he opened the door behind him and walked into the castle, leaving his partner to guard the front door while he went to deliver the message.
Beerus noted that the guards that were in front of Twilight's castle, at least the ones in front of them at the moment, must have been pegasi before their transformation, as he didn't see a horn on their heads and their armor looked light enough that Rainbow might be able to wear it and still be considered the fastest mortal in the universe. He would have guessed that they might have been earth ponies, but the armor made him think differently, though he kept his mouth shut about that as the door opened once more. Sure enough the guard that had taken his message inside the castle had come out, though he was followed by Twilight, who smiled when she laid eyes on Rainbow and Applejack once more, since it had been some time since she last saw them.
"Rainbow, Applejack, it's good to see you two again," Twilight said, though that was before she remembered who was accompanying the girls, as she immediately turned towards Beerus and bowed to him, "Lord Beerus, my apologies for not speaking to you first."
"It's fine Twilight," Beerus replied, causing the young Kaioshin to raise her head once more, though at the same time the guards seemed to relax a little, making him wonder if they knew about the Gods of Destruction or if they were simply getting ready to intervene before he said what he said, "I fully expected you to start talking with them immediately, especially since they were your friends before they were my daughters. How have things been going for you and Sunset?"
"They've been... okay." Twilight answered, though at the same time she beckoned for the group to follow her into the castle, which they did so the moment she walked back through the doors, to which the guards closed them the moment everyone was inside the castle, "The good news is that more cities and towns have taken to the ascension process, allowing their citizens to become more like us and the rest of Ponyville, with some ponies now realizing that their power is much greater than before. As such Celestia decided that it was time for her to officially move her school out of Canterlot and is in the process of having a new school built between here, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire, one that focuses on learning about this power and gaining some mastery over it. Ponies are learning more about ki and how to use some of the things that Rainbow and Applejack learned while they were growing up... though we haven't seen any of them show signs of unique abilities, like manifesting an elemental affinity."
"Makes sense," Rainbow said, remembering how long it had taken her to realize that she had an elemental affinity and took control of her training so she could master it, "It took both of us some time to understand that we had our own elemental affinities and what we needed to do to unlock those powers, something that Gale is currently going through at the moment. Though if that is the good news, then surely there has to be some bad news that's accompanying it... unless this is one of those instances were there isn't bad news, only good news that's better than the good news."
"The bad news is that we haven't found Tirek yet," a voice said, to which the group noticed that Sunset had been standing in the room that Twilight brought them to, though she was standing in front of a window and was simply staring out at the town around them, before turning back towards the group, "During my travels in Skyrim, back before I became an alicorn, Tirek was known to hide in places were no one would think to look for him, but with the increasing number of ponies that are able to sense ki it's clear that he's not on Equus at all. From what I have been able to determine he hasn't gone back to Nirn, otherwise Akatosh or Kynerath would have told me about him, and he hasn't appeared in the Solana, Bogon, or Polaris Galaxies, so he's somewhere else in the vastness of the universe."
"You'll find him in due time," Celestia commented, to which the group spotted her sitting in a seat with her scepter resting beside her, though at the same time she took a sip from a teacup as the group walked into the room, "Tirek also made mistakes during your visit to Skyrim, so it's only a matter of time until he slips up and does the same thing again, then you can swoop in and punish him accordingly."
"Then I shall continue my search and patiently wait at the same time," Sunset replied, though that was when she sighed and moved away from the window, revealing that she was done with whatever she had been doing over there, before she took a chair near Celestia, "Please, there are more than enough chairs for everyone. You don't need to stand in the doorway anymore."
Beerus nodded as his group carefully spread out and claimed some of the chairs that were in the room, where Twilight took her seat near her fellow gods, before everyone was sitting around the table that happened to be in the middle of where they were all sitting.
"Rainbow, Applejack, as you heard both of your rooms have been made ready for your return," Sunset explained, to which the girls nodded, indicating that they had heard the announcement, though they patiently waited for her to continue before they said anything, "The Apple Family is certainly excited to have you back, Applejack, and I do believe that they might be working with Pinkie for a celebration for you, Rainbow, and even Gale for that matter. Rainbow, your family has been made aware of the fact that you have returned as well, as we finally found them and gave them the news, but it will be some time before they come down and see you."
"I figured as much," Rainbow commented, as she guessed that her Equestrian parents were too busy with work, or whatever they were doing, to come down and see her, but she had something that would eventually encourage them to come down, though that was before something crossed her mind, "Wait, we were told that Scootaloo was the one who had cleaned my house and made sure that it was ready for my eventual return. Who taught her how to use ki and gave her lessons in flying?"
"I did." Twilight said, though a smile appeared on her face for a moment, indicating that the experience had been good for both her and Scootaloo, "Once she went through the ascension process, and took on her new form, she quickly discovered that she had the ability to fly, which she saw as a blessing after not being able to develop her wings in the correct manner that gave a pegasus flight. At first she was sloppy, which all of us were when we first started learning how to fly, but after seeing me fly through the air several times, using ki and no wings, she came up to me one day and asked if I would train her to fly in the way I did. Since Sunset was busy hunting for Tirek, and Celestia was either helping her or making plans for the new school, I decided that I might as well teach her... and, after a month of lessons, she was flying through the air without a care in the world. She's been practicing her skills ever since, trying to even match your skill, Rainbow, though she said that there was something she wanted to show you and that I wasn't supposed to tell you anything about her surprise."
"Well, that will make seeing her again even more exciting," Rainbow said, though at the same time she actually wondered what Scootaloo had to show her, because it had to be amazing if she was asking Twilight to not spill the beans on the specifics.
"And Apple Bloom is the same way at the moment," Twilight added, causing Applejack to raise an eyebrow, as this was the first time she was hearing about this as well, before something crossed Twilight's mind, "Actually, now that I think about it, all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders have developed unique abilities since they went through the ascension process, as even Sweetie Belle has something that she want's to show Rarity... whenever she gets back from the world she was went to."
"Now I'm excited to see what the girls have in store for us," Rainbow commented, though at the same time Applejack nodded, as they were interested in seeing what sort of abilities Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had developed since they went through the transformation process.
"Well, you'll have a chance to see what they have for yourselves," Sunset said, causing the group to look over at her for a moment, to which she pulled herself from her chair and started walking towards the room's entrance, "Last I saw the three little troublemakers were gathering things at a practice range that's halfway between here and Rainbow's house, so we should be able to meet them there and let you see what they have learned."
Beerus had to admit that his interest was more on getting his daughters settled into their old lives, and new life when he thought about Gale, though since it appeared that they were heading in the direction of Rainbow's house he guessed that it worked out alright in the end. Celestia and Twilight were already following after Sunset, to which Beerus and the rest of his group picked themselves out of their chairs and followed after them, where they quickly made their way outside the castle and bid the guards a good day as they walked back out into Ponyville. It gave Rainbow and Applejack a chance to see the ponies they knew from their lives before entering the mirror again, as well as giving Gale the chance to see the ponies that she would come to know quite well since she was going to be living with her sisters. One thing that Beerus and the others noticed that everyone in Ponyville appeared to have taken on the anthro form that seemed to be common now, though that only made him wonder how many of them held powers that were like Rainbow and Applejack's powers... before they gained access to the Avatars anyway.
It wasn't long before the group left Ponyville behind and made their way to the location of the practice range, where they found the Cutie Mark Crusaders setting up some breakable objects, old crates that they likely asked for, pieces of wood that looked like they came from the Everfree Forest, and several items that looked like worn out vases. Each of the crusaders were wearing casual clothing, which meant that they were each wearing a pair of pants and a different colored shirt, as Apple Bloom was wearing a light green shirt, Sweetie Belle was wearing a white and pink stripped shirt, and Scootaloo was going with a dark blue shirt. Beerus was sure that there was someone else in the area, since he could have sworn that he heard the faint sound of music, but he said nothing as his group neared where the crusaders were working at the moment.
"Hey girls!" Twilight called out, her voice causing the crusaders to turn around the instant they heard her speak, to which they all three of them looked happy, despite the fact that Rarity hadn't returned from her adventure yet, "Guess who just got back?"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were quick to respond with both Rainbow's name and Applejack's name, almost instantly Beerus noticed, though at the same time Sweetie Belle called out both of their names, making the group realize that she didn't want to be left out since Rarity wasn't here. That made Beerus wonder if Rarity was even close to finishing her adventure, otherwise it would be some time before she returned home, though he said nothing as Rainbow and Applejack stepped forward.
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom said, throwing her arms around her sister, though at the same time Scootaloo did the same with Rainbow, while Gale, on the other hand, stood beside Sweetie Belle and watched what was going on, "I'm glad that you and Rainbow decided to come back home... you are coming back, right?"
"Yes Apple Bloom," Applejack replied, seeing the look of happiness that appeared on her sister's face, while at the same time knowing the sadness that she, Rainbow, and even Gale would be inflicting on their parents and friends, "the three of us are moving back into Universe 13... back into our old lives, and new life for Gale to be exact. Though Twilight and the others said something about you and Scootaloo wanting to show of what you learned while we were off training with our father... think you can show us what they meant?"
The crusaders nodded and floated into the air, revealing that they all had been taught how to use ki to fly, before they took off and started flying around the area they were in, where the group noticed that they had set up a small course for them to run through before their arrival. Rainbow noticed that while all three of them appeared to be at an equal speed, since they were staying near each other while they flew around the course, Scootaloo clearly had more in her than she was showing, which meant that she might be the fastest of the trio. Another thing that the group discovered was that there were other objects scattered along the course that the girls had created, all looking like they had been thrown out recently, where one of the girls would fire a low level ki blast and blew one object away. Those who knew how to use ki were impressed by their self control, as it was rather easy to go overboard at times, though they watched as the girls finished flying around the course they had created and landed in front of the group... to which the group clapped their hands, showing that they were impressed by their performance.
The girls were clearly happy that everyone thought that they were doing good, especially since they had gotten the basics from Twilight, but at the same time they were far from finished... as Scootaloo separated herself from the others and stared at the items they had been moving before the group arrived. She closed her eyes and focused her mind for a few moments, steadying her energy, before she opened her eyes and held her right hand towards the pile, where the wind gathered before her hand as she loosed wind styled ki blasts at the items in front of her. Rainbow and the others watched as her attacks either left small gashes in the items that they hit, or just tore whatever unfortunate item they hit to pieces, though she stopped a few seconds later, leaving some of the items intact for Apple Bloom.
"She has an elemental affinity?" Gale inquired, to which Scootaloo nodded her head, as she was proud of what she was able to do in a year's worth of training, though at the same time Gale smiled as well, "Sweet, I'm not the only one whose able to use the wind anymore... I'm so going to show you what I have later, because I'm sure that my skills will blow you away."
"She's not the only one to develop an affinity," Twilight said, to which she gestured to the other part of the practice range that had been set up, where the group found another pony girl standing nearby, though it appeared that she wasn't paying attention and was listening to some music, if the headphones were anything to go by, "Here, let me show you exactly what I'm referring to."
The girl, whose skin was a yellowish white colored, happened to be wearing a simple gray colored shirt and a blue pair of shorts, though she was wearing a pair of circular sunglasses that appeared to have been modified to fit her new body, while Beerus and the others noticed that she had cobalt blue colored hair with cyan colored stripes, which were mimicked by her tail. Rainbow and Applejack seemed to know who this girl was, since they were surprised to see her around this area, though they kept their mouths shut as Twilight approached the other girl and tapped her on the shoulder, before making some images appear in the air with her magic. A few seconds later the other girl nodded her head and moved away from where she had been standing, to which she focused on the pile that the crusaders had set up, where the air vibrated around them as some energy gathered around the girl... before she thrust her hand forward and the energy was released, where circular waves of energy, potentially even sound, moved through the air.
What caught everyone's attention, however, was that the ground beneath the waves separated as a gash was carved into the ground in front of the girl, though after a few seconds she stopped channeling her energy and the waves disappeared entirely... to which she returned to the area she had been standing in with a smile on her face.
"No way," Rainbow said, staring at the pony girl for a moment, as she was surprised that this had even happened, but at the same time she was also impressed by the sheer power that the girl possessed, "Vinyl Scratch has an elemental affinity as well? And it's sound based?"
"That's right," Twilight said, as she was happy to see that Rainbow got it, while Applejack nodded her head as well, though at the same time she walked over to Apple Bloom and placed a hand on her shoulder, "We found out about Vinyl's power some time ago, though we're sure that she's only practiced a few times, meaning that she possesses a good amount of power in her... maybe not enough to rival you two, but she's powerful enough that she shouldn't be underestimated if you got into a fight with him. As for Apple Bloom... well, I'll let her show you her power."
Apple Bloom nodded as she separated herself from the group and placed her right hand against the ground for a few seconds, where Applejack felt the earth vibrate for a few seconds before the two sides of the gap moved and sealed itself up, as if it never existed in the first place... though Applejack smiled, as she already knew what affinity her sister had, as it was her own affinity.
"So, you also unlocked an elemental affinity for earth," Applejack commented, though at the same time she smiled as she embraced Apple Bloom for a few seconds, surprising her sister for a moment, before she looked down at her, "just like I did so many years ago. That means I'll have to teach you everything I know about communing with the earth and the potential powers you might be able to wield, with practice I might add."
"You know, Scootaloo has an affinity for wind, and Apple Bloom has an affinity for earth," Rainbow commented, to which she glanced over at Sweetie Belle, who turned away for a moment, as if she was trying to hide something, which only made her seriously consider her thought, "now all we need is for Sweetie to develop her own affinity as well... though something tells me that it might be an affinity for fire."
"Oh come on!" Sweetie declared, disbelief on her face, as if she couldn't believe that Rainbow, of all ponies, managed to guess what sort of elemental affinity she had picked up at the same time as her friends, "How did you know that my elemental affinity was fire?"
"Well, you were trying to hide your affinity since Rarity hasn't come back yet," Rainbow said, though at the same time she rested a hand on Sweetie's shoulder, knowing that everyone would keep that a secret until Rarity returned, "but I remembered that you tended to burn everything you cooked and decided to go with fire... it's just random chance that I actually guessed the correct element."
Sweetie Belle looked at the group for a moment, as if she was considering doing what her friends had done, before she sighed and looked at the wooden crate that was nearby, to which her energy lightly wrapped around her body for a few seconds before she swung her right arm at it and snapped her fingers. An instant later the crate burst into flames and burned for a few moments, where Sweetie moved her hand for a few seconds and the flames responded by mimicking her movements, revealing that she had some control over fire. She continued doing that for a minute, to show off what she was able to do, before she withdrew her power and the flames died down, where the group watched as the only thing that remained was the charred remains of the crate.
"Okay then, the first thing we'll do after we settle into our old homes, and get Gale situated, is start adjusting to our old lives and responsibilities," Applejack said, to which Rainbow and Gale nodded their heads in agreement, indicating that they were thinking the same thing, especially since Gale needed to get used to living in Ponyville before they did anything else, "Then, once we've done that, we'll start showing you how to commune with your elements and teach you how to control the power you now command. Once you have a decent grasp of the basics, which will take a week minimum, we'll see just how strong your connection to your element is... and then maybe one of us will consider helping out at the school that's been built for this sort of thing."
Beerus knew that one of the things that Applejack didn't say was that she, Rainbow, and Gale needed to spend some time with him and the others, before they finally said their goodbyes for the moment, but he knew that his daughters were thinking about that right now. He was also surprised that Goku and Vegeta hadn't said anything yet, but he assumed that they were being respectful for the girls and were waiting for the chance to speak, especially since it would be some time before they saw the girls again.
"Actually, there is one thing we can do before all of that," Sunset commented, though as everyone turned towards her, as they were curious as to what she meant, she turned her head towards Goku for a few seconds, "Son Goku, I saw the look in your eye earlier when you noticed me standing by the window... you wanted to challenge me to a fight the moment you entered that room, didn't you?"
"Y... Yeah." Goku said, as he had been thinking about fighting her at least once before he and the others left Universe 13 for the time being, which made this the best opportunity to test her skill for himself, "How did you know that?"
"I've been getting better at reading people with just a glance," Sunset replied, though at the same time she didn't smile or frown, indicating that she would be happy with whatever decision Goku went with regarding what she had said, "If you wish to challenge me, then I will accept it right now... if not, then we'll continue on, as if I never said anything."
"I'd love to fight you, even if it's only the one time," Goku stated, though as he brought his fists together the rest of his group chuckled, as they knew that he, out of all of them, would be the first to challenge a God of Destruction to a fight, even if that god knew he'd ask the question.
Beerus knew that Goku wasn't stupid, since he had witnessed his own fight with Sunset back during the summit they had attended, which meant that he had a trick in mind that would help him win the fight, but at the same time he wondered what sort of power Sunset commanded, as it appeared that she had gotten stronger since the last time they had seen her fight. He had the feeling that he knew how the fight was going to end, though even as he thought that he knew that Goku would definitely put the pressure on Sunset, but he kept his thoughts to himself as the group laughed, savoring the moment before he, Chronoa, Whis, and Shin went home without the girls. It was going to take some time to get used to the fact that they weren't going to be living in his universe soon, but he'd come and visit when he had time, provided nothing demanded his attention.
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...is it bad I want to have Vinyl as part of the Universe 13 team during the Universal Tournament? I mean, you can't have just given her an elemental affinity for no reason, right?
Oh boy wonder what goku is going to try.
That's our Goku
8820845
Well I hope she gets chosen. Although who else from Sunset’s adventures do we think she would call upon? Personally I can see Chrysalis going Android 17’s route and become the teams MVP.
8821085
Personally? I'm hoping that Lyra and/or Trixie get to participate.
Interesting to note here: This chapter came out shortly after Super's finale was aired. I can't wait for this version's tale of the Tournament of Power, now that I know the final canonical results.
Many fanfics also hinted that Sweetie Belle might has some control over fire because of her cooking achievement.
Next Rarity would comment “Why Rainbow darling? I didn’t know you finally dust off the feathers inside your head.”
How long are you planning on making this story? If you don't mind me asking.
8825417 It's actually almost over... a few more chapters and I'll be finished. If your curious about the Tournament of Power, the final arc of Super, I'll be doing that as well, as a finale story for all of my crossover stories.
8825437
Oh, cool I look forward to reading it. Thanks for answering my question.
Oh god, the Cutie Mark Crusaders have Ki abilities now. Celestia, your Temporal Do-Over power is going to see a LOT of use.
Really more of a pony than antro fan
Ten fighters per team... and a lot of displaced stories, we all see a pattern...