First Encounter

[Planet Vegeta, Third Person]

Seriously injured and struggling, Bardock, one of the greatest Saiyan fighters kept moving after failing to warn his fellow Saiyans of the threat that was approaching their world quickly. He had just witnessed his squad killed by the soldiers of the evil tyrant, Frieza.

Despite knowing it would be futile from the ability he gained from Planet Kanassa, Bardock was determined to try and change the fate of all Saiyans from dying by Frieza's power. However, due to the little chance he knew he would have, he decided that since he couldn't save all of his race, he would make sure to save at least one.

Ignoring the state he was in, Bardock was flying at high speed across the city. "Come on. I gotta hurry. Just please be home."

Bardock soon landed in front of an average Saiyan built house before slamming the door open and calling out to who he was searching for. "Gine! Gine are you here?!"

Shortly after, a female voice responded, "Bardock?"

From what appeared to be the kitchen area, A female Saiyan walked into view. Her height was about to Bardock's chin, she wore black Saiyan armor with a skirt like design. She had short black hair and her tail was wrapped around her waist.

"You're back a little earlier than expec-." Gine stopped speaking the moment she saw the state Bardock was in before running over to him, checking his injuries. "Dear god Bardock! What happened to you?"

Bardock backed Gine away enough to look her in the eyes. "I can't explain. I need you to get off the planet now."

"Wha-what? Why? Is something wrong?"

"It's Frieza. He's coming to wipe us out."

"That... That can't be. We've been working for him for so long. How are you sure about it?"

"There's no time to explain Gine! I went to join the others on a mission... Only to find them dead at the feet of some of Frieza's lackeys."

Gine was horrified at hearing this information. While she was not a real big fighter like most Saiyans, she still held respect to the team she worked with before she became a butcher. "But what about the rest of our people? If we all come together with our power-."

"I tried to warn more but they wouldn't believe me. We're the only ones who know about Frieza's real intentions. I'm going to try and stop him, but if I can't, I'm at least making sure you survive."

"But... But what about Raditz? Or Kakarot?"

Bardock moved to a nearby table and picked up a green lensed scouter. "Raditz will be fine. He's with Vegeta's brat off the planet right now. And Kakarot was sent off-world not long before I got back. That's another reason why I need you to leave. If I can't stop that bastard Frieza, you need to survive so you can find our sons. Time won't let me explain it to you exactly how I know, but Kakarot is going to be needed someday to stop Frieza."

Bardock then handed the scouter to Gine. "And you'll need to find him if or when that time comes."

Gine looked down at the scouter for a few moments before sharing what she knew to be her last kiss and embrace with her mate as tears streamed down her eyes. "I love you Bardock. Please be careful."

Bardock knew the only time he could really show his emotions was around Gine. He returned her embrace, knowing it would be the last time she would see him alive. "I love you too Gine. Now get out of here before Frieza arrives."

(Bold: thoughts)

Gine placed the scouter on her face as she looked to Bardock one last time before they both ran out of the house and took off in different directions. Gine was wiping tears from her eyes as she glanced down at her planet below. 'I promise Bardock. I will find our sons. I won't let you down.'

After flying for a while, Gine soon landed by a hanger of battle pods. She quickly entered one and began activating the controls. "I wish I would've gotten the coordinates to the planet Kakarot was sent to from Bardock. But right now I should just focus on getting off world and worry about that later."

Gine soon finished adjusting the ship's equipment before the door to the pod slowly shut. Soon after the pod launched from the hanger at max speed.

However as she began to enter the atmosphere, she caught sight of Frieza's ship and hundreds of soldiers heading towards the planet. She also witnessed as many of the soldiers were attacked and beaten by Bardock as he blew through most of them. Then right as she was completely off-world, she witnessed as Frieza soon revealed himself and Bardock instantly challenged the evil tyrant. She watched in sorrow as Bardock and Frieza fired their attacks, but Frieza's easily overpowered Bardock's and soon engulfed him and Planet Vegeta not too long after.

Though she was feeling much sorrow and sadness, Gine was not given any time to mourn as she suddenly felt a jolt from her ship. The force of Frieza's attack was enough to strike Gine's ship and send it into a frenzy. She tried to regain control of her ship, but before she could, the ship entered an asteroid field. The ship was struck by multiple space rocks and while trying to prevent it, Gine soon blacked out.

[Meanwhile, on Planet Equis]

Three young fillies were all heading to a through the Everfree Forest to visit their zebra friend's cottage. They were all around the age of 10-11 years old. One of them was an orange-furred Pegasus with a purple mane and tail and her small wings unfurled. She had the same cutie mark of a red, white, and purple striped shield as her two friends with the exception of hers also had a wing on the shield. She wore a dark grey hoodie, some green shorts, and a pair of black boots. Around Ponyville, she was known as Scootaloo.

One of the other fillies was a yellow earth pony with a red mane and tail with a red bow in her hair. Her shield cutie mark had an apple on it. She wore a green short sleeve shirt along with some blue knee shorts and a pair of light orange boots. Applebloom was her name.

The last of the group was a unicorn named Sweetie Belle. Her cutie mark had a star on it. Her mane and tail were a mix of pink and light purple in color. She wore a pink vest over a pink and white striped shirt, a yellow skirt, and pink boots with yellow buckles on them. "It was nice of Zecora to make this formula for you Scootaloo."

"Ah'll say. We're lucky we know a great and friendly zebra-like her."

"Yeah. I just hope it works."

Sweetie Belle put her hand on Scootaloo's shoulder. It turns out the formula Zecora was making for Scootaloo was to help her be able to do what she's wanted more than anything else. To help her wings develop enough to where she can finally be like her honorary sister and idol, Rainbow Dash... And be able to fly.

"Ah wouldn't worry Scootaloo. We know Zecora's the best when it comes to making the best potions to help others. Just keep having faith in her."

"You're right Bloom. I'll be flying somehow one day. And when I do, I'll be as awesome as Rainbow Dash!"

Scootaloo quickly found her friends' hands covering her mouth. She looked to them as they shifted their gazes around them with worried looks. After a couple of seconds, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle sighed in relief before looking to Scootaloo with unamused expressions. "What?"

"Come on Scoots. The only reason our sisters let us go to Zecora's by ourselves was that we promised we'd keep quiet going through the Everfree Forest."

"Rarity was worried to death because she thought that if we got too loud eventually something that isn't wanted might find us."

"Sorry. Guess I got a little too excited."

Soon the three fillies came to their destination and stood at the door of Zecora's hut. Applebloom knocked on the door politely and the three waited a couple of minutes before the door opened to reveal Zecora wearing her usual cloth clothing around her upper body and waist. "Ah hello, girls. Welcome to my home. Though I must ask, did you three come here alone?"

"We sure did Zecora. Applejack thought we'd be okay as long as we didn't make too much noise and stayed on the safe path to here."

"Trust of a family is a good thing. Make sure they did not take a chance in vain."

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "We won't disobey what they told us Zecora. I don't think I'd be able to handle Rarity's worrisome overreaction."

Scootaloo then walked up to Zecora with hopeful eyes. "So you said you finished it... Will it work?"

"We will not be sure until we try. But have faith that it will make you fly high. But first, come into my home. You three must need a little rest after walking here alone."

The girls nodded and followed Zecora into her hut before she closed the door behind them.

However, almost instantly after the door shut, the mare and fillies felt the ground shake and vibrate enough to where they had to support themselves by holding onto nearby tables. And soon after, the quaking stopped as quickly as it began. Applebloom looked to Zecora with a little concern. "Zecora?"

"No need to show alarm. A small earthquake like that will do us no harm. Now young Scootaloo let us begin. So we may see if what you want most, this portion holds within.

As Zecora began getting ready to try the potion on Scootaloo, they were completely unaware that the tremors they felt were the cause of something they never would've expected.

[Other Side of the forest away from Ponyville.]

Many trees and plants were incinerated around what appeared to be a very large and deep crater. In the center was a Saiyan pod with smoke still seeping from it and a few cracks in the window on the ship's entrance. Many animals who had run to the forest to avoid the crash soon began gathering around the crater to see what was inside. They watched as it remained motionless for a while until they noticed a small shake from it. They soon flinched as it moved even more before scurrying away when the ship's door shot off onto the ground from a strong kick.

Soon after, Gine was revealed to be the pilot as she pulled herself out of the seat. She looked around in surprise for some reason. She then gently hovered out of the grater before going back down to the ground on the edge of it.

"Weird. The ship's computer said the nearest planet wouldn't be within reach for another couple of months. It would've been longer considering how much damage the ship took from that asteroid field I was flung into from Frieza's attack. And while even though I must've blacked out before the ship's hypersleep took over, I know I haven't even traveled as long as a day. Hmmm..."

Gine was trying to think of a reasonable explanation before she looked down at her ship. "I wonder..."

Gine then hovered back down to her pod before pressing one of the buttons on her scouter. She then waited as it appeared she was trying to have her scouter scan for something on her pod.

After a few minutes, her eyes went wide as the scouter displayed the results to her. "No way. It... It can't be... Only one way to be sure. Hopefully, the ship's travel footage is still intact."

Gine sat back down in her pod and hit a few switches and a small screen pulled up in front of her. It then began playing what had happened after she had passed out. It began showing her pod being struck by many asteroids until one of them knocked her ship out of the field and towards what Gine knew to be a wormhole in space.

"Just as I was afraid of. My ship was knocked into a wormhole... And judging by my scouter's readings, the wormhole held a temporal distortion... Meaning I've possibly crashed into another world... In another time. Question is if I'm in another time, did I end up in the past or the future."

Gine allowed herself to process what she has learned and soon began to feel a bit worried. But before she let herself panic she took a deep breath to calm down. "Okay. Okay, Gine. Calm down. Before I worry about where that wormhole did, maybe I should focus on where I ended up first. Hopefully, I've landed on a world with intelligent life that might be able to help me with my ship. Maybe even help me find out where and if needed, when I am. Then I can get back to finding out how to find Raditz and Kakarot."

Gine then started hovering into the air again and was about to start scanning for life with her scouter until...

*growl*

Gine stopped instantly and placed her hand down to her stomach. "But maybe I should see if I can find and round up something to eat first. It won't do me any good to get moving on an empty stomach."

"Grrrrr..."

Knowing the second growling was too loud to be her stomach, Gine looked behind her to see a manticore glaring up at her from the ground. It let out a roar as a means to intimidate the new creature it had in its sights. However, Gine remained unfazed as she lowered back down to the ground. "Well, there's a bright side. Wherever I am, there's at least some meat."

After waiting a few moments, the manticore rushed at the Saiyan.

[A few hours later, at Zecora's hut]

It began to get late during the day as the Cutie Mark Crusaders soon walked out of Zecora's hut. Though Scootaloo's excited expression from earlier had been replaced with a hung down face and lowered ears. Unfortunately, like everything else they've tried in the past, Zecora's potion was unable to allow Scootaloo's wings to developed into the flight state. Zecora gave the girls her sympathy along with her word that she will try again in hopes of lifting Scootaloo's spirits back up.

Still, Scootaloo held her sorrowful expression during the girls trip back to Ponyville. Her friends stood by her sides during their walk and soon began trying to cheer up their Pegasus friend with Applebloom speaking first. "Come on Scootaloo. Don't be so down. There's still hope."

"Yeah. She's right. It's like Rarity sometimes says, all you can do is just keeping trying until you get it right."

"What's the point? We've tried so much and nothing's worked. Not doctors, not magic, not even Zecora's potions, which work almost every time we've seen her use them managed to get my wings at least a little developed. Let's face it. I'm never gonna be able to fly... I'm always gonna be seen as the only Pegasus who had never been able to fly!!!"

Scootaloo hunched down onto the ground as she began crying. Her friends got down to comfort their friend. "I had always hoped I would someday be like Rainbow Dash. Become a great flyer, help Ponyville, maybe even have a chance to become a Wonderbolt someday. But now I know my dreams will never happen. And it's all because of these stupid wings!"

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were heartbroken at seeing how sad and torn apart their friend was. However, before either of them could say or do anything, the three fillies began hearing rustling in the forest around them. Scootaloo managed to stop crying as they began trying to find out where exactly the noise was coming from.

Their question was soon answered when, to their horror, they heard growling and looked to their right to spot a pack of large Timberwolves walking out into the open. The alpha wolf looked to three frightened fillies with its fangs bared. Sweetie Belle began to stutter a bit as she finally managed to speak. "G-Girls. I think we need to r-r-r-..."

Applebloom finished her sentence before she could. "RUN!"

The fillies all shot up from the ground and took off running as fast as they could with the Timberwolves following them not long after whiling howling and barking.

"Somepony help us!"

[Back with Gine]

The Saiyan was sitting on the ground as she had finished eating the last of the pears she had picked from nearby trees before tossing the core to rest of the cores and some meatless manticore bones. "Not too bad. Maybe next time I'll see how the meat tastes after being cooked."

Gine then stood up and began stretching a bit before looking to the sky. "It's getting late. Hopefully, I can still see if this world has intelligent life on it." She then activated her scouter again and not much later, it went off. "Three small power levels nearby. And by the looks of it, about five slightly larger ones right on their tails. I have a feeling that's not a good thing."

Gine began thinking of what her next move should be before eventually making up her mind. "Well. No better way to make a good first impression on some of the life on this planet than to save their lives."

Gine then took flight and headed in the direction her scouter was pointing in.

[Back with the fillies]

They had kept running as the pack of Timberwolves continued to chase after them. The girls were doing everything they could to try and lose them by turning wherever they could in their run.

However, soon one turn became was revealed to be the wrong one when the girls found a large rocky hill cutting off their path. They turned around to try and find another way but found the Timberwolves had caught up to them and now had them cornered. The girls watched in fright as the pack slowly advanced towards them until they felt their backs press against the wall.

Fearing the worst, they huddled together and held onto each other as tight as they could. "Girls? I just want y'all to know y'all are the best friends I ever could've wanted."

"Ditto Bloom."

"Me too Applebloom."

The alpha wolf then began to advance faster towards the fillies and pounced towards them right before they shut their eyes tightly, fearing the worst.

However, to their confusion, they never felt the Timberwolf reach them and to make it even more confusing they instead heard a loud yelp come from the animal and what also sounded like a thud. The girls slowly began opening their eyes and were shocked at what they saw.

The alpha wolf was on the ground in front of its pack, getting back to its feet with a sneer. But what really shocked the girls was seeing Gine, who was unknown to the three standing in front of them with her back to them and had her fist out in front of her. Gine retracted her fist before looking to the girls over her shoulder. "You three better get moving. I have a feeling things are about to get ugly."

Despite not knowing who or what she was or where she came from, the girls couldn't help but do as Gine said and took off to nearby cover the forest had. Gine then turned her gaze back to the pack who were starting to surround her with their fangs shown and growling deeply. "I know wolves are usually pretty smart. So let me go ahead and warn you to get running before you do something that won't end well for you."

The wolves simply barked as they began running at her from all directions. "Okay then."

The first wolf to reach her pounced only to have Gine grab it by the snout and toss it into another pouncing Timberwolf. She then swung around and back fisted another Timberwolf to the ground before catching another one from above and throwing it into a rock. She then jumped and flipped to dodge the fifth wolf before landing behind it and grabbed ahold of it's tail. She then yanked the wolf back and threw it into a nearby tree. She then turned to have one of the other wolves manage to pounce and push her to the ground. It was about to start snapping its jaws at Gine but she was able to get her feet under it's stomach and kicked it off. Gine then flung her fist out to punch another advancing wolf in the chin before kicking it to the ground once again.

From their cover, the fillies were watching in astonishment as they watched their unknown savior fight off the Timberwolves. Applebloom had seen her sister scare off Timberwolves before, but not as easily as whoever this new person was. "Wow. She's holdin her own against them varmints with her bare hands and she's not even gotten a scratch on her yet."

Sweetie Belle, while happy to have been saved, was still a little scared at not knowing who or what their savior was and with how strong she appeared to be. "Yeah. She saved us. But what is she? I don't think she's a pony. And she doesn't look like a minotaur. Is she some kind of monkey or ape?"

"Who cares? She saved us from those Timberwolves and with how she's handling herself. She is awesome!"

Back with the fight, Gine had thrown the alpha wolf back into it's back and before they could try and attack again, Gine shot a small ki blast that started a bit of a fire right in front of the wolves, frightening and intimidating them as they backed away a bit. To fully intimidate them and send them running, Gine let out a loud and fierce yell.

"Ahhhhhh!"

As she had hoped, she managed to scare the pack away as they ran off while letting out scared yelps. "That's right. Remember which one of us is higher on the pecking order. Now that that's done, I better check on those three-."

Gine was cut off when the girls ran out from their hiding spot and stopped right in front of her. She was surprised when they began praising her all at once.

"That was incredible! You showed them varmints who was boss with only your bare hands."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for saving us whoever you are."

"I didn't think it was possible but I really found someone who is as awesome as Rainbow Dash."

After a few minutes of listening, the girls finally stopped talking long enough for Gine to respond. "Ummm... Thank you. Anyways it looks like I got here just in time. Are you three okay?"

"We're fine now. We can't thank you enough. I'm Sweetie Belle."

"Name's Scootaloo."

"And Ah'm Applebloom. What's your name ma'am?"

"Oh. Um. I'm Gine. But before anything else, what were you three doing it what seems to be such a dangerous place all by yourselves?"

Applebloom was the first one to answer. "We were headin' home after visiting a friend who lives out here when we accidentally got the attention of them Timberwolves."

"Timberwolves? Such a strange name."

"Ummm, Ms. Gine?"

"Yes, Sweetie Belle?"

"Forgive me if I sound rude but what are you exactly? We know you're not a pony because you don't have fur and... Is that a monkey tail around your waist?"

Gine looked down to uncurl her tail and move it to stand up behind her as she looked back to the surprised expressions on the girls' faces. Gine gave them a friendly smile before wrapping her tail back around her waist and put her hands on the girls' shoulders. "Look. I'll be happy to answer any questions you girls have and hopefully you or someone you know could maybe answer mine. But first, let's get you three safely out of this forest and back to your homes and families. I'm sure they're all worried about you."

The girls looked around them at the forest as it looked even more frightening due to the night sky. They all looked at each other before nodding rapidly to Gine who smiled and began following the girls back to the path to Ponyville. Normally the girls would be terrified of the Everfree Forest at night. But after witnessing what Gine is capable of, they knew that if they ran into any more kinds of trouble, she would be able to handle it.

You're a WHAT?!!

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[At the Castle of Friendship]

Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, sat around the front area of their new Friendship School. They had many of their students outside simply enjoying the night display. Some were checking out some stars through telescopes that were provided by Twilight, some were roasting marshmallows near small fires, and others were simply sitting around enjoying the quiet and relaxing atmosphere the night provided.

However, despite how peaceful things were, there were three mares who were too worried to relax. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were holding nervous looks on their faces, while Rarity was pacing back and forth with her hands behind her back while biting her lip a bit. "Oh, where are they? They should've been back by now."

Twilight gently placed her hand on Rarity's shoulder, trying to calm her friend a bit. "Rarity. Calm down. I'm sure the girls are okay. They just went to Zecora's and are coming right back. Plus they're taking the same and safe way we always use when we go to visit her."

Applejack placed her stetson as she tried to keep herself as calm as she could be. "Ya can't blame us Twilight. Yeah, they're taking the same path we always found to be safe to get to Zecora's. But the Everfree Forest is always unpredictable. No matter what happened once, anything can happen in there. Especially when it's this late. We just don't want the girls to get hurt by something... Or worse."

Rainbow was also trying to keep herself the way she normally is, her usual relaxed self. But like Applejack and Rarity, she couldn't help but worry. When she first met Scootaloo, she thought of her as another fan that she had inspired. She appreciated her fans and unlike some idols, she was loyal to them as much as she was to her best friends.

However, as she found herself spending more and more time with Scootaloo, she began to realize that Scootaloo didn't just look up to her as her idol. The young filly actually saw her as an older sister. And Rainbow Dash soon began having a mutual feeling towards Scootaloo. That was proven when one day, Rainbow decided to spend more time with Scootaloo and became her sitter while her aunts had a month-long business trip to tend to in Canterlot and her parents were still doing their own work out in the world. During this time, the two were as inseparable as the Apple sisters.

Fluttershy, after hesitating for a moment, tried to help with her friends' worries. "I'm sure the girls are okay. If they were out this late I'm sure Zecora would've followed them back here to make sure they came back safe."

This comment seemed to ease the three mares' worries a bit until...

"Oh. Unless they accidentally fell off the path. Or maybe they left her hut earlier but accidentally ran into a manticore or a bugbear, or maybe even..."

"PINKIE PIE!!!"

Pinkie stopped talking when the outburst was revealed to have come from Starlight, who along with Spike, looked to the pink mare with serious looks. "That's not helping."

Pinkie turned to see Rarity's worrisome attitude had gotten worse from Pinkie's assumptions while Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow looked at her with annoyed looks. Pinkie rubbed the back of her puffy mane while also blushing in embarrassment. "Oh. Right. Sorry girls."

The mares and dragon remained where they were for a few more minutes before Applejack stood up. "That's it. I can't just sit here and wait anymore. I'm gonna go and see if I can find them."

"Count me in. I'm just as worried about Scootaloo as you are about Applebloom."

Knowing how dangerous and unpredictable the Everfree Forest could be at night, Twilight was just about to try and persuade them to wait a little longer that way they could all go when...

"RAINBOW DASH!"

"APPLEJACK!"

"RARITY!"

The group turned to see the three missing fillies just now walking up to them. In an instant, Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity tightly embraced the three. Applejack put her sister back down as she looked at Applebloom with a serious look. "Where have you three been? You almost gave the three of us a heart attack."

"We're sorry sis. We were on our way back, but we accidentally got the attention of some Timberwolves on our way back."

The moment Applebloom said that Rarity instantly let Sweetie Belle go and began to rapidly look over her for any scratches or injuries. "Oh, my! Are you okay Sweetie Belle? You're not hurt are you?!"

Sweetie Belle pushed back a bit from her overreacting, yet understandably worried sister. "I'm okay Rarity. We were able to get away from them without being hurt."

Rainbow smirked and began giving Scootaloo a nuggie. "With how awesome you are, I bet you found the way to lose them wooden fleabags huh Scoots?"

Scootaloo, while glad to hear how much confidence Rainbow had in her, smiled sheepishly. "Actually Rainbow Dash... It wasn't any of us that really chased them off. And it wasn't Zecora either."

"Huh? If it wasn't Zecora who saved you from them Timberwolves then who could've possibly-?"

"Ummm... Excuse me?"

With the whole group being so relieved to see the fillies were alright, they never noticed that they didn't come back alone. A couple of steps away from the group stood Gine with a somewhat awkward look on her face. "I... take it you know these three."

Not knowing who or what Gine was, the three older sisters moved the girls behind them in a protective way. "Stay back Scoots. I'll keep you safe."

"Wait. Rainbow Dash she's."

Scootaloo's words weren't fully heard before Rainbow Dash charged at Gine with her famous lightning fast speed.

Rainbow closed in on Gine only to soon witness her disappear right before the Pegasus could tackle her, resulting in Rainbow coming to a screeching halt. "Huh? Where did she-?!"

"That wasn't really the greeting I was expecting."

Rainbow's eyes went wide, as did everyone else's when she turned around to see Gine looking at her with a blank stare.

"What the? How did you? Okay. That was a nice trick I'll admit, but I won't fall for it aga-."

"Rainbow Dash stop!"

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom ran out from behind Applejack and Rarity and stood between the Pegasus and Saiyan.

"She's a friend. She's the one who saved us from the Timberwolves. We're okay thanks to her."

Rainbow's jaw dropped at what the girls said. "Say what?!"

"Everypony just calm down," Twilight yelled out as she walked up a bit. "Obviously there are some questions about what happened and what's going on. Let's all just calm down and head into the castle to straighten this out a bit."

The mares and Spike hesitated for a moment doing as Twilight had asked them to do. "Good. Now I'm sure you can tell we'd like to talk to you about how the girls know you so please would you mind following us Ms... Ummm?"

"Gine. My name is Gine. And sure. I actually have quite a few questions myself. Hopefully, you all can answer a few for me."

"Great. Just follow us please."

The group then began leading Gine to the castle with Rainbow Dash, unknowingly to everyone else, kept her eyes on the Saiyan.

[A couple of hours later]

Everyone was in one of the lounge rooms of the castle as the mares, fillies, Starlight, and Gine sat around while Spike began pouring tea into multiple cups. Twilight decided to be the first one to speak. "I suppose the best way to start is by introducing ourselves. I'm Twilight Sparkle. The Princess of Friendship in Equestria."

"You're royalty?"

"Yes. I am. But please don't worry too much. I may be a princess but I prefer just being seen as any other normal pony. As I was saying these are my friends: Starlight Glimmer."

"Nice to meet you."

"Spike."

"Hi ya."

"Rarity."

"It's a pleasure."

"Applejack."

"Howdy."

"Fluttershy."

"Ummm... Hello."

Gine noticed Fluttershy trying to cover herself with her mane. "Is she okay?"

"She's just really shy around new people. She'll get used to you. Anyways this is Rainbow Dash."

Gine looked to the Pegasus who still gave her the look that screamed 'Whoever you are, I don't trust you.'

"And last but not least, this is Pinki-."

Twilight was cut off when Pinkie instantly appeared right in front of Gine, startling the Saiyan a bit. "Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie. YousaidyournameisGineright?That'sanunusualnamebutitalsosoundsuniquesinceI'veneverheardofit.Anywaysdoyoulikeparties?Ihopesobecausenowthatyou'rehereI'mgoingotthrowyouabig'WelcometoPonyvilleandThankYouForSavingApplebloom, SweetieBelle,andScootaloo'party."

Gine began to feel a bit uncomfortable with how Pinkie was looking right at her with her big eyes and a big smile. She was soon relieved when Twilight pulled Pinkie back to her seat with her magic while also giving a bit of a nervous chuckle.

"Is she always like this?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. And let me go ahead and warn you, if you want to stay sane, don't try and figure her out."

"If you say so."

"Tea's ready." Spike placed a tray with cups of tea for everyone on the table in the center. Everyone took a cup while Twilight placed a cup beside Gine with her magic. "Would you like anything else? Are you by chance hungry at all?"

"I'm okay. I actually ate right before I came across these three. I must admit the fruit around here is quite delicious... As is the meat."

The moment Gine spoke the last word, some of the girls choked back on their a tea a bit before looking at her with looks of shock and a bit of horror to her confusion. Her confusion grew when she saw Fluttershy looked at her with the most horror. "Did I say something wrong?"

After getting over a bit of her shock, Starlight was the first to speak, "I'm sorry. Did you say you eat meat?"

"Yes. I do eat meat." Gine then watched as the group began to gain nauseated looks while Fluttershy gained a look of despair. "Is there a problem?"

"Ummm... We don't know honestly. I mean Shy's just a real animal lover and as for the rest of us-."

Gine grew more confused until she realized what might be wrong. "Wait. What do you all eat mainly?"

"What kind of question is that? We're ponies. We eat mainly plants and vegetables. Except for Spike. He also eats gems."

A realization came to Gine as she gained a smile. "Okay. I see the problem. You all are strictly herbivores. But I'm not."

The group looked to Gine with confusion as she continued. "You see, unlike you all, I'm actually an omnivore?"

Rainbow looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "A what?"

Before even Twilight could answer, Fluttershy spoke, "An omnivore. A type of animal that, by nature, requires to eat both natural plant-based foods and meat in order to survive. Now it makes sense."

The girls were surprised by how Fluttershy quickly stopped being upset. "What? I can't really be upset with her. It's in her nature. And I can't really be mad at her for doing what she's supposed to do."

"Well... Thank you, Fluttershy is it?"

"So if you eat meat, then you're not a pony. So what are you Gine? A monkey?"

"Pinkie! Don't be rude! Sorry, Gine darling. Pinkie comes up with quite imaginative assumptions."

"Actually," Gine uncurled her tail from her waist and raised it up to where everyone looked at it with wide eyes. "She's not entirely wrong. I mean I'm not completely a monkey but-."

"Alright." Rainbow sat up with her wing unfurled, "I'll be the one to ask this right now. You're not a pony. And while you do have that tail on you, you're not a monkey and even I know that since you don't have the fur. So just tell us this. Who or what in the world are you?"

Everyone looked to Rainbow's forwardness with the question before looking to Gine. The Saiyan held hesitation for a moment before speaking, "Alright. But you may find it hard to believe."

Rainbow held her look of determination. "Try us."

Gine took a deep breath before placing her cup back down on the table. "Okay. The truth is... I'm not really from your world. And from the look of your home, the best way I can tell you this is... I'm what you'd call... An extraterrestrial."

Twilight and Pinkie Pie spat out their tea before they all looked at her with astonished looks. Rainbow, however, remained unconvinced. "Okay. Nice joke. Now seriously what's your true story?"

"Ummm... Dash? She ain't lyin'. She's being honest."

If anyone else had told her that, Rainbow would've continued saying it was a joke. But with Applejack being the Element of Honesty and always being able to tell when someone's lying or not, Rainbow soon began to be as astonished as the rest of them. Gine held her hands together. "I know. I'm quite different."

Twilight managed to shake off her shock and astonishment first before speaking, "Well it's not just that. It's just... If you're from another world, what made you come to ours."

Gine's eyes widened. She had to avoid that topic until later in the conversation given how she was still taking in the reason she left her world herself. "I... *sigh* Okay. I can tell you that, but in order for you to really understand, I need to start from the very beginning of my kind and what our way of life was like."

Gine was a little puzzled, however when Twilight made a pen and notepad appear in front of her with her magic. "We're all ears."

"Okay. To begin, I'm of a species known as the Saiyans."

"Saiyans?"

"Yes. You see a long time ago, our kind lived on a world called Planet Sadala. With us living another species called the Tuffles. We coexisted for the time despite how our two races were far from similar. The Tuffles were a race of science. They built, created, and improved many significant types of technology. Such as this."

Gine pulled her scouter and presented it to the group. Twilight was the most amazed. "What is it?"

"It's called a scouter. It scans a living being measures their energy waves and displays them on this lens. In simple terms, it can tell you how strong or powerful someone is."

"That's incredible. Oh, I may have to study this later."

"Save the egghead time for later Twilight. So Gine, you told us what Tuffles were like, what about your race, the Saiyans."

"Like I said. Our race was in a way the opposite. Saiyans have been born with an urge to fight. We're born warriors. Fighting is in our blood. Our motivation is an urge and drive to always improve and get stronger. In fact, because of how Saiyans are, war broke out between Saiyans. And unfortunately, it led to the complete annihilation of Sadala."

The mares gasped at this information while Spike stood with his jaw dropped. "So wait. If your world was destroyed, what did the Saiyans do to survive?"

"Well, Spike. For a time our species explored space. Thanks to some of the Tuffles who escaped with us, we managed to survive until we soon came across a world where we decided to rebuild our race. It a world called Planet Plant. But after we arrived we renamed it Planet Vegeta, after our king himself. After that, our race was soon hired by multiple other races to cleanse planets for business."

"Excuse me, darling. But what exactly do you mean by 'cleanse' planets?"

Gine was about nervous in explaining what exactly Saiyans did but knew it would also allow her a better possibility of them trusting her if she was truthful. "I mean... Our kind cleared planets of all native life."

Everyone looked horrified the moment after Gine said that. "You killed people?"

"Yes... But don't get me wrong. For a time I just did what our kind was hired to do. But that doesn't mean I don't regret some of the lives I took."

Applejack could tell how sincere Gine sounded before looking to her friends. "She's being honest y'all. I can tell she ain't proud some of the things she did in the past."

Starlight responded, "Even so... How could you and your kind take so many lives just to make money."

Gine gripped her hands in her lap. "In a way, there were two main reasons. One reason involved how I mentioned Saiyans' have the urge to want to get stronger and stronger. Doing jobs like that put us on the field and allowed our power to grow with each battle. You see our bodies have a unique ability."

Fluttershy spoke quietly, "W-what kind of ability?"

"In battle whenever a Saiyan suffered a life-threatening injury, but still managed to recover their power would increase drastically. In a way, it's how our bodies adapted to new threats. The more we fought, the stronger our opponents, the worse the injury to recover from, the stronger we became."

This information left the entire group speechless. Even Twilight was amazed, she knew what didn't kill someone made them stronger, but she never thought something so literal existed even outside of her own planet. "So if you were to receive an injury that could be a near-death experience, but still recovered from it, you'd become even stronger?"

"Yes. Like I said, it's basically how we always adapted to new opponents and challenges."

Sweetie Belle then brought something up. "You said that was one reason Saiyans cleansed planets right? What was the other reason?"

Gine flinched a little at having to bring up what she was about to say. "The other reason is also the primary reason. You see in a way, we didn't have a choice in what we did."

"What do you mean? Did you have a life or death policy on your planet? Was it because your king didn't allow any other jobs?"

Rainbow covered Pinkie's mouth. "Maybe we should just let her tell us."

"Thank you Rainbow Dash. What I mean is... As time went on with our 'business' we soon gained an employer who we never thought we'd have to worry about. His name... was Frieza."

"Frieza?"

"Yes. He was a powerful member of a race called Arcosians. They're reptilian-like creatures who are born instantly with massive levels of power. Frieza soon became our primary employer. He hired us for many jobs and he paid very well, but those who attempted to deny a job he assigned... Were met with suffering filled punishments and deaths."

Twilight and her friends were beyond horrified knowing that someone like that could even exist. Twilight knew of how Sombra made many ponies suffer during his time ruling the Crystal Empire, but even he never made the lives he took slow and painful. "He sounds so..."

"Evil? Believe me, you have no idea."

"Wait a minute. If your kind were able to get stronger so much, why didn't one of Y'all try to stop him?"

"Because... None of us was a match for him. Even with how strong Saiyans could get and with how many battles we fought, not a single of one of us could hold her own against him. Even with how strong King Vegeta himself was, compared to Frieza's power, it would be like an ant hill next to a mountain."

Scootaloo then spoke up, "So is that why you came to our world? To escape that life?"

Gine clenched her teeth as they all soon noticed tears began running down her eyes. "No... It was to make sure at least some of our race survived a terrible fate. In a way, it was a punishment for our sins."

"Huh?"

"You see... One day, my mate, or in your terms: husband, Bardock returned home from a mission. He was beaten, bruised, and bleeding badly. I was about to help him when he told me I needed to get off world. And the reason for why... Was because Frieza had come to get rid of us."

"You mean-?"

"Yes. Frieza had come to destroy our planet and all of us with it. Bardock tried to warn everyone on world, but unfortunately, I was the only who really believed him. So he told me to leave the planet while he tried, in a desperate attempt to stop Frieza. Unfortunately, Bardock couldn't do it. And I to watch as both he and all of Planet Vegeta were destroyed."

"B... But why didn't you stay to try and help?"

"I wanted to Fluttershy. Believe me, I wanted to. But we both knew that even together we couldn't stop Frieza by ourselves. But that wasn't the only reason Bardock sent me off world."

"What's the other reason?"

"Well, Applebloom... It was so I could our sons."

"Sons?!"

"Yeah. Bardock and I had two boys. Our first born, Raditz, and his baby brother... Kakarot."

"You mean they weren't on Planet Vegeta when it was destroyed?"

"No. Raditz was a part of Prince Vegeta, our king's son's squad and Frieza had them off-world at the time. Kakarot was actually born the exact day before Frieza destroyed our home and on that day, he was sent off world. So we both knew they'd be safe and hopefully I could find them."

It was then that the began to understand Gine's situation better. "So Bardock wanted you to be safe so you could find your sons? Wow. Talk about heroic. Wait a minute... If one of your sons was sent off-world during that time and you came to our world does that mean-."

"No. He's not here. From what Bardock told me he was sent to another world different from this one. I ended up here by complete accident. When I landed here, I found out from scanning my ship and reviewing its footage that I had accidentally been knocked into a wormhole that held a temporal distortion."

"Temporal misfortune?"

"Temporal distortion Pinkie. It's a kind of thing where time and space meet."

"Ohhhhh... Okay."

Then Fluttershy managed to bring up a question that came to mind for her. "Umm. Gine? If you don't mind me asking... Why did Frieza destroy your world? It sounds like you were the kind of people he really needed to hire for a lot of jobs."

Gine crossed her arms and leaned back against her chair as she gained a serious look. "My best guess Fluttershy. The Super Saiyan."

The mares and dragon looked to Gine confused as Rarity responded, "Super Saiyan darling?"

"You see back on Planet Vegeta, there was a legend. A legend that stated that years ago a Saiyan ancestor managed to somehow tap into an unbelievable kind of power. And it was said that one of Frieza's ancestors, Chilled, faced that Saiyan. Chilled was said to have been just as powerful if not stronger then his current bloodline, but even so, the legend said that the super Saiyan managed to completely defeat Chilled. And that's the reason I bet Frieza decided to get rid of us. He feared that with how powerful our kind was becoming with every battle we faced, that eventually one of us might become a Super Saiyan. Frieza wanted to rule the galaxy, if not the whole universe, and he more than likely feared that if a Super Saiyan emerged that his position as one of the most powerful tyrants and warriors would be threatened."

Gine looked at all of their faces that showed amazement. With how Gine described him, Frieza would make Tirek, even with all of the magic in Equestria, seem like a flea. And to hear that someone of Gine's race could've been even more powerful was beyond belief.

"Incredible. I've never imagined someone so powerful could exist."

"Trust me Twilight, the universe is endless when it comes to surprises."

Starlight then brought up a good question for their Saiyan guest, "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to leave and keep trying to find your sons?"

"I'm not sure that's an option right now. My ship was damaged when I crashed here. And even if I could... there's no guarantee I could find them."

"What do ya mean?"

"Remember how I said I went through a temporal distortion?" The group nodded to her, "Well I can't really tell if I'm in my original time, the future, or the past. I could've very well ended up in a time in the past before Kakarot and Raditz were born, or even in a time where they've passed away. And if it's the latter..."

Gine then began gaining a few tears in her eyes as she was realizing what could possibly be fact, "I could be in a time where I'm actually the last of my kind."

The girls looked to Gine with sympathy as they saw that despite being of a warrior race as she described, she was not afraid to show any emotion. Twilight soon placed her hand on Gine's shoulder causing the Saiyan to look back up to her. "Gine. I don't how but... We'll try and do everything we possibly can to help you."

"You... You really to help me? Even after all of what I've told me and my kind have done?"

"You bet we do. Besides, your actions are enough to say you ain't like other Saiyans. If you were, I doubt you would've saved our sisters from them wooden varmints."

Gine looked around to see if any of the others were against what Twilight and Applejack were saying. To her relief, their faces said they agreed with the two. "Thank you... Thank you all so much."

"Tomorrow you can show us where your ship is. In the meantime, until we find out if or when we can help you fix it, you're more than welcome to stay here at the castle. We'll show you around and make sure you're treated fairly around here."

Gine smiled at Twilight's words as she wiped her tears and nodded. "I appreciate that Twilight. Thank you."

[An hour later]

The rest of the girls and their sisters had left for home to get some sleep and the students of the school had headed to their rooms to do the same. In one of the guest rooms, Gine had placed her Saiyan armor on one of the tables along with her scouter. Starlight and provided her with a nightgown to sleep in until they were able to get her some clothes to wear if she wanted.

She stared at her black armor for a moment as she remembered how it was given to her by Bardock years ago when they fell in love. Back then, she wondered if Saiyans were even capable of feeling love at all. But somehow, she and one of the most stubborn Saiyans she had ever met fell in love with one another. She ran her had over its chest area as she spoke with sincerity. "Rest in peace Bardock. You and our friends."

Gine then walked to the window of her room and stared out at to the stars. Luckily for her, she couldn't see the moon, and she was glad for obvious reasons. Her eyes ran over multiple stars as she began spoke to no one present, "I promise you both. Raditz. Kakarot. If you're still out there, no matter how far or how long it'll take, I will find you both. For you, your father, and all of our kind."

Gine turned from the window and began walking towards her bed when...

(Spoke in mindItalic)

"Gine."

Gine shot around as she heard a deep male voice speak her name, yet she saw she was alone. She looked around to see if anyone could be spying on her or something but still saw no one. "I must be hearing things."

"Gine."

"Or maybe not," Gine held her guard up as she looked around. "Who's there? Show yourself."

"I cannot. I am without a physical form. This was caused by Bardock's arrival to my planet Kanassa."

"Kanassa?"

"Yes. You see, Bardock knew Frieza was coming to destroy your world because I was the one who showed him after giving him the power of my people after he and his band of murderers killed all of my kind. The power to see into the future."

"While I don't appreciate hearing someone, even I guess a spirit speaking ill about Bardock, I let it go if you answer me this. If you gave Bardock your powers, then how am I hearing you now?"

"Because I took the action of transferring my powers to you from Bardock the last moment you saw him."

Gine was stunned to as she now understood why Bardock wanted her to leave and how he knew Kakarot would play an important role for something in the future. "But why. Why did are just speaking to me now? Or better yet, why did you give me this power?"

The voice remained silent for a moment causing Gine to panic a little. "Please Kanassan. Tell me why you're just now revealing this new power to me?"

"Because I needed to make sure you weren't a murderer like the rest of your kind. I could sense you had compassion within you, but I waited until I was sure you had deserved this."

"Deserve what?! Tell me!"

"Tell me Gine. Do you believe you landed on this world by accident?"

"Wh... What?"

"I've seen a glimpse into your future. And you were meant to land on this world, and I was meant to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?"

"I'm afraid I cannot reveal your full future yet, but I can tell you that during your time on this Planet Equis, you will be the best defense of its natives for a threat that will be coming. You will learn more about it as you progress. But for now, I can only tell you this. Prepare yourself. You will need to become much stronger for when the time comes. I will aid in preparing you in what ways I am able to. You will need to learn what I have to offer in order to fully prepare yourself for what is to come."

Gine was puzzled. She had just arrived on this world today, and now she was hearing a voice that allowed Bardock to learn of Frieza's plan to destroy all Saiyans warning her that she will be the best defense this new world will have from a powerful threat in the future. "I'll do what you think is best, but I must ask, with how my mate and my former squad killed you and your people, why do you want to help me?"

"I have looked into your past. You do not seem as cruel as other Saiyans were. And I know the universe has a plan for all living things. And even death could not prevent the purpose it has now given me. And while I have no love or sorrow for your kind's extinction, I do not wish to see this innocent world suffer a fate they do not deserve."

Gine could hear how sincere the Kanassan spirit sounded. "I give you my word. I will do everything you need me to do to prepare. And I will protect this world from whatever is to come."

"You speak with honesty. I will reveal more as you move forward. But for now, you must rest."

Gine then felt the presence of the Kanassan spirit fade from her mind as she looked down at her hands and clenched them into fists with determination. "I promise. No matter how difficult, how long, or how many, if the universe sent me here to protect this world, I'll defend it to my last breath if I have to."

Gine's First Day in Equestria

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The light of the sun shone through the window of Princess Twilight's room, causing the alicorn to awaken with a groan and pull the blanket over her head. "Mmmm... Come on. Just five more minutes."

Just as Twilight was about to relax and sleep a little longer, she heard a knocking on the door. "Hey, Twilight. It's time to wake up. We may have a small problem."

"Uh... Spike. Can't it wait until later? Let me have five more minutes of sleep while you get breakfast started and we'll talk about whatever's wrong there."

Then a second voice, the voice of Starlight, joined in on the conversation. "Actually Twilight, the problem is... Well... We're out of food."

That statement caused Twilight to throw her blanket off and shoot up to a sitting up position with wide eyes, "What!?" She then used her magic to throw her door open to show Spike and Starlight still standing there. "What do you mean we're out of food? We just restocked the kitchen yesterday? Wait... Spike, you didn't have another one of your sleepwalking and eating episodes did you?"

"Of course not Twilight. I got over that months ago."

"Then how could we have run out of food again already?"

Starlight and Spike looked at each other for a moment with puzzled looks before Starlight spoke up, "Well... You probably wouldn't believe us if we told you so you may want to see for yourself."

Twilight was confused at her pupil's statement before standing from her bed. "Okay. Just let me brush my mane and change real quick."

Twilight quickly shut the door, and after hearing a bit of magic use from the other side of the door, Spike and Starlight watched as the door opened to show Twilight with her mane combed and her attire on. "Alright. Show me what happened."

"Alright, Twilight. Just be warned. What you see might be unbelievable."

And Spike was indeed right. The dragon and unicorn lead Twilight to the kitchen where the princess had gone wide-eyed once again at what she saw.

In the kitchen were many dirty dishes in multiple stacks, but that wasn't what shocked Twilight. What really shocked the alicorn princess was that it appeared Gine was the cause of all of the dirty dishes. She spotted the Saiyan chowing down on a plate of scrambled eggs at a rapid speed. She soon finished the eggs and picked up a stack of toast and ate it quickly as well before picking up a jug of water and drank it down instantly. She then took a stack of pancakes and ate them quickly before putting the plate down and letting out a satisfied sigh. "Now that was a great meal. Fit for a Saiyan."

"Aaaaaa..."

Gine turned to see Twilight looking at her with the shocked look she still held. "Oh, good morning Twilight. How are you this morning?"

"You... All... That..."

"Huh? What are you trying to say?"

Gine looked at Twilight in confusion before noticing she was pointing at the many used dishes piled around her and Gine then realized what made Twilight so shocked. "Okay. I think I see what's wrong."

"Gine? Not to sound rude but... HOW COULD YOU EAT ALL OF OUR FOOD?!"

Twilight covered her mouth at the outburst before looking to Gine, who looked at her sheepishly. Spike and Starlight soon walked back to Twilight's sides as Spike spoke, "No offense Gine. But you ate enough to put even Pinkie Pie to shame."

"Even I'm curious as to how one person could eat so much."

Gine waited for a moment before figuring out how to phrase her explanation. "Well... Do you remember how I said Saiyans were strong fighters?"

The three nodded before Gine continued, "Well because of how much we pushed ourselves and kept fighting, we burned our energy and calories at a much faster rate than other life forms. Because of that, we have to consume as much food to replenish what we burned off from fights."

Gine then watched as Twilight made a notepad and pen appear in front of her and began writing down on it with her magic. "Fascinating."

Spike cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "While I'd say that is good to know for while Gine is here, we're still left with a problem. We have no food for breakfast."

"Well, Spike. If you don't mind running out to get us more food, Starlight and I will stay and clean these dishes up."

"Do I have to?"

"I'll throw some extra gems into pancakes for you."

Spike went wide-eyed with a smile. "You got it Twilight."

Twilight smiled a bit as she made a list and bag of bits appear in Spike's hands before he took off out of the castle. Gine then watched as all of the dishes she had used as she ate being levitated up into the air and to the sink by Starlight and Twilight's magic. "Would you like some help before I head out?"

The statement from the Saiyan brought confusion to the two mares with Starlight asking, "Head out? What do you mean? Are you going to go get your ship?"

"Not yet. What I mean is since it looks like I may be on your world for a while, I decided to maybe take a look around today and see what your town is like. But I can help out first if you'd like. Just to make up for scarfing down all of your food."

"That's okay Gine. We'll handle it here. You go on and see what's around. Like you said, you may be here for a while. And don't worry about the food. It's like what Fluttershy told us yesterday. You do what your instincts tell you to do. But for now, just go ahead and explore."

Gine smiled before heading out of the kitchen and out of the front door of the castle. Gine took a deep breath before sighing. "Fresh air in the morning never felt so good. Now to have a look around."

Gine began walking to wherever she would come across first. However, during her walk she noticed many ponies look to her with strange looks, but she brushed them off knowing they had never seen a Saiyan before. Gine simply kept walking until...

"Hey, Gine!"

Gine turned to see Apple Bloom running to her with her family canine, Winona, running beside her. Before Gine could react, Winona jumped and tackled her to the ground and began licking her face rapidly. "Wow. Wow. Easy girl. Hahahahah. Okay. I'm glad to meet you too."

Apple Bloom moved Winona off Gine a bit while laughing a bit from the display. "Sorry about that Gine. Winona gets a little excited when it comes to meeting new friends."

Gine quickly stood back up and smiled. "It's okay Apple Bloom. Good to see you have quite a friendly pet. What are you up to anyway?"

"Just headin' back to the farm. Had to run to the market to pick up some stuff for our chores. What are you up to?"

"Just thought I'd have a look around your little town."

"Well, in that case, you wanna come back to the farm with us and see what it's like."

Gine gave it some thought before nodding. "Sure. I think that'd be a good start."

"Great. Just follow us."

Gine smiled and began following the young filly and her dog to Sweet Apple Acres, where they found Applejack and Big Macintosh had just finished bucking apples along with Granny Smith and Grand Pear carrying some of the apples and pears, from newly grown pear trees, to their home and barn. "Hey, Y'all. We're back. And we brought a friend with us."

Applejack was the first one to happily greet the Saiyan, "Well howdy Gine. Welcome to our family farm. Let me introduce the rest of my family to you. Hey Y'all. This is Gine. Gine this here's Big Macintosh, mine and Apple Bloom's older brother. Though you can just call him Big Mac."

Gine saw Applejack was referring to the red furred stallion that was obviously taller than her and his sister who looked at her with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Big Mac."

"Eeyup."

"And these two here are our grandparents, Granny Smith and Grand Pear."

Gine was then approached by the two elder ponies with Granny Smith speaking first, "Gine? Are you the same young lady who saved our granddaughter and her friends from them no good varmint Timberwolves?"

Gine was a little surprised with how straightforward the elder mare seemed. "Ummm well yes, ma'am. I did. I couldn't just leave them to those things."

Gine watched as the two continued to look her with serious looks before, to her surprise, they pulled her into
a hug before pulling back with Grand Pear speaking next, "We can't thank you enough for saving our granddaughter young lady."

Gine was surprised but grateful they weren't suspicious of her. "It was no trouble at all. I'm just glad I reached them before it was too late."

Applejack took her stetson off to wipe some sweat real quick. "Well anyways Gine what brings you here?"

"Just taking a look around. See what your home has to offer and what it's like."

"Well, we're about to take a break after one last chore we gotta handle."

"Mind if I help out a bit? I wouldn't mind getting a little bit of morning exercise."

"You sure sugar cube? It may take a lot of time if you're trying to see most of Ponyville today."

"I'm sure Applejack."

"Well, alright. Follow us."

Gine followed the Apple Family to a remote part of the fields and once there, Gine was met with a sight she found incredibly beautiful. There were two trees that had grown around each other, with apples and pears both growing from it. "Wow. It's beautiful."

Grand Pear smiled from Gine's compliment. "Thank you very much, Gine. You should know this tree was made from planting two seeds side by side by my daughter, Pear Butter, and Granny Smith's son, Bright Macintosh, when they fell in love. Back then, the Pears and Apples couldn't stand each other. But thanks to them, we managed to get past that feud and become a good family."

"Sounds to me they both loved each other like no other."

"Like you wouldn't believe Gine. Our parents loved each other and we're grateful to have had them."

"I know for a fact they'd be proud of you, your brother, and sister, Applejack."

"Thank ya Gine. Now then let's get to work picking these. Normally we'd buck a tree to get the fruit, but since this tree is special we don't risk doing any damage."

Gine watched as the family approached the tree when an idea came to her mind that would save them the trouble and time. "Hold on a minute. I may have a way to get them down quickly and carefully."

The Apple Family members stopped and seemed a bit hesitant with Applejack speaking, "Ah don't know Gine. It's not that I don't trust you as a friend it's just, this tree is really special to our family."

"Eeyup."

Gine understood and to help ease her friends' concern, she lifted her hand up. "Applejack, I promise I will not harm this tree in any way."

Hearing the honesty in Gine's voice, Applejack decided to take a chance. "Alright. I guess we ain't got nothing to lose."

Gine smiled and took a few steps towards the tree while the others stepped back. Gine took a deep breath and took a stance.

Then in a split second, everyone watched in shock as she seemed to have disappeared. And not long after, they saw many of fruits disappearing in set groups before Gine reappeared in front of the tree once again, only this time holding all of the picked fruit in her arms and with a sincere smile on her face. "Told you I wouldn't hurt the tree."

They all remained shocked at what they knew Gine did, but without knowing entirely how. Apple Bloom decided to be the one to ask the question everyone was thinking about. "G-Gine... How did you-?"

"Remember how I said Saiyans trained to be warriors? Well being a good warrior also means having good speed as well as strength."

Applejack tipped her stetson a bit as she looked to Gine in admiration. "Well thank ya for helpin' us out Gine. Don't suppose you'd wanna stay for lunch while we take a break."

Gine had finished handing Big Macintosh the gathered fruit. "Well I would Applejack, but I actually just had breakfast and I really haven't done anything much today, so I'm good for now."

Applejack gave Gine a small pat on the back. "Well if ya ever wanna come and visit, feel free to stop by. You're always welcome here."

Gine smiled at the mare's offer. "I'll keep that in mind. But for now, see ya around."

With that, the Apple Family waved bye as Gine left the orchard. As she kept walking she soon heard a voice calling out to her. "Hey, Gine!"

Gine turned only, and even with her Saiyan skills, barely dodged being accidentally hit by an incoming Rainbow Dash, who appeared to have a mailbag on her. "Good reflexes."

"Thanks. What are you doing anyway?"

Rainbow brushed herself off a bit before gripping the mailbag she had. "Just helping out a friend with getting some work done. What are you up to?"

"Just having a look around this town of yours. I just left Applejack's home so now I'm just going to where I end up next."

"Oh really? Well if I wasn't busy I would show you Cloudsdale but if you want I could tell you where to find the others at."

"That sounds great."

Rainbow pointed out towards an all too famous place in Ponyville. "That's SugarCube Corner. You'll find Pinkie Pie there. She works and lives there making all kinds of baked goods that only she could really think of." Rainbow then pointed out towards another famous store for Ponyville. "That's Rarity's home and store, the Carousel Boutique." The pegasus then pointed out to the end of the town, "And that is Fluttershy's cottage."

Gine looked to all of the places Rainbow pointed to before smiling and nodding to her. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash."

"No problem. And next time I'm not so busy, I'll try and show you Cloudsdale, my hometown. But for now, I gotta get moving again."

Rainbow then took off flying again while Gine waved to her. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash. See ya around."

After Rainbow flew off, Gine looked between the three directions she pointed to. "Let's see... I think I'll pay Rarity a visit first." Gine then began walking to the Carousel Boutique. She soon came to a stop at the front door and walked in, noticing that there was a bell to signal when someone had arrived.

"Just one moment."

Gine looked to see an opening to a hall and soon Rarity walked into the room, "Welcome to- oh Gine. Welcome, darling. I was hoping you'd visit."

"You were? What for?"

Gine soon found Rarity leading her into another room by her arm. "Just follow me, darling."

A few minutes later, Gine found herself standing with her arms out while Rarity was taking measurements around her. "Ummm Rarity? If you don't mind me asking, why are you taking all of these measurements on me?"

"Why to make you some clothes darling. If you're going to be staying in Ponyville for a while, I'm going to at least make sure you have plenty to wear."

"Well that's kind of you Rarity, but I don't have any money to pay for them."

Rarity waved her hand a bit as she used her magic to continue taking measurements. "Oh think nothing of it, darling. You saving my little sister from those dreadful Timberwolves is payment enough."

"Well then thank you Rar-."

"Plus the sooner I get you some new clothes the sooner we can get you out of that horrible armor."

That statement seemed to have hit a small nerve to Gine as she stiffened up a bit. And this did not go unnoticed by Rarity. "Gine? Is something wrong?"

"Well, Rarity? While I would like some new clothes for while I'm on your planet, I have no intentions of getting rid of my armor."

"But why not darling? Why do you want to hold on to something that looks so dreadful?"

Gine looked a little grim at the question. "Because along with being something to help me remember my lost homeworld, it also has a greater sentimental value because it was given to me by Bardock when he and I fell in love. And right now, it's the main thing I have left to remember him and keep him in my heart."

After hearing this statement from Gine, Rarity instantly regrets what she had said earlier. "Oh dear, darling. I'm so sorry. I should never have even suggested-."

"It's okay Rarity. You didn't know."

"While I do love a good look, I believe there's nothing more beautiful then holding on to what's close to your heart."

Soon Rarity had finished and Gine was preparing to leave as Rarity was seeing her out. "Thank you again Rarity. So I should come by again tomorrow?"

"Yes, darling. I should have some new clothes properly prepared for you by tomorrow. I also suppose you're lucky us ponies have tails like you so making an adjustment for your tail won't be an issue."

The two girls chuckled as they approached the exit door. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow Rarity."

"Have a good day Gine."

Gine then heard a very light rumbling noise before looking down at her stomach. "Looks like I could use a really small snack. Just to settle me until later. All of that walking did make me a little hungry. Especially that little energy I burned from picking that fruit. Didn't Rainbow say that Pinkie Pie worked and lived at a bakery? Where was it again?"

Gine began looking around until she spotted one of the other buildings that Rainbow pointed at earlier, SugarCube Corner. "There it is. Now let's see if I can find a quick snack real quick."

"Oh, I think you will." Gine flinched at hearing a voice suddenly coming out of nowhere behind her. She turned to see Pinkie Pie standing and smiling at her. "Pinkie? Where did you come from? And how did you just show up out of nowhere?"

Pinkie Pie just kept smiling at her with her usual big smile. "Well, I'm always good at telling when someone is ready for something sweet. That and the author thought it was my turn to meet up with you."

'What is she-? Wait, Gine. Remember what Twilight said. Don't try to figure her out if I value my sanity.' Gine then gave the pink mare a smile while responding, "Well, that's good. I was actually on my way to your bakery to get a small snack."

"Great!" Gine soon found herself being yanked by the arm by Pinkie to where she was soon sitting at the service counter at SugarCube Corner, where a cupcake was slid in front of her. "There you go, Ginny."

"Ummm thanks, Pinkie but I don't have any money on me to pay for this."

"Don't worry Gine. It's on the house."

Gine seemed a bit hesitant but shrugged it off before picking up the cupcake. "Well... If you say so." Gine took a small bite of the cupcake before smiling a bit. "Wow Pinkie. This is great. Did you make this?"

"You betcha. But I did have a little younger help."

Gine was confused at what Pinkie was mentioning until she felt something tap against her foot. She looked down to see a ball had tapped her foot and then she noticed the two young twins, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, walk up to her. They stared at her with curious expressions before laughing a bit and rising into the air, Pound with his wings and Pumpkin using her magic. Gine watched as the two rose up into the air before they landed on her shoulders, laughing, which brought a bigger smile to the Saiyan's face. "Well aren't you two friendly."

Pinkie Pie chuckled a bit at the display. "Those two are Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake. They're my employers and landlords', Cupcake and Carrot Cake's kids. And they love to meet new friends."

Pound and Pumpkin continued playfully resting on Gine's shoulders until the two girls noticed the twins yawning a bit. "Well, it looks like it's time for their nap."

Gine carefully handed the two twins to Pinkie Pie before finishing her snack and standing from her seat. "Well, Pinkie thanks for the snack. I'll see ya later."

"Okie Doki Loki."

Gine then walked out of the building and held a face of satisfaction. "Well, that little snack should last me until I really work up an appetite later. Now just for one more stop." Gine then turned in the direction of where Fluttershy's cottage was. On the way, once again many ponies were giving her odd looks once again. 'Maybe I should talk to Twilight about this. Just so none them think they have anything to worry about from me.'

Gine continued walking in the direction Rainbow Dash had given her earlier until she came to a stop in front of a small cottage with multiple structures, small fences, and handmade homes with her believing they must have all been made for animals. She approached the door and gave a couple of small knocks. "Fluttershy? Are you home?"

Gine waited a couple of seconds before she heard the doorknob turn and the door opened to reveal the yellow, pink maned pegasus. "Oh. Hello Gine. What brings you by? If you don't mind me asking that is."

"Just having a look around Ponyville. Just trying to get used to it since I may be here for a while. I've visited all of the other girls and thought I'd come by and see your home before I head back to Twilight's castle."

Fluttershy fully opened the door with a smile as she moved aside. "Well, please come on in."

Gine smiled and walked inside and was surprised to see many animals of all kinds either walking, running, flying, hopping, slithering, or crawling all around the cottage. Fluttershy noticed the surprised look on Gine's face. "S-Something wrong?"

"No. Twilight mentioned you loved animals. I just didn't expect you to have so many."

"What can I say? I do love animals. A lot of ponies come to me when they have problems with animals or pets."

The two then noticed a small squirrel approaching them with a small bowl in its hand. "Oh, I'm sorry little one. I'll get you some acorns right now."

Fluttershy walked off to her kitchen while the squirrel looked to Gine. The Saiyan bent down and held out her hand to the little animal. "Come on little guy. I won't hurt you."

The squirrel hesitated for a moment before slowly moving onto Gine's hand and allowing her to lift it off of the ground. Gine smiled and began to gently pet the animal. "See? You can trust me."

The squirrel smiled at Gine's gentleness before Fluttershy soon came back in with the bowl the squirrel gave her, filled with acorns. Gine let the squirrel back down as it ran to where Fluttershy placed its food down and began to dig in. As they watched the squirrel eat happily, Fluttershy decided to speak, "You seem to be an animal lover yourself Gine."

"Well I may be a Saiyan, but I can be gentle when I want or need to be. And while I do eat like an omnivore, even I have limits on what I'll eat for meat from time to time."

Fluttershy smiled at Gine's statement and was about to say something again when...

*BOOM*

The two heard a loud noise and a small quake. Gine looked to Fluttershy with a bit of concern. "What was that?"

Before the startled and frightened Fluttershy could answer, her eyes went wide at the next sound they heard.

"RRRRAAAAAHHHH!!!

"Oh no."

Gine watched as Fluttershy ran out the door and followed behind her only to be met with a sight she didn't expect. From the cottage, the two could spot a creature with brown scales, a long tail, and four long-necked heads with red scales on its foreheads. While the creature remained unknown to her, Gine could tell from the look on Fluttershy's face that the mare knew what it was. "What is that thing Fluttershy?"

"It's... It's a hydra. It's attacking Ponyville."

"But for what reason? Why would it just randomly attack the town?"

"I don't know. But we have to do something."

It wasn't long before Gine decided what her plan would be. "Fluttershy? Get into town, find our friends, and get as many clear of that hydra as you all can."

Gine began running as Fluttershy looked at her in concern. "Wait. What are you going to do?"

Gine stopped to look at her again. "I'm gonna try and stop that thing."

"But Gine, what can you-?" Fluttershy didn't get to finish as she was shocked by Gine shooting off into the air. "Did she just fly?"

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, many of the civilians were running as the large animal continued stomping around in the town. It let out a loud roar from its four heads as many ponies began running. Among those ponies were Rarity and Sweetie Belle who were running as fast as they could. They were struggling to keep their balance from the quakes of the stomping from the hydra. However, one stomp was enough to cause a quake that made Sweetie Belle trip and fall. She looked up to see the hydra's next step would be right on top of her as she let out a scream. "AAAHHH!"

Rarity turned in response to scream and looked in horror. "SWEETIE BELLE! NO!"

Sweetie Belle shut her eyes as the hydra's foot began coming down. However, instead of being crushed, she instead heard a grunt and groan. Sweetie Belle slowly opened her eyes and was beyond amazed at what she saw. "Gine?"

Gine was indeed right between Sweetie Belle and hydra's foot, holding back with her arms up. She gritted her teeth as she continued holding the beast's foot up. "It's not gonna get any safer Sweetie Belle. You might wanna get moving."

After getting over how incredible and amazing the sight was, Sweetie Belle quickly got to her feet and ran to the embrace her sister had waiting for her before the two took off running.

Gine was struggling before using her Saiyan might and soon lifted the hydra completely off of her with a mighty yell. "RAAAAHHH!"

The hydra soon found itself falling onto its back before Gine stood up straight and looked at the beast as it looked back at her before letting out another loud roar from all four of its heads. Gine glared back at it as it stood back up while also crack her knuckles a bit. "You wanna play? Alright then. Let's play."

The left middle head made a lung for Gine only for her to dodge it and throw a hard punch at it, causing it to ricochet back a bit. It then made another lung only for Gine to jump up and kick at the top of the head to the ground before taking to the air while Gine charged up energy into her hand. "MAIDEN LANCER!" Gine then fired a powerful, pink energy beam that struck the hydra in the chest which also pushed it back into a nearby building, but the impact of the beast hitting the building caused some of its structure to give out and start falling towards a mare and her young filly.

However, luckily for them, Gine quickly made her way to them, grabbed them, and got them out of the way. "Get to safety you two." The mare and filly nodded and ran off. After making sure they were clear, Gine looked back to the hydra as it once again got back to its feet. "This is getting dangerous. I gotta get this thing away from all of these ponies."

Gine quickly shot towards the hydra and dodged its lunging heads again and stopped right behind it and took a hold of its tail. She then kept her grip on it while she took to the air, amazing everypony watching from safety, including the Mane 6.

"Hey? Am I the only one seeing this?"

"No Dashie. We're all seeing Gine lift that giant hydra by its tail after hitting with some kind of special power."

"It was a rhetorical question Pinkie."

Back in the air, Gine had just lifted the hydra high enough to see the outskirts of the town. "Alright big fella, let's get you of town." Gine then began spinning the hydra around about three times before throwing it far enough to where it landed right outside of Ponyville. Gine then watched as the hydra stood up once again and was about to let annoyed sigh when she heard it roar, only this time, Gine noticed its roar sounded different than before. "It sounds like... It's in pain. But why- wait. Is that...? Oh my gosh. It all makes sense. Well, this is gonna be tricky. It's a good thing Bardock taught me just the right move for me to get to it quick enough and precise enough to end this."

From the ground, the girls were watching as some kind of energy unknown to them began to form around Gine. However, Fluttershy was the first to get the idea of what Gine was about to do and it made her gasp in terror. "Gine no! Don't do it!"

"REBELLION SPEAR!"

Gine then shot at the hydra, like a missile, and covered the beast in a cloud of dust. Wanting to see what the end result was, the girls all ran out to the end of Ponyville and found the Hydra down on the ground and Gine standing before it with a proud smile on her face. However, unlike how it seemed to be to her, the end result didn't seem that good to the girls with Twilight speaking first for the group. "Gine! I get you were just trying to stop it from tearing up Ponyville but did you really have to go to extreme measures like that?"

Gine, however, looked to the group with confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"She's saying that you could've done something else to stop it besides kill-!" Rainbow stopped speaking when they all noticed the Hydra began moving and soon opened all of its eyes and stood back up, only this time without aggression.

Confused along with the rest of her friends, Fluttershy questioned Gine first, "You...? You didn't kill it?"

"What? Kill it over having a splinter?" Gine moved her left hand up to show she was holding a sharp ended stick with a tiny bit of dried blood on its end. "Turns out it wasn't attacking out of rage or instinct. It was just in pain from having this stuck between its two middle heads."

The girls continued to watch in shock as the Hydra lowered one of its heads to nudge Gine a bit. "Oh. No problem big fella. I was happy to help out."

The girls then watched as the Hydra began walking off while Gine walked back to the girls, who continued looking at her with amazement. "What? I may have been a strong fighter in the past but there were still times I could be gentle."

After shaking off their shock, Twilight was the first to speak, "Gine. I just gotta say, you are just full of surprises."

Gine chuckled until they all heard a rumbling noise before they all realized it was Gine's stomach. "Whoops. Looks like stopping that thing helped me work up a bit of an appetite."

"Well, darling. For saving our home, allow us to treat you to dinner."

Gine smiled at the offer while Twilight, Starlight, and Spike began to sweat a bit. "Ummm... Rarity? You all do have plenty of money right?"

The white unicorn looked to the drake in confusion. "Of course Spike. Why do you ask?"

Starlight chuckled nervously a bit as she rubbed the back of her mane. "Let's just say we're gonna need it."

A Royal Offer And A Clash of Titans

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A few hours had passed since Gine, to everyone's amazement, took down the Hydra, not only with her bare hands but also without killing it. As a way to thank her, the girls and Spike had taken Gine out to the local Hay Burger to treat her to dinner. However, unlike Twilight, Starlight, and Spike, the girls were shocked by another quality of Gine besides her strength, flying, and speed... And that was her appetite.

The rest of the group had just finished their meals consisting of hay burgers, salads, and hay fries. However, Gine had eaten about forty-nine salads and was now starting on her fiftieth one. Seeing how she scarfed down food earlier, Starlight looked to Rarity and the girls with a joking look. "Now you see why we asked if you all had plenty of money on you?"

Gine had just finished another salad before placing the plate down on the table and letting out a satisfied sigh. "So? Who's up for dessert?"

The group could've sworn their jaws hit the table once Gine mentioned that before she laughed. "I'm joking. I've had my fill."

"How can you eat so much Gine? I mean even me and the Wonderbolts don't eat that much with how often we work."

Spike decided to share what he had learned earlier. "Let me go ahead and give you the short explanation Rainbow Dash. Turns out Gine's kind, the Saiyans, have to eat a lot more because they burn off a lot of energy from all of the fights they get into."

"That would've been a great warning earlier y'all."

Starlight then spoke, "I doubt that it would've made much of a difference."

"That would've still been good to know."

They all then watched as the waiter came to them. "Alright. Here's your bill. And have a good day."

The minute Twilight picked up the bill she gained a sheepish smile before showing the group the bill and the amount almost made even Rainbow Dash faint. "How about we all make this easier and split it between the seven of us with money?"

"Deal!"

After splitting up their bits to pay the bill, the group left with Gine having a sincere smile on her face. "Sorry for costing so much on dinner girls. I'll do whatever I can to make up for it."

"It's... No trouble at all darling. After all, it's the least we could do since you saved our town and especially for saving my little sister from being caught under that hydra's foot."

"It was no trouble Rarity. I couldn't just let that thing crush her."

Rainbow then flew up beside Gine with a curious expression. "By the way Gine, how did you do all of that awesome stuff you did to stop the hydra?"

"What awesome stuff?"

"Like how you flew without wings, how you fired that cool looking attack at the hydra, or better yet, how you managed to lift something that big into the air without breaking a sweat?"

"Oh. Those. My strength and my attacks were from my ki."

Gine then noticed that the group were looking at her with confused looks. After a moment, Spike was the one to ask the question that was on everyone's minds. "Gine? What's ki?"

Gine smiled a bit and spoke, "Well... It's kind of what you call magic on your world. Some call life force, some call it chi, some aura. But while it's not the same as magic, it is something that resides in all living things. And once a being learns how to tap into it, they can learn to use it in ways a lot of others know, while also developing their own techniques with it. A common trick with ki is this right here."

Gine raised her hands up and began forming a small pink orb of ki in her hands, amazing her new friends. She then made it float out of her hands and to the middle of the group, causing some of them to back away from it a bit. "It's okay. It won't harm any of you."

The orb moved around a little, due to Gine's control until it stopped in front of Spike. After a moment of hesitation, Spike reached his hand out and held the orb in his hand, surprising the drake due to the fact that the orb didn't appear to hurt or burn him. "Wow. This is kinda cool."

"Like I said, that's just one of the basics when it comes to ki. It won't really do much harm."

Gine then watched as Twilight made her notepad and quill appear in front of her and instantly began writing down notes. "This is incredible! You're saying no matter what race, all living things throughout the universe possess ki and with it, can even learn to use it the same way we ponies use magic?"

Gine scratched the back of her head a bit. "Well, I guess that's the simple way to put it."

Spike then spoke up. "So can anyone learn how to tap into to their ki?"

"Well, that depends?"

"Depends on what," Fluttershy asked. "... If you don't mind me asking that is."

"On how strong a being is. In order to learn how to use their ki, even the basic techniques, a living being has to have a strong body, both physically and mentally. The body needs to be able to handle the strain that ki can sometimes put on it, along with also being mentally strong enough to focus and hold it. Without either one, someone could hurt themselves or worse due to inexperience with it even if they could learn to access their ki."

Rainbow then landed down after simply staying in one spot with her wings flapping throughout most of the conversation. "So your attacks, how strong you are, and how you fly without wings? That all comes from using your ki?"

"Pretty much. Once a being learns how to tap into their ki, the possibilities are endless."

Applejack did a small whistle and put her hands on her hips. "Hoowee. No wonder you move so fast. With how you beat that hydra varmint like it was nothin', you sure do have some strength on ya."

Gine smiled a bit more and actually blushed a bit from the compliments she was getting before Pinkie spoke, "Oh. What else can you do? Can you do more than what we saw you use to stop the hydra? Since you're an alien, can ki help you breathe in space too?"

Gine crossed her arms. "Well no. We rely on oxygen like your-."

Gine was cut off when everyone noticed Spike began clenching his stomach and his cheeks began to puff out a bit. "Spike? Are you okay?"

To Gine's confusion, the moment Spike opened his mouth, pits of ashes held in a group by magic came out of his mouth and soon formed into a scroll that landed into his claws. "What's that?"

Twilight then looked at Gine with a smile of her own. "Well, Gine. It looks like we have something for you to learn this time. Spike here can actually send letters back and forth between himself and my old mentors and fellow princesses. The Princess of the Day: Celestia, the Princess of the Night: Luna. And the Princess of Love: Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadance as we prefer calling her."

"What do they do? And also, I never thought to ask this, but what exactly do you do as well as the Princess of Friendship?"

"My duty as Princess of Friendship is to spread the knowledge of friendship and what it can do for others to many creatures, both those who live inside and outside of Equestria. Like the school you saw when we met you yesterday."

"I was wondering what that school was for. And what about the other three?"

Twilight then continued, " Well Cadance, being the Princess of Love, helps spread love and happiness to others. She's able to use her magic to help solve any obstacle that is presented against love. Whether it be an issue among friends, family members, or even those who are in a relationship, Cadance can always be the one to fix the issue between love. Celestia and Luna have a bigger responsibility than either Cadance or myself. Along with ruling all of Equestria, their responsibilities are to raise and lower the sun and moon for all of us."

"HUH?!" The girls found Gine looking to them with a dumbfounded look. "You mean Celestia and Luna are actually able to move celestial objects of the stars with their magic? They're that strong?"

Rainbow Dash decided to be the one to answer this time, "Yeah. Didn't you have someone to do that for your world back when it was still around?"

"RAINBOW DASH!"

Rainbow looked to see Applejack looking at her with a serious look. "What?"

"Don't ya think that might be a sensitive issue for her to talk about right now?"

Rainbow instantly realized that the orange southern mare was right before facing Gine with an apologetic look. "Sorry about that Gine. I forgot about-."

"It's... It's okay Rainbow Dash. But to answer your question, no. My world had a sun in the center of our solar system and Planet Vegeta spun and revolved around the sun on its axis. Same for the moon and our planet itself. The moon orbited our world like a satellite."

The group was amazed to hear how different Gine's world was from their own. "Our sun's size is about the size of yours."

"What about your moon? How big was it darling?"

Gine scratched her cheek a bit. "Well to be honest, unless we had trouble coming to our world, Saiyans tried to mainly avoid looking to the moon at night."

"But Gine, why wouldn't you want to see something so beautiful? Even though your people were a strong race, surely even they can appreciate something like a full moon."

"We did appreciate the full moon Rarity. However, for our planet, a full moon only occurred once every hundred years. And for our living, it was a bit of a benefit?"

Applejack tipped her hat a bit. "Why's that?"

"Well. When a Saiyan happens to spot a full moon, they-."

"Ummm Twilight," Spike gained everyone's attention as it appeared he finished reading the scroll. "You might wanna read this for yourself."

Twilight looked at Spike with curiosity before levitating the scroll into her hands with her magic before opening it and reading it out loud.

Dear Twilight,

My sister and I wanted to remind you, though we're sure you haven't forgotten, about our meeting with some of the other kingdom and land leaders on the day after tomorrow. And to help out, we'll both be coming to pick you, your friends, and the students from the lands up tomorrow and bring you to Canterlot with rooms prepared for you all.

Your Fellow Princesses,

Celestia and Luna

After finishing the letter, Twilight felt her eyes go wide as the others looked at her with some concern. "Twilight. Everythin' okay? I mean they're just comin' to get us for a meetin' with the students' land leaders. Doesn't sound like that big of a deal to me."

"It's not that Applejack. It's just that I haven't thought to write a letter to them telling them about Gine yet. I just don't want them to think she's an enemy or a threat to all of us. You know?"

After hearing that statement, the rest of group understood Twilight's concern. Since they didn't even know about Gine, Celestia and Luna had no knowledge of what she was capable of given she was not even of their world. But despite all of the concern, Gine smiled and placed her hand on Twilight's shoulder, causing the alicorn to at look to her. "Calm down a bit Twilight. I'm not worried at all myself."

The minute Gine said that the others were very surprised to see how calm Gine really was with Fluttershy speaking for the group, "Y-you're not? But... How why aren't you? I mean not that you are, but what if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna don't trust you like we do and see you as an enemy rather than a friend? W-what if they try to have you locked up in one of the dungeons in Canterlot Castle?"

"Because I have all of you to support me. Twilight's the Princess of Friendship and since the letter said she bringing all of you and not just her to whatever's going on, that tells me she trusts every single one of you and your word. So if I have you all to back up the claim of me being a friend and not a foe, what is there to worry about?"

After letting her words sink in, the girls and Spike realized Gine was right. Surely if they vouch for her having a good heart, the princesses wouldn't think she's a threat. "You know. You make a good point Gine. We don't have anything to worry about."

"That's what I like to hear. Now it's starting to get late, why don't we all head home for the night and we'll meet at the castle tomorrow before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna show up?"

"That's a good idea Gine. I think I could use some shut eye for tomorrow. Night y'all."

With that, the group all split up and headed to their respective homes with Twilight, Gine, Starlight, and Spike heading to the castle. While Starlight and Spike walked up ahead, Twilight hanged back a bit to speak with Gine. "Hey, Gine? Could I ask you something?"

"Sure Twilight. What's up?"

"Well since you're staying at the castle, maybe I could offer you a job to help you earn some bits while you're on our world."

Gine was a bit surprised but understood what Twilight was saying. Gine knew she could be on Equis for a while and it probably wouldn't hurt to have a way of earning some money of her own that way she can earn her fair share since Twilight is already letting her stay at the castle for free. "That sounds like a good idea. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe you could be a teacher for our Friendship School?"

"A teacher?"

"Hear me out for a moment. You being here has finally answered one of the biggest questions that have been asked from Equestria and beyond. Are we alone in the universe? And now that you're here, maybe you can also answer another question, what can we learn from life outside of our planet? And to answer that, I was thinking... Maybe you could teach some of our students how to tap into and use ki like you do?"

This suggestion came as a surprise to Gine. She understood why Twilight would make this suggestion, it was only natural to want her students to possibly learn from someone who came from another world. But Gine knew she had no experience from having to teach anyone about ki before. Back on Vegeta, she only learned from her deceased husband Bardock and the rest of his crew on how to improve herself and her power, but she's never had to pass that knowledge to anyone before. Gine found herself in a mental conflict as she was trying to decide on whether to accept this offer. "Well... To be honest Twilight. I don't know. I mean I'm not saying no. It's just I've never had to pass on how to tap into ki and use it. I'm just not completely sure if I'd be able to be a teacher."

Twilight was a little nervous about where Gine was going with this but could understand her nervousness. Afterall she was just as nervous when she first became the Princess of Friendship and even more so when she made the first Friendship Festival before and after the Storm King attacked Equestria. "Well, Gine... You don't have to decide right now if you don't want to. Just know it's an offer that's here if you want it."

"I... I just need a little time to think about it. I'll let you know as soon as I decide."

"Sure Gine. Now let's get home and get some sleep. Gotta be ready for when the princesses arrive and I'm sure we both want you to be awake to make a good first impression. Though I doubt that'll be an issue."

Gine smiled at Twilight's joke before nodding as they all continued heading for the castle.

Later that night

Gine was sitting in her room, once again borrowing some clothes from Starlight until Rarity finished with hers the next day, sitting on her knees, thinking about Twilight's offer from earlier. 'It wouldn't be that bad of an idea. I could earn some money of my own and not have to make Twilight provide for me completely on her own. But still, am I even able to teach some of their students how to use ki? And if so, could I teach them the right way to do it?'

"You must have faith in yourself Gine."

Gine was startled by the voice but instantly recognized it. "Kanassan? Is that you?"

"My name is Toolo. I forgot to reveal that the last time we spoke. And yes. It is me."

"So you know what I'm thinking about? Well then, what do you think I should do? Should I try and teach them about ki? I mean you did mention there's still a bit I have to learn myself. So even if I was sure I wanted to, what if my lack of knowledge ends up getting one of them hurt or worse... Killed?"

"Every mentor teaches with the risk of failure Gine. Even on Kanassa, we had to teach every generation with the risk of failing. However, no matter how big or small, the gratitude and rewards we received for our actions far outweighed that risk. And do you also remember how I said you will be needed to protect this world from a threat to come?"

"Yes. But what about it?"

"The threat to come is still unknown to me completely, but I do know that when it does come, you may not be able to face it completely alone. You will have to strengthen yourself while you are on this world, but at the same time you will need to have allies who can aid you in protecting their home."

Gine realized Toolo made a good point. She remembered that during her time as a member of Bardock's squad, before she became a butcher, that despite how strong they were when fighting individually, there were times they faced threats that they couldn't face alone. Having each other against some threats was what allowed them to survive so many missions.

"I will not tell you what choice to make Gine? However be sure of it yourself when you make it. And if you ever need someone to aid you in matters such as this, just focus on our connection."

"... I will. Thank you Toolo."

With that, like last time, Gine felt Toolo's voice leave her mind once again. She stayed where she was for a moment before standing up and her hands clenched in determination. "I know what I'm going to do now. I'll be sure to tell Twilight tomorrow. But for now, I should get some sleep."

Gine then rose to her feet, walked over, and climbed into bed before allowing sleep to overcome her.

The next morning

After Twilight had learned of Gine's appetite, she had been sure to get up early enough to prepare a feast for the Saiyan before the others arrived. Just as she had finished, Gine had walked in once again dressed in her armor. "Good morning Twilight."

"Morning Gine. I hope you're hungry. I made sure to have plenty ready for you this time."

Twilight's preparation was appreciated by the Saiyan as she smiled. "Thank you Twilight. But before I eat, I'd like to talk to you."

Twilight had just moved the last dish to the table with her magic before looking at Gine. "Sure. What do you wanna talk about?"

"I thought it over last night, and after enough thinking... I've decided to take up your offer and teach some of your students about ki."

Hearing Gine speak those words made Twilight let out a happy yell like a foal on Hearths Warming Eve. "Oh, Gine thank you. I can't wait to-."

"However..."

Twilight stopped when Gine started to speak again, "I do have a couple of conditions. And if you agree with them I will become an instructor for your school."

The alicorn wasn't expected Gine to have conditions. But she thought she should hear Gine out. Since she's willing to teach at her school at all, she could compromise a bit. "Alright. Name them."

"First off, while I will agree to teach some of your students, I can't do it right away. You see while I do know a bit about ki, there's still quite a bit I have to learn about it myself. And the more I learn myself, the more I'll be able to teach your students at your school. So I will need to take some time to train myself a bit more before I move on to training others."

Twilight saw that condition was reasonable and Gine made a good point, the more she knows, the more her students will have to experience. "Okay. What's the other?"

"The other is fairly simple. If I'm to teach ki to others, I need to make sure I have the approval from your friends, fellow princesses, and the rulers of the lands the students come from along with your own approval. The reason is that the best way I know how to train someone is how I was trained. And the training I went through was far from easy. And if I'm going to put young ones through it to learn ki, then I feel I should have the approval of those who are rulers of their lands. And since you mentioned you a had a meeting with them, maybe I could come along with you all and hear what their answer is if you ask them there?"

Twilight thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll see what Celestia and Luna say and we'll go from there. That sound okay?"

"That sounds good to me. Now l think I could use something to eat."

Later that day, the others had arrived and while waiting for the princesses to arrive. As they were doing so, Twilight was relieved but unsurprised when they all agreed. "So you all agree?"

"Sure thing Twilight. Ah think it'd be a great idea."

"Indeed darling."

"Yes indeedy."

"Yay!"

"I'm in. But I have a small request for it."

The others looked at Rainbow Dash and noticed she seemed to have quite a serious look. "What do you mean Rainbow Dash?"

"Well... Do you guys remember that time I took Scootaloo to the Cloudsdale Medical Center the other day to have her wings looked at so we could find out if her wings would grow to where they should?"

The girls nodded and watched as Rainbow Dash gained a bit of a sorrowful look on her face. "Well... We just received a letter from them in the mail today. And unfortunately... They mentioned that her wings are likely to not develop enough in order for her to fly."

The group instantly felt sympathy for Rainbow. "She cried for hours last night. And I felt so bad because she'll never be able to fly. And I feel even worse because I won't be able to fly with my little sister."

Rainbow then looked to Gine. "But while I know I can't help her, Gine, maybe you can?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You showed us yesterday that there's another way to fly without wings. And it got me thinking, if I can't help Scootaloo fly with wings, maybe there's a chance you can help her fly with ki."

Gine seemed a bit hesitant, "I don't know."

"Please Gine. Scootaloo's a pegasus like any other and she doesn't deserve to be grounded. Even if it's without her wings, she deserves to fly somehow. Her not being able to fly would be like you Saiyans not being able to fight anymore. It's devastating to her right now and I'd give anything to see somepony give her the chance to do what she was made to do. Even if that somepony isn't me."

Gine knew Rainbow Dash made a good point. A pegasus who is told they would never fly helped her imagine what her old teammate Fasha would be like if she was told she could never fight again for the rest of her life. And that allowed Gine to come to a decision. "Alright Rainbow Dash. I should warn you though, what I put her through will be extremely difficult. But if you and she are both willing to accept that like we hope the land-rulers do, then yes. I'll teach her how to fly using ki."

Rainbow smiled to Gine sincerely. "Thank you so much, Gine. I know Scootaloo will be far from depressed when I tell her there's a chance she'll still be able to fly."

Everyone smiled at Rainbow's happiness when they all heard the doors open to the room to show Celestia and Luna had arrived. "Twilight? Luna and I have arrived. I hope you and your friends are ready. We were also wondering, did something happen to the town? We saw a little damage on the way he-."

Celestia stopped speaking the moment she and Luna both spotted Gine. The Saiyan simply smiled and bowed to the two out of respect. "You two must be Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Twilight noticed that despite Gine's act of respect to the two, Celestia and Luna still looked to Gine with shocked expressions causing the purple alicorn to chuckle nervously. "Guess I have some things I need to tell you both about."

After a quick explanation, Celestia and Luna looked at Gine in amazement and in sympathy at her story. "So you're the last survivor of your race and your homeworld was destroyed?"

"Yes."

Luna then spoke, "And you were the one who saved this town from a hydra all by yourself?"

"Yes. So I only ask you both to allow me to continue living with Twilight and her friends and I promise I will be your ally for as long as I'm here."

Celestia and Luna looked at Twilight and the others before looking at each other. They then smiled and looked back to Gine. "You saved many of our people and if Twilight and her friends trust you then we have no reason to doubt you. In fact, why not come with us back to Canterlot, our capital of Equestria? Let us show you more of what Equestria has to offer."

Gine smiled at the offer presented to her. "I'd be happy to come along Princess Celestia."

"Well then. Let's all get going shall-?"

"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!"

Everyone turned to see two familiar unicorns, except to Gine, burst into the castle. One was a short aqua colored unicorn with a light brown tail and mane, brown eyebrows, and scissors for a cutie mark. The other was a tall golden-furred unicorn with a green mane and tail along with a snail Cutie Mark. They were known as Snips and Snails.

"Snips? Snails? What's wrong?"

Snips and Snails looked to them all with nervous expressions. "Well ummmmm... Do you remember the time we all first met Trixie?"

That question and the two's nervousness made Twilight's eyes go wide. "Did you two wake the Ursa Minor again?!"

"No. No. No. No. No. Of course not."

"*sigh* Oh thank goodness."

THUD

"We might have actually done something a little bit worse."

"RAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Everyone ran out to see what had let out that loud roar. The minute it came in sight, Twilight glared at Snips and Snails. "You both didn't wake an Ursa Minor... YOU WOKE UP AN ACTUAL URSA MAJOR!"

It was indeed the creature Twilight spoke up. The creature appeared to be made of transparent, purple, cosmic magic with a blue star-like symbol on its forehead, red wild eyes, long sharp teeth, and was around fifty feet tall, towering over most of the town.

Celestia stepped forward to the front of the group as she watched the creature begin its rampage. "Fluttershy? Applejack? Starlight? Rarity? Begin getting ponies clear. The rest of us will try and drive it away from Ponyville."

Everyone then began running or flying towards Ponyville.

In said town, many were running in panic as the Ursa began stomping around. They all then heard what sounded like the air being cut a bit as most spotted the most famous flyers in all of Equestria flying towards the beast, the Wonderbolts. The team consisted of Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Soarin with Spitfire in the lead. "Evasive formation you two!"

The two nodded and they all three began to fly rapidly around the Ursa trying to draw its attention to them and away from the town. However, the giant soon managed to swing its right paw and swatted Fleetfoot away. However, the Wonderbolt was quickly caught by Rainbow Dash. "Need a hand?"

Soon Twilight, Celestia, and Luna came up and began firing their magic at the major causing it to lift up its paws to try and block it.

Back at the ground, the rest of the Mane 6 were getting ponies clear.

"Come on y'all. Keep getting clear."

They then spotted Gine had just moved Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon away from falling debris. "Get moving you two." The two fillies nodded and ran along with the other ponies trying to escape the Ursa's rampage. Gine then looked up to see the princesses and Wonderbolts were still trying to draw the Ursa's attention. "Alright. I've seen this thing once and I've already had enough of it." Gine then charged up her power and shot off right to the Ursa like a missile. She delivered a strong swing with both her fists to the giant's face, then repeated the attack with two more, sending it down on to its back.

Gine then began charging her power as her ki formed into her hands. "Goddess Blast!" Gine then fired a powerful ki blast against the Ursa trying to drive it away.

At first, it seemed to be driving the downed creature away for a bit but it managed to swipe one of its paws and knocked Gine down towards the ground, where she struck a stack of crates and crushed them before rolling over onto her back with Twilight watching in worry. "Gine!"

Twilight then broke off from firing at the Ursa to fly down and check on the Saiyan as she got back to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just a bit of ringing in my head."

The two then looked up as the Ursa let out another roar while trying to swat away the princesses and Wonderbolts with Twilight looking in worry. "We need a plan. Even with me, Celestia, and Luna all together, our magic isn't strong enough to stop something of that size."

Gine then shot up with her eyes wide. "Size? That's it!"

Twilight looked to Gine in confusion. "What's it?"

"Twilight. I have a plan. I think I have just the thing that can drive away the Ursa Major. But in order to do it, I need you to get the others clear of it."

"What? Gine are you sure you can-?"

"Twilight! I don't have time to explain! Right now, I'm asking you as your friend to trust me."

Twilight seemed a bit hesitant before nodding. She then flew up to her friends who continued fighting the Ursa. "Everypony get clear! Gine says she has an idea!"

A bit hesitant at first, everypony began running or flying away from the Ursa with Rainbow Dash pulling up to Twilight's side. "What's Gine gonna do Twilight?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to trust her."

After everyone had put some distance between themselves and the Ursa, Gine then took to the air and looked straight at the beast. 'Bardock. I never thought I'd be so grateful that you made me learn this technique.'

Gine then began focusing power into her hand and soon formed a white energy orb into her hand before shooting it into the air. From a distance, the others wondered what was happening. "What's she doing?"

Gine threw her hand up and clenched it into a fist. "BURST OPEN AND MIX!"

Suddenly the white energy orb released a bright flash that covered the sky for a moment until it revealed a large energy sphere in the sky. The sight of it amazed all of the ponies watching with Luna speaking, "It looks almost like... A moon."

"Ummm, girls? Check out Gine."

Everyone turned and looked in Gine's direction and even from a distance they could tell something was happening. They all watched as Gine's eyes became pupil-less and she began to tremble a bit while letting out groan after groan. Her eyes soon began turning blood red, her mouth began to grow into a snout with sharp teeth, and she began to grow black fur all over. But what really surprised them all was the fact that Gine appeared to be growing in size. They watched as she continued growing and growing until she appeared to be the size of the Ursa itself. She soon stopped changing and when she did, she landed down on the ground, gaining the attention of the Ursa.

From their watching spot, the girls watched in astonishment as they had just witnessed what appeared to be Gine having turned into a giant ape dressed in Saiyan armor. Spike was watching with his mouth wide open. "She's... She's huge. She's as big as the Ursa Major"

Celestia and Luna looked at Twilight with questionable looks. "Twilight?"

"I'll explain once I figure out myself Princess Luna. To be honest, I had no idea Gine could do that."

"Well, darling. While I don't know what's Gine's done to herself. I should say we let Gine handle the Ursa Major like she said."

The Ursa glared at the Great Ape Gine as she glared right back. The Ursa let out a defiant roar before Gine beat her chest like that of a gorilla before roaring right back. The two continued glaring at one another before charging at each other. When they met Gine had grabbed the Ursa by the neck and began driving it back. Many ponies scattered as they watched the Ursa's hind paws drag into the ground and create groves as Gine kept pushing the creature back. It tried fighting back but Gine kept her grip tight as she continued pushing the beast out of Ponyville. Not long after they were closing in on the edge of the town, the Ursa managed to knock Gine's hand away and bit down on her arm causing Gine to let out a roar of pain. Gine then struck the Ursa with a strong right hook before grabbing it by its back with both hands and using her strength to throw the Ursa out towards the Everfree Forest. The Ursa landed with a giant quake.

The ponies watched in amazement as Rainbow Dash spoke first, "Are you seeing this? She's taking down the Ursa Major as easily as she did the hydra!"

They then watched that as the Ursa got back up, Gine jumped out towards it and slammed her fists down on it. She was about to throw another hit but the Ursa swung its claws and struck Gine in the face before tackling her to the ground. They all watched as Gine then managed to kick it off before the two got back up and stared each other down. Gine then reached out and yanked a tree out of the ground before moving her hand over it to clear the branches from it. She then watched as the Ursa charged at her before she swung the tree and struck the Ursa with it like a baseball bat, snapping the tree in two. After the Ursa took that hit, it then looked to see Gine appeared to be charging her energy up and taking a deep breath. The Ursa then charged at her, but right as it was about to strike her, Gine shot forward with her mouth wide open, firing a powerful beam from there, striking the Ursa and pushing it back. She stopped for a moment before letting out another blast once it tried to charge her again.

Eventually, the beam pushed the Ursa Major onto its back where it looked to Gine in fright. Gine let out a roar at the Ursa and caused it began moving and running away in defeat and fear. Everyone watched as Gine full scared off the Ursa and she let out a roar of triumph. "She... She did it."

They then watched as Gine began charging her power again. "What's she doing now?"

They then watched as Gine let out another blast, except this time it was to the sky, and right towards the fake moon she had made. Soon, the blast struck the fake moon and destroyed it. After it was gone, they then watched as Gine appeared to be changing back to her normal self. They all began flying and moving towards her as she soon returned to normal and slowly hovered down to the ground and fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. Rainbow and Applejack supported her a bit while Twilight looked at her in amazement. "Gine? How did you do that?"

Gine smiled a bit before looking at her. "Let's just say I still have a bit more to tell you all about Saiyans."

Trip To Canterlot

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After a few hours of checking to make sure everypony was okay after the Ursa Major was gone, along with making sure the damages would be simple to fix, the night began to fall as Gine along, with the girls, Spike, the Young Six, and the princesses were all heading to Canterlot via carriage. There were two carriages, one held the Young Six and Spike while the other held the girls, Gine, and the princesses. And with no surprise to Gine, the girls began asking her about what happened during the Ursa Major attack.

"What was that big ball you shot into the sky?"

"How did you make it look like a moon?"

"Why did you turn into a giant ape?"

Gine chuckled a bit and held her hands up. "Okay. Okay. I'll answer your questions. Just calm down a bit."

Twilight looked with glee in her eyes. "Sorry, Gine. It's just seeing even more of what you can do just brings more questions."

"I understand. Just give me a moment to think of how to explain it." Gine took a moment to think before speaking again, "Okay. Do you remember how I mentioned that there was once a war between Tuffles and Saiyans?"

The mares nodded. "Well during that time, the Tuffles seemed to have the edge over us Saiyans. They had more technology, more weaponry, and more intelligence than we did at the time. We Saiyans began to realize we needed to come up with an edge of our own. And then after a bit more time fighting, we soon discovered something about our own bodies and how to make them stronger to overwhelm the Tuffles. And there was a key piece to that power... The moon."

"The moon?" Luna asked with high curiosity.

"Yes. You see we discovered that when a Saiyan looked to the full moon when light reflected off of it from the sun, the wavelength of the light is shifted, creating what we Saiyans called Blutz Waves."

"Blutz Waves?"

"Yes. And when the moon was full, the intensity of the waves was over seventeen million Xenos. Then the Xenos were absorbed by a Saiyans' body which would then cause a biochemical reaction within the tail. That then leads to what you saw, the Great Ape transformation. I'm sure you all now understand why I asked Twilight to give me a room away from seeing the moon."

Gine looked to see most of the mares were looking at her in confusion before smiling to Twilight. "Twilight? Would you mind giving them simple terms."

Twilight nodded before looking at the others. "Basically what Gine is saying is that the giant ape that Saiyans turn into are caused by their tails when they look to a full moon while sunlight is reflecting off of it. Kind of like a werepony in horror stories."

"Ohhhhh." Everypony seemed to understand until Rainbow Dash brought up another question. "So wait. If you can only turn into a giant ape-."

"Great Ape."

"Whatever. If you only turn into it when looking at a full moon, how did you do it during the day?"

"Well, Rainbow Dash, that's thanks to a technique Bardock taught me," said Gine. "We used the transformation during assignments that Frieza gave our squads. During some of those assignments, we knew we'd be sent to some worlds that had no moons. So in order to have the transformation available to us, some Saiyan soldiers and scientists, including Bardock, managed to develop a technique that produced a satellite that was similar to a moon. Like what you saw earlier. And like a full moon, it produced Blutz Waves that triggered the transformation."

This left everypony amazed at hearing once again how powerful and how resourceful Saiyans could be with Rarity speaking, "Incredible darling. I must say we were lucky you had that technique at hand."

"You have Bardock to thank for that," Gine said humbly. "He made me learn the technique just in case I ever needed it for real."

Luna decided to also speak up, "It also seems to give more clarity on why this Frieza began to fear your kind. With how powerful your kind was as Great Apes and a whole planet of Saiyans capable of such a transformation... It certainly sounded like a force to be reckoned with."

"You have no idea. " Gine muttered.

Before anyone else could speak, they heard one of the guards who was pulling the carriage beginning alerting them. "We're coming in on Canterlot Princess Celestia."

Everyone looked out of the carriage to see the large city come into view. To Gine, the sight was astounding. "It's all... so beautiful. Even capital cities of Planet Vegeta didn't look like this."

The group was pleased by Gine's words, especially Celestia and Luna with the former speaking, "We're glad you like it Gine. And if you'd like, maybe sometime we could show you around here."

Gine continued looking in awe at what was being seen. "I'd like that. It seems so nice down there. I wonder how the ponies of this city are."

Rainbow Dash scoffed a bit at the statement. "I wouldn't get your hopes up Gine."

Applejack gave Rainbow a quick elbow while Gine looked to them with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Rarity gave Rainbow a small aggravated look before looking at Gine with a small nervous look. "Well, darling. To be honest, the ponies of Canterlot aren't quite like the ponies of Ponyville. Some are quite kind and generous, but others are..."

"Oh. Judgemental snobs, who think they're better than everypony else?" Pinkie asked with her usual giddy manner.

"Pinkie!" Twilight snapped her at the pink pony before looking at Gine with nervousness but the Saiyan remained neutral.

"Oh? Is that it? That's no problem."

This caught the mares a bit off-guard. "Huh?"

Gine simply smiled. "Trust me. Back on my world, we had plenty of Saiyans who were the same way. Full of themselves, judgemental, way too headstrong, and plenty who looked down on those who weren't as strong. I'm used to those who are judgemental, no matter what world I'm on."

The group was surprised but relieved that Gine was used to those who were rich and acted better than others. They all soon felt a small jolt from the carriage before it stopped. The door to the carriage soon opened with guards standing by as the lead one spoke, "We've arrived Princess."

They all exited the carriage and found themselves in front of the castle where Gine looked in even more astonishment at the look of the castle from the outside. "Wow... It's beautiful."

"We're glad you think so Gine," Celestia said. "And I hope you're all ready. The other kingdom rulers will be here tomorrow. So allow Luna and I to show you all to the dining hall."

The group nodded to the princesses and as they all began walking to the castle's entrance, Gine was soon greeted by Silverstream who looked her with giddiness. "Hey. Is it true you're an alien? By the way, I'm Silverstream. I was a Seapony, now I'm a Hippogriff long story short. Anyways, I can't believe I'm talking to an actual alien!"

Gine stood puzzled as the young Hippogriff looked to her with focus and excitement. "Uh..."

"Don't freak her out already Silverstream." Gine then noticed the rest of the Young Six: Smolder, Sandbar, Yona, Gallas, and Ocellus come up to her with Smolder being the one who had spoken. "Name's Smolder. The rest of us are Gallas."

"What's up?"

"Sandbar."

"Hey hey."

"Yona."

"Yona like how strong new lady is. She as strong as yaks."

"And Ocellus."

Gine noticed the young Changeling seemed a little nervous towards her. "H... Hello."

Despite how shy she seemed, Gine smiled to Ocellus. "Nice to meet you all."

Gallus then flew up with a bit of a smug grin. "So like Silverstream asked, are you really an alien?"

Gine smiled sheepishly. "Well yes. I am. Though I believe 'alien' is a relative term."

"So is it true?" Sandbar asked walking up beside a confused Gine.

"Is what true?"

Sandbar said, "That you'll become one of our teachers? I heard Princess Twilight mention it to you the yesterday."

Gine seemed a bit hesitant before speaking, "Well it's possible I might be. But it all depends on what the rulers of the kingdoms your friends are from. If they approve, then yes, I will become a new teacher for you. After I teach myself a bit."

Silverstream let out a joyful yelp. "Ah! I can't wait. Learning to do all of what you can do. It'll be so cool!"

Gine smiled a bit before looking to Gallus. "Is she always this excited about new things?"

Gallus grinned while rolling his eyes a bit and speaking, "Like you wouldn't believe."

They all began to approach the entrance when a guard soon approached Celestia. "You're highness. We have some news to share with you."

"Yes? What is it?"

The guard removed his helmet out of respect. "While you were away to gather Princess Twilight and her respected friends, Queen Novo of the Hippogriffs, her daughter, Princess Skystar, and her guard and brother-in-law, Sky Beak have arrived a day earlier than the other kingdom rulers. They're currently awaiting you all inside the gathering chamber."

This statement caught everyone by surprise a bit. Celestia shook off the surprise a bit before responding to the guard, "Thank you for letting us know. We'll be meeting them soon."

The guard nodded and walked back into the castle. Before anyone could react, Silverstream then took off into the castle faster than the others, resulting in everyone quickly following behind her and into the castle as well. They were soon met with the sight of Silverstream hugging the queen of all of the Hippogriffs, Queen Novo, her cousin, Princess Skystar, and her father and guard, Sky Beak. "Aunt Novo! Cousin Skystar! Dad!"

Queen Novo humbly hugged her niece before Skystar hugged her excitedly afterward. Then Sky Beak hugged his daughter with happiness, "Oh, it's so great to see you again Silverstream."

Silverstream pulled away from her three family members and began speaking in her usual excited pace. "Oh my gosh this is so great. Hey, are Mom and Terramar here too?"

"Afraid not cousin. Just us this time."

Silverstream was a bit down by the news but Novo's claw on her shoulder brightened her up a bit from what she said, "But they did want us to tell you that they are proud of you and send you their best regards."

"Queen Novo."

The four Hippogriffs looked to see everyone else approaching with Princess Celestia sharing a quick greeting hug with the queen. "It's good to see you again Novo."

"Indeed. It's good to see you too Celestia." Novo then looked to Luna, "You as well Luna."

Luna smiled and nodded to the queen. Novo continued looking among the others until her eyes spotted Twilight, and her smile turned into a stern expression. "Princess Twilight."

Gine then noticed Twilight's face fell a bit at how Queen Novo spoke her name. From how it was spoken, she could tell that there seemed to be a bit of tension between Queen Novo and Twilight, with most coming from the former and this was supported by how timid Twilight sounded when she responded, "Queen Novo."

Gine continued looking at Twilight with concern until...

"Excuse me?"

Gine looked to see Skystar approach her with curiosity. "Hello. I'm Princess Skystar."

Gine smiled at the young princess as Queen Novo put her sights on her as well. "A new face I see. And pardon my forwardness, a new creature as well. I am Queen Novo of the Hippogriff race. This is my daughter Skystar and my brother-in-law Sky Beak. What pray tell are you Ms...?"

"Gine." Gine bowed to the queen of the hippogriffs in respect. "And as for what I am, well you might find it a bit hard to believe."

Novo and Skystar looked at her in confusion before Celestia spoke a bit, "We have a bit to explain Queen Novo. Please join us in the dining hall for some tea."

Later in the dining hall, Novo and Skystar were astonished to learn about Gine's kind along with how and why she ended up in Equestria. They felt great sympathy for the Saiyan after learning of what she had gone through. Queen Novo said, "My dear, I can't imagine how you feel after going through that but our sympathies are with you."

"No doubt. I mean seeing all of your kind wiped out in an instant. That's just awful."

"Skystar!"

Skystar noticed Novo looking at her with a bit of disapproval before the princess looked to see the Saiyan looking down at her cup before the Hippogriff realized what she had said. "Oh. Sorry, Ms. Gine. I didn't mean-."

"It's quite alright Princess Skystar. I've grown to accept it a bit better now. I actually consider myself a bit lucky at least some of the Saiyan race still lives on in me."

Skystar was a bit amazed at how Gine spoke. "Wow. That's kind of deep."

Everyone giggled and chuckled a bit at Skystar's statement until they all head Gine's stomach growl. "Whoops. Guess I got a little hungry."

Celestia smiled as she raised from her seat. "I'm sure we all could use some good use food after all of the excitement and trips we've had today. Come and let us all enjoy a good meal."

Queen Novo stood up as well. "I'll agree to that. My daughter's shenanigans around Mount Aries does help a queen work up an appetite."

Rainbow Dash laughed a bit as she flew up to Luna's side. "I hope you have enough prepared."

Luna looked confused while Rainbow went back to her friends but simply shrugged it off before they all watched kitchen worker making their way to the dining hall.

A bit later, the royal sisters, Young Six, and hippogriffs watched in shock, while the others watched in slight amusement as Gine began eating dish after dish of Italian made pasta dishes. She munched on a huge pizza before she started eating spaghetti. She began just slurping up noodles while Twilight leaned over to Celestia and began speaking, "Guess we should've mentioned what kind of an appetite she has when she gets done fighting."

Celestia looked at Gine a bit longer before looking to her former student turned princess. "Ya think?"

Everyone laughed a bit at Twilight bit of humor, however, Gine noticed that Novo wasn't laughing and no one else noticed that it seemed to make Twilight a bit nervous as the laughing died down.

With curiosity and concern, Gine turned to Applejack, who was sitting beside her and whispered, "Hey Applejack?"

"Yeah Gine?"

"Why does Queen Novo seem to have anger towards Twilight?"

That question made Applejack put down her fork and knife and let out a small sigh before she continued their whispering conversation, "Well... Let me start from where a problem started for all of Equestria."

Gine gave the orange-furred mare her full attention as she began whispering on. "About a couple of months before you crash landed here, an evil varmint called the Storm King came to Equestria with the intention of stealing the magic from Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. He planned to use their magic to control storms and magic to rule everywhere. During the time of his invasion, the girls and I managed to escape and were heading out of Equestria to find help. We met a lot of new creatures who later became friends. A some of those friends included Skystar. Our mission was to find the Hippogriffs to get help, but when we got there, we found out they had abandoned Mount Aries and hid underwater to keep away from the Storm King themselves."

The seemed to make Gine more fascinated. "Hid underwater? How?"

"Turns out they had a magical pearl that could turn any creature into another kind of creature. For example, Queen Novo used it on herself and her people to become sea ponies when the Storm King showed up and drove them off of Mount Aries. And Twilight thought the pearl would be the best way to stop the Storm King and save all of Equestria."

"I see. But I must ask. Given how I don't see a mad ruler with Twilight and the other princesses magic, what happened to the Storm King?"

"Luckily for us, with all of the friends we made on our little adventure to get to Mount Aries, we managed to get back into Canterlot and together we were able to stop the Storm King and give the princesses their magic back. And with him gone, the Hippogriffs were allowed to return to Mount Aries."

Gine began to understand the story but was still confused about one thing. "But by stopping the Storm King, you all helped the Hippogriffs return to their original home. So why does Queen Novo still seem so ill towards Twilight?"

Applejack pulled her stetson off and continued whispering the story to the Saiyan. "Well, unfortunately for all of us, Twilight was actually starting to lose faith it what our friendship was capable of. Even to the point where she had us distract the Seaponies while she tried to steal Queen Novo's magical pearl."

Hearing this made Gine beyond shocked. During her time before sleeping at night, Gine had decided to read a bit about Equestria's history. And during most events that she had read about, Twilight and her friends had always been recorded as winning most battles with the strength of their friendship. And now, to hear that she actually resorted to trying to use her friends as a distraction while attempting to steal Novo's most powerful source of magic seemed almost unbelievable.

"You're serious?"

"Fraid so. We all forgave Twilight for doing what she did along with Skystar and most of the Hippogriffs since we all managed to defeat the Storm King. But even after Twilight had agreed that those of us in Equestria would begin helping them rebuild their home, Ah think Queen Novo still doesn't think Twilight deserves to be fully forgiven."

Gine began to go into the thought of what Applejack had said and began to feel sorry for Twilight. Sure she knew what the princess had done was wrong, but she understood what it was like to see all of her kind taken away from her and couldn't blame Twilight for taking what she thought was the only chance to save Equestria.

Before another thought could cross the Saiyan's mind, Celestia stood from her seat. "Now then why don't we all get to our rooms and rest for the night so we can meet with the other kingdom rulers tomorrow?"

Everyone nodded while the kitchen staff began wheeling carts to get everyone's plates(or fifty plates in Gine's case). Luna approached the Saiyan with a smile. "Please follow me Gine. I'll show you to your room while my sister shows Novo and Skystar to theirs."

"Yes. Of course." Gine said as she began following the princess. Along the way, Gine took one more quick glance between Twilight and Queen Novo with a bit of a determined expression.

After walking for a bit, the two finally came across a guest room. "Have a good night Gine. Perhaps I'll see what you Saiyans dream of tonight."

This left Gine confused for a moment before Luna began explaining, "You see, as Princess of the Night, I have the magic to enter the dreams of those who sleep in Equestria. I aid them in resolving nightmares."

Hearing this amazed Gine even more. "Wow. So you really have the power to enter dreams?"

Luna smiled proudly as she spoke, "Indeed. And I take my duty as Princess of the Night with great pride."

Gine chuckled a bit before. "Well if there's one thing Saiyans understood. It was pride."

Luna also chuckled before she said, "Yes. Now then enjoy your night. Pleasent dreams."

Luna then began walking off but was once again stopped by Gine. "Wait. Princess Luna. Could I ask you one more question?"

"Yes? What is it?"

Gine seemed hesitant before speaking with determination, "Could you tell me which room Queen Novo will be in?"

Later that night

Queen Novo sat in silence, to her relief. While she did love her daughter, it could be difficult to sleep with how giddy Skystar's nature was. So she was relieved that Celestia had given her a separate room from her. "Ah. Peace and quiet before getting some rest. Feels good to be away from the kingdom every once in a while."

The silence, however, was interrupted by a knocking from her door, causing her to let out a sigh. "Oh for Faust's sake. Skystar. Get some rest. We'll have to be up early tomorrow."

"It's not your daughter Queen Novo."

Queen Novo was a bit surprised when her door cracked open a bit to reveal Gine. "Oh. Gine. What brings you here so late?"

"I was hoping to talk to you about something real quick before we both get some sleep. If you don't mind that is."

Novo felt a little surprised by Gine's request but nodded after a moment. "Sure. Come in."

Gine walked through the door and shut it behind before taking a seat in the chair across from the one that Novo sat in.

"So? What is it you'd like to talk about?"

Gine took a moment to get her thoughts together before speaking, "It's about... Princess Twilight."

The moment that name was mentioned, a small frown spread across Novo's face as she spoke, "Oh. I see. Let me guess... You want to talk to me about why I should forgive her right?"

From how Novo sounded, Gine knows now she wasn't the first one to talk to her about this. "Yes. I-."

"Look. I've had plenty of others try to talk to me about this, including my daughter, but I just can't forgive her yet for what she had done. I can understand she wanted our help, but her trying to take what was most important to our people was just unforgivable."

Gine could understand why Novo was upset. From how Applejack spoke, the girls had earned Novo's trust for a moment, but that trust was instantly broken by Twilight's actions.

However, Gine kept on speaking, "Queen Novo. If I may. With all due respect... can you honestly blame her for what she tried to do?"

This question made Novo look at the Saiyan with a shock and a little anger. "What?!"

"Just, please... Hear me out for a moment."

Novo was about to ask Gine to leave, but trying to at least show some respect for her, she leaned back and nodded her head, indicating the Saiyan to continue speaking, "Yes. I know. What Twilight did wasn't right. But see it from Twilight's point of view. She was desperate. All of her kind, her family, her mentors all captured and her having to run and not be able to help. In times of desperation, anyone is willing to do something they never do or would be proud of."

Novo still held a stern expression. "I understand that but-."

"Let me ask you something real quick. What if you were in her spot?" This made Novo pause for a moment.

"All of your people. Your niece and her family. Even your daughter all taken as slaves or turned to stone by the one you all called the Storm King. What would you have done? Wouldn't you have done the same as Twilight if you were that desperate?"

Novo continued to remain silent as she looked at the ground.

"Look. I know I wasn't here at the time of the event, but even so, I know how Twilight would have felt during that time. You heard where I came from and why I ended up here on your planet. I am the last of my kind because of Frieza. And if I was given an opportunity to save my kind and still be home with my youngest son in my arms, I would've taken it without a second thought. Even if it was something I wouldn't do or be proud of, I would still have taken it knowing I could've saved my husband, family, and my entire planet. But here's the biggest difference between my situation and Twilight's. I don't have the chance to redeem what I and my people had done to so many others. But given how your land and Equestria seem to have proper negotiations, Twilight has been doing everything she can to make up for her actions including allowing your niece to partake at her school. She has a lot of guilt in her heart and she wants to make up for it with her actions. Don't you think she's earned forgiveness by now?"

Novo remained silent as Gine waited a few moments. "I can't tell you to forgive her Queen Novo. But all I'm saying is to take that into consideration a bit."

Gine then stood from her chair and made her way to the door. "Goodnight Queen Novo." Gine then took her leave and left the Hippogriff queen to her thoughts.

The Next Morning

Gine began making her way to the dining hall of the castle and soon spotted her friends waiting for her. However, to their confusion, Gine seemed to look a bit exhausted. She was walking a bit groggily and had a few bags under her eyes, which she was rubbing from time to time. She approached the group with Rarity asking, "Darling? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. I just had a bit of a tough time sleeping last night. Just a small nightmare."

Twilight got curious enough to ask, "What kind of nightmare?"

Gine rubbed her eyes a couple of more times before she said, "I'll tell you in a bit. Let me wake up with some coffee and food first that way I'm focused on the details I give you."

"Ummm... Sure." The girls all began walking to the dining room when...

"Excuse me, girls?"

They all turned to see Queen Novo along with her daughter and niece approaching. Twilight nervously spoke, "Good... Morning Queen Novo. How are you doing this morning?"

Novo looked to Twilight before shifting her gaze to Gine then shifted it to it to Skystar and Silverstream. "Girls. Please go with the others to the dining hall."

This left the two young Hippogriffs confused while Skystar asked, "What for mom?"

"I'd like to have a quick word with Princess Twilight. I shouldn't be too long." Novo said as she looked the Princess of Friendship, who flinched a little.

Her friends looked at her worried but Gine tried to ease their nerves by smiling a bit and stepping forward. "It's okay girls. I have a feeling things will be alright."

The girls continued looking at Twilight with worry and concern before the young alicorn nodded to her friends, signaling that she wanted her to head to the dining hall. With a little reluctance, the group left the hall and left the young alicorn with the Hippogriff queen.

"Princess Twilight?"

Twilight was still a bit nervous as she began speaking, "Y... Yes, Queen Novo?"

"You attempted to steal my pearl back during the time of the Storm King crisis even after I had offered you refuge in our home of Seaquestria and shared with you the gift of living as a seapony and for that action I must say." Novo paused for a moment as Twilight prepared herself for whatever was about to be said. "I'm sorry."

"Huhhhh?" Twilight was beyond surprised at this. Hearing that was something Twilight never expected.

"It's true. I'm sorry for how I've treated you. Yes, you did try to steal the pearl, but now I realize you didn't do it out of disrespect, but out of desperation to save the ones you love. I will not deny that if I was in your place, I likely would've done the same if my daughter had been captured. And now thanks to you, we Hippogriffs have not only been able to return to Mount Aries but also allowed us to reestablish our connection with Equestria and have more support should we ever face a threat similar to that of the Storm King. What you have done for us more than makes up for what you tried to do with the pearl. I've just been too stubborn and proud to admit that. So now I ask," Novo bowed to Twilight, "will you accept my apology?"

Twilight was astonished by Queen Novo's words and her sincerity. After a few moments of taking in Novo's words, Twilight smiled as she bowed in return. "Yes, Queen Novo. I do accept your apology. You've allowed your niece to attend my school so I'd say that makes us even. Though I must ask. What made you finally accept letting bygones be bygones?"

Queen Novo chuckled a bit while she said, "Let's just say your new friend Gine is as wise as she is strong. At least from how you and your fellow princesses speak of her."

The two royals smiled to one another before Novo continued, "Now then. Why don't we both get to the dining hall? Knowing Gine, there may not be enough food left if we don't hurry."

The two laughed a bit and began walking to the dining hall.

Nightmare and A Test

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The group of rulers, friends, and students all sat in the dining hall. They all woke up well and were happily enjoying a nice breakfast with one another. Well... Most of them.

While she had finally fully awakened and was eating as much as she could, everyone noticed Gine's usual quick eating pace had slowed down a bit. She was still eating, just not as fast as her usual Saiyan self. And instead of her normal bright attitude, she held one of what appeared to be down, tired, and a bit depressed. They all began to grow a bit concerned with Ocellus deciding she'd be the one to question Gine. "Ms. Gine?"

Gine shot up a bit from her depressed state and looked to the others. "Huh? Yes?"

Sandbar then spoke, "You okay there? You seem like you didn't get quite enough sleep."

The Saiyan rubbed her eyes a bit before trying her best to smile. "I'm... I'm okay. And yes, I did have a bit of a hard time sleeping. But don't worry it's nothing too bad."

Despite her effort to do so, Gine knew she wasn't fooling anyone. Applejack looked to the Saiyan with concern. "Come on Sugarcube. What's botherin' ya?"

Gine looked down at her food as she began to enter a deep thought, trying to figure out how she should explain what had caused her to lose sleep the previous night. But due to the lack of sleep, she could not gather her thoughts as efficiently as she normally would. During her thinking, she looked to Princess Luna, who was looking at her with a concerned and questioning look, as if she was waiting for a response from the Saiyan. Gine waited a few moments before closing her eyes and nodded to the princess, who nodded back and stood up, gaining everyone's attention as she spoke, "Every creature. If I may have your attention."

Luna walked up beside where her sister was sitting as she continued on, "As you all know, during the night, it is my duty as Princess of the Night to protect as many as I can from their nightmares." Everyone then watched as Luna tensed up a bit as she also clenched the side of Celestia's chair a bit. "However... For the first time last night, I was able to see the dreams of a being from another world. But what I saw... Was something so horrifying, even the term "nightmare" isn't enough to describe it."

This statement left everyone both nervous and curious at the same time. They all looked at Gine who was taking deep breaths while Luna continued, "Gine? If you'll allow me to-?"

"Go ahead Princess Luna, " said Gine as she sat up a bit and seemed to have gathered herself. "I can take it. It'll help them understand what I've gone through a bit better."

Though a bit hesitant, Princess Luna nodded before her horn began to glow with magic. Then in the center of the table, what looked like a recorded projection of magic appeared. And from the recording, everyone could see a planet, one that looked slightly less green than their own. Twilight was most curious as she asked, "Princess Luna? What is this?"

"This Twilight," Gine said as she looked up at the recording, "Is my dream from last night. And that, is Planet Vegeta... My home."

Despite hearing Gine tell them about it, everyone was amazed at seeing her former homeworld, while only just a recording from a dream, before their very eyes. They continued watching on as they soon spotted what appeared to be some kind of spaceship, one that was large, round like that of a hermit crab with colors of black, white, a bit of brown on its upper half, and multiple windows around the entire body along with one large one not too far down from the entrance at the top of it. It also had multiple dark yellow oval designs surrounding it as well. From there, they could see multiple men of many kinds of creatures exiting the ship, all of them wearing armor similar to Gine's, only unlike hers, they all appeared to have shoulder pads. And from the planet, the watchers soon notice two things coming towards the ship itself. One being a pod of some kind with a sealed door and a window cover at the front of it. The other was a Saiyan man with a bit of spiked hair, a red headband, heavily damaged Saiyan armor, and appeared to be seriously injured. Smolder and Yona looked at Gine with curiosity with the former speaking first, "Hey Gine? What's that round thing flying away from your planet?"

"Yona want to ask who man is?"

"The object was my ship while I was leaving Vegeta," Gine said as she then looked to the man with sorrowful eyes. "And the man you see was my mate, Bardock."

The Mane 6 were surprised to finally see what the man that Gine loved looked like. And they all became amazed as they watched him basically plow through multiple men like they were nothing. He was hit a few times, however, he returned each hit he took back to the attackers, only much harder. The creatures watched on in shock at how despite facing a whole army by himself, Bardock managed to bring down each one of them. Skystar had spoken about what they were watching, "Wow. He sure is strong. He's badly hurt and still managing to fight off that many guys all by himself."

Gine managed a small smile as she watched her recorded dream. "Yep. That was Bardock. He was always one of the strongest Saiyans. Some believed that at the rate he was going, Bardock would've eventually become more powerful than King Vegeta himself."

This left everyone even more amazed. "You mean he was almost as strong as your planet's ruler?"

"He sure was Queen Novo. As a matter of fact, Bardock was the first Saiyan warrior, and a low class one at that, who was ever able to challenge the King to a fight and almost defeat him. It was a fight no Saiyan would forget." Gine then went from her slightly happy look to one of sadness, "But that even so. It still wasn't enough for what was to come."

Everyone was a little confused until they heard what Bardock began yelling in the dream recording. "FRIEZA! COME OUT, YOU COWARD! FACE ME!"

They all then began to watch as the top of the ship began to open and soon a small reptilian-like creature with white and purple areas on his body flew out in some kind of hover chair-like device. Fluttershy noticed that Gine began to tremble a bit in fear. "Um, Gine? If you don't mind me asking... Is that...?"

"Yes, Fluttershy... That's the monster that destroyed Planet Vegeta... Frieza."

Getting a glimpse of Frieza for the first time made Rainbow a bit surprised, "Pfft. Kind of smaller than I expected."

The comment caused Gine to slam her fist down on the table, and while she was doing her best to hold her full strength back, her fist did knock off part of the table, startling everyone a bit. She looked to Rainbow Dash with a stern and serious expression as small streams of tears also began running down her cheeks. "Don't always judge a being's power by their size Rainbow Dash. Trust me. You're about to see why our kind really feared Frieza."

They all were shocked by Gine's statement but soon turned their attention back to the recording of her dream where they watched as Bardock fired a powerful beam at Frieza only to have it do nothing against Frieza's attack, which was a supernova-like ball of energy. They then watched as Frieza pointed his finger at Bardock and Planet Vegeta. To their horror, not only was Bardock and Frieza's men absorbed by the attack but the entire planet as well. The attack vaporized the entire planet into dust.

Gine felt more tears stream down her face as she spoke, "This dream was a reminder of what I saw when my planet was destroyed. However, my nightmare didn't end right here."

Everyone then watched as the dream shifted to complete darkness where they saw Gine standing and looking around. They watched as Gine suddenly stopped when they heard a voice say, "Looking for something monkey?"

The recording then shifted to show Frieza standing nearby with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. In the dream, Gine began clenching her fists and gritting her teeth with tears streaming down her before she charged at Frieza and began rapidly punching him in the face. However, each punch did nothing but make Frieza smirk while Gine yelled, "You monster! I'll kill you! I'll kill you for taking Bardock from me!"

Frieza gave out a short laugh before shooting his arm forward and grabbed Gine by her neck and held her up. The group, though knowing it was only a dream that Luna had seen, couldn't help but watch in horror as Frieza lifted Gine up off of the ground and Gine began to struggle only for it to be futile. "You Saiyans always do see yourselves higher than you truly are. That worm Bardock was no match for me and neither are you. Though if you'd like. I could send you to him now."

Frieza then held up his right finger which began glowing red at the very end before he aimed it right at Gine's forehead while the Saiyan watched in fear and Frieza grinned evilly. "Bang."

As it appeared Frieza was about to fire his energy shot, the recorded dream ended, with Skystar asking, "What happened?"

Gine rubbed her eyes a bit before she spoke, "Luna showed up right before Frieza fired. And to be honest, I'm grateful she did. Otherwise, I probably would've had a hard time waking up. It all felt so real."

After hearing the reason, everyone could understand why Gine had such a hard time sleeping the previous night. Gine rubbed her temples as Twilight put her hand on Gine's shoulder. "Gine... I'm so sorry. You told us what happened to your home, but to see how it was destroyed through your dreams... We couldn't have even imagined what it felt like."

Fluttershy was about to let out some tears but wiped them away quickly. "To see how all of your kind was wiped away by... That monster."

Applejack pulled her stetson off with a look of sympathy. "To be honest Fluttershy, 'monster' doesn't even begin to describe him."

Celestia looked at Luna before looking to Gine as the Saiyan looked down at her hands before the princess of the sun spoke, "Gine... I can't begin to imagine how you feel but... I truly am sorry for all that you lost. I lost my sister thousands of years ago... But at least I knew someday she would return. To know that your last of your kind... I do wish there was just something we could do for you."

Gine wiped away some of her tears before giving Celestia a small, manageable smile. "Thank you for your sympathy, Princess Celestia. But while I know I could very well be the last of my kind in a time I still don't know, I still hold on to the hope that my sons are out there somewhere, and that hopefully, I'll see them again."

"Well said Gine," said Luna as she bowed her head to Gine a bit, "And we will do everything we can to help you find and hopefully reunite with your family someday."

Gine's smile grew a bit before Rainbow Dash flew up beside her and put her arm around her shoulder, "But until then, you've always got us to keep you company and watch your back."

Pinkie Pie then popped up beside her to hug the Saiyan. "Because that's what friends are for."

They all smiled at for the moment, but then a guard came in and removed his helmet. "Pardon my interruption your highnesses."

Celestia nodded to the guard before speaking, "It's quite alright. What can I do for you?"

"I've just come to inform you all that the other kingdom rulers are approaching Canterlot."

Everyone was expecting this news as Celestia stood from her seat and spoke, "Well then. Let us all greet our incoming guests."

Everyone rose to their feet and began exiting the dining room. On the way there, Gine noticed Twilight was a bit nervous. Being concerned, the Saiyan approached the alicorn. "Hey, Twilight? What's wrong? Don't tell me Novo is still upset with you."

"Huh. No. No. It's not that. And I have you to thank for that. I really appreciate you talking to Novo."

Gine smiled as she said, "Hey. It's no problem. Like I told her, I understand where you were coming from when you did what you did. If I had the same chance to save my kind, I would've done the same. But if that's not what's bothering you, then what is?"

Twilight bit her lip before speaking again. "Well... While Queen Novo has given you her respect, there's no telling how the other kingdom rulers will react to you or even if all of them will agree to our request about you teaching our students what you know. I mean I would love to have you teach them how to use ki, but what exactly would it have to do with friendship?"

Gine could see Twilight's point. While learning ki would be extraordinary for the students to learn, it still didn't have much to do with friendship. However, Gine did know something else she would be teaching the students. "Trust."

"What?"

"Trust Twilight. I've read over a bit of what you and your friends teach the students. Laughter, kindness, generosity, magic, loyalty, and honesty. But despite how good you all seem to be there's still one thing missing that I believe I can teach them. The friendship value of trust."

Twilight was a bit surprised at the point Gine made. While all of the there elements were very important, trust was another important element of friendship. "And you think you'd be good teaching it to them?"

"Indeed. Back before I met Bardock and his squad in my time as a soldier, I was on many squads where trust was none existing. Bardock's squad was where I finally found a squad I could trust as a true team. And I believe what I'll have to teach will help full trust develop between all of them as friends."

This statement brought a smile to Twilight's muzzle as she understood. "You're right Gine. You've only been here for a few days and you already have all of our trust including Queen Novo's, who you've only known for a day. If anyone can teach our students about it, surely it'll be you."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Everyone soon gathered at the entrance where they were soon greeted by the other land rulers and their guards. Rutherford of Yakyakistan with his guard, Bullovard, both wearing traditional Himalayan clothing. Thorax with his guard, and brother, Pharynx, both wearing Changeling armor. Gilda, to the ponies' surprise along with her friend Greta, both wearing what looked similar to biker clothes. And finally Ember, wearing a sapphire top and shorts combo, with, to everyone's dismay, Garble in dragon armor. Yona ran to greet her ruler as did Ocellus who hugged Thorax. Gallas approached Gilda and Greta with a bit of confusion, "Where's Grandpa Gruff?"

"Sorry kid. The old man had other things to do so we came in his place. Hope you don't mind."

"Are you kidding? Now I don't have to worry about him constantly parking into my ear."

This comment caused the three griffons to chuckle while Rainbow Dash approached to fist bump with Gilda. "What's up Gi? How are things in Griffonstone?"

"They've improved quite a bit since you and Pinkie visited I'll admit. Thanks to what you two showed me, the rest of Griffonstone elected me the ruler. Of course, I would've been nervous had it not been for you two. Guess I owe you guys one."

Before Gilda could say another word, she felt nearly all of the air being squeezed out of her by Pinkie Pie surprising her with a strong bear hug. "No problem Gildy. That's what friends are for."

"Nice to see you too Pinkie Pie."

The group chuckled a bit at the sight while Smolder and Spike approached Ember with the former giving a fist pump and the latter greeting the Dragon Lord with a hug, which she awkwardly returned like always. Smolder was the first to speak with, "How are things back home?"

"Things are improving. Thanks to you willingly coming here, some are thinking about trying it out themselves."

"That's great," said Spike with a smile, "It's great to know things there are getting better now that more dragons are becoming friendlier."

"You mean weaker like you shrimp."

Garble let out a humph from the side which made the three look to him with annoyance with Smolder asking, "What's big mouth doing here?"

"Unfortunately, the Dragon Council wouldn't let me leave unescorted like last time and made me bring him since he's one of our best fighters. Otherwise, I would've left him behind for someone else."

Before the conversation could continue, Celestia gathered everyone's attention. "Please let us all head to the meeting chamber to discuss our business."

[An hour later, Inside of the Meeting Hall]

The students stood at the side while the rulers all discussed how the Friendship School was aiding them. And from what the students heard, they all felt relieved that the rulers of their homes seemed to like what they learned about. And after much talking, Twilight rose from her seat, gaining everyone's attention before speaking, "I'm glad to hear you all approve of what the students you've let attend have learned from our school. Now before we move on further, I'd like to run something by you all. You can come in now."

The door soon opened to the chamber and Gine entered before walking up to Twilight's side as the alicorn continued speaking, "This is Gine. She's recently made herself resident in Ponyville and has aided in protecting it."

Twilight continued on with where Gine came from along with why she came to Equis and what she's been able to do. Learning all of this left many of the rulers and most of the personal guards feeling respect, amazement, and sympathy for the Saiyan.

"Yaks want Gine to know we feel very sorry for... Saiyan is it called?"

Gine smiled a bit before saying, "Yes. And thank you, Prince Rutherford."

Thorax also began speaking, "I was lucky to return to my kind. I can't even imagine what it feels like to be the last of your kind."

Ember nodded to Gine. "You really are tough getting past all of what you've gone through." She then groaned when Garble rolled his eyes.

While feeling sympathy for Gine, Gilda decided to ask the big question. "Hey Princess Twilight, not to sound rude or rushing, but what does Gine have to do with all of this?"

Gine looked to Twilight, who gained a look of nervousness, and nodded to the alicorn. Twilight then took a deep breath before saying, "Well... my friends and I have been talking of a way to allow Gine to become more part of our home and in order to do so, she wishes to gain your permission to... Teach our students of what she knows."

This caught all of the rulers, including Novo, by surprise. They all were not expecting such a request.

"Princess Twilight? Why do you want Saiyan to teach Yona and her friends?"

Twilight was about to speak when Gine decided to make her voice known, "If I may Prince Rutherford."

They all looked to the Saiyan as she continued, "As you were all just told, I could very well be the last of my kind. And because of this, along with doing by Twilight's request, I'd simply like to teach them out of my own benefit. I just wish what I have to not pass away when my time comes, and so I'd like to pass it on to your students. How I've learned to trust others, how to use what I can use, and help them learn what they can make with it."

Garble let out a snort as he began laughing. "Yeah right. What could a freak like you teach anyone when your entire race fell to one little lizard?"

"Garble!" Ember was about to smack him upside the head with her scepter but stopped when Gine held her hand up. "Are you sure? He had no right to-!"

"I know. But he does make a good point. Unlike Twilight and her friends, the rest of you haven't seen real proof of what I can do. So in order to fully gain your trust and approval to teach your students, I will do whatever you wish to display what I can teach them."

To hear that Gine would offer to do anything to be able to pass on what she knows left everyone speechless. They could tell she was determined and held much respect for that. And she was right, they didn't know what she was capable of and would like to see before they approve of the request.

They all began pondering over ideas until Ember spoke up, "I think I may have a suggestion. Spike and his friends say you're pretty strong. So in order to show us, would you be willing to face the guards with us on your own?"

This request caught everyone by surprise. "Dragon Lord Ember," Celestia started, "Are you sure that is wise? I mean-."

"I'll do it."

All eyes once again went straight to Gine. "Gine darling are you sure?"

"I am Rarity. I'll do whatever it takes to pass on what I know."

All of the kingdom rulers looked to each other before nodding in union before Celestia stood and spoke, "Very well. If this is how Gine shall earn the approval to teach the students of Twilight's school, then so be it. If you would all kindly follow me."

[Later, Guards Training Area, Canterlot Castle]

Everyone sat up in the viewing area while Gine stood down on the training grounds across from the all of the guards, with Greta being provided armor by the ponies, while the Saiyan was doing a few stretches. Novo looked to Twilight and her friends with a bit of concern. "Are we sure this is a good idea? Can she really handle all of them by herself?"

Rainbow flew by with a bit of a smirk on her face. "Don't worry Queen Novo. Gine may look a bit skinny but she's a lot stronger than she looks. This'll be a walk in the park for her."

"If you say so."

Back on the grounds, Gine just finished her stretching and looked to all of the guards. "Alright. I'm ready whenever you guys are."

Garble smirked as he stepped forward arrogantly. "I'll make this quick and show why dragons don't need ponies' help."

The other guards were a bit annoyed by the dragon's attitude. However, they backed off when Gine held her hand up. "It's okay. Let me see if I can knock him down a few pegs."

The guards all were a bit hesitant, as they did not want to be left out, but decided to do as Gine said so they wouldn't have to put up with Garble. Garble smirked a bit before picking up the spear he brought from the Dragon Lands.

Watching from the side, the others watched as the face-off between the guards and Gine was about to begin. Thorax couldn't help but feel some concern before looking to the other land rulers. "Are we sure this is a good idea. I mean I know Twilight and the others say she can handle this but-."

"I understand your concern Thorax," Queen Novo said, "But I think we should just have faith in the princesses' words. If they say she can handle this, there's no reason to doubt them."

Ember stood with her scepter in hand as she began studying Gine a bit as well. "I have to agree with you, Queen Novo. She may not be a dragon, but I know a fighter when I see one. And I can definitely tell she's a lot stronger than she looks. Besides in a fight, it's not just strength that matters. It also takes brains... (whispering) Something Garble unfortunately lacks."

Back on the field, Garble held his spear tightly before using his wings to fly straight at Gine and swung his spear quickly. However, Gine smirked before simply moving her head back to dodge the swing, surprising Garble.

"You missed."

Garble gritted his teeth before swinging his spear again, only for the exact same result to happen.

"Missed again."

This upset Garble even further before he raised his spear up and brought it down. Gine simply stood her ground and caught the spear with one hand, shocking Garble and everyone who was watching. She then shot her hand up and pushed Garble back a bit. She then took the spear in both hands and began to bend it into a U-shape. She smirked as she saw Garble's stunned face before throwing the bent-up weapon to the side. She then raised her hand to indicate Garble to come at her again. This caused the dragon to let out a growl before throwing his fist at the Saiyan, who dodged it by moving her head to the right. Garble began to get more and angrier as he began throwing multiple punches, with Gine using her Saiyan skills and speed to dodge every single one of them without much effort. "Hold still!"

"What do you think the chances are I'll actually do that?"

Garble growled even more as Gine continued taunting him. He kept his rapid assault going until he felt a stunning blow to the side of his neck. He went wide-eyed and felt himself losing his balance and consciousness, with the last thing he saw being Gine holding her hand out with her middle and index fingers, indicating she had struck the side of his neck with a strike he didn't even see coming. Everyone watched as the red dragon fell down unconscious with a thud.

Ember couldn't believe what she had seen. Garble was one of the best fighters in the Dragon Lands. She should know because she remembered having a hard time with him when she first met Spike in the Gauntlet of Fire years ago. And for Gine to beat him with a single two-fingered strike to the neck would have been hard to believe had she not just seen it for herself.

Smolder and Spike were also amazed as the former began speaking, "Wow. She really is tough."

On the field, Gine stepped around the downed dragon before looking to the remaining guards and taking a fighting stance. "Now that he's finished talking, let's see how I do against you all."

The remaining guards all shook off their shock before Bullovard was the first to speak, "Dragon may have lost to new fighter, but yaks won't! Yaks are strongest!" Bullovard then charged at Gine with his arms raised up with the intention to bring them down on her. However, when he came only a few inches from Gine, the Saiyan quickly jumped up to dodge the yak's arms coming down on her. She took to the air in order to keep away for a moment.

The rulers and guards were even more surprised as Rainbow Dash smirked at the looks they held. "Guess we should've mentioned she can fly without wings."

After getting over their shock, Greta, Skybeak, and Pharynx all flew up to begin their attacks on the Saiyan, who began dodging, countering, or blocking multiple blows from each of them. She quickly blocked a punch from Greta before dodging a kick from Skybeak, and then she dodged a magic blast from Pharynx before she slammed her fists towards the middle of them all to send out a wave to put some distance between herself and the three.

This left all of the rulers speechless as they continued watching the guards stare down against Gine as they all descended back to the ground. Gine cracked her knuckles a bit while also laughing a bit. "I gotta admit, I'm actually enjoying this. It's actually reminding of my training as a fresh soldier back in the day. I can see why you all are guards."

The four guards all couldn't help but smile a little at Gine's compliment before Bullovard said, "Bullovard think new woman is strong as well. She able to take on the dragon and then all four of us at once. She has yaks' respect."

Skybeak grinned a bit as he held his ground as well. "I agree. I haven't had to fight this hard since the Storm King invaded Mount Aries."

Greta then wiped some sweat from her feathers before she clenched her claws repeatedly a bit. "The best way to earn a griffon's respect is with showing how tough you can be. And you've definitely done that Gine."

Pharynx felt his wings buzz a bit from all of the adrenaline he was feeling. "Same for me. You make the Maulwurf I fought once before seem like an easy accomplishment."

Rutherford watched with interest after seeing what Gine could do a bit. "Saiyan woman is strong. She may prove to be challenging for yak guard."

"I have to agree." Ember watched with interest as well. "She does seem to have some skills. Plus I will admit anyone who can shut Garble up that quickly has more than done enough for me."

Gine continued holding her stance while looking at the four guards. "Your move guys."

The remaining guards kept their sights on Gine while Skybeak began speaking, "She's tough. I don't think we can take her on individually."

Bullovard blew a little smoke from his nose. "Bullovard agree. She made quick work of cocky dragon when he fight by himself."

Greta flapped her wings a bit before smirking a bit. "Guess our best chance is taking her all on at once. Any ideas?"

"I think I got one," Pharynx said as he looked on. "You guys keep her busy for a bit and I'll have something that'll do it. When the signal comes. You guys break away from her."

"What will the signal be?"

"Don't worry griffon. You'll know it when you see it."

Bullovard, Greta, and Skybeak weren't fully sure what Pharynx had planned, but they went with it. The three all took their stances before running and flying right for Gine. Bullovard came at her first with his horns pointed down. Gine simply held her ground and eventually caught Bullovard's horns. Her feet made a bit of a grove in the ground while she held back the yak. She eventually used her own size to fall back a bit to flip kick him away before jumping back to her feet. She then jumped to the air to dodge a swing from Greta who flew after her. Greta began rapidly swinging her claws with Gine dodging them all. She then caught one swipe before spinning Greta around and throwing her into Bullovard. Gine then turned to catch Skybeak's punches as well. She then gave a swift kick to push him back, before going back down to the ground where she caught a strong punch from Bullovard. She took his arm and flipped him over her shoulder to send him flat on his back. She then caught two punches, one each from Greta and Skybeak before pushing them both back a bit to do some back flips to put some distance between herself and them. She then watched as all three came at her at once, all three throwing punches or kicks at her, with her blocking or dodging each blow.

To her confusion, the soldiers smirked a bit. Gine then noticed a shadow began to form over her and the guards jumped back from her. She looked up to see Pharynx flying above her before she watched in surprise as he turned into his giant, insectoid-like form and came crashing down on her.

However, the others didn't give him what he expected with Skybeak saying, "Pharynx? Are you crazy?"

"What? I told you guys I had a plan."

"Yeah, but we didn't expect you to do that! You never told us exactly what you had planned!"

"Bullovard thought Changeling was going to charge at her with charged horn or something! Not fall on her as big bug!"

Before the guards could continue arguing, they soon noticed the ground under Pharynx began to rumble a little. They all then watched, to their shock, the giant bug Pharynx was being lifted up by Gine as she slowly stood on her feet. She then lifted him as high as she could. She then tossed him aside while he also turned back into his normal form and crashed into the other three guards, causing them to fall to the ground and were shocked to see Gine still hadn't broken a sweat.

"Bullovard think we can't beat her. She too strong."

Gine smiled at the group of guards and held her hands out to help them up. "Good effort guys? I gotta admit, I understand why you four are the best guards of your lands."

After the guards were back on their feet, Greta brushed her feathers off a bit before looking to the Saiyan. "Gine is it? I gotta ask, with strong you are from what you just showed, were you even trying against us?"

Gine smiled sheepishly before rubbing the back of her head. "Well, I hate to knock your confidence down, but no. I wasn't fighting as hard as I could."

This left not only the guards surprised, but their rulers surprised as well. Ember looked down at the field with amazement. "Garble I can get. But you mean to tell me that she took all of them on and won without even breaking a sweat?"

Twilight couldn't help but smile. "Trust me. That's one of the reasons we would like your approval in letting her train the students. What she's shown is only part of what she can do. She can actually use a form of energy, similar to that of magic called "ki". It turns out that any creature whether it be our world or another can learn to tap into it and can use it in any way they can. Along with teaching our students about trust, I was thinking Gine could teach them a bit on how to use ki. As a way of friendship between two different worlds."

The rulers seemed a bit more confident in Gine, but they still seemed to hold some doubt with Thorax speaking, "We're still not sure Twilight."

"Oh come on!" Rainbow flew into the middle of them all. "Gine just passed your little test of how strong she is. What more do you need?"

"Ponies say Saiyan woman can teach students special powers. But how we know this true?"

Gilda then spoke, "No offense to Gine, but I think we should see a bit more on what cool stuff she can do?"

"Rutherford and Gilda make a good point," Novo said, "Gine does seem to be a reasonable person and one I believe could be trusted with Silverstream in teaching her something new. But if I'm to fully approve, I need to see exactly what all she plans to teach."

Before Rainbow could make another comment, Rarity spoke, "She does make a fair argument darling. Unlike us, they haven't seen exactly all of what Gine is capable of."

Celestia was standing along with her sister as they watched the guards gather the still unconscious Garble and headed back up. "I agree with Novo as well. They must see Gine's true abilities. And I mean no disrespect to their guards when saying this, but if she's to use more of her strength, then she needs more of a challenge."

Everyone looked to her in confusion, except for Luna. "Sister? Are you thinking about doing what I think you are?"

Celestia smiled before her horn began to glow with magic. Everyone watched in confusion until a small light engulfed Celestia for a moment. Then when the light died down, it revealed Celestia dressed in golden armor and an armored crown. There was a dark purple gem in the center of her breastplates. A symbol of her Cutie Mark was on the shoulder pads while she wore sharp elbow gauntlets. The center of her skirt armor also had her Cutie Mark which had a long gown with a sun symbol on it as well. Under the gown was leg armor going from her thighs to her ankles. This display left everyone amazed.

The others couldn't help but watch in amazement as Celestia used her wings to leave the stands and landed a few yards away from Gine, who also watched in amazement. "Wow. I didn't know you could do that Celestia."

Celestia smiled a bit as she took a fighting stance. "There are still some surprises left in me Gine. Now I hope you're ready. Because while this may be a trial for you, I don't plan on holding back much."

Gine was a bit surprised at what Celestia was implying. "Princess Celestia? Are you sure? I don't want to risk hurting you in a fight."

Celestia continued to grin as she soon had magic concentrated into her hands. "I don't recall really giving you a choice Gine."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T0uIXLpQbQ

Before Gine could say another word, she found Celestia right in front of her and her fist against her cheek. Gine stumbled back a bit while feeling a bit of pain where she was struck. She rubbed her cheek with her knuckle a bit before looking to Celestia. The two stared each other down before Gine also grinned and took her own stance. "I gotta admit Celestia. I felt that pretty well. And it's got my heart beating a lot faster. And since your not holding back," Gine then shot her arms out as everyone watched in astonishment as she was then surrounded by a white aura as she continued saying, "Then neither will I. Goddess Blast!"

Gine charged up energy into her hands a fired a powerful blast at Celestia who dodged the attack, but soon found Gine out of sight. However, she was then met with a double-handed strike overhead by the Saiyan from behind. Celestia however quickly caught herself and turned around to raise her gauntlets to block rapid lefts and rights from Gine, who was trying to drive her down to the ground. Celestia kept blocking and realized she needed to do something in order to prevent herself from going down. While Gine continued her rapid assault, Celestia decided to act quickly as her horn began to glow and she teleported away from Gine, leaving the Saiyan confused.

"Where did she- Ah!" Gine was cut off by a sharp kick to the face just as Celestia reappeared. The Saiyan then composed herself and threw a punch only for Celestia to dodge and threw a kick by her feet, tripping Gine and making her lose her balance in the air, followed by another sharp kick that sent Gine hurdling to ground where she landed on her feet and created a large grove in the ground as she skitted to a halt. Gine then watched as Celestia then descended down a ways from her. "Not bad Celestia. Not bad at all. But don't think you've won just yet. Cause I'm just getting warmed up."

Back from the sidelines, the others couldn't believe what they were seeing. Fluttershy spoke, "I didn't know Princess Celestia could fight like that. Or that she had that armor."

Luna stood arms crossed as she also continued watching the fight. "Yes. Celestia has always had that armor in case there was a challenge that required it. In fact, it's the same armor she used in our fight against Sombra all of those years ago."

This left the Mane 6 surprised while Thorax looked to Twilight. "Twilight? That blast that Gine used against Princess Celestia. Was that ki?"

"Yes. You see, from how Gine explained it, ki is a kind of energy that all living things have. However, someone has to learn in order to use it. And the stronger someone becomes, the stronger their ki is."

Rutherford then began saying, "Yaks starting to see why ponies want to let Yona learn from her. She has lots to offer and teach students like Yona."

The students were also watching in amazement. Silverstream was the most excited at seeing Gine fight. "Wow. She's so cool. I hope we get to learn from her. Think about how cool it would be to do stuff like that."

Smolder also couldn't help but feel eager to see what Gine could do. "Even I'm impressed. Not only did she take down that loud mouth Garble with a single hit. But she's going head to head with Princess Celestia. And she's as tough as former Dragon Lord Torch."

"Yona really hope Ms. Gine allowed to teach us. Yona want to learn how to get strong like she is."

Back down at the fight, Celestia had tried to throw a punch only for Gine to dodge by flipping over her and sent her crashing down to the ground with a ki blast, however before Celestia reached the ground, she used her wings to prevent her impact before flying right back at Gine. The Saiyan tried to land a punch on the incoming alicorn, but Celestia ducked her head to dodge it. Gine then turned around only to be met with a magic blast from Celestia's gauntlets, which she tried blocking with her bare hands, but the blast was still enough to push Gine back quite a bit. Before Gine hit the ground, she quickly did a flip to kick the magical blast away before charging more ki into her hand. "Maiden Lancer!"

Gine then fired her attack only for Celestia to bash it away before the two charged at one another where their fists collided in the middle, sending out a large sonic wave. They both then began rapidly trading blows once again. They both struck, dodged, or blocked one another before Celestia threw a left cross while Gine threw a right cross. The blows pushed them apart once again where they both skidded to a halt and looked to each other with serious expressions.

Gine couldn't help but let out a few pants as she stood her ground. 'She's good. And while I'm using all I can without going Great Ape, I have a feeling despite what she said earlier, she's still holding back quite a bit. This may not be a real serious fight, but my pride won't let me go down easily. I may not be a real serious fighter like most Saiyans were, but even I can't ignore my pride. If I want any chance of winning this, I have no choice but use all of the power I have left into one more attack.'

The others all watched as Gine soon flared up her aura. "Alright, Celestia. Let's see how this fight ends! HAAAAAAAA!!!!" Gine's aura continued flaring and grew rapidly in size.

Celestia was slightly intimidated by Gine's display of power but did not allow it to get to her so easily. Celestia shot out her wings as her horn began to glow brightly just like Gine's aura. She soon found herself in a powerful magical aura surrounding her. "Indeed Gine. And like you, I too shall use all I have in this."

Gine's aura continued flaring until it changed into a burning orange color. The aura was soon recognized by her friends. Rainbow was the first to speak, "No way. I think she's going to use the same move she used to help stop the Hydra solo."

This caught the rulers' attention. Gilda couldn't help but ask, "You mean she took down a Hydra by herself? How?"

Applejack tipped her hat a bit before saying, "Keep watching. You're about to find out."

They all then watched once again to see Gine was still charging her ki while Celestia continued also charging her magic. The two kept their magic/ki flaring until they finally decided to make their moves. Gine hovered a bit before flaring her aura to its full height and began charging at Celestia. "REBELLION SPEAR!"

As Gine came at her, Celestia moved her head back a bit before shooting it forward, firing all of her charged magic in a large, powerful beam. Gine's charge and Celestia's beam soon met in the middle and began struggling to gain ground over the other.

Everyone couldn't help but watch in astonishment at the amount of power the two seemed to be displaying. Gine let out a rapid yell as she put all of her effort, strength, and pride into her attack. The two continued to struggle against one another until eventually the powerful attacks became too much for one another and resulted in a small explosion, covering the area in smoke.

After a few moments of waiting, everyone watched as the smoke began to clear to show what laid underneath. The training grounds had taken a bit of damage from the two colliding attacks, resulting in many shattered areas in the ground, columns, and around the walls.

In the center of it all, Gine and Celestia still stood on their feet, with Gine panting quite a bit.

Everyone couldn't help but be amazed at how they were still standing after using so much effort into their attacks. However, they soon realized who was had been stronger when they saw Gine soon fall down onto one knee while using one of her hands to support herself. Everyone quickly jumped down to the field where they began running to Gine, who began laughing. "I gotta admit Celestia. I haven't had to push that hard since the Ursa Major attacked Ponyville. It just shows that I still have room to get stronger. So thank you."

Celestia smiled as her horn lit up once again and in a flash of light, her armor was replaced by her previous dress attire. "My pleasure Gine. Plus it felt good to get some combat after so long myself."

Gine managed to get to her feet while looking to her friends and the rulers, keeping her focus on the rulers. "So? What did you all think? Do I now have your approval in training your students?"

All of the rulers remained silent for a moment until Novo smiled. "Well I can't speak for them, but I would be happy to have my niece learn from you Gine. I can see you would have much to teach her."

"After all I've seen that you can do as well, I think Ocellus would be glad to learn from you."

"Rutherford think Yona would be good student to Saiyan woman. She be able to teach Yona how to really get strong."

"I think the same could be said for Gallus. You're cool enough to really show him some new tricks."

"And I know Smolder is up to any challenge. You do understand pride just like we dragons do so you could definitely help her learn some new stuff as well."

Gine smiled as she spoke, "However, I feel I should tell you, I still have a bit to learn myself before I'm ready to teach them just yet. But I give you my word that I will teach everything I know once I finish my own training. And along with that, I should also warn you that what I put them through will be far from easy. In order for them to learn how to use ki, I'll have to train them all both physically and mentally. But if you still would like me to teach them, then I shall."

The rulers looked to each other before nodding, with Novo once again speaking, "We would still like for you to teach them. You've proven that you are trustworthy and have quite a bit to teach. So we'll trust you with how you need to teach them."

Gine smiled and bowed in respect to the rulers. "Thank you."

Celestia smiled at the friendship between Gine and her fellow rulers. "Well then. How about we all take a while to rest and relax. I'm sure you could use it after that Gine."

Gine smiled and nodded before they all began leaving the training grounds.

[Later that day, Twilight's Room, 4:30 P.M.]

Twilight had just finished up organizing some of her stuff when she heard a couple of knocks from her door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Spike entering while asking, "Hey Twilight. Would it be alright if I talked to you about something?"

"Sure Spike. What is it?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking and I was wondering, would it be okay... if I learned from Gine along with Scootaloo and the others?"

This question caught Twilight by surprise before she looked to Spike with confusion. "But Spike? What for?"

"Because," Spike took a deep breath. "I wanna be more useful to you and our friends."

"Spike what do you mean? You help us out all of the time. And you're our friend so you do plenty for us around Ponyville."

"That's not what I mean Twilight. Sure I'm able to help you girls out with simple stuff like doing chores, helping with gatherings, and stuff like that. But when it comes to bigger stuff, I'm not that useful to you girls. Like when the Storm King attacked, you girls had to protect me when I needed help, but I couldn't do anything to help you. I had to watch while Tempest and those yetis took you away while I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Twilight tried to bring her adopted brother's confidence up by saying, "But Spike. Remember King Sombra? If it hadn't been for you then-."

"But that was only because Cadence caught me and got me to the altar in time. If she wasn't there I wouldn't have been able to save the Empire from Sombra. Which is why I want to learn from Gine. She has so much to teach when it comes to getting stronger. Plus if I can learn how to use ki like her, I can be more helpful in situations like that. Please, Twilight. I'm begging you."

Twilight stood still as she let Spike's words sink in. After a moment of thinking, she let out a sigh before smiling. "Okay, Spike. If Gine's okay with it, then I'll let you learn from her along with Scootaloo and the students."

This statement brought a smile to Spike's face. "You really mean it?"

The alicorn nodded before Spike pulled Twilight into a hug, which she was happy to return. "Thank you so much Twilight."

"No problem. Now, what do you say we head to dinner before Gine scarfs it all down?"

Spike chuckled a bit before nodding and the two left Twilight's room to head to the dining hall.

Preparations

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After spending a couple of days in Canterlot, Gine and the others had returned to Ponyville along with the students. They had returned so Gine could begin preparing for her training before she was able to teach the students what she knew. Gine was currently in her guest room, packing some stuff. Thankfully Rarity had provided her with some more clothing to wear and Twilight, being herself, managed to study her armor just enough to be able to use her magic along with Celestia and Luna's to make the clothing strong enough to handle her power, that way she didn't have to risk her armor unless absolutely necessary.

After she finished packing, Gine sat down on her bed and began thinking. 'Okay. I need to figure out how I can really improve my physical strength. And along with that, maybe a way of improving what I can do. I mean my Goddess Blast and Maiden Lancer are okay, but I feel I need something more powerful.'

Gine just continued laying on her bed as she looked up at the ceiling. "I need to make a new attack. But what? Maybe something similar to King Vegeta's Galick Gun. But that move may be a little too tricky for me to learn. I could try developing a new attack during my training but what?"

'You appear to be thinking too much.'

Gine sighed as she continued looking up at the ceiling. "I guess you could say that Toolo."

'Your mind seems scattered. Tell me what bothers you my Saiyan friend.'

"We're friends?"

'As I said, you aren't like what most Saiyans were. Because of that, you have my respect and friendship. So tell me what bothers you.'

Gine sighed as she rubbed her head a bit as she said, "It's just... If I'm gonna train myself and those kids afterward then I need to find a way to improve myself and them both mentally and physically. I know you can show me how to train them mentally. But physically is what I'm trying to figure out. I mean normal stuff won't be quite enough to get myself and them to the point where their bodies will be strong enough so I have no idea what to do."

There was silence for a moment. "Toolo? You still there?"

'Be patient Gine.'

"What?"

'If you seek wisdom then you need more focus. And patience yields focus. Be patient and a solution will present itself.'

Gine let Toolo's words sink in before sighing. "Well... I guess that's the only thing I can really do. Thanks, Toolo."

'As I said, I am here to aid you. And if I may make a suggestion, you should leave your head device behind while you train on your own.'

This caught Gine's attention before she looked to the spot where her armor and scouter sat, focusing her eyes on the latter. "Head device? You mean my scouter? Why?"

'Because it will hold you back on what I have for you to learn.'

Gine seemed a bit hesitant but knew that all Toolo was trying to do was help her. So she let his words sink in once again and responded, "Alright. I trust you Toolo. If you think I should leave my scouter with Twilight and the others. I'll do it."

'Trust me Gine. With what I have for you to learn, you will find you won't regret it. But for now, get your rest. You will need it for what is to come.'

"Yeah. Well, goodnight." Gine laid back on her bed and allowed sleep to overtake her.

The Next Morning

The sun shined through the window of Twilight's room causing the princess to groan as she moved the blanket off of her to sit up and stretch. After rubbing her eyes, Twilight said, "Alright. Time to get a breakfast ready for Gine."

Twilight soon stood up from her bed and walked to her bathroom. After a quick shower, getting fresh clothes on, and brushing her teeth and mane, she began walking out of her room to the kitchen. However to her shock, when she entered the dining area, she found the expected pile of dishes, but what surprised her was that there was a plate of food waiting for her and Spike and Starlight were chowing down on plates of their own. She approached the table and saw that Gine was nowhere in sight. Spike was the first to notice Twilight coming and smiled at her. "Morning Twilight. Hope you're hungry."

Twilight looked down at the plate for her before asking, "Did one of you cook this?"

Starlight wiped her mouth before smiling. "Nope. You have Gine to thank for that. She cooked for all of us and herself."

This statement caught Twilight by surprise. "Gine made this?"

Spike was chewing on some pancakes with a bowl of gems nearby. "She even made sure to have some gems with mine."

Twilight sat down at the table and picked up her knife and fork. She cut into one of the pancakes and took a bite and her eyes lite up as she smiled at her plate. "Wow. Gine can cook."

Spike was eating his quickly as well. "I'll admit it. She makes my cooking skills look like that of an amateur's."

Twilight, while she was enjoying her breakfast, looked around once more to see if she could see the Saiyan around but to no avail. "Speaking of which, where is Gine?"

Starlight had sipped her juice before saying, "She said she was heading off to get something before she left for her training later today."

"Did she say what she was going to get?"

"Nah. Just said she'd be back in no time."

Twilight was a little confused. She knew Gine was preparing to train on her own for a while, but she didn't know exactly what she was taking with her. However, she chose not to think about it and simply enjoyed the breakfast the Saiyan prepared for her. She knew Gine could cook for herself, but she didn't expect it to be this good. "You know guys. With how Saiyans eat, I think I'm starting to figure out how Gine might've won Bardock over."

"Like you wouldn't believe." Twilight jumped a little when she saw Gine walking in with a smile on her face. Rather than sporting her usual Saiyan armor, Gine was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a brown belt, a pair of brown boots, and a short sleeve red t-shirt. Her tail was unraveled and just hanging around. "While Bardock was strong, like any other man, the way to his heart was through his stomach. Plus along with being the appointed medic of our old squad, I was always the one who cooked for everyone."

"I can see why. You can really cook Gine."

"Well thank you Starlight."

Twilight was still enjoying her food very much and smiled at the Saiyan. "You may have to give Spike a few cooking lessons. He may be good but nowhere close to this good."

Spike smirked at Twilight's comment. "I'll remember that next time you want me to make you some muffins Twilight."

They all laughed a little bit at the joke before Starlight turned to Gine again and asked, "So where were you? You said you were going out to get something for your training, but you never said what exactly."

Gine smiled as she walked over to the sink area and began loading dishes into the sink. She figured she made the mess of her breakfast before she made theirs so she decided to clean up her own mess. "I'll show you guys once you're done. Go ahead and finish your food and then you can see what I brought to help me out."

The three looked to each other before shrugging and continued eating. After a few more minutes, they all finished their breakfast and took the dishes to her and helped her wash them.

Not long after helping her finish with the dishes, Gine lead all of them out to the back of the castle where they were astonished at what they saw. Twilight stuttered, "I-Is that?"

"Yep. That's what got me here."

In the middle of the area was Gine's Saiyan battle pod ship. It looked to have some damage due to the crash, but it did seem to be standing okay. Twilight couldn't help but use a speed that could rival even Rainbow Dash as she approached it with stars in her eyes. "This is so incredible. A real alien ship!"

Twilight continued looking over the ship like crazy while the other three couldn't help but chuckle as Starlight looked to Gine. "I think you made one of Twilight's biggest dreams come true."

Gine grinned as she watched the purple alicorn look over all of the ship. Every lense, every angle, and every part was checked out by Twilight. "Yeah. It seems I have."

Spike, however, couldn't help but bring up one question. "Ummm... Gine?"

"Yes, Spike?"

"Not that it's not really cool to see, but what exactly does your ship have to do with your training?"

"Well, you see-."

"Hey, guys."

Everyone turned to see the other girls approaching them and they all stopped to look in astonishment at what Twilight was still looking at with admiration. Pinkie Pie asked, "Is that the ship you came in Gine?"

"As I answered Twilight. Yes, it is."

Rainbow flew a little closer to the ship and while she was a little interested in seeing it, she couldn't help but say what was on her mind, "You know Gine. Your ship is kind of cool. But it looks like it's gone through a major storm caused by Discord."

Gine looked to the pegasus a little confused, "Who's Discord?"

"Did someone say my name?"

Suddenly, in a small flash of light, a familiar face to everyone except Gine appeared before them all. "Hello everypony. Happy to see me?"

"Like a rotten apple Discord."

Discord made himself melt into a pile of wax as he looked to Applejack. "Why Applejack? Why so negative? I am reformed remember?"

Discord then turned his eyes to Gine and made himself solid again before looking at her with fascination. "Oh, a new face? And who might you be miss?"

Gine looked at Discord with confusion before looking at the girls with the same look. "Girls? What or who is this?"

Fluttershy stepped forward to say, "Gine? This is Discord. He's a spirit of Chaos in Equestria. And also our friend. Discord? This is Gine. Our new friend."

Discord shifted to in front of Gine and held his paw out. "Pleasure to meet Gine."

Gine awkwardly shook Discord's paw only for it to pop off of his arm, causing Gine to drop it. She then watched as it began crawling around on the ground on its fingers and climbed back up Discord to reattach, causing the draconequus to laugh. "Hahahahaha! That never gets old."

"Uh... What exactly do you mean he's a spirit of chaos?"

Before anyone could say a word, Discord made a TV appear out of nowhere with the words "Spirit of Chaos" in all capital letters on the screen. "It means I can control and do anything out of ordinary laws of reality. Such as this." Discord snapped his fingers and suddenly shackles appeared on Gine's wrists. "Looks like you are now a prisoner."

Then to Discord's surprise, Gine simply yanked her hands apart and shattered the chains in an instant. "Whoa?"

The girls and Spike laughed a little when Twilight said, "Discord. You should know that Gine's a lot stronger than she looks."

Discord crossed his arms and looked with a skeptical look as he said, "Oh really? How strong?"

Pinkie Pie reached into her mane and pulled out multiple photos taken. "Strong enough to be able to fight a Hydra, an Ursa Major, and even go head to head with Princess Celestia."

This caught Discord's attention and made him snap his fingers, causing the photos to float in front of him. While he was looking over the photos, Starlight looked at Pinkie Pie with a curious expression as she asked, "When did you take photos?"

"I was taking photos the whole time silly."

"But you... Okay. Okay. Whatever you say Pinkie."

Discord looked over many of the photos before spotting a set that showed Gine turning into what looked like a giant ape and then began fighting off an Ursa Major. This really got Discord's attention as he looked between the photos and Gine a few times before grinning and saying, "I must say Gine. You seem to have quite a few tricks up your sleeves."

Discord then made a miniature Ursa Major making it roar a bit. He then made a slightly larger Great Ape Gine appear and looked down at the Ursa Major and let out a loud roar. This caused the mini Ursa Major to let out a dog like yelp before running off before the two disappeared. "I do wish I could've seen that myself."

Gine did find the little display a bit amusing before Spike cleared his throat to get her attention again. "Yes, Spike?"

"Like I asked before Discord showed up. What exactly do you need your ship for?"

"Well besides letting you all finally see it," Gine said before she walked up to the ship and reached inside, moving her hand over a compartment at the bottom of the seat and pulled out a clear bottle that held a glowing, light green liquid, "this is what I mainly need."

They all looked to the bottle with curious expressions with Rainbow asking, "So what exactly is this stuff Gine?"

"It's a type of liquid that heals any wound. It's how we Saiyans recovered from missions that were very extreme."

Pinkie Pie then asked, "You mean that little bottle can heal you guys completely after a tough mission."

Gine held the bottle with both hands as she said, "Actually no. When it came to missions that caused some very serious injuries, they had been placed in tanks with oxygen support while the tanks filled up with this liquid. Basically, the worse the injury was, the more liquid we needed."

Starlight used her magic to hold the bottle in front of her for a moment as she took a closer look at it and asked, "So why do you only have a bottle of this stuff?"

"Well, we always carried at least a small bottle in case of just minor injuries. And they also help in keeping some serious injuries stalled in case you have to make a long trip back to Planet Vegeta."

Right after Gine said that she then gained a look that showed she realized something last minute. The group couldn't help but catch it with Fluttershy asking, "Is something wrong Gine?"

"Actually there might be. I realized that this bottle may not be enough for my training. Not to mention I'd like to have some more just in case for when I start teaching the students."

"Why don't you just make more darling?"

"Well, that's just it Rarity. I don't know how to replicate it exactly. And I'd rather not risk losing it all in an attempt to try."

The girls could understand why Gine was a bit concerned. However, the minute Gine said that one name came to mind with Twilight speaking, "Maybe our friend Zecora can help you Gine."

"Zecora?"

Spike said, "Zecora's a friend of ours who lives in the Everfree Forest. She's actually the best when it comes to potions. So we know for a fact that if anypony can help you with making more of your stuff, then it's definitely her."

Gine remained silent for a moment before sighing and saying, "Well... I guess we could give it a try. I don't have anything to lose."

Discord held a bored expression as he just floated around. "Well not that all of this doesn't seem interesting but I believe I'll be on my way."

However, right before Discord made his exit, he was suddenly stopped by, surprisingly, Gine. "Wait. Discord is it?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"You're a spirit of chaos right? So you can mess with anything and break any laws of reality right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Gine put her hands together, a bit hesitant before asking, "So do your abilities also apply to... Gravity?"

This caught everyone's attention as Discord asked, "Gravity? Hmmm... Let me see."

Discord snapped his finger and made a bag appear in front of him before reaching in. He pulled out all kinds of random things such as a rubber chicken, a TV, a flashlight, a jar of Zap Apple jam, a stuffed manticore, and continued pulling things out and throwing them all aside. "Come on. I know it's in here somewhere."

While Discord kept being... Discord, Rainbow flew up beside Gine and asked, "Gine? Why do you want something that can mess with gravity? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Well, you see back on Vegeta, besides our unique way of "adapting" to opponents, another way Saiyans trained themselves was using gravity chambers. A means of pushing ourselves by getting our bodies to where we could move as easily in normal gravity in more intense levels of it. Basically, it's like lifting weights without the weights themselves. As a matter a fact, here on your world I feel as light as a feather because Vegeta's gravity was ten times as much as it is here."

This left the group amazed. Sure they knew she was strong, but to hear the world she was born and raised on had ten times more than normal gravity her whole life so far made them even more shocked. They now understood how she became so strong.

"Ah. Here it is." Everyone turned to see Discord pull out a small purple square shaped object with a couple of numbered dials on them. "Here you are Gine."

Discord passed Gine the device and she looked at it with confusion. "This is it?"

"Yes."

Gine looked over the device and still held her confusion. "Ummm... How does it work?"

Discord looked down at the device as he spoke, "It's simple. The dial on the right is how much of a gravity increase you want. The left one increases the range of how far you want it to reach."

Gine continued looking over the device while Applejack looked at Discord with a skeptical look and asked, "What did you have that for exactly Discord?"

"Oh, nothing really."

Discord noticed his response made the mares and Spike look at him with looks that obviously said they didn't believe him with Fluttershy saying, "Discord."

"Oh fine. I was planning a prank on Rainbow Dash with it."

Gine finished looking over the device, making sure it didn't have any tricks before putting it into her pocket. "Everything looks okay on it. So thanks Discord."

"My... Semi pleasure. Anyway, I should be off. I'm playing chess with myself in a moment and I do plan on winning." Discord then snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Gine looked on with a bit of amusement before looking to the group and saying, "He's um... Different."

"You have no idea," Rainbow said as she facepalmed. "Anyways, where are you going to train?"

Gine flew up to her room and soon came back down with her packed backpack in her hands. "I'm going to spend about a month or two in that area."

Gine pointed to a place all of the mares knew all too well, leading to them all gasping, confusing Gine in the process. "What?"

"Gine? That's the Everfree Forest. The place where our sisters were almost eaten by Timberwolves." Applejack said as she looked a little worried and continued with, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Girls? In case you forgot," Spike said as he stepped into the conversation, "Gine was the one who saved Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo from those Timberwolves, fought off that huge Hydra and Ursa Major, and also went toe to toe with Princess Celestia. If anyone can handle surviving out there, we know Gine can."

The group took a moment before realizing Spike was right. Gine was more than capable of surviving in the Everfree Forest. She had proven that from all that she had accomplished.

Starlight then made a map appear in front of her and handed it to Gine with her magic. "Well just to be safe, here's a map of the Everfree. Just to make sure you don't get too lost."

Gine smiled and placed the map in her pack before looking to the others. "Thanks, Starlight. And I guess I'll see you guys in about a month or two. Oh but before I go."

Gine pulled out her scouter and handed it to Twilight. "Keep an eye on this for me please."

Twilight was a bit confused as she asked, "But Gine? Don't you need this?"

"Let's just say part of the training I'm gonna be doing involves not using that. I'll tell you more when I return."

Twilight was still confused but shrugged it off. "If you say so Gine. Anyways, good luck and come back safe."

Gine nodded and with that, flew off while the others waved to her.

Gine soon found herself flying over the Everfree Forest, looking over the map. "Let's see. It should be... Ah here."

Gine soon descended through some of the trees and landed in front of a small hut. It appeared to be completely handmade from a tree and had some masks hanging from it. She approached the door and gave a couple of knocks. The door soon opened and Zecora stood with a surprised look on her face. "Oh, a new face I do not know. Tell me, newcomer, what brings you to my home?"

Gine was a little surprised by her rhyming but shook it off while she pulled out the bottle of healing liquid from her pack and held it out to Zecora. "Yes. Twilight said you could help me with this. I need to have this replicated if possible."

Zecora took the bottle and looked over the liquid inside with fascination before stepping aside and allowing the Saiyan entrance. "Please come into my home while I have a small look at this liquid that is unknown."

Gine followed the zebra inside and looked around the hut. She was amazed by all of the potions, masks, and the big pot in the middle of it all. "Wow. This all seems quite traditional. All of it's so unique compared to what I've seen. And I've seen quite a bit from many worlds."

"Ah. From Twilight and her friends, I have heard. Had I not seen you protect us from the Ursa Major, I would have thought it would be absurd."

Gine smiled before she watched as Zecora examined the liquid closely. The zebra then poured about half the bottle into a bowl and took it over to a table. "So can you do anything to help me?"

"Hmmm... For now, I do not know but I should be able to figure it out here in my home. For now, it is still new, so why don't you come back later while I see what I can do?"

Gine thought it over. She seemed a bit hesitant since that liquid was all she had and didn't want to waste it. However, from how Twilight and the others described her, Zecora may be her best chance of having more of it made. And she knew if she was going to train herself and the students on how to use ki, she'd need a lot more than a small bottle. So she decided she'd take a chance with Zecora. "Alright, Zecora. I'll trust you. I'll leave what I have with you. But when should I come back."

Zecora smiled as she placed the bottle on a nearby table and gave some thought. "Since it is still so new to me, I can only do what is as best can be. If I would have to guess the time, then maybe two days to make the supply of this prime."

Gine nodded and approached the door and looked back to the zebra one last time and said, "Well then Zecora, I'll see you in a couple of days."

Zecora nodded to the Saiyan before Gine shut the door and took off flying. 'Well let's see. I got something to help me train and get stronger and now I might have a way to get my medical supplies replenished. So far everything is working out for the better.

With that, Gine continued flying off, looking for a training spot to camp out and area for her training.

Training

View Online

[Ponyville, 9:00 P.M., Friendship School]

The group of Gallus, Silverstream, Smolder, Ocellus, Sandbar, and Yona were walking through the halls, heading to Twilight's office. Ocellus was looking around nervously as if she was afraid they were going to be spotted or something. "Is this really a good idea? I mean what if we get in trouble?"

Gallus shrugged a bit as they turned left at the end of the hall. "Relax Ocellus. It's not that big of a deal. I heard Headmare Twilight mention she packed one of those new Walkie Talkie mirror things in Gine's pack before she left. All we're going to do is sneak into headmare Twilight's office, have a quick peak on what Gine is doing out there, and leave it be. Simple."

Sandbar then raised an eyebrow. "And if Ocellus is right and we get caught?"

Smolder then flew past Gallus to get in front of the group. "Then we just say we got eager and wanted to see what awesome stuff we're going to learn from her ahead of time. Even Twilight wouldn't be mad about us being "excited" to see what we're going to learn."

Silverstream, as usual, was overly excited. "Oh man. I can't wait to see what we'll get to learn. I mean being able to shoot blasts, move really fast, and not to mention from someone who was able to go one on one against Princess Celestia."

"Yona can't wait either. Ms. Gine even stronger than yak and she can show how Yona can get that strong."

Ocellus could tell she was outvoted and sighed. "Well. Let's get moving."

They soon came to the door of Twilight's office and slowly cracked the door open, peeking inside for anyone before Gallus pushed it completely open. "The coast is clear."

The group all entered the office with Smolder flying up to one of the shelves. "Spread out and look. It's gotta be here somewhere."

All of the students began looking all over the office. They looked in every box, drawer, folder, and under every paper, they could find. However, they were unable to locate the mirror they desired. Ocellus still appeared nervous over what they were doing. "Come on. We couldn't find it. Let's get out of here before we get in trouble."

However, her words fell on deaf ears as her friends were still thinking of places to look. Yona scratched her head as she tried to come up with a place to look. "Maybe she hide it under rug?"

Smolder looked to her with an answering look, "Then we would've stepped on it Yona. Come on, there's gotta be a spot we haven't checked."

"Looking for something?"

The group jumped a bit before turning around to find Twilight standing in the doorway with a mirror in her hands and a smile on her face. "Maybe something like this?"

Gallus sighed as he said, "Busted."

Ocellus let herself become even more worried, "Headmare Twilight. We're really sorry. We just wanted to-."

Twilight raised her hand to calm the young changeling. "It's okay Ocellus. I know what's going on?"

"You do?" Silverstream shot up with surprise.

"Of course. I had a feeling you all would be looking forward to Gine teaching you all after she finishes her own."

The students all let out sighs of relief before Silverstream asked, "Does that mean we can have a peak?"

"Unfortunately," Twilight then gained a look of sympathy, "I can't allow that."

"Why not? We just want to see a bit of what she's gonna show us ahead of time."

"Because Gallus, Gine told me that learning how to use ki takes preparation because it can be both tricky and difficult. And I don't want to take the risk of one of you attempting to try and do what you see her do before she can teach you how to do it properly and result in someone getting hurt."

While disappointed, none of the students could come up with a compromise for Twilight's logic. They all gave up trying with Smolder speaking for all of them with, "Fine. We'll keep waiting."

"Good." Twilight placed the mirror on her desk before smiling at the group. "I know you're all excited to learn from her but look at the bright side. The less you know ahead, the more you'll have to look forward to when she's done. Now head on back to your rooms and get ready for your next classes."

All of the students nodded and left her office while Twilight couldn't help but feel amused. "Wow. I haven't seen them that eager to learn something new since the school reopened. Gine's gonna have an interesting lesson with them."

[Everfree Forest, 9:00]

Gine was just leaving Zecora's hut with a smile as she spoke, "I can't thank you enough Zecora. I hope it wasn't too much trouble replicating it. And you don't mind holding on to the rest of it?"

"Of course not my friend. Though tricky it was, I figured out the formula in the end. And as for holding on to the rest that I made, I believed having more is good should it be needed for future aid."

Gine placed the vial of the healing formula in her pack before hovering up a bit. "I guess you're right. Well, I'll see you around. I gotta get back to work."

Gine flew off while Zecora waved off.

'Well, time to keep training. And not a moment too soon. Getting used to 20x normal gravity was a bit of a challenge so higher levels will only require more aid to keep me on my feet.'

'And since you have reinforced your strength, I believe it is time for me to begin my part in teaching you.'

Gine soon landed at a small area where a dead fire pile sat along with some eaten fruit sitting around, indication that the spot was Gine's campsite. "Yeah. I've been wondering, what do you have in mind for me to learn?"

'I believe there are a few techniques that you need to know for your training.'

Gine sat down and threw some wood on the dead fire pile and used her ki to ignite it. "I'm all ears Toolo."

'To begin with, you spoke of new attacks did you not?'

"I did. Why? Do you have one in mind?"

'It is an attack known as the Trident Cannon.'

"Trident Cannon? Sounds interesting. Is it powerful?"

'It was one of the most advanced Kanassan attacks. It is quite powerful depending on the user. And given how your kind was able to surpass us, I believe it will be even more powerful as your technique.'

Gine stood up and did a couple of stretches before putting on a determined look. "Alright then. How does it work?"

'It is a powerful beam attack that requires focused energy to aid in magnifying its power. To begin, focus two energy orbs into your hands.'

Gine extended her hands out to the sides and opened her palms. She then began focusing her energy until two energy orbs formed. "Okay. Now what?"

'Now focus on extending more of your energy in front of you. As you do so, focus on using it to form three energy lenses. They will be the key to magnifying the attack's power.'

Gine then flared up her aura and focused harder. Soon, three lenses of ki appeared in front of her in a row. However, they appeared to be shaking, a sign of Gine struggling to hold them together. But even when struggling, she pressed on. "Next step Toolo. Quickly."

'Bring the two orbs together and focus them into one before firing the energy as a beam through the lenses.'

Gine, still struggling to keep the lenses together, brought her hands and ki orbs together, forcing them into one orb before moving her hands behind her.

"Trident Cannon!"

She shot her hands forward and fired the beam. However, she was unable to hold the lenses together any longer, causing them to disappear before the beam could reach the first one. And due to the struggle, Gine's beam wasn't able to last long either and began to dissipate before it could hit anything. Gine fell to one knee, trying to catch her breath as she slammed her fist into the ground. "Damn it!"

'Calm yourself, my friend. It was only your first try.'

Gine sat down for a moment as she simply stared off to the forest area in front of her. "I guess you're right. It's just... It took so much just to barely keep it together."

'And that is why you must keep practicing with it. As soon as you've mastered it, we will be able to move on.'

Gine got back to her feet as she continued to look ahead. "Well then. I better get to work."

[One week later]

Gine stood by her campsite as she took her stance. "Alright. This time for sure."

Gine spiked her aura into a flare before she extended her arms out with her hands open. She soon focused two energy orbs into both hands before she looked forward and began focusing more of her energy to where three ki lenses appeared right in front of her in a row, only this time they remained stable and intact. She then brought the two orbs together and forced them into one and moved her hand behind her before looking straight to the lenses.

"TRIDENT CANNON!!!"

Gine then shot her hands forward and fired the beam. As it passed through each lens, it grew in both size and power. It shot a great distance until it collided with a mountain, miles away and engulfed it in a flash of light. When the light faded, where the mountain once was, now all that remained was dust and rubble. Gine began to pant and sweat a bit before a smirk came across her face. "Finally. I think... I think I finally got the hang of the Trident Cannon."

'You have done extremely well Gine. It would take months for the average Kanassan to master the Trident Cannon yet you've managed to do so in only a week.'

Gine sat down and took out a canteen of water Applejack gave her before she left and took a large sip from it. "Thanks for the boost of confidence Toolo. So? What's next on the training resume?"

'What I have next for you will require more mental strength rather than physical.'

"I don't think I fully understand what you mean," Gine said with confusion, "Are you going to teach me some kind of attack that I use with my mind or something?"

'Not exactly. Do you recall how I asked you to leave your scouter behind when you left?'

"Yeah. But what about it?"

'Unlike you Saiyans, Kanassans were able to sense the level of power others possessed without a device.'

This actually caught Gine by surprise. "You mean it's possible to sense power levels without a scouter?"

'Indeed. And it is what I shall teach you next. For relying on that device of yours, should the wrong opponent show themselves, will make it difficult to know how truly powerful they are.'

Gine gave it some thought. Toolo did make some fair points. While Saiyans had often relied on scouters, they were still gadgets. And like any other gadget, some could find ways to work around it, making it a disadvantage relying on its readings. "Alright, Toolo. I'm game."

'Excellent. But for now, rest and regain your strength. While not physical, learning to sense ki will require being at full strength. Let your strength return, then we shall continue.'

Gine sighed and laid back on the ground with her hands behind her head. "I won't argue with you there Toolo."

Gine moved back to her camping spot and laid down on the ground, getting comfortable. "Alright, Toolo. I'll talk to you when I wake up."

Gine then let sleep overtake her and entered a nap.

[A few hours later]

Gine sat in front of one of the Everfree Forest's rivers staring forward into the water in front of her. She sat with her knees under her and her hands on her lap. "Okay, Toolo. What's the first thing I need to do?"

'To begin, you must first clear your mind. Drown out any distractions you may have around you.'

Gine took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Around her, she could hear the water in the river streaming down its path, the sound of the small waterfall at the start of it, the wind blowing freely, and some leaves and tree rustling from it. She focused on concentrating, drowning out the noises while also trying to use them as a white noise to aid in focusing.

'Now. Feel your energy flow through you while also retaining it and preventing it from releasing.'

Gine charged her ki a bit as it slowly began to spread it throughout most of herself. At one point, she had a small aura beginning to barely appear from her before it began to fade as a sign of her holding it in and retaining it.

'Now use your ki as a source to understand how the ki of other beings feels as you search for it.'

Gine began to concentrate harder than before and tried to feel out more ki besides her own. She sat for almost an hour, repeating the processes, trying to lock onto something. However, despite her effort, she was unable to sense anything and eventually let out a breath. "I can't sense anything? What am I doing wrong?"

'You're trying too hard Gine. You must let yourself remain calm and patient. As I told you before. Patience yields focus. You must control your ki while also letting it flow completely to first learn how to sense any ki apart from your own. You must control your ki and allow it to spread throughout your being.'

"Wait. I surrender to my ki in order to use it to sense other ki? That doesn't make sense."

'Not everything does. Not everything has to. Just trust me about this Gine. I do not intend to mislead you.'

"Alright," said Gine as she sighed before focusing again, "I'll give it another go."

Gine repeated the same steps as she did the first time and did as Toolo suggested. She once again brought her ki up and made sure to prevent it from leaking out from her, but at the same time, allowing it to spread through her entire being once again. Using it as a reference source, Gine then began to calmly and patiently focus on her surroundings as she tried to sense other living things in the area. This time, after a few minutes, she began to sense more ki signatures. And as she continued focusing, she soon began to pick up on even more ki and found out they were going on for miles into the forest. "I... I sense them. Even more ki signatures from almost everything within range."

Gine soon stopped and took a break. Though not physical, the act did drain her a little mentally. "Toolo? Did I do it right?"

'Indeed Gine. Though you must keep practicing with it. The more you do, the more used to it you shall become and the less effort you will need. At one point it will become as natural to you as breathing itself.'

Gine looked to the running water in the river as she let Toolo's words sink in. "Yeah. So? What's next on the agenda?"

'Next I shall teach you a powerful Kanassan technique. However, your body isn't quite physically strong enough to handle it yet. You must first increase your physical strength before you will be ready.'

"How strong do I need to be for this technique of yours?"

'I will inform you when you are ready. For now, you should begin preparing.'

"If you say so."

Gine stood up and walked to her pack and pulled out the device that Discord gave to her. She examined the device while thinking of what to set it to for her first try with it. "Let's see. This world is 10x less than Vegeta's gravity. So I guess the best starting point would be... 20x gravity. And let's just limit it to my camping area for now."

Gine placed the device on the ground and began adjusting the range to only around her camping area before she turned the other knob up to 20x. Not long after, Gine felt the effects begin. She soon felt herself becoming heavier and had to crouch down to stand. She slowly and barely began walking forward, trying to keep herself from falling over. "Yep. This should be a good start for now."

Gine kept walking as much as she could, soon reaching her pack where she pulled out a set of dumbbells that appeared to be around 70 lbs each. "Gotta remember to thank Rainbow Dash for letting me borrow these when I get back. Let's get started. One... T-Two... T-t-three..."

Gine kept lifting the weights with as much effort as she had. She was determined to become as strong as she could before she starts training the students.

'You are doing well Gine. You must continue making progress for what I have to teach.'

Gine continued lifting the dumbbells while also trying to keep a steady breath. "It's a good thing Saiyans love a challenge."

For hours, Gine continued lifting the dumbbells. She was sweating very heavily, her face was a little red, her arms looked to have gained more muscle, and her legs looked like they were ready to give out. "9,995... 9,996... 9,997... 9... 9,998... 9,000... 999... 10... 10... 10,000!!!"

Gine let out a huff as she dropped the dumbbells to the ground and fell down herself, trying to catch her breath. "Wow... That... Was... Far from easy. Now I know what the elites felt like."

She stood up and noticed that unlike when she first turned on the device, she was having an easier time moving around. She still felt wobbly and a little pressure from the gravity, but was at least able to stand up straight. "Upper strength done. Now to work on lower strength." Gine pulled some rope out of her pack and walked over to a couple of large boulders near her site and tied it around them before tying the middle of it around her waist. She then began trying to run, but as she had hoped, the boulders were preventing her from moving too quickly. She kept pulling until eventually, they began to slide a bit. She continued dragging the boulders with all of her might as her feet dug into the ground and the boulders left groves. "With this kind of workout, I should be able to get strong enough in only a couple of weeks."

[2 weeks later]

Gine was pulling the same two boulders behind her only this time there were two differences. Instead of walking with them, she was pulling them behind her as she swam laps around one of the Everfree forest ponds. And along with that, she had the gravity device set to 50x normal gravity. She continued stroking through the water as the gravity and water itself added more and more force to the boulders. After about 50 laps, she swam back to the shore edge and managed to stand on the ground and pulled the boulders to shore as well. She wiped some water and sweat from her forehead as she through the rope she used to strap the boulders to her onto the ground. Gine took a deep breath as she walked to the gravity device and began reducing it back down to normal levels. "So Toolo? Am I strong enough to learn that new technique you had planned?"

'Indeed you are. Once we return to your campsite, I will explain everything to you.'

Gine picked up the water she had brought with and took a massive gulp before heading down the path to her campsite. "I honestly can't wait. If it takes mastering 50x normal gravity to learn this technique, it must be something powerful."

Gine soon arrived back at her camp and placed the rope from the boulders by her bag. After about an hour to regain her steady breathing and strength, Gine stood back up and did a few stretches. "Alright, Toolo. Let's get started."

'Enthusiastic I see. Very well. The technique I'm about to teach you is called the Spirit Charge.'

"The Spirit Charge?"

'Yes. It is a technique that requires a being of a strong body and mind to fully master it because it was the most powerful but also most difficult technique of our race. We Kanassans used it to greatly amplify our power when facing powerful threats. Though what little it did against the Saiyans when they attacked.'

"Please don't remind me. I feel bad enough that my mate and my former squad took your lives, especially with you helping me to prepare in protecting this world."

'Apologies. I did not mean to make you feel guilty. I hold no blame towards you Gine. You showed me not all Saiyans are ruthless.'

"I appreciate it Toolo. Now how do I start using this Spirit Charge?"

'To begin with. Clear your mind. Drown out all distractions.'

Gine stood straight, closed her eyes, and began to focus. She kept her breathing steady and remained in a calm state. She soon had a small aura began to generate from her body. She kept focusing as her aura remained sustained.

'Now picture your power level increasing greatly. This is where your mental strength is crucial. You must have all focus on your power level.'

Gine followed Toolo's instructions and focused on her power and the image that he asked her to picture. She saw herself with her aura increasing in size. Her mental endurance was then focused on her power as it spread throughout her body. And as she continued picturing it, the aura around her soon began growing in size slowly.

'Combine your mind and body as though they were one thing. Both are required to fully master the Spirit Charge.'

Gine felt her power increase to the point where she felt a small bit of tension. Along with that, she also felt her senses become sharper. She could hear, smell, and feel almost everything around her. Gine clenched her fists as she prepared for the next step.

'Now. Use the Spirit Charge Level 1!'

Gine's eyes shot open as she retracted all of the aura before she yelled out, "Spirit Charge! Level 1!" She shot her arms out to the side and the aura she had retracted returned, only in greater size and this time, the aura had changed from a basic white color to a aqua blue with white highlights at the end. And along with that, Gine felt a great change in herself. "Wow. This power... It's incredible. Why didn't you teach me this sooner Toolo?"

'Because you weren't ready until now.'

This statement seemed to confuse Gine a bit. "What do you mean?"

'While the Spirit Charge is a powerful technique, there is a drawback. The higher the level of power a user does, the more stress it will put on the body and the higher the level of exhaustion it will inflict. Meaning if you were to use a level that you're not ready for, then your power will rise to a point where your body cannot keep up with it. That is why I had you train under gravity first before I told you about it.'

After his explanation, Gine soon understood why he had waited. "So if I go too high with it, I could end up damaging my body?"

'Indeed. The Spirit Charge is a powerful but also strategical technique for those who use it.'

Gine soon dissipated her aura and returned to her normal power level. "So at the moment, how high of the Spirit Charge am I at right now?"

'For now. The highest you are able to handle is Spirit Charge Level 5. As you continue to progress, you will be able to use the higher levels.'

"I understand. Thank you Toolo."

'You are most welcome Gine. Now there are just two more things I have left to teach you. And they should be a bit easier for you.'

"Why is that?"

"Because they both focus on something unique to Saiyans. Your Great Ape transformation."

"What?"

[Meanwhile]

The Young Six were following Zecora through the Everfree Forest with Yona carrying a case. They were delivering something to Gine for Twilight and the others, and the students managed to convince Twilight to allow them to make the delivery, mainly because they still wanted to see what Gine might possibly teach them, with the condition they let Zecora escort them through the forest. However, they were to only deliver the case to her and then leave her be so she may continue her training.

"Oh, I can't wait to get a sneak at what all we'll be learning. I'm so excited."

Silverstream's usual giddy personality would've normally been overlooked, but with where they were Gallus couldn't help but speak up, "Silverstream. You might want to keep it a little down since we're in an area full of wild animals."

"Oh... Hehe. Right. Sorry."

Smolder was flying beside Yona while she just looked around. "For once, I know what you mean Silverstream. I'm actually pretty excited myself. After seeing how tough Gine is and the really cool stuff she can do, I can't wait to be that awesome."

Ocellus was trying to keep a watchful eye out just to be safe before speaking, "Not to mention learning from someone from another world. I mean I always wondered if there was life out in space and now we actually get to learn about what they can teach us."

"Gine also strong enough to take on best guard in YakYakistan. She may even be stronger than Rockhoof. Yona wants to get stronger and really show how good yaks are."

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind being a cooler griffon with all kinds of new stuff to do."

"Yeah, dude. I'm looking forward to being the first Earth Pony who can fly like a pegasus. I always wondered what it was like to do like some of you guys do, and now Gine'll be able to show me how."

Zecora was walking in the lead of them all, looking to a map given to her by Twilight. Ocellus walked up beside Zecora. "Ms. Zecora? How much farther?"

"According to the map, from what I know, only one more mile of walking is how much further we have left to go."

This was exciting to the students until they saw something bright up ahead. "What that? Yona can't tell because it too bright."

The group then watched as the source of light then went straight into the air, giving them an easier time seeing what it was. Gallus was the first to speak up, "Wait. Isn't that the same thing Gine shot into the sky when she fought that Ursa Major?"

[Back with Gine (happening at the same time)]

Gine was a little surprised at what Toolo had next for her. "Wait. What does my Great Ape form have to do with my training?"

'There are two things I believe we must work on with it.'

"And those are?"

'To start with. I'm going to help you in learning to fully control it. From the battle you had with what the natives call the Ursa Major, I could tell you were struggling quite a lot in keeping control of your instincts. You were just barely able to hold onto yourself long enough to both stop the Ursa and destroy the artificial moon you created. Had it been any longer, you wouldn't have been able to prevent your form from taking over and starting off where the Ursa left off. Only if that had happened, I doubt your friends would've been able to stop you.'

After taking in his words, Gine realized Toolo was right. It took every ounce of her mind to control her Great Ape form long enough to protect Ponyville and then destroy the moon she created before she lost control. If that had happened, she doubted that even with Celestia and Luna's aid, her friends would not have been able to stop her in an out of control state of mind. "Okay. That I can understand. But what else is there besides that?"

'I'm also going to help you control it to where you decide if you transform under a full moon or not.'

This confused Gine a bit. "I don't think I understand."

'While your Great Ape form is powerful, there is a drawback to its transformation process. Once it begins, the process takes time to fully take effect. And during that moment, you're left open for a foe to attack you. By learning how to control it to where you can choose if you transform under a full moon or not will allow you to defend yourself better and not give a foe that kind of opening. Also, I'm sure you wouldn't want to risk an accidental transformation when your friends are nearby as well. Or when you begin training your students as well.'

Gine took in what Toolo and realized he made fair points. "Okay. I'm in on it. What do I need to do first?"

'To begin, you must first start the process. Create an artificial moon.'

Gine nodded before focusing her energy into her hand. Soon a sphere of ki began to form before she shot it into the air. She then raised her hand and clenched it once the sphere was high enough. "Burst open and mix!"

The sphere soon flashed before Gine's artificial moon appeared. She stared straight at it and soon after, her transformation began. But right as it did.

"Ms. Gine?"

Gine turned to see the group being lead by Zecora approaching her with Silverstream asking, "What are you doing?"

"Oh no. Everyone get back!"

This confused the group until Zecora noticed Gine's reaction to the transformation beginning to happen before looking up to see the artificial moon above them. It was then she remembered what it meant from when Gine fought the Ursa Major. "Children! We must get clear! I believe Gine is about to become what an Ursa Major fears!"

It took the students a moment to understand until they saw Gine's size begin to grow along with her eyes becoming pupiless. They then began to run for cover until Gine soon fully transformed into a Great Ape. After that, they stopped to look with Gallus saying, "That giant ape look of hers is awesome, but a bit terrifying too. Good thing she's on our side."

Ocellus then noticed Gine wasn't acting in her usual calm state. Instead, she appeared to be acting like an animal that was preparing to become aggressive. "Um, guys? I think we better run."

"Why Ocellus say that? Ms. Gine won't hurt us."

They all then watched as Gine let out a loud roar before firing a ki beam from her mouth, destroying a nearby hill. The group then began running to avoid harm while Gine continued on in rampage. As they ran, Smolder asked, "What's going on? Why is she going all crazy?"

"Has she just been pretending to protect us all of this time?"

"Of course not Silverstream!" Sandbar said as he saw Gine swing her fists, sending trees in all kinds of directions. "If she had been lying all this time, Professor Applejack would've known it. There must be something else going on."

After stopping to do nothing but watch while the saiyan's rampage continued. As they watched, Ocellus soon thought of something, "Maybe... Maybe Ms. Gine can't control it."

This caught everyone's attention with Smolder asking, "What do you mean?"

"Do you guys remember that history lesson Professors Fluttershy and Applejack told us about the Kirin?"

They all looked to her in confusion. As with most classes, Ocellus was the only one who listened completely. "The Kirin had a problem too. When they got angry, they transformed into Nirik and couldn't stop it until they learned to control their anger."

"What that have to do with any of this?"

"What if Gine is having a similar problem? What if she can't control her Great Ape form yet and is trying to do so?"

The group then understood what Ocellus was saying. They then watched as Gine soon looked in their direction. "Run children! We must hurry to avoid Gine's out of control furry!"

They all then walked off just before Gine fired a beam that hit where they once were, narrowly missing them. They then watched as Gine jumped over a great distance and landed right in front of them.

"Ms. Gine! Please stop! It's us!"

Ocellus's words were unheard by Gine as she began reaching down for them all. However, the group jumped out of the way just in time. Gallus then said, "Let's get out of here before she makes another grab for us."

Sandbar then noticed the group was one short. "Wait. Where's Ocellus?"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

They all looked up to see Ocellus was unable to escape Gine's grip in time. "Ocellus!"

Ocellus watched in horror as Gine brought her closer to her face. The young changeling once again tried to reason with the giant saiyan, "Ms. Gine! Please! It's me Ocellus! Don't hurt me! I'm your friend!"

The pleading words Ocellus spoke still had no effect on Gine as she soon lifted Ocellus higher while opening her mouth wide. She then began lowered Ocellus to her mouth, the young girl unable to do anything but scream while her friends could do nothing but watch. Gine was about to shut her mouth on Ocellus until...

'GINE!!!'

Gine soon froze right before she completely ate Ocellus, with said changeling opening her eyes to see she was still okay. She soon felt Gine pull her away from her mouth and noticed the saiyan then appeared to be in deep thought.

'Gine. Focus! Remember the beast inside of you doesn't control you! You are in command of it! Concentrate! You have a strong will! Use it to tame your instincts in this form!'

Ocellus then watched as Gine began to groan and growl while also clenching her head with her free hand. "Gine?"

The Great Ape Saiyan continued groaning and clenching her head tighter. She soon let out a loud roar causing most of the group still on the ground to cover their ears. The roar soon stopped and Gine unclenched her head before she soon turned her sights back on Ocellus. Only this time, the young changeling could see not the eyes of an angry animal, but the eyes of a gentle and controlled creature. Then in a very deep voice, Gine began to speak, "O-Ocellus?"

Ocellus then felt Gine's grip on her begin to loosen until she was sitting in Gine's open palm. Ocellus then held on as Gine slowly lowered her to the ground before placing her down by the rest of the group who all looked up at her in surprise. Sandbar then asked the obvious question, "Gine? Are you back with us?"

Gine remained motionless before showing a friendly smile. "Yes, Sandbar. I'm okay now."

This caused the group to return her smile before Toolo spoke to Gine again, 'Well done Gine. You have gained full control of your Great Ape form.'

'Thank you Toolo. Now tell me how you want me to change back even with my fake moon still up.'

'Like with the Spirit Charge. Focus your mind on your own self. Focus on what you feel when you change back the way you are used to. Concentrate on that feeling. Combine your heart, body, and mind as one. And then you will be able to control when you transform under a full moon for the future to come.'

Gine did as instructed, focusing her body, heart, and the power within her body. She continued to concentrate and after enough time, she soon felt the power of the Great Ape form leaving her. Everyone watched as Gine soon began to shrink while her fur disappeared and her eyes returned to normal. She soon stood by the group as they all looked in amazement. "Gine! That incredible! Yona didn't know you could be regular self until fake moon thingy!"

Gallus was also a bit surprised himself. "Yeah. From what headmare Twilight told us, she said you can't turn back until the fake moon is gone."

Gine smiled before looking to her fake moon again, focusing on the technique Toolo taught her as she did. She then turned back to the group with a smile. "Well. What you just saw was me learning I could do it for the first time myself."

They all remained silent for a moment before Gine asked, "Though I should ask, what are all of you doing out here?"

Zecora then held out the case Yona had been carrying and handed it to Gine. "Twilight had asked the students and me to bring you this. Though I am now curious to ask what it is?"

Gine put the case down before opening it to reveal what Twilight had sent her. She pulled out what appeared to be a new saiyan armor that looked almost identical to the only one Gine had. Only instead of black, it was pink. "Perfect."

This shocked the students. "Wait. I thought you only had one set of armor Gine. So where did that one come from?"

Gine stretched it a bit to test how elastic it was before replying, "Well Smolder. Before I left to train, I asked Rarity and Twilight if they could possibly make me more. Given how good Twilight and Starlight are with magic and Rarity with clothing, I thought they could get it done. And by how it feels, it may not be an exact copy of my armor, but it works just as well as the original."

Gine then pulled her black armor off, leaving nothing but the sleeveless jumpsuit underneath on before she pulled the pink one over it.

"But why do you need another armor? Doesn't the one you have work?"

"Yes, Silverstream. But let's just say I don't wanna risk this one unless I absolutely have to." Gine then put her original armor in the case and handed it to Zecora. "Thank you very much for bringing it to me."

"It was no problem at all. Though now I believe we should return until the forest becomes a nighttime hall."

"Aww. But Yona want to watch Gine train a little more."

"Don't worry Yona," Gine said putting her hand on Yona's shoulder. "You all will soon get to learn what I'm able to do. I promise."

This made Yona and the rest of the group smile before they all then went back the way they came to leave the Everfree Forest. Gine also took flight to head back to her camp area with a smile on her face as she was able to watch the moon begin to rise for the first time without having to worry about transforming.

"Thank you Toolo. I honestly don't know what I can do to repay you."

'Simply focus on your training for the rest of the time you have to do so and you'll repay me enough.'

However, Gine doesn't realize how much of help her finished training will be when she is done.

[A Few Miles From Ponyville]

There was a traveler with a cloak over them who held a map in a green magic aura and clenched fists. From where they stood, the sight of Ponyville soon came into view. "Almost there."

The traveler then pulled off their cloak to reveal a mature female changeling with a green dress on her, holes in her legs and arms, long green hair, a large multiple curved horn on her head, green insect like wings, and anger in her green eyes.

"Soon. Only a few more days and I will have revenge on Starlight and her friends for robbing me of my hive and my pride as a Changeling. She will rue the day she ever heard the name, Queen Chrysalis!"

Chrysalis then covered herself in her magic as a means to display how powerful it became.

"First her. Then I will finally take back my hive from Thorax and then make them all suffer."

Chrysalis then let out an evil laugh, imagining her plans unfolding.

Chrysalis' Revenge, Gine's Training is Tested

View Online

[Everfree Forest, Zecora's Hut, 12:41 P.M. ]

Zecora was walking Twilight out of her hut. Twilight was holding a small chest in her hands as she reached the outside of the door. Twilight smiled to the zebra as she said, "Thank you again for letting me borrow this Zecora. I'll be sure to bring it back once I'm done with it."

Zecora nodded to the princess at the door of her hut. "Of course Twilight, though I was concerned, I know you are a pony this item will not turn."

Twilight nodded before putting the chest under her shoulder. "Thank you again. See ya around."

Zecora smiled before shutting the door to her hut and Twilight opened her wings and flew off, but rather than flying towards Ponyville, she flew off deeper into the Everfree Forest. She eventually landed in a small campsite where Twilight smirked before her eyes flashed green and she was soon covered in a field of green flames and when it faded, it revealed Chrysalis, the former queen of the Changelings. She put the chest down as she looked to two trees with her eyes of evil shinning.

"Now let my plan for revenge begin."

On one of the trees, there was a picture of Princess Celestia. On another was a picture of Princess Luna. And behind both pictures, there were small pieces of mane hair from both princesses. "I must say it was easier to get these from the two princesses than it was Twilight and her 'friends'."

Flashback

Celestia and Luna were calmly enjoying their free time in the dining hall, enjoying sweets of dark chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake. Luna dug into the former with delight as she looked to her sister. "The chefs have outdone themselves once again sister. I can see why you've enjoyed them over the years."

"I agree. They do know how to make it easier to enjoy a day. Especially since its the first time we've had a free schedule in months."

Suddenly, they heard rapid knocking on the door before they slammed open to show a mare with pale fur and an orange mane, dressed in an orange shirt and skirt, enter excitedly with a camera in her hands. Behind her, a guard walked in with an apologetic look. "Apologies your highnesses. She was just very determined and-."

Celestia stood and waved her hand to the guard. "It's quite alright. Continue you with your duties."

The guard nodded and walked off to continue his job. Meanwhile, Luna stood as well and turned to the mare who smiled to them both. "So what can we do for you Ms...?

"Sharp Lens your highness. It's just my editors are doing a story on you two on the front page this week and we need a picture of you both for it. I hope you don't mind."

Before the princesses could answer, they suddenly found Sharp Lens straightening their manes harshly. They both let out a groan due to how hard she had pulled before wiping their mouths with a napkin she pulled out of nowhere. "Perfect. Now smile!"

Sharp then pulled up her camera and snapped the flashing button individually right in front of both of the princesses faces. "Thank you."

The two princesses shook the daze out of their eyes before looking to Sharp again with puzzled looks and Celestia speaking for the two. "Your welcome?"

"Have a wonderful rest of the day your majesties." Sharp then ran out the door with the photos while Celestia and Luna looked to one another for a moment.

"Well, shall we continue our snack, Tia?"

"I would say so, Luna."

The two sat back down and continued their snack. Meanwhile, outside of the castle, Sharp looked to the photos in one hand and in the other, two strands of hair, Celestia and Luna's hair. She grew a smirk and her eyes flashed green a bit. "Two pieces down, one more to go."

Flashback ends

Chrysalis looked to the two photos as they still hung with the hairs. "Rather than make clones of those six again, I thought it'd be best to think bigger. Clones of Celestia and Luna. Their hairs giving them their magic mixed with my own. Only this time, I have a more effective means of controlling these two."

Chrysalis then approached the chest she tricked Zecora into giving her and opened it to show a red reflective glow coming from whatever was inside. She reached in and pulled out a relic that Twilight had given to Zecora long before Starlight had befriended Trixie. The Alicorn Amulet.

"By combining this with the clones, not only will they far surpass Celestia and Luna in terms of power, but with me being its bearer, I'll be able to control these two far easier than those failed clones of Twilight and her friends."

Chrysalis then hooked the amulet around her neck before she felt a surge of magic shoot through her and her eyes flashed red for a moment and her magic aura around her horn turned red. "Now to put the final touches on my plan for revenge against Starlight and all of those who defied me. And then, Thorax and all of the traitors will be next. Only their pain will be far, far worse."

Chrysalis then turned back to the trees with the pictures hanging from them. She then charged her horn with the red magic aura the amulet provided her before blasting and forming shapes of Celestia's and Luna's cutie marks underneath their respected photos and hairs. She then charged her horn once again with a circle of magic forming under her feet and then blasted the two trees with a blast connecting the two soon after. After enough magic was shot through the two, the trees began to crack and glow with red magic. They then began to break open like a blooming flower and inside, two spheres of red magic began to form in the center of both of them. The two spheres then began to take shape, rising from their trees and forming into silhouettes. Soon after, the two became identical in looks to Celestia and Luna, both dressed in royal armor similar to those their original counterparts would wear, only far darker in color and more menacing looking due to the power of the Alicorn Amulet. Only unlike their original counterparts, their fur and mane colors were a more faded shade. And unlike the Mean 6, when they opened their eyes, they held blood red irises. The two stepped out of the tree remains before walking up to Chrysalis.

"My children," said Chrysalis as she smirked at the two and their eyes flashed red before they bowed to her.

The two looked to her as they continued bowing with the Celestia clone speaking first, "What would you have us do first, my queen?"

Chrysalis smirked before she looked towards a path that leads to Ponyville. "Let's get to work paying Ponyville a visit."

[Everfree Forest, Gine's Camp Area, 1:30 P.M.]

With the sun still shining brightly over her, Gine was calmly taking a nap on the ground in the area she's made into her camp. She gently snored as she let sleep continue to relax her. However, she began to stir a bit when she heard a rustling sound near her. She soon rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes and sat up only to find a timberwolf was eating on the fruits and other foods she collected for herself. "Hey!"

The timberwolf turned its sights on Gine who stood up, causing it to growl a bit. However, as the timberwolf moved closer to strike, Gine noticed something about. It was a bit smaller than normal timberwolves, it had some scars on its body, was a bit skinnier than other timberwolves, and it appeared to be limping a bit. As she continued examining the creature, it made a leap at Gine, who easily dodged it. She then heard the beast let out a whimpering yelp and noticed its left back leg seemed to be struggling to stay together. 'It's hurt. It must be just trying to survive.'

Gine stepped back as the timberwolf looked to her again as she reached to the ground for a piece of the rope she's been using for her training. The timberwolf made another leap for her, only this time when Gine dodged it, she wrapped the rope tightly around its snout. She then held the wolf down and used the rest of the rope to tie its legs together. "Easy fella. I wanna try and help you. Just hold still and relax. I have just the thing to help you feel better."

Gine then walked over to her pack and dug in it for a moment until she pulled out her bottle of healing liquid and found only a little left. She then walked over to the Timberwolf as it growled a bit more before she held the liquid over its leg and began slowly pouring it over the wolf's leg and scars. The wolf growled for a moment but soon began to relax as the liquid began healing its injuries. After they were fully healed, Gine untied both ropes and the Timberwolf got up and took a few steps away, only not in a way of attacking her. It looked to her curiously before looking to the food Gine still had lying on the ground for her to take back to Twilight's castle.

Gine followed its gaze before looking back at it. "Go ahead."

Gine walked over to pick up some food and placed it in front of the wolf before it started eating. Gine smiled as it continued eating and regaining its strength and as this happened, she began to realize something. Judging by its scars, its weakened state, and her knowledge on wolves being pack hunters, she could only make one conclusion. "You're alone. You must've been an alpha wolf before another took your place huh?"

The wolf looked to her with a somewhat sorrowful expression as she raised her hand towards it. The Timberwolf seemed hesitant and defensive at first, but Gine's slow and gentle movement put it at ease when she began rubbing its head. "Believe me. I know how you feel. I lost all the ones that I cared about too. Like my old squad."

Before Gine could continue, they both heard what sounded like an explosion nearby. Gine shot up and looked out in the direction the sound came from before she began to see smoke coming from a distant area. And though it was far from her spot, she knew exactly where it was coming from. "Ponyville. And if there's smoke. Then that likely means trouble."

Gine then looked to the wolf as it looked to her. "Well. See ya around fella. Enjoy the food. And get your strength back." Gine turned to the skies again before taking off flying towards the smoke. "Well whatever's going on, I'll be sure to do my best to help. Toolo? Any ideas on what I'm about to fly into?"

'I know not Gine. However, if you use the senses and techniques that I have taught you, you may have an easier time knowing what you'll be facing.'

"Fair point," Gine said as she started focusing on sensing energy only to be startled at what she felt. "Wow. I'm feeling some strong energy. Wait... There's two of them. But for some reason, they feel familiar. But who or whatever they are, they are powerful."

Despite knowing that whatever was attacking Ponyville was powerful, Gine couldn't help but smirk a bit. Though she left Planet Vegeta a butcher, she still had Saiyan blood in her. And like any other Saiyan, her instincts began to excite her. "But I guess that means I'll get to see how much stronger I've become. Then maybe later have a rematch with Princess Celestia."

Gine then continued off flying for Ponyville as fast as she could, knowing no matter what was there waiting for her, she was determined to face it to the best of her abilities.

[Ponyville, 1:15 P.M.] (Prior Event)
(Also to help with distinguishing the clones, they'll be labeled with E. for evil.)

Ponyville. A normally peaceful town, but still with its fair share of trouble and events, was always protected by Twilight and her friends. They had faced many threats and always did them together and came out on top.

However, this time, they faced a threat more difficult than anything before. Sure they had face threats that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had faced and defeated in the past. But never had they had to face magic that was nearly identical to the two princesses' magic.

Ponyville was being torn apart by E. Celestia and E. Luna while Chrysalis watched from the sides with a smirk. The two clones continued blasting many areas with their magic. E. Celestia looked to one home and while ponies were evacuating, she ignited her horn and shot a blast powerful enough to destroy the building itself. "Oh, this is so much fun. My queen. Thank you for allowing us so much fun. Can we start taking minds now though?"

Chrysalis chuckled as her horn began glowing with the red aura the Alicorn Amulet gave her. "Not quite yet. I want Twilight and her friends' end to be witnessed by all those who look to them as heroes. After we destroy them and Starlight Glimmer, then you can have as much fun as you want taking as many minds as you can to start building our new hive. But those who refuse to join our hive under my control, you can torture as much as you want... As prisoners."

E. Luna also destroyed another building and sent more ponies running for cover. "I agree with our queen sister. It'd be more entertaining to let these ponies watch as their precious saviors are destroyed and then make them into a new hive of brothers and sisters."

E. Celestia thought for a moment before grinning and nodding. "Oh very well. It'll make it all the sweeter when we take away all of these ponies' hope when we take away their protectors."

"HEY!!!"

The three looked in another direction to see the mane 6 and Starlight heading their way. However, the group stopped when they spotted the clones of the princesses looking at them with an amused look on their faces. "Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?"

"Not entirely!" Celestia made her twisted grin grow before charging her horn with more magic and fired a powerful beam that Twilight and Starlight had to block with their magic, creating a forcefield that stopped the shot but was still shattered on contact. The force of the shattering forcefield also pushed the girls to the ground for a moment before they got back up.

Rainbow was the first to shake the dirt off of herself before looking to the clones in shock. "What was that about? Have you forgotten who your friends are?"

E. Luna simply chuckled as she looked straight at them before firing a blast of her own which was countered by a blast from both Twilight and Starlight. "You'd be right. If we were your friends."

"What are you talking about? Don't you remember all of the times we had fun and ate cupcakes together?"

"Hold on Pinkie," Twilight spoke. While the paler fur color remained unknown to them, she noticed the blood red shade of her eyes. "They're not Princess Celestia or Princess Luna!"

This caused confusion among the girls. "Twilight? What are you talking about?"

"Look at their eyes Starlight. Celestia and Luna have eyes that show compassion and kindness. But theirs are more of destruction and chaos."

This statement caused Chrysalis to laugh a little, making the girls look at her. "Very perceptive Twilight Sparkle. No. These two are not the Celestia and Luna you know. They're actually copies I created. You see a long time ago I once tried to make copies of you. Do you recognize this face?"

Chrysalis then changed herself to look like Sharp Lens again, and the girls recognized her with a gasp and Fluttershy asking, "You were that photographer we met months ago?"

Chrysalis smirked as she changed back to her real form and continued, "Indeed I was. You see I had planned to make copies of you as a means of obtaining the Elements of Harmony and get my revenge on all of you. However, that plan didn't work out as your counterparts turned on me and attempted to take the elements for themselves. Which also resulted in their destruction. So I decided to try again. Only this time, I didn't worry about the elements, but instead made clones of the rulers of Equestria."

"And what makes you think they won't turn on you the same way our clones did?"

Chrysalis simply tapped her fingers on the relic around her neck. "Because this time, I have a more effective means of controlling them."

"The Alicorn Amulet!"

"Exactly. By going to your little zebra friend Zecora disguised as Twilight Sparkle, I was able to obtain this very easily. Then all I had to do was use the Alicorn Amulet combined with the magic I've gathered during my time in exile. With it, I not only created these two from photos and a piece of hair from both of them, but I also made them more powerful than their counterparts, with the amulet being my direct means of controlling them with its magic running through them. Such as this. Girls?"

The two clones charged their magic and fired two powerful beams once again, blasting the ground in front of Twilight and her friends, causing them to fall to the ground making Chrysalis laugh. "Oh, this is just too easy now. For so long I've dreamt of finally having my revenge on you all, Starlight most of all. And now it seems my revenge has come to me at last."

"TWILIGHT!"

Everyone's attention was drawn to Spike approaching with Gallus, Smolder, Ocellus, Yona, Silverstream, and Sandbar following behind him. They were horrified to see what was going on. And the Mane 6 and Starlight were even more horrified to see them in the area. Especially when Chrysalis caught sight of them and made her sadistic grin grow as Twilight yelled, "Spike! You and the others get out of here!"

"I think not! Celestia!" Chrysalis pointed towards the young group with the Alicorn Amulet flashing in sync with E. Celestia's eyes as they turned her sights on the group as well and charged her horn. She then let out an insane laugh as she fired a powerful blast in the middle of the group of students and Spike, scattering them from one another. After a moment to recover, they all began to stand again only Ocellus found herself being lifted up by a red aura coming from Chrysalis horn. The others watched in fear as she was being pulled towards the elder Changeling. Sandbar even tried to run and grab onto her but was too late to with Chrysalis pulling her too quickly. "Ocellus!"

The young changeling soon found herself face to face with the anger and ruthlessness of Chrysalis' eyes, causing Ocellus to shake in fear as she spoke, "C-Chrysalis."

"A small traitor to my hive. But now I have a purpose for you." Ocellus watched as Chrysalis licked her muzzle, terrifying the young changeling, clueless of what was going through Chrysalis' mind at the moment. "I know. I was going to plan on finishing Twilight and her friends first. But instead, I'll go ahead and have my new followers torment and finish you for betraying my rule and joining Thorax. Then I'll send you to him as a means of showing him what fate lies ahead for him, only your pain will pale in comparison to what I do to him." She then threw Ocellus back to the ground, only out of the reach of her friends before turning to E. Celestia. "Go. Have some fun."

E. Celestia smirked before flying straight towards Ocellus so fast, no one had time to react. Ocellus let out a scream as E. Celestia closed in. But right as the clone alicorn was about to reach the young Changeling, from the Everfree Forest, shot out a blur of white energy that struck E. Celestia so hard, it sent her crashing into another abandoned building and creating a cloud and trail of dust in the process.

This result caused surprise and shock among all who witnessed it, especially Chrysalis. "What! What happened?"

E. Celestia pulled out of the rubble she was covered in from the building she crashed into and glared as the dust cloud began to fade a bit and revealed a silhouette that looked familiar to the girls and students with Fluttershy asking, "Is that...?"

Ocellus was the first to tell who had saved her when the dust completely faded to show it was Gine standing in front of her. Gine glared at E. Celestia for a moment before turning her head over her shoulder to look to a joyful Ocellus. "You okay Ocellus?"

Ocellus, with a few tears out of fear on her eyes from the close call, quickly wiped them from her cheeks and nodded. "Mhmm. Thanks, Gine."

Gine nodded back with a smile before turned back to Chrysalis, E. Celestia, and E. Luna with a glare. "Alright Ocellus. Get clear. I have a feeling things are about to get rough."

Ocellus nodded before running off to her friends with Chrysalis preparing to attack her herself when...

"HEY!"

The shout drew the three attackers' attention to Gine who continued to glare at the three. "I know for a fact you two aren't Celestia and Luna. They're nowhere near as cowardly as you are when it comes to attacking the young. Why don't you cowards try going against someone who can fight back?"

Gine's "coward" comment really seemed to upset the three as their horns all began to glow from their anger with Chrysalis speaking, "I don't know who you are but you dare call us cowards when I control two clones who are even more powerful than their counterparts?"

Gine simply remained motionless and held her glare on the three. "I call them as I see them. And those who are willing to harm someone who can't fight, a child none the less, is far from powerful."

Chrysalis became even more angered by Gine's comment before she looked to E. Luna and pointed towards the Saiyan. "Enough of this! Luna! BLAST HER!"

"Yes, my queen." E. Luna then stepped forward and opened her wings and channeled her magic into her horn as she glared at the Saiyan. "Now die!"

E. Luna then fired a magical blast that came at Gine at a speed even faster than Rainbow's straight for Gine. However, right as it was about to strike her, Gine shot her hand up and ricocheted it up with her bare hand into the air where it exploded. This action shocked everyone as they all stood with their mouths agape. With the girls, Rarity was the first to speak, "Did you all see that?"

Spike was the first to respond, "She practically took the blast and threw it to the air with just one hand."

The action also further upset E. Luna as well as she channeled more magic to her horn. "Lucky move. Take this!" E. Luna then fired three more blasts, with Gine deflecting the first two shots the same as the first one before doing a spin to kick the third one right back at E. Luna. The clone princess created a shield to block the attack, but the force of it still pushed her back and angered her even more.

Gine simply held her stance as she looked at the angered princess with a glare while a small smile grew on her face. "Is that all?"

"What!?"

"She said you two are clones who are both more powerful than Celestia and Luna. And I've gone toe to toe with Celestia herself and let me tell ya, she was a lot tougher than those attempts there."

"You-!"

"Calm yourself, Luna!" Chrysalis used the amulet to control the clone and force her to calm down. "She's only trying to anger you and cause you to lose control. Don't let her manipulate you!"

E. Luna continued to glare at Gine while E. Celestia stepped forward with an intrigued smirk on her muzzle. "Perhaps I should take a chance against her Luna. It will allow us both to see how powerful she truly is."

E. Luna let out a huff but still agreed with E. Celestia. "Very well. But don't hog all of the fun when it comes time to make her suffer."

"Of course not." E. Celestia turned towards Gine with a sinister look while the Saiyan held her stern expression.

As the two continued their stare down, the others couldn't help but watch in suspense and anticipation. Rarity was the first to ask, "Twilight? Is it possible Gine can stop them by herself?"

"I don't know. But I think I have a way of finding out." Twilight quickly reached into her pocket and after digging around for a moment, pulled out Gine's old scouter and placed it on her head. "Luckily Gine left a note on how to change the settings to where I could understand the readings on it."

Twilight turned her sights on E. Celestia, E. Luna, and Chrysalis and pressed the button on the device, causing it to start measuring the amount of power the three individually carried. It soon stopped and Twilight spoke what was given out loud, "Okay. The clones of Celestia and Luna have a power level of at least 16,000 each. Chrysalis, with the Alicorn Amulet amplifying her magic, has around 20,000."

This caused some of the other girls to gulp a bit with Starlight asking, "What about Gine's?"

Twilight then pressed the button on the scouter again as she aimed it for Gine. "Okay... Her power is... 17,000!"

This made the others cheer a bit with Fluttershy asking, "So she may have a chance of beating them?"

"I hope so. Gine has more of a chance against them when it comes to one on one. But there's no guarantee she can beat them if they all come at her at once."

Gine and E. Celestia continued to stare each other down before E. Celestia charged at Gine with her fist ready to strike only for her fist to hit nothing right when she reached her. She looked to find Gine was gone. "Where did she-AH!"

E. Celestia was stunned when Gine appeared behind her and sent her to the ground and kick to the back of her head, creating a grove in the ground. E. Celestia eventually stopped dragging against the ground and sat up to spit dirt out of her mouth. She then stood and wiped the dirt off herself before she glared at the Saiyan once again. "How? How did you-?"

"You're too slow. And you're overconfident," Gine said as she then took her stance, "and now I'm going to show you what I can do." Gine then charged at E. Celestia at lightning speed. E. Celestia charged magic into her fist and took a swing only for the attack to phase through Gine with the Saiyan phasing through her before fading. Gine then reappeared in front of her and threw a hard punch to E. Celestia's right cheek and sent her skidding back a fair distance. This left everyone watching shocked at what had just transpired with Chrysalis asking, "What... What is going on?"

The students watching were also shocked at what was going on as well. Smolder asked, "Did anyone see what just happened?"

"Only thing Yona see was fake Gine go through evil Princess clone before real Gine appear and attack. But Yona don't know how she do it."

E. Celestia regained her balance after a moment of skidding and wiped her hand on her cheek and found blood. "You're going to pay for that!"

E. Celestia then charged at Gine once again and began throwing rapid punches and kicks, all charged with magic. She held nothing back as she struck with all she had and as quick as she could move.

However, despite this, Gine effortlessly dodged each strike, which only infuriated E. Celestia. Gine soon jumped to the air to dodge one punch, causing E. Celestia to strike the ground instead before charging after her. E. Celestia continued throwing more strikes with Gine leading her along with her dodges. "Fight back! What are you waiting for!?"

Gine dodged another shot before catching the next punch, shocking E. Celestia. "Waiting for the right opening. Like now!" Gine then surprised E. Celestia with a knee to the chin before following with a kick to the gut that sent her crashing to the ground again. E. Celestia then stood up with more anger in her eyes as she charged her horn with magic.

"Take this!"

E. Celestia then fired a powerful magic beam right for Gine who simply let the attack strike her, covering her in a cloud of smoke, horrifying the group of friends who watched from the cover they found while E. Celestia smirked at what appeared to be her victory. "That what she gets for pissing me off."

"Is that it?"

The question caught everyone by surprise when the smoke cleared to reveal Gine had taken no damage from the attack, shocking E. Celestia more than anyone else. "No. Impossible."

"Good. Because it's my turn." Gine then began charging energy into her hands and took aim at E. Celestia.

"Goddess Blast!"

Gine then fired a powerful blast that E. Celestia tried to block with a magic field, only for the field to shatter and still do damage to her. E. Celestia looked to herself to see the damage Gine's attack had caused her before glaring at the Saiyan once again.

"Surrender now and I won't have to continue hurting you."

Chrysalis was also angered by how the fight had transpired so far before looking to E. Luna and pointed her finger out towards the two fighters. "What are you waiting for? Get in there and help destroy that bothersome pest!"

"Yes, Queen Chrysalis!" E. Luna then took off to land beside her fellow clone princess who glared at her for a moment.

"I didn't ask for your help!"

"No, you didn't." E. Luna then charged her magic as well before glaring at Gine, "But Chrysalis demanded I aid you. And it's obvious this one can handle us if we fight her individually. So our only course of action for victory is to fight her at the same time."

E. Celestia groaned for a moment before standing up and charging with her magic once again. "Very well. We'll finish her together."

Gine landed once again before glaring at the two and took her stance. "Bring it on."

"Is she crazy?" Rainbow couldn't believe what was about to happen.

"She's really gonna try and fight 'em both at the same time? Can she even handle that? Ah mean ah know she's strong and gotten stronger while out there in the Everfree Forest and all, but can she still handle them both?"

"I don't know Applejack," Twilight said as she continued using the scouter to keep track of their power levels. "All we can do is hope Gine knows what she's doing."

Gine held her stance while waiting for E. Celestia and E. Luna to make the next move. The two clone princesses stood where they were with their magic flowing through them. E. Celestia looked sideways to E. Luna, "Ready?"

E. Luna smirked right as their magic stopped rising, "GO!"

The two then took off for Gine who held her ground as they closed in. She quickly dodged a punch from E. Celestia before grabbing her by the wrist and throwing her over her shoulder. This move, however, left her open to be kicked in the back by E. Luna who then followed it up with a powerful magic blast that knocked Gine down. Gine quickly caught herself with her hands before flipping back to her feet. She then charged at E. Luna and knocked her back with a strong punch and then blasted her away with a small ki blast. E. Celestia then charged in and landed a kick to Gine's head before pushing the Saiyan back with a double punch with magic charging her fists. Gine skidded back from the attack and kept her balance. She then blocked another blast from E. Celestia before retaliating with a Maiden Lancer that was blocked and shattered by a forcefield. E. Luna then surprised Gine with another kick but before she pulled back completely, Gine grabbed her by the leg and began spinning her around for a moment before throwing her aside. Gine was about to blast her as well but was hit from behind again by E. Celestia who charged into her with her horn charged. Right as Gine was getting up from the attack, she was then hit from the side by a magic blast from E. Luna. Gine then charged another Goddess Blast and fired only for the two to both fire magic blasts that was enough to counter it and the force of the collision sent Gine to the ground and dealt damage to the shoulder strap and chipped off a part of the skirt design of her armor along with also causing a little damage to the jumpsuit underneath it.

Chrysalis laughed at the display of her two new servants appearing to overpower the Saiyan who was starting to get up. "You see? You were a fool to challenge me and my two followers! They not only possess the looks and powers of Celestia and Luna but also outmatch even them with enhanced magic given to them by the Alicorn Amulet. Did you really think you were a match for them at all?"

The others could only watch as Gine got back to her feet and were worried at how she appeared to hold a neutral look on her face. However, the fear and worry were soon replaced with confusion when Gine began laughing a bit.

"You find being outmatched by my two followers funny?"

Gine stopped laughing after a moment and soon smirked at Chrysalis, E. Celestia, and E. Luna as she clenched her fists and held her arms out by her side with them bent up at the elbows. "It's true. At the moment, I can take either of them one on one, but not both of them at the same time."

Gine then flared her aura around her. "But let's see what happens when I stop holding back and use my full power! HAAAAAAA!!!"

Gine's aura then continued growing in size and power, shocking everyone, especially her foes as they watched in astonishment. Twilight and the others were also surprised by Gine's display of power with Pinkie asking, "Twilight? What's going on?"

The scouter on Twilight's face then began beeping like crazy and Twilight's eyes widened at what the lens was showing her. She began to tremble a bit while she answered, "I don't believe it. Gine's power... It's skyrocketing!"

This surprised everyone even further with Gallus asking, "You mean... She really has been holding back her power all of this time? But how much has she been holding back?"

Twilight watched as the numbers on the scouter increased rapidly from Gine. "18,000... 19,000... 23,000... And it's still going up!"

Ocellus was the most amazed as Gine's power continued to increase in her aura's flare. "She's... She's incredible. Before she started training herself, she wasn't able to beat Princess Celestia. But now... It's like she's outmatched both her and Princess Luna at the same time."

The scouter soon stopped and the others quickly noticed the look of astonishment on Twilight's face as she remained silent. After a few moments of silence, Rainbow quickly brought up the question that she knew everyone was begging to have answered, "Twilight? What does it say? What's Gine's power now?"

Twilight continued to tremble a bit as the astonishment never left her eyes while she turned to her friends. "It's... It's... 34,000."

This instantly astonished the rest of the group with Sandbar asking, "Princess Twilight? Do you mean she's been only fighting half as hard?"

"It would seem so Sandbar. I bet she wanted to test and see how strong they were before she resorted to using as much as she had. And by the looks of it, I doubt she's holding back anymore now."

Gine continued to smirk at her foes while E. Celestia and E. Luna gained looks of frustration. "I'll admit. You both teaming up against me in round 1 did pay off."

Gine then took her battle stance with a determined look in her eyes, "But now it's time for round 2!"

Gine then charged her power further and charged at the two and in the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of them and struck E. Luna with a powerful kick that pushed her back quite a distance. E. Celestia then tried to attack but was too slow when Gine shot her fist up to meet her face with the Saiyan then following up by tripping her and doing a back kick to send her into the air. Gine then followed after her and dodged a punch from E. Celestia before grabbing her by the horn and kneeing her in the face and began rapidly punching her in the gut before using an uppercut and cyclone kick to send her back again. Gine then turned to dodge a punch from E. Luna and grabbed her by the wrist before doing a cyclone movement, spinning the clone princess around a few times before throwing her aside towards the ground.

"Rebellion Spear!" Gine then charged at E. Luna and slammed her to the ground with a large amount of force and strength, creating a small crater, before she jumped away from her, doing a tuck and roll maneuver and landing on her feet. She then quickly ducked to dodge a kick from E. Celestia, then blocked a punch from her before grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back before kicking her right beside E. Luna shortly after. The two clone princesses stood up to attack again only to find her gone.

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know Celestia!"

"Try looking up."

The two quickly looked above them, as did the girls, students, and Chrysalis to see Gine with two orbs of ki in her hands and three energy lenses in front of her. "Now try and take on the Trident Cannon!"

Gine then brought the two energy orbs together before firing an energy blast from the combined orbs through the energy lenses, the beam growing in size and power with each lens it passed through. E. Celestia and E. Luna watched as it came towards them and were soon covered in a cloud of smoke when the blast made contact. Gine soon landed after, panting a little from the power she used in the attack.

From the sides, Chrysalis gritted her teeth when she watched as the smoke cleared to see what had resulted from Gine's attack. The two princess clones were down and unconscious from the blast. "Impossible! With the Alicorn Amulet's magic merged with theirs and my own, they should have been able to overpower both Celestia and Luna themselves! So how did this fool manage to beat them!?"

From the sides, the students and girls weren't believing what had just transpired. "Yona can't believe what Yona just saw."

"Gallus? Did Gine just win?"

"I... I think so Silverstream." Gallus said to the hippogriff while they all watched as Gine seemed to catch her breath a bit. "I think we're finally in the clear."

Ocellus, however, noticed Chrysalis landing next to E. Celestia and E. Luna with an evil intention in her eyes. "Guys? I don't think it's over yet."

And how right Ocellus was. Chrysalis looked to Gine who glared back. The girls all watched as the two stared down for a moment with Rainbow asking, "Twilight? Do you think Gine can beat Chrysalis?"

"I don't know," Twilight pressed the button to the scouter to show the power levels of the two before continuing, "Chrysalis is still at 20,000 while Gine's power has dropped to 25,000 after that attack of hers."

"Then she should win no problem right?"

"I would say yes Starlight. But by the looks of it, Chrysalis has something planned."

After a few more moments of glaring to one another, Chrysalis smirked and broke the silence between the two. "I guess it's true what they say. When you want something done right, you do it yourself."

Gine remained calm as Chrysalis continued to smirk at her. "I just beat your two lackeys and even after the power I used, I still have enough to win with the energy I'm sensing from you. So do you really think you can beat me?"

"Right now. No." Chrysalis then followed her response with a chuckle, "But let's see after I give myself a boost."

Chrysalis then ignited both her horn and the Alicorn Amulet before blasting the unconscious E. Celestia and E. Luna. Everyone then watched as the two began to fade and retract to Chrysalis' horn as she began to laugh maniacally.

"What's she doing Twilight?"

"I don't know Spike. But whatever it is, it isn't good."

E. Celestia and E. Luna both soon faded away completely before Chrysalis, still laughing, became covered in the basic Changeling change field. However, the field stayed up longer than usual as Gine began to pick up on something. 'Her power. It's rising.'

Soon the change field faded away and revealed Chrysalis, but in a more menacing look. She had armor coverings over her wings with green armor over her shoulders, legs, feet, neck, and wrists. She also had a green helmet with a cover over her horn and insect horns near the bottom of it. She also had a deadly looking sword in her hand as well.

The new look of Chrysalis caused the scouter to go off again and shocked Twilight. "Her power... Oh no."

The girls and students were looking to her and became nervous from the frightened and shocked expression on Twilight's face. Smolder then decided to ask, "Headmare Twilight? What's it saying?"

Twilight began to tremble a bit from what the scouter was displaying. "Chrysalis' power. It's risen to 52,000."

This frightened everyone as they looked to Gine who began to tremble a little herself, but not out of fear. She was trembling out of frustration. "Does that mean-?"

Twilight shook her head a bit. "All we can do is pray."

Chrysalis pulled her new sword from the ground and twirled it a bit before holding it with both hands. "Now then. I hope you're ready. Because you will feel the might and fall at the hands of Queen Chrysalis!"

Gine glared at the intimidating and powerful form Chrysalis has gained from absorbing the magic and power of her two cloned followers. 'Judging by her power, I can't fight her like this. Not to mention that Trident Cannon did take away some of my energy. I doubt a Spirit Charge Level 1 will be enough... So there's only one thing to do.'

Gine then held her arms out to her sides with her fists clenched tightly. "That new form is powerful, that I won't deny. But you're not the only one with a powerful new trick." Gine soon began charging with more power in her aura as it changed to an aqua blue color. The sight left everyone amazed, except for Chrysalis, who seemed intrigued. Twilight also watched as the scouter showed Gine's power rising.

"Time to get ready! Spirit Charge! Level 2!"

Gine then shot out her aura in a mighty flare. With Twilight receiving a reading of 50,000 on the scouter. Chrysalis was amazed by the power before smirking. "My my. I just gained this new power and you've given me the perfect opportunity to test it out." Chrysalis charged her new sword with magic. "Shall we?"

Gine took her fighting stance with a look of determination. "Let's go!"

The two then clashed and sent out a powerful wave. They then began rapidly attacking one another, Gine throwing rapid punches and kicks, while Chrysalis countered with kicks and swings of her new sword.

"Whoa. Look at them go," Pinkie said with amazement.

"Yeah. I mean I knew Gine was gonna get tougher out their training, but now she's like a completely new person," Rainbow said, "It's awesome!"

"I just hope she can win," Fluttershy said with worry.

"All we can do is watch and hope Fluttershy. Twilight? What can you get on their power?" Rarity asked.

Twilight kept the scouter active as she watched the fight continue. "They're still about equal grounds right now..."

"Does that mean Gine at least has a chance?" Sandbar asked.

"Like Rarity said," Twilight replied as she watched Gine and Chrysalis continue to clash, "all we can do right now is watch and hope for the best."

Gine dodged a swing from Chrysalis' sword before countering with a kick. The changeling blocked the strike with her sword before firing her magic at the Saiyan who dodged it before firing a ki blast with Chrysalis veering to the right to dodge it. Chrysalis then charged more magic before bringing it down towards Gine. "Now die!"

"Not today!" Gine said as she caught the sword in both her hands, the blade mere inches from her head. She then pulled back and snapped the blade off its handle before pushing Chrysalis back with a quick roundhouse kick. Chrysalis then threw her now useless sword aside before charging at Gine, dodging a punch before charging her fist with magic and striking Gine in the stomach before charging another punch that landed to her right cheek. Gine the retaliated by dodging a third punch to knee Chrysalis in the stomach and then punch her in the chest. The two glared at one another before Chrysalis charged magic into her horn. "Goddess Blast!" Gine shouted as the two fired their attacks at the same time, sending them both to the ground and skidding a great distance from each other. Chrysalis glared at Gine with the Saiyan returning it as the two panted from their fight. Gine then wiped her mouth with her fist and found some of her blood on it.

'At this rate, the fight will go on for a while and making it more likely someone will get caught in the crossfire. Time to kick it up a notch,' Gine thought as Chrysalis charged her armor with more magic.

"Are you finished yet monkey? I hope you're ready to be destroyed!"

"I'm not done Chrysalis!" Gine said as she charged her power even more, "Spirit Charge! LEVEL 3!!!"

In an instant, Gine's aqua blue Spirit Charge aura shot out further like her power. An event caught on the scouter as well. "Her power. It just shot up to... 62500!!!" Twilight said surprising everyone else.

"Is she still holding back more power? If so, how strong has she become over just a month?" Gallus asked with surprise.

"She did say the Saiyans were a warrior race. I think now we're seeing why." Ocellus said as she was amazed most by how much more powerful Gine has become since they met her.

Gine then shot straight for Chrysalis who threw a punch only for it to fade through her and Gine then appeared behind her and sent her flying with a kick to the back. Chrysalis then turned around and glared at Gine. "How did you-?"

"It's a little trick called afterimage. It's a technique most fighters I've come across in the past know very well. But let me show you how well we Saiyans fought."

"What the hell is a Saiyan?!"

"Let me show you," Gine said as she charged at Chrysalis and appeared right in front of her. Before Chrysalis could react, Gine struck her in the right cheek, then the left cheek. She then punched her in the gut before shooting her head up with a knee to the chin. Chrysalis attempted to throw a punch only for Gine to disappear and reappear behind her. Chrysalis then felt Gine grab her by the tail before spinning her around and throwing her towards the ground and charging for another attack. "REBELLION SPEAR!!!" Gine shouted as she used her attack to charge right into Chrysalis straight downwards with Gine pulling away right before Chrysalis struck the ground and landed a few feet away on her feet as dust formed around the downed Chrysalis.

"Is it over?" Ocellus asked.

The question was answered when the dust cleared to show Chrysalis standing back up. However, her armor was badly damaged with a crack in the lenses of her helmet. She gritted her teeth as shot a fierce glare. "You..."

"That's enough Chrysalis. It's obvious you can't win. Make this easier on yourself and surrender," Gine said as still held her guard.

"Never! If I can't get my revenge today, I'll at least make sure you're not around to stop me next time!" Chrysalis said as she shot up into the air high above Gine and began charging her horn. "Let's see if you can take this. Though I should warn you, dodge it and your friends take it for you!"

Twilight pressed the scouter again as it began showing Chrysalis' power level. "Oh no! Chrysalis' power just rose to 62,500. If her attack hits the ground, she'll destroy all of Ponyville!"

Gine overheard Twilight statement before glaring up at Chrysalis. "Looks like I need to level up again. I think I know just what to counter this with. A Trident Cannon combined with a Spirit Charge Level 3," Gine said as she used the technique to flare her aura up and began generating the three energy lenses and generated the two ki orbs into her hands and brought them together behind her. "Trident...!"

Chrysalis finished charging her magic before taking aim. "NOW PERISH!!!" Chrysalis yelled as she fired her attack.

"CANNON!" Gine yelled as she fired her attack through its lenses before it collided with Chrysalis' magic blast. The two attempted to overpower the other for a moment until they seemed to be evenly matched.

This amazed everyone who was watching. "Incredible," Twilight said as she watched the two beams attempt to overpower one another, "I haven't seen anything like this since the time I fought Tirek."

The two attacks continued struggling against one another with Chrysalis and Gine determined to overpower one another. "This can't be! She's able to match the Alicorn Amulet?!" Chrysalis asked as kept the blast going.

Gine also struggled a bit with the clash. "Come on. Just a little more. Spirit Charge! LEVEL 4!" Gine shouted as her aura grew even more and a surge of more energy flowed through her blast until, in a massive burst, it began pushing back and overpowering Chrysalis' blast shocking the former queen changeling even more.

"NOOOO!!!" Chrysalis shouted as she was overcome by the blast. After keeping the blast up for a moment, Gine's aura soon faded away, as did the Trident Cannon, resulting in Gine panting a bit.

"She... She did it," Smolder said as she watched Gine catch her breath.

However, before anyone could approach the tired Saiyan, a crash was heard nearby, with dust covering what caused it. The dust soon cleared and revealed Chrysalis, with her armor now gone and some scratches and injuries on her. She sat up and glared at Gine.

"You!" Chrysalis shouted until she noticed something was wrong. She felt around her neck and found the Alicorn Amulet was gone and looked to see it was on the ground nearby. She made a break for it only to have a Timberwolf come out of nowhere and stand between her and Chrysalis, surprising everyone.

"Headmare Twilight? From what I read, I thought the Alicorn Amulet could only be removed by the one who wore it," Ocellus said.

"Yeah, and what's with that timberwolf?" Gallus asked.

"Well. My best guess is, somehow Gine's new power somehow overpowered that magic of the Alicorn Amulet to where it couldn't stay attached to Chrysalis. As for the timberwolf. I don't know." Twilight said.

Gine approached the timberwolf as it looked to her for a moment. It then surprised everyone when it picked up the amulet with its mouth and walked over to hold it out to Gine. Gine was surprised for a moment before holding her hand out with a smile as it placed the amulet in her hand.

"Good boy," Gine said before petting it on the head and turning to Chrysalis who struggled to get up. "It's over Chrysalis."

Chrysalis gritted her teeth before falling to her knees again. "Finish me."

This caught Gine by surprise and confused her. "What?"

"Finish me. Please. End my misery," Chrysalis said as tears began to form in her eyes. "You don't know what it's like. I've been trying to regain my strength, gain more power, and rebuild my hive. Most of all, you don't know what it's like to be the last of your kind... To be alone. Please... Finish me."

Gine watched as Chrysalis continued to cry. Gine then approached Chrysalis, with her simply preparing what she had believed to be her end. Chrysalis then watched as Gine's shadow was right above her. After waiting for a moment, Chrysalis looked up to see that rather than aiming a ki orb at her, Gine was kneeling beside her with a smile. "What? Why aren't you-?"

"Because I do know how you feel Chrysalis," Gine said, catching the changeling's attention. "You say I don't know what it means to feel alone, but you're wrong. Like you, everyone I knew was taken from me. You see, I once had a home with all of the ones I cared about. But then, a great evil came to my kind's world and I was forced to watch and was unable to do anything as all of my entire race was wiped out from existence. That's why I was forced to flee and ended up here. I wasn't able to do anything to save them."

Chrysalis watched as a few tears began to form in Gine's eyes a bit before she wiped them away and smiled to her. "But there is a plus side. I gained new friends and a reason to push myself. To help keep this new world safe and it's shown me how much my kind, the Saiyans, is capable of changing from ruthless destroyers to defenders with good hearts. And from the looks of it, your kind of gained new things for the changes they made.

"It's true." Gine and Chrysalis looked to see Ocellus approach them. "Changing our states not only prevented us from going hungry but it also allowed us to live a better life. One where we not only get to live freely but also make friends with those we once thought were our enemies. Our lives are better because we don't have to hide anymore."

Chrysalis looked to Ocellus before Gine spoke, "You see Chrysalis? There's the difference between you and I. My kind are gone and I'm not able to share what I've learned. But your kind are still among you. And they can share what they've learned with you and help you. Can you really call yourself a Changeling if you don't change when life needs you to?"

Chrysalis took in Gine's words before tears continued looking away. "But... What if I can't? After all I've done, what if I'm not capable of changing as my hive did?"

Gine then held her hand out to Chrysalis with an even more determined smile on her face. "Because you're the only one who can answer that Chrysalis."

Chrysalis, though still cautious, took Gine's hand and allowed the Saiyan to help her up. "And right now, I'm sure you know the first step to finding out the answer," Gine said.

Chrysalis looked to Gine worried, but the looks of encouragement made her sigh, step away from them both, and nod. "Okay... I'll try."

Chrysalis then began to concentrate before a flash of light began to form her. She was then covered in a green cocoon that then shattered to reveal her in a new form in a beautiful dress.
(Like this. Only in anthro form. Also, the credit for this art goes to ThePegasisterPony of Deviantart.)
https://www.deviantart.com/thepegasisterpony/art/Reformed-Chrysalis-667064839

This caught everyone by surprise as Chrysalis looked to her hands and the rest of her new form.

"How do you feel Chrysalis?" Gine asked.

Chrysalis then looked to Gine and Ocellus before smiling. "I feel... Better. Thank you Gine," Chrysalis said.

Gine returned the smile before feeling Ocellus wrap her arms around her and hug her tightly. "Thank you, Gine. Not only for showing Chrysalis why we did what we did, but also for saving my life out there. You're my hero."

Gine smiled and returned the hug before pulling away. "No problem Ocellus. And now that I've learned all I can right now with my powers, I'll be able to teach you and your friends how to tap into your own powers and help you learn what you can do with them soon enough," Gine said as the timberwolf then began to rub against her with a smile as well as everyone else approached. Chrysalis then looked to Starlight with an apologetic face. "I'm... Sorry Starlight. I was so blinded by my pride as a queen that I refused to see the good you did for my hive."

"It's okay Chrysalis. Thanks to Gine, you can now live a better life. If you want, I can take you to see Thorax tomorrow and let you talk to him," Starlight said with a smile.

"I would appreciate that... Thank you."

"Gine. You're just awesome!" Rainbow said as the Saiyan rubbed the timberwolf's head. "I mean you get at least ten times stronger than when we first met you in about a month, you manage to befriend a timberwolf, fight and beat two clones of Princesses Celestia and Luna, and manage to convince Chrysalis to finally reform and transform like the rest of the Changelings. Is there any miracle of Equestria you can't make come true?"

"I guess that's something we'll have to wait to find out Rainbow Dash," Gine said while looking to the timberwolf before looking to Twilight. "You mind if he sticks with me in the castle? I promise I'll keep him out of trouble."

Twilight looked to Gine before to the timberwolf, who somehow managed to give the alicorn the puppy dog eyes. This action caused Twilight to sigh before smiling. "I guess wouldn't hurt. After all, if anyone can handle having a timberwolf for a pet, it's you Gine. But what are you going to call him?"

Gine then turned back to the timberwolf who looked to her with curiosity. After a moment of thinking, Gine responded with, "Hmmm... I think I'll call him... Huck."

The timberwolf barked happily, seeming to like its new name. Everyone then heard a deep growl before looking to Gine, who smiled sheepishly and rubbed her stomach. "Sorry. But now that this is finally over, can we get something to eat? That fight really helped me work up an appetite."

Everyone looked to Gine for a moment, before they all began laughing as the sun began to set on the beginning of a new change in the path the future now holds for Gine and her new friends.

Lessons & Memories Part 1

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After helping a bit with repairing the damage the battle caused to Ponyville, Twilight, Chrysalis, the Young Six, Rainbow Dash, and Gine sat in the meeting chamber of the castle with Gine rubbing her new timberwolf pet, Huck, on the head.

At the moment, they were all waiting for Thorax to arrive as Twilight wrote to him to visit, leaving out how Chrysalis had finally reformed. Gine thought it'd be best to leave that as a surprise.

However, to Twilight's confusion, the Saiyan also asked her to invite the other land rulers to the castle as well, but for what reason, Twilight did not know. All Gine told her was it had to do with how she planned to train the students, Spike, and Scootaloo. This at least explained why she wanted Rainbow Dash there as well, with her looking after the filly while her aunts and parents were still out of Ponyville. But that still didn't explain what else Gine needed from the rulers since they already gave the approval to train the students.

Twilight's thoughts were interrupted when she heard knocking on the door. "Come in."

The door soon opened and revealed Thorax, Novo, Ember, Gilda, and Rutherford. Since it was just a quick visit, they had not brought their guards with them. Twilight was the first to stand and bow to the five rulers. "Welcome everyone. I apologize for asking you to come on such short notice, but there are some things we wanted to discuss with you all."

"It's quite alright Princess Twilight," Novo said. "To be honest, things haven't been that exciting lately, I don't mind taking some time to visit."

The rulers were then met with each of their respected students and shared their usual greeting with them: Novo and Thorax sharing a hug with Silverstream and Ocellus, Gilda and Ember sharing a fist bump with Smolder and Gallus, and Rutherford and Yona having a friendly butting of horns. "Yona doing good. Rutherford happy to see that," Rutherford said with a smile.

After greeting the students, Thorax noticed Chrysalis smiling to him nervously, the king of Changelings raising an eyebrow in confusion, unknown to who he was seeing. "Ummm... Twilight? Who's this? I've never seen her before."

Twilight smiled sheepishly before responding, "Actually, you have Thorax, just not like this?"

This statement only furthered Thorax's confusion before Chrysalis decided to finally speak, "Long time, no see Thorax. I'm starting to understand why you showed our hive this new transformation."

Though her voice sounded slightly different from her new look, it was still one Thorax recognized and made his eyes widen in shock. "C-Chrysalis?"

"In the flesh, and with a new look," Chrysalis said with a smile.

"But... How?"

"You can thank our new friend for it Thorax," Ocellus said as she smiled to Gine with Thorax looking to the Saiyan in surprise.

"You?"

"Guess it just took someone who knew what she's been through to show her what needed to be done," Gine said as she continued petting Huck's head. "And like her, I knew what it was like to be alone and helped her realize she wasn't as alone as she thought."

Thorax took a moment to take in what they had told him before Chrysalis spoke, "Now that I've seen what I've missed. I only ask that you allow me to return to the hive." Chrysalis stood up and bowed to Thorax with respect. "Under your ruling of course."

This caught Thorax by surprise more than anything. He tried to see if there was any deception in her voice but found nothing but sincerity. With that, Thorax made his choice. "Alright, Chrysalis. You've learned the error of your ways, and if Starlight and her friends are willing to give you another chance, I don't see any reason not to do the same."

Chrysalis rose back up before smiling with a small tear in her eye which she quickly wiped away. "Thank you Thorax. After all, I've done to you, I couldn't be more grateful."

"Well," Thorax said as he smiled to Gine. "She's the one who deserves the most thanks."

"It was no problem Thorax."

"You should've seen her though!" Silverstream shouted with her usual giddy attitude. "Ponyville was being attacked by two magic copies of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and Chrysalis had the Alicorn amulet on her. They were tearing apart the place and then Gine showed up out of nowhere. Even against them together, Gine was strong enough to take down the copies and then took down Chrysalis after she absorbed their magic with the amulet and got some really evil armor. Gine got so strong that she had no trouble doing it. It was awesome!"

Silverstream's words caught all of the rulers' attention. "Is she serious?" Ember asked in surprise. "You really took something that strong down all by yourself?"

Gine rubbed the back of her head humbly before replying, "Yeah. It wasn't quite easy at first, but when I went all out, I kept Ponyville safe."

"This incredible. Yaks would definitely want Yona to learn from you if you get this strong."

"Actually," Gine started, "that's the reason why I asked Twilight to invite you all here. I have one more matter to discuss with you and your students before I can begin training them."

This seemed to gain the rulers' attention as everyone sat back down again. "What else is necessary? You already have our approval to train them," Novo said with curiosity.

Gine looked to the students before looking to their rulers again. "Yes. I know that, but first I need yours and the students to take this into consideration. In order for me to get them ready, it's going to take a while."

"How long is a 'while'?" Ember asked.

"Well... It took me about a month to get to where I am now. But unlike the students, I already knew how to use my ki. My body and senses were already capable of handling it. However, the students aren't at that basic level yet, so before I can start teaching them ki, I have to get them both physically and mentally strong enough for them to use and control ki. And since they're beginners, it'll take more time for their training than it did mine."

"So how long it take us to get strong enough?" Yona asked with concern.

"If I had to guess," Gine said before sighing, "I'd say around three months in total."

This caused the students' eyes to widen before Smolder asked, "Three months!? Seriously!?"

"How are we gonna keep up with our stuff here at school and do training with you for three months at the same time?" Gallus asked.

"Well that's one of the reasons I wanted you six here along with the others," Gine said as she looked to the table for a moment in thought. "Twilight's informed me that your summer vacation will be in a couple of weeks. I was hoping you and the others I'm going to be teaching would be willing to stick around here through the summer, it'll be much easier."

This statement made the students a little concerned with Gine looking to them understandingly. "I know I'm asking you to sacrifice time with friends and family back home. If you say no, I won't hold it against you and will try to work something out with you when you come back from the summer. The choice is yours."

The students all looked at each other unsure for a moment. Sure they wanted to head home, some more than others, but they did enjoy spending time with each other as often as they could. Not to mention, after seeing what Gine could do after training for a month, they could definitely learn some cool things from her. And they were eager. After a moment, they looked to one another with smiles before looking to Gine with a look of determination.

"Okay. We're all in," Gallus said.

Gine smiled at their choice before saying, "Good to hear. Now that that's over, go enjoy the rest of your day while I finish talking with your rulers."

The students nodded before heading out. Gilda then turned back to Gine with a questioning look. "So now that you know their choice in the time your training is gonna take, what else do you need to talk to us for?"

"There's one more matter I need all of your approval on before I can completely start training them."

Twilight looked to Gine in confusion. "And that would be?"

"If I'm going to get them to the point where they can handle ki, I need to get them somewhere away from distractions. Somewhere their minds and bodies are really pushed."

"You talk as if you already have some place in mind for their training," Novo said with interest.

Gine took a moment to figure her words out, "Yes. I do... The same place I trained myself."

The rulers were confused at this but those words made Twilight and Rainbow Dash widen their eyes.

"You cannot mean the Everfree Forest," Rainbow said with concern.

"Yes. I do," Gine said with determination.

This then caused the rulers to grow concerned as well. "You mean the forest in Ponyville full of those dangerous animals?" Novo asked.

The "dangerous animals" comment seemed to aggravate Huck a bit, due to him gritting his teeth a bit. To calm him down, Gine rubbed his head a little. "Easy Huck. She didn't mean you. And yes, I do mean there."

"Why Saiyan want to take Yona and friends to dangerous area?"

"Because, it's an area with few distractions," Gine said. "The forest is dangerous, yes. But in order for them to learn to tap into their power, they need an area where they can focus. The castle and school have too many distractions that would make it more difficult for them to focus. The forest is full of nothing but natural areas that aided me in focusing some of the new things I've learned."

"What kind of new things?" Ember asked.

"Well, for example, I can now sense energy without having to rely on my scouter," Gine said as she pointed to a door to the chamber's bathroom. "Like Pinkie Pie is hiding in there."

The moment she said that the door slammed open and Pinkie fell face first onto the floor from the bathroom, surprising everyone except Gine. Pinkie was the most shocked. "You? You knew I was there?"

"Yeah," Gine said as she held her hand out to help her up, "you popped up out of nowhere and I sensed your hyper self in there not long after."

This really caught everyone's attention, especially Twilight and Rainbow Dash. They knew how good Pinkie was in hiding and popping out of any random spot without anyone knowing.

This made Gine smile a bit before she spoke again, "This is why I want to train them there. The forest does have some dangers, but it also has some calming atmospheres that can help the students focus during their training. Not to mention, surviving in that forest can also sharpen their senses, and help them learn to become reliable on what's provided by nature itself. And while we're out there, I give you all my word, I will keep them safe with my life from whatever dangers we come across. So? For about three months, do I have your permission to train the students, Spike, and Scootaloo in the Everfree Forest?"

The rulers looked to each other before looking at Twilight and Rainbow and after a couple of minutes of thinking, they all came to their decisions.

"Alright, Smolder can go through it if she wants."

"Yona able to stay too."

"You have my trust Gine, so I know you can be trusted to keep Silverstream safe."

"And I know you can teach Ocellus a lot as well."

"Gallus is a tough kid. I have a feeling he'll be okay with you looking out for him."

Gine smiled before she looked to Twilight and Rainbow. "Are you two okay with this?"

"Gine, you're the girl who managed to turn a timberwolf into a pet. If anypony can keep Scootaloo safe and teach her at the same time in the Everfree Forest, it's you."

"And I know Spike and Sandbar will be okay in your hands Gine."

Gine nodded to them all with a smile. "I promise I'll bring them all back safe and sound. Not to mention stronger."

The rulers, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash all nodded to Gine before they all began leaving with Chrysalis following Thorax. However, before Twilight walked out, Gine stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Before you go, I have a small request for you."

Gine then leaned over and whispered into the alicorn's ear, where her secret caused Twilight to gain wide eyes and a big smile. "Really? You're serious?"

"Yeah," Gine said. "Do you think you and Rarity can get it done in the two weeks before the summer break?"

Twilight winked and smiled. "No problem. We should have no trouble with it after how we did it for you."

Twilight then walked off while Gine looked to Huck as he followed her. "Come on Huck. How's a quick nap sound?"

The timberwolf happily nodded and followed the Saiyan to her room.

Two Weeks Later

The second year of the School of Friendship came to an end. Most of the students at the school had left for their homes as they had plans to enjoy the summer in their own way... All except for six students.

Gallus, Smolder, Ocellus, Sandbar, Silverstream, and Yona all stood in the library waiting for Twilight. Normally they all would be eager to head home after school is over. However, given what they sacrificed their summer break to do, they couldn't help but be even more excited.

"Yona can't wait. Yona is so excited," said Yona as she hopped up and down a bit, making the floor shake a little.

"Okay. Okay. Yona we get it," Gallus said as he tried to calm the yak down a bit. "We're all excited for what's about to go on."

"You bet we are!" Silverstream stated as she flew around in circles with her giddy personality. "I can't believe it's finally happening. We're going to learn how to do all kinds of stuff like Gine!"

Smolder smugly folded her arms as she smirked out the window. "Yeah. I've seen what some of the strongest dragons in the Dragon Lands. And Gine makes them look like the acts of a hatchling. I'm pumped to see what I'm gonna learn from her."

"You and me both Smolder," said Sandbar. "I always idolized what Twilight and the others did saving Ponyville and always wanted to be like them, then I got to experience it the time we took down Cozy Glow. Now we may be able to have a chance to do it again someday. Only next time with what we learn from Gine."

Ocellus was excited as well. "Yeah. Not to mention, I'm kinda excited to learn a bit about Gine's race a bit more too. I mean I'm excited to learn how to use ki, but I'm also interested in learning more about where she came from and what her world was like before that Frieza guy destroyed it."

The students were then interrupted by Twilight entering the room with Spike and Scootaloo behind her. The two were also carrying a strange backpack, Spike's being blue and Scootaloo's being pink. What made it more confusing is the that Twilight held six more packs, two blue and four pinks in her magic as well before passing them to the students, with Smolder, Silverstream, Yona, and Ocellus's being the pink ones with the remaining blue ones going to Sandbar and Gallus.

"Headmare Twilight? What are these?" Ocellus asked curiously.

"That's what I'm wondering," Spike said as he looked over his pack. "Wow. Well whatever it is, it sure does feel light."

Twilight grinned a bit before looking to them all. "For now, it's a surprise. But I can tell you that it's a gift that Gine came up with. You'll get to see what they are when we meet up with her."

Silverstream hugged her pack tightly with a giggle. "Wow. You mean she really had something made for us?"

"You could say something like that. But for now, I'm going to take you to meet up with her. She'll explain everything to you later."

They all looked to one another before nodding to her. "Alright then. Follow me."

They all then walked out of the library and after moving through the school, they all came out the entrance where they found some familiar faces. Sandbar's parents, Silverstream's parents and brother, Thorax, Ember, Gilda, Gabby, Rutherford, and finally Scootaloo's friends and Rainbow Dash.

Silverstream was the first to walk up to her parents, Skybeak and Ocean Flow, and hugged them before hugging Terramar. "I'll write to you guys whenever I get the chance, I promise."

"We know you will sis," Terramar said. "Just make sure you make the summer break away from home worth it."

Smolder walked to Ember before the two locked hands and bumped shoulders. "Good luck kid. Make the Dragon Lands proud."

"You know I will Ember."

Ocellus shared a quick hug with Thorax with him rubbing her head a bit. "I know you'll do great Ocellus."

"I'll see you when we get back Thorax."

Rutherford approached Yona with the two bumping horns a bit. "Rutherford know Yona do Yaks proud."

"Yona will come back as strongest yak ever."

Sandbar hugged his parents before his father said, "Be safe out there son."

"You know I will dad."

Gilda's fist pumped with Gallus. "Stay strong Gallus."

"You bet I will-ah." Gallus was cut off by Gabby pulling him into what was considered a death hug.

"Be careful Gallus. I'll miss you!"

"I'll... Miss you t... Too Gabby. Can I have my lungs back now?"

Scootaloo shared hugs with her friends as well. "Good luck out there Scootaloo," Silver Spoon said.

"Hope you get what you want," Diamond Tiara said. "We really hope you do."

Sweetie Belle hugged Scootaloo next. "We'll be ready to go crusading again as soon as you get back."

"Yeah. Just wait for what we do once you learn all kinds of stuff from Gine," Applebloom said.

Scootaloo smiled to her friends before she approached Rainbow and shared a hug with her with the older mare rubbing her head. "Whenever your aunts get back, we'll make sure to let them know you're in good hands."

Scootaloo nodded before Twilight used her magic to make small mirrors appear in the hands of each student's respected visitors. "If any of you have concerns and would like to contact one of us here at the castle or simply check on your student's progress, simply use these mirrors. Okay?"

The visitors all nodded before moving away from the students, with them going to Twilight. "Alright. Is everyone ready?"

The group all nodded to the alicorn before they began heading to the Everfree Forest, waving goodbye to the others. The students, Spike, and Scootaloo were all still very eager on what was coming up. They soon arrived at an opened spot where they found Gine sitting with her legs under her and Huck sleeping beside her. Huck sat up a bit when he saw the others approach and they became confused at what Gine was doing.

"Ummm... Headmare Twilight?" Silverstream asked curiously.

"She's meditating," Twilight said.

"You mean that thing where you pretend to sleep while you sit up?" Gallus asked.

"Yeah," Twilight said with a giggle. "She told me it helps her focus her energy better and clear her mind."

Right after Twilight said that Gine's body soon began to get covered in a small flare of the basic energy aura, amazing everyone. It repeatedly ran over her while remaining in a stable size. The younger ones of the group were stunned by the display.

"Wow," Ocellus with the light of the aura reflecting off her eyes. "She's... She's incredible. Gallus, what are you doing?"

Gallus had picked up a small pebble in his talons and smirked a little. "I wanna see how intense that power of hers is. So I'm gonna see what happens if this pebble touches it."

"Try it, and you lose your chance to learn ki permanently Gallus," Gine said, startling the griffon into dropping the pack and the pebble. Gine then opened her eyes and stood up before doing a couple of stretches. She then turned to face everyone before walking up to them with a smile. She looked to Twilight before saying, "Alright Twilight. Thanks for bringing them. I'll take it from here."

Twilight nodded before looking to Spike and hugging him tightly for a moment. "Alright, Spike. I'll see you when this is all over. If you or any of the others need me, you know how to reach me."

"Don't worry Twilight. We'll be fine here," Spike said as Twilight looked to Gine one more time with the Saiyan nodding to her. Twilight then stepped back from Spike before, with a flash of her horn, she teleported away.

Huck ran up to Gine's side while Gine looked to everyone with a smile. "Okay. I hope you're all ready."

The group nodded with respect before Gine continued with, "Okay. Before we start things off, any questions?"

Silverstream was the first to raise her hand catching the others off guard. "I do."

"Yes, Silverstream?" Gine asked with a point to the hippogriff.

"Yeah? What are these for?" Silverstream asked when she held up her pink backpack.

"Of course," Gine said as she rubbed Huck's head as the timberwolf rubbed against her a bit. "You can call those packs the start of your training. Open them up and find out what's inside."

The students seemed confused for a moment but did as the Saiyan said and opened the back. Inside each one of them, the teens found what appeared to be Saiyan armor that came with a black, sleeveless jumpsuit, and boots with each one. The ones the girls had were pink and designed as the pink armor Gine wore with the skirt design with white gloves while the boys' had upper armor with waist pads and gauntlets.

"Wait," Smolder said. "Is this... Saiyan armor?"

Gine smiled at how impressed they all seemed. "Yeah. Well, its closest to it. I asked Twilight and Rarity if they could do me a favor and they managed to make more copies of my new armor. And luckily, in the size most teenage Saiyans wore."

"Ummm, Ms. Gine?" Yona asked looking over hers.

"Yes, Yona?"

"Yona may have small problem." Yona held up her armor in front of her, showing that is was definitely smaller than her full body.

Gine couldn't help but chuckle a bit before waving her hand. "Don't worry Yona. I made sure it was as close to the original armor as possible."

"And that helps her how?" Smolder asked.

"Because," Gine began as she reached for the shoulder straps of her armor and pulled them up a little until her arms were fully extended before releasing the straps to allow them to shoot right back into place with an audible pop. "Saiyan armor is designed to be super flexible and extendable. Remember how I turned into my Great Ape form? It completely expanded to my size."

Yona took in Gine's words before pulling on hers a bit to find it stretched as well. "Oh. Yona sees now."

"Good. Now then, time to get changed." Gine then pointed to two ends that were covered in by the forest. "Boys on the left, girls on the right. I hear any commotion or see anyone try anything "funny", you lose the armor and you lose the right to participate in the class."

The boys and girls tensed a bit before walking off to their respected changing areas. Gine simply sat back down with her legs under her and waited patiently.

After a few moments, Gallus, Spike, and Sandbar walked out in theirs.

"Wow. I gotta admit, this armor is a lot lighter than it looks," Sandbar said as he moved around in it.

"Yeah. I know what you mean," Spike said as he looked over the gauntlets he wore. "It's no doubt stronger Royal Guard armor, but only a bit of the weight."

Gallus also looked over it but realized it seemed to be designed differently than Gine's due to how different they looked from one another. "Hey, Gine? This armor wasn't made after yours was it?"

"No Gallus, it isn't," Gine said as she smiled a bit at the armor the boys wore. "The armor the girls are going to wear is designed after mine. But yours, Spike's, and Sandbar's... Is based on Bardock's. I asked Twilight and Rarity to design it that way to make it easier to distinguish between the boys and girls and also... In a way, I see it as an honor to Bardock since what I'm about to teach you all is everything I learned from him."

"That is awesome!"

They looked back to see the girls all dressed in the pink Saiyan armor they were provided. Gallus for some reason, couldn't help but keep his eyes on Silverstream as the girls stopped by them. The Saiyan armor suited her fur color and also seemed to fit her perfectly. It also seemed to contrast nicely with her feathers one the tips of her wings as well, causing them to stand out a little more. This caused the griffon to blush a bit.

When Ocellus walked out she seemed a little shy as well. So shy that she didn't notice Sandbar eyeing her as well. Like Gallus did with Silverstream, Sandbar blushed a little at how well the Saiyan armor seemed to suit Ocellus. It contrasted with her blue skin and red, scale-like hair, but it also allowed them to stand out more.

The sight of the two blushing made Gine smile a little at the sight.

Smolder seemed to be tugging at hers a bit with a somewhat annoyed look. "Ugh... I'm okay with how it feels and all but... Did it have to be pink?"

"Sorry Smolder. But it's the best I could do. Who knows, if you do good in my teachings, I may have you get your own colored armor."

Smolder still felt upset with the armor color but let it go as they all then stood side by side as Gine approached them all. She looked them all over before stopping right in front of them.

"Okay. I know you all are a little bummed out that you lost your summer vacation to be here to learn what I can teach you. So to make up for it, I'm going to make sure your time with me is worth it. However, that doesn't mean what I have planned won't challenge you. Some of what I have planned will be difficult and there will be times I'll be hard on you to get you through the tests. And if any of the challenges I give you prove to be more than you can handle, then you're welcome to leave and return to your homelands. Quitting won't be held against you either and if you ever want another chance, you can talk to me when the rest of us return. Also, if you happen to struggle at one point but don't feel like quitting, let me know and I'll see what I can do to help you. I may be your trainer and teacher, but I'm also your friend and I'm here to listen if you need someone to talk to. My job is not only to teach you about ki and how to use it, but I'm also going to teach you how to have full trust in yourselves and each other. Something someone who uses ki needs to have. Understood?"

The group remained silent for a moment before nodding to Gine with a determined look with her returning an equally determined smile. "Alright then grab your packs and we'll get started."

The teens all grabbed their respected packs and circled around Gine. "Okay Ms. Gine, what's the first thing to do?" Ocellus asked.

"For your first test, I'm trusting you all to find us a camping area for us to stay at through the months of your training."

"Wait," Gallus interrupted. "You mean we're not going to go back to the castle when we're done today?"

"No," Gine started, surprising everyone. "Look, I know we didn't tell you this, but for the next three months of your training, you're going to be living out in the camping spot you find. I know it seems a little overkill, but if you're going to learn ki, your body, mind, and senses need to be greatly sharpened. For tonight, Twilight provided enough supplies for you for the first day in those packs, but after that, you'll have to resort to surviving out here only on what this forest provides. Doing so will get you to the point where you'll be ready to learn more advanced stuff," Gine explained seriously.

"You mean like those energy attacks?" Smolder asked.

"And getting stronger?" Yona asked.

"And flying?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes. The stronger your mind, body, and senses are, the quicker you'll advance to those types of techniques. And to help you feel more comfortable, I'll also give you the same promise as I did your guardians when I discussed this matter with them. I give you my word, I will not let anything happen to you while you're out here. Sound fair."

Once again, the group nodded to Gine after thinking for a moment or two. "Alright then. Like I said, finding a spot to make camp is your first test. I'll follow your lead and keep watch for anything that is considered dangerous. You all get to work and I'll follow when you start moving," Gine said as she ascended a little higher to see what is in the forest areas around them.

"So anyone got a good idea on where we should make camp?" Sandbar asked.

"Well... We need a place that can give us some decent cover from dangerous animals for when Gine isn't around," Gallus said.

"And maybe a place with cover from bad weather," Scootaloo said.

"And a place with stairs!" Silverstream said with her giddy attitude.

Ignoring Silverstream's comment, the group began to think harder until one place managed to come to mind that they all knew of.

"The Castle of the Two Sisters!"

Gine heard the group shout before lowering down a bit. "You have an idea for a spot?"

"We sure do Ms. Gine," Ocellus said.

"Just call me Gine. As I said, I may be your instructor for your training, but I'm also your friend," Gine smiled as she hovered back up. "Lead the way, everyone."

They all nodded and took off running with Huck following on the ground and Gine from the sky. After about an hour, they came up to the abandoned castle where the Young Six was the first to admire the place.

"Man. This sure brings back memories huh guys?" Smolder asked.

"Yeah. Like how determined we were to stick together and stay friends," Ocellus said.

"And now friendship even stronger than before," Yona said.

"What do you think Gine?" Gallus asked. After no response, he looked to see Gine was gone. "Gine?"

They were all startled when out of nowhere, a large pile of fruit fell to the ground right in front of them with Gine soon landing down beside it before she turned to the abandoned castle. "So this is the place huh?"

The students looked to Gine nervously before Spike asked, "It doesn't count as cheating does it?"

"Of course not," Gine said with a chuckle. "It's a part of the forest. By the looks of it, it's strong, fortified, and with this much vegetation around it, there should be a good source of water nearby. I'd say you passed your first test."

This made everyone happy before Gine picked up her pile of fruit. "Now then. Let's get settled in and start a fire. The sun's going to be down soon so we should get it done quickly."

The teens nodded before following Gine.

[A few hours later]

Gine and her students sat in front of a nice, calming fire as they all ate what was provided to them by Twilight from their packs and Gine was finishing off the pile of fruit she gathered for her and Huck, with her hand feeding the last of the fruit to the timberwolf, who happily ate away at it.

Scootaloo watched in admiration as Gine fed her new pet. "You know Gine, it's still incredible you managed to make Huck your pet. I mean nopony has ever been able to make a timberwolf into a pet before. How do you do it?"

After Huck finished the fruit being fed to him, he laid his head on Gine's lap and began to fall asleep a bit with Gine rubbing his head. "I know it may seem tricky Scootaloo. But if you want the creatures of a wild environment to give you its trust and respect, you have to do the same in return. It's just a matter of which is willing to take that step first. Believe me, I learned that from my first time starting with Bardock and the rest of my old squad. Before I met them all, I began to wonder if trust between Saiyan squads was even possible."

Ocellus bit into some fruit before looking to Gine with a look of curiosity. "You know Gine, that's something I've been wondering about."

"Yes, Ocellus?"

"What... what were Bardock and his squad like all of those years ago?" Ocellus asked as she looked to the fire. "If you don't mind me asking a bit. I just got curious about what your life was like on your old homeworld."

"Yeah," Gallus said as he also became interested. "From what we saw that time we were in Canterlot, Bardock was a really tough guy and I wouldn't mind hearing about what kind of stuff he did before Frieza came along and... Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine Gallus," Gine said with a controlled look on her face. "I've learned to accept what's happened to my home. I'm at peace with it and I don't mind sharing what my old life was like before I came to this world. Ask me anything. I'll answer any questions you have about Planet Vegeta, Bardock, anything."

"What was it like?"

"How tough were most Saiyans?"

"Were there stairs on your world?"

"What kind of things did they do for fun? Break stuff? Fight for competition?"

"How did you and Bardock meet?"

"What was planet ruler like? Was he tougher than yaks to other Saiyans?"

"Did you guys do anything besides eating and train?"

"Did you guys ever run out of food on your world? You know since you all eat so much and train really hard to burn off what you ate?"

"Okay. Okay. One at a time right now. We'll have plenty of time while we're out here to answer all of your questions, but let's not rush right through them," Gine said as she looked at her students. "I think tonight, we'll start with..."

Gine scanned through the group before pointing out to Ocellus. "You Ocellus. Now, what was your question again?"

"If it's not too much of a delicate topic," Ocellus started with slight nervousness as she didn't want to bring up any sore topics. "How exactly did you and Bardock meet each other?"

Gine smiled before chuckling a bit. "Ah. Now there is a story to tell. Bardock and I started out very differently. It's a tale I'm sure you'll all love to hear. It started out with me getting kicked off another squad."

Flashback

Gine sat in the military office of the high commander of the Saiyan military. However, she wasn't in here for a good reason. She had just be kicked off another squad and was facing what a lot of Saiyans considered consequences for her "irresponsible actions".

"This is the fifth squad that you've been removed from Ms. Gine!" The head Saiyan was sitting in front of her with a data pad in his hands. He had the basic male Saiyan armor, with one hip pad on his left side, and had a cape on his left side. "You put the mission in jeopardy! You always seem to lose focus of why you're there!"

"I didn't lose focus Paragus, sir!" Gine said as she looked him dead in the eye. "I was being overrun by multiple inhabitants and I got injured and had to get clear for a moment so I could-."

"How many times do we have to go over this? Those squads you're put on are sent to take out planets no matter what is thrown at them. If you aren't strong enough to take a hit, then they're better off leaving you behind," Paragus said as he crushed the datapad in his hands. "Our squads are built to be strong. If you can't handle a few hits, then you shouldn't be on the battlefield, let alone return to Planet Vegeta."

"But sir-!"

"But nothing Gine!" Paragus shouted, making Gine sit down with a glare to the wall. "You need to learn the Saiyan race is meant for only those who are strong!"

Gine remained silent as Paragus sat down and glared at her. "If it were up to me, I'd have you pulled from our armies and have you cleaning battle pods," Paragus started before rubbing his temples a bit. "However, the Queen believes you should have one more chance. One! So tomorrow, you'll be reassigned to another squad. And this time, if you mess up again, then you'll be stripped of your title as a soldier and your job. Understood?!"

"Yes sir," Gine said with a silent but serious voice.

"Good. Now get out of my sight!" Paragus yelled before slamming his fist onto his desk.

Gine stood up and walked out of the room, growling a little. "I need a drink."

[Planet Vegeta, Local Bar]

("I was frustrated. So I went to my favorite spot to blow off some steam and try to relax.")

Gine sat at the bar's counter with a light drink in her hand. Paragus was right about one thing, no squad respected her. She had a power level barely above 2000. It was what made her seen as one of the weakest soldiers in all of Planet Vegeta. She also had what could be seen as a compassionate side. Did she get involved in the cleansing of planets? Yes. However, unlike most Saiyans, she didn't see the enjoyment of making the victims they kill suffer. She does her best to at least make the deaths she causes quick and painless. Because of this trait, most Saiyans see her as a weakling. And because of her low power level, every squad she had been on had no respect for her. In battles, they'd watch one another but never care about her. She was always left on her own when it came to missions and she felt she never was really a part of a squad. She sipped her drink through a straw while she let her thoughts run through her mind.

'Why is it no other Saiyan can see where I'm coming from?' Gine thought as she stirred her drink with her straw. 'Sure I don't get a kick out of making those we kill suffer. But what's wrong with that. I still do what I'm told to even though I hate it.'

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Gine stopped sipping her drink for a moment to see a male Saiyan approaching her with a drink in his hand. The guy had his armor on with a sleeveless jumpsuit under it with some green pads where the bronze colored pads on the basic Saiyan armor would be. He also had curved spikey hair and Gine rolled her eyes before looking to the side away from him as he leaned on the counter. "You seem to have some things on your mind. Care to share?"

"Why do you even care?" Gine asked. "It's not like you're really interested."

"True," replied the Saiyan before sipping his drink. "But I need a break from my squad right now and feel like I could use some stories to entertain."

"You're a squad captain? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Great. Just my luck. I hate most squad captains. I know all about how you guys think."

This seemed to catch the man's attention before he looked at her with curiosity. "You hate squad captains? Why? What's your story?"

"What's yours about?" Gine asked as she sipped her drink a bit more causing the man to chuckle a bit.

"Alright, I got an idea on how to make this a bit more interesting," the man said as he put his drink down for a moment before looking at the bartender. "Hey, buddy? A bottle of scotch and two shot glasses."

The bartender nodded before the man looked to her and with a grin. "Alright every time I ask a question, I take a shot. Same goes vice versa for you."

Gine gave it a quick thought before nodding when the bartender left the drink and the glasses with them. The man then poured a drink in both glasses. "Alright. You say you know all about us squad captains. What do you mean by that?" He then picked up one of the glasses and drank it with one gulp.

"I mean that you're all just a bunch of power-obsessed morons who don't give a crap about those who have the weakest power levels on your squad. Like those with just a power level of 2000. Why? You think otherwise?"

"Yeah. Actually, I do," the man said as he filled the glass back up and pushed them both to Gine. "By the way, that counts as two questions."

"Damn it," Gine said with a small chuckle before drinking both glasses before pouring another. "So what do you mean by you think otherwise?" Gine then drank another glass for that question.

"I mean that I believe a bit more what you say," the man said, catching Gine's attention. "We all start with power levels that are low. It's how you work with your squad to work on improving it that counts."

The man's statement caught Gine's attention with him smirking a bit. "What? Yeah, most squad captains think that the team is only as strong as the weakest member, but we all have different ways of fixing that. Some choose to get rid of the weakest member. Others, well they improve on it. Anyways, see ya around," the man said before walking off.

"Where are you going?" Gine asked causing the man to stop.

"I was gonna leave you alone since you said you hate squad captains."

"I said I hated most of them," Gine said with a smile, which the man returned before he walked over to her again and held out his hand. "Bardock."

Gine happily shook his hand before replying, "Gine."

The then talked for a while before Gine felt she should head home before having too much. "Well. It was nice meeting you Bardock. But I should head home before I have too much to drink. Otherwise, I'll have a hangover when I meet the last squad I'll be assigned to."

Bardock laughed a little before nodding to her. "Yeah. Good luck with that."

Gine smiled before exiting the bar and flying off. 'Well... One more shot before I lose my title as soldier.'

[The Next Morning]

("The next day, I was walking with Paragus to meet the last squad I would be joining. And boy was I in for a surprise.")

Gine, wearing a green scouter, was walking through the halls of the Saiyan military base with Paragus leading the way. "Remember, this is your last chance. Mess up and there's no telling what King Vegeta will to do you," Paragus said as he came to a squad hanger with the entrance holding a sign that said "Five-Person Land-Shark Team" in the Saiyan language before knocking. After a moment the door opened and Gine heard a voice, "Yeah Paragus?"

"That's Commander Paragus, Bardock!"

The moment that name left Paragus' mouth, she looked around him to see it was indeed Bardock, also wearing a green scouter, standing there before he spotted her. He gave a knowing smirk before looking to Paragus again. "This the newbie?"

"Yes. I should warn you though, she has a tendency to cost squads their missions. So I'd advice showing her how the job is done," Paragus said before glaring at Gine again as she walked around to approach Bardock.

"Don't worry about it. We'll get her up to speed," Bardock said as he side glanced to the still shocked Gine. Paragus took one more glare towards Gine before walking off. Gine then looked back to Bardock as he turned around and walked off. "You coming?"

Gine shook off her shock before following after him. "Well. This is unexpected," Gine said as she continued following Bardock.

"Yeah. I heard we were getting a new team member but I didn't expect it to be you," Bardock said as they soon came up arrived at the sight of three more male Saiyans and one female Saiyan, all of them wearing green scouters like Bardock. "Hey, guys! The new meat is here!"

The group then turned to Bardock and then spotted Gine before standing up and walking up to Gine. They looked straight at her which soon made her a bit uncomfortable. "Ummm..." Gine said as she became quiet and shy.

One of the guys, a man larger than Bardock with claw marks on his bald forehead and hair from both sides of his head, approached with his scouter scanning Gine. "Bardock? You can't be serious. Her power is only 2000."

"We'll compensate for it Borgos," Bardock said. "Besides, You started with only a power level of 1000. Remember?"

This caused another one of the men, a man about Bardock's height and size with spiked hair and a small ponytail, began to laugh a bit causing the one called Borgos to glare at him. "You think something's funny Tora?"

The third guy, the fattest of them all with short hair, snicked before saying, "Yeah it is Borgos. Because no matter what's happened you were still the weakest of us all when we first started this squad."

"Oh yeah. How about I show you how weak I am now, Shugesh!"

As the men continued arguing, Gine noticed the female looking to her with a stern expression. "Ummm... Hello?"

"New meat," the female said. "Name's Fasha. Let's get one thing straight. I don't tolerate failure. You mess us up. I bring the pain. Got it?"

Gine nervously nodded a little before their scouters all went off and showed a message. Bardock then slammed his fists together with a smirk. "Alright, guys. We got an assignment. Planet Claw, a world of nothing but savage animals with a good environment to sell. And we're getting paid a bonus since it's a world that's been causing problems for Frieza's other "personal" collections. How's it sound?"

The other Saiyans, besides Gine, all gave us excited and determined looks before flying for the hanger where the battle pods were. Gine was about to head that way until she was stopped by Bardock who looked to her with a serious look. "Hey. I was serious about part of what I told you about yesterday. This squad, unlike most, are trusting and reliable to everyone on it. You look out for us," Bardock said before walking ahead of her. "And we'll look out for you."

Gine watched as he continued to walk on as she let his words sink in. After a few moments of taking it in, Gine gained a look of determination before running off to catch up to him.

[Planet Claw]

("I had my doubts at first, but after we got there and started our mission, I could honestly say those doubts were put to rest.")

The squad had been doing their mission for hours now. The world may have been full of savage animals, but the report failed to mention the creatures did have decent power levels. However, this seemed to excite most of them as they fought off more and more of the creatures. Bardock caught what appeared to be a creature crossed between a tiger and a scorpion with the scorpion's tail and claws while walking on its four tiger legs by the neck before blasting it in the head and throwing it aside.

Fasha caught another similar creature and quickly snapped its neck before throwing it into more of them charging at her. "This is too easy."

Tora went face to face with a reptilian vulture looking creature before grabbing on of it feet, ripped it off, and drove it through its chest. "I'd say this is a decent challenge Fasha. Though I can't wait to see what these things taste like when we're done."

Shugesh blasted multiple creatures before hearing one roar at him and looked to see what looked like an ape with the head and hind legs of rhino charged at him and brought its fists down on him. He caught the creatures fists and with a small struggle, and small smirk, he opened his mouth and shot a blast from it that went through the creature's chest, taking its life and causing it to fall to the ground, dead. "I'm with you Tora. I'm gonna be starving after this."

"That's because you're a pig Shugesh!" Borgos shouted as he grabbed a lizard creature with hawk wings by the back and then brought it down on his knee, causing a severe SNAP to be heard from it. "By the way, how's the rookie doing?"

With Gine, she was struggling a bit. She was able to catch a reptilian tiger-like creature with a blast through the chest only to have another managed to land a slash to her back that cut through her armor. Before she could fight back, another one pounced on her and began snapping at her with its mouth, only to be held back by her holding its neck. "Get off of me!"

Before the creature could finally reach her face, it was kicked off and blasted by Tora. The male Saiyan then held his hand out to help Gine back to her feet. "Come on rookie. You can do better than that."

Tora then flew back to fight off more of the creatures while Gine processed what had just happened. Sure Bardock said the team looked out for one another, but given her history with past squads, she had believed it was just talk. But now, she could see he was completely serious. She then spotted one tiger/scorpion-like creature was preparing to pounce on Fasha. Gine reacted quickly and shot out to kick it straight through the stomach before landing behind Fasha with the two being back to back. "Not bad, newbie. You do know how to watch another's back, I'll give you that," Fasha said before blasting more. "Hey, Bardock! Can we end this already!? It's night time after all!"

"Good call Fasha. Everyone! Eyes on the moon!" Bardock said as they all looked to the giant moon in the sky. After a few moments, the Saiyans all became Great Apes before glaring down at the creatures below. "Let's get this over with!" Bardock said in his Great Ape voice before firing a beam from his mouth.

[Three Hours Later]

The squad sat on what remained of the creatures of the planet after they were all wiped out by the combined efforts of six Great Apes. With a fire in the center of them all, Gine was holding some meat from some of the creatures over the flames before pulling them away from it and passing it to the others and herself. "Alright. Dig in."

The Saiyans all took their food in hand and bit down. From one bite they all couldn't believe how tasty it was. Sure they all knew how to cook the leftovers of life forms they've slaughtered. But Gine knew how to give it even more flavor.

"Wow. I'll admit one thing Gine. What you lack in fighting, you make up for in cooking," Tora said with a smirk and his ripped and chewed more of the meat.

"I'll say. I've eaten a lot of things, but never anything this good!" Shugesh said and he already finished his first piece and grabbed another.

"I'll admit, not bad, newbie. I'll give credit where credit is due," Fasha said with a serious face.

"Wow. I think that's the first time Fasha gave one of us... Somewhat of a compliment," Borgos said.

"Th... Thanks, guys," Gine said, grateful that the squad seemed to accept her.

"You did decent enough today Gine," Bardock started as he ate his piece. "But be ready for next time. You were easy on today because it was your first mission. But from here on, we're going to be pushing you as hard as we can. And if you wanna stay on the squad, you gotta be ready for it. Understood?"

"Yes... Yes sir!" Gine said with a determined look.

"Good." Bardock then looked to the others with a serious look. "Eat up and get some sleep. We head back for Vegeta in the morning."

The whole squad nodded before continuing with their business.

Flashback Ends

"And that's how I met Bardock and his squad," Gine said as she petted Huck on the as he fell asleep.

"Wow. And I thought dragons were put through tough times," Smolder said, having even more respect for Gine after hearing what she went through during her time as a soldier.

"So what happened next? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Silverstream asked with excitement.

Gine couldn't help but laugh at Silverstream's attitude. "That's enough for tonight. Let's all get some rest. What I'm going to teach you is going to be a lot how Bardock and the others taught me. So I won't lie, it won't be easy. So you'll need your strength.

The students, Scootaloo, and Spike did seem a little down but did as Gine said. They finished up their food before laying down and closed their eyes as the fire withered out. Gine then laid down herself and looked to the stars as her eyes slowly closed as well. 'I lost my old squad and now... I have a chance to build a new one. Bardock. Tora. Fasha. Shugesh. Borgos. I'll make sure what you taught me lives on through them.'

Lessons & Memories Part 2

View Online

[Everfree Forest, Castle of the Two Sisters, 10:10 A.M.]

The sun began to rise over the horizon and shined through the multiple trees and gaps where the students were sleeping on the ground. Luckily, Gine at least allowed Twilight to pack pillows for them all so they don't have to wake up with sore necks. The group began to groan and turn a bit as the sun shined down on them all. They all began rubbing their eyes before sitting up. Gallus was the first to open his eyes and Gine was up before any of them and was currently doing push-ups. Huck was sitting by her and watching when she spotted everyone sitting up and smiled before pushing herself hard enough to get up on her feet. "Morning everyone."

The students all stood up and began doing a few stretches to get their blood flowing easier. Scootaloo looked and covered her eyes a bit as the sun shined in them. "Wow. That sun's even brighter when I don't sleep under a roof."

"Yeah," Gine said and smiled before placing her hand on the young pegasus' shoulder. "But that's why we're out here. Like I said. By learning to survive out here, you'll all be able to have your bodies become stronger and your senses sharper. Your instincts will become greater and allow you to handle your ki better when you learn to tap into it afterward."

"That's great and all," Smolder said as she approached the Saiyan. "But if we're going to get stronger, we gotta eat something first. So... What do we do for breakfast?"

Gine smiled a bit at the question. "Well Smolder. That's something else that's part of your training. In order to pass your test and survive out here, you have to rely on what the forest provides and find out what's out here that you can use?"

The students all looked to her confused. "What exactly do you mean Gine?" Silverstream asked.

Gine smiled even more and chuckled. "What I'm saying is, your next challenge is finding your own food from what this forest has to give."

This caught everyone by surprise. "Saiyan mean we have to get food with only bare hands?" Yona asked with some interest.

"Yes Yona," Gine said. "During most missions, we Saiyans survived only on what we gathered from the planets we were sent to. Doing so challenged us to use everything we had besides just our powers. Such as learning to tell what we could eat, what was guarded and what wasn't. Our hearing, sight, smell, touch, and tasting. All of it was tested and improved from surviving in the wilderness of multiple worlds for every mission we went on. There were times we even had to learn to use what was provided by nature for medicine. I can't count how many times I had to improvise a kind of medicine cream from herbs, plants, and all kinds of stuff to help my old squad when we ran out of the healing formula."

"So you're saying finding whatever we can use to survive only from the forest will help us get ready to tap into ki better?" Sandbar asked.

"Exactly," Gine said with a smile.

"But," Spike said as he seemed a little nervous. "What about wild animals? We may be just gathering food out there, and maybe some other stuff we can use, but what if we run into trouble while we're out there?"

"Well. I won't lie," Gine started as she looked to them all with a look of understanding. "Learning to tell when danger is around will come to you eventually while you're out here. But in the meantime, to help prevent you from worrying, I will keep my eyes and ears sharp should any of you run into anything that could threaten your lives. Alright?"

The students all became as nervous as Spike was, but given how strong they knew Gine was and her encouraging smile facing them, they all nodded with determination. "Good. Now before we get moving, are there any questions?"

Ocellus then raised her hand a bit before Gine looked to her. "Before we start today, can we go check on something down below the castle?"

"Below the castle?" Gine asked with curiosity.

After a moment, Yona, Silverstream, Sandbar, Gallus, and Smolder also smiled before nodding to Ocellus and looked to Gine with pleading looks as well. "Well... I suppose it'd be alright."

Before Gine could get another word out, the six students took off running out the abandoned castle, leaving her with Scootaloo, Spike, and Huck. Gine then looked to her two remaining students. "What are they going to check on exactly?"

Spike and Scootaloo couldn't help but smile at the Saiyan. "You may want to follow us," Spike said.

"There's something down below the castle, you'll definitely wanna see for yourself," Scootaloo said as they both began walking out of the castle themselves with Gine and Huck soon following after.

After a few minutes, Gine was led to a stairway heading down below the castle, following down behind Spike and Scootaloo with Huck by her side. She soon reached the bottom and found a cave with a small glow coming from the entrance.

"What is that?"

"Follow us in and see for yourself," Spike said as he and Scootaloo ran in with Huck chasing after them. Gine looked at the entrance for a moment before entering the cave and looked to see everyone gathered around what appeared to be some kind of crystal tree. It had five branches and each branch, along with the center of the tree, held a symbol that resembled the Cutie Marks of Twilight and her friends. She approached the students as they all looked to it with amazement as Gine asked, "What... What is this?"

"The Tree of Harmony," Ocellus said. "It's one of the main sources of powerful magic in Equestria. Not to mention it's also given Twilight and her friends their magic of friendship."

Gine looked to the tree with an intrigued expression. "Really?"

"Mhmm," Yona said with a nod. "Tree even once teach us how to face fears and show we capable of being friends even though we all different creatures."

"I see," Gine said as she approached the tree with interest. Despite no sun being able to reach it, it shined like a river onto the ground in front of her. "It's beautiful."

As she continued staring at the tree, she soon found her gaze focusing on the center that resembled Twilight's cutie mark. It seemed to be shining brighter than the others for a moment before a glimmer of light from it caused Gine to blink a bit in surprise before looking to the star shape again. To Gine for a moment, it felt like she heard a small whisper-like sound.

"Gine?"

Gine shook her head a bit and turned to see Ocellus approach her with a somewhat concerned expression before asking, "Are you okay?"

Gine looked at her for a moment before looking to the tree again with a somewhat confused expression. She stared at the tree for a bit longer before smiling to Ocellus. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine."

Gine then turned to them all with a smile. "Alright, let's get today started. Follow me."

Gine then began walking back towards the stairs. As they began moving further and further up the stairs, they were unaware of another brief flash of light from the center of the tree.

[A few minutes later]

The group was following Gine with Huck at her side through the forest. As they moved further and further into the forest, Scootaloo ran up to her side as well with a giddy expression on her face. "So what are we going to do today? Cool hand blasts? Punching hard enough to break a tree? FLYING!?"

Gine chucked at Scootaloo's enthusiasm. "Now, now Scootaloo. I'm afraid that stuff won't come until much later on."

This caused Scootaloo to falter a little. Gine showed sympathy winking at the young pegasus. "But don't worry. I promise that when that time comes, you and the others will be ready for it."

This statement lifted Scootaloo's spirits a bit and caused her to smile. After walking for a little longer, Gine soon stopped, which caused the others to do so as well. Gine then turned to them all as they looked straight to her.

"Alright," Gine said as she looked through all of them. "Are all of you ready to start off your training?"

The group each nodded in confirmation before Gine continued, "Alright then. As you all know for the next three months, we'll be here in the Everfree Forest. So to start off, for the first month, your task will be simple for each day... Stay alive."

"Stay alive?" Ocellus asked as she and the others were confused.

"Yes. Like I said, for the time we're out here, you'll have to rely on what the forest provides in terms of food, water, and defense. From I've learned about you all from Twilight, you're all more used to having supplies provided to you and others to protect you. In order to get strong enough, you'll have to learn to survive on only what you can gather yourselves along with your wits, bodies, minds, and wills."

"You mean we're going to be on our own throughout all of our time out here for the next month?" Silverstream trembling a little while also biting down on her claws a bit.

"But what if we run into wild animals that want to eat us?" Yona said, also concerned.

"Like I told Spike earlier, part of your task for surviving is learning to deal with them yourselves. If you want to learn ki, you have to learn how to sharpen your senses and bodies to be ready to handle creatures that can be a threat to you," Gine said with a somewhat stern voice. However, she noticed that her words still made the students nervous before she continued, "Look. I know it sounds a little extreme. But I promise the reason I'm pushing you this hard is that I know you're all capable of learning ki. But I'll remind you all that I promised you and your guardians that I would protect you. So if you come across any creatures in the Everfree Forest that prove too much for you to handle on your own, I will step in and help you. Also while I am going to push you to survive on your own, I won't push you too far. You'll only be working on your survival skills during the day. But when night draws in, I'll gather you all back and return you to our campsite to rest."

"So we'll be surviving on our own during the day, and sleep back at the abandoned castle at night?" Gallus asked, wanting to clarify the Saiyan's words.

"Exactly Gallus. The sun just came up. So for the next few hours, unless I'm needed, you'll survive out here without my help."

"But," Sandbar started before asking, "How will you know where we are or if we need your help?"

"Don't worry Sandbar," Gine said as she tapped the side of her the head a bit. "I'll be able to keep track of you by sensing your energies. If I sense a power level around any of yours that's higher than yours and I sense any of you struggling against it, I'll be there in a flash to get it away from you."

"So you're saying you'll help us by finding us with one of your new tricks?" Smolder asked with her arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.

"Pretty much, yeah," Gine said. "But only if you struggle too much with something that's trouble. If it's something I believe you can't handle, I'll step in. Otherwise, you'll have to take care of it yourself. And if you can do that with any of the creatures here, then you'll be one step closer to progressing through your training."

The students all still felt a bit concerned. Sure they wanted to learn about ki, but they were being left to fend for themselves. True, they had all once ran away from home before, but this time, Sandbar wouldn't be able to go to Ponyville for supplies. This time, they had to rely entirely on finding the food on their own through a dangerous forest of animals and dangerous magical creatures. However, they did take some comfort in knowing Gine would at least be keeping an eye on them.

However, these thoughts were interrupted when they heard a loud rumbling noise that seemed to startle them. "What that? Some dangerous animal that wanna eat Yona and her friends?" Yona asked looking around the area that surrounded them to see any movement.

"Actually," Spike said as rubbed his head and blushed a little. "It's not an animal at all. I just haven't eaten any breakfast yet."

This caused everyone to laugh a bit before Gine started hovering up a bit. She even picked up Huck and held him on her back as she looked over her students again. "Alright, I'll be back around sunset. Like I said, use whatever you have that the forest provides you. Believe in yourselves and use all that you have available to you. Most importantly, remember I have your back if you need. But only if you really need me." Gine then took off flying out further to where the students were soon unable to see her at all.

"So... What now?" Scootaloo asked as she looked to her fellow students.

They all remained silent as they all just looked around, Spike then stepped up to get everyone's attention. "Okay. Well, she said we needed to survive only on what we have from the forest. But I doubt we're going to survive on an empty stomach. And since I know no one's eaten yet, let's get some food rounded up."

"Good idea Spike," Ocellus said. "Well... I know about quite a few of the types of fruits that grow out here. Like which are poisonous and which aren't, so with a little help I can gather up some food with a little help."

"I'll help out too," Sandbar said. "I've been reading a few things about the foods from the Everfree Forest from some of the cookbooks professor Pinkie Pie showed me."

Scootaloo ran up to the two as well. "I'll help too. I've read a few books from the times I went camping with my friends and Rainbow Dash. I know what some good and safe things to eat are."

"Alright. I guess that means you three can handle getting some food to eat," Spike said. "We also need some fresh water to drink too."

"I can help with that!" Silverstream raising and waving her hand around. "Since I live underwater part of the time, I can tell when water is clean enough to drink better," said Silverstream.

"Good call," Spike said as he looked to Gallus. "Why don't you help her gather water, Gallus?"

"Say what?" Gallus asked with a blush. Ever since Silverstream got that armor on her, it had become something Gallus couldn't stop thinking about. Something about her in that Saiyan armor made him feel nervous when he was around her. "Ummm... Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It'll be fine," Spike said while he walked up beside Smolder and Yona. "While you help her gather water, Yona, Smolder, and I will gather wood for a fire. And for food."

"And if you don't mind, grab some fish for those of us who eat more than just fruit," Smolder said with a grin and a thumbs up to Gallus.

"Yeah... Sure."

"Let's go, Gallus!" Silverstream yelled out as she grabbed Gallus by the arm.

"Whoa!" Gallus let out as he was pulled away into another part of the forest. After the two were out of sight, Scootaloo, Ocellus, and Sandbar gathered up.

"Alright then," Spike said. "We'll all meet up back at the abandoned castle in a couple of hours."

Sandbar nodded with Ocellus and Scootaloo. "You got it, Spike," Sandbar said as he followed the two with him.

Spike then turned to Smolder and Yona. "Yona wanna know how we get wood to camp?"

"We'll just carry it Yona. We gotta get some more muscle on us somehow," Smolder said as she flexed her arms a bit.

"Yeah. Plus like Gine said, we have to survive on only what the forest provides for us," Spike said as he took to the air with his wings and with Smolder following.

"Hey!" Yona said as they flew towards the forest a bit. "Yaks can't fly remember? What Yona supposed to do to stay with friends?"

Spike held up his hand in surrender to calm Yona down a bit. "Don't worry. We're going to fly low through here to keep us all together."

"Just make sure you can keep up Yona. And try not to trip on your braids again," Smolder said smugly before flying off.

"Smolder no talk about Yona's braids!" Yona yelled as she chased after Smolder.

Spike watched as Yona went straight into the forest before sighing a bit. "This is going to be a long training day." He then took off flying after them.

Meanwhile, from a nearby hill peak, Gine sat and ate a piece of fruit she grabbed and pulled a piece off to feed to Huck. She had been focusing on watching the spot the students were left at and smiled at what she saw. "Looks like they're already off to a good start."

After finishing his piece of the fruit, Huck actually looked in the same direction and whined a little.

"Don't worry Huck," Gine said as she rubbed his head. "I kept my word when I said I'd keep an eye out and make sure nothing too dangerous happens."

Meanwhile, Scootaloo, Sandbar, and Ocellus had just stopped at a spot to begin gathering fruit. They had spotted many trees with multiple types of fruit hanging from each one. Berries, cherries, star fruit, and some other kinds of fruit. "Alright. Let's get picking," Sandbar said.

"Okay. Just a heads up, if you find any berries that are orange with black and white spots, don't pick them. On one of my camping trips with my friends and Rainbow Dash, I found out those berries are extremely poisonous."

"I remember reading about that in the library," Ocellus said as she looked over the berries. "I think most of these are safe. The problem is, how do get a large enough load gathered so we have enough for right now but still be able to take more back for later?"

Sandbar looked around until he spotted some rope-like roots hanging from a tree along with some long thick branches. "I have an idea. Why don't we build a stretcher to carry some food in using this stuff?"

Ocellus looked at the roots and branches as well and after giving it some thought, said, "That might work. Let's give it a try."

Ocellus then decided to fly up and land on one of the branches before turning into her dragon form to fly up to the roots and began pulling them off with her new claws. Afterward, she used her claws to get a good grip on the four of the biggest branches she could gather before dropping them down to the ground and changing back to her normal look. She then looked to Scootaloo and Sandbar with a smile. "Let's get to work shall we?"

The two nodded and began pulling the branches together and then started using the roots to tie around them to hold them together. Ocellus then turned herself into Chrysalis' old form, startling Scootaloo and Sandbar, but calmed them down when she smiled to them. She then shot some of the old Changeling slim onto roots and used it to help tighten the grip on the branches. She then changed back to her normal form before pulling it into the middle of the area they were in. "Alright. Let's get to gathering."

The three began picking multiple fruits from the trees around them and placing them on the carrier they made. Ocellus began picking some mangos, Sandbar picked some starfruit, and Scootaloo began picking some berries. They each continued adding more and more to their pile of food while also having a few bites of their own.

"Wow. I thought this would be a bit trickier," Sandbar said as he began picking more starfruit until he spotted some forest cherry trees. "Wow. I didn't expect to find cherries out here." Sandbar then began picking those as well.

"I know what you mean," Scootaloo said as she began picking apples from some forest apple trees as well. "I mean I thought it'd be harder since we don't have any camping supplies or stuff like that, but so far this is pretty easy."

After picking a few more mangos, Ocellus then started picking from a blueberry bush and gathering some onto the carrier as well. "I agree. I mean I remember when you, me, and the others all ran away to stay together, Sandbar. But back then, you would go back to Ponyville to gather us some cupcakes, blankets, and pillows for us to use to sleep with and eat. But this time, all we have is this armor. I mean I know Gine said she'd look out for us, but she said only if she thinks we really need it. Even knowing she'll be out there watching us, I still feel a little nervous."

"Me too," Scootaloo said as she kept gathering more fruit. "The only times I felt safe in a place like this was knowing Rainbow Dash was right beside me the whole time. But Gine wants us to rely on ourselves and get through it without help unless we really need it. I feel a little scared too."

"Don't worry girls," Sandbar said as he popped a cherry into his mouth before chewing on it. He felt the juices from it spread throughout his mouth and smiled to the two, showing some red on his teeth, making the two girls laugh a bit. "I know we're not used to this kind of stuff. But remember, Gine's making us do this because she believes in us. Not to mention it'll be worth it to learn how to use ki like her. Who knows, along with flying, which is what I know you want Scootaloo," Sandbar said looking to the pegasus before continuing with, "there's no telling what else we can do once we learn it. We could come up with our own moves and stuff like that. Maybe even know what it feels like to save Equestria again. Gine learned those new techniques of hers from just one month of being by herself, so surely we could make some new stuff of our own after she teaches us about ki."

The girls were both surprised by how reasonable Sandbar's words were. True, they had a lot of work to do on their own in the forest first, but they both knew Gine wouldn't be making them do this if she didn't need them to or believe they couldn't handle it. She had high hopes and expectations of them all and they were determined to meet them both and learn what she had to teach them.

"You're right Sandbar," Ocellus said as she threw more blueberries onto the pile. "Gine's one of the best things to happen to Equestria. Not only did she answer the question of whether or not we're alone in the universe, but she's now willing to share what she knows with us all to help our world."

"Not to mention, that armor looks good on you Ocellus," Sandbar whispered but was still barely heard by Scootaloo.

"What'd you say Sandbar?" Scootaloo asked.

"Nothing!" Sandbar quickly said with a blush forming on his face.

Soon, they heard rustling and out jumped a pukwudgie startling Ocellus and Sandbar. "Oh no," said the former. However, rather than get aggressive, it took off running in panic.

"That's weird," Sandbar said. "Last time we ran into those little guys they were getting all angry with us."

"Well I can only think of two possibilities," Ocellus said as she looked in the direction the pukwudgie ran off in. "Either it really was alone and didn't wanna risk getting hurt. Or... It was running from something."

They then heard louder rustling before, out from the forest cover, came a manticore who looked straight at them before roaring.

"I think it was the second choice! RUN!" Sandbar yelled before they all began running prompting the manticore to chase after them.

[At the same time]

Gallus and Silverstream had just arrived at a stream and Gallus let out a sigh. "Finally!"

Gallus was the first one to reach the stream and dunked his head and began drinking as fast as he could. He then yanked his head out to catch his breath. "Man. That is good water."

Silverstream giggled a bit as she sat by it and ran her claws through the water as it flowed by. "This running water reminds me of home."

Gallus then noticed how close he was sitting to Silverstream and with how he could see her in the armor, he began blushing heavily again and began scooting away from her a little. "So um... How should we get it back to the others?"

Silverstream then pulled the pack her armor came in and reached inside to pull out what looked like some glass bottles with corks in them. This caught Gallus by surprise, leading him to ask, "Where did you get those?"

"Oh. While we were settling into the abandoned castle yesterday, I looked around and found them and thought they could come in handy. I even cleaned them up a bit so we could have clean water," Silverstream said with a big smile.

"How did you know to clean them?"

"I read it in one of the books I found on sinks from the library. A lot of cool stuff on how to make sure the dishes in a sink are clean," Silverstream said with her usual giddy attitude.

"Ummm... Okay? Well, let's get to filling them."

The two then began holding each bottle into the stream, letting it fill them up before pulling them out to put their corks back in. As they were doing so Gallus couldn't help but ask, "So Silverstream? Why exactly did you wanna learn from Gine? Besides all of the cool stuff."

This seemed to cause Silverstream to gain, to Gallus' surprise, a somewhat serious expression. "Because... I wanna start doing my part."

"What?" Gallus asked with confusion. "What do you mean Silverstream? Do your part in what?"

Silverstream continued just staring down into the water as it flowed by before sighing. "What I mean is... When hippogriffs went into hiding after the Storm King attacked us. I couldn't do anything to help stop it. Me, my parents, and brother couldn't do anything to help Auntie Novo stop him and that's what caused us to have to go underwater and hide. But now, I have a way to be useful if another bad guy like the Storm King shows up to Mount Aris again. You saw what Gine can do and if I can learn how to do the same things, I can help keep my friends and family back home safe!"

This speech surprised Gallus a bit. He had seen Silverstream act serious in certain situations, like when they beat Cozy Glow. But he had never seen Silverstream this serious. And something about it made Gallus blush even harder. He quickly shook it off to try and calm himself. "Wow. That's the first time I've ever heard you so determined Silverstream."

"Thanks," Silverstream said with a giggle. "Anyways, what about you? I mean like you said, we all wanna learn cool stuff from Gine, but what made you wanna really join the class for the summer?"

"Well...." Gallus started before scratching his head a bit. "To be honest, I don't know. I mean Gine has a lot of stuff to teach us like those energy blasts and sensing stuff, etc. I guess if I had to word it. I wanna learn from Gine to be a better griffon."

"Be a better griffon?" Silverstream asked with a raised eyebrow and a look of confusion.

"Yeah. Think about it," Gallus said as he looked at the water as well. "Griffons and ponies are kinda working together now, but there's still some tension between both of them. You know like griffons still sometimes expect things in exchange for helping ponies with the simple stuff. Well, I thought I could be seen as a better griffon if I learn from Gine and use what she teaches me to help out you and the others along with keeping our school safe. You know?"

Gallus was then surprised when he felt Silverstream pull him into a tight hug, causing the blush to return to his face and his heart to start racing like crazy. 'What is going on? Why is this happening now?' "Um... Silverstream?"

Silverstream quickly pulled away with a smile. "Sorry. It's just that you're always so determined about stuff like this. I mean when we first met, you always acted so..."

"Dull?"

"I wouldn't... Okay yeah. Dull. But now, since then, you've become a good friend to us all. You look out for us, you help us, and you're just fun to be around. Like the time you helped me in the Tree of Harmony's tests for us. I'd say you're already a better griffon than most. But with what Gine teaches us, I think you'll be a great griffon."

This brought a smile to both of their faces when Silverstream's eyes went wide, bringing confusion to Gallus. "Silverstream? What's wrong?"

"G... G... Gallus?"

"What?" Gallus asked as he followed his gaze to look behind him where his eyes went wide as well. Behind them, emerging from the water, was a large cragadile. It walked onto dry land and shook off the water before its right side eye caught sight of the two. "Silverstream?"

"Yeah?"

"RUN!!!"

The two took off running as the cragadile roared and took off running after them.

"This is crazy!" Gallus yelled.

"Yeah. Crazier than I thought possible!" Silverstream yelled as they kept running from the cragadile.

[Also taking place at the same time.]

Spike, Smolder, and Yona had come to an opening where they luckily found many old trees that had fallen down. "So quick question. How do we hall enough wood when they're still whole trees?"

"Yona handle that!" Yona said before running to the trees with her horns held down. She eventually ran into one of the trunks and managed to knock it down. She then started stomping on it and broke it into many more pieces. Yona then turned to her two friends with a smile catching them both by surprise.

"Wow, Yona. If you can do that now, I can't imagine what you'll be able to do when Gine gets done with us," Spike said with an impressed tone. "So why do you wanna learn from Gine anyways Yona? I mean she's strong yeah, but so are you. Do you just wanna get stronger."

"Yes!" Yona shouted. "Wait... No. Yona does want to get stronger like Gine. But Yona also wanna help friends more by getting stronger so Yona can do new things. Like, be the strongest Yak ever!"

"That sounds about right," Smolder said. "Me. I plan on being the strongest dragon also. That way when I try to tell other dragons to listen to what I have to say about the school, they'll listen."

"That somewhat makes sense I guess," Spike said with a raised eyebrow.

"What about you Spike?" Smolder asked while started picking up a few pieces of wood. "You're not a student like the rest of us. So why did you wanna join our trip out here and learn from Gine?"

Spike took a moment to think before sighing. "Well... Over the years I've been here in Ponyville with Twilight, I've always watched from the side while Twilight and the others had to save me and everyone else for whatever trouble came our way. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Tirek, and so on. They all did the work while all I could do was sit back and do nothing."

"Headmare Twilight mention you help stop evil unicorn once. King Sombra Yona think."

"Yeah. But that was by accident. I had the Crystal Heart in my hand but only managed to get it to the altar thanks to Princess Cadence. If she hadn't been there to catch me, I would've been helpless and Sombra may not have been stopped. Not to mention every time I get into trouble like Timberwolves, one of the girls has to always save me. For once, I wanna be able to save myself. I wanna be able to help the girls keep Ponyville, no Equestria safe. And Gine has a way for me to do it. I wanna learn so I can start protecting them when they need me to. Be a real hero for once. But more importantly, keep my friends safe and make it to where they don't have to always protect me."

This seemed to catch Smolder and Yona by surprise. Sure, they knew Spike wanted to do more for his friends, but hearing him say it really earned their respect for the goals he wanted to achieve. "Wow, Spike. I gotta say, if the other dragons could hear you now," Smolder said with respect in her voice.

"Yona agree. Yona thinks Spike wanting to help friends is good." Yona said before she smiled and charged into another tree and managed to knock it down. Only this time, when it fell down, they heard what sounded like a thump and a groan when it reached the ground. Not long after, they watched the tree slightly rise from the ground before it fell over back onto the dirt. But what caught the three's attention was what the tree rolled off of.

From the forest, a large figure began to rise to its feet before it turned around to reveal its sharp claws, beaver-like teeth, and glaring eyes. It then roared at the three, causing them to drop the wood they gathered.

"It's a maulwurf!" Spike shouted as he began backing away.

"So what we do?" Yona asked as she also began backing away.

"Simple Yona," Smolder said as they watched the maulwurf raise its claws. "RUN!"

The three then began running before the maulwurf brought its claws down and narrowly missed them. It then roared again before it took off running after them. Smolder and Spike began flying while also carrying Yona to get further ahead of the creature. After moving further on into the forest, they soon crashed into Silverstream and Gallus and they all rolled onto the ground.

"Gallus! Silverstream! We gotta run!" Spike said, pointing at the maulwurf.

"You got that right!" Gallus said before pointing at the cragadile that was still chasing them.

They all then heard more screaming before seeing Ocellus, Sandbar, and Scootaloo run out as well with the manticore chasing them as well. "Run!" Sandbar yelled as they met up with the others and they all took off running from the three creatures. The three creatures still seemed to ignore each other as they all continued chasing the students.

"What do we do?" Scootaloo yelled as she kept running.

"Where's Gine!?" Gallus shouted. "She said she'd protect us!"

After running a bit farther, Yona accidentally tripped over her braids and caused herself to stubble and crash into Silverstream, followed by them crashing into the rest of the group. This made them all roll a bit on the ground before stopping and forcing them all to get to their feet. However, before they could start running again, the three predators had gathered around them from three different directions.

"Gine! We need help now!" Spike yelled out.

However, despite their pleas for help, they couldn't see any sign of the Saiyan coming to their area. "Where is she?" Gallus asked.

They watched as the creatures continued to advance towards them.

"She should've been here by now!" Smolder said as she watched the manticore licked its fangs.

Sandbar kept close to his friends when a thought came to his mind. 'Wait a minute.' "Guys? What if this is part of Gine's training?"

"What?" Gallus asked. "What are you talking about!?"

"Remember, Gine said she'd help us if the situation really called for it."

Smolder glared harder at the creatures as they kept glaring at them all. "And that helps us how?"

Ocellus took in what Sandbar said and began to realize something as well. "She also said to use what the forest offers along with what we know from our classes to our advantage."

Yona was getting nervous as the cragadile got even closer to them. "But what we do? There still three of them that want to eat Yona and friends."

Ocellus thought for a moment before she came up with a few ideas. "I think I know what to do. We need to split up again."

"Are you crazy?" Scootaloo asked. "These things will tear us apart if we do that! And Gine's still nowhere to help us!"

"We may have a chance if we split up correctly."

"What do you mean?" Gallus asked.

"I'll explain later. But for now, here's what we need to do. Gallus? Silverstream? Follow me and we'll lead the Maulwurf away! Spike and Smolder! You guys lead the cragadile away! Sandbar! Scootaloo! Yona! You guys get the manticore!" Ocellus said.

"And what do we do after that?" Spike asked as he met up with Smolder.

"Just trust me. Remember what these animals are like and what we learned about them from Professor Fluttershy."

The group all huddled together. "Ready! Go!" Ocellus said as they all ran away and with a means of causing their assigned creatures to follow them.

Gine was still watching from a distance while Huck looked to her with a concerned expression and let out a small whimper. "Don't worry. Just as I hoped, they're taking the right strategy to protect themselves."

Huck tilted his head a bit in confusion. "Just keep watching," Gine said as she smiled and continued watching herself.

With Sandbar, Scootaloo, and Yona, they had run into a clearing with the manticore still running after them. Scootaloo looked back to see it still after them before looking to Sandbar. "So what do we do now?"

Sandbar was looking ahead and trying to come up with an idea as they kept running. 'Okay. Think. Ocellus said to remember what this manticore is like and what Fluttershy told us about it. She must've meant something. But what?'

The three kept running and running until Sandbar spotted a downward hill ahead of them. He then got an idea as they got closer to it. "I have an idea guys. When we reach that hill, we split. Scootaloo and me on the left and Yona on the right."

"What that do?!" Yona asked.

"Just trust me!" Sandbar then watched as the hill got closer and closer. "On three! 1... 2... 3!!!"

The three then split into the two directions and the manticore stopped to go after them. But rather than stopping completely, it skidded a bit before it fell over the edge and rolled down the hill and landed with a loud thud. Scootaloo, Yona, and Sandbar then watched as the manticore let out a whimper before it got up and ran off. "How did you know that would work?" Scootaloo asked.

"I remember one thing Fluttershy told us in class. Manticores are dangerous, but when it comes to sharp turns or stops, their weight and size make it hard for them to stay on their feet."

Sandbar then felt himself lose his breath when Yona pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Sandbar saved us. Sandbar good friend!"

"Y... Yeah. Thanks, Yona. But... Can you please not break me in half?"

Yona then let Sandbar go, causing him to fall on the ground and take a deep breath, making Scootaloo laugh a bit before saying, "I hope the others are okay."

Meanwhile, Spike and Smolder were flying off with the cragadile following them. "Sheesh. How fast are these things?" Smolder asked.

"They're pretty fast. About twice as fast as ponies." Spike said as he was doing his best to keep his flying going while watching the creature chasing them. "But there is a bright side. Sorta."

"And that would be?"

"Well. We're not in water. And let me tell you, these things in the water are twice as fast than they are on land."

"So what you're saying is that they live mostly in the water?" Smolder asked.

"Yeah," Spike said as he soon saw a smirk starting to form on Smolder's snout. "What's up?"

"I think I just got an idea. Follow me," Smolder said as she flew off further with Spike following and the cragadile still following them. They kept flying on and found themselves coming to a point where they saw a small stream up ahead. Smolder then stopped flying away and just kept flapping her wings to keep her near the stream but not entirely above it. This caused Spike to do the same.

"So what's the plan again?"

"Just wait. Once it gets close enough, we fly behind it and let out a good puff of fire from both of us." Smolder said.

"What'll that do?" Spike asked.

"Just trust me." The cragadile ran at them again with its mouth wide open. "And... Now!"

The two dragons flew over the cragadile before they both landed behind it and let out a puff of fire from their mouths, striking the creature. It let out a cry and, to the dragons' surprise, it also began to change skin color a bit. It then looked to the stream and ran to it before jumping in. The stream wasn't deep enough for it to fully hide, but it was deep enough for it to keep most of its head in. The dragons then watched as its skin began returning to normal color but also as it passed out. "I don't get it. What happened?" Spike asked.

"Back in the dragon lands, those eels from the Gauntlet of fire can get out on the land for a time. But if they get too hot, they gotta get back in the water to keep their skin from getting fatally dry," Smolder said as she watched the cragadile sleep. "After giving some thought on this thing being made of wood and also living in water, I thought maybe it worked the same. If it got hit by enough heat, it would need to get moisture and get some sleep."

The two watched as the cragadile kept resting as the water from the stream ran over it. They then quietly flew off as to not wake the cragadile as Spike said, "I think this is what Gine meant by using what we have around us and what we can do to survive out here."

"I think you're right. And I guess Ocellus knew that we'd be able to handle the cragadile better than the others. Anyways, let's just hope the others are okay also."

With the last three, the Maulwurf was chasing after Silverstream, Gallus, and Ocellus while letting out a roar as they soon came out into a clearing in the forest. "So what do we do Ocellus? Because I have a feeling this thing isn't going to stop and let us rest!" Gallus said as they kept watching the Maulwurf chase after them.

"Yeah," Silverstream as she was starting to pant a bit as they kept flying from it. "Do you have a plan Ocellus?"

Ocellus looked around at the area they were in before an idea came to mind. "I'll keep it busy for a bit. In the meantime, find some vines." Ocellus said before she stopped.

"Vines? What are vines going to do?" Gallus asked.

"Just trust me," Ocellus said as she transformed into a bugbear and roared and flew off at the maulwurf. While Ocellus began fighting off against the creature, Gallus and Silverstream, though still confused, began flying off to look for some vines like Ocellus said.

"What do you think she has planned Gallus?" Silverstream asked while Ocellus flew right for the maulwurf. She bit down on its arm causing it to let out a roar before using its other arm to smack her away. It then tried to bite her with its beaver-like teeth before Ocellus countered by using her stinger to sting it in the head. It then grabbed her stinger and threw her to the side.

"I don't know but- Silverstream! Look out!" Gallus said as he watched Ocellus throw a tree at the maulwurf, which knocked it away in their direction. He quickly flew up and pushed her out of the way and had the tree knock him into the ground. Luckily, the tree didn't land on him, but it hitting him still made him hit the ground hard.

"Gallus!" Silverstream said as she flew down to check on him. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be okay. But," Gallus stopped when he spotted something. "Silverstream!"

Silverstream followed his gaze before she found what he was staring at. Hanging from the tree that was thrown were some fresh vines hanging from its many branches.

"VINES!!!"

The two quickly flew up to gather some of the vines from the branches. After thinking they had enough, they looked to see Ocellus was still holding off the maulwurf. However, they noticed something, rather than actually trying to fight it, they noticed it was more like she was pushing it somewhere. They looked further in the direction she was pushing it and soon spotted another gap in some of the trees, not too far from the bottom of a mountain. "Wait. I think I know what Ocellus wants us to do! Follow me!" Gallus said as he flew off toward the trees with Silverstream following until they landed at it.

"Now what?" Silverstream asked.

"Tie some of the vines together and then take the end of some of them to that tree while I take the other ends to that one," Gallus said pointing to two trees across from each other while he began doing as he said. After getting enough vines tied together, they both flew to their assigned trees and Gallus began tying his ends of the vines around the trunk of it with Silverstream soon copying him at her own tree. After making sure the vines were tied on tight enough, Gallus quickly looked back to Ocellus before shouting, "OCELLUS!!!"

The bugbear changeling looked to her friends before nodding. She watched as the maulwurf threw its claws at her and reverted to her normal form to dodge it. She then quickly turned back to her bugbear form and crashed right into the maulwurf, pushing it towards the vines. From the force of the crash, the maulwurf tripped behind the vines and the fall caused it to crash into the bottom of the nearby mountain, knocking it unconscious.

Ocellus then returned to her normal form again before flying down to meet up with the others where Silverstream pulled Gallus into a tight hug, making him blush. "We did it! We did it! We did it!"

"Heh, heh. Yeah," Gallus said, still blushing when Silverstream let go of him. "Looks like you had the right idea splitting up Ocellus."

"HEY!"

They turned to see the rest of their friends running to them. "Looks like we all took care of those animals, huh?" Smolder asked.

"Looks like it," Gallus said. "Anyways, I say we all get the stuff we gathered again and head back to the castle before those guys either wake up or find us again."

The group all nodded and ran off to gather what supplies they had before the animals attacked.

[Castle of the Two Sisters, 7:30 P.M.]

The group were all sitting back at the abandoned castle and were each digging into some of the fruit gathered by Ocellus, Sandbar, and Scootaloo. Luckily the three had gathered enough food to last them for the day and even when they got lower than they thought they would, they went out to get more, only this time, the whole group went as a way of keeping an eye out for predators again. "Wow. I thought this was gonna be tough. But that was way more than I expected," Gallus said as he wiped his head of sweat. "Still, why didn't Gine show up when those three monsters did?"

"Because you didn't need me."

The group all turned to see Gine land not too far from them, before setting Huck down. "You all did well today."

"What do you mean we didn't need you?!" Smolder yelled as she glared a bit at the Saiyan. "We could've been killed and you promised to protect us if we needed you to. But when those things showed up, you left us with them! Why?!"

"Like I said Smolder, you didn't need me," Gine said as she sat down before them with Huck sitting down beside her. "I said I'd step in if the situation absolutely required me too. But as I expected, you handled it on your own. You all used what you can do, each other, and what the forest provided you to survive against them. And you proved to be able to handle them on your own. So there was no reason for me to step in."

"But still," Yona started. "Why Saiyan still not help us at all?"

"Because, even though you're going to learn how to use ki, you may not always have me to protect you." Gine then began rubbing Huck's head. "If I had stepped in on your first day of training, then there's a possibility that you would've started depending too much on me to help you survive out here, and you wouldn't get better to where you need to in order to learn ki."

Despite how much they wanted to, the students couldn't find a reason to argue. If Gine had saved them today, then more than likely they wouldn't be trying as hard to in their training. "As I said, I'm training you the only way I know how to. And like the training I went through back on Planet Vegeta, it will be far from easy," Gine said as she picked up a fruit and began eating it.

The students soon realized what Gine was saying. She was trying to prepare them so they wouldn't rely on her unless they absolutely needed to. "So you making us rely on ourselves by not being around us?" Ocellus asked.

"Exactly."

Despite how much some of them wished it wasn't, Gine's logic was unarguable. "Wow. You really do know what you're doing huh Gine? It's almost like you've been through something similar," Silverstream said.

"As a matter of fact," Gine said with a chuckle. "I actually did go through something similar to it once."

This seemed to catch all of their attention. "Gine means she had to go through what we went through today?" Yona asked.

"I actually did once Yona. It was once on an incident between me and one of my squadmates, Fasha."

Flashback

In part of space, six Saiyan battle pods were flying through past many stars. Aboard these pods were Bardock, Tora, Borgos, Shugesh, Fasha, and of course, Gine. The pods were currently leaving a solar system from a mission. "Oh man, I could eat our whole planet out right now," Shugesh said.

"Those inhabitants weren't nearly as good, even cooked. No offense Gine," Tora said.

"None taken," Gine said as she watched some of the planets pass by before stretching as much as she could. "Still I agree with Shugesh. I could eat a ton right now myself. We've all been in hypersleep until now, I could go for as much fresh food as my stomach can hold. Maybe even have a drink or two."

Borgos laughed a bit at Gine's answer. "Wow, Gine. I'm starting to like you more and more."

Bardock sat back in his pod with his arms behind his head as a smirk came upon his face. "I'll admit everyone did good. And for that, the drinks are on me when we get back."

They all cheered from their coms but Gine was the first to notice Fasha remained quiet. "Fasha? You there?"

"Yeah. Yeah. You did a decent job rookie. But still, you still have a lot to work on," Fasha said with a scuff in her voice.

This caught Gine by surprise. She had been with her new squad for about a month now, and while she gained the respect of most of them, Fasha still seemed to give her a tough time. Gine didn't know what she had done to upset her, but she was determined to find out why. "Hey, Fasha? Why-?"

Gine was cut off when all of their pods' sensors began sounding off. Bardock looked to a computer on his pod before shouting, "Hang on guys! We've got a meteor shower coming in!"

They all soon felt their pods being knocked around by said rocks. Gine could see multiple ones from the window of her pod until she noticed one, larger than the others heading right for her pod. "Oh no!"

The meteor struck Gine's pod hard enough to send it flaring out of control, resulting in her also crashing into one of her teammates' pod. It resulted in them both spiraling out of control and began heading to a nearby planetoid. Gine held onto her pod for her life until she felt it finally jolt hard, resulting in a crash landing. Gine felt the surge of anxiety shoot through her from the crash for a moment before she sat up with her a hand over her head. "Ughhhh... Didn't need to feel that."

Gine then kicked the door to her pod open and stepped out. Luckily for her, she wasn't injured badly. However, her pod wasn't going anywhere. And Gine found out it wasn't the only thing damaged in the crash when she reached to the side of her head for her scouter. When she touched it, she pulled her hand back from the feeling and sounds of sparks from it. She pulled it off to show it was damaged badly, meaning she had no means of contacting the rest of her crew. But then she saw a trail of smoke from the air and remembered one of her teammates crashed with her. "Well, whoever took the fall with me hopefully has a working scouter."

Gine then took flight towards the smoke and not long after, she spotted the pod and as she descended, she saw who had crashed with her sitting nearby it. "Fasha!"

The only other female Saiyan of the squad looked up to see her before gaining a scowl on her face. "Oh great. I should've known it'd be you to cause this mess."

"First off, this isn't my fault Fasha. That meteor shower came out of nowhere and we just so happened to be the ones to take the most hits," Gine said as she landed beside her. "Secondly, and most importantly, does your scouter still work? Mine was damaged and if yours is functional, then we can contact Bardock and the others to send help. Unless your pod is working, despite its appearance."

"My pod's not going anywhere. And I can guess yours isn't either," Fasha said as she didn't even look at Gine. "And I'm way ahead of you on contacting the others. They're still heading to Vegeta as we speak. It'll still be a few hours before a ship can get here."

Gine was a little upset that Fasha wouldn't even look at her while she said this. She was about to speak until she heard rumbling around them, causing Fasha to get on her feet as it stopped not long after before she looked to Gine. "Tell me that was your stomach."

Gine shook her head before saying, "I was about to tell you the same thing."

Fasha then noticed Gine was looking at her a bit nervously. "There's something really bad behind me isn't there?"

Due to how unresponsive Gine was, Fasha turned around to see what was behind her. Towering over her was a creature similar to a giant a centiped with armor-like skin.

Similar to the look of Subterra Centipoid from the original Bakugan.

"Crater crawler! Look out!" Gine said before she ran over and moved herself and Fasha out of the creature's path right as it brought its head down to bite at Fasha. The two rolled over a bit to see the crawler look at them before more began bursting out of the ground as well. The two Saiyan women charged energy into their hands as they watched more of the crawlers surround them. "I thought crawlers didn't hunt in packs," said Gine.

"Tell them that!" Fasha said before one charged at her which she countered by blasting it right in the mouth, knocking it away with smoke in its mouth.

Another crawler charged at Gine, who did a screw kick to knock it away and then blasted another, with it letting out a screech. She then fired another blast at another, only for its back armor to block the shot, it then rose up to strike Gine from above but before it could, Gine blasted it in the stomach, knocking the creature out. "Fasha! Hit them from below!"

"Soft underbelly huh?" Fasha asked after knocking another out. She then flew to the air while dodging another's strike. She then watched as many of them looked to her while she smirked and charged more energy into her hands. "Let's see how ticklish!" Fasha said before firing multiple shots, each one striking a crawler in the stomach and knocking them unconscious. Before Fasha could react afterward, a crawler shot out underneath her and grabbed her by the leg. Fasha let out a scream as the creature drove its fangs into her leg before it swung her around before throwing her to the ground.

"Fasha!" Gine began to fly towards her right before a crawler wrapped around her. Gine watched as another crawler moved towards the downed Fasha. Gine then let out a yell as she charged her power enough to break free of the creature's grasp. She then charged forward and right as the incoming crawler was about to close its fangs on Fasha, but in the nick of time, Gine appeared in front of it and blasted it in the mouth and rendered it unconscious. Fasha then felt herself begin to pass out as Gine kept blasting more and more crawlers away.

[Two Hours Later]

Fasha soon awoke to find herself sitting by a fire, she attempted to stand only to fall back a bit again when she felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg. She then looked to see she had some makeshift bandages around her wound. "What the-?"

"Look who's awake."

Fasha looked up to see Gine walk towards her with food in her hands. She then threw one down by her before sitting down and started eating. She looked to see Fasha looked at her with a stern look on her face. "What?"

"Do you expect a thank you?"

"No," Gine said as she continued eating. "I just expect us to stick here while we wait for Bardock and the others come back with another ship to get us home."

"How do you know that?"

"While you were out, I managed to get in contact with them with your scouter after getting us here. Turns out we crash-landed on a planetoid called Vampa. Real nasty place with all kinds of creatures. This cave we're in is the safest place. You might wanna eat as well. It'll be a couple of hours before the others get here so you're gonna wanna keep your strength up if you want to get that leg healed."

Fasha looked down at the food passed to her by Gine before reluctantly picking it up and eating. "Whatever."

After they both finished eating, Gine started a fire and the two just sat their silent. They just watched the flames crackle and spark a bit before Fasha decided to break the silence. "Why?"

"What?" Gine asked with confusion.

"Why? Did you even bother with me? With how I've been treating you, I thought you'd hate me enough to leave me behind for those things to snack on."

"Well, then you don't know me well enough Fasha."

This statement caught Fasha by surprise as Gine continued, "Yeah. You have given me a hard time, much like the squads I've been on in the past. But the difference is unlike them, you and the others actually act as a real team. Despite how much you and I haven't gotten along, you still watch my back like the others. That's one of the reasons why I want to stay part of your squad. Because for the first time, I feel like I belong to a real squad."

Fasha let Gine's words sink in before she smirked a bit. "You know rookie. You're right. I didn't know you well enough. You actually do have more confidence than I thought at first."

Before the two could continue their chat, they heard the sound of a space engine before looking to see one the Saiyan ships land not too far away. Gine smiled before supporting Fasha with her arm over her shoulder and walked her to the ship.

'We both got back to Planet Vegeta, and after getting Fasha patched up, things changed for the better between the two of us.'

Gine was walking through the halls of the Saiyan soldier command area. She was scanning her surroundings when she accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh. Sorry about that."

She looked forward to view see who she had bumped into and was not happy to see who it was. It was a large, bald, male Saiyan with a scar over his right cheek. And to make matters worse, it was a Saiyan that was a former commander of her. "Vocado."

"Well, well. Look at this. The runt weakling runt who I got rid of is still hanging around here. You mean they put you on another squad to get kicked off of?" Vocado asked with a smug grin on his face. Gine simply rolled her eyes and tried to walk around him but Vocado stepped in front of her and made her groan.

"Please move aside Vocado."

"Or what? You gonna move me yourself?" Vocado chuckled before holding his finger out in her face.

Suddenly another hand reached out of nowhere and clenched Vocado's hand and twisted his finger and made him fall back clenching his hand.

"Back off my teammate." The two looked to see Fasha had been the one who snapped Vocado's finger. "Now get lost before I do some more damage."

Vocado groaned before reluctantly leaving the two women. Gine then noticed a small scar on Fasha's leg. "Nice addition."

"Yeah," Fasha said before chuckling. "Well as much as I hate to admit, if it hadn't been for you, it would've been a lot worse."

"That's what teammates are for."

"Yeah, you got that right." Fasha then walked over and put an arm over Gine's shoulder before leading her down the hall. "You got more spirit than I thought Gine. I may not like a whole lot yet, but you do have my respect. So as thanks for saving my ass, how about some food for both of us... On me."

Gine smiled before holding up her fist and said, "Sounds good to me... Teammate."

Fasha chuckled before giving her a fist bump. "Come on rookie. I got some stuff to teach you afterward."

Flashback ends

"And after that, Fasha and I grew more and more respect for each other until eventually, we were practically sisters," said Gine as she took a bite out of some fruit.

Smolder took a bite out of an apple before saying, "Wow. Sounds like you and Fasha took a lot of time getting along but it was worth it in the end."

Gine smiled before saying, "That's why I had you all work on your own. Fasha had to learn that I did have a job on the team and I was going to fulfill it just like your job to fulfill today was working with one another and looking out for each other. And you all passed. Keep that up and the first phase of your training will be no problem."

Gine then took a sip of some of the water Silverstream gathered for them all before laying back. "Now get some sleep. You're going to need to keep that up for a while and you'll need your strength."

"We won't let you down Gine. Right guys?" Ocellus asked.

The rest of the group nodded with determined looks on their faces. Gine smiled at hearing this while Huck snuggled up to her. "That's what I love to hear."

Everyone then finished their food, laid down, and let sleep overtake them, ready to start the next day coming soon.

Lessons & Memories Part 3

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After about a month of doing nothing but surviving out in the wilderness of the Everfree Forest, the students were getting the hang of avoiding and dealing with the wild creatures within the area. They were learning how to see, smell, hear, and taste far better than they had ever before. Lately, to help motivate them, Gine would be the first to awaken and leave the campsite with Huck before anyone else. And as she hoped, this helped motivate them to not rely on her better and cause them to focus on relying on themselves and each other. Gine was a little surprised by how quickly they progressed. She had expected it to take them a bit longer, but the young group had advanced their senses in practically no time. They were having little to no trouble surviving on their own now, meaning she knew it was only a matter of time before they were ready for the next phase of their training.

[Everfree Forest, Castle of the Two Sisters, 8:07 A.M.]

The sun began to rise over the horizon onto the abandoned castle where the students laid asleep. The sun continued rising until the light managed to shine over the old castle wall and onto Gallus first, who began to open his eyes and sat up, yawning and stretching for a moment before jumping to his feet. "Alright, guys. Up and at'em. Let's get some breakfast and see what happens today."

The others began to wake up from Gallus's wake up call and did the same as he did, stretched for a moment before hopping to their feet as well. Spike extended his wings to get the blood flowing as he popped his knuckles a bit. "I agree. We can't start another day of training on an empty stomach."

Smolder did a couple of stretches as well before looking to them with a glum look. "I'm all for getting some food, but I'm ready for something new. I mean it was cool at first learning to deal with the creatures around here on our own, but now it's kinda gotten boring."

Yona began to shake a little to get the dust out of her fur from the floor. "Yona agree. Yona want something new to happen. Maybe something that really make yak stronger."

Ocellus stood up and buzzed her wings a bit to wake them up. "I'm sure we're all ready for something new. But we gotta remember Gine knows what she's doing. And I'm sure she'll show us what to do next when we're ready."

"Ocellus is right," Sandbar said while popping his arm a bit. "Besides, if the surviving on our own is the first part, I can't imagine what could be tougher."

Silverstream flew around a bit before landing on the ground with a giddy smile. "Oh, I can't wait. I wonder if she'll teach us how to do the cool strikes or something just as cool."

"You're not quite ready for that yet Silverstream." Everyone was taken by surprise when a pile of fruit was dropped in front of them. They all looked up to see Gine land beside it with Huck by her side. "Hope you all are hungry."

Gine picked up a piece of fruit and broke it in half, feeding part of it to Huck, while she took a bite of the other half. As she kept taking bites, she noticed the students looked at her with confusion. "What? You guys not hungry?"

"It's just..." Ocellus started, "We just didn't expect this. We've been gathering our own for the past month and..."

Spike finished for her with, "We thought we'd have to do it through all of the time we were out here."

"And you will," Gine said as she finished the fruit she had. "But I thought I'd make an exception for today."

The rest of the group started grabbing fruit to eat while Smolder asked, "Why? What makes today so special?"

Gine smiled as she bit into an apple. "Because I'm happy to say. You all are ready for the next step of your training."

This caused everyone's heads to shoot up the moment those words left Gine's mouth. "For real?"

"Yes, Scootaloo. To be honest, you all progressed far quicker than I thought. You've gotten to the point where you have no trouble handling what the Everfree Forest throws at you. Don't get the wrong idea, you'll still have to handle surviving against those animals on your own while we're still out there. But now, we can add the next step to your current routine. Now that you've gotten mentally stronger, it's time to get you physically stronger."

Yona was eating a load of fruit, slinging juices a bit around before swallowing and looking to the Saiyan. "You mean we get to start getting as strong as Gine?"

"Yep. But we'll worry about that later," Gine said as she finished another piece of fruit before throwing the core down where Huck ate on it like a bone. "After breakfast, I want you all to get what you've gathered from here and pack up."

This caught everyone by surprise. "Are we heading back to the castle already?" Silverstream asked.

"No. To train physically, we're going to need somewhere better suited than this abandoned castle. And while you all have been sharpening your instincts, I've been searching for a new spot that will be best for gaining more physical strength. And luckily, I found just the right spot."

"Really? Where?"

"I'll show you as soon as you've all eaten and packed up. We'll head out soon after."

The students all agreed and continued eating. After they were done, the students all gathered what they've found around the castle to use as resources and stored them in their packs. Scootaloo was almost more excited than anyone else. "I can't believe it. We're starting to get closer to the cool stuff."

"Scootaloo right." Yona gathered some of the wood and other things she found around the castle for some smashing fun. "Gine getting us closer to Yona becoming strongest yak!"

Silverstream was gathering the water for them all in her pack. "I can't wait to see where our new spot will be. I hope it's nice since we're going to start doing more physical work."

"Come on guys," Gallus said as he finished his packing. "It's Gine. She said she'd be tough on us, but she's still not gonna go crazy on us."

"You're right Gallus," Sandbar said as he finished putting his armor on. "Gine knows what she's doing to train us. I'm sure she has the best plans for us. We'll just have to let her show us what they are."

"But she can't if we don't get moving already," Smolder said. "Let's go."

They all finished packing and headed out to where Gine was waiting for them with Huck by her side. "Everyone ready?"

They all responded with nods before Gine smiled. "Alright. Then let's head out. Follow me. We're going to be moving through the forest to get there so remember to keep alert."

With that, Gine began walking with Huck and the students following behind her. Gine kept her ki sensing sharp. She wanted to help the students avoid any predators that might try to attack while leading them to their next training spot. For now, she couldn't sense many around them, and those she could sense seemed too small to be a threat. Ocellus walked ahead of the others to Gine's side. "So how far is our new spot Professor Gine?"

Gine chuckled a bit at Ocellus' formalities. "Just Gine is fine Ocellus. I may be your teacher right now, but you don't have to give me that title. As for your question, I'd say it'll be about a 3-mile distance. So as long as we just keep a reasonable pace, it should take us... Maybe an hour or a little over to reach it. Why?"

"Just curious about how long we might be out here... With all kinds of animals. I mean I know we've gotten better at handling creatures from the forest without having to rely on you to step in, but we've always been within a good distance of our site at the abandoned castle. And I've read that the real dangerous creatures of the forest live deeper in than we've really gone. I guess I'm just a little concerned."

Gine smiled at Ocellus. "Why do you think I'm walking instead of flying? Before I came to wake you all and bring you that food, I looked over the routes between the castle and our new training area to give you all the best way that avoids most of the creatures in this part of the forest. And to also be on the safe side, I decided to walk with you to lead the way and to handle whatever's out there in case something decides to get too close that you guys aren't ready to handle yet. So to put it simply, I've here to watch your backs."

Ocellus smiled a little in relief knowing Gine would help them get to their new location safely. For a while, they all just kept moving, following Gine as she leads the way and slowing down some times and from time to time, stopping to allow everyone to catch their breaths. Things were going smoothly, until...

*Rustle*

Gallus turned his head a bit at the small sound he heard. He looked around but couldn't spot anything and kept moving until he heard a stick snap, causing him to stop. While Gine had said the way they were going was supposed to avoid anything dangerous, thanks to their training with their senses, Gallus couldn't help but feel something was watching them. "Hey, Gine?"

"Yes, Gallus?"

"Are you sensing anything nearby? I don't know why, but I'm starting to get a bad feeling."

Gine stopped, causing everyone else to do the same. Gine gained a serious look as she started focusing on her senses while looking around them. She continued this for a moment before looking to her right. "You're right Gallus. We're not alone. I'm sensing a large body of energy."

This made the students a little nervous. Sure they've handled some of the animals on their own for the past month, but as Ocellus said, in this deeper part of the Everfree Forest, there were animals more dangerous than the ones they dealt with. Silverstream looked to Gine. "What do we do?"

Gine looked around a bit more before replying, "Whatever it is, we wait for it to make the next move. Once that happens, you all make a break for it while I keep it busy." Gine then looked to Huck. "Huck. While I'm taking care of it, you lead the others through here okay?"

Huck whimpered a bit at Gine's request but nodded to her none the less. They all stood still until...

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGG!"

Gine quickly moved and grabbed Scootaloo right as a half-cow, half-snake creature jumped from the cover of the forest. It turned to the group with a harsh glare as it raised is hooves with another roar. It licked its fangs with hunger as it appeared it had found its next meal. Ocellus was the first to speak afterward, "It's an Ophiotaurus. I read they're one of the most dangerous creatures since their both quick and strong."

"All of you! Follow Huck!"

The students nodded and took off running behind the Timberwolf. The ophiotaurus made an attempt to lung at them but Gine grabbed it by its tail and swung it back. "Not so fast big guy. You want something to eat, let's see if you can handle something with a strong taste."

The Ophiotaurus roared in defiance before charging at Gine. It lowered its horns to pierce Gine, with the Saiyan catching its horns and skidding back a bit. Gine then did a flip to kick the predator in the chin. She then dodged a swing of its hoof before jumping to dodge a swing of its tail before she landed behind it and gave it a kick from behind that pushed it into a tree. It shook its head before glaring at Gine who smirked a bit. "Come on big guy. Show me what you've got."

The animal then charged at Gine again with the Saiyan dodging the beast's fangs as it tried to bite her. She kept dodging as it pushed her back. Gine quickly dodged another bite before jumping over it where she grabbed its tail and began spinning it around and threw it back into the forest. "Sorry fella. But looks like you're not that good by yourself."

Not long after Gine said that she began hearing more hisses from the area around her. She looked around to see more Ophiotauruses emerging from the woods, all hissing and baring their fangs at her. "Unless, of course, you weren't alone."

All of the animals began charging at Gine as she put up her guard and said, "Looks like I'm in for a rumble."

Meanwhile, the students were still following Huck. Silverstream looked behind them out of caution and asked, "Do you think Gine is okay guys?"

"I wouldn't worry Silverstream," Gallus said. "This is Gine we're talking about. If anyone can handle an Orphiotaurus, it's her."

The students kept running with Huck until he began to slow down. After moving a bit further, they came to a stop. As they began catching their breaths, Sandbar noticed where they were. "Dude..."

The others looked as well and were also surprised. The area had liquid rainbow waterfalls running down into a stream and a small pond. It also had a small hut in the middle of the area, many trees and plants growing around, and a high view of many areas nearby. Ocellus shook of how amazing the area looked before saying, "We... We're in Winsome Falls."

"Winsome Falls?" Smolder asked.

"Yeah. I read about it Headmare Twilight's history class," Ocellus said. "It's one of the most beautiful places in Equestria."

"I'll say." Silverstream looked around in her cheerful attitude. "Auntie Novo would love to see this place."

"Glad you like it."

The students turned to see Gine land nearby. "Because this is going to be your new training grounds."

"Really?" Ocellus asked.

"Yep," Gine said. "Like I said, you're going to be improving your physical strength now. And I have some exercises in mind that will be perfect for this area."

"Wow! This is going to be great!" Silverstream yelled out.

"Now then, hope you're all ready to start your first exercise," Gine said.

The students all nodded eagerly before Scootaloo asked, "What are we going to do first? Punching? Kicking?"

"Sorry, Scootaloo. That won't be until later on. For now, your first exercise will be a bit different. It'll both improve your physical strength. It will also rely on how well you all can work together."

Gine then walked over to the pond and reached into the water. The group waited for a moment until Gine pulled out a large boulder with eight ropes tied to it. "This will be your first challenge."

"A boulder?" Gallus asked.

"Yes Gallus," Gine said. "Each one of you are going to take one of the eight ropes tied to it and as a group, your first test will be to pull this boulder."

"Pull it where?" Spike asked.

They then watched as Gine pointed up until she was pointing at the top of the rainbow waterfall. "Up there."

"WHAT?!" The whole group asked at once.

"You heard me right," Gine said passing them each a piece of the rope.

"But why do we have to do that? Isn't that a little extreme?" Smolder asked.

"It's a means to show me how far off your bodies are until they'll be ready to handle ki, Smolder," Gine said.

"What Gine mean?" Yona asked.

"It's simple, Yona. Until you're able to pull this boulder up to the top of the waterfall, your bodies won't be physically strong enough to handle tapping into to ki. So, hope you're all ready to climb."

The group looked to the ropes hesitantly for a moment before Gine said, "The sooner you start, the sooner we can move on. Oh. And no using wings."

The group then did as Gine said and began tying parts of the ropes around their shoulders. They began walking while Gine pulled the rock with them until they were at the bottom of the falls. They all stood looking straight up for a moment until Spike said, "Okay guys. Let's do this."

They all nodded and started climbing. Instantly, they felt liquid rainbow pouring down on them as they climbed. They were doing their best to keep any from getting in their eyes while also being careful not to slip. Gine watched from the bottom with Huck sitting beside her. He looked up at her with a small whimper. "Don't worry Huck. If they slip and fall, I'll catch them. Right now I'm just seeing how far their bodies are right now."

The group continued climbing and were soon carrying the boulder off of the ground with them, making their climb even more difficult. "Okay. Not as easy as I originally thought," Gallus said.

"Yona agree. This very tough even for yak," Yona said.

"Slow and steady guys," Spike said as he felt himself struggling with the climb as well.

Ocellus was steadily climbing as best as she could until she felt her hand slipping on one of the edges she reached for. "Oh no."

Right then, Ocellus fell off passed the boulder, and with the rope that she was tied to, she began pulling the others back and made them struggle to hang on. However, with the waterfall beating down on them and making their grips become slippery, they all soon lost their grip and went falling down as well.

Not long after they began falling, they suddenly found themselves coming to a stop. They looked up to see Gine holding the rock which left them hanging. Gine then carried the rock over to the ground and placed it down beside the group. She watched as the students began untying the ropes from the shoulders. Gine smiled as she lowered herself back to the ground in front of them and said, "Well. I've got an idea of how far along you all are."

"Are we close?" Scootaloo asked with a hopeful voice.

"Unfortunately... You all still have a way to go," Gine said. "You weren't even able to get the boulder very far off of the ground after you began lifting it. And like I said until you're all able to lift that up the waterfall as a group, your bodies won't be ready to tap into ki."

This made the students' spirits drop a little. They had been hoping they had gotten closer than that. "So what do we do now?" Sandbar asked.

Gine took a moment to think before she said, "Simple. We're going to get your bodies stronger until you're able to do it."

"How do we do that?" Silverstream asked.

"By using gravity," Gine said as she walked over to them. "You see when I was training out here on my own, I had a device from Discord to help me train physically. A device that allowed me to increase the amount of gravity pushing down on me. Kinda like weight lifting without the actual weights."

"So?" Smolder asked.

"So, when Rarity and Twilight made your armor, I asked Twilight if she could make more with her magic. And luckily she did," Gine then walked over to the hut and pulled out a bag she brought. From the bag, she pulled out eight copies of the device she used to train. "As you're climbing, you'll each have one of these attached to the back of your armor. They'll be set to increase the amount of gravity around you individually."

Gine began putting a device on the back of each student's armor. As she was doing so, Sandbar asked, "How high did you reach when you trained with it, Gine?"

"Me? I reached about 50 times the gravity of your world," Gine said, making the students a bit nervous. "But don't worry, I'm not going to make you try and go that high. Your still beginners. So for now, you'll be starting small."

"How much is small?" Scootaloo asked.

"For now, we'll start you off at about 4X normal gravity," Gine said as she began adjusting and turning on each device. The instant they were activated, the students all felt like a ton of weight had been thrown onto them. "For the rest of your training, you'll do what you've been doing so far along with the exercises, all while these devices are activated on your armor. And as you get used to one setting of gravity, you'll have it increased. I'm still coming up with exercises for you all to do as well, so just a warning, be ready for anything."

This made the students sweat a little as Ocellus asked, "So... How high of a gravity level are you going to have us try and reach?"

"To get you strong enough to handle ki," Gine began. "I'm going to get you up to 10X normal gravity."

Gine then pointed to a hill. This one didn't have a waterfall and was smaller than the one they tried to climb. "Now let's get started. That hill will be your first exercise to start things off."

"What? You mean we're going to do more climbing while these things increase our weight?" Gallus asked.

"Yes Gallus," Gine said.

"Are you crazy? We'll never make it up there with 4X our weight," Smolder said.

"You sure about that?" Gine said as she turned around to show she was also wearing a device on her back. Only unlike theirs, hers was set at 55X normal gravity. "Like you all, I've been working myself out here as well. And last I was out here, I stopped at 50X normal gravity. So right now, I'm adding an extra 5X gravity to my workout."

"But you're still moving around so easily," Silverstream said.

"Because I kept practicing," Gine said. "And that's why I'm having you do this. Slow and steady. Now get to climbing."

The students looked at each other for a moment before they all walked to the hill and started climbing. While not as heavy as with the boulder, they all could feel heavier due to the gravity device on their backs. They began slowly climbing up the hill. Gine stood by watching and said, "I'll be waiting until you all reach the top. Then we'll talk about what's next."

Gine then walked off with Huck beside her, leaving the students to their exercise.

"I'm starting to get the feeling she's trying to kill us," Smolder said.

"I'm with ya," Gallus said, wishing he could use his wings. "I'm starting to wonder if there's even a point to all of this."

"Come on guys," Ocellus said as she struggled to reach a ledge to grab onto. "Headmare Twilight and the other professors trust her. So I think that's good enough for us to trust that she knows what she's doing."

Gallus reached a ledge and began trying to pull himself up. "I sure hope you're right Ocellus."

They all kept climbing for a while until they all reached the top where they rolled over onto their backs, trying to catch their breaths. Gine soon landed beside them with a smile on her face. "Not bad. You all did good."

"Just glad we don't have to do it again," Gallus said, exhausted.

"Who said you didn't?" Gine asked.

This made them all look to her with Spike asking, "You mean we'll have to do that again?"

"Yep," Gine said. "For the rest of the time that we'll be out here training, climbing this hill will be one of your routine exercises."

"You're serious?" Gallus asked.

"I most certainly am," Gine said. "Now it's time for your next exercise."

"Can't we have a moment to rest?" Scootaloo asked.

“Sure,” Gine said. “After your next exercise.”

“What?” Ocellus asked, exhausted.

“Don’t worry, after this one, you’ll have a chance to get some food and relax for a bit,” Gine said. “But for now. Let me show you what your next test will be.”

She walked over to the altar where she left her bag. Not long after, she came back and the group was confused when she came back holding a small test tube with a cork on the top. Inside the tube were eight green pellets.

“Pellets?” Sandbar asked.

“What pellets for Gine?” Yona asked.

“Just watch,” Gine said.

They then watched as Gine knelt down and began poking holes in the ground. Gine then put a pellet in each hole before covering them up. She then pulled out another bottle with a green liquid inside. She poured a tiny bit of the liquid on each spot before looking to the group. “You might wanna take a couple of steps back,” Gine said doing so herself.

The group did as she said and backed away from the spot where Gine planted the pellets. They waited for a moment for something to happen until the ground began to shake a little. It then started to crack and rise until…

BOOM!

From the ground where the pellets were planted exploded and shot up a cloud of dust and dirt. The students watched as the cloud grew a bit and not long after, they began to notice silhouettes forming as the dust began to fade. When it faded enough, the group couldn’t believe their eyes.

Standing there were eight strange looking creatures. Each one was short, bald, had red eyes, three sharp claws on each hand and foot, and were letting out high pitch screech like noises as they looked around. Their sights soon turned onto the group before gaining malicious looks. The group started to look at them in fear as the creatures appeared to be preparing to bounce on them. Just as the creatures were about to do so…

“SAIBAMEN!”

The creatures, now known as Saibamen turned to see Gine looking at them with a stern and strict glare. “Front and center!” Gine yelled.

To the students’ surprise, the Saibamen instantly did as they were told before lining up in front of Gine. Each one stood at attention, waiting for Gine to speak. “That’s better. Now let me get this clear. You don’t do anything to the group before you unless I say so. Understood?”

The Saibamen frantically nodded before Gine continued, “Now then. To start off, there will be no killing. And no attempts at injuries. Understood?”

The Saibamen began screeching annoying and defiantly until Gine charged some energy into her hand, making them quickly silence themselves. “Do I need to repeat myself?” Gine asked. The Saibamen quickly shook their heads in response.

This surprised the students. The Saibamen seemed ready to tear up anything in sight after they sprouted from the ground, but Gine was able to intimidate them and keep them in line like children.

“Freaky little things,” Smolder said.

“Everyone. Come here please,” Gine said.

The students looked to the Saibamen with worry until Gine said, “It’s okay. They won’t hurt you while I’m here.” Gine gave the Saibamen a strict look before asking in an intimidating tone, “Right?”

The Saibamen quickly nodded out of fear in response. After that, the students slowly walked to Gine and the Saibamen. Gine then walked to the altar again to pick up her bag and began pulling out wrist covers with numbers one through eight on each one.

“Saibamen. Hold out your arms,” Gine said. The Saibamen each held out their right arm in front of them. Gine walked by each of them and placed a wrist cover on each Saibaman’s wrist. After each Saibaman had a wrist cover, Gine looked to the students and said, “For the rest of your training. These Saibamen are going to be your partners.”

“You’re not gonna make us fight them are you?” Scootaloo asked.

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen for a while,” Gine said. “For now. I want each of you to pick a Saibaman.”

The students looked at the Saibamen before they approached them and began choosing. Ocellus took Saibaman 1, Gallus took 2, Silverstream went with 3, Smolder went with 4, Yona went with 5, Scootaloo took 6, Sandbar took 7, and Spike took 8.

“So if we’re not gonna fight them, what are we going to do?” Spike asked.

“For now, your next exercise will be a bit simpler. You’re going to catch your respected Saibaman.” Gine said before looking at the Saibamen. “All of you. Take off running. And no flying.”

The Saibamen nodded before they began running. Gine then said, “For the next challenge, as I said, all you have to do is catch your chosen Saibaman.”

“Seriously?” Smolder asked.

“Yes. Seriously. Good luck,” Gine said walking to Huck and sitting down beside him. “Don’t think it’ll be easy. Saibamen may be small, but they’re strong and fast. So you might want to get started.”

The students looked at each other in confusion for a moment before doing as Gine said and took off running after their respected Saibamen. Ocellus ran after Saibaman 1 as he was a ways ahead of her. She was panting hard as she started running faster to reach him. However, Saibaman 1 did a small skip and Ocellus found out why when she accidentally tripped on a rock and fell facedown. She looked up and saw her Saibaman was still running making her groan and say, “I just started and this already feels impossible to do.”

Yona ran after Saibaman 5 with still ahead of her. Yona was doing her best to try and catch up to him and looked at him with a look of determination. “Yona will catch little green man.”

Saibaman 5 kept running and before Yona could react, he jumped up and started climbing the hill and caused Yona to run into it and get her horns stuck. Yona struggled to pull her horns free with a groan and eventually pulled free and fell on her butt with a groan as she looked up to see Saibaman 5 still climbing. “Saibaman won’t get away from Yona so easily!”

Gallus was chasing Saibaman 2 while the little green creature still remained ahead of him. “Come here you little thing!” Gallus yelled. Gallus kept running as fast as he could to catch up as Saibaman 2 headed for a tree. Gallus kept running and thought he was about to reach him, only for the Saibaman to duck and made Gallus run into a branch that knocked him to the ground. “Why you little-!” Gallus yelled before getting up and running after him again.

Sandbar chased after Saibaman 7. The Saibaman ran for the water stream with Sandbar following as fast as he could. “I’m gonna catch you!” Sandbar yelled.

“You’re not gonna get away from me,” Scootaloo said while chasing Saibaman 6, who was also heading for the stream. Scootaloo ran hard, panting like crazy as she did. When Saibaman 6 and Saibaman 7 both reached the stream, they both jumped over Scootaloo and Sandbar and made them both crash into each other headfirst. They both fell to the ground from bumping their heads and groaned from the pain. The two Saibamen looked at the two in amusement while they both got up and began chasing after them again.

Silverstream was chasing after Saibaman 3 while he ran for part of the forest for cover. Silverstream kept running after him and attempted to make a grab for him but missed. She then chased after him more as he ran for a boulder before using it to jump over her and run in the opposite direction. This made Silverstream skid to a halt and trip over the boulder he used to jump with. “You won’t get away from me Saibaman!”

Smolder ran after Saibaman 4 while running as fast as she could. Given the gravity device on her armor, she was unable to fly after him so running was her only option to try and catch him. She ran as fast as she could and closed the distance between them a little before she jumped and attempted to grab him, but Saibaman 4 ducked and ran under her in the opposite direction, making her fall to the ground. She lifted her head and spot out some grass before glaring at the back of the running Saibaman. “You won’t get away from this dragon pal!” Smolder yelled as she quickly got up and kept running after him.

Spike was chasing Saibaman 8. He took a sharp right to turn around and chase after the little green creature. He then, to his luck, began to close the distance between them and right as he was about to make a grab, Saibaman 8 evaded him by running up a tree and make Spike run into the tree. Spike fell down on his tail before looking up to see Saibaman 8 looking down at him while laughing at him making Spike yell, “Laugh it up you little freak!”

Gine watched with Huck as the group continued trying to catch their Saibamen. Huck looked to Gine in confusion before she rubbed his head and said, “Trust me, Huck. I know what I’m making them do may not make sense for now, but they will see soon.”

Huck remained silent for a bit before laying his head back down. For about the next week, the students were having to try and catch their Saibamen. They kept trying and trying, with the Saibamen finding ways to evade them. Gine continued watching on with interest as they appeared to be learning from each attempt. Gine sat on top of the hill, watching with Huck as the students chased the Saibamen. But this time, it appeared they were guiding the Saibamen somewhere. The students continued chasing them and Gine soon noticed as the Saibamen were running towards each other without them realizing it. However, when they did realize it, it was too late. They tried to stop with a few skids, but when they did, the students each made a grab and held their respected Saibaman in their hands.

“Alright!” Smolder yelled out.

“Yona and friends finally catch Saibamen!” Yona yelled out afterward.

“Yeah! We did it!” Silverstream yelled out as well.

“Good job. All of you,” Gine said as she landed beside them all.

“So what now?” Spike asked as he and the other let the Saibamen go.

“You’re going to catch them again,” Gine said.

This shocked the students. They had just spent a whole week trying to catch the Saibamen and now Gine was going to have them do it again?

“You can’t be serious,” Smolder said.

“I am. But this time, your gravity devices will be set to 5X normal gravity,” Gine said.

“Oh come on!” Spike said.

“Yep. It wasn’t gonna get any easier.” Gine said.

“That’s it!!!” Gallus shouted as he pulled his armor off and threw it on the ground, surprising everyone. He then walked right up to Gine and glared as he said, “We were hoping doing this with you during the summer would be us learning how to do the things you can do like you said. But so far, all you’ve done is work us to death. I’m done with this! I thought you’d know what you’re doing since our teachers trust you, but it seems to me you don’t know anything about teaching us!”

Gallus then walked past Gine as he said, “I’m going back to the castle. Maybe I can enjoy what little time of the summer is left.”

The others watched in shock and worry as Gallus walked off. But before any of them could try and say anything to stop him…

“GALLUS!”

The students flinched and Gallus stopped walking when Gine yelled out his name. Gallus turned around to see Gine’s back still to him before she slowly turned around and looked straight to him. The others backed away as there was nothing but silence for a moment. Gine then held out her hand and pointed to the ground in front of her and said, “Come here.”

The others watched nervously and in suspense as Gallus remained where he was for a moment before sighing and did as Gine said. He walked up to her and stopped in front of her, looking at the ground. The two stood in silence for a moment before Gallus decided to say, “Look. I’m sorry Gine. I just- WHAAAA!!!”

Gallus was cut off from having to move and avoid a sudden punch thrown by Gine, shocking the others. Gine then threw a right cross with Gallus moved back to dodge as well. Gine then threw a left cross, which Gallus quickly moved to dodge as well. He then moved to dodge a left jab thrown by Gine. The others watched as Gallus continued to back away and dodge Gine, none able to move or do anything. Gallus then ducked to dodge a kick before moving to the left to avoid a right jab. He then found his back to a tree and ducked to avoid a kick from Gine that was strong enough to break the tree in half. Gallus was on his back on the ground and moved away from Gine while she stood there with her back to him. Gallus got to his feet and shouted, “Are you crazy!? What was that about!?”

Gine remained where she was in silence while Gallus looked to the others, who were looking in shock, not at Gine, but at him. “What?”

“How easy was that Gallus?” Gine asked.

“What?” Gallus asked confused.

Gine turned around to look at him, but her expression was calm as she asked, “Dodging my attacks. How easy was it?”

Gallus then realized what she meant. “I… I…”

“You remember the spar I had with the guards back in Canterlot? Well right then, I was using the same amount of power I used to take down Garble. Matter of fact, while it wasn’t anywhere close to my full power, it still would’ve been enough to do a lot of damage. So I’ll ask again. How easy was it to dodge every one of those attacks?”

“It… Wasn’t hard at all,” Gallus said, shocked.

“And now you see why I’m making you do what you’re doing. Chasing your Saibaman in 4X normal gravity has made you much stronger and faster than before,” Gine said.

Gine then walked over and held out her hand to Gallus. Gallus looked at her hand for a moment before taking it and allowed her to help him up. He then looked to the ground in regret as he said, “I’m… I’m sorry Gine. I didn’t mean to get so upset. I just-.”

Gallus stopped talking when Gine put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay Gallus. You learn from your mistakes. But now you see why I’m making you do these things. It’s to help you get strong enough for your bodies to learn to tap into and handle ki. But along with that, I told Twilight I would teach you all about trust. So now I’m asking you, do you trust me enough when I say I’m doing this stuff so you can be ready?”

Gallus remained silent for a moment before looking to Gine and nodding which made Gine say, “Good. Now come back over here with the others.”

Gallus followed Gine back to the group as they looked at him with amazement. Gine then said, “Now then. As I said, you’ll be working to chase and catch your Saibamen again, but next time, it’ll be with 5X gravity. But that won’t be until tomorrow. Since you’ve all been working so hard for the past week, you have the rest of the day to relax. Do what you want. Enjoy yourselves.”

“Really?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yep. That’s an important step. You need to take breaks from time to time after gaining new limits. If you don’t, your bodies can’t adjust to those new limits, making all your hard work a waste,” Gine said.

This took everyone by surprise but didn’t argue. They all ran off to the falls to enjoy themselves. The Saibamen looked to Gine before she said, “You guys too. Revert to your pellet state and take it easy.”

The Saibamen screeched happily before doing as Gine said and they all reverted to their pellet forms. Gine picked up each one and placed them back in their test tube. She then walked off to join the students as they enjoyed the free time they were given.

Later that night, they all once again sat at a fire, enjoying whatever food they gathered, making jokes and having fun. While they ate and had fun, Gallus turned to Gine with an apologetic look. “Gine? I’m really sorry about earlier. I should’ve trusted you.”

“Don’t worry about it Gallus. You just needed to take time to understand why I’m doing what I’m doing to train you,” Gine said with a smile. “Trust me. I know how it can feel.”

“You do?” Gallus asked.

“Yeah. I do,” Gine said. “Before we were mates, Bardock was more than just my squad captain. He was also my teacher. And let me tell you, compared to what he put me through, the work you had to go through would be a walk in the park?”

This caught everyone by surprise. They had to spend at least a week until they were able to catch their Saibamen, along with the additional exercises. And Gine was saying the way Bardock trained her was much harder. Yona asked, “Gine mean Bardock made Gine do much harder things?”

“That’s right Yona,” Gine said with a chuckle. “Bardock was hard. He never held back on training any of us in the squad when we needed it. He was determined to push us to our limits and beyond. Hell, I remember the first time I asked him to help me improve.”

“Oh. Story time!” Silverstream said, making them all focus on Gine, resulting in her giggling.

“Alright. It was a long time ago. Back during the time we served Frieza to the bone,” Gine said, a little disgust in her voice when she mentioned the tyrant’s name.

Flashback

Bardock’s squad had just returned from a mission, their armor damaged and they all panted quite a bit. They all left their pod hanger and were met by King Vegeta and Lord Frieza before they bowed, out of respect for King Vegeta, but out of business for Frieza.

“King Vegeta. Lord Frieza,” Bardock said for them all, reluctant on the latter. Though it was obvious for Frieza, he seemed to not care and let it go.

“You and your squad have done well once again Bardock. That last planet has been quite a target for a long time and you have delivered it. Well done,” King Vegeta said before turning to Frieza. “I hope you are pleased Lord Frieza.”

Frieza looked to Bardock and his squad with his usual stern and blank look before saying, “I read the report of the attack you all used to secure that planet. Most of your performances were adequate. Though I do recall one lagging a bit and almost costing me the possession of that planet.”

Frieza’s eyes looked to Gine, who held her head down to avoid eye contact. Once again, despite her efforts, she had the most trouble on a mission and resulted in the others having to bust her out of it.

“However,” Frieza said, eyes still closed and a small menacing smile appearing on his face. “You obtained that planet for me as I requested. So I am willing to overlook that. After all, no point in killing monkeys in front of the top ape.”

The saiyans of the room grew tense from Frieza’s comment, but restrained themselves as Frieza spoke again, “I shall be off now. Back to your lives.”

With that, Frieza walked off leaving and once out of sight, King Vegeta looked to Bardock and his squad and said, “Back to your duties. Get yourselves to the medical lab and the healing chambers.”

Bardock nodded before they all began making their way to said area. As they were doing so, Gine couldn’t help but think about what Frieza said.

‘Frieza does have a point. Once again, I got caught up in a situation where the others needed to get me out. I need to get stronger somehow.’ Gine thought.

They all reached the medical lab where Fasha, Borgos, Shugesh, and Tora all entered the healing chambers. But before Bardock had the chance to.

“Bardock?”

Bardock turned to see Gine looking at him before she was about to enter hers as well and asked, “What is it?”

“I… I want to become stronger,” Gine said. “Ever since I joined, you and others have all had to get me out of trouble. I want to make sure I can look after myself and help you and the others more.”

Bardock looked at her and as he saw the determination in her eyes, he turned back to his healing chamber and said, “Give me an hour after we’re all healed here. Then meet me in our usual squad’s training grounds.”

Bardock then entered the chamber while Gine smiled at his willingness to help her before she entered her own healing chamber.

An hour later, Gine was flying towards the training grounds where she was met by Bardock who stood with his arms crossed. “I’m here Bardock.”

“Good,” Bardock said in his strict tone before turning around to face her. In his hands were saiyan hand and feet training weights with chains hanging from them. “Put these on.”

Bardock threw the weights down in front of Gine. Gine, confused, reached down and used the chains to tie them to her arms and ankles. Once they were on, Gine could feel how heavy they were as they caused her to hang her arms down. “Okay. Now what?”

Right after Gine asked that, a blast shot out in front of her, making her fall back from the force of it. She looked to see the blast fired by Fasha from a hidden spot.

“What’s going on?” Gine asked, a bit panicked.

“Training!” Bardock yelled before firing another blast at Gine, while Tora, Shuggesh, and Tora revealed themselves and joined Bardock and Fasha in firing. Gine was shocked but quickly began doing her best to dodge the blasts. However, due to the added weights, she struggled quite a bit in doing so. She dodged some, but some landed and did some damage to her. She then watched as Tora and Fasha charged at her. She managed to dodge a kick from Tora but was then hit by a right cross from Fasha, who then continued with a knee to her stomach. She then found herself on her back from a punch from Tora.

“This is crazy!” Gine said, right before barely dodging another kick from Tora.

“No one said you were done!” Bardock said as they kept throwing attacks at Gine.

For the next few hours, the training kept going non-stop. And soon Gine found herself on the ground, holding herself while desperately trying to catch her breath. Bardock looked at her with a stern expression as one of the weights chains came undone on her arm and fell to the ground. “Is that all you can do Gine? This is how the rest of us got to where we are now and you can barely deal with it after one day?”

Bardock then turned his back to Gine and said, “Maybe you shouldn’t even be trying. It’s obvious me and the others are just going to have to keep saving your tail from trouble.”

Those words made Gine grit her teeth as she looked to Bardock’s back and the chuckling faces of the rest of her squad mates. Then, in a burst of anger, Gine took a grip on the chain of the weight, swung it forward to wrap around Bardock’s foot before giving it a yank and pulling Bardock to the ground as well, surprising the others. Bardock sat up and looked to Gine who continued glaring at him. The others remained silent, watching in suspense until Bardock smirked and said, “There it is. The spirit we were looking for.”

Bardock got to his feet and held his hand out to Gine. After a moment of glaring at it, Gine took his hand and allowed him to help her up before he undid the chains to the other weights. “You show promise Gine. And we’re gonna keep working on that. Get yourself to the medical lab again and meet us here first thing in the morning for the same training.”

Gine panted for a moment, glaring at him before giving a quick nod of acceptance. Then with support from Fasha, Gine made her way to the medical lab, with nothing but determination to pass her squad’s training in mind.

End of Flashback

“And for the next few weeks, they kept pushing me and pushing me. Never relenting, never holding back. And thanks to them, I became stronger and stronger with every session,” Gine said, seeing the astounded looks on the students’ faces.

“Wow,” Sandbar said. “I had a feeling Saiyan lives were tough, but that… That’s just harsh.”

“It seems that way. Yes, they did a lot of damage to me every time we trained, but it was also the easiest and quickest way to give me a boost in power.”

“What do you mean?” Ocellus asked.

“Well Ocellus, like I told Twilight, when a Saiyan survives large amounts of damage, we grow stronger in power. It’s kind of a way our bodies and skills adapt to new threats and challenges.”

“So you’re saying the more damage you took, the stronger you’d become afterwards?” Smolder asked.

“Yes. As the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you, just makes you stronger,” Gine said.

“Wow,” Scootaloo said. “Wait. You’re not gonna…”

“No. Don’t worry,” Gine said with a chuckle. “I’m not going to train you like that. So far working with what we’re doing is the best way to go for now. Speaking of, I think we should all get some rest. You’re going to be doing more gravity than before so you’ll need your strength.”

“You heard her guys,” Gallus said, determined to take on whatever Gine would throw at them next. “Let’s get some sleep.”

They all nodded and all laid down, the students even more determined to push through anything as they let sleep overtake them for another night. Gine couldn’t help but smile as she rubbed the head of a sleeping Huck on her lap. ‘Like I said before Bardock, what you and the others have taught me will live on through them.’ Gine thought before letting sleep take her as well.

Lessons & Memories Part 4

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[Ponyville, 8:30 A.M., Castle of Friendship]

A couple of months have passed since Gine took the students out to the Everfree Forest to train. While they were doing that, Twilight and the girls continued doing their own interests while waiting for the students and Spike to return.

Within the Castle of Friendship, Twilight was currently restocking shelves, only this time, she found it hard to be interested in doing it by herself. Normally, it wouldn’t be so quiet as she did this and she wouldn’t be doing it alone. When Spike helped her, they would talk, crack jokes, and laugh to make the time go by faster. But with her doing it by herself, she wasn’t feeling as enthusiastic. Sure she enjoyed reading books, but shelving them wasn’t nearly as fun or enjoyable.

“Now I know how Spike feels about the times he had to do this by himself when the girls and I were sent on missions by the map,” Twilight said with a groan and sleepiness in her voice. With Spike not around, she had to do a lot more to keep the castle in order. But she had no regrets since Spike gave a reasonable argument on wanting to improve himself in terms of strength. And if anyone could teach him how, it was Gine.

While Twilight was admiring and respecting Spike’s desires, she wasn’t focusing on her balance on the library ladder and slipped, falling with many books in hand. She would’ve crashed onto the ground had she not found herself caught a few inches from it. She looked to see it was Starlight who caught her and the books with her magic and a smile on her face. After using her magic to put the books on the shelf and Twilight on her feet, Starlight asked, “Need some help?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly before sighing, “Sorry… I guess I’m just…”

“Not used to not having Spike around?” Starlight asked, knowingly.

“Yeah… I guess that is the case,” Twilight said. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to see him commit to something, but I still can’t help but worry. They’re in a place full of dangerous creatures. Not to mention Spike’s my best friend and I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

“Twilight,” Starlight said, levitating some tea to her. “Don’t worry. Remember they’re with Gine. And she can handle anything in the forest. And we both know she’s earned our trust.”

“Yeah. You’re right,” Twilight said, though she still couldn’t help but worry.

“Hey. If it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one worrying about them,” Starlight said.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked while Starlight smiled.

“She means us, darling.” Twilight looked to the door to see her friends all entering the room.

“What are you guys doing here?” Twilight asked.

“Well sugarcube, we kinda wanted to see if you heard from Gine lately,” Applejack said. “Things have gotten a little quiet with Spike and the others with her and we thought we’d come by and see if you knew how things are going for them.”

“And I haven’t heard anything about Scootaloo and I was curious myself,” Rainbow said. “Just wanted to see if my little buddy was getting even more awesome.”

“Same for us.” Twilight looked to see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle walk out from behind their sisters.

“Things have been kind of boring with Scootaloo not around so we decided to come and see what she might be learning.” Sweetie Belle said with Applebloom nodding in agreement.

“Well,” Twilight said, scratching her head a bit. “To be honest I haven’t heard anything from Gine since they left.”

This made the group a bit disappointed.

“But I guess we could check on them,” Twilight said walking to the door. “Come on. Let’s head to the map room.”

This perked everyone up as they followed Twilight into the map room. There, Twilight picked up a mirror and placed it on the map. The map then began to glow before an image of the Everfree Forest appeared above it.

“Alright. Let’s see.” Twilight began using her magic on the image before she began moving it around to try and find the group. “Hmmm… Where could they be? Ah. Here they are.”

Twilight then pulled up an image of Winsome Falls, before she used her magic to give them a live feed of what was happening. What they saw surprised them all.

“Wow,” Rainbow said. “And I thought Wonderbolt training was hard.”

From the image, they could see the group doing multiple things. They first spotted an image of Ocellus running to a nearby tree and gave it a sharp kick causing multiple fruits to start falling from it. She, Sandbar, and Yona each began grabbing them, but what surprised Twilight and the others were they were moving so fast that even Rainbow Dash had a hard time keeping up with them. Eventually, the three appeared sitting down, each digging into a pile of their fruit.

The image then shifted to show Gallus standing by a stream running from the falls. Up the stream, there was a shadow coming towards him. He grinned before taking a deep breath and, to the watching mares surprise, he shot both his hands into the water and pulled out about three fish in between his talons in each hand, fast enough to keep his hands dry. From the water, the shadow jumped out to reveal Silverstream as her seapony state before changing back into a hippogriff. “Nice grab Gallus.”

“Great job on guiding them to me,” Gallus said smiling as Smolder walked to them, carrying a gigantic pile of wood with only one hand. “Can you get us a fire going so we can get these cooked?”

“No problem,” Smolder said, throwing six pieces of wood to the ground at lightning-fast speed before igniting them with a burst of flame from her mouth.

“Wow,” Pinkie said, amazed at what she’s seeing. “I can’t believe I saw what I saw which was the students moving almost as fast as Gine. It’s really amazing.”

“I’ll say,” Starlight said, surprised and impressed. “I knew they’d get strong, but not that quickly. They’re full of surprises.”

“Hey? Where’s Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked.

“And Spike?” Fluttershy asked.

“Hold on a moment,” Twilight said, moving the image with her magic until it stopped on the area where that showed Scootaloo. She was running with an apple in her hand. “There she is.”

They were shocked, however, when from behind Scootaloo came a pack of timberwolves chasing her. But rather running scared, Scootaloo was laughing as she ran, looking back at them and sticking her tongue as she said, “Sorry guys. This is one meal you’ll never get. Hehahahaha.”

Scootaloo kept running faster and faster until she spotted a thin branch ahead of her. She ran towards it and jumped up on a branch above it, taking the thin one in her hands and right as the timberwolves got close enough, she let it go and it smacked the leading one right into the others and knocked them to the ground. The wolves each let out a whimper before running off for the forest while Scootaloo began chewing on her apple, sitting on the branch. “Scootaloo six. Timberwolves, zip.”

“That’s my little sister,” Rainbow said proudly after witnessing Scootaloo handling herself.

Twilight then shifted the image to find Spike. After a moment, it stopped to show Spike standing in front of a large rock. He was sniffing the air for a minute before smirking and said, “Yep. This is the one.”

They all then watched as Spike reared his arm back and clenched his claw before he said, “Here it goes.”

He then shot his fist forward and struck the rock right in the center. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, the rock began to crack right in the middle up to the top, and then it split in two, revealing the inside of the rock was covered with gems.

“Jackpot,” Spike said, licking his lips. He then picked up both halves of the rock and flew off back to the camp.

The mares in the castle couldn’t believe what they witnessed so far. The group of students, Spike, and Scootaloo were incredible.

“How did they get that strong?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I think I have an idea,” Twilight said before focusing the image on the back of Spike’s armor where the gravity device was. “Right there. Gine asked me to make more of those gravity devices that Discord gave her to help the others train.”

“What’re they set to right now?” Applejack asked.

Twilight focused the image on the gravity device and they were all shocked when it showed Spike’s was at 10x gravity.

“Wowie,” Pinkie said. “No wonder they got so strong. Gine is really pushing them huh?”

“Indeed,” Rarity said, taking a small glance at Spike’s new muscles for a moment.

“Speaking of, where is Gine?” Starlight asked.

“Let’s find out,” Twilight said, moving the image along once more until they found Gine. It showed Huck sitting on the side, chewing on a broken branch like a bone while Gine was balancing herself on her right thumb while doing a form of push-ups. The girls could see she was covered in sweat and they quickly figured out why when they spotted the gravity device on her back was set to 60X normal gravity.

“9,998… 9,999…” Gine said through gritted teeth as she was struggling under the weight of the gravity. She remained focused on keeping her balance as she began panting. She took a deep breath before slowly lowering herself and struggled as she managed to push back up on her thumb. “10,000!!!”

With that, Gine jumped up to land on her feet, wobbling a bit from her exercise while she was panting. “*pant* *pant* Alright… *pant* One more thing to try real quick.”

Gine then charged ki into her hands as two orbs formed and three ki lenses formed in front of her. She then brought the two orbs together and moved her hands behind her. “Trident… Cannon!”

Gine then fired a ki blast through the three lenses, increasing its power through each one before pulling her arms to the left, causing the blast to redirect itself and head right back at her. Gine crossed her arms as the blast closed in and collided against her, covering the small area in smoke and causing the image on the map to go blank.

“Hey? What happened?” Rainbow asked.

“Guess the power of Gine’s attack disrupted the magic letting us see them,” Twilight said. “Looks like it’ll take a couple of days before we can check on them again. But hey, at least now we know they’re doing great.”

Everyone in the room nodded to Twilight’s words.

[Everfree Forest, 8:45 A.M., Winsome Falls]

From the area that Gine was training in, the smoke began to fade and clear to show Gine with her arms crossed in front of her and panting. She shook off some dust from the attack she fired and looked to her arm which was bleeding from the shot she had just taken. “Wow. Guess I went a little harder than I thought with that one.”

She then felt a nudge against her before she looked to see Huck brush his snout against her with a bottle of healing formula in his mouth. Gine smiled before rubbing his head and taking the bottle in hand. “Good boy Huck.”

Gine sat down on the ground while unplugging the lid of the bottle before pouring a little of it on her arm’s wound where it began to glow a bit as her wound began to heal up instantly. “That’s better.”

Gine stretched her arm a bit and flexed her fingers before putting the cork back on the bottle and said, “That last shot actually stung quite a bit. Good medicine works every time.”

Gine then shot out a fist a couple of times to make sure she had no issues from the healed injury. “Seems good. So Huck? What do you say we check on the students?”

Huck let out a positive bark in return before Gine picked him up and the two flew off. They soon landed at their usual hill spot to look down at the students as they were trying to climb the waterfall with a boulder tied to them. “Looks like they’re at it again Huck,” Gine said as she sat down to watch.

The group was indeed attempting to lift the boulder together up the waterfall with it pouring down on them as they climbed. They climbed with as much effort as they could, each struggling as they managed to get the boulder off of the ground. They continued climbing, and despite the water pouring down on them and the 10x gravity devices on their backs, they were getting much farther than their first time trying. They continued climbing and climbing, nearing the top with Spike in the lead.

“We’re almost there guys,” said Spike as he was just about to put his hand to the top edge of the falls. However, his grip was placed on a dangerously wet and moist piece of ground which broke from its place as he took a hold of it. Spike went wide-eyed as he felt himself falling back and said, “Oh buck!”

Spike fell back completely and crashed into Yona and Smolder on his way down, and combining the weight of the three with the weight of the boulder pulled the others down, causing them to all land in the water under them and wash to the surface right before the boulder lander beside them.

Gallus slammed his fist to the ground as he sat up. “Oh come on! We were so close that time!”

“We’ve tried it so many times! Over and over again! What are we doing wrong!?” Smolder asked.

“You’re thinking too much,” Gine said, landing down beside them.

“We’re thinking too much?” Ocellus asked.

“What do you mean Gine?” Scootaloo asked, curiously.

Gine smiled as she sat down with the eight of them. “From what I’ve seen of your attempts, despite how much progress you’ve made, your fear of messing up is what causes your failure.”

“You’re saying we’re failing because we’re so scared of failing?” Silverstream asked.

“I honestly don’t get that,” Gallus said.

Gine giggled a bit from her students’ reactions before saying, “What I’m simply saying is, from what I can tell, you’re all so nervous about failing that it’s making hard for you to trust yourselves and each other to get it done. You worry so much about what might go wrong that you don’t focus on just doing it.”

“Gine mean us worrying about failing is what makes us fail to get rock up waterfall all the time?” Yona asked.

“Exactly Yona,” Gine said. “You all think too much while you’re trying to get it done that you but you don’t always have time to think. Sometimes you just have to trust your body to make the right call without having to think. But when you’re worried about failing, you can’t do that. That’s one of the reasons why I’m having you do this obstacle. If you want to pass, you have to learn to trust yourselves and each other without a second thought.”

The students remained silent as Gine stood up and said, “Now try one more time. And this time, don’t worry about failing. Don’t let failure go through your mind. Just think about doing the task, trust yourselves, and each other, and you’ll be just fine.”

With that, Gine took flight and went to the top of the waterfall where she stood and waited. The students looked up at her before Spike looked at the others. “Well, guys? What do you say we give it one more try for today?”

“Do you really think we can?” Sandbar asked.

“Gine does,” Ocellus said standing up. “That’s enough for us to keep trying.”

The others remained silent for a moment before nodding and got to their feet. They all walked to the falls where the water reached the bottom. They all took deep breaths before they began climbing, pulling the boulder up with them. They started off slowly, as their past attempts, and began climbing.

“Come on guys. We can do this,” Smolder said, despite having water splash her right in the face as she climbed.

“Smolder’s right. We just gotta keep going,” Gallus said.

As they continued climbing, Scootaloo reached for a rock to grab onto but quickly felt her hand slip. “Whoa!” Scootaloo yelled, but before she fell too far, her free hand shot forward to grab a different rock, causing her to only lean back a bit. However, the action surprised herself a bit given how quickly she reacted on instinct. “Wow. Didn’t see that coming.”

They all kept climbing and were about halfway up the waterfall as Gine continued watching from the top. She smiled as they seemed to be doing better. “That’s it, guys. Keep it up.”

Ocellus felt the water splashing in her eyes and as she reached to wipe some off, she felt her grip slip and she fell back. “Whoa!”

However, before she fell too far, she felt herself get caught by her wrist and she looked to see Sandbar was the one who caught her as he smiled at her and pulled her up enough for her to get a grip on the rock again. “You okay?” Sandbar asked.

“Yeah,” Ocellus said, relieved. “Thanks, Sandbar.”

And so the students continued climbing, with some slips from time to time with them either catching themselves or one of the others managing to catch them. Gine smiled proudly, seeing them make progress, just as she had hoped, they were learning to trust each other and their bodies to think together and on their own.

They kept climbing until Spike managed to get over the edge to see Gine back up and smile at him. Spike then pulled himself up and began helping the others up as well, with each one during their best to keep the boulder from falling. They all soon made it over the edge and each took a grip on their ropes and looked down to the boulder. “On three?” Gallus asked.

“Yep,” Spike said.

“1… 2… 3!” Smolder said before they all yanked their ropes and the boulder came hurling over the edge, up into the air. Gine looked up to see the boulder start coming down and took a side step to the left to avoid the boulder landing on her. It then landed with a cloud of dust forming beside her. After the dust cleared, it showed Gine standing right beside the boulder with a smile on her face.

“Good job everyone,” Gine said as Huck walked to her side. “You’ve done it.”

“You mean…?” Scootaloo asked in a hopeful tone.

“Yes… You’re bodies and minds now appear to be strong enough.” Gine said.

“So that means?” Silverstream started.

“We’re finally going to learn how to use ki?” Sandbar asked.

Gine nodded as they all couldn’t help but cheer as loud as they could. After months of hard training in the Everfree Forest, they had finally reached the point to really learn what Gine had to teach them.

“Now head back down and take some time to relax. We’ll start tapping into ki in a couple of hours.” Gine said as they all walked down the hill. Once they were out of sight for a moment, Gine groaned as she raised and rubbed her foot while Huck watched in amusement.

[Everfree Forest, 2:00 P.M., Winsome Falls]

The students all sat on their knees in front of the waterfall with Gine sitting in front of them. Huck sat nearby chewing on a branch like a chew bone again. Gine had her hands on her knees as she looked to them with a smile. “Okay gang. What you’ve been training so hard to do has arrived. You’ve trained hard, both physically and mentally. You’ve also learned to trust yourselves and each other far more than ever before. You’ve been able to react without worry. Trusting your bodies to make the right call when you have no time to think. And now it’s time for you to take the next level.”

Gine lifted her hands and began forming a small orb of ki that gave them all gleeful expressions. “I’m proud to tell you all that you’re now ready to learn the basics of tapping into ki.”

“Does this mean we’re going to learn flying?” Scootaloo asked.

“Afraid not yet Scootaloo,” Gine said sympathetically, given Scootaloo’s spirits going down a bit. “But this is one step closer. Right now you’re just learning to draw out your ki. Once you learn to do that, then you’ll be closer to flying. I promise.”

This statement lifted Scootaloo’s spirits a bit making her smile before sitting back down again as Gallus asked, “So what do we do first?”

“First off,” Gine said, closing her eyes. “Close your eyes and focus.”

The group was confused but did as Gine said. They each placed their hands on their knees, closed their eyes, and started to try and focus. “Clear your mind. Allow the sound of nature itself to help rid you of any thoughts that could distract you. Like the Winsome Falls. Allow the waterfall to act as white noise. Let it aid you in drowning out all distractions.”

The students did as Gine said. They focused on drowning out nothing but what Gine told them. They listened as the wind around them blew through the air, the many creatures of the forest ran around in their environments, and the running water of the falls and current. The sounds began to help the students relax and focus. And as they did, Gine began to sense it.

“Now raise your hands in front of you and guide your focus to them,” Gine said lifting her hands again while the students did so as well. They all began to try and make ki appear in their hands as Gine did, but found it became more difficult than they originally thought. It soon reached the point where some of them became frustrated, including Smolder, who gave up with a huff. “Uh… Why is this so hard? I’m doing what you say Gine, but it’s not working for me.”

“It’s because you’re not picturing it right Smolder,” Gine said focusing on her own ki. “When you form ki, you have to think of it as an extension of yourself. Think of it… Like the fire you dragons use. Just think of your ki like the fire that burns in you and focus it into your palms. Same with you Ocellus.”

Gine looked to Ocellus, who also struggled. “Think of ki like your magic. But instead of focusing it into your horn, focus it into your palms.”

Ocellus took a deep breath and nodded. They all started focusing once again, trying to focus on Gine’s words. As they did this, Gine began to notice as sparks began flickering between their hands. She continued watching as the sparks got bigger and began to take more shape. They still flickered, signs that the students were trying to hold them together. “That’s it,” Gine said.

The students continued focusing and soon, they formed complete, small, stable spheres. “You’ve done it.”

The students opened their eyes to see the spheres between their hands. They were amazed. They were holding spheres of pure energy in their hands, they couldn’t believe their eyes. “Yona no believe it,” the yak said amazed.

“I know. It’s… AWESOME!!!” Gallus said.

“We’ve really learned to do it,” Spike said. He couldn’t believe he was finally able to tap into to ki just like Twilight can do with magic.

Sandbar and Ocellus were amazed by the energy they were holding. They expected it to burn a little or something, but instead, it felt tingly and surging. Silverstream was her usual giddy self at what she was holding between her hands.

“So this is what ki is like huh?” Smolder asked amazed. After spending summer in the Everfree Forest, she was finally holding the same kind of power Gine was able to summon at will.

Scootaloo was the most excited of them all. The fact that she was holding ki in her hands was proof that she was one step closer to flying with her friends and sister. “It’s incredible.”

Not long, however, the sphere began to flicker again before disappearing. Then the students fell forward a bit, panting and trying to catch their breaths.

“What happened? I thought we had it,” Silverstream said.

Gine giggled at her question. “You have learned how to tap into it, but you’re not used to it yet. You still have a bit more work to do. You need to become used to summoning to where you need no effort in holding it. You have to be able to bring out your ki at will as easily as you breathe for what I can teach when we return.”

“Seriously?” Smolder asked.

“Afraid so,” Gine said. “But don’t worry, we still have another three weeks before we have to head back to Ponyville. For that time, you need to practice summoning your ki to get more used to it.”

Though they were a little bummed they weren’t completely done yet, the students nodded to Gine in response. Gine then stood up and looked to the forest. “But you’re all at least to the point where you can understand what ki is like now. So how about we gather some food and celebrate?”

“Yeah!” They all yelled at once.

Everyone quickly got to their feet while Gine looked to Huck. “Huck. Watch the camp while we’re gone, okay?”

The timberwolf nodded before lying down and getting some sleep. Gine smiled before looking to them all. “Alright. Let’s go gather some food. Pick what you want because we’re celebrating a bit. Understand?”

They each nodded respectfully to the Saiyan before she said, “Alright. Let’s go.”

With that, they all ran for the forest. Smolder looked to Spike and asked, “How about we go find some gems?”

“Sounds good to me,” Spike said as they used their wings to fly off.

“I think we’re gonna go and find some berries and other fruits,” Scootaloo said with Ocellus and Sandbar nodding.

“Yona help friends get fruit too,” Yona said, enthusiastically before they all ran off as well. Gine looked at Silverstream and Gallus.

“What do you say we do some fishing and find some freshwater as well?” Gine asked.

“That sounds great. I’ve been dying for some fish,” Gallus said.

“Then let’s get going.” The three then took flight, Gine by ki, and the other two by wings. They flew off deep into the forest and soon managed to find a stream flowing nearby. They soon landed and Silverstream transformed into her sea pony form and jumped into the water. “I’m going to gather some freshwater. You guys have fun fishing,” Silverstream said before ducking under the water and swimming off.

Gallus looked down at the stream and saw there was no motion under it. “Looks like we’re not gonna be catching anything today, Gine.”

“Don’t be so quick to judge Gallus,” Gine said smirking. Gine took a deep breath and waited a moment before…

BLAST!

Gine shot a small ki blast straight for a rather large fish, just as it jumped out of the water. The sight of this quick action amazed Gallus. “How did you-?”

Gine caught the now lifeless fish before it could fall back into the water. “If you want to catch fish here Gallus, you can’t just rely on just your eyes. Remember, you have other senses.”

Gallus took in Gine’s words and decided to give it a try himself. He took a deep breath and stepped into the water. He closed his eyes and began to focus and thought, ‘Like Gine said… Use all of my senses.’

Gallus remained still, listening, smelling, feeling, everything he could do with his senses. Then… He shot forward and grabbed onto a fish just as it jumped from the water before Gallus, using his new strength and speed from training, jabbed the finish in the side, giving it a quick and painless end. Seeing Gallus accomplish this made Gine smile. “Well done. Keep it up.”

After a few minutes, Gine and Gallus managed to catch up to 15 fish, Gine’s being the largest ones just as Silverstream arrived with bottles holding freshwater, jumping out and turning back into a hippogriff. She was amazed by how much fish they had caught. “Wow. That’s a big hall.”

“Yeah. It was easier catching than it looks,” Gallus said. Silverstream giggled at Gallus’s words before blushing a bit. Something about how wet his feathers were made her feel… Strange. ‘Wow. I never noticed how… Strong he looks. Being out here has really made him a hunk. Whoa! Why am I thinking this? I’ve never thought of Gallus this way before. What’s going on?’

While Silverstream was in her thoughts, Gallus noticed a shadow began forming behind her from the forest. It was soon revealed to be a Chimera with its lion and goat head’s licking their teeth as the lion head said, “Looks like we finally found a meal.”

“Seems so,” the serpent tail said from behind. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

The chimera raised its claws to bring down of Silverstream before the hippogriff had time to react.

“LOOK OUT!!!” Gallus said running forward and pushing Silverstream away, only to have the claws strike his back through his armor, leaving a bad wound on his back. “AAAHHH!!!”

“Gallus!” Silverstream yelled as she and Gallus fell to the ground.

“Looks like we have a double meal,” the goat head said. The chimera proceeded towards them and was about to pounce only for Gine to land on top of the two heads before grabbing the snake tail.

“Sorry, you three. But these two are off your menu,” Gine said, taking a strong grip on the snake tail and began spinning it around rapidly before sending it flying. “Looks like they’ll be finding their meal somewhere else.”

“Aaagh.” Gine looked to see Silverstream supporting Gallus, who still felt pain from his wound.

“Gallus? Are you okay?” Silverstream asked, worried to death.

“I’ll… Be okay. Hopefully,” Gallus said, trying to keep his usual tough-guy attitude.

“Quick reaction there Gallus,” Gine said as she supported him as well.

“Hey.”

They looked to see Spike and Smolder flying towards them, both carrying bags full of gems, but quickly grew concerned when they saw Gallus injured. Smolder asked, “What happened?”

“Gallus took a hard hit,” Gine said. “Get him back to the campsite. Spike? Gather that fish we caught. After we patch up his wound, he’s gonna need that meat to keep his strength up.”

Spike saluted out of instinct and gathered the fish while Silverstream and Gine passed Gallus to Smolder, who supported him. The two dragons then took Gallus and flew off while Silverstream looked to Gine. “What are we going to do?”

“I have some healing formula to heal Gallus’s wound back at the campsite,” Gine said as she started looking around. “But we need to find some aloe and wet leaves in the water to bring back. The formula will heal his wound, but the leaves and aloe will help dull the pain he’ll still feel afterward.”

“Oh… Okay.” Silverstream said as she began looking through the water for wet leaves. “Gine? Why do you think Gallus did that?”

Gine looked around before spotting some aloe plants and began picking them clean of their petals. “I can think of a lot of reasons, Silverstream. Your boyfriend does care for you more than anyone else in our group.”

Silverstream just grabbed some wet leaves before shooting up with wide eyes. “Boyfriend? No, no. Gallus isn’t my boyfriend.”

“You might wanna tell him that, Silverstream,” Gine said with a small smile on her face.

“I’m sorry?” Silverstream asked, confused and for some reason, a little embarrassed.

“Silverstream,” Gine started before looking to the hippogriff. “If I learned anything from the time I was with Bardock back on Planet Vegeta, it was that only love can make you do something that damn stupid… And that damn crazy.”

Silverstream took in Gine’s words while looking to the stream as she continued gathering wet leaves, trying to figure out her thoughts.

[Everfree Forest, 5:00 P.M., Winsome Falls]

Gine and Silverstream arrived shortly back at the camp after gathering enough aloe and wet leaves, where the others were waiting. Gallus was laying on his stomach by the fire, sweating from his wound. Gine walked over and knelt down beside him and asked, “How ya feeling?”

“Never…” Gallus said with a groan before putting on a small smile. “Better.”

Gine chuckled a bit before signaling Silverstream to her. Silverstream, with concern for Gallus, quickly ran over to Gine’s side. Gine pulled out her pack and pulled out the bottle of healing formula and poured a little onto the leaves Silverstream handed to her. Gine then took the aloe and crushed them in her hands, squeezing the juice between her fingers and mixing it with the formula on the leaves, she then started mixing it with a stick and once it was mixed well enough, she gently placed the leaf over Gallus’s wound making him cringe a bit. “It may sting a bit. But the formula will heal your wound quickly and the aloe mixed with it will help keep the pain down.”

Gallus groaned as he felt the formula heal his wound, but relaxed as the pain began to subside. “Thanks, Gine… You too, Silverstream.”

Silverstream smiled as she sat by him and said, “You saved my life. Least I could do was help fix you up.”

The two smiled to one another, and the moment made Gine smile as well before she looked at the food and water everyone had gathered. “Now then. Let’s get a fire started and get to cooking. Gallus? You’re gonna need to keep your strength up to feel better sooner.”

“Way ahead of you Gine,” Smolder said before igniting a nearby pile of wood with a shot of flames from her snout.

“Then let’s get cooking,” Gine said.

After a couple of hours, they all sat by a fire, each eating their respective choice of food. Gallus appeared to have improved after having his wound tended to. By the looks of it, he would have a couple of small scars, but he was thankful he was alive. He happily ate fish while Silverstream had remained by his side the whole time.

‘Could I really have feelings for Gallus? And could he feel something similar to me?’ Silverstream thought as she ate her own food. She then looked over to Gine who was feasting on one of the large fish they had caught. She used the fire to cook a large chunk of meat before pulling off a part to throw to Huck, who eagerly ran to it and began eating on it. Gine took the rest and began eating on it as well. Silverstream watched as Gine ate happily before a thought came to mind that she had the urge to bring out. “Gine?”

Gine chewed up some meat before swallowing and looked to Silverstream, wiping her mouth with a cloth. “Yes, Silverstream?”

“From what you told me when we were gathering stuff to help Gallus, you made something come to mind…” Silverstream seemed hesitant as she said this.

“Yes? And?” Gine asked, patiently.

“Well… I was wondering… How did you and Bardock… Fall in love?” Silverstream asked, her question catching the attention of everyone.

Gine was sipping her water when Silverstream asked that and instantly stopped. Silverstream became a little nervous, afraid she had brought up a sensitive topic. But Gine smiled and took that worry away from the hippogriff before saying, “Oh boy. Now that is a story to tell.”

Flashback

(“It was a usual day. We were assigned a new mission to a new target planet.”)

Gine sat in her pod as she traveled with the rest of her crew, heading for a planet for another cleansing mission. As they closed in, she heard Fasha on the coms saying, “So tell me. Why are we doing this mission again?”

Bardock’s voice then said, “Because Fasha, it’s our job.”

“That. And we’re being paid five times our usual fee to get this planet,” Shugesh said.

“Where are we heading anyway?” Borgos asked.

“Did you not pay attention in the briefing, Borg?” Tora asked.

Gine sighed as she pulled up her information screen and said, “Alright Borgos. I’ll run it by you again, but this time, pay attention. The planet we’re heading to is called Arus. Now the name may not sound threatening, but the planet is far from safe. The creatures here make what we fought on Planet Claw seem harmless, so be ready.”

“Good to know at least one of my crew members paid attention to the briefing,” Bardock said from his ship. Gine chuckled at his comment before he continued saying, “But Gine is right. The creatures on this planet will be far more deadly than what we faced on Claw. And unlike Claw, there is no moon, so if plan to use our Great Ape forms for any reason, we’ll have to rely on a moon ball.”

“Understood,” everyone said in unison.

(“And boy was Bardock right. The creatures on Arus… Well, let’s just say what was there made what you have here in the Everfree Forest seem like normal house pets.”)

[Planet Arus]

Creatures of all kinds were attacking the group of Saiyans. A creature that resembled a komodo dragon with heavily armored scales jumped on Shugesh who punched it off before another one bit down on his shoulder causing him to yell out. Borgos yanked it off of him before pulling its jaw open until it snapped, killing the creature. Fasha then kicked another of the creatures away as a reptilian barbarian-like creature swung its club down, only for Tora to catch it and give Fasha an opening to blast a hole through the creature’s chest.

Fasha wiped some blood off from that attack before looking at Tora. Both of them, along with Borgos and Shugesh did have their armor damaged along with scraps and cuts from enemy attacks.

“Wow. These things are a lot tougher than I thought they’d be,” Fasha said.

“Yeah. But I don’t think we have to worry about those two,” Tora said pointing out towards Gine and Bardock.

Gine and Bardock were back to back as creatures surrounded them.

(“Bardock was my mentor at the time. You could say we became quite a team within the team. But our battle on Planet Arus… Well, let’s just say it’s what helped us realize something even more important.”)

One made a swing at Gine only for Bardock to block it and blast it back. Another swung its club at Bardock only to be knocked in the jaw by Gine. Gine then caught one’s fist and flipped to throw it towards Bardock, who blasted straight through it. Gine then ran for Bardock to take her by the arm and swung her around to kick another down. Gine then leaned down for Bardock to flip over her back and blast another one. He then ducked to dodge the swing of another, which resulted in Gine jumping over him to kick it. She then picked up its club and threw it to Bardock, who then broke it against another one of the creatures.

“Think we’re starting to get a hang on these th-AH!” Bardock was tackled from behind by one of the komodo like creatures as it bit into his shoulder. He tried to reach for it only for it to dig its teeth further into his shoulder. It was about to yank its head back and take his shoulder with it, until…

“Raagh!” Gine yelled as she kicked it off of Bardock’s back and before it could react, Gine began rapidly shooting at it until she was sure it was dead before looking to Bardock who looked to her with what she thought was a mixture of surprised and impressed. She then reached her hand out to help him back up to his feet before asking, “You okay?”

(“What happened next… I was never prepared for.”)

Bardock reached forward, took Gine, and made her eyes widened when he kissed her. She looked straight at Bardock’s closed eyes for a moment before slowly returning the kiss. It felt… Magical to her. Given her past experiences, she never thought that another Saiyan could show her what Bardock was that very moment… Love. After a few moments, they broke the kiss and just looked into each other’s eyes.

“Hey, love birds!” The two looked to see Tora and the rest of the group still fighting off creatures. “Hate to break up your moment, but do you think one of you could throw a moon ball?”

Bardock was about to lift his arm, only for his injury to prevent that. Gine smiled and gently lowered his arm as she said, “Allow me.”

Bardock was silent before smirking and nodding. Gine then charged some ki into her hand and an energy ball formed before shooting it into the air and holding her hand up and closed into a fist while yelling, “Burst open and mix!”

The ball of energy soon burst into a giant sphere of light and energy. And soon after, the Saiyans began morphing into the Great Ape forms.

[3 hours later]

The creatures were soon wiped out and the squad sat around a fire, feasting on whatever meat they could find. While most of the group feasted, Gine was pouring healing formula over Bardock’s wound before standing behind him and taking hold. “That creature’s bite knocked your shoulder out of place a bit. Hold still. In 1… 2... 3!”

Gine then shifted Bardock’s shoulder to the right and made it pop and Bardock groan before she looked it over again. “Alright. You should be okay, but maybe take it easy on that arm for a couple of days. Understand?”

Bardock was silent for a moment before chuckling and giving her a mock salute and put his arm over her shoulder. Then with a joking voice, he said, “Yes ma’am.”

“Wow,” Tora said, chuckling. “Never thought I’d see the day Bardock would meet a woman who could tell him what to do.”

“I knew you had it in ya Gine,” Fasha said, biting into her meat. “If anyone would ever be able to get through to Bardock’s skull like that, it’d be you.”

Gine smiled as they all looked to the fire, happy to be in Bardock’s hold.

(“Then, about a month later, another change happened.”)

Bardock’s squad all sat in the quarters and were silent until…

“WHAT?!” Fasha, Tora, Borgos, and Shugesh yelled all at once.

“I’m afraid it’s true,” Gine said. “I’m leaving the team.”

“But why? You’re one of us Gine. Not to mention your cooking will be missed,” Tora said.

“She’s going to be working as a butcher for good reasons,” Bardock said.

“Why leave the team to become a butcher? I mean what could possibly make you decide to do that Gine?” Fasha asked.

“Because something big has happened for me and Bardock. Something we didn’t plan,” Gine said.

“Yeah? What’s that?” Borgos asked.

Gine smiled as she moved her hand down to her stomach for a moment.

“Gine?” Shugesh asked.

Gine took a deep breath before speaking again, “Guys. The reason I’m leaving the team is because… I’m pregnant.”

This made everyone go silent. They had looks of shock and surprise making Bardock chuckle and say, “Looks like they weren’t ready for it.”

Flashback ends

“And then, Raditz came into our lives, and everything was just… Perfect,” Gine said happily.

“Wow. Bardock showed you how much he cared right in the middle of what you Saiyans did best,” Smolder said.

“Yeah. Bardock was a real man of mystery,” Gine said.

“Does Gine ever miss Bardock?” Yona asked.

“Every day Yona,” Gine said, almost tearing up. “He taught me everything I know and he was the first to show me Saiyans were capable of feeling love.”

“Sounds like he was an incredible guy,” Spike said.

“And a caring one as well,” Ocellus said.

“Indeed he was,” Gine said. “Bardock was incredible. And no matter what we faced, weak or powerful, he never showed fear, and in the end, he gave everything he had to save his people.”

“And you,” Scootaloo said.

“Yes. And me,” Gine said. “But even though he’s gone, what he taught me lives on. What I’ve taught you here and now was exactly what he showed me back then. So in a way, he lives on through us all.”

Everyone became silent for a moment as they all looked at the fire before Sandbar raised his water up. “Though we may not have known him like you did Gine, we’re honored to keep what he taught you alive… To Bardock!”

Everyone then raised their waters as well and said, “To Bardock!”

Gine couldn’t help but smile as her students respected the man her mate used to be as she looked to the sky, full of stars. ‘I’ll always miss you Bardock. But I promise, because of what I’ve taught this young group here, what you’ve trained me and helped me believe will live on through generations to come.’

[Canterlot, 2:00 A.M, Canterlot Castle]

Meanwhile, within the old abandoned relics room of Canterlot Castle, the old stone remains of the Storm King lay abandoned and forgotten. However, they soon began to flinch a bit before coming together and reassemble his shape and began to return to his normal state. After no longer being stone, the Storm King looked to his hands in shock and asked, “Whoa. What happened?”

Before his question could be answered, he disappeared in a black puff of smoke.

[Tartarus, 2:00 A.M, Dungeons]

Tirek was scraping his claws on his cage’s floor before…

“Hey, Tirek.”

“It is Lord Tirek,” the centaur said with a groan, turning to see Cozy Glow in a cage right beside his. “And what is it now?”

“I just wanna make sure you can see my best friend rock sculpture over there,” Cozy said, with a smile, pointing at a rock sculpture that looked like Tirek holding the filly up. This made Tirek groan again right before he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. This confused Cozy, before suddenly disappearing the same way. And not long after, the sculpture crumbled.

[Underground Cavern, 2:00 A.M.]

Water dripped from the walls as an unknown figure began drawing a circle in the ground and then drew a symbol resembling an M with a line through it before it began to glow. And from the circle came a black crystal where dark magic began surging through it and green eyes flashed from it along with a red curved horn.

Later in an unknown location, Tirek and Cozy Glow appeared in part of the area with the Storm King following shortly after. The latter then asked, “Hey. Aren’t you that centaur? Tirek?”

“It is LORD Tirek!” Tirek said as he and Cozy walked down to meet him.

“Yeah, yeah. So what did you bring me here for anyway?” The Storm King asked.

“Golly. We didn’t bring you here. We thought you freed us from Tartarus,” Cozy said.

“Tartarus. I may be strong, but even I couldn’t do that,” the Storm King said.

They all then heard a laugh before looking up to the top center where dark magic began to form and fade to reveal…

“King Sombra?” Tirek asked as the magic faded. “Why did you bring us here?”

“I did no such thing,” Sombra said.

“I did.”

They all looked to see a cloaked figure walk down a path in what appeared to be a swamp. The figure walked past Tirek and Cozy, with the filly hiding behind Tirek’s leg. As the figure reached their spot, Sombra moved with his magic to the Storm King’s side. As the figure stopped walking, a crystal ball of orange magic appeared in front of them.

“You may call me.” The figure pulled the hood down to reveal an elder ram with long, white, curved horns, a red bell sash around his neck, and blood-red eyes, as he spoke with an intimidating and serious voice, “Grogar!”

Author's Notes:

Here it is y'all. The conclusion of Lessons & Memories. Sorry if it seemed a little rushed. I just did what I thought I could do best with it. I won't lie, I had some trouble figuring out how to put it together. This will feature some things from season 9. But there will be some differences.

1. Celestia and Luna won't be retiring. I accepted it in the end, but didn't completely agree with it. I don't know what I'll think to do, but I'll do something different than that.

2. As you can see, Storm King is featured since Chrysalis was reformed in my story, and the Storm King came to mind to take her place.

3. In case any of you are wondering, YES. This is not Discord in disguise. This is the REAL Grogar. I was hoping Grogar would play the main villain in the show, but since that didn't happen, I planned on him playing a big role in this story.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy. Review, like, and pass it on.

The Battle for the Heart of Equestria! Gine's Will to Protect!

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Within the confines of a large ram-shaped rock, Cozy Glow looked at the elder ram before them with a questioning look as she said, “So sorry. But the name Grofar doesn’t ring any bells.”

“GROGAR!” Grogar yelled, making Cozy Glow jump back. “It seems I have been gone longer than I thought if my name no longer strikes fear into the heart of one so small.”

Cozy cowered under Grogar’s glare before he walked off and turned to the others. “Perhaps a small demonstration of my power?”

Grogar then pulled an orb of magic from his neck chain and passed it to Tirek. The centaur eagerly took it in his hands, scarfing it down quickly before the effects allowed him to change into a younger-looking state making him smirk and flex his muscles, kissing them like a brawn-loving stallion before saying, “Grogar is ancient and extremely powerful. The land that would become Equestria was simply farms and pastures until Grogar declared himself emperor and took over anything he saw.”

“I have also heard of the first emperor of Equestria. The… Father of Monsters.” Sombra said, looking to Grogar with an unimpressed look.

“I gave life to the foulest and worst of creatures and allowed them to roam free,” Grogar said, making images of creatures attacking ponies appear in his crystal ball. “They took what they wanted, destroying what they did not. My reign as emperor was unchallenged as I clouded Equestria in darkness.”

“Ha!”

Grogar looked to a smirking Storm King who continued with, “Until Gusty the Great rose up and banished you by taking your silly little bell.”

The Storm King was startled when Grogar got closer with a glare. “That fool thought taking my bell would defeat me. But all she did was weaken me. I have been biding my time, gathering power, waiting for the right opportunity to strike, and take back my place as emperor of Equestria. At the same time, I’ve been watching all of you try, yet fail to stop Twilight and her friends.”

Grogar then turned away from the others as he asked, “Do you know why you all have failed to them?”

“Because they cheat,” Storm King said.

“Because they’re annoyingly lucky,” Tirek said, folding his arms.

“I’m just a kid so…” Cozy said, innocently.

“It is because they work together!” Grogar stated, turning to face them all. “Where is weak, another is strong. And when unified, they’re a formidable force. The only way to defeat them… is to use their strategy against them.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?” Storm King asked.

“I’m not suggesting anything!” Grogar said, releasing some magic to intimidate. “I demand you join me and together, we will defeat Twilight and her friends. And then… Equestria will be ours.”

The villains were silent from his display of magic before Sombra said, “I don’t do “ours”. I only do MINE!”

Sombra then appeared before Grogar with a smug expression. “I will take back the Crystal Empire on my own, and I’ll destroy anypony that gets in my way!”

“Such confidence,” Grogar said smugly. “Go ahead. I’ll send you there myself. If you prevail, you may keep it for yourself. But WHEN you fail, you will swear allegiance to me!”

“And if I don’t?” Sombra asked, smugly once again.

“Then I will return to the darkness you were trapped in before I released you,” Grogar said.

“Fine.”

“And before I send you off, allow me to show you one more challenge,” Grogar said before his neck chain glowed again, causing his crystal ball to begin showing images of Gine and her fights. From her fights with the timberwolves to the battle she had with the clone princesses and Chrysalis. “Twilight and her friends have come across a new ally. She is a being of another world, and she is quite powerful. She has faced and overcome threats with her powers and was even able to defeat an Ursa Major on her own. She has great might and will pose a threat to all of us and our desire to rule Equestria. I only advise that should you cross paths with her, that you do not underestimate her.”

Sombra looked to the images of Gine’s fights before turning away with a huff. “Hm. I’ll make short work of her and take back my empire. I will crush anyone who gets in my way! I-!”

Sombra was cut off by Grogar using his magic to send him away before he turned to those who remained. “As for you all. I suggest you learn to work together. If we are to overcome the ponies and their new ally, we will need to combine all of our strengths.”

Grogar walked off as Cozy smiled at Tirek and Storm King. “Well working together is a lot like making friends so lucky for you guys, I’m good with that.”

The two groaned and walked off as Cozy looked blankly at them before following them.

[Everfree Forest, 7:30 A.M.]

Gine found herself throwing punches and kicks before looking to Bardock who smirked and gave her a thumbs up.

“Not bad Gine. Not bad at all. You’ve really improved,” Bardock said, walking to her and placing his hand on her shoulder.

“All thanks to your training, Bardock,” Gine said smiling. She then was about to kiss her mate but found him fading into darkness. “Bardock?”

After he faded away completely, Gine found herself in darkness. “Bardock! Where are you?!”

“Gine?”

Gine turned to see her group standing behind her. “What are you all doing here? What’s going on?”

“We thought you’d know,” Smolder said, a bit concerned herself.

“Gine?”

They all turned to see a being none of them had seen before. He looked reptilian with light blue skin and dark blue scales. He wore pink clothing with blue armor and blue wristbands and brown boots on his feet. Gine quickly stepped in front of her students with her guard up. “Who are you?”

The creature only raised his hand as he said, “Calm yourself Gine. You know who I am. After all, I did teach the Spirit Charge and Trident Cannon.”

The names of the two techniques caught Gine by surprise as she slowly lowered her hands in realization. “Toolo?”

“Yes. It is I.”

Gine looked at the Kanassan over before smiling a bit. “So… This is what you looked like when you had a physical body?”

Toolo simply chuckled and nodded before Gine felt a tug on her arm and looked to see Yona, who asked, “Gine? Who is strange looking… Man?”

Gine realized she hadn’t told them about Toolo yet. But given how he had no physical body and shared his mind with her, she had no idea how to explain it to them without them thinking she was crazy or losing her mind… until now. “Well… I guess I finally have a way to introduce you to him. Everyone? This is Toolo. He’s the one who taught me how to sense energy without my scouter, the Spirit Charge, and of course, the Trident Cannon. Guess you can call him my teacher.”

This shocked the others beyond anything. They had wondered how Gine learned those new techniques, but her explanation made no sense to them. “Wait… he’s never been around so how could he have taught you any of that?” Ocellus asked.

“Well… I guess you can say he doesn’t have a physical form. Back when Planet Vegeta was being destroyed, he was hosted in Bardock’s mind. But when Bardock went to try and stop Frieza, he transferred to my mind. He’s also the one who helped me become confident in training you all.” Gine said, smiling.

“So… you and him sort of… share a mind?” Sandbar asked.

“I guess you can call it that. But back to the point,” Gine said, turning back to Toolo. “Toolo? What’s going on? Why did I just see Bardock? He’s dead.”

Toolo remained silent for a moment before sighing and said, “Because… We are in your mind… All of your minds.”

“Say what?” Gallus asked.

“It’s true. I detected another presence in Gine’s mind before you all appeared as well.” Toolo said.

“So wait. You didn’t bring us here?” Spike asked before Toolo shook his head. “Then who did?”

“I-I did.”

They all looked to see who appeared to be Twilight. However, she seemed to be more sparkling and shining than normal.

“Twilight?” Spike asked.

“No… I am not Twilight. I am a messenger,” the Twilight look-alike said before looking at the Young Six. “As I’m sure you all know.”

It was then that the six students realized what the look-alike meant with Ocellus saying, “The Tree of Harmony.”

This shocked Gine, Spike, and Scootaloo. “Say what?” Spike asked.

“Well, there was a small, tiny incident that happened to us a while back.” Silverstream started.

“Not long before Cozy Glow tried to wipe out all magic in Equestria, we all stumbled on a tunnel in the library where the Tree of Harmony brought us in.” Ocellus said.

“We all had to face our biggest fears and challenges.” Sandbar said.

“But Yona and friends realize fears were only in minds,” Yona said.

“We stuck together and found out that the Tree of Harmony was testing us, showing us we were capable of friendship,” Gallus said.

“But why are we here? What’s going on?” Smolder asked the Twilight illusion.

“I’m afraid I do not have the time to fully explain the situation. All that I can say is you must hurry to my spot under the former castle.” The Twilight illusion said, before placing her hand on the ground where different colored streams of light struck everyone besides Toolo. “Now awaken.”

It was then that everyone’s eyes shot open before sitting up quickly. “You all saw that right?” Silverstream asked, a bit nervous before they all nodded.

“Yes. We all did. Which means it wasn’t just a dream. And I bet it has to do with that.” Gine then pointed out where they saw multiple thorny roots began growing rapidly. “We better get to the Tree of Harmony. Now!”

They all nodded before they headed out. As they kept running/flying, they noticed more and more roots began to grow. “I think I read about this,” Ocellus said, as she flew by multiple roots that continued sprouting rapidly. “I read in history class that the Everfree Forest does this when the Tree of Harmony’s magic is too weak. Oh… I’m getting a bad feeling about this guys.”

“Me too.” Spike said, “I get the feeling Twilight and the others are in the middle of something bad.”

Gine, taking the lead of them all, began thinking, ‘Toolo? Any ideas on what we’re heading for?’

‘I know not. But I do advise caution. Whatever it is, I doubt it will be easy.’ Toolo responded.

Gine took in Toolo’s words and she couldn’t help but feel the same way. However, that was forgotten as they approached the castle of the two sisters. “Everyone. I’m picking up on some energy under the castle. Six to be exact.”

The others tried to sense it as well, only they were struggling. They weren’t used to it like Gine yet, but while that was the case, Spike was managing to identify one of the signatures. “Twilight… it’s Twilight and the girls!”

“What?” Gine asked.

“It’s true. I feel Twilight’s magic.” Spike said.

Soon after, the group made their way to the Tree of Harmony shrine, where they were horrified to see the Mane 6 trapped behind a field of crystals.

“Gine!” Twilight said from behind their crystal prison as the group approached. Gine then shot energy into her palm before using it to shatter the crystals where she helped Twilight to her feet.

“Guys… look.” Ocellus said sorrowfully as she pointed to shattered crystal remains where the Tree of Harmony once stood, horrifying her fellow students.

“The tree…” Sandbar said.

“Tree… gone…” Yona said with tears.

Seeing and hearing the sorrow from her students along with seeing the remains of the Tree of Harmony made Gine grit her teeth and clench her fists in anger. “Who… did this?” Gine asked with a hint of venom in her voice.

“Sombra did it y’all.” Applejack said, confusing most of them, except Spike, who seemed shocked.

“Sombra’s… back?” Spike asked. “But I thought he was sealed away by the Crystal Heart.”

“So did we… but somehow he broke free. And he’s taken over the Crystal Empire and is now trying to take over Canterlot.” Rarity said.

Before anything else could be said, black roots began sprouting from the ground and cave walls, spreading rapidly while Rainbow said, “We need to get out of here!”

They all took off running/flying out of the cave before Twilight used her magic to teleport them all to Ponyville where they found more of the roots and sprouts were growing and covering multiple areas as well as large dark crystals shooting from the ground as well. “What’s going on?” Gine asked, shocked.

“Sombra’s dark magic is corrupting Ponyville. And without the Tree of Harmony, the Everfree Forest is growing out of control.” Twilight said, looking to see more roots sprouting. “Could this get any worse?”

Pinkie looked around before going wide-eyed at spotting something. “Well… our friends and families could all have green glowing eyes possibly from being mind-controlled by Sombra.”

“That’s oddly specific darling.” Rarity said before Pinkie turned her head to show just that. Their fellow citizens of Ponyville were all walking away, their coat colors dulled out, and their eyes glowing green. Twilight spotted Starlight walking by before jumping out in front of her. “Starlight. It’s me. Twilight. Snap out of it!”

Starlight was unresponsive as she simply walked around Twilight. “We must lay siege to Canterlot.”

Twilight watched as Starlight continued walking off before looking to see Applejack trying and failing to snap Applebloom out of her state as well. “Twilight! Please try and snap Applebloom out of it!”

Twilight nodded before running in front of Applebloom and pressed her magic charged horn against the filly’s forehead. For a moment, Applebloom’s eyes widened, but Twilight’s magic was deflected and knocked her away from the filly, who then continued in the same direction as the others. Twilight got back to her feet before looking to Applejack apologetically. “I’m sorry. But Sombra’s magic is too strong. I can’t reach them with mine either.”

“Um. Headmare Twilight?” Smolder said before they all looked to see the Everfree Forest roots were still growing and covering parts of the town.

“We’ll have to focus on stopping this Sombra later. If we don’t stop these roots from covering the town, there won’t be a town anymore.” Gine said before Rainbow Dash flew over to a stand and grabbed multiple gardening tools and threw them out for them to grab before looking to her students. “You all ready?”

Her students each grabbed a tool before nodding with determination while Twilight took the lead with a rake. “For Equestria!”

They all then charged at the forest roots. Meanwhile, outside the gates of Canterlot Castle, the mind-controlled citizens of Ponyville were marching forward with Sombra appearing in the lead before he slammed the gates open with his magic as well as the door to the castle itself before looking to his new followers. “Keep guard of the gates. It’ll only be a matter of time before company arrives.”

The citizens all nodded before Sombra made his way through the castle before coming to the entrance of the throne room, slamming the doors open with his magic to see it was empty. “No Celestia or Luna? Better yet, where’s this new protector of theirs? Did I scare them all off? No matter. Equestria is MINE!” Sombra yelled, followed by a maniacal laugh.

Back in Ponyville, the group was all trying to hold back the Everfree Forest. Silverstream and Gallus were using their claws and new speed to claw through them. Yona used her strength to yank roots apart while Sandbar used an ax to rapidly cut through them with Scootaloo following behind with hedge clippers. Smolder and Spike was using their flames to try and burn through most of them as Rainbow and Fluttershy used hedge clippers. Pinkie and Applejack used axes to cut down more roots while Rarity and Twilight used their magic along with Gine using her ki to blast through them. However, despite their efforts, the roots just kept growing back rapidly, gaining more ground from the group. “Damn it. We can’t keep this up forever.” Gine growled before blasting a root where three more grew back in its place.

Not long after, two magic blasts struck multiple roots before they looked to see Celestia and Luna descending to them. “Celestia. Luna.” Twilight said, happy to see her fellow princesses before a flash of magic occurred and revealed Starswirl the Bearded.

“No pony is meant to handle this alone,” Starswirl said.

“Starswirl. The Tree of Harmony is-.”

“I know Twilight,” Starswirl said with sorrow in his voice. “I felt it and alerted Luna and Celestia right away. It was as if a part of essence was gone in an instant.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.” Twilight said, looking down with sorrow. She knew how important the Tree of Harmony was to the Pillars after they had seen what it had grown into. And she felt she had failed to protect it.

Gine, feeling sympathy for the young princess, placed a hand on her shoulder. “You did your best Twilight. And it’s not your fault. The one to blame is this Sombra.”

“You must be Gine,” Starswirl said, gaining the Saiyan’s attention. “Celestia and Luna told me about you in their letters.”

Gine smiled at the older unicorn before bowing to him. “And judging by your attire, I’m to guess you’re Starswirl the Bearded. I’ve read about you from some of the histories I’ve studied during my time on your world. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine. They’ve told me about all of the incredible things you’ve done to help our people. To not only know a being from another world has come to ours, but has also done everything she can to protect our home as if it were her own, it’s incredible.” Starswirl said with admiration.

“Can we save the introductions for later?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at Celestia and Luna, who continued blasting back the roots.

“You all head to Canterlot and stop Sombra. The princesses and I will hold back the Everfree Forest.”

“By yourself?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“I have more than enough magic to hold back this forest in this body. The Pillars and I planted the Tree of Harmony, who do you think kept this forest under control before it came along?” Starswirl said with a wink.

“Well then let’s get moving,” Gine said.

“We’re with you Gine,” Spike said while the others nodded.

“No. I don’t know who this Sombra is, but I do know he’s a dangerous foe. Too dangerous for you all. You’ll remain here and help them keep this forest under control.”

“But Gine-.” Sandbar started.

“You’ve learned to tap into ki, but you haven’t learned to fully use it. You’re not ready yet.”

“But-.”

“Don’t argue!” Gine said, in a serious tone before the group reluctantly nodded before running off to help with keeping roots under control. Gine then looked to Twilight and asked, “Do you think you have enough magic to get us to Canterlot Castle?”

Twilight nodded before they gathered around her. “Hang on everyone,” Twilight said before they all disappeared in a flash of magic.

Meanwhile, in Canterlot Castle, Sombra sat on Celestia’s throne while leaning back. “Ah. Victory. As I told that old ram, I didn’t need their help. I can conquer not just the Crystal Empire, but all of Equestria on my own. And now even the Elements of Harmony aren’t a threat to me anymore. Ahahahahahahahahahaha!” Sombra laughed insanely when…

BOOM!

Sombra’s laughing stopped before looking at the doors at the end of the room. “Hm?”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Then out of nowhere, the doors were shattered to pieces while the entrance was covered in a cloud of dust while Sombra looked with a bored expression. Soon the dust cleared to show the Mane 6 with Gine standing ahead of them at the entrance with the Saiyan glaring hard at Sombra. The unicorn king continued holding his bored expression as he looked to the group and stood from the throne. “Well, well. What do we have here?”

Gine looked him over and found herself unimpressed. “You must be Sombra. The one causing all of this trouble.” Gine then began cracking her knuckles. “And I’m here to put an end to it.”

Sombra was silent for a moment before he began laughing again. “Oh, dear. You think you’re a match for me? You may be from another world, but I assure you that you will not come out as the victor of this battle.”

Sombra’s words shocked the group as Gine asked, “How do you know I’m from another world?”

“There’s no point in telling you,” Sombra said as he smirked with his horn charging. “For you’ll be dead soon enough!” Sombra then fired a powerful magic blast straight for the group, laughing as he did before Gine charged her ki, raised her fist, and, to Sombra’s shock, gave the blast a hard punch, causing it to vanish in a flash. “Impossible.”

“You’re gonna have to do better than that,” Gine said as she started walking forward towards him with the rest of the girls looking a bit shocked.

“That attack…” Fluttershy said, frightened.

“And Gine… she just…” Applejack said, still trying to process what happened as well.

“She took it like it was nothing,” Rainbow said. “I’m no magic-user, but I’d say that looked like a blast that even Celestia and Luna would’ve had a hard time blocking.”

Twilight was more shocked than anypony. She knew Gine had trained quite a bit and still kept training herself even when she was training the students. But she had thought she and her friends had seen Gine use her full power, but apparently, they were wrong. Which brought a bigger question to Twilight’s mind. How much strength does Gine truly have?

Sombra was silent before shaking off his shocked state. ‘Seems Grogar wasn’t exaggerating. She does have quite an impressive amount of power and will prove a challenge… but maybe I can use this to my advantage,’ Sombra thought before charging his horn once more. “Impressive. I must say I’ve never seen anyone dispense of one of my attacks so easily.”

“Don’t bother fighting me. I can handle anything you throw at me. So make it easy for yourself and surrender,” Gine said, charging her ki again. However, to her confusion, Sombra began to chuckle.

“True. But while you can take my attacks, I doubt they can so easily!” Sombra said before firing a magic blast from his horn at the Mane 6 group with the attack focused on Fluttershy. The shy pegasus watched as the attack closed in on her, the mare watching in fear, and soon covered her in smoke, knocking the others away to the ground before they looked up in fear and horror.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow yelled in concern, believing her friend had been struck by the attack. However, to their relief, when the smoke cleared, it showed Fluttershy on the ground but with Gine standing in front of her, showing that the Saiyan had blocked the shot from reaching her.

“Are you alright Fluttershy?” Gine asked, without looking behind her.

“Mhmm. I’m okay. Thank you, Gine. You saved me.” Fluttershy said, grateful to her friend. Gine, however, was not focusing on her gratitude as she glared at the smirking unicorn who shot at the pegasus.

“Attack me and I can take it. But you attack my friends, you pay the price.” Gine said with her teeth gritted.

“Oh. I’m so scared. Why don’t you come try and make me pay for my actions?” Sombra asked, with a sadistic chuckle. Gine shot her arms out before flying straight at Sombra, who stood where he was. As soon as he was within reach, Gine threw a fist at Sombra, intending to strike him through the wall, only for it to phase through a puff of black smoke.

“What the-?”

“You fell for it!”

Gine turned to see Sombra standing behind her and before she could react, Sombra laughed as he made a black helmet appear in his hands which he then shoved over Gine’s head. “Such an easy trick. Now prepare yourself to do my biting.”

Gine began trying to pull the helmet off but before it could be done, the slits on the helmet began to glow green as Gine clenched her head. “N… no. I won’t let you con… trol…” Gine started but soon went silent as her hands fell to her sides as Sombra chuckled and walked to her side, the Saiyan making no effort to stop him as the Mane 6 looked in horror.

“Oh no…” Twilight said frightened.

“Oh yes. Your friend belongs to me now.” Sombra said, grinning as he walked to Gine’s left side. “Such a powerful being now under my control. Ironic that the one you thought would be your best defense against me… will now be your destruction.” Sombra then looked to Gine and snapped his fingers. “Dispense with them.”

Gine remained silent as she looked to the Mane 6. “Gine! Don’t listen to him!” Twilight yelled.

“He ain’t your master!” Applejack yelled.

“You have to fight it!” Rainbow yelled as well.

“Don’t give in to that meanie!” Pinkie yelled, waving her hands around frantically.

“Please darling! Don’t let him win!” Rarity yelled soon after.

Fluttershy remained quiet out of fear as her friends’ pleas seemed to have no effect on Gine. The Saiyan was motionless before raising her palm and ki began forming into a sphere, preparing an attack that Gine then fired at the Mane 6. The girls watched as the attack came at them only to feel themselves being pushed out of the way and the attack struck the hall entrance instead. Twilight, relieved that the attack missed, looked up to see what pushed her only to find Spike had been responsible. She then looked to see her friends had been moved out of the attack's way as well by Scootaloo and the students. “Spike? What are you all doing here? Gine told you and the others to stay behind.” Twilight said, worried despite being thankful they got her and her friends out of harm’s way.

Spike stood and helped her up as he said, “Sorry Twilight. But we couldn’t just leave you guys to fight Sombra alone. I just had a bad feeling all of a sudden and I asked Celestia to send us here. I trained with Gine so I could be more useful in stuff like this and that’s why we’re here. We’re not just gonna sit on the sidelines.”

Despite being worried for more lives, Twilight couldn’t blame Spike for his reason. However, their conversation was cut off when Sombra began laughing. “You think your little extra group will make a difference? With my new pawn, none of you can stop me.”

Gine’s glowing helmet eyes looked to them all as the students looked horrified. Their mentor and friend under Sombra’s control not only frightened them but also saddened them. They saw Gine as a good person who cared for others and wouldn’t bring pain to any innocent, but now she was under the control of Sombra who planned to make her do things she wouldn’t normally do. Smolder clenched her fists as she glared at Sombra. “You’re gonna pay for this you curve horned maniac!”

“My, my. Such big talk from one so weak. Let’s see how big you’ll be talking once I have her destroy you all!” Sombra said, pointing forward, causing Gine to start walking towards the entire group.

“What do we do guys?” Silverstream asked, nervous. Sure they had enhanced their physical strength, but still just barely started learning how to tap into ki. And to make it more frightening, Gine, though mind-controlled, still had much higher amounts of strength and experience than they did.

Yona was trying to stay tough with her yak’s pride but couldn’t help but shake a little. Sandbar and Gallus stood stiff but were also trying to keep from sweating while Ocellus and Scootaloo seemed more nervous than most of them. Neither of them had seen many action events of this size so they didn’t know how to react to being forced to fight their new teacher.

Spike, however still nervous, held a determined look. “If we could just get to the helmet on her, we might be able to free her.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Gallus asked.

“We use what Gine taught us,” Spike said. “We may not have mastered using ki yet, but we still have our new strength and senses to fight with. It’s not much, but it’s the best we’ve got. We do it for Gine.”

With those words, the others grew less scared and more determined as they took spots beside Spike while he looked to Twilight. “Twilight? Let us handle Gine. We’re the best chance with what she’s taught us.”

Though nervous for the dragon she saw as her brother along with her students and Scootaloo, Twilight knew he was right. They had been training with Gine for three months, meaning they would know how she fought and what she could do better than her and her friends. So with reluctance, Twilight nodded before saying, “Alright Spike. We’ll leave it to you but be careful.”

Spike nodded as he faced the approaching Gine with the other students while the Mane 6 began making their way to the door, only to be blocked by a wall of dark magic. Sombra sat at Celestia’s throne with his horn flashing. “Come now. Surely you don’t want to miss the show.”

Gine kept approaching the group of her students as they tensed up. “Ready guys?”

They all responded with a nod as Gine soon reached them where they all ran in different directions. Sombra watched in amusement as the group scattered around Gine. “This should be entertaining.”

Smolder and Gallus were the first ones to move in and tried to strike Gine, who caught their fists before spinning them around and throwing Gallus into a charging Yona and Smolder into a charging Scootaloo. Silverstream, using her new speed, then charged into throw a kick that Gine moved her head to the side to dodge before using her tail to wrap around Silverstream’s ankle, throwing her aside before stepping sideways to dodge a punch from Sandbar before tripping him and kicking him into Ocellus. Gine then turned around and jumped back to dodge Spike’s tail before raising her palm and catching his second attempt and spun him around before throwing him into a support beam. Gine then charged at Spike and threw a punch that the dragon barely managed to dodge, resulting in the support beam being shattered but left himself opened to be hit by a shoulder shove from Gine, knocking him to the ground. Gine was about to throw another attack when Ocellus jumped on her from behind and tried to restrain her. This action failed, however, when Gine reached behind her, took Ocellus by the horn, and threw her aside. Gallus then ran in and tackled Gine into the wall, trying to hold her there, but Gine took his wings and threw him upward before kicking him into the ceiling. Gine then looked to her right and did a flip to dodge a fireball shot by Smolder’s mouth with the dragoness repeating the attempt and Gine continuing to flip to dodge them. Around Smolder’s third attempt, Gine charged in and used her hand to clamp Smolder’s snout shut before slamming her into the wall before striking her with a kick. She was about to follow with a punch when Yona jumped up and grabbed Gine from behind, causing the Saiyan to release Smolder while Silverstream flew in to try and help Yona restrain their teacher. Gine, however, managed to grab Yona by one of her horns, pulled her to the front, caught Silverstream by her mane, slammed their heads together before throwing them aside. She then descended and caught an attempted kick from Scootaloo before using her index and middle fingers to strike the filly to the ground.

Spike got on his feet as he watched the others try to restrain Gine only to fail. “Come on. We just gotta reach that mask. Think Spike, think. What would Gine do in a situation like this?”

Spike began thinking back to what Gine taught them during their training before a thought crossed his mind. “She would standby and wait for the right moment to attack,” Spike said before running to hide behind one of the support beams. He then watched as Gine was continued knocking away the others with little effort while he tried to find a way to reach her mask. He then watched as Yona managed to grab Gine from behind while Sandbar and Ocellus grabbed her arms followed by Smolder, Gallus, and Scootaloo managing to take a grip on her legs. “That’s it!” Spike said charging in with his fist raised and just as Gine managed to turn to face him, his fist collided with the mask, giving it a crack in the middle and knocked her to the ground.

“Alright, Spike!” Rainbow yelled as the Mane 6 saw that Gine was knocked down and the mask was damaged, believing that the worst was over.

“Looks like learning from Gine really did teach ‘em a few things,” Applejack said relieved while the rest of the girls nodded in relief.

However, their relief was short-lived when Gine shot up with half of the mask still glowing before she took Spike by the neck, lifting him up. The other students tried to stop her, but Gine shot a ki blast at the ground in front of them, knocking them all back to the walls or ground. Gine then turned her sights on Spike, who struggled to get out of her grip. “Gine… come on… fight it. You have… more power than any of us… You can break free from him.”

Sombra laughed at Spike’s attempt to reach Gine as he watched in amusement. “Don’t bother wasting your breath. As you can see, she’s mine. Now and forever. Gine, is it? Finish that dragon first. He was the one who was responsible for me being sealed away. I want him to be the first to die.”

Spike then watched as Gine raised her free fist before saying, “Gine… Don’t let him control you… Don’t let him be like Frieza.”

Spike then closed his eyes when Gine shot her fist forward towards him. However, after a few seconds, he never felt an impact. Cautiously, he opened one eye to see Gine’s fist inches from him with her arm starting to shake.

The sight of this upset Sombra as he rose from the throne. “What are you doing?! I told you to finish him!” Sombra yelled as his horn began to glow more. However, Gine didn’t respond to his order and instead dropped Spike and clenched her head. “Kill him! KILL HIM NOW!!!”

Gine, still shaking and struggling, soon turned her sights towards Sombra. “Get… out… of my… HEAD!!!” Gine yelled before firing a powerful ki blast that struck Sombra and slammed him through Celestia’s throne. The others then watched in shock and amazement as Gine reached for the helmet on her head and yanked it off before crushing it and throwing it aside. Sombra recovered from the attack before standing up and glaring at Gine.

“You! You dare to defy me?! You will suffer for- argh!” Sombra was cut off when Gine appeared right in front of him and struck him hard in the gut, causing him to hunch over where Gine grabbed him by his cape and threw him through a pillar. Sombra sat up on one arm while using his other to fire magic blasts at Gine, with the Saiyan effortlessly bashing each blast aside with one of her hands. “You can’t do this to me! I am the ruler of the Crystal Empire! I am King Sombra! I-!”

Sombra was once again cut off by Gine grabbing him by the horn and struck him in the gut with another hard punch causing him to cough up a bit of blood. “I don’t care!” Gine said before following with a headbutt that knocked Sombra to the ground. She then proceeded towards him when Sombra got to his feet and surrounded Gine with a field of dark magic, laughing maniacally. “This spell here will hold you. Its dark magic gets stronger the more you try to break free from it. Not even Celestia or Luna could defeat this! So you have no chance!”

Gine gritted her teeth as her ki began to flare. “Let’s test that!” Gine’s ki then changed from a basic white color to an aqua blue with white highlights at the end. “Spirit Charge! LEVEL 5!” Gine then used her new power and strength to strike the field that she was trapped in and after a moment’s struggle, the field began to crack more and more before it shattered, having her appear right in front of Sombra who looked with shock and horror.

“Impossible… what are you?!”

“I am Gine. A Saiyan from Planet VEGETA!!!” Gine said before throwing her fist out to strike Sombra in the face, knocking him through three pillars and into the wall where he barely managed to get up and looked to see Gine glaring at him.

“You… I will not be beaten! I HAVE COME TOO FAR TO LET YOU DEFEAT ME!!!” Sombra yelled with more magic charging into his horn while Gine merely lifted her palm with ki charging into a sphere. “NOW DIE!!!” Sombra yelled before firing a powerful magic blast that Gine countered with a ki beam from the sphere in her hand. The two attacks collided where shortly, Gine’s easily began to overpower Sombra’s, canceling it out and heading right for him as he watched it come for him.

“NOOOOOO!!!”

Sombra was then hit by the beam which then shattered the wall behind him as it kept going and going for many moments, being seen from outside of the castle heading even further than the Everfree Forest. Soon, the beam began to die down until it completely stopped, showing all that remained was the upper half of Sombra’s horn. The horn piece began to spark a bit until it was shattered by Gine’s foot stomping on it. “It’s over.”

Gine then turned around only to be tackled by the Mane 6 in a group hug. “Gine! You did it! You really did it!” Pinkie said happily.

“You saved us. You saved us all! Thank you so much!” Fluttershy said.

“No problem,” Gine said smiling before looking at her group of students. “And I should be thanking you guys as well.”

“Yeah. Sorry, we disobeyed you, Gine.” Ocellus said with her fellow students nodding, only for Gine to chuckle in response.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Gine said, surprising them. “If you hadn’t shown up, I could’ve ended up doing Sombra’s work for him. You helped me realize despite how strong I’ve become, there are still some things I can’t do alone. So thanks.”

This made the students smile before Gallus said, “While it is good to have you back and Sombra was beaten, there’s still one problem.” Gallus then pointed out the hole that Gine’s blast left and everyone could see that roots from the Everfree Forest began reaching into Canterlot.

“Sombra may be gone, but without the magic of the Tree of Harmony, we can’t stop the Everfree Forest.” Ocellus said, worried.

“Gine?” Smolder asked, frightened and concerned as well. “Can’t you do something?”

“I’m sorry Smolder,” Gine said looking down at the roots growing around the area. “But this is beyond my knowledge. I don’t think my powers will be able to stop this.” Gine then turned to Twilight and her friends. “But Twilight and her friends can.”

“Say what?” Rainbow asked.

“Gine. We can’t. Without the elements-.” Twilight started.

“The elements are with you,” Gine said, putting her hands over Twilight’s. “I may not have been here on your world for long Twilight. But I have studied plenty of the history you and your friends have had. The Tree of Harmony isn’t gone. Its power, its magic is still with you and your friends. Just like how my fellow Saiyans, my old squad, even Bardock live on through me, the Tree of Harmony and its magic live on through you.”

Twilight was amazed by Gine’s words when she felt Rainbow and Pinkie take her hands. Gine backed up as Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy also joined hands with them. Twilight looked to her friends, all smiling at her before smiling and shutting her eyes. “You’re right Gine. The tree may be gone, but the friendship it stood for still lives on through us. And will continue its job for as long as we live!” Twilight yelled before she and her friends began to glow in a rainbow color as magic began to surround them, causing them to float up into the air. Then their eyes began to glow before a giant wave of rainbow magic shot from the group, moving over everything in its path all the way to Ponyville. The wave healed any injured ponies, returned those who were still mind-controlled to normal, repaired any damage that had been done, and most importantly, caused the out-of-control roots to wilt and die, returning the Everfree forest to normal.

After this had been done, Twilight and her friends returned to normal right before Celestia, Luna, and Starswirl appeared beside them. “Twilight! Well done!” Celestia said, hugging her younger, fellow princess. “You saved not only Canterlot. But all of Equestria.”

“Thank you, princess. But it wasn’t just me who saved it,” Twilight said, smiling at her friends, students, and Gine. “I had help from my friends, our new students, and our new protector.”

Luna then approached, smiling at them all. “Thank you. All of you. Especially you Gine. You’ve shown loyalty to a land still so new to you and we can’t thank you enough for helping us in our fight.”

Gine smiled as she took a bow before the princess. “It was my pleasure. Though now that the fighting is over…” Gine started before her stomach started to growl. “Could we get something to eat now? All of that fighting has left me with an empty stomach.”

Everyone began to laugh while Celestia began to walk towards the door. “Come along. I’ll have our chefs prepare a good meal for us all.”

Everyone smiled as they all started following Celestia until Gine stopped and took a moment to look at the shattered remains of Sombra’s upper horn. Though the fight was over, Gine felt chills down her spine as she looked to the remains, a feeling bugging her.

“Gine?”

Gine snapped out of her thoughts before looking to see Ocellus standing by her. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah… sorry. Let’s go.” Gine said, smiling as she followed Ocellus, but couldn’t help but think, ‘The fight with Sombra may be over. But how did he know I was from another world? I have a bad feeling whatever caused him to come here is far from over.’

Meanwhile, in the swamp area of Grogar’s hideout, Cozy Glow was staying airborne with her wings, holding hands in a circle with the Storm King and Tirek, the two aggravated while Cozy Glow smiled. “Now I’ll say something nice about centaurs.”

Cozy then looked to Tirek. “Tirek? You say something nice about yetis.”

Cozy then turned her sights on the Storm King. “And Storm King? You say something nice about ponies.”

“Yeah. Not gonna happen.” The Storm King said, pulling his hands from the circle, causing Tirek to do the same while Cozy looked glum.

“Come on you two. If we wanna win, we gotta learn to get along.”

“As idiotic as her methods are.”

The three looked to see Grogar walking into sight from the shadows. “The tiny one has made a good point. If we are to defeat Twilight, her friends, and her new ally, then we must truly work together.”

Storm King then raised an eyebrow at the ram. “And what about King Sombra’s little conquering attempt?”

“Did he succeed?” Tirek asked.

His question however made Grogar smirk. “Ask him yourself,” the elder ram said before moving his arm forward and throwing a surviving Sombra to the ground. The three were beyond shocked to see the state he was in. Despite surviving Gine’s attack, Sombra was beaten and badly injured with scrapes, burns, and many cuts on his body, bleeding from many wounds, his armor badly damaged, and his horn broken.

“As you can see,” Grogar said in a serious tone. “The new defender of Equestria is much stronger than any of us anticipated. She holds a power that rivals, if not is greater than Celestia and Luna combined. And she will only continue to get stronger. It seems she is of a race of warriors known as Saiyans. And with her strength combined with the ponies’ magic, the only way to overcome them and conquer Equestria is to work together and share our might.” Grogar said before smirking at the three. “Unless one of you three would like to follow Sombra lead and try to take them on alone.”

The three then took another glance at the beaten Sombra before they all gulped with Tirek saying, “Not I!”

“No thanks!” Storm King said, hastily.

“I’m good!” Cozy said, following the other two’s lead.

“Excellent,” Grogar said before turning to the beaten Sombra. He then reached for his necklace and pulled a sphere of magic before throwing it onto Sombra. The magic then covered his body, healed his wounds, repaired his armor, and rebuilt his horn. “And as for you Sombra? Shall you try again on your own? Or will you join us and combine our efforts to defeat our enemies?”

Sombra sat upon his knees and remained quiet. He had thought he could do what Grogar had planned on his own. Takedown the princess and their friends, take over the Crystal Empire, and even all of Equestria. But after his recent failure against Gine, he could see he had no choice. He rose up to his feet, looked to Grogar with a serious look before lowering his head. “I will join you. I see you were right. This new ally of the princesses is not one any of us can overcome alone. So as I said, I will pledge my allegiance to you until we defeat our enemies.”

“Good,” Grogar said, grinning evilly.

“But only if you keep your word,” Sombra said in a threatening tone.

“Of course. When we overcome our enemies, you will be given the Crystal Empire as your reward to rule and do with as you see fit. We all will rule Equestria together and nothing will be able to stop us,” Grogar said. Sombra held a serious expression before nodding to him before he walked to Cozy, Tirek, and Storm King, who also nodded in agreement to Grogar.

“Excellent,” Grogar said before walking up to his pedestal and summoning his crystal ball out in front of them all. “Now then. I suggest you all learn how to properly work together. For if we are to succeed, we must rely on one another. Learn how to combine our might, our power. I have many plans that will need us to work as one to achieve. But if my plans work, we will be unstoppable. We will overthrow the princess, Twilight and her friends, and even their new defender. This Saiyan. This… Gine…”

Then from the hideout, Grogar’s laughing could be heard as it grew louder and louder, caused by whatever plans he had to combat Equestria’s new Saiyan protector.

Surviving Saiyan in Equestria

by bcmorgan96

First Encounter

You're a WHAT?!!

Gine's First Day in Equestria

A Royal Offer And A Clash of Titans

Trip To Canterlot

Nightmare and A Test

Preparations

Training

Chrysalis' Revenge, Gine's Training is Tested

Lessons & Memories Part 1

Lessons & Memories Part 2

Lessons & Memories Part 3

Lessons & Memories Part 4

The Battle for the Heart of Equestria! Gine's Will to Protect!