Blooming Talent Tie-In: Power Corrupts
"It is nearly time, dearest Piccolo." Luna mused as she gazed into the bright moon in the sky; its silver rays glistening off her ethereal mane as it wavered in the night breeze.
The namekian merely grunted an affirmative as he maintained his meditative stance. The time had indeed come; two yeas had passed since Apple Bloom had saved Equesria from Prince Sapphic, and that meant the Dragon Balls were about to become active again.
"In a few short hours, she'll finally have her reward." He finally spoke.
"It was rather kind of you to gather the balls for her." The alicorn stated, walking gracefully behind her bipedal lover and nuzzling him affectionately.
"She would've had to wait much longer if I hadn't. They were scattered pretty far." Piccolo responded, trying not to blush at the touch of his princess.
She lay down next him; her tail wrapping around his waist and her head plopped into his lap. The Guardian of Equestrian smiled widely at the sight and stroked her neck with his hand, careful not to let his sharp nails scratch her delicate body.
"Its almost got a feeling of finality to it," she said between murmers of pleasure. "Doesn't it?"
"Yes." Piccolo agreed. "Everything has led up to this moment for her. Its been a long time coming. I just hope things go as smoothly as they can."
Luna giggled, the notion silly to her. "Oh Piccolo. What could possibly go awry?"
***
The seven orbs of stone lay before Apple Bloom as she sat patiently as she could for the time to come. In just a little bit, the miracle orbs would revert back into the prestine blue orbs made from the bark of the Tree of Harmony and grant her long awaited wish.
As she sat and stared at the soon the be Dragon Balls, she couldn't help but giggle giddily and shift in place as if she were a filly waiting to open her Hearths Warming Eve present. Shed waited long enough for this, and now nothing was going to get in her way; nopony was going to stop her from making this long awaited wish.
"So, those are the legendary Dragon Balls that brought us all back to life, huh?"
Apple Bloom whirled around on her hooves at the sound of the voice. Who would dare come around Sweet Apple Acres this time of the night? She got her answer when she whirled around and saw...
"Shining Armor?" She exclaimed upon finding he white stallion standing in the doorway of the barn.
"Hey, kiddo." Shining said, his tone sound in conversational but carrying a hint of urgency with it.
"What are you doin' here?" Apple Bloom asked him, rising to all fours.
"Kinda funny you should ask." He said, turning his gaze briefly to the stone Dragon Balls. "I...need to ask a big favor of you."
The southern mare shifted uncomfortably as Shining's eyes darts once again to the Dragon Balls. She tough she might already know what he wanted, but asked anyway so as not to assume.
"What is it..?"
Shining seemed to inhale sharply before speaking, knowing how much Apple Blom had talked of this day. He didn't want to ruin it for her, but he felt that this needed to be done. For Twilight.
"I...need to ask you to let me use the Dragon--"
"No."
Shining blinked. "What?"
'No." Apple Bloom repeated bluntly. "I have been waitin' for this moment for years, and I'm not about to let some pony else make me wait longer to see my family."
"Apple Bloom, you didn't let me finish--"
"The answer is no." She reaffirmed.
Shining drew in another deep breath, trying to keep calm. "Apple Bloom, please. My wish is for.."
"I don't give a hoot what you wanna wish for!" She spat out. "If you want it so badly you can wait another year. I've had enough of waiting."
"You're not listening to me!"
"I don't have to!"
"Apple Bloom--"
At that very instant, the yellow mare kicked her hind leg out and sent one of the four orbs flying off into the distance. Shining gaped for a moment, but then out of fear she would scatter the others, he pushed her to the side and onto the ground, grabbing the remaining Dragon Balls as he did so.
Apple Bloom hit the hay covered ground with a grunt, and stood up just in time to see Shining Armor gallop off with the six balls in his magical levitation field.
In a burs of betrayed anger, she shouted and transformed into her anrtropomorphic state; her orange gi summoning itself around her now humanoid body. She set her sights upon the King of the Crystal Empire and jettisoned forward through the air after him.
Shining gallopped hard; from the trajectory, the last Ball must have landed somewhere in the center of Ponyville. All he had to do was get it, and then--
His train of thought was cut off as a powerful kick sent him careening off to the side, landing just outside Ponyville's outskirts. The distance he had flown and the force of the kick had caused him to drop the Dragon Balls, and due to their velocity, they rtoo had just been scattered about Ponyville.
Apple Bloom stood setting at he white unicorn struggling to stand before her.
"Now look what you've done!" She shouted; a sound as terrifying as a Timberwolves howl.
"What I've done? You're the one flying off the handle right now!"
"You want to see me fly off the handle? I'll fly off he handle!"
With that, she brought one of her leg down, smashing the hoof into the soil. The shockwave eminatted outwards, but he brunt of it was directs at Shining. Before he could move, he was sent into the air, and was punched away once more by one of Apple Bloom's powerful fists. A lesser stallion would surely have passed out then and there.
Shining staggered to his hooves, noticing he was near two of the Dragon Balls. The stone was already crumbling off of it, and some of its brilliant blue light was seen shimmering in the moonlight. He reached out for them with is magic, but had to duck to avoid another stack from the angered Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom! Calm down! You don't understand!"
The anthro pulled her fist out of the tree she had just speared and turned to the the unicorn. "I understand you want screw me over and take my long awaited wish away from me!"
"What I want is a little more important than your dead family!"
The antro mare's eyes burned bright for a moment as her nostrils flared.
"Uh...that came out wrong..."
The words had come out nevertheless, and the newly enraged antro Apple Bloom lunged at him. They rolled into the next street, causing many ponies to come out and see the ruckus.
Apple Bloom started to pound on the pined stallion, leaving large welts on his coat.
"How. Dare. You. Say. My. Family. Isn't. Important!" She shouted, emphasizing each word with a punch.
He stopped her with a burst of megic, and lifts her off him. His magic held her in midair as she struggled to escape and beat on him some more.
"That's...not...what I meant...Apple Bloom." He managed, spitting out one of his molars. "The needs...of the living...outweigh...the needs of...the dead..."
"Stop tryin' to make excuses! "
"Its not an excuse!" Shining shouted. "Twilly needs this wish! She needs it to be sane again!"
"Twilight would've waited for me!" Apple Bloom spat.
"You don't know that!"
With that, Shining tossed Apple Bloom into a cottage, causing everypony inside to flee screaming. He then smacked her around on the ground a bit before lift in her back into the air like a ragdoll.
"I'm sorry, Apple Bloom...Twilly always said you were a good filly back in the day...but if I have to knock you out to help my little sister...then so be--"
Shining's speech was interrupted when he noticed the two Dragon Balls were gone. Forgetting about Apple Bloom for a brief minute and dropping her to the ground, he looked frantically for the missingorbs. His eyes barely caught a cream colored earth long with blue and pink mane and tail stuffing them into her saddle bags as she tried to gallop off.
Shining shouted after her, and began to gallop in her direction. The mare sped up, but her muscles were no match for the former Captain of the Royal Guard's. He caught up to her, and pulled her tail with magic to stop her. She gave a tell and fell to her belly.
Shining noticed the bag said Bon Bon on it, and levitated not two, but four Dragon Balls from it.
"I don't know what you thought you were doing 'Bon Bon', but you're lucky I don't have you arrested for interfering with royal business."
Bon Bon looked incredulously at the stallion. "Royal business my flank! If that was true you'd have your guards here doin your dirty work! This ain't no business!"
"Its neither of yours!" Came Apple Bloom's voice.
She grabbed Shining by his blue mane and hurled him into a building nearby, which caved inward slightly at his impact.
"What is going on out here?!" Came another familiar voice from the doorway of the cottage.
Trunks and Lyra stood outside their doorway dumbfounded at the sight before them.
"Bon Bon?" Lyra questioned, not sure what the earth pony was doing here in this situation.
"Uh...hi..Lyra..."
Trunks looked about he fight zone and saw Shining Armor trying to get up from being thrown into his home. He looked at the Dragon Balls, and then at Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom, what the blazes?!" He finally spoke.
"Stay out of this, Trunks." She snarled. "This is between me and them."
"You better not have layer a hand on Bon Bon!" Lyra spoke up at the seething anthro.
"Would a been better than what you did to me...." Bon Bon muttered.
"All of...you...stand....down..." Shining wheezed, attempting to get back up once again.
Suddenly the Dragon Balls began to glow. The stone had fallen away completely, revealing the blue orbs beneath.
"But theirs only five here..." Trunks said. "They only glow like this when all seven are present..."
Everyone looked over and saw Goten standing with the final two Dragon Balls in his hands, looking confused.
"Honey...please give me those Dragon Balls..." Apple Bloom breathed, reaching an arm out to them.
Goten shrank back a bit. "Not until you tell me what's going on here. I heard the fighting, and then our son started crying. After I calmed him down, I raced over and found these laying in the field along the way. I thought you were in trouble...but niow I'm just lost. Why are you beating up Prince Armor?"
"He tried to take my wish away from me...away from us..." She offered.
"I...need...them more...than you..." Shining managed.
"You shut up!" She shouted swinging a hand at him.
She was stopped by Trunks, who grabbed her by the wrist. He looked her dead in the eyes before speaking as she struggled against him. "Stop. This isn't the way to handle things."
"He stated it!" She shouted back, her power level rising.
"Be that as it may, you have to have a cooler head!" He responded, starting to struggle to hold her arm. "Violence doesn't have to be the way to solve everything! Let's talk about this!"
"The time for talking is long gone! I wanna see my family again!"
She tossed Trunks aside, and grabbed Shining by the scruff of his neck. "And ain't no pony gonna get in my way."
She threw the helpless stallion into the air and started to change her ki.
"Apple Bloom! Don't!" Goten shouted, transforming into his Super Saiyan state and jumping in front of his wife as she tossed her attack.
The blast connected and exploded in Goten's face, knocking him back several feet, and rendering him barely conscious. His golden hair returned to its normal black as he rolled to a stop on the ground. Trunks, who had caught Shining in the air, hurriedly set the stallion down and rushed to the aid of his friend.
Apple Bloom seemed to snap out of her rage at that very moment, realizing what she had just done. She started to move towards her downed husband, but Trunks stepped between them; his hair glowing golden in his Super Saiyan form.
"Stay away from him!" He shouted, as Lyra started to look over Goten.
"I....I didn't mean to...to..."
"Enough!" Came a booming duet of voices from above.
Everyone turned their attention skyward to see Piccolo and Princes Luna hovering above with angered and hurt expressions on their faces.
As they landed, the namekian strolled quickly and hostily over to Apple Bloom. "What do you think you're doing?! Is that anyway to treat someone you call a friend? A neighbor? A lover?!"
"Piccolo...Shining tried to..."
"I don't care what Shining tried to do! I have a feeling I already know what the cause of all this is!"
He pointed to the seven Dragon Balls laying in the grass, glowing in bright blue.
Apple Bloom's ears shrank back as she had realized her full mistake.
"I created the Dragon Balls to help ponies who needed it! Not just you! They were to be used as a force for good, not something to squabble over!"
"I waited two years for this wish!" Apple Bloom cried, tears start in to form in her eyes.
"And you would make it at the cost of others?! Including your husband?!" Piccolo growled. "What if you had miles Goten just then, or Shining Armor?! Your son would be fatherless, and the Crystal Empire would be without a king once more! Instead of talking, you thought fighting was a great say to solve this! What if their needs outweighed yours?! Huh?!"
The anthro was on the verge of a breakdown at this point, slowly falling to he knees and sobbing. Piccolo was furious, and he wasn't holding back. She looked to Princess Luna, by the alicorn's facial expression made it clear that she was in agreeance.
Piccolo back off and grabbed the Dragon Balls in his arms. "All of this could've been avoided if you had just been willing to compromise...now...none of you will get your wish."
Everyone gasped except Luna and the unconscious Shining and Goten.
"Wait, sir Guardian, please!" Bon Bon pleaded. "We need them!"
"No you don't. In fact, you might have been better off without them." Piccolo said without facing anyone. "I thought if I created Dragon Balls here in Equestrian it would help. Instead, its just caused more conflict. Power really does corrupt it seems..."
Luna trotted to stand beside her lover as he stared down at the seven orbs in he arms; they continued to pulsate with light.
"As Guardian of Equestrian, I deem these Dragon Balls a threat to the peace. They must be destroyed."
Apple Bloom just about choked on her own spit. "But Piccolo! You said--"
"I said a lot of things, and you twisted my intentions with your selfishness. Well its not going to happen again..."
With that, the namekian and the alicorn flew off towards Canterlot to perform the deed. Apple Bloom fell to the ground and sobbed.
Bon Bon stared over at Lyra. The mint colored unicorn had shown concern for her at first, but then she had put Bon Bon aside for he wounded half-saiyan. She felt a bit angry at this, and thought about bringing it up, but what would be the use? The Dragon Balls were about to be destroyed. Any hope of ever be in with Lyra again was now gone.
"I'm sorry...." Apple Bloom blurted. "I'm so...so...sorry..."
***
"Ti-Lung! I wish for the Dragon Balls to be no more!"
At Piccolo's wish, the Dragon Balls shattered, and the dragon, along with the shards slowly faded away into nothingness. Piccolo stared at the place where they had been, and contemplate several things. Had any of his been worth it? Coming to Equestrian? Creating he Dragon Balls? ...Leaving Gohan behind..?
"I shouldn't have ever come here..." He said.
Luna looked hurt and shocked at the words from the namekian's mouth. "Do not say such things! Please...it was not a mistake that you chose to dwell here..."
"Luna, a stallion and a young man almost died over something I created...and I saw an angel briefly become a devil...because of my actions...if I hadn't created the Dragon Balls...maybe.."
Luna shushed him and embraced him the awkward and yet cute way she always did being a quadruped. Piccolo thought he felt tears in her eyes as rthey fell down her face.
"You did what needed to be done...just as you did now...I understand your remorse, but please..." She looked loninly up at him. "Never ever say you wish you were not here...because if you weren't, I wouldn't have you..."
The namekian nodded and embraced the alicorn princess back tightly. Thins were going to be very different in the coming days...
***
"Again!"
Goku launched another flurry of attacks at This; his Super Saiyan 4 speed still it quite matching his new master's. Who's caught one of the saiyan's blows, and gracefully flipped him up and over, land in him hard on the tile floor of the godworld palace.
He coughed and sputtered as he stood up; no training had ever been this intense before, even in Otherworld. Being the God of Destruction was already tough, but he training was even harder than the killing of planets. So far, to Goku,s relief, the planets had all been lifeless thus far. Things that needed to be cleared away. But he knew the day was coming...when he'd have to do it..to kill a planet full of people...
"Again." Whis repeated.
"Hey...I don't usually say his, but, can we take a break?" Goku asked, out of breath.
"No." He said curtly. "You have to be ready when he test comes around."
"Test? To kill an inhabited planet?"
"No...a different test...one I can't really tell you about yet."
Goku rolled his eyes. "If its I have to take, then I need to--"
"Its not a test for you, Goku. "
"What?" He asked, confused. "If I'm not the one takingte test why do I need to be ready for it?"
"You will see in due time. Now....AGAIN!"
