Glory For Power

"Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap!" Paolina repeated over in her head as she tried to follow the mist, she immediately had taken to the air after it but it was already gaining ground faster than her, her own hunger wasn't doing anything to help. She growled as she lost the mist in the darkness of the night, sighing she turned around only to be face to face with the large pony from earlier who happened to be wearing a malicious smirk. Her catlike eyes narrowed as she grabbed the Saiyan in her magic.

"Silly little creature... so much power, but still nothing compared to mine..." She taunts before quickly pointing her horn to the ground, forcing Paolina to the dirt with enough force to make a crater a few feet deep. "Follow me and you shall die..." the pony laughs before heading to the Everfree.

Paolina let out a groan as her everything was starting to hurt, kinda like when she was fighting Beerus... She hadn't even sensed her get so close, Kinda like Beerus as well... It was at that moment that she started connecting the dots. "...she has god ki?" she groans as she slowly pulls herself up from the crater and starts to limp towards where that level six power went. "ooh... Ooh that hurt..." She groans as she stumbles along the streets, her entire outfit actually had small tears in it from the sheer strength of that larger pony's attack. "I... Hate... Gods..." She groans as she collapses on the ground in front of the treehouse.

Pinkie's ears twitched up as she gave Twilight the book she had found, a tingle in her right hindleg usually meant that somepony had fainted nearby! She bounced over to the door of the treehouse with a curious look before quickly opening the door.

Everypony's thoughts were immediately interrupted as Pinkie let out a shout. "Girls! I found somepony! Queen Meanie hurt her!" How she had managed to shout while she pulled the unconscious Saiyan onto her back was beyond their desire to keep their minds intact as they rushed over to see who Pinkie was talking about.

"Hey! That's the critter I chased off my farm!" Applejack exclaims as Twilight helps move the unconscious creature to the couch.

"W-what is it?" Twilight asks as she looks over to Fluttershy, the timid pegasus only manages a shrug in return.

All of them look on in confusion as Pinkie makes them take a few steps back. "Good Heavens, what happened to its ensemble!" Rarity says as she starts looking over the damaged uniform. They step back again, except for Fluttershy, who hides behind Twilight, as they hear the creature groan.

"Oh... I'm so going to deck her in the nose..." Paolina grumbles as she starts to sit up. "Wow... it's been a while since the last time I passed out..." She blinks a couple times. "But I don't remember passing out on a couch..." Her head turns to notice the ponies that are giving her wary looks. "Ah! That's why... I got here just in time then." She grunts a little as she starts to get off the couch, in response the orange pony and the cyan one stand between her and the rest of them looking like they're getting ready to fight.

She lets out a small chuckle as she looks between the two of them, "You two should trust me, everything you both have combined isn't enough to hurt me... that bigger pony on the other hand... You guys are gonna need help."

"What do you know about Nightmare Moon!?" The Cyan one accuses as she gets in Paolina's face. "Are you a spy too?"

"Dash! We jus' went through this with Twilight, I don't think she'd have come here and fallen at Twilight's doorstep if she was on that monster's side." Applejack deadpans.

Twilight slowly walks up to the Saiyan. "What are you?" she asks quietly.

Paolina facepalms again. "I think we're kinda missing a really important event here, I can explain later but right now we need to find a way to beat that big pony that simply tossed me through the ground."

Twilight's ears perk as her head tilts a little in confusion. "How does that work?"

"Very.. easily..." Paolina deadpans. "Anyway, less talking, more problem solving, any ideas on how to beat her?"

Twilight gives a nervous glance to the rest of them. "Well... The Elements of Harmony are the only recorded artifacts that have beaten her."

"And where are they?" Rainbow Dash asked, prompting Twilight to grimace a little.

"...The Everfree Forest, in the old Castle of the Pony Sisters." She says before straightening up.

Paolina claps her hands together. "Oh, good! I almost thought we'd have to scour the world for a few months to find them, welp, let's get going." As she's about to leave Twilight steps between her and the door.

"No, you're already hurt, I can't have you risk your life in the Everfree..."

"I'm actually gonna have to agree with Twilight on this, Considerin' what we're fightin' and how quickly she beat you..."

The Saiyan gives them a slight glare. "That's because her power is leagues above my own, she's actually infused with Godly Ki!" Her frustration nearly had her simply walk out the door by pushing them aside. "Everything out in that forest can't hold a candle to my ability, alright, I'm fine, I was just a bit concussed from the sudden drop when she used me to make a new crater for your-... Oh... I feel dumb now..." She pushes Applejack and Twilight aside as she pulls her capsule case from her jacket. "Forgot I had senzu beans..."

"Jus' where are you goin!? Y'all are already hurt!" Applejack says as she tries to pull what feels like a moving wall back inside, digging her hooves into the ground.

"Either come with me or tell me where these Elements are so that I can use them against that pony..." Paolina growls as she pulls her jacket sleeve out of Applejack's grasp. "She got the drop on me because I wasn't expecting to fight such a strong opponent here..." The Saiyan starts to smile as she immediately starts planning for her next encounter. "...All it's doing is getting me excited."

Twilight lets out a sigh as she walks up to the taller person, "You're not going anywhere... I'm going..."

"And her friends are too!" Rainbow dash adds, getting Twilight to nod

"...And my frie-... wait, what?" She blusters as she looks at the prismatic mare.

"Come on, you didn't think we were going to let you go into that forest alone, did you? Ponies get eaten when they go in there on their own." Dash replies as she hovers above the unicorn.

"And you're not stopping me from going either, none of you has the smallest hint of a chance to make me stay." Paolina replies. "I'm going with you, and that's final."

Twilight lets out a frustrated sigh. "You should still get to a hospital!"

"I have senzu beans, I'll be fine."

"Uh... What's a sensu bean?" Applejack asks as they start walking towards the looming forest. "That's not a plant I've ever heard of."

Paolina let out another sigh. "Once again, explanation later, action now." She says as she picks up her pace towards the Everfree.

Rainbow Dash hovers next to Applejack as the Saiyan starts putting distance between them. "...I think she's working for Nightmare Moon..."

"...Dash..." Applejack sighs.

"No, hear me out on this one... She appears out of nowhere, The same way Nightmare Moon does, faints at the doorstep of the library, and then gets up just to act like nothing happened... and now she's just powerwalking ahead like she's on her way to meet up with her master."

Applejack rolls her eyes. "I don't know what you really do up in them clouds all day, but I think you've deprived yerself of a bit of oxygen."

"Come on Applejack! You know that I'm right..." Rainbow Dash groans. "...She shows up out of nowhere, acted like she was hurt, and then wants us to take her to those 'elements of harmony' so that she can destroy them!"

Applejack gives her a level look as they enter the forest. "Dash, I'd rather let evidence speak for itself, since we have ta head to where these elements are anyway."

The group manages to travel in relative silence for quite a while as they venture through the forest, even most of the native creatures Paolina had encountered were keeping their distance. Whether it was out of fear or some other reason it still gave the Saiyan the chills as she tried to keep her mind open and her senses ready in case that 'Nightmare Moon' pony was to show up again. If the others were lucky, Nightmare Moon would probably simply gloat at them about their futile quest and leave... but lots of god-strength beings didn't quite work like that.

She let out a small breath as Rarity began to say something about the way the forest looked. "Honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about, forests on earth work this way as well and you don't see humans freaking out over it." Once the fashionista let out a scream Paolina whipped around and started searching for their attacker. The resulting scene... was less than expected.

Five of the ponies who had come with her were now screaming in terror at what they thought were monsters in the tree bark, the sixth one happened to be laughing. Paolina let out another sigh as her palm met her forehead for what felt like the millionth time. "...I swear, they're like children..." She groans in irritation.

"All the more reason not to fear them..."

"Yeah, I mean... they don't even stand a chance against... Nightmare... Moon?" She hesitates as she gets to the end so that she could turn to the voice that had spoken up and staring her right in the face, not more than three feet away, was the very entity she had to fight. In a moment of sheer brilliance and unchallenged courage she had but one thing to say. "...not the face..."

Alas, to her great disappointment the alicorn simply chuckled. "No promises." she cackled before her hoof caught the Saiyan right in the stomach with enough force to send her flying past the group of ponies that had just gotten finished with a musical number.

She hadn't bothered to count just how many trees she went through, it was certainly enough though to make her want to re-think her policy on not destroying the forest just because it was in her way. Gasping for air she slowly managed to get to her feet as the ponies galloped over.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Twilight asks in a panic as she skids to a halt.

Fluttershy stops quite a few feet away as she gets a much larger feeling of dread emanating from their injured... ally, that was probably the word she should use; ally.

Paolina's eyes were dangerously narrowed as she got to her feet. She quickly pulled out the capsule that contained the senzu essence and activated it, making a blue mist appear around her body and heal her completely. "I am not okay... I am absolutely livid..." She growls before turning her attention to Twilight. "Location of the castle, How far and in which direction?"

All of the ponies take a few steps back as they feel the air around them get heavier. Twilight points in an east-ish direction, "T-two miles that way, why?" She asks with a shaky voice.

"Because Nightmare moon is about to learn why you don't piss off a Saiyan." Paolina responds as she brings a fist up in front of her. With a quick downward thrust a burst of energy threatens to knock all the ponies off of their hooves as the Girl's hair color changes from brown to gold and she gets surrounded in a fiery-yellow aura. Her knees bend slightly before she leaps off of the ground with enough force to leave cracks behind and speeds off towards the castle where it was very likely her opponent would be.

"D-did y'all feel that...?" Applejack stutters as she watches the golden-yellow trail of the woman they had been traveling with start to fade.

"Her magic... But... she... She's not a unicorn, she shouldn't have magic like that!?" Twilight blusters in shock. "There's no way that's possible!"

Fluttershy was shaking so hard that even Rainbow dash had to help Rarity try to calm the mare down. "That... She... I don't care about the magic! How was she flying so fast!?" Rainbow dash shouts. "She doesn't even have wings!"

Even Pinkie was standing still as she watched the trail fade. "Wow... She was mad... She was so mad she got set on fire..."

"Twilight, dear... I think it may be a good idea to go to the castle quite soon, we don't exactly want... whatever that thing is... to destroy the elements..." Rarity prods.

Paolina stopped in the air just above what appeared to be a ruined castle. sure enough though, her opponent was in the air already waiting for her.

"Ah, so you're finally taking this seriously..." Nightmare moon chuckles. "I hope you don't mind but I can't exactly focus all of my attention on you, as much as you would rather blind me to other such events."

The Saiyan growled again before letting more of her power flow, making the world seem to slow down as the Alicorn rushed at her. At her full strength she was finally able to get a decent read on how much power her opponent was using, and it was significantly less than what she had been not even five minutes ago. It still wasn't enough for her to land a hit on the stupid pony, but neither was it giving her opponent the opportunity to find an opening in her own defenses.

Both combatants were a blur on the battlefield, the sky above the castle, every punch that felt like it was at regular speed for the two battlers lasted only a second as they bounced around the sky and their energies collided. It took every ounce of rage and concentration that she could spare just to keep the larger pony from being able to get through her defenses, there wasn't even an opportunity to hit since they were both moving too fast to be able to score any significant damage to each other.

Paolina let out a gasp as a metal-clad hoof met her stomach again and sent her rocketing toward the treeline, within seconds the only sounds she heard was the snapping of thick, likely several-hundred year old, tree trunks as she was sent through them like they were made of paper mache. When she finally stopped skidding she got to one knee and braced herself just before another hoof collided with her crossed forearms. She bit her lip as pain shot through her arms and her entire aura changed from the fiery gold back to a weaker blue, the force of the blow had broken through her defenses and she found herself encased in the mare's magic again, struggling to breathe against the immense pressure.

She actually sounded disappointed. "Well, it was entertaining watching you try to fight me but it seems I wasted too much time toying with you... I have to go destroy those ponies who seek to use the Elements Of Harmony against me." With yet another hoof to the gut she dropped Paolina to the ground, gasping for air like it was going out of style. Nightmare Moon lets out another cackle before her form shifts into a mist and speeds off to the castle.

Wheezing and coughing up blood Paolina's vision began to fade, the world started getting colder, before she knew it there was a new kind of warmth that was like standing in front of a coal stove on a snowy day. As feeling began returning to her limbs she looked around, the place she was in looked so strange, it was like the Room of Space and Time... but it was also a sea of more color than just seas of white and blue.

"You must be quick, Saiyan..." Comes a motherly voice, one full of warmth but also full of impatience. "There is little time before the one you have been fighting reaches the new Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I will grant you my power... Be warned though, it will only last for a short time since it is a strength not accustomed to you. It should help distract Nightmare Moon long enough for the Bearers to use the Elements on her."

Paolina looks around in confusion. "Who are you? What power?"

"All will be revealed soon, but you must act quickly..." The voice responds, the entire world seemed to fade as Paolina began to see the forest she had been left to die in.

Not even a moment later her senses began to be overwhelmed as she felt that she had simply walked into the sun, her entire body began feeling incredibly hot as her latent power was flowing as if on overdrive. When her power finally stopped flowing out she noticed that the entire world looked like it had stopped in time, no... it was only moving really slowly. She put her index and middle finger to her forehead as she noticed the other incredible source of Ki that matched her own, she vanished from the ruins of several trees, leaving behind a dead-silent forest.

Twilight and her friends were struggling just to breathe, she hadn't even sensed the evil creature arrive until it was too late... Nightmare moon had simply swooped in and shattered the Elements of Harmony right in front of them as if the artifacts had been just a tall tale. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about how she had inadvertently led five ponies to their deaths at the hooves of one of the strongest monsters in history.

Nightmare Moon let out a laugh as she watched each of them struggle to get up, not even a flick of her hooves and each one went down like an annoying fly to a flyswatter. "You truly thought that you had the power to defeat me? Not even your Saiyan friend was able to scratch me, let alone truly hurt me." This caused Twilight to look up at the Alicorn that was taunting her. "Oh yes, she's probably bleeding out somewhere in this wretched forest right about now." she chuckles before putting her hoof under Twilight's chin to make the unicorn look into her eyes.

A new presence immediately caught the Alicorn's attention, there was something so familiar about it... but wildly different at the same time. She didn't have to wait long to find out what it was though, within a few seconds it had moved from where it had been just to materialize behind her. She spun quickly, dropping the unicorn as she looked with slightly-widened eyes at the Saiyan she thought she had left for dead in the woods.

Her hair had changed from brown to a tri-color pastel of pink, green and teal. It even had a matching aura and was flowing like an ethereal fire. "You should have stopped being a villain..." Paolina growls before she rockets up to Nightmare Moon, punching the mare so hard that she gets sent through the wall of the chamber and outside into the forest. Without missing a beat the Saiyan flies after her, leaving the group of mares to gather their senses as they all get up.

Twilight is the first to regain her sense as she looks out of the hole Nightmare moon had been sent through. "G-girls... Was that... Celestia?" She says with a slight stutter as she tries to comprehend the familiar energy.

Rainbow Dash struggles to her hooves before limping over to Twilight. "Twi... Hate to break it to ya, but the creature that punched Nightmare Moon... was that thing we met earlier..."

"B-but... that's impossible! That was Princess Celestia's magical energy signature!" Twilight sits down with a dumbfounded look before looking over to the shattered spheres that were once the Elements of Harmony. "And now we don't even have the Elements as a defense..."

Applejack walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight... I don't care how strong that big mare thinks she is, I ain't goin' down without a fight."

"Yeah! Me neither!" Rainbow Dash chimes in.

"We'll find a way out of this! Cause I have a party to plan for that Saiyan!" Pinkie cheers.

Rarity nods as she trots over. "Applejack's right darling, we'll be here alongside you no matter what." Without even realizing it, Fluttershy had made her way to Twilight's side, giving her a reassuring smile.

Twilight looks around at the ponies she had been journeying with and her gaze lingers on each one as she feels a sudden clarity.

Nightmare scowled at her opponent, simultaneously feeling anger and fear at the same time. "How did you get that power?!" she shouts as she rushed at Paolina again. The Saiyan was at least managing to keep up with her own speed, the ethereal mane from Celestia though, that was showing the source of her opponent's new powers.

Paolina remained silent as she was constantly looking for an opening, Not even a minute had gone by and she was already feeling the new power starting to fade. She grit her teeth as hit after hit was easily blocked by her equine opponent. "She's a pony! There shouldn't be any way she could block this easily at this speed!"

Both fighters were moving so fast that they were little more than blurs across the forest, energy coming from their battle was rocking trees all over the forest, shaking leaves off of the branches. All of the native creatures of the forest hid in their dens, not even the vicious hunter; The Timberwolf, stayed out in the open as spider-webbing cracks appeared on the ground each time both fighters met in the air.

"Fine! It doesn't matter how you came across the power! I will still kill you!" Nighmare Moon shouts as her horn lights up with a suffocating darkness.

Paolina's eyes widen a bit before she brings her hands back as a reaction. A harsh, red light begins to build up in response, the air around them crackles with energy before either attack has been fired.

Nightmare Moon lets her blast soar towards the sun-strength Saiyan. "Lunar Destruction Wave!" The temperature began to drop rapidly as the dark beam shot through the sky.

"Kamehameha... Times Ten!" Paolina shouts in response as she thrusts her hands forward to let a crimson beam meet the dark blue one in the middle of the sky. Lightning arced all across the forest as a rainbow of light radiated from the sphere that was created where both beams met, The noise of the impact was deafening as the energy threatened to rip the whole forest apart.

Paolina's beam faded at the same time as Nightmare Moon's, leaving the sphere of impact to collapse in on itself before exploding outward in a shockwave of energy, sending both of them flying away from the explosion before each one recovered.

Nightmare Moon was the first to recover and quickly noticed as her opponent's aura faded away, leaving no more sun energy to counter her own. Moving faster than the speed of sound she was almost instantly upon the weakened Saiyan just as she recovered, letting out an ecstatic laugh as she watched the Saiyan's eyes shrink in realization.

"Oh... Crapbaskets..." Was all she managed to get out before a metal-clad hoof caught her in the jaw and sent her back towards the castle with an angry goddess in close pursuit.

Paolina crashed through the wall of the castle into the floor of the chamber that Twilight and her friends were still in, she let out a groan as she tried to get up before Nightmare Moon's hoof kept her pinned to the ground. "I don't know how such a creature like you arrived here... but this is where you will die..." She smirked, only to scowl a few seconds later as the Saiyan beneath her began to laugh.

"I'll train with Goku in Otherworld until I can come back and beat the hell out of you anyway..." the Saiyan chuckled as she coughed up a bit of blood, only seeming to anger the Alicorn further. "...Although... I might not need to..." She smirks as the Alicorn looks at her in confusion before looking towards the source of prismatic light just before it washes over both of them.

Twilight pants hard alongside her new friends as the light clears, trying to focus her eyes and see what just happened now that the Elements finished their blast.

"Oh my! It's beautiful..." Fluttershy says softly as Rarity notices her tail again in one piece.

Twilight lets out a small giggle before her friends start noting their necklaces, she even takes a look at the tiara she received before sensing two pretty-high magical sources.

Laying in the cracked floor is the bloody, cut body of Paolina. Not even five feet away is the smaller form of an alicorn mare in the remains of Nightmare Moon's armor. With a slight groan Paolina looks over to Twilight and smiles before giving her a thumbs up... After which she passes out, causing Twilight to rush over in alarm.

A flash of warm light stopped them and forced the azure filly on the floor to wince at the intensity, as it cleared Twilight's expression grew into a large smile as she rushed over to her mentor. "Celestia!" She exclaimed just before nuzzling up to the larger mare. "What happened to you?" she continues with concern.

The marble-colored mare gave the violet unicorn a small, motherly smile as she embraced her student. "I am fine Twilight... All shall be explained soon." She directs her attention towards the other five mares. "I see you have made some friends during your stay in Ponyville." She states, causing Twilight to smile and blush as she trotted back over to her friends only to stop mid-way before remembering what she had been doing.

"Oh! the... Saiyan?" She asks hesitantly as she looks over to the warrior's unconscious form.

"She needs medical attention, and I shall see to it that she has stabilized..." Celestia says as she lights up her horn to encase the Saiyan in a golden-yellow glow. She begins trotting over to the filly who had just barely struggled to her hooves. "Another has been denied the embrace of friendship for far too long..." The white Alicorn states as she looks down at the light Navy filly. "Luna... are you alright...?" She asks quietly.

The filly hesitates only for a few seconds before hugging the larger mare in a tear-filled hug. "I missed you so much sister..." she sobs as she holds Celestia like she would disappear at any moment.

With a teary smile of her own Celestia wraps her wings around Luna, "I missed you as well Little Sister..." she coos as they share a few quiet moments between them. Once Celestia lets her embrace leave the filly she lets her horn glow again, in a flash the entire group is outside of the Ponyville hospital. Celestia points her horn toward the horizon and has the sun peek itself over the horizon. "I'll have to raise the sun a little earlier for a week or so in order to get calendars back on track, but it is definitely worth having my sister back." She says quietly as the group steps into the hospital with the Saiyan floating not too far behind in a golden aura.

Paolina blinks a few times as her eyes start to adjust to the interior of the hospital room. "Oh... that's good... At least I'm not dead..." She chuckles. "hehe... ow... hehe, ow... hehe, ow..." she winces with each chuckle as it feels like she had been crushed under an asteroid. "Oh yeah... I got crushed by a god... that makes sense then..." she slowly looks around the room to try and get her bearings. Each movement has her body protest against the use of even that small amount of energy, she simply grits her teeth a little and lets out tiny groans as she looks around the room. "ok... pony anatomy charts... pony-... well... pony everything... even the hospital bed just barely fits me..." she lets out a slow breath and looks back up at the ceiling before closing her eyes and beginning a small trick she had learned from Whis.