Dragon Wish

by DanishDash

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death, Alternate Universe, Human, Other, Romance, Original Character, Apple Bloom, Comedy, Fluttershy, Adventure, Violence, Crossover, Dragon Ball Z, Main 6
Length: 34804

A boy wishes to be a Saiyan and sent on a great adventure. He is sent to Equestria, in a Saiyan pod to destroy the world. If he doesn't, there will be consequences.

Every child has some sort dream, of some sort of adventure. Being small or big.

That was the dream of one human boy, to experience a grand adventure, having the powers of his favorite fandom, Dragon Ball. Like so many others, he had thought of himself as a Saiyan, practiced the Kamehameha, and pretended to go Super Saiyan. It was the only thing that let him escape his hard life with his foster family.

Then one day, on his tenth birthday, he is given a birthday wish from a friend.

He wishes to be a Saiyan, and be sent to a world of adventure. His wish is granted, and he gets more than he had imagined.

Like a mother, and friends.

Cover Art by FrostTheHobidon. Goten with his hair cut, made for a video series of the YouTuber MasakoX titled What if Raditz Turned Good? and its animated follow up, Dragon Ball R&R.

Published 2021-04-04 15:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-11-30 20:57:08 UTC

Prologue

Beep beep!

Something electronic said as a subtle shaking started to stir Daniel from his sleep. The beeping did not stop, but it was not loud enough to annoy him just yet. Even so, the shaking soon enough did the trick, and that, along with a strange whooshing sound, soon enough made him open his eyes slowly.

"Mmmh.. Hm..?"

He groaned, feeling strange and uncomfortable. As he woke, he felt he was not lying down in a soft bed, but sitting in some strange seat. As he woke, he found himself not seeing the familiar sight of his room, but facing what looked like the night sky, being shrouded in a strange red color. His eyes shot open, his mind racing as he looked around.

He wasn't in his room, but some strange round room. In front of him was a red round window, facing what looked like an endless sea of stars. Right beneath the window was a panel with controls he had never seen before. Daniel started to panic a little, where was he?!

Then something caught his attention. His clothes, it was not the shirt or pants he had on yesterday, but some strange elastic fabric that sat tightly, yet comfortable upon his torso. It was some sort of armor, and taking another inspecting look at it, his eyes widened.

"S.. Saiyan armor...?" He muttered, feeling a suddenly strange sensation coming from his lower back. He looked, and his heart started to race. "A tail!" In his hand he held a long, brown, monkey tail. That, along with the armor, not to mention the strange room and view, led him to believe he was in fact a saiyan, on his way to, well, he did not know.

The beeping continued, and starting to get tired of it he leaned forward. His mind was already confused about how he could be here, how he could be a Saiyan from his favorite show, Dragon Ball Z. The only thing he could think of doing was to go along with it for now, not being able to resist the surge of excitement building up inside him.

When he looked outside the window more closely, he saw something amazing, a planet. It wasn't Earth, that much he knew, but other than that, he had no idea where he was, or even how he got here. None of this should be possible, but here he was, ten years old, a Saiyan, traveling through space. Was it a dream?

Finally he had enough, he looked down at the panel under the window. A red button was blinking, doing so with the beeping, leading him to believe it was telling him to press it, and so he did. The window changed, it showed letters Daniel had never seen before, but somehow knew how to read. The beeping stopped as the letters and number moved along the glass.

Planet Name: Unknown.

Mission: Destroy all sentient life forms, and prepare the planet to be sold.

Daniel's heart sank, did that mean he was heading to this planet to kill? No no no, that wasn't what he wanted!

The letters and numbers vanished, and the planet came closer and closer. Soon he felt it shaking a bit more, and soon enough the entire planet filled out the entire view. Orange flames started to surround the round Saiyan pod, heating up as he entered the atmosphere.

As the shaking got more intense, he quickly leaned back and fastened himself with some belts built into the chair. This was going to be a one bumpy entrance.

Author's Note

I'm sick, and laying in bed reading my old complete collection of Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball Z. So I'm writing this story not because I have some big plotline in mind, but because it just seemed fun. :derpytongue2:

I'm sure other people have done this story before, so take this one with a grain of salt. :twilightblush:

Though, let me know if you have ideas of what will happen. :rainbowkiss:

Chapter 2: Alien

Day 1.

Dawn had come, and Celestia's sun had banished the darkness of the night, bathing the landscape, and most important, the forest in its light. Some of that light moved its way through the leaves of the trees, striking Daniel in the face, making him grimace and try to turn from it. When it didn't work, he reluctantly started to open his eyes.

When he saw the blue sky above him, and the fact he was sitting on a thick branch, leaning against the trunk of a massive tree, he nearly panicked, but then he remembered what had happened yesterday, and calmed down. He sat up straight, stretching a little, but was still careful about not falling down.

He had fled up here last night, after running through the forest, fleeing from some sort of wolf monster made of wood. No one had seen him flee, of that he was glad, as he had always fancied himself as one of the tough kids back home.

Home, when the thought came to him he wondered if anyone had noticed he was gone yet. Maybe his teachers had, though he doubted his foster parents had, or if they did, if they even cared. He didn't have friends in the house, the other kids were older, and liked to pick on him, and he didn't really connect with anyone from school.

Still, it was home, while he might not miss his so called family, or the people at school, there were people in the city he had bonded with, like Mr. Akihito, who had always been so kind to him. He owned an antic shop, and had shown Daniel some martial arts, though just a little bit as he was no master or anything. He was the one who had introduced him to Manga, and the culture of Japan. He was probably the only one who was going to care.

Daniel felt a little bad, he didn't want him to think he was hurt, but there was nothing he could do about it right now, he had bigger problems on hand.

1: He was no longer a human, but a Saiyan.

2: He has somehow been sent here to kill all life on this planet.

3: He had no idea where he was, or what to do, since killing anyone wasn't an option.

4: His own survival.

Okay, maybe survival should be on the top of his priorities, but he had so many questions. Finally he sighed, scratching his cheek. "It's not like I'm gonna get any answers from sitting around here all day," Mumbled Daniel. Looking across the forest, he figured his best shot was to get to know the planet, know its inhabitants, and see if he could survive. His Saiyan pod would serve as a nice home base, if he could find his way back to it.

Moving his left hand up to his scouter, he pushed a small button to test it out. As soon as he did, small numbers and symbols appeared on the little blue screen in front of his left eyes. It gave of a few sounds as it scanned the area he was looking towards.

Even though this was serious, he could not help but grin and mutter a little, "cool," to himself. He looked across the forest, until his scouter beeped, showing a large number, three arrows narrowing in on an area along with a second set of numbers.

While he did not know the specific meaning of the numbers and symbols, he gathered his scouter had picked up something along the lines of a large gathering of life. He couldn't know for sure, but it was a goal he could strive for at least. Then there was also the question about food, shelter was pretty easy, but he needed something to eat, and soon.

Clicking off the scouter, he looked down, he was pretty high up, and he didn't fancy taking a swing at flying again right now. Not from up here at least. So he started his long descend down the tree, which of course ended with him stepping on a branch that was too thin, and so snapped when he put more weight on it.

"ARhha!" He yelped, falling perhaps five meters, hitting a few more branches on his way down before he finally landed on his back. "Erhh... ow... mmm..."

He laid there for maybe a minute or two, while it didn't break anything, or even hurt as much as he would imagine, it did take away his breath, like a punch to the stomach. When he finally got up, he started to move towards the point his scouter had indicated.

The first few minutes were spent in him moving carefully. He almost jumped at every shadow, he was alone in this strange land, in a world that might look cool in the pages of a manga, full of fighting and adventure. It was much for a kid to take in.

Even so, there is only so long you can go around being scared of everything. After about half an hour his steps had become more sure, and his body started to relax. His eyes stopped looking for danger, and started to see the strange beauty of the forest.

Soon enough he even found himself skipping along the paths, jumping here and there, finding his newfound jumps more fun than anything. He felt as light as a feather, managing to jump over entire trees if he wanted to, though he kept it on the down low, not wanting to attract attention.

As he walked, he tested out his scouter, learning a bit more how it worked. It wasn't long until he learned whenever a predator, or something that had a power level that could potentially harm him, it would alert him. He even learned how to set it to alert him to any power level which meant he could be alerted to anything, or anyone that came near him before anything could happen. He made sure it did not alert him to power levels below a certain number, he didn't want it to alert him each time a bird flew above his head after all.

Before long, he was standing at the edge of the forest, looking out towards the landscape before him. He had to admit, it was breathtaking, beautiful even. There were green fields, far away mountains, and a river that cut through the landscape. More importantly, there was a town.

It looked like a collection of cottages and other buildings that differed either slightly, or a lot. For example, it looked like there was a tower, and a cupcake castle, or something of that nature. It was hard to see from this distance, but he got the general idea. He tried his scouter again, scanning the town for life.

It didn't take long for the scouter to confirm it, the town was full of life, though he could hardly see anyone move around. Then again, he was far away, still, and so he could always move closer. He'd rather not risk it though, and so for now, he decided to stay out of sight, seeing if he could be closer to the later one. Besides, before he'd risk getting any closer to that town, he should find some food.

And with that, he turned around and ventured back into the forest.

The rest of the day was spent on getting his bearings, finding out more about the forest, and the area in general. Then he tried to find some food, and managed to get some different fruits growing in the forest. At first he was a little skeptical, if not down right afraid of getting poisoned, but soon enough hunger overcame him, and he ate his fruits with no remorse, and more importantly, with no poisoning.

By the end, he managed to find his pod, opened it up, and got comfortable for the night. There was still lots to do, lots to see, lots to learn, but after having spent his first day here, he started feeling a little more confident.

Day 2.

The next day was easier to deal with, mostly he stayed near his pod, starting to make a base camp for himself. He used the time to test his strengths, trying to punch down trees, snap them in half, and haul them out of the ground. Daniel did this to not only create space around his pod, but to build over it, starting to build his camp. He got a pretty good idea about his own strength, which was much greater than before, but less than he originally thought.

He also spent time exploring the forest, testing out his speed and reflexes. Again, it was much better than it was before, and he found himself having a blast. He ran between the trees, leaping in the air, swinging from branches, and grew more and more confident in himself. The whole forest seemed less and less scary, and soon enough the animals did as well.

By the end of the day, he had established a comfortable camp, found a water source, and a place to fish. He hadn't tried to hunt animals before, but he could learn. As for the fishing part, he wasn't used to it, but he knew of a trick he could use. For today however, he contented himself with fruit and berries.

Day 3.

Daniel's third day started early. Having grown more used to forest, he wasn't as scared of going out anymore. While he did think of home once in a while, and worried about his future, he made sure to keep himself busy enough not to worry too much about it.

In connection with that, he decided to spend the day on himself, trying to get used to using his Ki.

This was hard..

Ki was like his own life force, spiritual, which was something he had never tried to use before. Of course, now that he was a Saiyan, he should have a little edge, but that still meant he had learned how to use it. Thinking back on the time Gohan trained Videl in Ki use,

He sat down on the grass, crossing his legs, and thought back to what Gohan tells Videl in that issue of the manga. "Right then. I need to quiet my mind, and relax.." He took a deep breath through the nose, and exhaled through his mouth. "Start slowly by drawing out my energy from within." His hand moved up to his chest, opened palmed, facing one another, as if holding a ball.

To quiet one's mind was easier said than done, Daniel held this pose for hours, trying to sense his own energy, trying to draw it out. A few times he saw what looked like sparks, like something was trying to move out from his body, and manifest his energy into something physical between his hands, but it was like he couldn't quite do it yet.

Despite not being able to quiet his mind as he imagined, he got so focused on his task, that he didn't even notice the hours pass by. It wasn't until he saw a small blue light ball form between his hands that he started to notice, but in the moment, he was just so excited to have manifested something like this. The light lit up the camp around him, not by much, like a small campfire.

Sadly, he was only able to keep it going for a total of 9 seconds, then he lost it, and it vanished before his eyes like a burned out match. He breathed out, laying down on his back and saw, not a blue sky, but a dark one with loads of stars. "Must have been more focused than I thought.." Daniel mumbled, feeling exhausted and tired, much more than he was hungry.

He was a little disappointed he could not hold it for longer, but he was at the same time excited about what he had managed so far. Daniel knew it would only get better the more he practiced, and so that is what he decided to do. Though for now, he needed an apple, and a good night's rest.

The following days were spent training, hunting, and doing more reconnaissance. Each day he seemed to find something new and interesting, and each day his skills grew.

The town became more known to him, as his abilities grew, not to mention his confidence in himself, so too did his boldness. When he for the first time saw what kind of creatures lived on this planet, he nearly lost his jaw as it dropped. They were colorful ponies, normal ones, flying ones, and ponies with horns on their head, who could magic!

The tiny horses could speak, and were intelligent. While Daniel didn't go too far into town, he did scout out some of the places he learned the venture. Places like a big lake, where many of them liked to hang out and swim. He didn't learn much about their daily lives, mostly because he kept out of the way, and mostly went into town late at night. When he did, he kept to the roof tops, making sure to be careful each time he did so.

The best place though, had to be that big place with the many apple trees. He had seen a farm near it, but he stayed clear of that, making sure never to venture too far into the apple orchard. Still, he helped himself to some apples from time to time, finding them very delicious.

Another important thing he learned was the average power level of the ponies. Males usually had a power level of around 10, while females usually had one of 8, depending on what they were doing. Some ponies though, displayed a far larger number. A big red pony he had seen come around from time to time, he displayed a power level of 90. Even so, other than him, Daniel figured most ponies would not be a danger to him.

On the training side of things, Daniel had made some more progress. He could draw out his Ki faster, and even make tiny Ki blasts, though they were hardly powerful enough to scare away a stubborn bird. Daniel could not help but find it cool, and be happy nonetheless, because he could tell they were getting more powerful.

His biggest accomplishment though, or at least to him, was that he had been able to fly. Well, hover, at least. It was still very hard, but the more he did it, the better it went. After a few days, he had learned to travel a short distance, of course the faster he went, the quicker he was drained, so he made sure to do it sparingly when out and watching the ponies.

Soon enough he had been hiding out the forest for almost two weeks, give or take a few days.

While life in the forest had been interesting, Daniel felt himself grow restless, which was unlike him. Normally he preferred the quiet, but it was like things just had been still for a little too long.

So, he decided it was time for a little trip.

Day ??

Daniel waited until evening, the sky was already darkening, and it helped that the sky was covered in dark clouds, signaling an incoming rainfall.

When he was sure most ponies were inside their homes, he flew and traveled to the apple farm. He was sure if he wanted to get a closer look at the lives of the ponies up close, that place was the safer bet. It was more isolated than other places, and unlike the town, there was less of a chance of him being seen there.

The orchard was silent, and as he arrived at the farm, he flew up into one of the trees to be better camouflaged. He didn't plan to stay up here for long, but he wanted to make sure it was safe to make it to the farmhouse. There wasn't much light on, even to the point that he became unsure if they were asleep or not.

A quick check with his scouter confirmed what he thought, no one was in there, but he did find several life forms gathered in the barn not too far from the house.

Checking his surroundings one final time, he flew into the air, and towards the roof of the barn. As soon as he got closer he could hear several of the ponies laughing and talking. It took him a while, but after some time he found a small hole he could look through.

Inside the barn were gathered several ponies, some of which he had seen before. One of them was a large red stallion, he was the strongest guy down there. Other than that, he saw a lot of females, a lizard thing, and three girls, who were probably kids like himself.

All of them seemed to have a good time, and the food he could smell looked amazing, except for what looked like cooked grass, or hay. He tried a few times to figure out their relations, and topics from the conversations he overheard, and after a while he was able to learn they had won some sort of competition against a pony named Flim Flam, or something like that. It was hard to understand, but he was happy with the progress he had made.

He watched them for a while, trying to figure out their names from their conversations. Some were easy, some were not. A pony with wings and rainbow hair was easily enough called Rainbow. The big red stallion was called Mac, or Big Mac. Then there was Apple something, Pink Pie, and egghead.

When he started to feel the rain coming down slowly, he sat up, stretching before he saw something. Looking towards the farm house again, he froze as he spotted someone looking back at him with a shocked expression!

The seconds seemed to slow down as their eyes met for what seemed like forever. Then, she screamed. He couldn't hear her since she was outside, but he saw movement in the room, and figured someone was in there with her, hurrying to her side. Not wanting to stick around, he leapt into the air, flying off as fast as he could manage.

With the adrenaline rushing through him, and the desire not to be discovered, he manages to fly faster and farther than he ever had before. In fact, he was so fast, that the clouds parted right above him, like a zipper being undone. For now he didn't care to think about a trail, or the fact anyone could see him fly towards the forest, all he thought about was getting back to his camp and hiding out for a while.

Once he reached the camp, he descended, maybe a little faster than intended, because he fell, falling to the ground panting, exhausted from the flight. He continued to pant, mentally cursing at himself for being seen. Getting annoyed, he took the scouter off his ear, and tossed it aside, wanting to feel free of it for a moment while he caught his breath.

He turned onto his back, laying there, facing the sky, breathing heavily as his heart pounded away. He didn't get to relax much though, as suddenly his entire camp became bathed in gentle light. Daniel frowned, looking around confused for a moment, until he actually looked up at the night sky above them.

The clouds had parted, giving way for the moonlight.

"The moon.."

Daniel mumbled, feeling like he was forgetting about something. Then he saw it, big, glowing and beautiful. A full moon, the first he had seen since arriving here. A small mental alarm bell went off inside his head, but just as he was about to recall the dangers of a full moon, his mind went blank, and his eyes became emotionless.

His body started to grow, and his mind became that of a monster..

Author's Note

By the way, sorry if I'd missed any edits. I'm in bed, and writing this on my phone, so it can be hard to tell from time to time. I'm better when on my computer.

But I will go through them again when I get well. :pinkiesick:

This chapter is dedicated to Sena Hoy, who came up with the fun idea for the chapter. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 3: The Great Ape!

It was supposed to be a nice evening, filled with the laughter and happiness of friends. They had come through another ordeal, helped the Apple Family beat the Flim Flam brothers, and sold more apple cider than ever before.

That was enough reason to hold a celebration, and everything had been enjoyable until Apple Bloom and her friends had screamed out for help. It had shocked them all, and of course all of them ran outside. The three fillies stood by the open door to the farmhouse, looking scared and shocked.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack exclaimed, running over to the three fillies, along with her granny and older brother.

Rarity was not far behind, looking very concerned for her little sister, Sweetie Belle, who looked even more scared than Apple Bloom. "Sweetie Belle, are you alright?"

The three of them started explaining, all at the same time, which was very confusing. They claimed they had seen some monster, or an alien of some kind. Ever since they had seen the strange asteroid crash into the Everfree forest, the girls had insisted that it was an alien spacecraft, like the ones from the books and comics.

"Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, pointing up to the sky. Twilight looked, and saw how the clouds had parted, like something had sliced them open. She looked to Rainbow, who in turn confirmed her own thoughts by giving her wings a little flap, showing she thought the same as her. Somepony had flown with high speed close to the clouds.

It was then that it happened. They had barely gotten the whole story together from the girls, before a massive roar caught every ponies attention.

"What in tarnation was that?!" Applejack yelled over the massive roar.

Rainbow took to the air, and gasped almost right away. "Guys! You ain't gonna believe this!"

Before any of them could ask what she saw, they felt it. The ground was shaking, and it wasn't long before they could see a massive monster roaming the Everfree. None of them had ever seen anything like it before. Standing higher than a tower in Canterlot, the massive monster ape started roaring, making its way towards the town of Ponyville. Its massive footsteps shook the ground, echoing as it walked closer and closer.

"We have to do something, it's heading this way!" Rarity almost screamed.

Twilight bit her lip, not sure if they should engage that massive monster, or focus on evacuating. Looking at her friend in the sky, she called out. "Rainbow Dash, go to Ponyville, get everypony to evacuate!"

Rainbow wasn't going to argue with that, she could see the urgency, and she got a very bad feeling from the monster. Somehow she knew it was like nothing they had ever faced. She sped off towards town, and Big Mac wasn't going to wait around. He hitched himself to a small wagon, and put the three fillies and Granny Smith in it.

Applejack wanted to protect her family, but she wasn't going to let her friends face that monster alone. Shooting her brother a trusting look, she said. "You take care of them!"

"Eeyup!"

Before he went though, Twilight levitated Spike into the wagon. "Take Spike too!"

"But Twilight!" Spike protested, but Big Mac was already hurrying them away.

What was left was Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. None of them was very happy to be facing this monster alone, but surely the princesses would notice it from Canterlot, it was pretty hard to miss after all.

"Maybe it is just a scared animal?" Fluttershy suggested hopefully, though by the tone of her voice it was pretty clear she didn't believe it herself.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, then pointed at the great ape. "Look!" They all did so. "It's wearing armor."

"Not the most pressing matter at the moment." Rarity commented, mostly to keep herself calm.

"But that must mean it is intelligent! Also, it must have transformed." Twilight reasoned that an animal this size would not have been able to get so close to the town unnoticed. The armor was also massive, which meant it had to be intelligent. How would somepony get armor on that thing? It had to have slipped into it on its own accord.

"So what's your idea?" Asked Applejack, a certain urgency in her voice.

"Maybe we should try talking to it?!" Suggested Pinkie, bouncing in place, like if eager to to run away, or facing the danger head on, it was always hard to tell with her at times.

"But what if it is just a magical grown ape?" Asked Fluttershy. "What if the poor animal has been forced into this?"

There were too many questions and too little time. They couldn't stand around here and do nothing, they needed to slow this monster down before anypony got hurt. "We need to slow it down until help arrives!"

"Right!"

What Daniel experienced was not as one would expect. Mostly, Daniel saw flashes, got impressions. It was like everything was an enemy. He did not know who was a threat, and who was not, he just felt angry, and felt like destroying anything and anyone who got in his way.

He saw nothing but danger, and never really knew what he was fighting. It was like he was of two mindsets, one brutish and instinctual, the other half was him. His mind was battling for control, he was not aware enough to think to himself, but aware enough to get brief glimpses of clarity.

It was like being asleep, yet aware. At times he felt the wind move through his fur as he swung an arm, or the crushing of trees beneath his feet as he walked. All of this was brief and quick, like they didn't even happen.

One thing stood out to him though, two blue eyes, staring into his own. Daniel wasn't sure what had happened, but for a moment he felt like his entire massive being was halted, as if commanded to. Something within him had compelled him to do so. As if an animal had met an alpha, and was commanded to stop.

Then something changed, or rather, he did.

His mind was coming back to him, and his focus was regained. However, as he felt himself going back to his own mind, he almost immediately fell to the ground, his mind still foggy. The last thing he noted before he passed out, was a yellow pony with pink hair looking at him concerned.

Then, darkness.

Author's Note

I had someone visit me in a suit today, like really. He had to test me for Covid because I've not been getting better.

I don't have corona.

But I do have a cold thing, so I should get better with plenty of bed rest.

*****

Also, sorry for the tiny chapter. I'm sure there is some cool action scenes and so on that could have been fun, but I wanna focus on what comes after, and the realization of what he had done when he woke up.

Chapter 4: The Saiyan

Everything was dark, Daniel was not aware of anything around him. He had been like this since yesterday, out cold. Yet, soon enough he started to come around, at the sound of loud talking.

"But we can't know for sure." Said a voice that was sweet, yet firm.

"I can't believe you're taking its side, you saw what it did, what it could have done!" A raspy voice replied, jolting Daniel's mind more awake.

"It is not an IT, it's a he!" The sweet voice replied, though with a hint of frustration.

"Enough." A third voice said, sounding stern, yet not angry, just serious. "The creature's mind is coming around, he is waking up."

A shiver ran down his spine, how did she know? A fourth voice then joined in, sounding more motherly, but nonetheless stern. "Then let us hear what the creature has to say. Captain Shining Armor?"

"On it, ma'am." A fifth voice, this one male, replied promptly.

At that point Daniel decided to open his eyes, expecting to find himself, well, he didn't know what he was expecting. He didn't have a lot of time to consider his situation. What he found was not what he expected, but perhaps should have not been surprised to see. His wrists and ankles had been chained, and he was in the middle of a large cage. He could move, but the chains were just short enough that he could not touch the bars of the cage.

His eyes moved around, his heart racing as he understood what was happening, and what had happened. He was in a large hall, very beautiful, if he was not surrounded by serious looking ponies in armor and spears. Not far in front of him was a group of six ponies, the ones from the party at the farm. Then behind them a set of stairs, leading to a platform with two thrones. Upon them sat a large white, well, what?

The white creature with her long flowing mane was not small enough to be a pony, but did not look like a horse. It had wings, and a horn, unlike any other pony he had seen. It was clearly female, and clearly in a position of authority, perhaps the planet's ruler? Her eyes were fixed on him, and Daniel got the sense he was being analyzed, or studied. She didn't look angry, but she did convey the seriousness of the situation through her gaze.

Daniel felt the urge to look away, but he only looked to the second large pony. She too was female, and she too was larger than the more normal pony. Like the big white one, she had both wings and a horn. Her fur however was dark blue, and her mane, while flowing like the other's, looked like the star filled sky. Her eyes did not seem to study him, or if they did, it would be like someone studies an enemy. She looked angry, or at least, ready to deal out some serious punishment.

Their roles were still unclear to him, both had thrones, and both seemed like to be on equal footing. So maybe they both ruled? Like a king and queen? Maybe they were mother and daughter? Married? Daniel didn't know, and right now he didn't care. The mood in the hall was heavy, and Daniel had the sense that he was on trial.

They had stripped him of his armor, leaving him only in the garments he wore below it. It felt strange, having worn it for so long, he almost felt naked without it. His tail was still there, thank god for that, but that did made him wonder how they got him to transform back? Unless they held out until morning?

"Creature." The white uniwinged horse spoke. "Do you understand Equish?" Daniel looked up at her, nodding. He could speak, but was unable to find his voice as he was still taking everything in. "Then you will listen, and answer when asked a question." Daniel nodded again, but felt there was no real choice in this matter. "Good. I am princess Celestia, co ruler of Equestria, and this is my sister." She gestured with her wing to the dark blue uniwinged horse. "Princess Luna, my co ruler."

Daniel made a face, thinking if they ruled this planet, shouldn't they be queens? Princess Luna picked up on it instantly, and snapped at him. "Do you have something to say, creature?"

Daniel met her eyes, feeling a surge of irritation of being called a creature. "My name is not 'creature'." He stated, a little surprised by his own boldness. Maybe this new body had given him a bit of Saiyan pride? Because he couldn't imagine himself talking back to her like that if he was still a normal human.

Luna looked like she was about to say something, but princess Celestia cut in before she had the chance. "Then let us start with that. What and who are you?"

That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? He was a kid, but was he even human anymore? No, Daniel didn't feel like a human, the things he could do, the potential he now had went beyond human capabilities. But was that what he was going to answer? He was human, but now another race all together after a birthday wish? No, that just wouldn't do.

First of, he had no idea if they would believe her, and second of all, he had no idea if he could trust these ponies. Better to keep his card close for now, and give them half the truth, part of the story, but not everything. With his mind made up, he looked Celestia in the eyes.

"My name is."

He paused. Was his human name the one he wanted to use? Didn't sound like a Saiyan name, but he didn't really know many examples. For a brief moment he considered taking Goku's Saiyan name, but that felt cheap. He didn't want to be like another person, he wanted to be himself. Still, Goku embodied both worlds, life as an Earthling, and his Saiyan heritage. Perhaps he could do that too? Besides, he didn't want to lose himself, his name after all was the only thing his birth parents had given to him, and he didn't want to lose that connection.

"My name is.. Da.. Daiko.." Perhaps it was not the most intimidating name, but it embodied both worlds in his mind, and he was happy with that. He was Daiko, the Saiyan. "I'm a Saiyan."

"A Saiyan." Celestia repeated, testing out the word. Then she looked a bit more serious. "Then tell us, Daiko, why did you attack us last night?"

Daiko froze, for a moment, he had completely forgotten he had transformed into his Oozaru form. His eyes moved around the ponies around him, some of which had bandages on them, like the Rainbow manned one. That made him feel guilty, and looked up at Celestia with a worried expression.

"Was anyone killed..?"

Celestia raised an eyebrow, noting the tone in his voice, the concern. Deciding to calm him, and see how he reacted she shook her head. "No, thankfully, nopony was hurt."

Daiko visibly looked relieved, Luna however, grew frustrated. "You attacked us, tell us why," she demanded.

Now he looked at her, though this time he looked more embarrassed, and guilty than before. "It wasn't on purpose, I ca-"

"Not on purpose?!" Luna growled in disbelief, cutting him off. "You transformed into this massive monster, and you're telling me it was not intentional."

Daiko glared at her, standing up. "If I could control it, why would I want to pass out when.." He stopped himself, then looked at Celestia. "Wait, how did you stop me?"

A small cough came from the group near the stairs. It was the kind of cough that was meant to draw attention. A purple unicorn stepped forward. "I figured out your powers came from the light of the moon, or at least, it triggered it. We managed to slow you down until Princess Luna moved the moon beneath the horizon, away from sight."

Daiko titled his head. "How did you know that would work?"

The purple pony looked almost happy to explain it to him. "Well, it's quite complicated, but I think I can explai-"

"Not now." Luna cut in, ignoring a disappointed looking Twilight, and fixed her eyes on Daiko. "You, speak up. Why did you attack our ponies?"

"I didn't mean to!" Daiko replied, walking closer to the bars, but the chains stopped him from going any closer. He didn't notice, and the strain increased on the chains, making them almost groan. "I can't control the transformations, most Saiyans can't, it takes a lot of special training." He was frustrated, and his muscles tense, straining the metal even more. The guards moved in just a little closer, ready to strike if Daiko tried anything. He didn't notice.

"Why are you here?" Celestia then asked, her voice calm and collected.

The question and how it was asked calmed Daiko a little, she wasn't accusing him, yet, and that strangely relaxed him. Still, he looked guilty, again because he could not tell them the truth, he could only tell them what he knew and try to spin it the best way he could.

Clenching his fists, he looked her straight in the eyes, his face serious. "I was sent here to eliminate all intelligent life, and make the planet ready to be sold off."

The mood changed, it was like every pony in the room let out an emotional and soundless gasp. Celestia narrowed her eyes, taking the statement very seriously as she would not tolerate any threats to her little ponies. Daiko expected her to ask more into it, but she changed the topic to something he didn't expect.

"How old are you, Daiko?"

The question caught him off guard, and for a brief moment he considered lying, but he could tell, somehow Celestia would know if he lied about this. "Ten.."

Again, there was a sort of soundless gasp in the hall, as if none of them could believe, or at least, didn't want to believe he was so young. Even Luna looked uncomfortable about it. Celestia said what they were all thinking, or had tried to avoid thinking about.

"You're a child." She stated, so every pony in the hall heard. "Why send you, a child, to do that deed?"

He bit his lip, not liking how she seemed to put verbal pressure on the ‘child’ part. Daiko had never liked to be treated as a child, mostly because his foster parents never did, and so felt more vulnerable when people had done it.

"That's what we do." He then answered. "Saiyans are warriors, we live to fight. When we are first born we are sent to low level planets to take it over, as a test. Those who survive are taken back, those who do not.." He stopped, not liking the story he was coming up with, but it was the only one that made sense to him when thinking about the Saiyan culture. "There is no room for weaklings, and so they are not desired."

The more he thought about it, the more the whole Saiyan thing seemed like a crazy thing to wish for. He had desired adventure, not death and destruction. It was one thing to read about it, see cool battles and read cool lines, but when it became reality, it suddenly revealed its true ugliness.

"How long have you been here for?" Again, Daiko felt Celestia knew the answer, but she was guiding the conversation. Where she was trying to lead it he had no idea.

"I don't know, about two weeks I think." He replied, shrugging a little.

"And your transformation was not intentional?"

"Yes.."

"Did you even plan to attack us in the first place?"

Daiko looked up at her, surprised, and a little confused. The same went for Luna, and the group of pones. Even the guards seemed a little unsure.

"Well I.. No.." Daiko admitted. That really was the truth, he didn't want to hurt anyone, and the truth was, the potential for a real fight scared him, though he didn't want to show it. "Truth is, I'm pretty weak compared to other Saiyans my age.. I was likely sent here to die."

That was mostly a guess, but Daiko felt pretty confident in that assumption after having tested out his limits. He was strong, but not much stronger than what Goku was when the manga first began. Other than that, he had very little fighting experience, which was a drop in the sea if he was born as an actual Saiyan. Not to mention he could barely fly, and he had laughable Ki control. A Saiyan his own age could likely kill him without even batting an eye.

"This is a remote planet, with a low power level. Likely it is not even desired at all, just a convenient place to send me off to." Again, a total lie. Daiko had really no idea about the value of this place, or how remote it was. Still, he had just appeared, and so assumed he really was the only Saiyan in existence, which meant nobody would be looking for him.

There was silence for a while before Celestia spoke up again. "Daiko, if you were to be freed, would you swear never to harm anyone?"

Luna looked startled at her sister, but Celestia ignored her for now, keeping her eyes locked on Daiko. He looked back at her, seeming equally as shocked as Luna. He didn't understand, was she offering him freedom? "I.. Uhm, I don't understan-"

"Do you swear never to harm my little ponies?" Celestia asked, cutting him off.

Without thinking much about it, he nodded. "I promise.. I won't harm anyone."

Celestia seemed satisfied with that for now. "Very well, then I think we can come to some understanding. You are a child, Daiko, and I don't think any of us wants to punish a child for actions he had no control over. You're intelligent, and that monster you became was clearly not. Since no pony was killed, I think we can come up with a way for you to redeem yourself and even become an Equestrian citizen."

"Sister, what are you doing?" Luna asked, looking confused and a little annoyed.

It was subtle, but Celestia gave Luna a tiny look, as if telling her they would discuss it later. Without any reply, Luna fell silent, seeming to have an unspoken understanding with her sister.

"Ponyville was damaged, though not beyond repair. I think it would be fair to have you go there, and help the town recover." Again, a soundless gasp of disbelief could be felt. "You're a child, and so I won't send you to jail, but you still have to face the consequences like anypony else. I believe in redemption." She glanced at Luna for a brief moment, then continued. "And I do not believe you to be evil. Be warned, if that turns out not to be the case, you will not find yourself getting off so easily next time."

Daiko gulped, nodding. "I understand.."

"Good." Suddenly, Celestia seemed a little more cheerful. "We also need to find you a place to stay while in Ponyville. You're a minor, and while the circumstances force us to be creative, you should have a guardian to look after you, not to mention teach you about Equestria and our customs." She looked down to the elements of harmony, so did everyone else.

None of them seemed eager, Pinkie didn't count, because she was always smiling and bouncy, and that was not the place for him. Rainbow still had a grudge, maybe because she was the most injured, so she would not be good either. Applejack seemed to hold one as well, but not at the same scale as Rainbow, so she was an option. Twilight, well, she meant well, but Celestia knew all too well her curiosity and overthinking would create more problems. Rarity would be a better option, while she still seemed disturbed, she seemed more willing thanks to her generosity.

"I'll do it." Fluttershy said, raising her hoof.

Daiko looked at her, having a feeling he had seen her eyes before. The other ponies looked more surprised than anything, even Celestia seemed slightly bemused. The rainbow pony looked even more shocked, or maybe outraged. "What?! Fluttershy, how can you-"

"Fluttershy." Luna cut in, gaining the yellow pony's attention, along with the rest of the group. "Are you sure you would want to open your home to this, Saiyan?"

Fluttershy seemed nervous, but still had a look of determination about her. "Yes," she replied with a firm nod.

"Very well." Celestia nodded, then looked at Daiko. "Do you accept this arrangement?"

Daiko hesitated, he still wasn't sure what to think about all of this, but maybe this could be the beginning of a new and better life. He looked at Fluttershy, he sent him a small and gentle smile. Something about her made him want to trust her, and in that moment, he did trust her intentions, and so looked back at Celestia.

"Yes, I do."

Author's Note

Starting to feel better, catching up with a lot of sleep.

Chapter 5: Preparations

Daiko never knew how much one could miss a nice warm bath. It had only been a few hours after the whole ordeal in the throne room, afterwards, his chains were undone, and he got to enjoy a nice hot meal, and a nice bath while the palace staff cleaned his clothes.

Once done, he put everything back on, sliding on his Saiyan armor and tapped his chest as he was done. "I feel a whole lot better!" He stretched, feeling so refreshed he was almost forgetting he was in a cage just a short time ago.

A small giggle caught him off guard, and he quickly turned around to face whoever had snuck into his room. It was that yellow pony, Fluttershy. She looked at him with such kind eyes, something that he found strangely soothing. "I'm sorry," said Fluttershy hiding her face in her mane. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Daiko turned to face her, and shook his head. "It's okay Ms. Fluttershy."

She waved her hoof. "Oh, you don't need to call me Ms. Fluttershy, just Fluttershy will do, if you don't mind."

"Sure, okay," said Daiko, sitting down on the bed as he put on his boots.

Fluttershy watched him for a moment, taking him in as he was more relaxed now. Truth be told, she was still quite shocked about how it had all turned out. After the whole Ponyville incident everything had gone so fast. From when she first saw the little boy out cold, to when he was stripped of his armor and put in that cage, to now. It all seemed like a blur now.

She had known right away he was a child, and she had protested seeing him being chained up and caged. Fluttershy was very kind and compassionate, but she wasn't naïve, at least not about him. While not knowing much about him, she insisted from the very beginning he wasn't in control of his great ape form. She might not know anything about Saiyans, but she knew animals, and what Daiko had done in his form, going berserk, she could tell he was in distress.

Now she had become his guardian, a decision she had taken in a split second without really thinking about anything else. She couldn't handle the thought of someone looking after him that already had a negative, or at least, compromised view of him, would be bad for Daiko.

That didn't mean she was completely confident. She had a love to take care of animals, but this was no animal, this was a child, an alien one at that, not a foal. So not only was she out of her depth, she was on completely uncharted territory.

"Fluttershy?" Daiko suddenly called, looking at her from his spot on the bed.

"Hm? Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

He seemed a little uncomfortable, something Fluttershy recognized all too well. She smiled gently, hoping to calm him down and let him know it was going to be okay. "Of course you can, what is it?"

"Well.. I just wondered, why did you decide to become my guardian..?" Daiko had been with foster parents before, and he hadn't really been thrilled about them. Fluttershy was on the opposite end of the scale, she seemed to legit care about him, something he wasn't quite used to.

"Oh, well.."

Fluttershy wanted to help him, sure, but still the decision to become his guardian had come so fast. Taking a page from Applejack's honesty book, she moved in closer and sat down on the bed, sitting next to him. The sight was a little weird, a pony and a monkey boy. Fluttershy didn't mind, she had seen a lot of strange things in her life.

"I don't know how to explain it." She admitted. "To me, if you don't mind me saying, you look lost." Fluttershy noticed a sort of shift in his expression, but she couldn't read it. She couldn't tell if he was tense or nervous, perhaps a mix of both. "I just don't want you to feel alone, I want to give you a chance, and I hope you will take it." She blushed out of slight embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I know it doesn't make sense.."

Daiko held up his hands, shaking his head. "No no, it's alright.." He let out a sigh, looking down at the floor. "I am kind of scared.." He admitted feeling his cheeks warm up as well, as he didn't like to admit it. "I know a Saiyan is not supposed to be scared, but the truth is, I don't really have much experience fighting."

This was no lie, but he wasn't exactly telling the truth either. He kept his human life a secret, filled in some gaps from his old life with the filler of what he knew of the Saiyans. Soon enough he had constructed this whole history for himself, a fake life, something that would explain his inexperience, and not reveal who he really was, and how he got there. Daiko had no problems with lying, while he recognized it was not very good to do it, he still didn't mind using it. He had lied before, and to him his lies was not to hurt others, but to protect himself.

Being a good idea or not, he was a child, and so in the moment found it easier to lie, and even found some comfort in it. Not the lying itself, but in the fact he could bury his old life and forget about it while starting over. Morality was for the ones who were able to afford it, at least according to Daiko.

"I'm kind of the runt of the litter.." This was a misleading truth. The foster home he was in had older kids who usually picked on him because he was the youngest. This could be interpreted as him being weak for a Saiyan his age, and Daiko knew this, but it still felt good to say, getting it off his chest even though she would not connect it to anything other than a life he never had.

Fluttershy nodded slightly. "I used to feel like that too.." Then she smiled at him. "How about we go for a walk? I can show you my favorite garden."

Daiko smiled, actually happy not having to continue this discussion, it still felt weird, but he was happy Fluttershy seemed to sense when it was best to stop for now. "Okay then." The two got up, and left the room.

It had been quite a night, and day, Celestia was ready to turn in for the day. Other than the night's attack, there was the whole scene in the throne room, not to mention setting everything up with Twilight so she could stay informed. There were a lot of pieces that needed to come together.

Though even now, as everything seemed calm again, she knew it was just a matter of time before her sister would come to her and demand answers. It was to be expected, and Celestia could hardly blame her for it. She had taken the decision without consulting her, but Celestia had seen something in this Saiyan, something she needed to act on right away.

And just as expected, her sister came through the doors, slamming them shut behind her with her magic as she walked in. "Sister, why have you allowed this Saiyan to stay here?"

The older sister turned to her younger sibling, gave an apologetic look, and sighed. "Forgive me, sister, but I had to seize the opportunity when I saw it."

"What opportunity?" Luna asked, then paused for a second. "You're planning to use him as a way to defend Equestria?"

"His arrival here is a sign, Luna. We both know there are evils out there coming back to haunt us. First Nightmare Moon, then Discord, more is coming, new as well as old foes. I want us to be prepared for it." Celestia explained, not sounding thrilled about it at all. "What if more Saiyans were to turn up here? They sent a child to deal with us, what if they send an adult next time, Luna?"

Luna thought about it, she still did not know if these Saiyans were as good as Daiko had led them to believe. Even so, that great ape form, Daiko was just a child, and if adults could control the form, maybe even finding ways to use it without her moon, what would it mean for them?

"He has potential to be a great ally one day." Celestia finished.

Luna's eyes narrowed. "That's why you sent him to live in Ponyville, it's not about punishment, you want him to fight for us."

"Yes and no." Celestia shrugged. "I hope that kid will never have to fight again, I hope he can live a happy life without having to fight another battle again. I want him to have a chance at life, see how we live it, and become one of us. Family, friendship, that is what this kid deserves."

"But," Luna continued. "If that does happen, he's likely to fight to keep them safe, should it come to that."

Celestia nodded, not seeming happy about it, but it was a win win scenario. If his skills were never needed, then he had a peaceful life, but if the time came, she hoped he would stand with them.

The next few days were spent on getting Daiko up to speed about some basic knowledge about Equestria. Like the role of Celestia and Luna, some cultural stuff. Some things did not surprise him at all, other things did, like the fact Celestia and Luna moved the sun and the moon, that to him was just insane.

They also spend some time preparing for his stay in Ponyville. Nopony was to know he had been the great ape who had attacked their town, they thought it best not to mention it, though not all were happy with that decision.

The matter of his diet was pretty easy to solve. Didn't mind fish, and while he had lived in the forest he had found out he could use his tail to fish with. More importantly though, Fluttershy was used to feeding her animal friends meat, like the bears and foxes and so on. So she did not mind Daiko having some, she didn't want him to starve after all.

About four days later everything was set. Daiko was ready to head to Ponyville and start his new life. When he left Canterlot with Fluttershy and her friends, he wondered, what kind of adventure was waiting for him ahead?

Author's Note

I think I'm back to a 100% now, still a little tired, but I'm better.

I will spend the next few days going through my chapters and edit them. Sot he chapters coming up should be longer and more detailed.

Thank you for reading along so far, and again, if you guys have ideas about upcoming chapters, feel free to share them with me. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 6: New Home

Daiko let out a sigh, he tried not to show he was bored out of his mind, but after having gotten used to flying, a train seemed that much slower. Despite being bored however, he didn't say anything, not wanting to give of the impression that he was ungrateful or anything of the sort.

Fluttershy had been very kind in taking him in, and so he wanted to be on his best behavior. He had gotten a lot of looks when they went to the station, and when they boarded the train itself. Apparently ponies were not used to seeing a saiyan walk around with a pony, though to be fair, if he had seen the opposite in his home world, he might have looked as well. Didn't mean he liked it.

Taking his eyes of the landscape passing by the window, he turned his eyes to his new guardian. Fluttershy, the element of kindness, apparently it was some well regarded title, though Daiko still didn't fully understand it. She seemed aware of the ponies still looking at him, but she did her best to ignore them, for his sake he imagined. He didn't want to be a bother, but Fluttershy felt the same way, and so they had decided to endure it together.

"How far until we get to Ponyville?" Daiko asked, looking back out the window, still amazed at all he could see.

"Won't take us too long, it is not that far away, maybe an hour or so." Fluttershy replied, glancing back at the ponies in the train car. She leaned closer to him, and whispered. "I'm sorry for all the looks.."

Daiko looked at her, then shrugged. "It was bound to happen, if it gets too much I'll just go outside and fly up on the roof and wait there." Fluttershy giggled, and Daiko smirked, laughing a little too. "You don't believe me?"

She tried to stifle a giggle, thinking he was joking. Daiko didn't mind, he knew she didn't laugh at him, and not only that, but he hadn't shown her, or anypony just what he could do yet. He stood up on the seat, opening up the window. Now Fluttershy stopped her giggles, though kept her nervous smile on.

"D-Daiko, what are you doing..?"

Looking back at her, he winked, then suddenly jumped out. Fluttershy let out a startled scream, hurrying to the window, but when she got there she saw Daiko, running beside the train! Her eyes grew with amazement, he was actually keeping up, running as fast as needed to be right beside the window.

"How.. How are you doing this?!" Fluttershy called out to him, smiling in pure awe.

Daiko simply grinned, then set off from the ground, and to the shock of Fluttershy, not to mention to all the ponies who had come to her side of the train to see the strange creature, he flew! Without wings or magic, the little saiyan moved through the air, staying right beside the window.

Daiko waved to Fluttershy, calling out to her. "I'll keep up!" There wasn't much Fluttershy could do, Daiko was clearly okay, and seemed to have no problems keeping up with the train. She just nodded, and with her permission granted, he moved up higher into the air, and flew above the train, keeping himself clear of the smoke.

As he flew in the air, feeling the breeze move through his black hair, Daiko was struck how easy it was to fly now. Although he could still feel the effort he had to put into it, it was like he no longer had any problems with the speed, or keeping himself in the air. It felt amazing, and he couldn't help but do flips now and again, even going so far to fly up next to the locomotive itself.

He felt so free now, not having to hide anymore. Still, he couldn't forget his purpose in Ponyville, he was there to help with the cleanup effort after the mess he had made. Daiko was of course happy no one had gotten hurt, and if he had to help dealing with the damage to make everything better, then that was a price he was willing to pay.

Flying a bit higher, he moved himself to sit on the roof of the train car Fluttershy was in. Once he sat down, he crossed his legs and sat facing towards the head of the train, trying to spot any town coming into view. As he did so, his mind wandered, and he thought back to all that had happened.

So far Daiko still hadn't come up with any answers to how he could have gotten here, he knew he had wished to be a saiyan and for adventure, but that still didn't explain how any of this was possible. Would he ever see his old home again? Did he even want to see it again? The whole thing made his head hurt, but no, he didn't want to go back to his old life. Even if things didn't work out in this world, he had the means to go off and seek a life on his own if he wished. Here he had the powers to set himself free, so if anything, he had chosen to stay, and so was already free. He smiled, liking the sound of that.

Then there was his guardian, Fluttershy. She seemed legit when she said she wanted to help him, and she didn't seem to be the type to lie to him. She wasn't like his old foster parents, she was kind and gentle, something he hadn't experienced a lot with his foster family. Not that he hadn't known kindness before, but this was something else.

As the train came closer to Ponyville, he looked back towards Canterlot mountain, thinking back on the two princesses. Something about Celestia made him a bit uneasy, not that he thought that she was a bad pony or anything. He couldn't explain it, not even to himself, but it was like his mind went into combat mode when he saw those calculating eyes look at him.

Was it just him being untrusting? Or was it some of his Saiyan blood just reacting on instinct to a strong creature? He couldn't tell, but perhaps it was better not to find out at all. For now, he had other matters to attend to, like his new life in Ponyville.

When the train stopped at Ponyville station, Daiko jumped down to the platform from the roof, startling some ponies waiting for the train to stop. He paid them no mind, turning his attention towards disembarking ponies, waiting for Fluttershy to catch up.

Once out, she quickly spotted Daiko and trotted over to him. "Daiko.. Look at your mane, it's all wild now.." She said in an almost motherly tone, making him blush in slight embarrassment.

"Come on, it's not that bad.." Daiko replied, taking a step back to avoid her hoof. Quickly he ran his own hand through it, quickly fixing the worst of it. "Now, shouldn't we get to work?"

Fluttershy smiled slightly, following Daiko out to the main street of the town. Once they did though, both of them froze. For a moment Daiko had forgotten about the whole repair thing, but he was reminded as he saw ponies all over working on some of the damaged buildings. While it was not as bad as Daiko had initially thought, he still felt responsible and bad for the damage he had caused.

As they walked through the streets, Daiko sighed. "I really feel bad for what I did to your town, I'm sorry.."

Fluttershy frowned. "Don't be sorry, there was nothing you could have done."

"I don't know, I should not have been out after dark, I knew there could be a full moon out, and I didn't do anything to keep myself away from it." He let out a small snort. "I'm pretty pathetic.." He didn't really mean that, but he was disappointed in himself for not thinking ahead.

"No you're not, Daiko." Fluttershy insisted. "You're just a foal, and mistakes are bound to happen."

"I don't know.." Daiko replied, looking around at the houses. The damage to them was not too severe, most of it had been caused by the fight outside the town, like him throwing trees, or debris flying through the air. No buildings were burned down, or flat out destroyed. It actually seemed more like a cleaning job than a repair job.

Ponies all around the town seemed in a good mood, while it was clear they were not too happy about doing all of this, they seemed to at least find joy in helping one another and fixing up their town. It was a tight community, and Daiko got the sense that this had not been the first time these ponies had to clean up their town. Thinking back to what happened in Canterlot, Daiko thought about the five ponies that had been with Fluttershy.

She had told him a lot about them of course, but they hadn't stuck around, except for the one called Twilight. Her and Fluttershy stayed in Canterlot while the rest went back home, then she left the day before they would. Daiko could tell Fluttershy had been sad that her friends had left, but she hadn't mentioned it.

He wondered if they were still mad at him, or at least, if Rainbow Dash was. The others had seemed more or less split in their opinions, none really knowing what to think. The pink pony had seemed more open to the idea, and even tried to throw a welcome to Equestria party, but none of them really felt up for it, so she promised she would throw him one when he got to Ponyville. He doubted she would actually follow through.

As soon as he had thought it, a pink pony appeared in front of him, her blue eyes staring directly into his. "Whoa!" Daiko jumped back, never seeing the pink pony coming.

"You're here!" Pinkie Pie squealed, throwing some confetti around. "Welcome to our town, Ponyville!"

Daiko looked to Fluttershy, who simply smiled and sent him an encouraging nod. Looking back to Pinkie, Daiko gave a small acknowledging nod. "Uhm, thanks, Pinkie?"

"No problem my little Saiyan friend!" Pinkie smiled, moving up closer to him, pulling Daiko into a bone crushing hug. "We are gonna have the best party ever!"

"Pinkie." Fluttershy called in a somewhat stern tone. "We've just arrived, and there is a lot to do. I need to show Daiko where he will be staying, not to mention see my animals. The party will have to wait."

Both Pinkie and Daiko looked at Fluttershy, both surprised. Though Daiko had only known her for a short while, he had learned Fluttershy was usually more timid and, well, shy. Pinkie quickly got over her initial surprise though, smiling broadly, she moved in and hugged her friend.

"You're really taking this mommy guardian thing to heart, Fluttershy! You'll make a good mom for our Saiyan friend!"

At her words, Fluttershy blushed, seeming to realize how she had acted, and what Pinkie was saying. "Oh! Oh, no, I wouldn't presume that I.. No no.."

Daiko's heart arched a little when Pinkie suggested Fluttershy was his new mom. He'd never gotten along with his foster mom, and she had never even pretended to be anything close to a real mother to him. Daiko could still remember his real parents, while he was still young when he lost them, he could still see them in mind.

Fluttershy he had just met, and she may be his guardian, but he didn't see her as a replacement to his mom, and neither did he want her to be. He was staying with Fluttershy, that was it. She looked after him until he was of age in their world, nothing more.

Clearing his throat, Daiko got their attention. "Uhm, maybe we should get going? We are being watched.."

"We are?" Pinkie asked, then noticed the ponies around town looking at them. She just smiled even more and waved. "Hello everypony! This is Daiko, he's new in town!"

Daiko flushed red, hiding his face in his hand just like Fluttershy was hiding her face behind her mane. "Uhm, Pinkie? We are gonna get going.." Fluttershy said timidly.

Pinkie nodded. "Oki Doki! You just go on ahead! I'll see you guys later!"

Daiko and Fluttershy walked off, and after a few moments, Fluttershy spoke again. "Sorry about that, Pinkie means well, she just wants you to feel welcome."

Daiko smiled, waving her off. "No no, I get it, I'm just a little overwhelmed I guess." Suddenly Daiko noticed they were walking away from the town, following the old dirt road and moving towards the forest he had been living in. Looking around he noticed less and less buildings, and more and more forest areas. "Fluttershy, do you live outside of town?"

She nodded. "Yes, I like the peace and quiet, and my animal friends prefer it as well. It is easier for them to come and go as they please." Fluttershy had told Daiko about the many animals she was taking care of, and told Daiko there was nothing to be afraid of. Daiko didn't mind, he had lived in the forest long enough to learn most animals weren't really a threat to him.

"So, what will I be doing exactly?"

"Oh, you will help me and my friends around town. You know, run errands, help cleaning up and maybe even build a little."

Daiko raised an eyebrow. "So you guys are keeping an eye on me?"

Fluttershy gasped, not looking guilty, but more surprised at him. "That's not it, Daiko, I promise."

Daiko doubted that, but he did not doubt her. Fluttershy might not see it, but Daiko was sure he would be working with Fluttershy AND her friends so they could all report back on him, or at the very least keep an eye on him. He didn't care, it wasn't like he was planning something evil anyway.¨

"Okay, if you say so, Fluttershy." He tried to sound casual about it, but even Daiko felt like his reply had come off a little bratty, which wasn't his intent. "Sorry.."

"It's okay," replied Fluttershy, as if knowing what he meant. "This is a big change, for both of us, and I believe in you."

Daiko was still quite amazed at the pony, he had no idea where her confidence in him came from. He wasn't sure if he truly liked that or not, because it made him feel like he was in debt to her. Life had taught him nothing comes for free, and so he couldn't help be slightly suspicious about this new chance he had gotten from the ponies. Weather Fluttershy was in on it, or if she was just that kind he still hadn't determined.

Fluttershy let out a sound, and Daiko looked at her. She smiled, nodding towards something. "We're here. Daiko, welcome to my home."

Fluttershy's home was comfortable, very cozy, if not a little small. She wasn't kidding when she said she liked animals, and the animals sure liked her. They had barely gotten to the cottage before the smallest critter, to the largest bear, came out of hiding to greet her. Even the birds circled her, welcoming her back home.

Instinctively, Daiko felt like taking a step away from the bear as it eyes him, but another reassurance from Fluttershy, Daiko let it examine him, and before he knew it, he could pet it the large carnivore. The animals trusted Fluttershy, and she in turn trusted them not to hurt any pony, or Saiyan. That went for almost every animal in her care, except for the white evil, Angel...

Fluttershy had barely let Daiko in the front door, when a white lightning suddenly jumped at him. While Daiko had not accepted it, he saw the attack coming, and so caught the little monster midair. "What the? A bunny?"

The little beast tried to bite him, Daiko held him by his foot, keeping him upside down so the bunny had trouble getting to him. Though Daiko doubted he actually would be hurt by the bunny, he rather not tempt fate. Fluttershy gasped. "Angel!" Quickly she took him, much to Daiko's relief. "Angel, what have I told you about newcomers?

The little bunny made a series of gestures and sounds, at times pointing at Daiko. How Fluttershy could understand him he had no idea, but it seemed she knew what he was saying, or at least, meant to say. "Yes, I know I've been gone, but Big Mac has been looking after you, hasn't he?"

The bunny crossed its arms, seeming to relent some point Daiko could only guess at. When he did, Fluttershy smiled, even seeming to blush slightly. "Good. As for Daiko, he will be living with us starting from today, I'm his guardian." There was a certain amount of pride in her voice, like if she had managed to complete a race.

Angel however, looked mortified, then made another series of gestures, many of them pointing towards Daiko. While he couldn't understand what the little bunny was getting at, he gathered whatever he was trying to say, it wasn't very polite, because Fluttershy gasped horrified. "Angel! Language!" The bunny crossed its forelegs, giving off a slight, 'hmph', as it did so.

Fluttershy turned to Daiko, looking embarrassed, as if Daiko had overheard something very rude. "I'm so sorry about this, Daiko, but could I ask you for a favor?"

"Uhm, sure?"

"Could I get you to go to Sweet Apple Acres and get some apples?" Daiko raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. "The pantry is probably not worth much, and I need to deal with this." It was clear she meant Angel, something the bunny noticed too, and so stuck out his tiny tongue like a child.

"Okay, it's the apple farm, right?" Daiko asked, and Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes, just tell them I've sent you. Do you think you can find it?" Fluttershy actually sounded slightly worried, as if sending a child into town for milk on their own.

Daiko just nodded. "Yeah, I know where it is." With that, he hurried outside, leaving Fluttershy to deal with her little monster. Without looking back, Daiko leaped into the air and flew off and over the forest.

When he did so, he let out a little gasp. It seemed that the little flying trip with the train had tired him out a bit more than he initially thought, but he was still good to go. If he was being honest, he was glad to have been sent on this little errand. It didn't have anything to do with Fluttershy, no, she was nice and everything, but it was nice to have some alone time.

After having been in the palace for days, he had felt like a bird in a cage. While they had said he was free to roam the palace, Daiko knew the guards were keeping a close eye on him. So it was nice to fly freely now and not having to worry about being seen by a pony.

As he flew over the treetops, he could still see the destruction of his great ape form. There were footprints that had flattened trees, and soon enough he was able to trace them back to where he first transformed. Thinking back, he wondered if his scouter and Saiyan pod was still there. As far as he knew he was in no hurry, and so followed his footprints back to his old camp.

It looked like a mess, but his Saiyan pod was still there, still in one piece. Moving closer, he landed on the ground, looking around with hopeful eyes. It took him a few minutes, but after a while, he finally uncovered his scouter, and it was still intact!

"Yes! I hope it still works." Quickly he put it on, pressing the side button to give it a test go. To his relief it lit up, numbers and symbols running by his eye, scanning the surroundings. Before it had finished however, he switched it off, looking back at his pod.

He wondered if he should tell Fluttershy about it, or even those princesses. Then again, if his stay here didn't work out, he could perhaps use it as a last resort. The thought was terrifying, but the option was there. For now though, he decided to cover it up, hide it the best he could before he flew off again, this time heading directly towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Like at his camp, he landed gently, his feet touching down comfortably. Looking around he saw no one at first glance, but thanks to a quick click with his scouter, he quickly found there was someone inside the farmhouse. He could have of course knocked on the door, but the fanboy inside him still couldn't help but try and find excuses to use the scouter, it was still damn cool.

Daiko, switching off his scouter again, started to walk towards the farmhouse, expecting to see Applejack in there. He couldn't remember her power level, so it could be someone else. Before he got halfway there though, a voice shouted out to him.

"Hold it right there, mister!"

"Huh?"

Before he could turn to face the voice, a lasso flicked through the air, and made its way around Daiko's torso. With a quick poll, the noose tightened around him, pinning his arms to his sides.

"We got it!" A second voice exclaimed, both of them sounded like girls.

"Do you think it was the one from the other night?" A third voice joined in.

Daiko turned around and was faced with three fillies looking at him with slight trepidation, and yet some excitement. One of the fillies he recognized, she had a red mane and tail, and that big pink bow, she was also the one holding the rope. She was the one who screamed, and alerted every pony in the area about his presence.

Looking down at the rope, he looked back at the three fillies with a blank expression. "So, what is going to happen now?"

The three fillies almost looked startled, as if they hadn't expected him to talk. Then two of them looked to their flanks, which made him raise an eyebrow. They looked disappointed, both of them sighing. Okay, what was he missing here? The filly who held the rope kept staring at him, and the two others had checked their flanks for something.

"Still no cutie mark.. Not for lasso throwing, or for alien hunting." The orange filly with wings said, disappointed.

The white unicorn looked at the red maned filly, then and the orange filly. "Well, maybe it's because Apple Bloom was the one to capture it?"

"Then why didn't she get a cutie mark?" The orange filly replied.

Did they just refer to him as an it? And were they supposed to get something for capturing him? The two fillies started to discuss something Daiko didn't care to pay attention to, just waiting to be told what was going on. The third filly, the one holding the rope in her mouth, just stared at him in a mix of disbelief and, was it fear, or anger? Daiko wasn't sure.

Daiko was starting to get impatient, and it seemed the one known as Apple Bloom felt the same way. "Will you two stop it?" She said, her words muffled a little thanks to the rope. "We have to ge-WhoaH!" Before she could finish the sentence, she was pulled forward by Daiko, who had decided to just continue on his way towards the farmhouse.

Soon enough Daiko found himself dragging three fillies along with him, as the two others had hurried to help their friend trying to pull the rope. It didn't make a difference, Daiko kept walking forward as if there was no rope at all. Either the three fillies didn't notice or didn't care, but Daiko soon found himself stopping and turning to them.

The three fillies laid in a bundle, all of them still holding on to the rope. He looked down at them, and they back at him. For a moment they seemed to think they had managed to stop him, but he quickly put an end to that misunderstanding by grabbing the rope with his hands, and pulling it apart, snapping it two. The three fillies gasped, and the rope slid off his body and to his feet.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm here for apples." Daiko stated, turning around yet again, thinking that was the end of it.

"RUSH HIM!"

He was wrong. "Ooufh!"

To his surprise, the fillies rushed him, tackling him to the ground. Or at least, he thought it was all three, but he was surprised to find only one, Apple Bloom. Daiko managed to turn around onto his back, Apple Bloom trying to pin him to the ground. If he was in doubt about if she feared him, or was angry at him, he was in doubt no more. He saw anger in her eyes.

Daiko could of course lift her off easily, but he was too stunned to do anything, he just kept looking up at her. There was complete silence now, even her friends seemed shocked by their friend's action. Daiko wasn't sure what to do, he had promised not to do anything against another pony, and he was too stunned to move anyway, so what would happen here today?

As for Apple Bloom, she seemed to be on the verge of yelling at him, or crying. Then she raised her hoof high up, was she gonna punch him?? Her friends gasped, seeming to think the same as him. The hoof swung down, but just before it made contact with his face, a stern and more adult voice called out.

"Apple Bloom!"

Author's Note

I will admit, I don't feel very confident in writing Fluttershy. I've never had her for such a large role in any of my stories, so I'm sorry if I don't exactly capture her.

If anyone has suggestions or wants to help me write her a bit better, feel free to let me know. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 7: Friends? Or Enemies?

"Apple Bloom!"

The hoof stopped mid punch, hovering just an inch away from Daiko's. In hindsight he should not have been worried, but by reflex he expected it to hurt a lot. When the voice called out the filly's name, the hoof stopped, but the filly kept looking at him for a few seconds. Only when the voice came closer and called again did she react.

"Apple Bloom! What in tarnation are y'all doin'?" Both Daiko and Apple Bloom turned their heads to face whoever had spoken. They were faced with an older looking mare, she was thin and wrinkly, but her glare was one of authority. "Get off that colt, young lady!"

With just the tiniest amount of hesitation, Apple Bloom did what the older mare asked and got off the young Saiyan. Daiko stood up, dusting himself off as the older mare approached. "I'm terribly sorry about that, young fella. Apple Bloom is usually a very well behaved young filly."

"Uhm, sure, no problem." Daiko replied, still a little taken aback by the aggression of the filly.

The older mare nodded, then looked at the filly in question. "Apple Bloom, what are you thinking of jumping on some young fella like that? Apologize."

The foal made a face of anguish. "But, but Granny, I-"

"Now," Granny repeated sternly.

Apple Bloom glared at Daiko, looking like she was on the verge of crying. Before any tears could show themselves, she spun around, and ran for the orchard. "Apple Bloom!" Her friends called out, clearly concerned, but the filly was gone. Not wanting to leave their friend alone and upset, the two remaining fillies took off after her.

They watched them vanish in the orchard, and the older mare let out a sigh. "I'm mighty sorry, but she's been very emotional lately."

The mare turned, looking over Daiko, as if inspecting him. They were about the same height, though the mare was a little taller, which was something Daiko had noticed. Most ponies were just a little taller than him, while the princesses were as tall as a full grown human. He was a head taller than the foals though.

"So, you're that fella from space?" She suddenly said, tilting her head. "Hard to imagine a little colt like you could be that giant monkey monster from last week." Daiko's eyes widened a little, surprised that she knew. The mare however, just chuckled. "No sense in hiding anything from old Granny Smith, besides, Aj already told me about you."

"Oh, uhm.." Daiko felt his cheeks flush red. "I had hoped that would be a secret.."

Granny just chuckled, then sent him a warm smile. "It's hard to keep something like that a secret in this town. Ponies are gonna figure it out." Reaching down, she poked his armor with her hoof. "And that fancy space armor isn't going to help either."

Daiko looked down, then back up at her. "But I don't have anything else.."

"Fiddlesticks! Applejack is friends with that fancy mare that makes clothes. Rarity is her name, have you met her?" Daiko nodded, and so the mare continued. "I'm sure she would help you if you asked her. Otherwise, get your guardian to help you out. Your guardian is Fluttershy, right?" Daiko nodded again, and Granny smiled satisfied. "Good heart that one. Go ask her, she will help you out."

"Uhm, yeah, I guess you're right.." Daiko admitted, looking down at himself again. Did he look intimidating? If he did, then it certainly would be harder to make any good impression on the ponies. He thought his armor looked cool, but if he was going to play the part of a Saiyan warrior changing his ways, then a new set of clothing might seem appropriate.

"Now," continued Granny. "What can I help you with?"

Daiko perked up, having completely forgotten about the whole reason he showed up in the first place. "Oh, Fluttershy asked me to go get some apples."

"Well you come to the right place then! We got plenty of apples. Let me fix ya right up."

Soon enough Daiko stood with a basket full of delicious looking apples. When he asked the old mare if he needed to pay, she said they were on her, welcoming him to Ponyville. Daiko smiled, thanking her, and then he took off. Leaping into the air, he let his Ki lift him high above the apple trees, and soon out of the mare's view.

He didn't get very far over the orchard before his scouter gave off a sound, he looked, and found it indicating there was a lifeform down there. The power level was not very high, so Daiko concluded it wasn't the big red stallion, or Applejack. Likely it was one of the foals that ambushed him. A part of him was still annoyed, though when he thought back on the look Apple Bloom gave him, he couldn't help but feel bad.

What could he have done to make her hate him so much? No ponies were wounded or killed, and it wasn't like whatever had been destroyed could not be rebuilt. Daiko stopped in mid air, floating there for a few moments before curiosity overtook him. He made his way down to the ground and soon enough spotted the little filly.

She was sitting by herself, her head low, and the tears slowly moving down her cheeks. Daiko couldn't help but feel bad, even though he didn't know what he had done. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he saw her ears suddenly shoot up, swirling towards his position before she herself turned to face him.

When she did, her face turned away again, trying to hide her tears. "Go away!" She yelled at him, her voice sounding like she was trying to sound more tough than she was. He could still hear the sobs and sniffles in her voice, and so Daiko found it hard to stay mad at her.

Daiko put down the basket of apples, picked two of them, and made his way over. Her ears were still turned towards him, but she didn't look at him, and neither did she run. Once the former human came over to the tree trunk she was sitting in front, he planted himself on top of it.

He didn't speak, instead he led one of the shiny red apples to his mouth, and took a big bite. The sound was unmistakable, and Daiko couldn't help but notice how the filly's ears twitched when she heard it. The juicy apple was delicious, and Daiko couldn't help but let out a satisfied hum as he chewed. "Mmmhmmm!"

The filly still didn't look at him, and she still refused to move. Again, Daiko took another bite, making it loud and slow, making sure she heard all the details. Her ears twitched, and he was sure he saw some annoyance in her face, even if she didn't look at him.

This continued for two more bites, until the filly finally had enough, turned towards him with a frustrated expression. "Will you cut that out?!"

Daiko looked at her for a few seconds in silence. Then he swallowed, smirking a little. "Want the other?" He offered, holding up the second apple he brought. Apple Bloom however, shook her head, looking more angry than sad now.

"No, I want you off my family's orchard!" She scowled, then suddenly gestured to the tree. "And off this tree!"

Daiko didn't answer, he just shrugged, and started to eat the second apple. He wasn't here to annoy her, but instead find out what was up with her. If she was angry, then perhaps she had a chance of letting off some steam. He hadn't been ready for her last time, but he was now.

For maybe a minute he didn't speak, just took his time as he ate. When he noticed she was about to gear up for another volley of protests, he spoke up, cutting her off just in time. "I don't have a clue why you're so angry with me, but.." He swallowed some of the apple, then tossed it aside. "If you really want to have a go at me." His eyes turned to look at hers. "Then I'll give you the chance."

Apple Bloom seemed taken aback, almost like she wasn't sure about what he'd just said. "W-what?"

To be fair, Daiko wasn't sure he heard right himself. For a moment, the idea in his mind had seemed so logical, so natural. She was angry with him, she had wanted to punch him, so why not give her the chance to vent? Though now that he actually thought about it, he would have never suggested such a thing back in his own world. Was this his saiyan side? Or had he just become cocky with his new powers? Maybe deep inside it was an excuse to test himself? No, that last part wasn't true.

Still, now that he had said it, he might as well go through with it. "I'll make a deal with you. If you win this match, then you don't have to worry about seeing me on the farm or the orchard ever again." While she still didn't look too comfortable with the idea of fighting an alien, Daiko could still see a hint of interest. "Tough if I win, then you have to tell me why you hate me so much. Deal?"

The filly looked unsure. A part of her would probably love the chance to give him a black eye. "But.. It's not nice to fight.."

Daiko had to bite his lower lip in order not to let out a laugh. Not because he wanted to mock her, but considering the ambush before, he was pretty sure that excuse was out the window. Then again, he remembered the older mare who had stopped Apple Bloom from punching him. Clearly this filly had a lot of respect for her, and the mare's words were likely the law of the land on this farm.

Daiko smiled, jumped off the tree and landed beside her. "Don't worry." He said, winking at her. "It won't be a real fight, but more like.. A sparring match."

" A sparring match?"

"Yup, just a friendly match between friends."

Apple Bloom glared at him. "We're not friends!"

Daiko shrugged, walking about ten meters away from her before stopping and turning. "Alright, but only if you win." Of course he was just goading her into the fight, and from the look she gave him, it worked.

"You're on, mister! But you better keep ya promise!"

Daiko smirked, got himself into a stance, and nodded. "I'll always keep my promises."

Apple Bloom didn't take a stance, not that Daiko had expected her to. Instead, she seemed to move back a little, as if ready to leap forward.

(BGM)

For a few moments they just stared each other down, both of them preparing themselves mentally for the battle between two children. Then, without warning, Apple Bloom leaped forward, charging towards him faster than he had expected from someone like her.

Daiko stood his ground, letting her use up energy in running towards him. As soon as she came close enough, she tried to land a punch, and he could tell she wasn't holding anything back. Apparently his goading had more than done the trick.

Guiding his hand up, he blocked the punch with ease. The filly tried again, but just like before, Daiko blocked her attack. Frustrated that her two attacks had failed, she stepped up her game. With surprising effectiveness, she started a barrage of kicks and punches.

Her attacks were fast, and did not lack power. Daiko was actually surprised, as he soon found himself at the defense. Not that he had planned on attacking her, but she was a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. He kept dodging and blocking, letting her tire herself out.

A part of him found this to be exciting, the thrill of the fight, even if it wasn't a serious one. At times, Daiko found himself wanting to retaliate, but kept himself from doing so. A smirk however crept onto his face, and as soon as he gained some distance of about two meters, he said. "Nice try, but how about you just give up if you aren't going to put in the effort? Or is it because you're a girl?"

Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed, and he charged forward, raising a hoof to punch him with. Daiko got ready for another block, but at the last second before the supposed attack, the filly stopped, using the momentum to spin, and kick him in the stomach.

"Aoufh!" The armor absorbed most of the damage, but Daiko still lost his balance and fell.

Apple Bloom was on him like a wild animal, trying to get as many good punches as she could. Though at this time, the filly's strength seemed to fail her. She was panting hard, and her punches seemed to be lacking in actual power. She did manage to land one on his right eye, missing his scouter.

The rest of her punches became more tired, and less effective. He felt her hitting his chest over, and over again, but none of them had their intended effect. The more exhausted she got, the more tears appeared in her eyes. Her anger was fading, and he could tell she was losing her will to fight.

Before she gave up, he placed a hand under her, then lifted her up into the air. She let out a yelp, but he didn't throw her or anything. Instead he just held her above him as he stood up to his full height. Her four legs moved around in desperation, but she had no real energy to resist anything he did.

Daiko looked up at her, smiling at her. "You know I could end the fight quite easily now, right?" She didn't answer him, but just gave off a slight nod as she hung her head. Despite the very one sided fight, Daiko wasn't about to mock her for the effort she put in. Instead, he just gently put her down on the ground, making sure to be careful so she did not fall. He smiled at her. "How about we call it a draw?"

Sitting herself down, she let out long breaths, trying to catch her breath. She looked up at him, not seeming satisfied with the result, but she wasn't in any shape to continue the fight. Daiko chuckled, walking over to the basket, pulled out two apples, and tossed one of them to Apple Bloom.

She caught it, looked at it, then at him with a confused expression. "You earned it." Daiko said, smiling. "You're pretty strong, for a filly." She still looked annoyed, but Daiko could swear he saw a faint blush. Reluctantly, she took a bite of the apple.

Daiko did the same, smiling as he once again felt the sweet taste of the apple assault his senses. He heard a giggle, and looking over, he saw Apple Bloom trying to hide it with her hoof, as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have.

"What's so funny?" Daiko asked, smirking a little.

"Nothing!" Apple Bloom insisted. "It's just.. You look like you enjoyed it.."

"What? The apple?"

Apple Bloom nodded. "You like apples..?"

Daiko chuckled. "Best fruit there is. I ate all kinds back in the Everfree, but nothing ever came close to the apples."

The filly eyed him. "You stole from us?"

Daiko just shrugged. "I guess you can call it that, though at the time I was still new to this planet. I didn't know if it was safe to even talk to you. So I decided to keep hidden, well.. Until you saw me that night." He turned his head, looking into Apple Bloom's eyes.

He couldn't read her expression, she didn't look angry, she didn't look sad, more neutral if anything. "My sister said you couldn't help it.. The big monkey thing."

"I couldn't.. It takes a lot of training to be able to maintain control when we transform into our Oozaru form. If you can't do it, you're only acting as an animal, an aggressive animal. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt.." Daiko sighed, looking forward towards the fallen tree. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry.."

While he didn't look at her, he could feel Apple Bloom's eyes on him. She was examining him, as if trying to trace any hint of lying, or danger. When she found, or didn't find, whatever she was looking for, he heard her let out a sigh. "I'm sorry too.. I was just angry because you destroyed something of mine.. Something that meant a lot to me and my friends."

He looked at her again. "What did I destroy?"

Their eyes met for a moment, and then she stood up. She didn't speak, but instead started to trot towards the large apple tree that had been broken and ruined. Daiko didn't ask anything, he just followed her. She took him up to the crown of the tree, ruined apples still hung from some of the branches, others were mashed on the ground itself.

Walking closer, Daiko began to see planks hidden beneath the branches. Apple Bloom pushed some of the branches aside, that way he could better see what exactly he was looking at. There were more planks, painted planks, some drawings, and other small stuff scattered around. Then Daiko understood.

"A treehouse?" He looked at her, not sure if he got the larger point she was trying to make.

Apple Bloom just nodded. "Me and my friends worked on the treehouse for an entire summer.. It is our clubhouse, it is where we plan out our crusading.. Where we hang out.."

Daiko got the point, it wasn't what they were using it for, it was just something special to her. A place filled with joyful memories, and he had destroyed it. Letting out a sigh, he turned to her with a small hopeful smile. "Well.. Unless you want me to stay away.. Perhaps I could make it up to you and your friends?"

She looked back at him, again with this puzzled expression of hers. It made her look cute, though he wouldn't say that out loud. "How..?"

"I could help build a new one?"

At first she looked confused, then unsure. "You.. You would do that..?"

He shrugged, turning towards the basket of apples, and started walking. "Seems fair, I ruined your old clubhouse, so I'll help you build a new one." Picking up the basket with both hands, he turned towards her with a questioning look. "If you don't mind?"

Apple Bloom seemed to consider, for a few moments she tapped her chin with her hoof. Then she looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "Alright, you can help out build a new one."

"Great!" Daiko grinned, then slowly moved up into the air. "I'll see you tomorrow then!" And with that, he was off towards Fluttershy's cottage.

Fluttershy let out a sigh, looking at the little snow white bunny. "Now angel, you promise to be good when Daiko comes back?" The little bunny scowled, but after receiving one back, he nodded. Fluttershy smiled, seeming satisfied with that answer. "Good! I just know you two will become friends!"

The front door opened, and Fluttershy turned towards it with a big smile. "I'm back!" Daiko called.

Fluttershy made her way out of the kitchen. "Welcome home, Daiko. I hope you-Daiko! Oh my gosh! What happened to your eye?!"

"Hm?" Daiko looked at her, then turned his head towards a small mirror. His right eye was all blue, probably from the punch Apple Bloom managed to deliver. It didn't hurt, and it wasn't bad. He couldn't help but grin slightly. Turning his head towards Fluttershy, he smiled widely, and said. "I think I made a new friend!"

Chapter 8: Acceptance

The days passed, and little by little the town of Ponyville was rebuilt.

It took a lot of time, but Daiko did his best to redeem himself in the eyes of the ponies. Some were a little unsure of him, and if he was being honest, he could not blame them. Daiko himself was not sure if he could trust them either. After all, the punishment he had received had been pretty, well, weak. Then again nobody had been killed, so maybe that was the reason he wasn't locked away somewhere.

Even if that was a plausible explanation, Daiko still felt uneasy about having been let off the hook so easily. He didn't share these feelings with Fluttershy, or any other pony for that matter. Fluttershy was a good pony, and had been watching out for him. Daiko found himself liking her a lot, she was very kind to him, and did her best to make sure he had everything he needed.

Fluttershy was also less judgemental when it came to his diet. Working with animals, she understood some creatures needed meat, and so had stocked up on meat she bought from griffon traders. Other than that, Daiko liked to fish. Taking a page out of the classic manga, Daiko used his tail to lure the larger fish. So Daiko didn't miss anything when it came to his diet habits, and Fluttershy seemed to accept him without any conditions.

At times Daiko wondered why she was so supportive of him. She had told him she wanted to give him a chance, not wanting him to be alone. It was a very kind notion, and Daiko had learned to trust her a lot more than he did other ponies. Whatever her reasons, Daiko knew he owed her a lot. She'd not only given him a home, but a chance to live a somewhat normal life in this world.

Her friends were less enthusiastic about him, with the exception of Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. Not that any of them were unfriendly, but Daiko could tell they had a harder time of trusting him. Pinkie seemed all too happy to help Daiko feel as part of the community, while Twilight seemed more interested in knowing about his species.

Not that Daiko minds that. It was pretty cool to explain more about what he knew about Saiyans, though he didn't like lying about his life there. He kept the details about his none exciting life on planet Vegeta on the downlow, making sure to keep his answer on that topic brief and easy to remember. Anything else about the planet, he gladly shared as that was just geek knowledge. Mostly when it came to specific questions, he just reused lines from the show. Like about how Saiyans could fight in heavy gravity, Twilight was utterly fascinated by it.

She in turn was good enough to answer any questions he had about their world, which he discovered had an immense history. Twilight sort of became his tutor in all things that had to do with Equestria. Funny enough, he had also found a bond with her assistant/adoptive brother, Spike. The two liked comic books, and had a few other general interests.

Pinkie was of course very positive, as Daiko quickly learned. She was very supportive of Fluttershy and Daiko, even going so far as to call herself for Auntie Pie. Other than that, she was always a laugh to be around, and she often made him forget about the fact he was no longer human, he was in another world, and he had to turn his whole image around.

Applejack was the first out of Fluttershy's friends to forgive and forget. Largely it was because she could see how hard Daiko was working, seeing him doing his best to make amends with the ponies around him. Another part of it was her friendship with Fluttershy, like Pinkie Pie, Applejack wanted to support her friend. If that meant letting go of her own doubts, then she would take that chance. She even got him a pie once!

Rarity quickly followed. She was very generous, and offered to get him some new and more practical clothes. She wasn't a fan of his Saiyan armor, and Daiko remembered what Granny Smith had told him. He agreed to have some outfits made, but he needed something specific. While Rarity rather wanted to come up with the designs and colors herself, she gracefully relented, though only if she could design some formal wear too! Daiko agreed, though sadly it would take time to make, so for now he was stuck in his jumpsuit and armor.

The last one to come around was Rainbow Dash. She had been stuck in hospital because the stubborn mare refused to rest while she was healing from when he was in his great ape form. That had earned him several red flags in Rainbow's book, as she was blaming him for all of this. Though she did find a love for some sort of book, Daiko couldn't remember which.

When she was finally released she had missed a lot of what had been going on. Ponyville was pretty much back to normal, and when Rainbow found out it was in part thanks to Daiko's effort, she felt somewhat miffed about it. Then she learned about the fact that he could FLY! Somehow Rainbow Dash had missed that detail, but then again, she had been in the hospital.

This did more than catch her attention, not to mention interest. While she did not doubt who was the best flyer, she was curious to see what this new flyer could do.

Daiko stood from the breakfast table, taking his plate with him as he did so. "Thank you for the food!" He called, hurrying into the kitchen.

Fluttershy looked after him, smiling warmly. Daiko had gotten more used to life here, and he even seemed to have become comfortable with all the animals around. Today was Sunday, so everypony was taking the day off, which meant he was free to do whatever he wanted. Normally he helped out with the animals before he went out, but Fluttershy had told him he didn't need to today.

He was a bit hesitant at first, showing how considerate he was. Fluttershy was proud of his efforts, knowing in her heart he was a good colt. Angel Bunny was still not a fan, but at least he had stopped trying to ambush Daiko. "Where are you going, Daiko?"

The boy returned, having washed his plate in the kitchen. "Promised Apple Bloom and her friends that I would help with the roof today."

Fluttershy was about to ask what he meant, but then remembered what he had told her about the former treehouse. Almost everyday after working on repairing Ponyville, Daiko had left for Sweet Apple Acres to help with setting up a new clubhouse for the three fillies. Applejack had told her he was doing a good job, and it helped a lot that he could fly, making it far less dangerous for the cutie mark crusaders.

"Okay," Fluttershy replied, waving goodbye with her hoof. "Just be careful."

"I will!" He ran to the door, slid his armor down onto his torso. He still felt naked without it, plus, he still thought it was cool. Before he left, Daiko turned around and waved to Fluttershy. "I'm off, see you later!"

With his goodbyes out of the way, and the day ahead of him, Daiko opened the door and hurried outside, getting ready to fly off. He'd barely closed the door and ran two meters from the cottage, before a sudden blue figure appeared several meters from him. Daiko stopped in his tracks, looking at the cyan colored figure.

"Miss Rainbow Dash?" Daiko asked, recognizing her, even if he hadn't seen her much. As far as he knew, she was still angry at him, blaming him for her resting period in the hospital. "Uhm, Fluttershy is inside if you need to talk with her?"

She narrowed her eyes, looking straight at him. Daiko wasn't really sure about what to do, so he just started to move away. Before he took three steps though, Rainbow spoke. "Is it true you can fly?"

Daiko stopped, looking back at the Pegasus. He certainly wasn't expecting that question, and for a moment he doubted if he had heard her right. "What?"

"Can you fly or not?"

"Uhm, well, yes, I can fly."

Suddenly she moved towards him, but Daiko stood still, making no move to brace himself for combat. While he didn't know her well, she was Fluttershy's oldest friend, so he trusted she would not try anything. The mare moved around him, seeming to be looking for something.

"That can't be true," Rainbow then said. "You have no wings!" She had stopped in front of him, almost getting in his face when she said it, almost accusingly.

"I'm not using wings."

"Clearly."

"I'm using my Ki."

Rainbow frowned, looking rather confused. "Your what?"

Daiko took a step back, placing his hand over his heart. "My Ki. It is this spiritual energy that comes from within."

"Like magic?" Rainbow asked, sounding even more confused.

"No!" If there was one thing you do not say to a Dragon Ball fan, it is that Ki is magic. "Ki is made up of vigor, courage, and being in one's true mind. It is the natural lifeforce energy."

Rainbow just stared at him for a few seconds, then rolled her eyes. "Sounds like magic to me, but whatever! Here's the thing though, if you can fly, then show me."

At this point, Daiko had gotten slightly annoyed by her. He had a promise he needed to keep, and he didn't want to be late. Though a small demonstration would not hurt, hopefully she would let him fly off afterwards. Using his Ki to fly had become second nature to him, only after doing it a whole day did he feel fatigued. So with little to no effort, Daiko started to levitate off the ground, move up a few meters, and then came to a stop.

"Will this do?"

Rainbow simply stared at him, looking either outraged or shocked, perhaps both. Narrowing her eyes, she pointed up at him. "Fine! You can fly, I'll give you that. So, race me!"

"Race you?"

"You heard me!"

"That seems... Incredibly unfair.." Even though Daiko had gotten better at flying, not to mention faster, he had heard enough about Rainbow Dash to know she was much faster than him. "Listen, that sounds fun, but I need to get going. I promised to help with something, so.. Well.. Bye."

He flew away, surprising Rainbow Dash as he wasn't as slow as she had expected. Clearly he was a real flyer, and not just because he could lift himself off ground, but the way he moved, and how easily he cut through the air. He was maneuverable and was moving with little effort. This only increased Rainbow's curiosity, and she set off after him with a hard determination.

Didn't take long for the fastest flyer in Equestria to get closer to Daiko. Looking back, Daiko frowned, moved closer to the ground, hoping to lose her. She followed him of course.

"Dammit!" Daiko made for the trees, moving in between them.

(BGM)

Rainbow was faster though, and the trees did little to nothing to slow her down. Before he knew it, he could feel that she was gaining on him. Grinding his teeth, Daiko sped up, trying to go deeper into the forest, trying to get himself lost within the trees.

It worked, or at least he thought. Despite not being able to see her, he could still hear her. If he could see her, he would be able to see a small grin appearing on her face, the same grin that was slowly spreading on his own face.

They moved through the forest for a few minutes, until they moved across a large grass field. Looking back, Daiko noticed Rainbow exit the trees, turn, and then set off after him with a new burst of speed. Digging deep, Daiko pushed himself harder, trying to gain as much speed as he could.

His heart pumped fast with excitement, while it wasn't combat, it was still pushing his limits. Looking above him, he decided he'd try to lose the mare in the clouds. He guided himself up, rising higher and higher than he had ever gone before. When ponies looked up, they would see a blue trail of energy closely followed by Rainbow's own trail.

Rainbow was gaining on him. Ten meters, eight meters, six meters, soon she would be able to touch him. Daiko let out a scream, not in anger or freight, but in pushing himself beyond the limit, until suddenly, he had no more to give. He suddenly came to a stop, his body becoming limp.

Everything was becoming dark, Daiko's eyes slowly closed as he had no more energy to use. Rainbow was surprised by the sudden stop, so much so that she did not manage to stop in time, but passed the boy and moved higher up than him. At first she thought it was a trick, but as she turned to look at him, she noticed that he was falling.

She'd seen enough Pegasi passing out mid flight to recognize the signs instantly. The way he was falling was not controlled, too chaotic, and his limbs were not in any position that allowed him to regain that control. Rainbow dived for the Saiyan, moving like a bullet until she finally reached him.

Reaching around Daiko, she spread her wings far, letting them guide her and Daiko into a controlled landing. It wasn't as elegant as Rainbow had hoped, Daiko was heavier than she had counted on, and so she landed with a bit too much speed than she had predicted.

They slid across the grass field, thankfully without any of them getting hurt. The thick grass kept them from getting any scrapes or bruises. Rainbow laid in the grass, panting, but then quickly got over it and turned to the still passed out Daiko.

"Oh, darn! Daiko?" She moved right next to him, looking down at the still passed out boy. "Come on buddy, talk to me." Rainbow shook him a little, trying to get him to come around. "Please be alright, Fluttershy will kill me if something happens to you!"

Slowly, Daiko's eyes opened, and Rainbow let out a relieved sigh. "Oh hey.." Daiko said, his voice low. "You're pretty fast.."

Rainbow snorted, a mix between laughter and disbelief. "Y-yes.. You too.. Are you okay there, kid?"

Daiko nodded. "Mhmm.. Just, really tired.." And with that, he closed his eyes.

"Oh, horse apples.."

When Daiko finally came around, he was greeted with the sight of Fluttershy's room. "Hmm, what..?" There wasn't anyone in here with him, he was just laying in her bed. His armor was on a chair, along with his scouter and boots. Other than that, Daiko still wore his jumpsuit.

"How did I get back..?"

Then he remembered. Rainbow Dash and him had been flying to catch up, and Daiko had pushed himself so hard that he could no longer draw Ki out to keep him in the air. He'd simply passed out from exhaustion. Rainbow must have saved him from a nasty fall, that was the only explanation to why he was not broken beyond repair.

As he sat up in bed, Daiko could hear voices from downstairs. He couldn't hear what exactly was being said, but it sounded like an argument of some kind. As soon as he opened the door to the stairs, he heard Fluttershy's angry voice. Which surprised Daiko, he'd never seen Fluttershy angry before, nor could he imagine her so.

Making his way down, he heard more of the one sided conversation, and what he quickly figured out was that Fluttershy was scolding someone.

"I just don't understand what made you think it was okay?!" Said Fluttershy, sounding both frustrated and disappointed.

Then a second voice responded. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean for it to get out of hoof.."

Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy, the shy and timid pony was scolding none other than Rainbow Dash? Moving down the bottom of the stairs, Daiko kept himself out of sight, leaning against the wall and listened in.

"Listen, sugarcube." A third voice continued. "He might be an alien, but he's still just a colt."

Daiko knew the voice, it was Applejack. Had she just called him a kid? Then he remembered, he was just a kid, only ten years old. Daiko had completely forgotten about that fact, he hadn't allowed himself to be a kid for some time, so he'd just grown up faster than he realized. The thought made him sad, and for a moment, he thought about going for a walk to clear his mind, but the conversation caught his attention again.

"I know, I know!" Rainbow responded. "It was stupid, and I shouldn't have done it! I was just.. Caught up in the moment.. He's a good flyer, and.. Well.."

Before the discussion could continue, Daiko decided to join in, walking into the room. He was surprised when he saw not only Fluttershy and her two friends, but all of them. Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity were also in the room. All of them looked at him, but it was Fluttershy who quickly made her way to him, embracing him harder than he had imagined.

"Daiko! Are you okay?" She started to examine every inch of him, as if he had gotten new injuries from resting in bed.

"Eh, I'm fine!" Daiko promised, feeling his face heat up a bit in embarrassment of being fussed over.

Once she had made extra sure that he was alright, Fluttershy hugged him again. "I was so worried when Rainbow brought you back!"

Daiko felt a pang of guilt, after all, he had decided to push himself. He could've just gone to meet Apple Bloom and her friends, then Rainbow would have probably given them space. Moving his arms around the pony, Daiko hugged her back. "I'm sorry.. Didn't mean to scare you like that.." He apologized, feeling a little conflicted. He'd never gotten this kind of attention back in his own world. It had been a long time since anyone worried about him.

When they parted, Daiko looked at Rainbow Dash, who looked slightly uncomfortable, but also relieved to see him up and about. She raised her hoof in greeting. "Hey, Daiko.. Sorry about before.."

Daiko just shook his head. "No, it's okay. I shouldn't have pushed myself the way I did.. Not so high up.. Uhm.. It was fun."

A smile appeared on Rainbow's face. "Yeah, it was."

Fluttershy placed a hoof on his shoulder, drawing his attention. "Daiko, that was really dangerous.."

Suddenly Twilight spoke up. "If Rainbow hadn't caught you, you might have died."

"Well.." Daiko looked to Fluttershy, then to Rainbow. "I don't think it's fair you blame her.. She was just following me, I was the one who went so high up." The room went quiet. "And other than that, no one was hurt.." He smiled at Rainbow, even grinning a little. "Besides, how will I get stronger if I don't push myself?"

Rainbow started to grin as well. "See! A kid after my own heart!"

It was quite the change in attitude, but thankfully the whole ordeal ended there. With no one hurt, and with Daiko not blaming Dash, things were pretty much settled. Although both Daiko and Rainbow had to promise not to do something so dangerous again.

Looking out the window, Daiko's eyes went wide. The sun hung low, casting the outside landscape in its orange lights. "Oh no! Is it already that late? I promised Apple Bloom that I would help out today!"

Applejack chuckled. "Don't you worry none. AB knows what happened, and she understands. She'll be happy to know ya right as rain again."

"Oh.. Well, alright then.. Tell her I'm sorry."

"I will, but not to worry, she'll understand." Then she stood up. "Well, I better get going."

"Yeah me too, I left Spike alone in the library." Twilight agreed.

"I should get back as well." Rarity nodded, then stopped herself, smiling as she turned around again. "Daiko, dear. I almost forgot, your clothes are ready!"

"They are?!"

Rarity giggled, levitating a large bag over to him. "Indeed they are. I made you enough for at least two weeks. I've seen how much you work, so I thought it would be best to give you plenty of clothes."

Daiko took the bag, then looked up at Rarity. "Wow, thank you so much, Rarity!"

"Oh, think nothing of it, darling. Why don't you go upstairs and change?"

Daiko looked to Fluttershy, who nodded, and so he hurried upstairs to do exactly that. He pulled out the clothing, smirking as he saw the familiar orange gi. He'd asked Rarity for a specific design, and she had done it perfectly. He'd even got a blue undershirt, blue wristbands, and shoes!

Quickly he changed, and he found they fitted him like a glove. He had plenty of room to move, and it was very comfortable to wear. Moving downstairs again, the ponies turned to him and smiled.

"Daiko, you look amazing!" Fluttershy smiled.

"I admit, it does look a lot better than I had imagined." Rarity agreed. "Do you like it?"

Daiko grinned, and answered. "I love it."

Chapter 9: Training Begins

It had been a full month since Daiko was accepted into Ponyville. Living with Fluttershy was great, she was sweet and kind, and very understanding. Angel was still a little jerk, but the little bunny could not hurt him, so instead the two simply tolerated each other.

Ponyville was a pretty nice town, and by now it had come back from the near destruction he had caused. Most ponies seemed to have figured out it was him by now, not that it was really that great a mystery. Daiko knew he still had some way to go before all ponies accepted him, but at least they were willing to give him a chance.

Helping rebuild the town had helped a lot, not to mention getting a new set of clothing. Daiko was very thankful to Rarity for making him his uniform. He had enough for at least two weeks, plus a more formal tux, not that he thought he was going to use it any time soon.

Twilight was still teaching Daiko about Equestria, he was a good student, even though so much of this was still so unknown to him. As for the rest of Fluttershy's friends, they warmed up to him more and more. Rainbow Dash was a good flying partner, who would teach him a few tricks now and again. She helped Daiko push himself, and little by little, Daiko could feel he was getting faster, and could fly for longer.

His relationship with the CMC had also grown. While he was still the strange alien of the group, the three fillies had warmed up to him a lot. Especially Apple Bloom. While their first meeting wasn't the best, the two had made up, and he had helped build a new treehouse. To the CMC, his debt was paid, and they could start over. They had a lot of fun asking him all sorts of questions, even trying his scouter.

With his debt paid, Ponyville restored, and everything sort of back to normal, Daiko found himself a little lost. What was he to do now?

Well, he wanted to pay Fluttershy back. She had given him a chance when most seemed unwilling to. She'd opened her home to him, given him a roof over his head, cared for him, and all around been a pony he found he could trust. He wanted to pay her back, somehow.

He also needed to get stronger, while he wasn't a weakling by any standard, he used his scouter to find out the only pony stronger than him was Applejack's brother, Big Mac. With an impressive power level of 90, Daiko found himself wanting to surpass the stallion. Not because he wanted to beat him, or for any other real reason, he just didn't like the idea of him being weaker than anyone. Maybe it was his newfound Saiyan pride? Or maybe it was just good old human pride?

Daiko didn't know, and neither did he care. However, Mac had sparked an idea within the young Saiyan. An idea that would kill three birds with one stone!

First, while ponies had accepted his presence, he could tell they were still a bit unsure, maybe even a little scared still. He could not fault them for it, it was only natural. So he needed to improve his image! This idea would help with that!

Second, he wanted to pay Fluttershy back. She had been so kind to him, and while he did whatever chore she dared ask him to do, he wanted to do more. This idea would make sure they had a little extra income, and Fluttershy would not need to worry about money.

Lastly, it would help him get stronger. First things first though, he needed Twilight's help with an important detail! He was already strong of course, and therefore he needed to push past his limits, just like Rainbow had done when they raced.

So when out on an errand, Daiko decided to visit Twilight at her home.

Golden Oaks Library was a massive tree. The library itself was inside the tree, carved from the inside, or magically grown to be like this. Whatever the case, Daiko found it kind of bad ass. He stepped up to the door, and knocked.

He only had to wait a few seconds, before the door opened, and he came face to face with a purple dragon. "Oh, hey Daiko!" Spike seemed to light up as he saw who it was

"Hey there, Spike." Spike was likely Daiko's first real friend in Equestria. Now that Fluttershy wasn't his friend, but their bond had started out as her becoming his guardian, while he and Spike had bonded over comics.

"Did you already finish the comic I lent you?"

"No, not yet. I'm actually here to see if Twilight is home."

Spike nodded. "Oh yeah, she's upstairs. Come Inside and I'll get her for you."

"Thanks, Spike."

The two went inside the library, with Spike soon going up the stairs to get Twilight. Daiko just looked around, he'd been here plenty of times before when he was doing lessons with Twilight, but no matter how many times he'd been here, he always found the place pretty awesome.

"Daiko!" Twilight exclaimed from the stairs, having been brought by Spike. "I don't think we have any lessons planned today?"

Daiko smiled, shaking his head. "We don't, I just came to ask a favor."

"A favor?" She repeated while descending the stairs. "What kind of favor?"

Daiko took off his wrist and ankle bands, and placed them on a table. Next he took off his blue undershirt from his Gi, and put it next to the other items. "I wanted to know if you could enchant these things."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, it really depends on what kind of enchantment."

"I don't think it is too complicated, but you would know that better than me." He gestured to them. "Can you make them heavier?"

"What?"

"I want them to be heavier, but still act like normal fabric." He started to explain the purpose of it, reminding her of what he told her about his species. "You see like this, I can become stronger. My body will have to work harder, and I will have to push myself further than ever before."

Twilight recalled the many conversations they had, and Daiko's explanation about the saiyan race. This would not only make him stronger, but give her an opportunity to learn more about his species.

"Alright, let's do it!"

Daiko grinned, pumping his fist into the air. "Awesome!"

And so Twilight helped him, and Daiko was very happy, and that much heavier. Thankfully it was something he could handle, but heavy enough that he could feel he needed to put some extra effort into his movements. He thanked Twilight for her help, and made his way around Ponyville. He had a few errands he needed to run before his new training schedule could begin. One of these errands included Sweet Apple Acres.

The next morning came ridiculously early for Daiko, who hoped to become stronger, and at the same time help Fluttershy. Even before the rooster's first call, Daiko had gotten up at 04:00 AM to go out and start his day.

Having taken inspiration from the series yet again, Daiko had decided to train in the ways of the turtle hermit. Having woken up early, Daiko yawned as he put on his uniform and snuck out of the house. Fluttershy would not like him going out this early, but he was sure she would understand once he explained it to her.

First things first, he got out of the house, and decided to run towards Ponyville. With the enchanted shirt and bands, Daiko quickly felt himself tire faster. Still, he pressed on, no matter how hard and fast his heart was beating, or how much sweat was running down his body.

Neither the anime or Manga could convey how hard this was, Daiko had barely gotten halfway to town before he felt like quitting. This was pure torture, and Daiko wasn't even in bad shape. Some part of his mind told him to take a break, but his ego wouldn't let him do it. He was now a Saiyan, and if he wanted to get stronger, he had to push himself beyond his own limits!

It took Daiko about half an hour to get to town, and to the local grocer. After his visit to Twilight, Daiko had approached the owner and asked if he could get a job as a delivery boy, even telling him he would handle two delivery routes instead of just one. The owner had been skeptical, but having heard about Daiko, he decided to give him a shot.

"Alright, two milk crates.." The stallion said, yawning a bit. "Hm? Did you run here?" He asked after seeing Daiko panting and sweating.

"Y-yeah.. Phew.."

"I thought you could fly?"

Daiko nodded. "I can, but I'm training to become... Stronger.." he said in between pants. "Anyway, hergh!" He lifted the two stacked boxes up, and smiled at the stallion.

"Uhm, okay. Just remember the milk had to be delivered before breakfast time."

Daiko gave a firm nod. "Yes sir! You can count on me!" With a determined look in his eye, Daiko started running again, though this time grunting a bit more than before thanks to the added weight.

Normally this route would be nice and easy, taken on a cart, and delivered by a set route that followed the roads and paths. Daiko however took the most inconvenient paths, and routes, doing his best to push his body to its maximum!

He zig zagged between trees to test agility, then struggled up stairs and hills to test endurance! He crossed the river on a fallen log to challenge his balance, only to walk through the streaming river on his way back. The training was hard, and would only get harder, but as any warrior knows, it's important to keep moving!

He'd done it!

Daiko had delivered all the bottles to the houses on his route, and before breakfast time too. If he was being honest, he had not thought he could do it, but here he was. He was laying on the grass panting, feeling like his heart was gonna jump out of his chest at any time.

He felt tired, exhausted, and spent, but also proud of himself.

Sadly though, there was no time to lay around, there was still lots to do. His little milk delivery had only been early morning exercise, and now it was time for midmorning exercise!

Standing back up, allowing himself to catch his breath, he soon moved on to his next destination. He took the boxes with him, that way he could give them back to the grocer by the day's end. First however, he hurried down to Sweet Apple Acres!

Didn't take him long, he knew the route by heart now. Just like with the grocer, Daiko had arranged this part of the training with the Apple family beforehand. Well, with Big Mac anyway.

It didn't take Daiko long to find him. Mac stood by the barn exactly as he had told Daiko he would do. He looked calm, chewing on a straw when he noticed Daiko approach him. "Morning.. Didn't know if you were gonna show up."

"Hehe.. Honestly, I didn't know either. Thank you for letting me do this."

Mac inclined his head. "Eeyup."

Without another word exchanged, Mac took Daiko to the field that needed work. While the Apples did own an Apple Orchard, they did grow other things. It gave them the food they needed, and helped them sell more on the side for some extra income. Of course, more fields and more plants meant more work, so Mac was interested in getting a helping hoof, ergh, hand, if he could.

"This is the field?"

"Eeyup." Mac looked down at Daiko, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Daiko shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Mac nodded, and told him the field needed to be plowed, and he would come and check on his progress when he had taken care of a few chores. Daiko nodded, and told Mac not to worry. When the stallion left, Daiko got himself ready. In the anime and manga, Goku had plowed fields by only using his hands. So that was exactly what Daiko was planning to do here!

Getting himself ready, he dug his fingers into the dirt, and started to dig. Like a machine he moved backwards, throwing the dirt up and to the side, plowing the field with his bare hands. The ordeal was hard, and it didn't take long before his hands started to hurt.

While his hands quickly became sore and got this tingly sensation, they did not bleed or get wounds. His skin was tougher than what he first thought, and he didn't lose any nails either. Probably thanks to his new Saiyan body, another bonus that helped him move forward at a faster pace!

Like a machine he moved through the dirt, never giving himself the chance to stop, or take a break. He dug through the dirt, moving with purpose back and forth on the field, digging and digging until Mac finally returned.

Once the stallion did return, he for the first time looked like he had been surprised. His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open, so much so that he lost the straw he had been chewing on. Daiko had managed a lot, but there was still a lot to do on other farms.

Mac moved over to the boy, and let out an impressive whistle. "You work like a real farmer.."

Daiko grinned, panting as he leaned against a rock. "T.. Thank you.."

"Now how about you come back to the farm with me, and we get some food in ya?"

By the mere mention of food, the young Saiyan stood up straight, and his mouth started to water. "F.. Food?"

Mac chuckled, then waved him along. "This way."

For farmers like the Apple family, they were used to gaining a large appetite from doing hard work. It was simply part of life out on the farm. But none of them had ever eaten with a Saiyan before, none of them could compare to the amount of food they craved after battle or training.

They watched in bemusement as mountains of flapjacks vanished before their eyes, milk, bread, eggs, apples!

Thankfully they were used to serving a lot of food, so this was not a problem for the apple family, but it was still surprising. Granny grinned. "Looks like you have found a rival here, Applejack."

Applejack wasn't gonna argue with that. "I'll say.."

"Ohm num num!" Daiko had never thought he'd be so hungry in his life, and it felt so good to eat his fill after the morning he had.

Another voice joined in the mix, a filly's voice. "Mm.. Morning.."

"Morning Apple Bloom!" Daiko called, waving at her before he ate another apple.

"Wha? D-Daiko? What are you doing here?"

"Ya friend here has plowed the field for us." Applejack replied.

"What? The entire field?!" The filly asked in disbelief.

"Eeyup."

Apple Bloom looked at Daiko, who was still stuffing his face, in a mix of awe and disbelief. Still, if her siblings told her he'd done it, then he'd done it. She moved closer to the table, and found a seat for herself. Granny brought her a plate with pancakes, and Apple Bloom instantly broke out in a smile.

"Thank you, Granny!"

The rest of the breakfast was pretty peaceful. Daiko talked with the Apple family, and learned more about their family history. It was pretty interesting, he had no idea they had basically founded the town. Suddenly Apple Bloom looked over at him, and asked.

"Daiko?"

"Hm?"

"How come you train so hard?"

"Oh." Daiko stopped eating, and kept his attention on the filly. "Well, I do it for lots of reasons.. I want to get stronger, that's one.. But really, I want to help Fluttershy."

"Help her?" Applejack questioned.

Daiko scratched the back of his head. "Well, maybe not help, more like, pay her back.." He blushed a little. "She was the one who took me in, and she has been so kind and helpful. I feel like I owe her a lot, even though she would never ask anything in return."

Mac nodded in agreement. "Eeyup."

"I know she worries about me." Daiko continued. "She's worried I won't make any friends, or that I will become an outcast.. So this will also help ponies warm up to me." He felt a little embarrassed after giving them such a speech, but it was nonetheless true.

"Good on you, sonny!" Granny smiled.

The others agreed, but before they could continue, Daiko noticed the time. "I better go, I have lessons with Twilight." He stood from the table, and made his way to the door. Before he left though, he turned to face the ponies. "Thank you for the food, it was delicious."

"Anytime, sugarcube." Applejack smiled.

"Eeyup."

"See you later, Daiko!"

"Work hard, sonny!"

12:30 PM.

After breakfast, Daiko made his way over to Golden Oaks Library.

Here he would have lessons until lunch time, which was also a good way to let his body recover, but keep his mind sharp. It was pretty boring at times, but also really interesting at others. Spike was pretty helpful when he could not understand what Twilight meant, as she had a habit of going into very insane detailed explanations. Still, he felt it was time well spent.

Once the lessons were over, he ate lunch with Spike, after which, Daiko went to find a place to nap. Work hard, study well, and eat and sleep plenty. That's the turtle hermit way to learn!

Laying under a tree, feeling the gentle breeze of the wind, and watching the clouds pass by up above, it was the perfect spot for him to sleep. His body was tired, and his mind was exhausted, so it didn't take him long for his eyes to get heavy, until they finally closed.

"zzzzZZZZzzz...ZZZzzzZZZZzzzz...."

Following his training program, Daiko got up an hour later. Even though he would have liked to have kept sleeping. Forcing himself to get going, Daiko first delivered the milk crates back to the grocer, and then hurried over to a construction site.

It took some convincing, but after a while, he managed to talk the pony in charge to let him work. Like with the grocer, he had heard about Daiko, and so was willing to give him a shot. Daiko wasn't going to disappoint him, and so got to work with his Saiyan pride pushing him farther than any other worker.

Daiko more than convinced the ponies he was worth having on their crew, and once he was done, he was promised a permanent spot whenever he wanted to work! And he got a nice chunk of Bits too!

Next up came the 10 laps!

Having flown around Ponyville so much, Daiko knew exactly where to find a lake that was big enough for his purpose. In the manga, Goku had to swim ten laps while trying to avoid a shark. There would be no sharks in a lake filled with this kind of water, so Daiko decided to do 15 laps instead. Hopefully that would make up for it.

After a whole day running, digging, and working, it felt so amazing to jump into the cool and clear water of the lake. While it was still hard work, Daiko quickly managed to swim from one side to the other. 15 laps later, and he was done.

Then came the last exercise.. The one he had been dreading..

A part of his mind had hoped there would be now wasps in this world, or at least nearby. Sadly, he found a place ideal for this next part of his training. Taking a rope with him, Daiko tied one end around his waist, and the other to the tree. Then he took a rock, looked up at the hive and gulped.

"This better work..."

He threw the rock, hitting close to the hive, but not directly. It was enough.. Soon a swarm of wasps came flying out, enraged that someone would dare attack them. Daiko, put up his hands, and did his best to dodge and block the wasps. Surprisingly, he managed to do it!

"Ow! OW!"

"Well, most of the time..

Dinnertime had arrived, and Daiko was finally done with his training for the day..

He was exhausted, and had several marks where he had been stung. Thankfully he had been more adapted than he had counted on, and so he got off easy. Slowly he made his way back to Fluttershy's cottage, and barely had he made it to the door, before it flew open and he was embraced by the yellow Pegasus!

"Daiko!"

"Ow!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Oh my gosh! Daiko, what has happened to you?!" She quickly ushered him inside.

"Fluttershy, I'm, whoa!"

He didn't get another word in before Fluttershy started to take off his Gi. "You need a shower, and we need to do something about those sting wounds."

"But Fluttershy, I-"

"No buts!" She retorted in a strangely firm tone. Gone was the shy pony he had been living with for the past month, she had gone into full on, well, full on mom mode.

Daiko wasn't sure if he should be happy, or feel uncomfortable about it. Before he could make that decision however, he suddenly found himself being forced into the bathroom, and told to get ready. Despite his reservations, Daiko did as she asked and got ready for a bath. Of course she gave him privacy, but when the tub was full, and there were enough soap bubbles to cover him, she came back inside.

She seemed much more calm now, if not a little worried. "Daiko, I found this bag full of Bits.. Where did you get them?"

He looked at her. Did she think he had stolen them? "I earned them, while out training."

"I heard.." She nodded. "I heard you have been all over the place, working different jobs all day. Daiko, if you need money, I'm sure I could-"

"No." This time it was Daiko who interrupted. "I don't need money, but I know how low on cash you are.. I just wanted to help you."

Fluttershy trotted over to him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "You should not have to worry about that, Daiko. We get by."

"I know, but, with these Bits, you won't have to worry about it for a while."

"Oh, Daiko.. I can't accep-"

"Yes you can." Daiko insisted. "They are yours.. And it is not enough to express how grateful I am.." He blushed again, letting himself sink further down so as to hide his face in the bubbles. "You've done so much for me.. So it's only fair.."

Fluttershy was surprised. "I didn't do it to get money.. I did it because I want to help you.."

Daiko sighed. "I know.. But.." He stopped himself, close to tell her about the life he had before he came here. The real life, not the made up one he had talked about for so long. "I guess I'm just not used to people doing things for me out of the goodness of their heart."

They were silent for the next few seconds. Then suddenly, Fluttershy leaned closer, wrapping her hooves around him. Daiko blushed, tensing slightly. "W-wha, what are you doing..?"

"It's okay.." She said gently. "You're not alone anymore.."

Daiko inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide. His heart seemed to beat faster, while his stomach tightened. It was like this small gesture, and those words had been something he had been wanting to hear for so long. He really had been alone for a while. Having lost his parents, and thrown into an uncaring foster family, Daiko had let himself grow up faster than most kids.

He closed his eyes tightly, feeling them water up a bit. Other than his escape into manga, he had not really allowed himself to be a kid for a very long time. Having sensed his distress, Fluttershy hugged him a little tighter, repeating herself.

"You're not alone anymore.."

Daiko didn't want her to see he was crying, but it didn't matter. Fluttershy already knew it, and gently stroked his black hair. None of them said anything for a while, but let the moment pass on its own accord. When it did, Daiko took a deep breath to compose himself, and Fluttershy let go of him.

"Now, how about you finish your bath, and I'll go down and start dinner?"

Daiko rubbed his eyes, then smiled back at her. "Yeah.. That sounds good.. Thank you.."

"You never have to thank me, Daiko.. You don't owe me anything." She smiled, turning to leave, but stopped at the door. "Daiko?"

"Mm?"

He looked over at her, and she smiled. "Welcome home.."

Author's Note

Chapter 10: The Kamehameha Wave

Another morning sun signaled the beginning of the day!

For most ponies, dawn was just about too early to get started. For our young Saiyan, dawn signaled more training!

Except, that is not where our story begins. While one got up to train, and others up for work, Apple Bloom slept in. She had her chores around Sweet Apple Acres, but none that required her to get up at the same time as her brother Big Mac, or her sister, Applejack.

This however, wasn't a normal day. Today was Saturday, which meant she could sleep in, and enjoy a well earned break from school. Apple Bloom wasn't sure about the time, but she felt herself slowly awaken. There was nothing better than that last bastion of sleep before you awoke, feeling your smooth sheets, the perfect mix between warm, and cold.

With a satisfied smile on her face, Apple Bloom slowly opened her eyes. It was still morning, but had it been a normal school day, class would have already started. Satisfied with her sleep, Apple Bloom hopped out of bed, and stretched her body, ready to begin the day.

She began her morning routine like she always did, making her bed, getting her pink bow, and making her way to the bathroom. She hummed a small tune as she cleaned up, and brushed her teeth, looking forward to good breakfast, and a day with her friends.

At the breakfast table, Granny Smith was preparing her breakfast, while at the same time cleaning up from the first breakfast she had to serve. Gee, after Daiko had joined them for breakfast, Granny had gotten a bit more work on her hooves. Funny enough, Granny didn't seem to mind, in fact, she seemed to enjoy cooking for him.

"Mornin', Apple Bloom!" The older mare greeted her.

"Morning', Granny!" Replied Apple Bloom in a chipper tone.

When she sat down, Granny put a big plate of pancakes in front of her. "Your Saiyan friend dropped by this morning, he's a mighty hard worker that one." Grinned Granny. "He has the Apple family appetite. Even more than Applejack!" She laughed, and got back to working on those dishes.

For the past month, Daiko had pretty much eaten breakfast with them each morning. He always looked tired, but he sure could eat a lot. At times it was like watching a magic trick as things vanished within an instant. Funnily enough, despite him being around a lot, Apple Bloom hadn't really talked to him since they finished rebuilding their treehouse.

Their time had been okay, even fun when he came around to help. The whole rebuilding had gone by in a flash, thanks to the help of Daiko, her friends, and older siblings. So, they really didn't have a lot of time to talk, like, real talk like she would with her friends. She wasn't really angry with him anymore, and he always greeted her with a friendly smile. She saw him around a lot, running, working, flying, and punching into the air.

The monkey boy sure was strange..

Perhaps it was time for her to find out more about him? She didn't have a reason not to, but then again, he had done what he said, and there wasn't really a reason to seek his company. Ergh! Why was she even thinking about him right now?! It was the weekend, and she had the whole day ahead of her, no reason to think about some monkey alien thing!

"Whew.."

Daiko wiped some sweat off his forehead, smiling as he did so. A month worth of training, and he could already feel it paying off. Around this time he would be at Golden Oaks library, and study with Twilight. However, during the weekends he had no jobs, other than milk delivery, or study sessions with Twilight. So this time was pretty much spent on working on his Ki control.

So far he had been able to do some simple Ki blasts, and destroy some rocks, and even a tree. He was careful not to overdo it, and made sure to take care not to lose control. However, for now he had two main goals. Learning how to sense Ki, that way he did not need to rely on his scouter, and of course Goku's signature attack, the Kamehameha wave!

To that end, he made sure to spend much of his free time to develop those abilities. So far there had been little success in achieving either of his goals, but he didn't give up. The more he practiced and explored his powers, the more he felt he was closer to figuring it out.

Standing in the river close to Sweet Apple Acres, Daiko had left his Gi folded up near one of the trees, standing only in his underpants. He'd not gone out far, but far enough that the water reached his hips. His tail was loose, floating behind him in the gentle current.

He had found that water relaxed him, and after a hard day of work, it felt good to swim and wash off the dirt and grime. He liked feeling the water move past his body, despite how weak the current was here. He faced against the current, taking in deep breaths, closing his eyes, and attempted to sense things around him.

It wasn't easy, as even in the manga, Goku had to go through a lot before he finally sensed energy for the first time. The best Daiko could do was to make an attempt, and hope he would understand this skill with time. Taking another deep breath, he moved his arms in front of him, his wrists almost touching, and his fingers stretched out as if holding a ball. Manipulating his Ki, he drew both his hands back to his right side, focusing more intensely.

"Ka.. Me.." He could feel it, the way his Ki was guided through his body, out in his arms and hands, gathering into one singular place outside his body. "Hame..." His body shook a little, sweat dripping from his forehead as he brought his hands in front of him again. "Ha!"

A bluish glow appeared, but it hardly took shape into something physical, but he could feel it. Sadly however, it didn't behave as he wanted, and the Ki blast barely existed for two seconds, vanishing before it had a chance to be. Daiko let out an annoyed groan, and lowered his hands once again.

"What are you doing?" A voice suddenly asked.

Daiko looked up, and turned his head towards the voice. It was Apple Bloom, standing near the river, with a puzzled expression. "Oh, morning, Apple Bloom."

It wasn't really morning anymore, Apple Bloom had been eating a late breakfast just an hour ago. "Hi." She replied, somewhat awkwardly.

She wasn't really sure why she had come down here. A part of her wanted to know what he was doing in the river, after all, she had seen him do this several times before. Another part of her, well, the other part she wasn't really sure about. While they were friends, kinda, she had barely seen him after they finished her new tree house. Part of her was disappointed about that, but she didn't like to admit it, not even to herself.

"So what are you doing in the river?"

"Oh, training." He simply answered.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. She'd already figured out that part, it was all he was doing, all the time! She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but for some reason, that annoyed her. It shouldn't really. Both of them had their separate lives, and she did start off by hating him, so why was she annoyed that he trained and spent so much time doing it??

Pushing her confusion aside, she sighed, and sat down. "How is standing in a river and moving your front legs around training?"

"Arms." Daiko corrected with a small smile, earning him a tiny smile back, and another eye roll from the filly. Daiko chuckled, moving towards her, and got out of the water. "I'm trying to learn this special and powerful Ki attack, but it is very hard to pull off."

"Ki?" Apple Bloom echoed. "That's what you call your magic, right?"

Daiko felt his right eye twitch. "No.. Ki isn't magic. It's energy you use on a daily basis, spiritual energy."

"Sounds like magic." Apple Bloom stated.

"It isn't magic! Ki cannot perform the kind of spells unicorns use." Daiko tried, but got a shrug from Apple Bloom.

"Then it is bad magic."

Daiko groaned, as he sat down, his tail wrapping around his hips as he did so. He could understand why Apple Bloom thought of Ki as magic, because Ki could be considered magical in nature. "I don't know a lot about how your magic works." Daiko admitted. "But, as far as I understand it, you cannot use spells, right?"

Apple Bloom gave a nod. "Right."

"Neither can I. I think the best way to explain it, is that everybody has Ki, and with training, one can learn how to manipulate it, Ki is also based on different things. Magic is more the energy outside your body, while Ki is tied to the physical and spiritual strength of a person." Daiko wished he could explain it better, but his head hurt just thinking about it.

"Hmm.." Mumbled Apple Bloom. "I think I get it. So, I could use Ki?"

"Well.." Daiko wasn't sure if he could answer that. In theory every living being could with enough training learn how to manipulate their Ki. Although he had no idea if Dragon Ball logic only applied to him, which meant only he could use Ki, or if it applied to everybody in this world. "Maybe, I mean, in theory yes, but I have no idea how it really works in the grand scheme of things."

Daiko didn't want to promise something he didn't know for sure, and so decided to play it safe for now, and not take a firm stance on any answer. Apple Bloom had a hint of disappointment, but didn't look displeased. Instead she watched him for a bit, finding his strange pale skin weird. He was unlike anything she had ever seen, he didn't have scales like Spike, no fur like them, or feathers like the griffons.

"So.." Apple Bloom said, almost absently as she moved one of her forehooves around in the dirt, making lines without real meaning to them. "What were you trying to do?"

"Trying to do a special Ki attack, a very powerful attack." Daiko said, feeling the wind hit his skin that made him shudder a little, so he stood up and started to put his orange Gi back on. "You have to manipulate your Ki in just the right way, or it doesn't work."

"But you can already do those blast attacks, right?" Apple Bloom asked.

Daiko nodded. "Yeah, but even they are not very powerful, and I think I'm wasting a lot of Ki."

"Why do you think that?"

Daiko shrugged. "I'm not sure, it just feels like I'm using more energy than needed."

Apple Bloom sat there for a moment, thinking about a solution. Then she smiled. "You know, maybe you should go see Twilight. She knows everything there is to know about magic, and she is really smart too. If anyone can help you figure this out, it's her!"

She did have a point, and Daiko had considered it before. Twilight was smart, very smart, so why not approach her about this? At worst she had no idea, but at best, she could help him improve his Ki control! There was nothing to lose! Daiko smiled and stood up. "You're right, Apple Bloom! I'll go see her right away!"

There was a brief flicker of something in Apple Bloom, Daiko didn't even notice it. She just nodded at him. "Good idea, you go, I'll have to meet my friends anyway."

Daiko chuckled, putting on the rest of his Gi, and tightened his blue belt. "Another crusader adventure?"

"Right."

"Well, have fun." Daiko smiled. "See you later, Apple Bloom!" And with that, Daiko leaped into the air, and flew off towards Ponyville.

Left was Apple Bloom, looking up at the sky, watching as Daiko vanished from sight. Once he did, she let out a sigh. "Boys.." She mumbled, feeling a ping of annoyance, even though he had done nothing wrong. Apple Bloom could not quite put her hoof on it, but Daiko just leaving like that didn't sit well with her. A part of him wanted him to come along, and hang out with her and her friends.

Well, there was nothing she could do about it, and it was no use feeling annoyed over something Daiko didn't do wrong. Instead, she decided to put it out of her mind, and go meet up with her friends.

There were days, Spike thought, when things could get real boring around the library. Twilight always had a habit of overdoing certain things, and he was used to it. However, at times Spike would very much like to do anything other than spend his days surrounded by books.

Today Twilight had him organize the library, AGAIN. One would think it was hard work, but really, most of the books were already placed exactly where they belonged, so mostly it was just a matter of checking everything was as Twilight wanted it. Granted, at times Twilight came up with a new system, or got new books she needed to fit into her old system, and so had to change everything. Today was not it, thankfully, but the task was still slow, and Spike wished he could do anything else than checking every book in the library.

A series of knocks caught Spike's attention. Seeing a chance to take a long needed break from the task at hand, Spike leapt to his feet, and hurried to the door. When it was opened, Spike came face to face with Daiko, and he smiled, happy to see his friend. "Hey, Daiko!"

"Hi, Spike!" Smiled at the Saiyan boy. "Is Twilight here?"

Spike nodded. "Yes, she is organizing the books down in the basement. Come in!"

"Thanks," Daiko replied, moving past the door. "This place has a basement?"

Spike nodded. "Oh yeah, but Twilight uses it as an archive. So, what do you need Twilight for?"

Daiko began his explanation, telling Spike about his Ki, and how he thought he was wasting a lot of it when using it. Spike did not really understand Ki, or magic, but he had a basic understanding thanks to living with Twilight for his whole life. After listening to Daiko's problem, Spike smiled and patted him on the side. "Don't you worry, if anypony can help you, it's Twilight. I'll go get her for you."

"Thanks Spike."

Spike vanished down a staircase, and only a few seconds later, he returned with a chipper looking Twilight. "Daiko! What a pleasant surprise, what can I do for you?"

It took some time to really explain everything, but Twilight didn't mind, she was taking notes upon notes of what Daiko described. She was utterly fascinated by his explanations, as she often was, and asked a lot of follow-up questions. At times she would ask him to repeat himself, or stop for a moment while she took a side note, or drew herself something to help her vision it. Once the explanation was over, Twilight put down quill and paper, and let out a thoughtful sigh.

"Well, it is an interesting case.. Magic and Ki.. They are so similar, and yet they are so different." Twilight stated, thanking Spike as he came over with a tray with some tea and cookies.

"Well, how does magic work?" Daiko then asked, and Twilight smiled, seeming all too willing to launch into a long and complicated explanation.

However, a look from Spike, and she decided to shorten her presentation. "Well, Daiko. Magic draws power from the mana around us. We unicorns are born with the unique ability to tab into the mana around us, and thus perform spells. Every pony of course has.." She paused, taking a moment to come up with the right word. "Let's say basic baseline, or potential, to tab into the mana around us. It's how we pick up things with our hooves for example." She smiled. "However, unicorns have a stronger potential to tab into the mana, thus why we can control it in ways Earth ponies and Pegasi cannot." She gestured to her horn.

Daiko nodded, thinking of her horn as a sort of radio tower, being able to pick up radio waves far better than a simple radio at home. "But, some unicorns are better at magic than others, right?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, indeed! You see, while we are all born with the same potential, it takes a lot of practice to perform certain spells. You can see it as a sort of muscle, the more you use it, the easier it will become to tab into the mana, and thus perform more powerful spells. It does take a lot of brain power of course, it is not as simple as some might believe. It takes a lot of focus."

Daiko had to admit, this was very interesting. He could see how Ki and magic could be confused so easily. Seeming to have been reading his thoughts, Twilight continued with a smile. "Ki has similarities it seems. Although, I'm not an expert on it like I am with magic, or princess Celestia." She chuckled. "Your Ki seems to be a spiritual potential within yourself, that you draw directly from within, like a well."

Daiko nodded, thinking the exact same thing. "That's exactly what it is. But, magic seems so similar."

Twilight nodded. "It's very fascinating, isn't it?" She said, almost jumping in her seat of pure excitement. "However, while close, they do have key differences. I would say, you can almost call them siblings, as they are close, but still branch out differently."

"Twilight," Spike then said. "Daiko says he feels his energy is wasted."

"Oh?" Twilight turned to Daiko. "Oh yes, that's right! Sorry, Daiko."

Daiko nodded, remembering why he had come in the first place. He'd just been so captivated by the discussion he had forgotten to return to the subject at hand. Thankfully Spike was there to remind them both to remember the overall point of this discussion. Daiko had a feeling Spike was used to doing that.

"No worries." Daiko assured her. "But yes.. I feel like I'm wasting a lot of energy when performing a certain Ki attack."

Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. "Well.. Maybe.." Using her magic, Twilight made a blackboard slide over from a corner, and the crayons moved around, drawing a unicorn. "I can't say if this is what happens to you, but." The crayons drew lines from the unicorn's horn, spreading out wide. Between the two lines, she wrote, magic. Below the first unicorn, she drew a second, and this time drew a line that was closer together, almost parallel.

"Sometimes when unicorns use magic, they have a wide range like this, needlessly spending a lot of mental energy to maybe do one thing." Twilight explained, then pointed to the second unicorn, who looked suspiciously similar to Twilight herself. "While the best way is to focus your magic, almost like a tight beam, thus making your magic much stronger, as it is focused better, and you don't waste energy."

She turned and looked at Daiko, who looked focused, yet slightly confused. "Think of it as being a garden hose, with the water being your Ki. When you use it normally the water comes out in a thick and unfocused way, right?" Daiko nodded, thinking he knew where she was going with this. "But if you close the tip a little, the water starts to come out harder, and faster."

"So," Daiko started, thinking about what she had told him. "You are saying I should close off my Ki more?"

"Well, I can't tell you that. Your Ki works differently than magic, but what I am saying is that it sounds like you are putting a lot of needless energy into your Ki attacks." Twilight kinda had mixed feelings about talking about energy attacks that were intended to harm living beings, not exactly what a kid should be learning. However, Daiko seemed responsible, and he was no normal foal, or a foal at all. "So maybe try to focus your Ki more, and then you might not waste so much when you do it."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right to me.."

"If you like we can discuss it some more. Although, maybe that should wait until tomorrow?" Twilight glanced up at the clock on the wall, and Daiko did so too. It was late afternoon, Daiko hadn't even noticed how long he'd been here.

"Oh, yeah right. Thanks again, Twilight." Daiko said and stood up. "See you later, Spike."

Spike smiled, held up a fist, and Daiko gave it a bump with his own. "Later, Daiko!"

They said their goodbyes, and Daiko was once again off. He flew high up, and made his way towards Fluttershy's cottage. As he flew, he thought about ways he could try and improve his Ki focus. Maybe that was why he couldn't control the Kamehameha wave, his lack of Ki focus. He'd have to try tomorrow, and perhaps get some input from Twilight again.

Before Daiko could think more about it, a red light suddenly shot past him, and he stopped. Looking up, he saw the red light vanish into nothing, as if it was nothing by air. Frowning, Daiko looked down to see if anyone had taken a shot at him. To his surprise though, not only did he spot the pony who had shot at him, but the pony was waving at him, frantically by the looks of it. There were two of them, and Daiko thought he recognized them. When he descended, he was sure of it.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were waving at him, jumping around and did everything they could to get his attention. It was odd not to see Apple Bloom among them, and at first, he thought they were doing this as a joke. However the closer he got, the more he got the sense that this wasn't some prank, or a request to hang out.

"Daiko! Daiko hurry!" Sweetie Belle yelled.

Seeing the distress in their eyes, Daiko stopped himself from floating, and let himself drop the last few meters to the ground. "Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, what is going on?"

"It's Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo replied, looking close to panicking. "We were looking for gems, then Diamond dogs came out of nowhere and chased us!" Scootaloo began, talking very fast, almost yelling.

Daiko's eyes widened. "What?! Where is Apple Bloom!"

"They took her!" Sweetie Belle wailed, looking like she was on the verge of breaking down.

"We wanted to go back and get her!" Added Scootaloo in a hurry. "But there are too many of them, and we were being chased too!"

"Right, okay.." Daiko thought for a bit, but quickly made up his mind. "Go to Twilight, she'll know what to do." He said, starting to rise in the air once more.

"What are you gonna do?!" Asked Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in unison.

"I'm going ahead, see if I can do something now. Just point me in the right direction." The two fillies pointed in the direction of the small mountains, and cliff range. Daiko frowned, knowing it would take time to search it all for these thugs, and Apple Bloom. "Alright, I'm heading off, you two, get a hold of Twilight." And without another word, Daiko blasted off!

Towards Fluttershy's cottage.

Today had been so nice, the sun was shining, all the animals seemed to be in a good mood, and Fluttershy felt so relaxed. As of now, she was sitting in front of her cottage, enjoying the summer air, listening to the birds and the gentle breeze moving through the trees. Letting out a content sigh, she took another sip of her tea, savoring the flavor, and returned to her book.

Swoooosh-Thump~!

Suddenly, Daiko landed right next to her, and she jerked in her chair, letting out a yelp. "D-Daiko?"

"No time to explain!" He called as he ran inside the cottage, making Fluttershy frown. She was just about to get up and follow him, but Daiko had already returned, putting his scouter on. "Apple Bloom is in trouble, got to save her from Diamond Dogs, see ya later!" He said this very fast, and before Fluttershy could even register it all, Daiko had taken off once more.

After a few seconds, the words finally seemed to hit home. Slowly Fluttershy's eyes widened as she understood what Daiko had just said. "Oh dear!" She had to get help from the others!

As Daiko flew through the sky, high above the trees, and heading towards the mountains, he clicked his scouter. "Come on, come on.." Mumbled Daiko as the scouter started scanning the area. Numbers passed, and it seemed to take its sweet time! Then again, he couldn't be sure of the power level of these Diamond Dogs, but he assumed they were fairly strong. Hence why he had said the power level range was a little higher than the average pony.

The scouter picked up something alright, certain animal types in the forest, but it wasn't what Daiko was looking for. Thankfully, the scouter could eliminate certain power levels if Daiko wished it, thus making the scanning more precise, at least until he came across the same animal again.

Though the closer he got, the more the scouter lost power levels to scan, which should make a group of thugs stand out more. Then he stopped, thinking that Apple Bloom's power level might be lost in the scan. If he could find hers, along with a bunch of strong ones, then maybe... He clicked his scouter, setting the new parameters.

"Come on then.." He mumbled, slightly frustrated, and the scouter started once again. Slowly he moved his head, looking across the many rocky hills, and small mountains, and cliffs. Suddenly, the scouter started beeping as it got something. Daiko looked in the direction it had pointed out, allowing the scouter to narrow it down further, and come with a location, and the power levels.

"Yes!"

Without further thought, Daiko blasted off in the direction his scouter had pointed out. As he moved through the air, he could feel his heart beating in his chest. Despite his worry for Apple Bloom, if not down right anger that she was in danger, Daiko felt a certain rush of excitement. The prospect of a fight pumped adrenaline through his body, and he had to actively stop himself from smiling.

"Put her in the cage!" A large beastly Diamond Dog told the others in his pack.

Another one, a bit smaller than the first, held the struggling Apple Bloom, and led her to an oversized bird cage. "Sure thing, boss!" The dog replied, and almost tossed the young filly inside and closed the bared hatch behind her.

Quickly scrambling to her hooves, Apple Bloom tried to push the hatch open again, but to no avail. "Let me out!" She demanded, trying to sound less scared than she actually was. Her mane was a mess, and she had lost her bow during the chase. Scared and alone, Apple Bloom was more vulnerable than she ever had in her life. Her only comfort was that her friends had managed to escape, and hopefully soon would return with her sister, and her friends.

"Take her to the mine!" Ordered the large brutish looking one. "I'm sure we can find a use for her."

The cage was lifted up, but before they had made a single step towards the opening in the cave, somepony yelled out. "Hold it right there!" Everybody froze in place, and looked around in confusion. Then, from the sky, Daiko dropped to the ground with a serious expression, looking at them all. "Let her go, right now."

"Daiko!" Apple Bloom called in disbelief, and relief.

The Saiyan boy looked small compared to the tall muscular canines. "Who are you?" Asked the leader, clearly taken aback. He had never seen someone like Daiko before, his look, and the fact he had dropped from the sky had clearly surprised him.

"I'm Daiko, Apple Bloom's friend. You will let her go, now!" Daiko demanded, closing his hands into fists.

"Or what?!" Snarled the leader.

Daiko narrowed his eyes. "Or I'll beat you up."

Silence...

After a few seconds, the Diamond Dogs all burst into laughter. "Are you mad?!" They asked, and laughed at the young Saiyan, not taking his threat seriously. "You don't stand a chance, monkey boy!"

Daiko smirked, moving one foot back, as if getting ready to leap at them. "Does that mean you won't surrender?" At that the Diamond Dogs laughed even harder, some even hard to put their paws on a companion for support. "Okay, but don't say I didn't give you a chance." Daiko couldn't deny he was looking forward to this fight, more than he would have had he still been a normal human boy.

As the canines laughed, they hardly noticed Daiko had suddenly leapt into the air. Those who did let out startled gasps, and tried to warn the others. The laughter hardly had time to die down, before Daiko suddenly came down from the air, and before landing, kicked a Diamond dog across the muzzle, sending him to the ground in one strike.

Now no one was laughing, but instead gawking in shock, then anger. Several of them showed their teeth, growling at Daiko. "Get him!" Ordered the large one, and in one go, they all tried to grab a hold of the young boy.

When the first large paw came to grab him, Daiko took a quick step to the side, and struck his elbow down and into the wrist on the canine. It let out a curse, and stumbled back, giving Daiko an opening to escape from the group. He ran towards the two holding Apple Bloom's cage, thinking this would be easy.

Just as he was about to leap into the air, someone grabbed his ankle! Daiko yelped, falling forward and hitting the ground with a thump. Before he could even try to get up, he was pulled back along the ground, then swung into the air and flew several meters before landing on the ground again, sliding across dirt and rocks. While he could feel it sting, he was lucky his skin was much tougher than any normal person's.

"Get the pony inside!" Ordered the large Diamond Dog, never removing his eyes from Daiko.

Apple Bloom was carried into the mine, and she hit the bars with her hooves. "Daiko!" She called desperately.

"Ouf.." Daiko stood, shaking off the dirt and dust he had gathered on his way. He glared at the remaining Diamond Dogs that were now arming themselves with spears. Mentally Daiko cursed himself for being so arrogant, thinking he could really just kick and punch, then simply fly off with Apple Bloom.

He knew he had to be smarter, as he was outnumbered, and hadn't even bothered to check what he had been up against. Although he knew all this, even though it clearly, he felt himself relishing the challenge, even the danger. "Let's see what you guys can do." Daiko tapped the side of his scouter. At once numbers appeared, and the sound of it running the numbers could be heard.

Pack Leader: 101.

Dog 2: 82.

Dog 3: 94.

Dog 4: 81.

Dog 5: 97.

Daiko bit his lip, as the dogs facing him all seemed to have a higher power level. Well, at least three of them had, as Daiko wasn't sure about himself. Daiko knew he only had five out there, then there were the two who had taken Apple Bloom away, and who knows how many others inside.

He had to hurry, and he knew he couldn't waste time. Switching off his scouter, Daiko took a stance, readying himself for the coming battle. He didn't have to wait long. As if on cue, the five large Diamond Dogs tried to rush Daiko, all of them carrying either a spear or some sort of club.

Daiko leaped forward, dodging spears, and blocking the clubs. He felt the impacts, and they hurt less than he feared, but he could still feel them. Quickly he disarmed the spear dogs, even going so far to snap the spears in half, before knocking them out. Daiko felt his heart race, and he could not deny the rush of excitement he felt as he defended and attacked.

Knocking out one more, Daiko jumped back, and fired a Ki blast at the last two. It would not be enough to kill them, but enough to hopefully knock them out for a bit. Landing near the entrance to the mine, Daiko barely managed to turn around before he heard the growls of the pack leader getting up.

Daiko felt an urge to engage him again, but reminded himself that Apple Bloom needed him. Biting his lip, Daiko turned, and hurried inside the mine. "After him, you idiots!" The pack leader yelled, managing to get some of his goons up and follow Daiko inside.

Running down one of the tunnels, Daiko touched his scouter, and quickly found his way to Apple Bloom. He was sweaty, and his heart was racing, but even so, he continued on, despite his body starting to tire. Maybe it had been a bit too ambitious to take on five Diamond dogs by himself, but now that he had gotten so far, he intended to finish it.

Turning down another tunnel, Daiko finally arrived into a large chamber. "Apple Bloom!" He called out, seeing her still being carried by the two canines.

As soon as Apple Bloom heard him, she turned and banged against the bard. "Daiko!"

The two dogs looked at one another, then as one, sat the cage down, and glared at him. Daiko simply glared back, and got into a fighting position. Growling, the two Diamond Dogs leaped at him, trying to get a hold of him, or knock him out. Daiko however was faster, and while they knew the mine better, Daiko had more room to maneuver. In one swift go, Daiko leaped up to the ceiling, turned, and kicked off the ceiling again. As he zoomed down, he grabbed the shoulder of one of the dogs, turned him in the air, then slammed him to the ground!

The other Diamond Dog was so shocked, that it left Daiko with an opportunity to jump up, and kick him across the muzzle, knocking him out as well. Daiko panted, wiping some sweat off his forehead before turning, and running to the cage. "Are you alright?" He asked, grabbing a hold of the hatch, and pulled the entire thing off.

Apple Bloom didn't answer, instead she jumped out, and wrapped her hooves around him. Daiko was taken aback, but after a few seconds, he hugged her back. They stood like this for a few seconds, then he remembered he had a whole gang of Diamond Dogs after him. He pulled away gently. "We should hurry, the rest of them can turn up any minute."

Apple Bloom nodded, and without another word, the two ran off into one of the side tunnels. Daiko used his scouter to search for them, but he had hardly done so, before the whole group seemed to come out from every side tunnel they passed.

They all growled, and barked at them, looking more and more feral by the second! Finally they saw light ahead, and Daiko slowed down. "What are you doing?!" Asked Apple Bloom.

"Just go, I'll keep them back!" Replied Daiko, letting her pass him.

Daiko growled, kicking one back, before he charged up his Ki, making his hands glow. "Get back!" He yelled, and blasted one large Ki attack at them. It did the trick, as the Diamond Dogs all jumped back. But Daiko soon realized that the cave was also affected. The Diamond dogs looked scared of what was about to happen, and so ran back into the tunnels. All of this took place in a matter of seconds!

Daiko turned back toward Apple Bloom, who was running with full speed towards the opening. However Daiko saw how the mine was starting to collapse, and he saw rocks falling ahead of Apple Bloom. Without even thinking, Daiko leapt into action, and with all possible speed, he flew to Apple Bloom, grabbed her, and managed to stop her before she reached the collapsing entrance. Apple Bloom screamed at the sound of boulders, dirt, and dust all coming down around them.

Daiko kept Apple Bloom below him, shielding her to the best of his abilities. One small boulder came down, hit Daiko on the side of his face, and damaged his scouter, making it fall to the ground. "Argh!" He yelled out in pain, and soon felt some massive stone come down on top of him. Using all his strength, Daiko kept the massive rock above him and Apple Bloom, creating a sort of roof over them as the rest of the rocks and dirt sealed them away.

For the next 30 seconds the collapse kept going, and soon after it stopped slowly. Apple Bloom was curled up in a ball under the standing Daiko, who was busy holding up the boulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and realized it had stopped. However, what followed was panic, as she realized they were trapped in a small pocket between the outside, and the mine.

"We're trapped!" Apple Bloom whimpered.

"Don't worry.. Erghhh..." Daiko said, pushing the boulder up a little to see if it could stay up by itself. "Your friends are getting help.." He breathed a sigh of relief as he found the boulder could stay up without his help for now.

Apple Bloom sat up, as the space was big enough for Daiko to stand upright. "But what if they don't find us?"

"Twilight is with them, I'm sure she will track us down." Daiko assured her, panting a little, then heard some dirt move around. He gulped, getting himself prepared in case the ceiling came down on them, for not it did not seem that it would. "Though I do not like staying here, and take our chances." He admitted.

"So what do we do?"

"Uhm.." Daiko thought about it for a moment. "Well, we could try and dig ourselves out. We should not be that far from the exit."

"But I can't move those large rocks!" Apple Bloom said, looking over the mess they had to go through.

Daiko frowned. "Well, I could, but it would mean I can't support the roof if it comes down on us.." He sat down, and let out a sigh. "This wasn't exactly the rescue I had imagined."

Apple Bloom frowned. "It's my fault, I suggested to the girl we come here to get our gem hunting cutie marks."

"You didn't know there were Diamond Dogs here."

"But we knew there could be." Apple Bloom insisted. "I'm sorry for getting you into this."

Daiko smiled slightly. "And I'm sorry for making the roof collapse."

"How did you do that anyway?"

"Well I used my.." Daiko paused, looking at his hands. "Ki.. That's it! Ow!" He stood up so fast he hit his head on the boulder above them. "I can blast our way out!"

Apple Bloom frowned. "Isn't that dangerous."

Daiko nodded. "Yeah, but it is better than staying here. I'll make a hole, and be ready to catch the boulder, should it try and come down on us. You just jump out, and I'll follow you."

The plan was very dangerous, but Apple Bloom couldn't come up with anything else. Even if her sister and her friends found the entrance, they would not know they were trapped in-between boulders. She gulped, then nodded. "Okay, let's try it.."

Daiko nodded too. "Right.. Stand back, and lay down. If the boulder falls, I'll catch it. Once the hole is there, you jump out right away, got it?" Apple Bloom just nodded. "Good.." Daiko took a deep breath, knowing full well the dangers, and how this plan was a longshot. His Ki attacks were not too powerful, and he doubted a simple blast could do it. No, he needed something stronger.

Taking a deep breath, he took position, and moved both his arms to the side. However, before he could begin, Apple Bloom spoke up. "Daiko?"

"Mm?"

"If anything happens.. Well, I just want to say thank you for coming for me.."

Daiko smiled. "No problem, and don't worry. I'll have you out in just a second. I promise this is not the end." He took another deep breath, slowing down his heart, focusing on his center, and his Ki. He had to focus, had to concentrate on his Ki.

Another deep breath. "Ka.. Me.." His eyes closed, as he felt the Ki starting to build up between his hands. "Ha.. Me.." A blue light appeared between his hands, first like a small sun, and then grew until his hands stopped it from growing larger than basketball. Daiko could feel it, but he felt his control would slip if he hesitated for a second. Then suddenly, he opened his eyes, and moved his hands forward, guiding the energy ball forward. "HAA!!!!" He yelled, and in one glorious go, the energy shot from his hands, moving the glowing blue sun ahead, and through the dirt, boulders and rocks!!

The blast continued for maybe 24 seconds, and then it died down. Daiko fell to one knee, but still managed to yell at a still awestruck Apple Bloom, who had been watching it all. "GO!" He demanded.

"But.."

"GO!" Daiko repeated, hearing the stone and dirt move. "NOW!!" He stood up, catching the boulder above them, holding it up.

In shock, and panic, Apple Bloom leaped out of the hole created by Daiko. She was outside yet again, but the dust had yet to settle after the rocks had been blasted away. She didn't care, instead she turned around and looked inside. "Daiko, come on, hurry!"

"Just a.. Arghh! Minute!" He said through his clenched teeth. He felt like he was holding up the entire mountain, which he of course did not. "Move away, I'm gonna jump!" He called to Apple Bloom, did a mental countdown, and then suddenly ducked down, and leaped out of the hole, just in time to see their rocky pocket fill up behind him.

Daiko laid panting on the ground. "That was.." He said in-between breaths. "Very intense.." He sat up, only to be hugged again by Apple Bloom. This time he didn't hesitate, instead, he just hugged her back, knowing full well how close they had been to meet their end.

"Apple Bloom!" They heard a mare call out.

That was soon followed by another mare calling. "Daiko!"

From the trees emerged Applejack, and Fluttershy, soon followed by the rest of their friends. They spotted each other quickly. "Apple Bloom!" The orange mare ran towards her sister.

"Applejack!"

The two sisters ran to each other, and met in a tight and warm embrace. Both of them tearing up a bit, both relieved to see the other. Fluttershy, happy to see them reunited, was however rushing over to Daiko. "Oh dear! Daiko, are you okay?!"

"I'm fi-Ofph!" Before he could reply, he too was embraced.

"Oh, you look a mess, are you hurt? Oh dear, oh dear! You're bleeding!" Fluttershy said, tears in her eyes as she fuzzed over him.

Daiko felt bad for having made her worry. Now that he thought about it, he may have gone a bit too fast when he arrived at her cottage to retrieve his now ruined scouter. "I'm fine, I promise.. I'm just very tired.." He said, smiling a little. "Sorry for having worried you."

Fluttershy hugged him again. "You're both safe, that's all that matters right now.."

Then Twilight approached them, Spike following behind her. "We saw some sort of energy blast, was that you Daiko?" she asked, and Daiko nodded.

"Yeah.. I remembered what you said, and it worked." He chuckled. "Thanks." He then coughed a little. "Though, I think it took a lot more out of me than I thought." He tried to stand, but his legs were shaking.

"Don't stand!" Fluttershy said.

Daiko sat down, letting out a small laugh. "I don't think I can.." His eyes then started to slowly close. "I think I'm gonna.. I'm gonna close my eyes.. Just a bit.." With that, his eyes were fully closed, and he seemed to become limb.

"Daiko!" Fluttershy exclaimed, afraid he had passed out.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy." Twilight said, looking at the boy. "He's just over exhausted."

"zzzzZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzzzzzz~."

Fluttershy let out a relieved breath. "Thank Celestia.."

Twilight giggled. "We better get them both back."

"Is Daiko gonna be okay?" Apple Bloom asked, having joined the conversation. She looked worried, even a little guilty. "He came to save me, please tell me he is going to be alright."

Fluttershy stood up. "He is going to be fine, Apple Bloom. I just think he needs to rest."

"That goes for you too, AB." Said Applejack. "Let's get you both home."

And so, Apple Bloom and Daiko were taken to Sweet Apple Acres to rest up. Daiko never noticed he was being carried, or how much his body was aching and hurting. He just slept through it all, but with a smile on his face. While the day had been long, challenging, and hard, he knew he had fought, and he had succeeded.

He still had much to learn, and there was a lot more training to be done. It all excited the young Saiyan, knowing there were stronger creatures out there. It meant there were more battles ahead of him, and he would face them all. He would fight anyone to protect his friends, no matter how strong they were.

Author's Note

Yay, longest chapter of the story so far! :pinkiehappy:

I know some like to depict the Apple family, poor, I know I have. Though In this one I like to imagine them with more means, thanks to the effort of the two eldest apple children. :eeyup: :ajsmug:

Chapter 1: The Strange Astroid

"Alright girls, you all will have to take turns on my telescope."

Said Twilight, as she adjusted said telescope. The cutie mark crusaders, three fillies who had banded together to find their cutie marks, had convinced Twilight to let them sleep over, along with Twilight's own friends.

They had all wanted to test Twilight's telescope, trying to get their cutie marks in star gazing, or astronomy. Twilight had given a short beginners lecture about the stars, and solar system, but after seeing the three fillies were about to fall asleep way too early, she decided to skip ahead to her telescope.

One by one they tried, each of them letting out an oooh, and an ahhh. Twilight was happy, it was nice to see the three fillies appreciating the night sky. Hopefully this would lead them on a path to knowledge, and some less dangerous and troubling attempts in getting their cutie marks.

"Who knows," continued Twilight, smiling to herself. "Maybe you will find an asteroid, and get it named after you."

"Hey! I see one! I see one!" Exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

"What? No.. What?" Twilight didn't believe it. The likelihood that she would spot one right at this moment would be insanely small.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Scootaloo yelled, pushing aside Sweetie Belle, who let out a small protest, but did not press the point. Scootaloo gasped, grinning. "That's amazing, Sweetie Belle, you're right!"

"What? Give me a turn!" Apple Bloom put in, moving in and looking through the telescope. Though instead of exclaiming how amazing it was, she looked at Twilight with a worried expression. "Is it just me, or is it coming closer?"

Now Twilight looked alarmed, she hurried to the telescope, looking through it towards the so-called asteroid. What she saw shocked her even more than an asteroid would have. She saw something strange and perfectly round enter their atmosphere, and it was by no means an asteroid. It was some sort of crafted sphere, and it was going to land any second now!

"By the sun! It's a-" Before she got to say anymore the girls let out a startled scream, having realized the sphere was going to crash near here. By reflex, Twilight moved to cover the girls, afraid of what would happen.

But, nothing did happen. They heard the crash, but there was no explosion or anything. Though what did happen was a lot of birds near the Everfree forest seemed to wake up, all screaming and flying in all directions. The sound of the impact had also got a lot of ponies out of their homes to look towards the source of the sound.

"Twilight!" One of her friends called, sounding shocked and slightly panicked. "What is going on?!"

She could hear her friends running up, and as they did, Twilight looked towards the forest. She wasn't sure if what she saw was real, something that had been built by intelligent life coming from space. It sounded insane, and she knew of no pony who had made such a breakthrough.

But she was gonna find out!

"Ow ow ow..." Daniel groaned, feeling like the whole world was spinning around. His hand moved to the safety belts, and released them, freeing him to leave the pod as the door seemed to open on its own. Reaching up, he put his hand out, and grabbed the side for support, sort of dragging himself out.

He didn't feel tired, but he was a little disoriented from the violent crash, but he himself and his ship seemed fine. Having no idea where he was, or what to do, he looked into his small ship, and found what he expected to find.

A scouter.

To him this was so cool, but still very scary. A lot of emotions was running through him, and the only thing he could think of doing was to go along with whatever was happening for now. He placed the scouter on the left side of his head amazed how well it sat on him with no straps or anything like that.

The Scouter was a wearable, all-purpose computer that is mainly used to measure power levels early in Dragon Ball Z. They also worked to scan for life forms, and as communicators. Though as a fan of the show, Daniel knew how useless they were in finding out the strength of an opponent, but for now it would serve him well.

Sure, he might look like a Saiyan, but he had no real idea how to use or sense Ki, the spiritual energy. He would have to learn it all, and he still had no idea how dangerous this planet was. For all he knew this place could be filled with monsters!

He couldn't help but chuckle a little, some of it was just as an attempt to calm himself. This was still so unreal, and insanely confusing. Deciding he could not stand around in a random forest forever, he went about to test out his own strength. As a human he was probably average for his age, maybe a little above.

Now however, now he was a Saiyan, so he should be way stronger. He did a few test punches into the air, and already did he feel a massive difference. He was faster, and he could feel the force behind his punches. Moving on to another test, he started to do some careful jumps here and there, half hoping he would start flying.

Daniel didn't fly, but he did jump higher and higher, depending on how much force he used. He couldn't help himself, he started to laugh. This was so much fun! Giving it his all, he managed to jump so high up into the air, that he passed the very top of the trees.

Once he landed, he tried a few flips. It was all so much easier in this new form! Well, while he still looked like himself, he felt much stronger, and so much cooler! Holding out his hand, he grinned, giving it a little jerk, as if expecting something to happen, but nothing did.

Daniel frowned. "Come on.." He tried again, but just like before, nothing happened. "Dammit.." He had expected to fire an energy beam out of his hand, but nothing happened. Then he remembered, he actually knew next to nothing about this stuff. He might have the potential, but without the knowledge, he was just a strong kid.

He looked at his hand, opening and closing it a few times, thinking about how to learn everything he knew Saiyans could do. Sadly though, he didn't get to think for very long, because his thoughts were soon interrupted by some menacingly growling coming from behind him.

Turning around, he came face to face by something he had never seen before. "Whhhaaaaa!!!!" He screamed, jumping back as he just barely missed a claw made of wood slashing at him. He was so surprised he forgot about the fact he was a Saiyan, that he was much stronger than he ever was as a human. Still, a change in body was nothing, inside, he was still the unsecure ten year old boy he had always been.

He did the only thing he could think of, run away...

Author's Note

Feel free to engage as much as you want. I don't really have anything planned for this story, it is basically just being written on my phone, in my bed, while I try keep my headache under control! :pinkiesick:

I only have a few things in mind, like where he will be staying, and how he has to learn about his powers and how to use them. I'm thinking of him moving in with Fluttershy, the Dragon Ball fans might get the reason why. Oozaru, cough cough. :derpytongue2:

So you guys can come with suggestions, feel free. :twilightsmile:

Also, I don't intend to call him Daniel throughout the entire story.