It has been a few months now and fall is about to begin, the leaves have already turned color and a chill was in the air. There were only a few dragon and wyvern attacks since the fight with the Rukodiora, but Raiju had convinced the most of them leave without conflict. Raiju has finished his home in the cave; it had everything from a kitchen, to three bedrooms, one room for him, his daughter, and a guest room just in case. He has also decided on a name for the filly, Lightningcloud, he didn't know how ponies usually picked names so he tried his best while using inspiration from what he knew about naming children in his own culture. With fall setting in the ponies began preparations for the running of the leaves celebration. Twilight of course saw this as a great opportunity to continue helping everypony get to know Raiju, as many are still uneasy of him. Early one morning a few days before the race, Twilight made her way to the Everfree forest and Raiju's home. She knocked on the door and walked inside where she found Raiju playing with Thundercloud who was trying to fly but didn't quite have the wing strength.
"Good morning Twilight. How are you?"
"I'm good. Trying to teach her how to fly already?"
"No, actually she just likes to try on her own. I don't think I would know where to start with teaching her to fly, I might ask Rainbow Dash if she can help me teach her. So what brings you all the way out here? There isn't any danger is their?"
"No there isn't any danger. I just thought that you might want to join us at the annual Running of the Leaves. It's a small race we hold every year to knock the leaves off the trees in and around Ponyville."
"Do you really think that, that is a good idea? I mean having me running behind a large group of ponies; that would seem quite terrifying to me."
"You don't need to run, I jog through most of the race so I have enough energy left over to pass everypony else, the leaves falling from the trees is a very beautiful sight as well. Two years ago was my first ever race and I came in fourth."
"That is quite commendable, if you really think that this is a good idea, then I will go, but I’m not going to run, I’ll stay behind and walk."
The day of the race has arrived and the ponies were all lined up and ready to go as Raiju walked up with a small number 58 on his shoulder. Twilight waved him over to the side of the starting line where she, Rainbow Dash, and AppleJack where preparing to begin. Pinkie Pie wove to her three friends as she floated above with Spike in a hot air balloon to commentate the event. Raiju still seemed very nervous about the event, and the other ponies also showed their own concern by avoiding the side of the starting line Raiju is on. The race began with all of the ponies taking off as fast as they could, while Twilight and Raiju simply began walking. The race continued and after a while, Twilight eventually began running to catch up to the rest of the ponies. Now alone with his thoughts Raiju was enjoying the scenery until after a few more minutes the finish line finally came into view. Raiju noticed the large group of ponies; most of them looked very concerned. When he was just a few feet from the finish, he overheard a few ponies talking.
"Wait didn't Twilight say he was purposely going to come in last"
"Yeah you're right...but then where is Berry Punch?"
Raiju looked around and until he looked up and asked Pinkie Pie if she had seen the missing pony. She shook her head no, Raiju then quickly turned around and ran a ways backwards down the path a hundred feet or so. He closed his eyes as a large blue cloud pulsed at a massive speed from his back, scaring the ponies until it passed safely by them, a few seconds passed until he finally opened his eyes and ran off. He stopped at about the half-way point of the race and began looking around and called out.
"Is anypony still out here!?"
He heard a faint voice, in the distance and rushed to where it was. Behind a large bush was an enormous hole and when Raiju looked inside he saw a plum colored pony with her arms wrapped around a tree root that was sticking out into the hole. Raiju immediately stuck his arm out into the hole only to realize that she was just out of reach. He looked around, trying to find something to extend his reach. With no other options he clawed down a tree and quickly carved a J shape into it. He reached the tree into the hole and picked up Berry punch, after carefully pulling her out he gently picked her up and asked.
"Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"
Still slightly in shock she took a deep breath and said. "Yeah I think I'm fine...Thank you for saving me."
Raiju then charged up and teleported them both back to the finish line, where everypony was still waiting. After getting back he gently placed her back on the ground as everypony began cheering,
Twilight then walked up and said. "Is she alright?"
"Yes she'll be ok, she's just a little shaken up, and for good reason, I need to go back there and fill that hole in...I must have missed one from that Rukodiora attack."
Before letting him go to fill the hole, Twilight stopped him and asked. "By the way, how did you know where to find her?"
"Well you saw that pulse I set out right? I sent out a pulse of low powered electricity, which basically bounces back whenever it comes in contact with something that conducts electricity, in this case, that pony over there. It’s the same way I knew that you were under that cart on the way to Canterlot it's just not visible when using it to see small areas. I'm just glad that tree was nearby so I could cut it down and carve it out to pull her to safety."
"Why didn't you just lift her out using magic? I've seen you use magic before."
Raiju blushed and said. "Well I can use magic, but...I can't lift anything over twenty pounds. I could have lifted her with electricity, but I don't think she would appreciate that."
"You really can't use magic to lift anything? I could try and teach you a bit, it could be fun. Maybe while I teach you magic, you can teach me a little of your language."
"That would be fun. I guess we-"
Just then Rainbow Dash flew over after winning the race and said. "Hey Raiju, how come you didn't run in the race? You probably could have come in second. Behind me, that is." She said, boasting of her accomplishment. Twilight rolled her eyes and let the two talk.
"Well...I didn't run because I didn't want to scare everypony. I mean big, scary me running behind them, wouldn't quite be the most enjoyable thing for them. Besides, it wouldn’t be a fair race then since they would run out of the way."
"Hmm...I guess that’s true. Hey! I got an idea! Why don't you and me race? I know that you're pretty fast, maybe you can actually keep up with me." She said looking over at AppleJack with a smirk on her face.
"A race? Sure why not? Sounds like fun! Are we going to run the same course as the running of the leaves?"
"Yeah. It's got a perfect course to run, lots of straight-a ways and plenty of turns. I'll fly but I'll stay low to the ground to make it fair."
"Let’s go then…So long as you’re not tired from the previous race"
The two lined up as a bunch of ponies as well as Twilight and Applejack gathered around to watch. Raiju started stretching, as did Rainbow Dash. Raiju then asked one final question before starting.
"Are there any special rules you would like me to follow?"
Rainbow Dash confidently said. "Nope, just stay on the track. OH, wait! No teleporting. Almost forgot you could do that."
"OK then." he said with a smile as he held out his paw and extended the two dew claws that he usually leaves recessed in the side of his arms.
"A bit if extra traction, so long as you don't mind that is."
Rainbow Dash had a big grin on her face and readied herself for the race. Applejack began the count down. "On yer' mark, get set...GO!"
The pony and the wolf took off, keeping neck and neck with each other. Raiju looked over and began talking to Rainbow Dash. "Wow you are fast! I'll give you that much, but...is this as fast as you go?" While saying this he began zigzagging around Rainbow Dash.
They were coming up on a long straight away and Rainbow Dash started laughing and said "OH so you want a REAL race hunh?"
She started flying higher and higher saying. "I hope you can run A LOT faster than that." She finally reached her peak and immediately turned; she came screaming down until an enormous rainbow busted out from behind her, as her speed increased to an incredible level. She finally reached close to the ground, and turned, passing straight by Raiju. Raiju quickened up his pace and began to glow they finally reached the half-way point when Raiju suddenly blasted forward becoming nothing more than a blurry, light blue streak. Rainbow Dash was confidently in front; now at the three quarter mark she sees the blur that is Raiju pass by, leaving sparks along the ground. She immediately began speeding up, but couldn't catch up. With just a little way to go Raiju began to slow down and as the finish line came into view, he went down to walking speed, exhausted and unable to run, Rainbow Dash flew by at the last second, passing Raiju and winning the race. Raiju crossed the line a few second later, panting. Between breaths he says.
"Wow! That was something...You are really fast."
"Me?! You flew past me while I was at my top speed! How did you do that?!"
Now that he's caught his breath he responds. "That was my lightning run. I use my energy and give myself a negative charge and put a mass of positively charged energy in front of me, which in turn pulls me forward. Unfortunately it really tires me out quick. Now! You have to explain to me what it was that YOU did to go that fast."
Rainbow Dash proudly responded. "That was a Sonic Rainboom. Something nopony else can do but me. It's kinda hard to explain really...I just...do it."
Raiju laughed and said. "I understand, there are some things you just can't explain. That was really fun though, it's been a long time since I ran like that."
The two spent a while longer talking about races in their past, until Raiju left to begin making plans to learn magic and teach Twilight his language.
The days of fall went by with little happening, until the day of Nightmare Night. That day Twilight decided to invite Raiju to the festivities. Knocking first, she entered Raiju's home, greeting him.
"Hi Raiju. How are you today?"
Raiju turned around just finishing changing the filly's diaper. "Hello Twilight. I'm good, how are you?"
"I'm doing great, are you going to be joining us for Nightmare Night tonight?"
"Nightmare Night? What is that?"
"It's a holiday were we celebrate the legend of Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna herself is supposed to be coming to Ponyville again this year."
Raiju suddenly got very confused. "Princess...Luna? I thought she was imprisoned on the moon."
"Well she was actually, when she was Nightmare Moon. Over a year ago she returned and was brought back to her former self."
Raiju stood there, lost in thought, until Twilight asked again. "So do you want to go, I mean the whole point is to scare everypony and, let’s face it, you can't be beat in that department. Besides it'll be fun, and you can meet the princess while you're there. She had a lot of issues with ponies being afraid of her and adjusting to a life one thousand years in the future."
"I guess I could go but where am I going to leave Thundercloud, she wouldn't like all the noise while she's trying to sleep."
Twilight thought about it for a moment. "Hmm...Well Fluttershy hates Nightmare Night, she would be glad to have an excuse not to leave her house."
They both laughed and Raiju agreed to join the festivities. Later that afternoon Raiju went over to Fluttershy's house and dropped Thundercloud off after explaining that he was going to join the Nightmare Night celebration. Later that night as Raiju was walking to Ponyville, he was stopped by Princess Luna flying in.
"Greetings! You must be the Raiju whom my sister spoke of. I would like to ask you a question. I was thinking, and wanted to know if you could assist me during Nightmare Night, last year I discovered that these ponies enjoy being scared on this particular night and you fit that description quite well."
"Thanks, I guess...What is it that you need me to do princess?"
"I just want you to follow behind me and look as menacing as possible. My sister has informed me that you can look especially terrifying when you are combating dragons"
Raiju agreed to assist the princess and they set off to make an entry that nopony will ever forget. The two entered Ponyville, walking down the main road as Raiju made tendrils of lightning flailing off of his back. The ponies all began to run in fear as Raiju started becoming more and more depressed. "Is this really fun? Having everypony run in fear of you?"
The Princess, picking up on Raiju's feelings responds. "They are not TRULY scared. Tonight is just for fun! They all know that you mean no harm."
"If you say so princess." Raiju said trying not to sound unhappy.
The night went on and after a while the novelty of Raiju and the Princess "terrorizing" the town wore off and everypony went back to the other activities and the children all went off to collect more candy. Three hours had passed and everypony was getting used to being around Raiju, while in the middle of throwing a rubber spider onto a web, Raiju heard a noise far off in the distance and perked his head up to listen closer causing him to miss his throw. It was the sound of a Pony screaming for help, he would have thought nothing of it, being a night full of ponies scaring other ponies but he heard something else alongside the scream. Twilight, who was dressed up as a werepony asked him.
"What's the matter?"
Still trying to listen for the noise he responded. "That growl...Twilight find the princess and meet me by the western edge of town, but stay back...and try to keep everypony else away from there, but don't alarm them."
Raiju then took off towards the western edge of town where he heard the noise. Upon arrival he found a pony dressed as a Vampire screaming while running towards town. Raiju stopped him and told him. "Calm down, please, I don't want to alarm the rest of the town, I will take care of this." He then released the pony and continued walking to where he had come from, until he finally heard a voice coming from the darkness speaking to him.
"Well, well, well...A Jinouga in Equestria? Are you here to scout a new attack on this land? Or are you here for a feast like me?"
"Why do you Wyverns always ask the same thing?" He then sarcastically continued. "Oh I'm sorry. Pseudo-wyvern. Is that the correct classification for a Nargacuga?"
Still in the shadows it responded. "I have no interests in political correctness. Now are you going to get out of my way so I can eat or am I going to have to kill you?"
"You are going to need to get through me before you touch a single pony"
Twilight and Princess Luna finally arrived and saw Raiju in the distance glowing brightly in the dark and prepared to fight. The Nargacuga let out a roar which made Twilight and Princess Luna flinch in a moment of surprise. All any of them, including Raiju, saw of the Nargacuga was the glowing, blood red trails following its eyes.
"What is that?!" The princess asked, seeming very concerned.
Twilight took a moment and responded. "I-I have no idea. How is he supposed to fight something he can't see?"
The Narga suddenly jumped at Raiju slashing him across the arm with the razor sharp blades it has on its wings. The two ponies got a momentary glimpse of the creature as it passed through the light Raiju was emitting. It was completely black and its upper body was covered in what appeared to be fur, while its tail seemed much like a snake in appearance. Raiju began trying to throw bolts of electricity at where the eye trails were but continued to miss. The Narga was toying with him at this point, knowing that he couldn’t be hit, but after a while, he decided that he was sick of fighting and began to get much more serious. Without any warning a faint sound could be heard, it sounded like a whip was being spun around until a snap was heard. Raiju tried to jump out of the way of whatever was coming towards him, but to no avail. Ten sharp scales sunk in deep, all across his back, as he yelled out in agony. Some scales landed close to the two on-looking ponies and Luna magically picked one up.
"These scales are unbelievably sharp! He needs assistance."
Raiju, having heard her, suddenly yelled to them. "Stay back! Nargacugas are incredibly dangerous, and won’t hesitate to attack you. I don't want you hurt princess."
Princess Luna ignored him and began to fly up into the air, her horn glowing brightly. Suddenly the moon itself began to glow and lighten up the area around the fighting creatures. The Narga was completely visible now and as soon as Raiju saw him, a massive amount of electricity shot from his back totally surrounding it.
Raiju walked up to the now caged creature and said. "Now! You will agree to leave Equestria immediately and never return, or I will kill you where you stand."
The Nargacuga was furious and after letting out a loud roar, reluctantly agreed. "Fine! It's not worth dying over a snack anyway. You got lucky that the clouds moved out of the way"
Raiju then re-absorbed the electricity and the creature disappeared back into the dark. Twilight and Princess Luna rushed over and began talking to him.
"Why did you release that creature after spending all that time fighting it?" Said the confused princess.
"He made him leave Equestria and never return, the wyvern said he wasn't willing to die over one meal...right Raiju?"
"Yes! He won’t be a problem here ever again...You sure are picking up my native language quickly.”
Twilight smiled at the compliment and noticed the scales sticking out of his back. "Oh my goodness you're hurt! Quick, we need to get you help!
Raiju laughed and said. "No, no. I just need to get these scales out and a bandage to stop the bleeding. Luckily that was a normal Nargacuga, and he didn’t hit me anywhere life threatening. There is a rare subspecies that has a deadly poison in the scales on its tail and the blades on their wings."
Princess Luna interrupted, asking. "These came from its tail? From what little I saw of that creature, the tail was most definitely smooth."
"Well…yes and no. Much like the spikes on my back, the Narga's can conceal those fast growing, incredibly sharp scales for use as a weapon. They are masters of stealth and deception as you saw...or didn't, as it were. They release a chemical from an area behind their eyes that creates that red trail, it’s very disorienting in low light situations." He looked at Princess Luna now, and said. "Princess...I want to apologize for yelling at you earlier, I shouldn't have done that...I do greatly appreciate helping me anyway. It would have been very difficult if it weren’t for you."
"You need not apologize; you were only looking out for our safety.”
The group went back to the festival after cleaning up the remaining scales and removing the ones stuck in Raiju. The celebration went on without anypony aware of what had happened. Then next morning, Raiju headed straight to Fluttershy's home to pick up Thundercloud. When Fluttershy came to the door she and Raiju began talking.
"Good morning Fluttershy. How was Thundercloud last night?"
"Hello Raiju. She was a perfect little angel all night. Can I offer you anything before you leave?"
"Oh, no thank you. But before I go I need to ask you something. I was talking with your friends and I told them that I hibernate during the winter months. I asked them who could watch Thundercloud for me, and they all said that I should ask you, since most of your animal friends also hibernate."
Fluttershy suddenly perked up, elated with Raiju's offer. "Oh! I would love to; just drop her off, with whatever she will need, a day or two before you start hibernating."
"Really? I didn't think you would want to do it so...willingly."
"No, really I want to. I've always wanted to try my hoof at helping raise a filly, and I really like filly sitting, its lots of fun."
Raiju thanked her and set off back home to enjoy the rest of the day with his daughter.