Infernals

by Leo Archon

Act Four: Tales of the Past (Fox)

Act Four:

Tales of the Past: Fox

Applejack sighed as she closed her eyes. The aura surrounding her faded, and the whisker marks on her face shrank back to their normal sizes. "Well, dang. Here ah was hopin' we coulda finished the job," she complained.

Rarity nodded, a slight pout to her face. "Honestly, how uncooperative can one demon be?"

The farmpony opened her eyes, revealing her normal green irises rather than the bestial red ones she'd sported moments ago. "On another note, how the hay did ya survive gettin' impaled through the heart?"

"Ah. That," Rarity mumbled, now looking rather uncomfortable. "I suppose I do owe everypony an explanation."

"Indeed. Both of you do." The two mares turned to look at the Princess of the Night, who was wearing a critical expression. Beside her stood Shining Armor, who regarded the two mares warily. Behind both of them were the other Bearers, all wearing expressions of varying degrees of shock. Even Pinkie Pie looked dumbfounded.

Applejack sighed, then doubled over as a lance of pain shot through her. Rainbow Dash was the first to break from her stupor, and flew over to her longtime friend. "Hey, AJ! You okay?"

Coughing a little, the earth pony nodded. "Yeah. Just a small price ta pay fer usin' that power." Seeing the pegasus about to ask, she waved her off. "Ah'll explain later, an' only once."

Rarity nodded. "The same with me. What I have to say, I'd rather not repeat."

Rainbow sighed, but backed off. Princess Luna stepped forward. "If the two of you are ready, we'll go to Canterlot, where you can explain these events. You will explain to us, our sister, and your friends."

The two mares gulped a little. Neither of them was looking forward to this.

*****

Roughly an hour later, the six Bearers were gathered in a private conference room, along with all three Princesses and Shining Armor. Princess Cadence had been called down from the Crystal Empire for this, at Luna's request.

"Now that we're all here," the Princess of Night began, looking at Applejack and Rarity, "perhaps one of you can begin telling us how you were able to accomplish the events earlier."

Both mares sighed, and looked at the other. "Shall I begin, darling, or would you like to?" the alabaster unicorn asked.

"Ah might as well," Applejack replied. "Ah've been keepin' this secret since ah was born, after all. Not even mah family knows the full story." She then glanced around the room. "And ah'd thank y'all if'n it stayed that way. Th' only reason ah'm even tellin' y'all is 'cause most o' ya saw what happened anyway."

The other Bearers nodded, while the older ponies exchanged glances. After a moment, the Princesses and Shining Armor nodded as well, albeit with a touch of wariness on everypony but Celestia's parts.

Applejack drew in a breath. "Alright. Firs' thing's first. How much do y'all know about reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation: the rebirth of an individual as an entirely different individual," Twilight recited immediately. "Of course, such a thing is mere speculation, since nopony has memories from past lives."

"Ah do," the farmpony retorted, shocking the scholar into silence.

Luna coughed. "Would these memories of thy past life be part of how thou were able to wield magic earlier?"

Applejack snorted. "Weren't magic, Princess Luna. Leastways, not like unicorn magic." She sighed again. "Ah guess ah'd better start with some big stuff. In mah past life, ah weren't a pony. Ah weren't even from Equestria."

That certainly shocked everypony else. Even Celestia arched an eyebrow. It was Cadence who voiced the question on everypony's mind. "If you weren't a pony, then what were you?"

"Ah was somethin' called a human," the orange mare replied. "Picture a monkey, make it completely bipedal, take off most o' the hair, get rid o' the tail, make it stand about five ta six feet tall, and there's yer basic human."

"Fascinating," murmured Twilight. "I wonder how such a creature moves around, without even a tail for balance?"

Applejack smiled. "Humans have an incredible sense of balance, Twi. Although, ah admit, ah weren't the most coordinated of humans. In fact, ah was downright clumsy at times."

"So what was your name in your past life?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, if you want to tell us…"

"S'alright, Fluttershy, ah don't mind," Applejack reassured the yellow pegasus. "Mah name was Naruto Uzumaki."

"Strange name," Rainbow Dash murmured.

"No stranger than ah thought 'Rainbow Dash' was first time ah saw ya," the farmpony snarked. Then her expression grew serious. "Anyways, we're gettin' off-topic. Y'all wanted t' know what happened out there, right? Well, ah need t' give y'all some backstory." She blew out a breath, then sucked it back in. "First thing ah gotta say is this: my childhood sucked."

Pinkie snorted. "Oh, come on, AJ. I know what it's like to have a bad fillyhood."

Fluttershy nodded. "Well, I mean, as bad as teasing is, anyway…"

Applejack sighed. "No offense t' the two o' ya, but ya really don't get what ah mean. Ah'm not talkin' about somethin' as small as being teased or bullied, or livin' a dull life. When ah was growin' up, ah had t' worry about mah very survival. Ah was an orphan, and a pariah. The orphanage ah stayed at kicked me out when ah was two years old, and the village leader had t' step in an' give me an apartment of mah own, along with an allowance."

Everypony was aghast. "How could the orphanage do that?!" exclaimed Twilight. "Isn't their job to care for orphans?"

"Like ah said, ah was a pariah, and that weren't even the worst part," Applejack said. "When ah was on mah own, ah could barely find anythin' t' wear or eat. Ah was overcharged or given rotten or spoiled food, if the storekeeper didn't throw me out right away. There was really only one place that would serve me without judgin' me. As fer clothes, th' only thing ah really had that was worth anythin' was this bright orange jumpsuit. Ah liked the color orange, so ah didn't mind too much."

Rarity smirked. "Well, it's a good thing you liked the color, seeing as you now live with it." She frowned. "Still, though, that's barbaric, treating a mere child like that!"

"Oh, that still ain't the worst part," the earth pony sighed. "The worst part was that every year, on mah birthday, a mob of villagers would gather, and try t' hunt me down and beat me within an inch of mah life. After the first close call, ah usually spent mah birthdays hidin' in the village leader's office."

If everypony had been aghast before, now they were downright horrified. "What kind of messed up village is this place?!" Rainbow snarled. "Why did they go through so much effort to make one kid suffer?!"

"Ah didn't know myself fer the longest time," Applejack admitted. "The village's name was Konohagakure."

"'Hidden in the Leaves'? That's an odd name," Twilight mused. She looked up to see Applejack gaping at her. "What? Neighpon has an interesting language."

The farmpony shook her head. "Anyway, this kept up till ah was about six years old. Around that time, the village leader decided t' enroll me in the Academy for the village's military. Once ah started learnin' how t' defend mahself, the yearly mobs backed off. The villagers still talked down about me, though. An' ah didn't find out why until ah was twelve, about t' graduate from the Academy."

"So why did the villagers hate you?" Luna asked, concern on her face.

Applejack took her hat off, and ran a hoof through her mane. "Well, that's another bit o' backstory. See, the year ah was born – matter of fact, it was mah own birthday – the village came under attack by somethin' called the Kyuubi no Kitsune, or the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. It was a massive thing, said t' be able t' level mountains with just one swing of its tail. The previous village leader died in the process of killin' it."

"At least, that was the official story."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "You're not saying…?"

Applejack's expression was grim. "Powerful though our leader was, he was just mortal. The Kyuubi was an ancient thing, too powerful t' comprehend. So, he did somethin' else." She reared up on her hind legs, bracing herself on the table, and closed her eyes. A moment later, a sigil appeared on her stomach, a spiral surrounded by wavy lines. "He sealed the Kyuubi within a newborn child. Me."

Everypony stared at the design, none more intently than Twilight. She recognized the pattern instantly. After all, she and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had spent the better part of a week trying to determine what the seal meant. And now, here it was in front of her. A part of her realized that Apple Bloom had probably invaded Applejack's privacy in order to get the design. She resolved to tell the orange mare once all was said and done here.

"So the Kyuubi is the reason thou were able to encase thyself in such an aura earlier?" asked Luna.

"Eeyup." Applejack let the seal fade, and sat back down. "And it's the reason the villagers hated me. Because – "

" – they could only see what brought them so much grief," finished the Princess of Night. "Tis something we are all too familiar with, Applejack."

"Ah guess ya would be, what with Nightmare Moon an' all," the farmpony sighed.

"So, how does the seal work?" asked Twilight, intrigued.

Applejack smirked slightly. "Welp, from what ah understand, it's designed t' do a few things. First off, my natural energy reserves are much higher than the norm. When ah was human, ah used to bounce around, kinda like Pinkie Pie."

"Sounds fun!" the party pony proclaimed perkily. "So why aren't you so bouncy these days?"

"Good hard work lets me moderate mah energy now, Pinkie. Ah didn't have the farm when ah was human, though, so ah could barely sit still." The orange mare smiled ruefully. "Which got me int' a fair bit of trouble when ah played pranks on the village."

"You used to be a prankster?" Rainbow's eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Eeyup. One time, ah even painted over the monument on the mountainside near the village." Seeing the blank looks, she elaborated. "Basically, the equivalent of somepony paintin' graffiti on a statue o' Princess Celestia."

"Oh," came the collective reply.

"Yeah, ah was a right li'l hellion. Anyways, back t' the seal. It also gave me an advanced healin' rate. One o' y'all could break mah leg, an' it'd be back t' normal in a week at most. Ah tell ya, that sure came in handy a few times."

"I can imagine, what with those mobs," Rarity muttered darkly.

Applejack nodded. "The last part o' the seal basically filters the Kyuubi's own energy into mine, meanin' my reserves will increase the longer ah live. In times o' trouble, though, ah can tap int' the Kyuubi's power directly for a boost in mah abilities. That's what happened earlier."

"So that's why you looked more… animal-like," Fluttershy mused. "The feeling I got from you, it was like you'd become one of the animals I look after."

"Guess that makes sense," Applejack nodded. "Ah'm drawin' on the fox's own power, so ah take on more animal qualities."

"So what was with the pain you showed after that?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack grimaced. "Well, thing is, the fox's power is dangerous t' mortals. Usin' it a little ain't so bad, but if ah use it too long or too often, it'll start t' hurt me, and that ain't something mah healin' factor can deal with easily. Ah got off lucky t'day."

Rainbow grimaced. "No kidding."

Then Shining Armor asked the question Applejack had been dreading. "So, if all that's true, why do you remember it? And why do you still have the Kyuubi within you?"

Applejack sighed. "It all started after this one disastrous mission. One of mah friends up and decided to defect ta an enemy village 'cause he thought Konoha was holdin' him back. Me an' four others were sent after him ta try and bring him back. We failed, and a few o' us barely survived."

Here, the farmpony's eyes grew stormy. "An' while ah was recoverin' in the hospital, ah got some really unpleasant news…"

~~~~~

"Ehhh?!" Naruto exclaimed, staring at the two older people. "Whaddya mean, banished?!"

"Exactly what we said," Koharu, one of the Hokage's advisors stated. "By order of the Council, you are stripped of your rank of Genin, and of your citizenship of Konohagakure no Sato. You have one day to make your arrangements before you must leave. If you fail to comply, you will be escorted out of the village by force."

Naruto stared at the old woman as though she'd grown a second head. Slowly, he turned to regard the other woman in the room. "Baa-chan, tell me this is a joke!"

Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, looked to be no more pleased than Naruto. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but it was a decree signed by all of the present council members. My hands are tied, here." She glared at Koharu and Homura, the other advisor. "Though I'll be working on rescinding the order as soon as I possibly can."

"We merely did this for the safety of the village, Tsunade," Homura attempted to placate the woman's ire.

He failed, miserably. "So you banish one of the most loyal ninja we have?" Tsunade growled. "You realize once I bring this up to the Shinobi council, the civilian council is going to be in hot water?"

"So long as he's away from the village, Akatsuki won't target us," Koharu said.

Naruto glared. The mention of Akatsuki, the organization that was after the Kyuubi, got his dander up. "So you're banishing me because I'm a target?! What the hell kinda sense does that make?!"

"Enough!" Homura snapped. "You have one day, Uzumaki. Make the most of it." With that, the two advisors left the room, a fuming Tsunade right behind them. Back in the room, Naruto growled in annoyance, before hopping out of the window.

~~~~~

"Now, ah was naïve t' a lot o' things, but ah wasn't dumb, contrary ta popular belief. Ah knew that word of mah impendin' exile would spread quickly, and that the more hateful villagers would take advantage of it. Ah went ta mah apartment, ta try and salvage what ah could from it. But, ah got there too late. A mob had already raided the place, leavin' nothin' behind fer me. So ah was forced t' leave the village with nuthin' but the clothes on mah back. And it was while ah was alone in th' wilderness that ah got 'help' from the most unlikely of places…"

~~~~~

Naruto lay panting beside a stream. He didn't know how long he'd been running, nor did he care. All he knew was that he was far away from Konoha, alone, with nothing but the clothes on his back and the wounds from his battle with Sasuke. "Dammit! Why do those retards think that sending me away is a GOOD thing?! Are they hoping I'll die out here?!"

He wasn't expecting a response, so he was understandably startled when he got one. <I'd say that's an accurate guess, kit.>

Naruto blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Dumb fox… you're the real reason I'm out here, aren't you?"

<Indirectly,> replied the Kyuubi. <It's not so much me, as it is those apes' fear of me. They fear you because you can access my power.> There was a mental snort. <And yet even with my power, you were unable to subdue the traitor. What a disappointment.>

Naruto growled. "Hey! Sasuke-teme cheated. That frickin' cursed seal gave him one hell of a power boost."

<Which can be traced back to the snake, Orochimaru. To think that one tail's worth of power wasn't enough to best something a mortal came up with… that galls me.> There was a pause. <So, what now, kit? Where will you go, now that Konoha's gates are barred to you?>

Naruto's anger faded into depression. "I don't know. Maybe I could try going to Suna… maybe Gaara would take me in."

<And face as much discrimination as you did in Konoha? Be reasonable kit. Like it or lump it, the fossils did have a point. By staying in the village, you made it a target for the Akatsuki. But being out in the wilderness won't do you any good, either.>

"So what do I do, fox?" Naruto barely realized he was actually asking a sincere question to the demon.

<… As it happens, I have a way for you to remain outside the village AND beyond the Akatsuki's reach. However, the odds of you seeing the village again – or, indeed, anyone from this world – are very low. You'll have to give up this life of yours. Are you willing to make such a sacrifice?>

Naruto considered. It wasn't ideal, seeing as he had ambitions of becoming the Hokage. However, as things were, his dream wasn't likely to happen. He sighed. "I'm willing, fox. If protecting the village means staying away from it, I'll do it."

There was a sense of satisfaction from the fox. <Excellent. Now, you recall the handseals used in ninjustu, correct?>

Naruto snorted. "Duh. I just don't use them that often, because I'm so awesome!"

There was an odd sound, like something padded colliding with something furry. <Incorrigible kit… I'm going to tell you a pattern of seals, and I want you to repeat them until you've memorized them.> The Kyuubi then listed the seals in question, being slow and methodical so Naruto could keep up. Once it was satisfied he'd memorized them, it continued. <Now, I'm going to lend you a bit of my power. You'll need it for this technique.>

Naruto felt the now-familiar power of the Kyuubi coursing through him. He struggled to maintain his composure, and began the seal pattern. The moment he was finished with the last seal, a small red beam of light shot out from his hands. The beam seemed to split the very air, forming what appeared to be a red whirlpool, floating vertically in midair. Naruto stared at it. "Lemme guess. I gotta jump in that?"

<He can be taught,> snarked the Kyuubi. <Yes, that is your path out of this dimension. But be warned. Going through there means you will leave this life behind, literally. You will be given a new body and a new life on the other side. Knowing that, are you still sure you can go through with this?>

The boy felt a moment of uncertainty, but quickly squashed it. "I said I'd do this to protect the village, fox. And I meant it." He stepped towards the portal.

"Naruto!" a voice called out to him. Spinning around, he saw a man with long, wild white hair and a unique forehead-protector jump into the clearing. The man wore red geta on his feet, a green outfit under a red coat, and carried a scroll on his back. "There you are! I was wondering…" the man trailed off as he saw the portal behind Naruto.

"Ero-sennin, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Konoha, shook his head a little. "I'm here to make sure you're okay, kid. Tsunade asked me to take care of you while she works on getting that stupid order rescinded. I was planning on taking you on a training journey in the meantime."

Naruto sighed sadly. "What's the point? Even if I do go on that trip, it won't help the villagers' attitude towards me. The old man got enough flak from the village about me, and baa-chan doesn't deserve it. So, I'm just going to do what they want; stay away from the village." His mouth quirked into a smirk. "But I'm not going to let those red-cloud bastards get me, either. The fox offered me a way out, and I'm going to take it."

"Naruto, you can't trust the Kyuubi!" Jiraiya protested, stunned at this revelation.

"Can't trust the village, either," the blonde retorted. "They banished me because I failed to bring back Sasuke, not just because I'm a target of the Akatsuki. So, if I put myself beyond either of their reaches, I figure they'll be happy." He turned around, heading for the portal.

"Naruto, I – " Jiraiya was cut off.

"Jiraiya," Naruto said, addressing the man by his name for the first time since meeting him. "Tell the others… it was fun while it lasted." With that, Naruto dove into the portal. The last thing he heard was Jiraiya calling his name in a panic.

Then, oblivion.

~~~~~

"When ah got mah senses back, ah was in mah mom's arms in Ponyville General Hospital," Applejack finished. "Th' rest is pretty much history. Ah grew up on th' farm, 'cept fer a brief stint in Manehattan." She smiled warmly. "An' ah ain't never been happier."

There was silence from around the table. Then Rainbow Dash broke it. "So… you used to be a guy?"

Several facehoofs followed that statement. "Dashie, AJ just got finished telling us she used to be a super-duper soldier from another world, and the first thing you're curious about is that she used to be a boy?" Pinkie asked, sounded disbelieving.

"Well, yeah!" the prismatic pegasus said defensively. "I mean, does that… well, is she interested in…?"

Applejack picked up on what Rainbow was trying to say, and laughed. "Rainbow, ah assure ya, ah ain't no filly-fooler. Ah may have been a guy, interested in girls, but ah was born an' raised a filly in this life."

Rainbow sighed, looking relieved. "Okay, I was just worried you may have been my friend for… other reasons."

"Rainbow!" exclaimed Twilight. "There's more important things to worry about!" She looked at the farmpony. "AJ, I can't even begin to imagine how much it hurt you to leave everything you knew and loved behind. I'm sorry for your loss."

Applejack shook her head. "Don't be. Ah've come t' terms with it mahself. 'Sfar as ah'm concerned, Naruto Uzumaki died that day. Ah'm just Applejack."

"Tis not so simple to dismiss such things, dear Applejack," Luna protested. "This was who thou once were, not some dream or some such. To deny such a thing would be… dishonest, would it not?"

The bearer of Honesty flinched at the rebuke. "Ah… ah realize that, yer Highness. But… but when ah try t' imagine mahself as both Applejack an' Naruto… ah get scared. Scared that ah ain't a real pony… that ah'm a fake." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she buried her face in her forelegs. "That ah've been livin' a lie…"

Her friends looked at each other, startled by the admission of fear. Then Princess Celestia spoke for the first time. "I understand your fears, Applejack. But let me assure you, they are unfounded."

Applejack looked up, surprised. "Huh?"

Celestia smiled warmly. "If there was ever any doubt that you were truly one of my little ponies, it was dispelled when you were able to access the Elements of Harmony along with your friends to return my sister to me. It doesn't matter who you once were. What matters is that you helped give me back my little sister. Can you honestly tell me that, were you Naruto rather than Applejack, you wouldn't have done the same?"

Applejack had a sudden vision of a town left impoverished due to a tyrannical shipping magnate. The image was replaced by a red-haired boy with the kanji for 'love' on his forehead. She smiled wryly. "Nah, ah can't, yer highness. Ah was a bleedin' heart as Naruto, an' ah guess ah still am t'day."

Rarity smirked. "And here I thought I was the bearer of Generosity."

"Anypony can be generous, Rarity," the earth pony retorted. Then she glanced askance at the alabaster unicorn. "Speakin' loosely o' which, ah believe it's yer turn t' do some 'splainin'."

Author's Note:

Take what you know of Naruto canon past the Sasuke Retrieval arc, and toss it out the window. I diverge from canon there, in case it wasn't obvious.

Comments

[bonsey]

Did you really have to use the fanon powerless Hokage/civilian mob/all-powerful Council?

[Leo Archon]

1786872 I prefer not to think of Konoha as a militant dictatorship where the Hokage has all the power. At least, not all the time. In times of war, that style works. But in times of relative peace, such as the period when Sasuke defected from Konoha, it makes more sense that a military leader's power be limited by a council of sorts. A council that, if they all unanimously agree on something, can't be easily overturned. Given that different people have different viewpoints, it's rare that a unanimous decision is reached. In the story here, Koharu and Homura cheated a little, using only the civilian half of the council to make the vote. Rest assured, when the shinobi half learns that they were undermined in this instance, they're not going to be happy, just like Tsunade isn't.

As for the mobs... Naruto's past is never explicitly described, hence why so many authors (including myself) tend to depict him as being abused to a degree. Note that I said he hid in the Hokage's office after the first time, and that it was only once a year.

[suijin228]

alright then, now that we've got that back story out of the way, let's hear about Vergil and what he's been up to since DMC3. Amazing job, keep goin and stay golden^^

[xbox432]

Nice one RD, now we just gotta know how YOU feel about AJ maybe liking mares. Next up is Rarity, I can't wait to see how you spin her story.

[Dirty Bit]

Hm, bravo...Even I didn't expect this kind of backstory. Granted, I have a hand in this, but a part of me thought it would've been post time-skip Naruto.

[Leo Archon]

1791335 I'm not familiar enough with post-time skip Naruto to find an effective point to drop him into Equestria. Besides, by that point, the village's opinion of him had shifted, and he wasn't as much of a pariah.

[Dirty Bit]

1791366 True that. Good on ya, nonetheless

[Nealend86]

1788569 We know what he was up to after DMC 3, he got brainwashed by Mundus and turned into Nelo Angelo. Then Dante killed him in Devil may Cry 1. The trip from there to Equestria is where the story lies.

[Leo Archon]

1968568 The point I was making was that I was too unfamiliar with post-time-skip Naruto (the series itself, not just the character) to find a suitable point to drop him into Equestria.

[Leo Archon]

1968682 Thank you for the suggestion, but it was never my intention to drop OP Naruto into Equestria. Also, part of my intention in writing this is to rewrite Shippuden, so it wouldn't have made sense to do the shift post-time-skip.

[Leo Archon]

1968828 Alright, let me clear something up: I was making factual statements myself. The fact of the matter is, I myself am not familiar with post-time-skip Naruto. When you listed a place that would make a good place to drop post-time-skip Naruto into Equestria, it sounded like a suggestion (intent is hard to convey through text, you understand). For what I have planned, though, post-time-skip Naruto just wouldn't work. So, can we move on?

[Dirty Bit]

Neat! I'm digging the new cover art for this thing

[Pai]

Rather fun read so far.

Would be damn amusing if an over powered applejack got summoned back to Kanoha some time. Smash a few faces, jump back home.

[SCP Pinkamena]

A Naruto and Devil May Cry (More specifically Vergil) Cross over? coolio

[SHMANDER]

is this fic dead..... I don't want it to be dead, I like it.

[Drago Blade Maine]

I have one question how much control dose AJ have with the nine tail's power?
Dose she have full control over it or is it up to a certain point?