//------------------------------// // The Greatest Gift: The Gift of Family Part:1 // Story: Sunset in the leaves // by Vansho-Lakon //------------------------------// "We're kinda alike in many ways, aren't we? It's almost like I'm talking to my past self, ya know?"Kushina said. "You really think so?" Sunset bashfully asked. "Absolutely! And I'm not just talking about our red hair either." "I doubt you did anything as bad as I did," Sunset said turning her head away in shame. "Oh really? I wasn't just known as the Red Hannya, you know. I was also known as the pranking queen of the Hidden Leaf Academy," Kushina said as she brought up a picture on her phone and showed it to Sunset. "You graffitied the front of your entire school?" Sunset asked looking at the picture in surprise. "Single handily, might I add. And in one night to boot," Kushina said proudly. "At least you aren't known as a vile she-demon," Sunset said "I got the title of Red Hannya because I used to beat the tar out of people that made fun or tried to bully me, with my hair wildly whipping around and the scary look on my face when I got angry. Also, the last I checked, Hannya's are considered demons. So yeah, I know what it's like to be known as a she-demon." "I was a horrible person Kushina-" "You're not that person anymore Sunset. I can see it," Kushina said. "One does not become a champion kickboxer without being able to read people. And I don't see a she-demon. I see a strong and sweet young woman who needs the help of someone who will be there for her. Your past is not today, Sunset Shimmer. You can forge a better tomorrow. My family and I will help you form that path alongside you. That is if you'll let us." Sunset began to tear up, Kushina placed a hand on Sunset shoulder. It's also okay Sunset. Even the strongest of people cry from time to time." Kushina said with a gentle smile embracing Sunset into a hug. 'This warmth, I haven't felt this since I was a filly,'Sunset thought to herself. CHS "I'm sure the police would love to hear you blab about how much of an asshole you are Mitsuki. But I'm getting sick of it," Naruto said while placing a makeshift gag of an old dirty sock and duct tape around the tied up Mizuki's mouth. "Care to explain why you're not at school Naruto?" Minato asked his son with his arms crossed. "Um... well-" He was then cut off by a lavender-skinned princess. "Will someone please tell me what is going on here!?" Twilight shouted in frustration. "First off, who are you two and how do you know Sunset?" She asked while pointing at the two blonds. "I am Principal Minato of the Hidden leaf Academy," The older blonde introduced. "And this is my son Naruto." "I'm Grubber in case you wanted to know," the pudgy teen introduced himself. "And before we talk about Sunset, can you at least tell us your name?" Naruto asked. While he had a hunch about who this girl is, he wanted to know who she was for sure. She blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I'm Sunset Shimmers friend." "I thought so, she told me about you. I just had to be sure if it was you or not," Naruto said. As the three were talking, the Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie walked down the street and saw them. "It's that damn blond and Twilight... fuck." Said Rainbow Dash, knowing what was probably going to happen. Twilight turned and saw the girls, and became furious. She stomped her way over to them and went off on them. "I trusted you girls, and you betrayed Sunset. You betrayed me. Did we mean nothing to you, even after all that we did?!" Twilight asked only to receive silence in response. "ANSWER ME DAMNIT!" "We don't have an answer darling," Rarity said looking away in shame. "And you!" Twilight shouted while giving Rainbow a slap that sounded like a clap of thunder on impact. "How dare you try to get Sunset killed! Had I known this would've happened, I would've gladly brought Sunset back to Equestria. Naruto's right. You're all worse than trash," She spat turning away from them. As Twilight went back over to the three that stood off to the side, Naruto spoke up and said "Come on Twilight, I'll take you to see her. And I'm sure she'll be happy to see the face of a real friend." "You do know that I am the guy driving, right?" Grubber remarked. HLA "And that's everything I know," Sakura finished, telling them everything that Sunset had told her. "Damn, I may have done some rotten things back when I was a member of the Sound Five gang, but even I think that was too much," Tayuya said while remembering her troublemaking day's. Cruel pranks, vandalism, stealing, and the skirt incident from the last Friendship Games. If it weren't for her stubborn cousin and her friend Kin, she was sure she would have ended up in prison, or worse. 'I guess even harmony can be fooled if all it took was a few posts online to break their "unbreakable" bond. Perhaps she was just a means to an end for them, and nothing more,' thought Adagio. "Wow, no wonder you and your sisters left that place. If they're willing to do something this horrible to someone, then why is anyone there at all?" The bun-haired girl said to Adagio. "Who knows? Anyways, I just hope your sister Aria is safe wherever she is," "Aria..." Sonata said sadly while looking down at the floor, remembering her sister and how they got separated from her during the aftermath of the Battle of the Bands. "We kinda brought it on to ourselves Tenten," Adagio said somberly "Like Tayuya here, we have our own collection of wrongdoings." 'A thousand years worth of them to be precise,' she mentally added. "Sounds like this Sunset girl should've opened up her eyes to the truth about those so-called friends of hers a long time ago. But it seems she had to learn the hard way like me," said a girl with teal eyes with a scar over her left eye, and a cherry-red mohawk. "The difference between a real friend and a false one." "That's a bit harsh, don't ya think Tempest?" Tenten asked. She shrugged her shoulders in response. "So is life," she replied, then glanced at her artificial right arm. Uzumaki residence "I'll let two have some alone time together. Feel free to call me if you need anything, okay?" Kushina said. The two girls nodded, and she then closed the door behind her. "Sunset, I'm so sorry!" She cried while wrapping her friend in a hug. "I should have been there for you sooner," Twilight sobbed into her friend's chest. Sunset grimaced a bit from her shirt being soaked in Twilight's tears. "You didn't know this would happen Twilight. Neither of us knew things would escalate like this," Sunset said calmingly. "I could have lost you! And it would've been my fault for being naive about a world I know so little about." Twilight said holding on to Sunset like she was going to disappear. "You can come back... to Equestria with me. You can stay with me if you want." "I'm sorry Twilight," Sunset said breaking apart from the hug. "But I've made my mind about this since before we met, I'm staying. And nothing can change that until I decide otherwise." "But why? Even after everything that has happened, why do you still want to stay?" "This world has good in it Twilight. Even when there doesn't seem like there is any. It's because there's good in this world that I'm still alive." Sunset answered. Twilight was then proceeding all fo this through her head before her mind came up with a reason why. "There's more too it than that, isn't there?" Twilight asked. "It's Princess Celestia, isn't it?" Sunset nodded her head, "Our relationship was a bit more than just student and teacher Twilight." "Wait, you don't mean what I think you mean do you?" Twilight asked in shock. "Yeah. I am the failed self-exiled daughter of royalty," Sunset said sadly. "Desperate for love from a mother that only saw her child as a student. And I fell into a pit of despair, desperately trying to get her to love me. All the way to the point that I became a power-hungry brat consumed by darkness and hate until you came along and blasted some sense into me. She explained. "First with Celestia, then with the people I thought were my closest friends. Maybe I'm just destined never to have a family, she said with reminiscence. "Anyways, thanks for at least hearing me out Twilight. It feels good to finally get something off of my chest." "Anytime Sunset. You may not think you have a family, but I consider you to be like a sister to me. I just wish I could be there for you more." Twilight then looked at Naruto, who was sitting in the corner of the room, listening intently. "Naruto, you and your friends have my deepest thanks for saving Sunset and being there for her when I couldn't be. It's because of your actions that I am trusting you with a crucial task. I need you to protect her. I need you to help guide her when I can't, and I need you to not just to be her friend, but her true friend." He smiled and put his thumb up to his chest. "It's a promise! A promise of a lifetime! I'll keep her safe and be there for her no matter what!" Naruto declared. Twilight smiled lightly after hearing that. But then her face became serious. "Don't let my trust be in vain Naruto. So if you turn your back on her like they did, I'll never forgive you," Twilight warned. "I never go back on my word. That's my code and way of life," Naruto replied. "You say the apartment she lived in was vandalized too?" Kushina asked. "She just can't catch a break, can she?" 'This Anon-a-Miss and those monsters that hurt her, I hope they all rot in hell for what they've done.' "From what I was told by Itachi and Shisui, yes. Apparently, there was a group there waiting for her in case the trap the group set up failed. They got fed up with waiting and destroyed pretty much everything," Mikoto said. "Except for the things she had in her school locker. The poor girl has nothing left," Minato said sadly. "The type of gift Sunset Shimmer needs isn't one that can be found under a tree," Kushina said. "And we are going to give her that gift." "That's a bit sudden, don't ya think dear?" Minato asked, understanding what his wife was getting at. "Uzumaki intuition?" Mikoto asked, remembering about her friend's keen intuition that ran in her family. "Something like that," Kushina replied. "That, and it's almost Christmas. Sunset deserves it after all she's been through." Equestria,Ponyville "Today has been one heck of a day, huh?" Spike somberly said. "That it has Spike. I just have a whole lot to take in right now," Twilight replied. Her thoughts were suddenly drifting to the young blonde she met. The look in his eyes when he made his promise. The honesty in those eyes rivaled even her friend Applejack. It gave Twilight hope that she left Sunset in the right hands this time. Human world: Solei Residence "I thought those feelings were long gone. But seeing him again after so long, it's like they never left," Celestia said to herself looking at an old photo of herself and Minato, wondering what their life could have been like if he hadn't moved away. "Kushina is the luckiest woman in the world to have you," she murmured. "Tia, are you alright?" Her sister Luna asked her, worried about her well-being. Celestia sighed in lightly before answering her. "I'm' alright Luna, just reminiscing a bit is all." "It's Minato isn't it?"Luna asked noticing the photo she held in her hand. And without her sister even saying anything, Luna knew exactly what was going on in that head of hers. She knew firsthand how much Celestia loved Minato. And it hurt her a little seeing Celestia going through the pain like this again.