//------------------------------// // Arc 2 Finale: Ticket Master // Story: Ring eyed Shinobi // by Seeker Of Knowledge //------------------------------// (Zeko’s Mind) (1 hour before sunrise) Zeko was sitting on the black swirled water again thinking out loud. “So the animal path is pretty simple, I just need more animals for offensive purposes. But more importantly how did I hear Kotetsu’s voice when I fought that Cragadile?” The teenager pondered. “Young one.” Another familiar voice called out to the previously meditating shinobi. “Was that Luna? No it couldn’t be, jutsu that read minds are kekkei genkai and from what I’ve seen there aren’t any bloodline specific jutsu.” He thought to himself before the Princess of the night appeared in front of him causing him to jump back and prepare a rasengan. “Calm yourself Zeko, We have no ill intent. We simply wished to see thine dream as it was greatly different than all others.” Luna said with one hand raised in front of her. “How are you in my mind? And why are you in my mind?” “I am the ruler of the night and as such the ruler of the dream realm I am able to enter dreams to aid my subjects. As for why I have entered yours, thou has a strange energy that protects thine mind and my efforts were greatly halted.” She said bringing a hand to her chin with an inquisitive look that Zeko took as a chance to explain. “Well my Rinnegan gives me multiple abilities and one of them is protecting my mind from techniques that would invade it, I’m not immune to them but they have to be very powerful to work efficiently.” He said while pointing to his eye. “There isn’t much in my dream anyway, it used to be a desert or a mountain but now it’s this pool of water.” He featured to the water he was standing on and noticed that Luna was hovering above it but paid no mind. “Well you seem to have control over yourself yet your location is forced since We are unable to change it.” Luna stated while trying to use her magic to alter the dream to no avail. “I suppose We shall depart, there are still others whom require our aid.” “Alright, good luck with that.” Zeko said before resuming his meditation while Luna flew through a passage she created to exit the dream. ============================== (Canterlot Castle) (Sunrise) Zeko was being led down a hall by the guard from yesterday and had come to a pair of doors which the guard had opened revealing a dining hall where Celestia was along with different nobles than yesterday. “My dear Princess I believe that raising the tax would truly prove beneficial to my sta-your subjects and their everyday lives.” A large stallion with a suit said while rudely talking with a full mouth. “I’ve told you before Mister Wad that the tax is fine as it is and that I won’t put financial stress on the less fortunate.” Celestia said in a calm tone before noticing her guest. “Ah Zeko, you’ve joined us for breakfast.” The nobles looked at the teenager with either apathy, disgust or in one case admiration. “Princess I would hope you haven’t decided to allow a hairless monkey into your guard.” Wad said with an eyebrow raised. “I’m not a monkey and I’m not in the guard, if anything I could lead the guard.” Zeko said trying to stay calm in the presence of Celestia. “That’s almost as rich as me! How could a creature like you hope to lead the guard?” Wad said while chuckling to himself allowing Zeko to see the rolls of fat on his neck jiggle. “I remember you.” The mare who was admiring Zeko broke the obnoxious stallion’s laughter. “You bested Captain Shining Armor in combat!” She exclaimed causing the nobles to look at Zeko with disbelief. “That can’t be.” “That weapon is larger than him, he couldn’t use it.” “A child beating the Captain? Absurd.” They muttered among themselves while Celestia chuckled to herself. “This could be fun.” She thought while Zeko took the seat next to her making some of the nobles gasp in shock while the noble mare gave a slight smirk. “I suppose he is not a guard, but more so a pet the Princess desires. I agree in theory but it’s not the most appealing one.” Wad said in a tone that Zeko recognized as condescending but more towards the Princess than him. “You know disrespecting the Princess like that isn’t a smart thing to do when I’m around.” Zeko said which made Wad open his eyes in surprise and the other nobles raised eyebrows. “What do you mean? How has he disrespected me?” Celestia asked knowing what the shinobi meant but wanted to know how he picked up on the tone. “I know how the higher class acts and I’ve learned hidden meanings. He’s already mad at the fact that I’m here but he also thinks you’ve lost your touch in allowing me here.” Zeko said which surprised Celestia and caused Wad to start sweating. “That’s utter nonsense, an-and how would this creature know anything about the upper class? He’s just some brute.” Wad said defensively. “I am nobility, thanks to my eye.” He said while pointing to his Rinnegan which made the nobles mutter again and the mare’s eyes practically shone with admiration. “When you have godly power at your fingertips you and your family don’t stay as commoners.” The nobles were speechless at this and Celestia even looked shocked. “Well Large Wad I believe that we’ve all had enough conversing for today and we should continue our meal.” The Princess of the day said while the stallion in question looked like a fish out of water. “I was just here as a formality, I prefer not to have anyone I can’t see prepare my food.” The shinobi said as he excused himself from the table which left Large Wad sputtering. “Wha-how dare yo-you can’t just...” he rambled on but his words fell on deaf ears as Zeko continued walking but was stopped by the Princess of the day. “Wait, I would like to give you an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala that will be held in a few months.” Celestia said while levitating a golden ticket to Zeko who grabbed it with sand and stored it into his pouch. “I hope you attend, I should also send one to Twilight Sparkle. In case she hasn’t told you, she is my number one student.” Zeko blinked twice before thinking to himself; “That’s gotta be why she was so concerned about watching me. The Princess seems pretty collected so it wasn’t out of fear of repercussion, it was a fear of disappointment.” The nobles were speechless about how someone who knew their ruler for so little time had managed to earn her favor. “Well thanks, I’m gonna head back to...Ponyville... seriously who thought of these names?” The shinobi walked to the balcony and jumped onto a platform of sand and floated off. “I’ll find out more about you...” One of the nobles thought as the others continued with breakfast, although with less conversation than before. ============================== (Ponyville) (Town Square) Twilight was currently curled into a ball on the ground listening to the reasons her friends are giving to be her plus one to the Gala which lead to her yelling; “QUIET!” “And I said ‘oatmeal what are you craz-‘ oh.” Pinkie finished her unrelated statement as the others looked back at Twilight. “Girls, there’s no use in arguing.” “But Twilight...” Rarity tried to complain but was cut off by her friend. “No, this is my decision and I’m gonna make it on my own and I certainly can’t think straight with all this noise.” The studious mare was stopped by her stomach rumbling. “Not to mention hunger. Now go on, shoo!” She said making her friends walk away while muttering to themselves. “And don’t worry, I’ll figure this out!” “Figure what out?” Zeko asked making Twilight jump and hold her chest from surprise. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, how did you sneak up on me?” The mare asked, controlling her breathing. “I am a ninja so stealth is a second nature when I need it. Samehada does make it look like I just blitz in but I can do both, so what do you have to figure out?” The shinobi questioned after Twilight had calmed down and shook her head to focus again. “I have to figure out who I’m going to give my extra ticket for the Grand Galloping Gala... And now you’re going to ask me to give you it AAGH! Why does this keep happening?!” She screamed in frustration realizing that her dilemma would only get worse and worse. “Calm down, Celestia already gave me a ticket. No need to worry about me.” Zeko said trying to calm the panicking mare down which worked. “Well either way I need to get something to eat so I can think properly.” Twilight said while walking off with Spike right behind. “This really is an issue huh? Even by sacrificing her ticket there are still 3 left unsatisfied.” The shinobi thought to himself as he followed Twilight to a café and further saw her being torn by the need to decide even going so far as to yell at a waiter trying to take her order which was a daffodil sandwich. “Is that a sandwich made from flowers? And I thought I’d seen everything strange.” “This is a regular food for ponies, this isn’t what you eat in your world?” The librarian asked before noticing those around her ran inside. “Madam are you going to eat your food in the rain?” The waiter from earlier asked which left Twilight confused. “It’s not raining.” She responded before noticing the downpour that was surrounding her table and looked up at the clearing in the clouds and saw her rainbow haired friend. “Hey Twilight!” She yelled down ignoring the drake and Zeko. “Rainbow Dash... are you trying to do me favors to earn the extra ticket?” She asked quickly understanding her friend’s intentions. “She clearly is, she didn’t want to help the others running for cover. She’s just being self centered.” Zeko said with a joking tone that only Spike noticed. “Well I don’t want anypony doing me extra favors, ok?” Rainbow nodded and shut the hole in the clouds. “That’s much better.” She said before her sandwich was ruined by the rain. “You thought that through pretty well didn’t you?” The shinobi said while putting an umbrella of sand over the three of them. “Twilight, were you caught in the rain?” A voice that the group recognized as Rarity asked which made Twilight deadpan. “What gave it away?” The mare asked before being dragged into her friend’s boutique leaving Zeko alone since Spike went along. The teen wandered around for some time before noticing a crowd amassing around Twilight, trying to earn the ticket. “Saw this coming, might as well help.” Zeko said as he summoned the Cragadile which now had one large spike through its mouth but still was able to open it. “That’s something new.” He thought as he jumped on its back and went to the crowd. “CRAGADILE!” “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!” They yelled, not noticing the shinobi on its back, leaving Twilight and Spike to cower before the controlled reptile. “Spike stay behind me!” The librarian ordered before hearing a familiar chuckle. “Don’t worry he’s perfectly tame, not willingly but now it doesn’t matter.” Zeko stated while jumping from his pet which made Spike look in awe as Twilight tried to process how he could control something so dangerous. “Let’s get you to your house before you ask questions.” He floated them onto the Cragadile‘ snack with sand before going to her house. She and Spike put the candles out and shut the windows but they came back on revealing her other friends who started to swarm Twilight but were stopped by a barrier of sand. “I don’t think you all understand how you’ve been making her feel about wanting you all to be happy. You’ve just wanted to go for your own selfish reasons.” He said causing them to apologize “Thank you Zeko, and if my friends can’t go to the Gala then I won’t go either. Spike take a letter to the Prince-“ “Hang on.” Zeko interrupted. “Can’t you just ask Celestia for extra tickets?” He asked which made Twilight face palm. “Why didn’t I think of that?” She said as Spike sent a request for more tickets which was answered quickly and her friends got their invitations. “I’m just glad that I could let you all be happy.” Her moment was broken by her rumbling stomach. “What say we treat you to dinner?” Rarity asked. The 6 mares left the treehouse with Applejack trailing behind. “Why didn’t I get an invitation to the Gala?” Spike asked sadly before belching out a parchment with an invitation in it. “Guess she didn’t want you left out.” The shinobi said as Spike ran giddily from the library. “Now I should get my money from those nobles tomorrow...” He said as he left the library to get something to eat. Little did he know he was being watched from afar... ============================== (???) (Midnight:The night Zeko stayed at the castle) A hooded figure walks through an empty street, while carefully examining his surroundings to ensure that he wasn’t being followed. “It should be through this alleyway, then I look for the marked brick.” The figure said before turning left into an alley and walking down while observing the brick wall to his right. “There! That should be it.” The figure said while reaching out and pushing a brick that had a strange symbol on it which caused a mare wearing a skintight black bodysuit to open a hidden door and let him in. “I see you wish to hire us.” The mare said leading the hooded figure down a flight of stairs revealing a large room with multiple others dressed like the mare who were mixing plants together for potions or were reading books that the figure couldn’t make out. “Why do you require our services?” The mare asked trying to speak as few words as possible. “I need you to get some information on somepony. And report the information back to me constantly.” The figure said as they produced a pouch filled with bits and handed it to the mare. “I believe that should be enough payment.” “Who is the pony of interest? Or is it not a pony?” The mare asked. “He definitely is not a pony, here is a photograph I took.” The figure gave the mare a picture that revealed Zeko when he was talking to the Princesses. “I need you to find out as much as you can about him and I’ll make a final decision once you have.” The mare smirked understanding what her employer meant and shook his hand; “Well then we have an arrangement. You have the Red Claw as your ears, eyes, and weapon Mister Wad.” “Good.” He said smiling. =======