(Everfree Forest)
(A week later: Morning)
Zeko was visiting Zecora’s hut and telling her what he knew about his world’s medical techniques and mixing reagents. “I have some seeds in my pouch, you can have them, they grow best in dry air but work well with remedies.” He said, handing her a bag of seeds.
“Thank you for the gift. Now I must ask are there any crafts you know for offense?” Zecora asked since she wanted to know if her life in the forest could be made easier by learning the techniques the shinobi demonstrated. But her mood changed when he simply responded with a head shake.
“I can tell you want to learn how to do what I can but since I don’t fully understand the energy the inhabitants of this world have... I’m not sure you can replicate my ninjutsu.”
“I see, well disappointed I’ll not be. While flashy moves I can’t excel at, could you teach me more close combat?” The zebra asked in her natural manner which made Zeko drop his eyelids to show he was annoyed. “I recall you don’t like this manner of speak at all. I assume we shall begin a lesson in fighting soon?” She asked while chuckling, knowing she was irritating her soon to be mentor.
“Yes, our training will start in a few minutes when we find the desert I made. We can spar without any other creatures showing up.” He got up and walked to the door and held it open for Zecora who was processing what he said.
“You created the field of sand that lies within these green lands?” She asked not caring about her rhyming which didn’t disturb her friend since he expected this reaction
“I did. It wasn’t too tough, there’s s lot more rocks in the soil than I figured so I had material to work with.” The shinobi explained to a shocked zebra before they continued their walk to said field, which was only a few minutes away. Once the two were there Zeko put Samehada down and got into a fighting stance which Zecora did as well. “Ok so I want you to come at me hand to hand.” At this Zecora raised an eyebrow. “Any weapon can be flawed or disarmed from you, so learning how to use your hands to fight is what you should master before a weapon.” The shinobi explained.
The two stood still waiting for a signal to begin the spar when Zeko suddenly turned to sand and appeared behind the zebra to deliver a kick to her side but she narrowly dodged and tried to counter with a double axe handle but Zeko exploited the opening and punched her in the stomach. “Don’t leave yourself so open! That could’ve meant your death!” He exclaimed with crossed arms while looking down to the herbalist struggling to take deep breaths.
“That...was quite a hit... to put... me in a fit.” She managed to get out between breaths but looked to see a hand in front of her which she struggled to reach but was guided up by it and had another press into her stomach earning a slight blush with some pain.
“I still don’t like having to do this on myself, much less others.” Zeko said as Zecora began to notice a green energy leaving his hand and the pain she felt was subsiding. “It’s a simple jutsu, but the control it takes is why I don’t like doing it.” He finished the healing technique and Zecora looked somewhat surprised.
“How have you healed me so much, with only the slightest touch?” She asked in her native manner. Zeko simply held up a hand which he coated with lightning style chakra, earning a gasp from Zecora.
“Focusing my chakra allows me to access different jutsu such as the chidori.” He said while letting the zebra examine his hand from a safe distance. “The piercing power my hand has with this is incredible which is why I got through the Cragadile‘s skin.”
“If it simply needs you to focus your energy, could it be taught to one like me?” The herbalist asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zeko thought to himself, trying to figure out if he could teach these ponies how to focus their energy in the same way he can. “I’m pretty good at controlling my chakra, my moves are devastating but the ponies here are pretty peaceful from what I’ve seen. Maybe I could stick with teaching medical jutsu...” He came back to his senses when Zecora tapped his shoulder and pointed to a pair of kids running. “What are they doing here? Isn’t this forest dangerous?”
“I cannot say, but if they are running then danger is not far away.” She said before turning to go back to her hut but was stopped by Zeko grabbing her hand and giving her some of his chakra piercings. “Why have you given me this, was this some form of tryst?” She asked with a slight blush.
“No it’s a gift, if you use these we can connect mentally and I can let you use one of the paths. I’ve decided you should be the animal path since you know the creatures in this forest so well.” He said before running off in the direction the kids went.
“Again I am curious, but I see how he places trust.” The Zebra said to herself before continuing back to her home.
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(Ponyville)
(A few minutes later)
A blue mare was standing at the foot of a large, astral bear and was quivering in fear while the two kids Zeko had seen earlier were cheering her on. “You can do it Trixie.” The shorter more round blue grey boy said while his taller friend nodded in agreement. The mare stepped forward and cast a spell that caused a rope to emerge from a vase and wrap around two of the bear’s digits, before it quickly snapped them. She tried again and formed a small stormcloud that sent a bolt of lightning at the bear which only enraged it forcing the trio to run.
Zeko had seen this and ran after the bear while it chased them. “Is every problem attracted to this area?” He thought while the bear ran to the town center where the citizens were panicking from its arrival. “Wind Style: Air Bullet!” The shinobi said while breathing in and then launched a projectile of air at the bear. The bear was knocked back and looked at Zeko angrily before roaring and lunging at him, the bear only ended up with a paw of sand and was confused.
“Zeko!” He heard Twilight call from behind him. “How did that Ursa get here?”
“I don’t know I just got here and I saw it chasing somebody so I followed it.”
“We brought it here!” The pair of unicorns said which made the older trio glare at them.
“We’ll come back to that, but I can take care of this no problem.” He said before bringing his hands together and closing his eyes. “I hope that just having some of Shukaku’s chakra let’s me do this.” He thought while Spike looked at Twilight and made gestures showing that she should help, earning a nod from her.
“Zeko, what’s your plan?” She asked the teenager who was focused intensely.
“I was just going to subdue it while you put it to sleep.” He answered matter-of- factly as the ground started to rumble and the Ursa looked back and saw its target and started towards him but was stopped by monstrous arms of sand sprouting out and grabbing its legs. “The time is now Twilight!” He said while straining.
Twilight casted a spell that caused cattails to bend and form tunes of music, then she emptied a water tower and filled it with cow milk and gave it to the Ursa that Zeko started levitating after the music was being played. The two then caused it to float off into the Everfree which made the townsfolk cheer for them.
“That was amazing you two!” Spike said
“We knew you both had skill but not that much.” Applejack said in surprise.
“Please don’t hate me.” Twilight said which made her friends all exclaim; “Hate you?”
“Why would they hate you? You’re a good friend to them.” The shinobi reminded her of her standing with them.
“Well there was this mare, Trixie who was showing off her tricks and I thought-“
“Magic’s has nothing to do with it, Trixie’s just a loudmouth.” The others agreed with this.
“Having your power is what makes you who you are, you shouldn’t feel ashamed at that.” Zeko said which made the Mane six raise their eyebrows at the fact that a trained fighter could be so inspiring.
“So does this mean you can actually vanquish an Ursa Major?” Spike asked making Twilight shake her head.
“That wasn’t an Ursa Major, it was an Ursa Minor. It was a baby.” She answered causing the drake to get more concerned.
“If that was just a baby, then what’s an Ursa Major like?” He said wide eyed.
“You don’t want to know.” The librarian said while looking upwards.
“Well you may have vanquished an Ursa Minor but you will never compare to the great and powerful Trixie!” Trixie said before throwing down a smoke bomb and running off.
“More like great and expanding ego.” Zeko said making everyone laugh before he turned to the unicorn pair. “And as for you two, Twilight what should their punishment be?”
“Well first they should clean up this mess and Spike, number twenty five?” She asked which got a nod from the drake. Her horn glowed and mustaches appeared on the three boys faces.
“Wait a damn second, they endanger the lives of everyone who lives in this town and get mustaches? It’s obvious you don’t know anything about discipline.” He said while pulling out his gourd and taking the top half off revealing water.
“Uh hang on, what are you doing?” Rainbow Dash questioned while they all watched Zeko jump about one hundred feet back.
“I’m teaching these two a life lesson, water style: great shark bullet!” A giant shark made of water formed from the urn and surrounded Zeko, it then sped to the unicorn pair.
“NO STOP!”
“THEY LEARNED THEIR LESSON.” Some in the crowd yelled but they realized how serious this was and gave the boys a wide berth and watched the oncoming attack. The two held each other and shut their eyes as it nearly hit but it dissipated into a flying puddle that struck them and matted their fur to their bodies making them shake from the cold rather than fear.
“That’s how you teach kids that something doesn’t get done again.” Zeko said with his arms crossed looking to Twilight while Spike and Rainbow Dash laughed, which caused the crowd to join in.
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