As Konan concentrates on understanding the ponies' conversation, Pain gives instructions.
"Okay, Akatsuki." He says, drawing attention to his subordinates. "We are going to stay here for a while. Since we don't fully trust these ponies, you will all share your rooms with your designated partners and stand guard in turn" The complaining do not take long to appear, as if they were a lot of children, Pain thinks irritably. An afterthought comes to him. "Zetsu, you still don't need to sleep like that?"
Zetsu is surprised, but seems to consider it. "I couldn't tell you, although I probably do need to sleep. I feel quite different." He says doubtfully. Black Zetsu replies: "That is just you, I am exactly the same. I know I won't need to sleep." "That is convenient."
Pain nods. If White Zetsu ends up falling asleep, Black Zetsu will be able to stand guard for him or even control his sleeping body, who knows.
Deidara mutters "What a freak."
"We're all freaks here," Kisame replies softly next to him, with a hint of amusement and something else. Deidara thinks about it for a moment, but makes a noise of agreement.
Pain turns to Konan, who is still divided into two places at once. Okay, she's used to so much more.
"What are they discussing?" he asks.
"They think we're dangerous," Konan says immediately. "They are especially worried about Hidan."
That is not a surprise, after the demonstration that he did.
"And what do they plan to do next?"
Konan remains silent for a few seconds before answering: "She only tells them that we are going to stay here as guests. It seems that she really intends to help us."
That is good. Pain is not sure if he trusts them, but if even in private she seems to intend to help them, he feels that he can relax a bit. But he will still take the precautions.
"Good."
"They're coming here," Konan warns.
———————
Kisame had many crazy days, but this one takes the crown.
Of course, he still hasn't gotten used to his four legs and his four-fingered hands, which are uncomfortable to walk with. His hooves feel like he's lost all of his toes and only stumps remain. He is not very happy with it. At least he still has hands, unlike all his companions.
Twilight is confused when Pain asks for five rooms instead of nine, but she seems to accept the explanation.
"We do not want to impose ourselves, and we are used to sleeping in pairs."
The rest of Akatsuki makes sure not to complain, knowing that they must not ruin their leader's lie. So they nod in agreement, leaving Twilight with no other choice.
Kisame understands why the others hate sleeping with their partners if the stories he hears are true. Like Kakuzu complaining that Hidan once tried to kill him while he slept and vice versa, or Deidara claiming to Tobi that he sometimes disappears during his guard shift, leaving him vulnerable.
Luckily, Kisame gets along quite well with Itachi and they've never had a problem, not with that kind of thing. So this will be just another night.
Everyone waits while the ponies prepare their rooms for them. It doesn't take long for Twilight to get mattresses for everyone, apparently for some high status in this world. Kisame doesn't care, he just wants to sleep.
Fortunately, when they arrived it was already sunset, so the night was not long in coming, allowing their hosts to leave them alone.
Kisame is the first to stand guard, as he usually is.
The night is calm, not a soul crosses the air. He can hear Itachi's labored breathing; that disease is getting worse and worse and Kisame can't help the worry growing inside him. Itachi, one of the most talented and powerful shinobi in the world, would meet the end of him in an absurd disease. The thought is almost outrageous.
But hey, Itachi is trash, as is everyone in the organization. Really, he doesn't deserve anything noble, he tries to convince himself.
Kisame settles in his place. Sometimes those heavy wings on his back almost simulate the feel of his lost sword, but the chakra fluid being exchanged between it and him is unmistakable. Without it, he feels unprotected, even though he knows he can put up a good fight on his own.
Bored, he wonders if he is capable of flying. He spreads his wings, feeling weird at the sensation of a pair of new limbs. When they reach their full range, he realizes how big they are, each one could grow to eight feet long.
He flaps his wings, wincing at the unexpected whoom they produce, but shocked to feel lighter, a sensation that disappears quickly.
He wants to try one more time, but is interrupted by the uneven sound of hooves on the ground. He immediately gets on his guard, but is reassured by seeing Itachi getting to his feet, still with some difficulty, and walking towards him.
Kisame closes his wings. "Itachi, did I wake you up? Go back to sleep, it's not your turn yet."
"I can't sleep, you go."
Kisame looks at him for a moment. Before, he really wanted to sleep, but now, the bed doesn't call him at all.
"Nah, I don't want to sleep either," he says, and a comfortable silence settles down.
Itachi leans against the same wall as him, giving away his presence. From the corner of his eye, Kisame notices that he is staring at the ceiling.
Kisame fully trusts Itachi when it comes to fighting, and he knows that there is a certain level of respect and even affection between them, but after years, he still can't quite guess what is on his mind. But what he can do is know his feelings. And right now, he can't help but feel the frustration radiating from him.
Frustrated for what? Kisame can only guess. Most likely it is because of this current setback. Kisame would also be frustrated if it weren't for his apathy, who has been with him for a while now.
"Were you trying to fly?" Itachi asks suddenly. Kisame smiles, it is not so common for Itachi to start their conversations.
"Yes, although I'm not so sure I'm capable."
"Those mares from before could."
Kisame remembers a moment, and it's true. The purple and the rainbow one were flying without any problem. Maybe he can ask them for advice later, at least so he has something to entertain him while he is stranded in that universe.
Kisame laughs "If you had told me a week ago that I would end up trapped with colorful flying horses, I would call you crazy." His little joke is rewarded with a smiling Itachi. The edges of Kisame's smile widen.
The brief silence that follows is interrupted by a casual question from Itachi.
"By the way, where did you get that necklace?"
"Necklace?" Kisame looks down at his own neck, which is very strange. But indeed, there is a necklace there, a kind of precious stone hanging by a simple thread. "How strange," he says. He had never worn necklaces.
With unusual delicacy on the part of a ninja remembered for the raw power of his, he cradles the stone on his hand, or claw. Something familiar and comforting flows through his veins, with his palm as a starting point, and Kisame recognizes it instantly.
"It's Samehada," he reveals to his partner. He chuckles low at the Uchiha's confused expression.
—————————
Tobi’s watch time has come. Of course, he does not need to sleep, not as much as other people, but he prefers to pretend so as not to awaken strange ideas in Deidara, who despite his recklessness, is in fact someone very intelligent and too creative for his own good.
Anyway, it's bedtime for the blonde. Tobi waits patiently and listens carefully until Deidara's breathing indicates his sleeping state. He does some sound tests to make sure he's not going to wake up.
The reason for this is that he needs to run some tests to make sure he maintains his abilities. He can feel his chakra, but much of it flows only into his rare horn for some strange reason.
Silently, he moves over to his bed and tears a small piece of the fabric from the sheet, which he subsequently divides in half. That should do.
Takes one of the pieces on his uncomfortable helmet, and focus his elemental chakra on it. Nothing happens. He tries his best, but not a spark appears. He growls almost inaudible.
He decides to try something else. He walks up to the wall, concentrating the chakra on all four of his legs. When he touches it, he feels the familiar grip, and he has no problem standing sideways. So the problem is the elemental chakra? Tobi sits on his backside, still on the wall, trying to figure out what's going on.
The amount of chakra directly above his head almost made him ache. Tobi comes up with something, seeing that he won't be able to move that chakra from there.
He goes back to the ground looking for the piece of fabric he dropped and places it on the tip of his horn. It's uncomfortable not being able to see it, but he will know if it burns. He concentrates his chakra on piercing it, and almost effortlessly, he perceives a soft orange or reddish glow, preceding the first sparks that burn the entire fabric. In front of him the remains fall.
Unheard.
Maybe that's just how it works with horn ponies, Tobi thinks, remembering how Twilight mentioned that 'earth ponies' are not capable of using 'magic'. Probably the fact that the mare has a horn allowed her to invoke them.
He tries the same with the other piece of fabric but with his elemental earth chakra, with the same successful result.
And something similar happened with Kamui. Although he can still do it with his right eye, which is the source of the technique, it is easier to use the horn as a kind of shortcut, causing the whirlpool to originate there rather than his sharingan.
He uses Kamui to appear in Konan and Pain's room. He doesn't really have anything too relevant to discuss, because he agrees with the decisions of the rinnegan user, but want to have everything clear between them and share his findings.
—————————
Twilight blinks in the middle of the soon morning, waking up with a strange feeling, but nothing seems out of place. Moonlight breaks through the window, splashing with blue the figure of Spike snoring, coiled on her wing. The sky becomes increasingly clear, Twilight calculates an hour before sunrise.
She closes her eyes again and, careful not to wake the dragon, she turns her torso and head in the direction of the door. Something bothers her, so she opens her eyes again.
Twilight suddenly freezes, her blood icy and her heart turned upside down. Just behind the open door stands a figure, splashed with light from the window, watching them motionless.
The alicorn, trembling, thinks that perhaps it is a trick of light or her imagination, because the figure is very diffuse.
"Hello?" She says in a low and brittle voice.
She is startled when she is answered. "Hello." She realizes that it is Zetsu's voice, the changeling, and she is not sure if that makes her feel better or worse.
"Zetsu" she tastes his name " ... What are you doing?"
"Oh me? I was just exploring the castle, if you don't mind," he replies, hauntingly sweet. "I'll get out of here."
Despite his last statement, the changeling remains in place for a few more seconds. Twilight feels the sweat on her forehead.
Finally, Zetsu turns around in his place and walks calmly to who knows where, his footsteps surprisingly silent.
Twilight suddenly decides that it's time to get up for breakfast.