Sasuke had slowly recovered over the past month inside of his cell- the loneliness and separation from his friends hadn’t done him any real good, though. He sat, as he usually did, staring at the damning bars with a depressing look of defeat that remained lodged in his eyes. He was trapped, and by now, he’d accepted that he hadn’t won, and he wasn’t going to get out of this. He’d lost, and he’d pay the price for it, now.
Over the month, his mind, while his body had been recovering, had been the only thing that he was able to entertain himself with- and, because of that, he’d dreamed up and imagined all sorts of false, ridiculous situations that would never occur- though he wished that they would, every day he was trapped inside of the cell. Dreams and wishes like sudden benevolence from Naruto, or Celestia and his other friends crashing through the bars and pulling him from the chains that bound him to the ground.
But he knew that none of this would happen. It was simply the only thing to do besides stare at the dull, gray walls that surrounded him. The jonin changed every eight hours, and not only that, but everyone seemed to refuse to talk to him, except Kakashi- and even he had seemed to talk and respond less to Sasuke lately. It was silent, and Sasuke hated it in silence. All was a silence, calm crushing opression- that systematically stomped Sasuke’s will into the ground until all was left was a smear on the floor.
It was probably the silence that was the worst.
That and the waiting, that is.
He’d remembered when he’d been going insane- and after he’d had his ephiphany, and had gotten rid of a good deal of the hatred and animosity that lied deep within his heart, that it had gone away- the voices, they’d left him. It had been silent, and back then, he’d been thankful for it. He’d been thankful that Pride was no longer raving, and he’d been thankful that Guilt had shut up, most of all.
But now, he could care less if he had a million voices talking in his head at once. Cram the populations of the five biggest countries inside his head, do whatever! Just have something talking. Something. Instead, it was a deep, dark, cell with silence surrounding him. Outside, the guards remained silent. When he breathed, it seemed silent, and even if he screamed, he thought that it might’ve been silent.
It was times like this that he wished he hadn’t survived the fight.
There was something that he took solace in, though- the rare visits from Twilight. So far, she’d only visited once more, this time without Naruto. Naruto visited at least twice a day, but he’d stopped talking as well. After the first few days, he’d come in, look at Sasuke, and then walk out a few moments later, without any sort of noise or word uttered- and nothing damn near an explanation for his behavior, either.
Sasuke knew what had caused it, though- he hadn’t talked to Naruto the first time, or the time after that, or the time after that, either. Eventually, Naruto didn’t talk to him, or even attempt to start a conversation, and neither did Sasuke. And Sasuke would rather live in the hellish silence inside the cold cell than talk to Naruto. His pride didn’t disappear, even if his hatred and his anger were diminished.
He was still angry with Naruto- this entire situation was because of him, after all. The dobe had finally taken him back- broken bones and all, just like he fucking promised that he would. Even after he knew Sasuke’s past, even after he knew the truth, and Sasuke’s repair of himself- and his admittance of eternal hatred against The Leaf.
And still, he’d dragged him back, and plopped him down on the floor in this cell, and trapped him in this- in this- hell of people living all because of his clan’s perish- and, and they all laugh outside, and they all laugh outside and play and the children play, and the mothers watch with pride and mirth in their eyes- as the, as the Uchiha died so they could have happiness- and for one moment, one single moment, Sasuke felt the old hatred bubbling up- and instantly, he crushed it out, and buried it under a mountain of denial.
It had been terrible to feel it again- that old, terrible hatred. This place- it brought it out in him. To Sasuke, it was the greatest, most ironic thing. The universe must’ve spat and cackled in his face at the same time- captured by the village he’d once wanted to destroy, but had given up on his vengeance.
Sasuke was beginning to doubt that he was getting out of this alive- after all, he’d only received one visit from Twilight, and none from Sakura- who he thought would be visiting him the most. They still hadn’t decided what to do with him- and it was the waiting that made Sasuke believe they had decided to kill him, but were too cowardly to go through with it.
He was staring deep into the shadows of his cell when he heard steady, slow footsteps. He looked up- expecting Naruto. Who he saw instead was someone else- someone he’d beene expecting the entire time, but had never actually gotten.
Sakura walked into the room, approaching the four jonin and the cell that Sasuke was in. She still wore the same clothes that she did before the war broke out- black length shorts that stretched down her legs just to her knees, a red shirt/jacket that was sleevless, and sandals with long shin-guards. She also had on a small pink cloth that was similar to a skirt, except it split down the front and back, and she had her pouch tied to her leg.
Sasuke saw something in her, more than he usually did, as she walked forwards, towards him. He remained silent and stared at her, as she stopped and sat down, directly behind the jonin. For a moment she didn’t say anything, and neither did Sasuke. Their breath stopped and their eyes met for a few seconds. Sakura looked away first, glancing in other cells as if they were interesting people inside them.
She was about to get up and leave- he hadn’t said anything, and she didn’t think he was going to- when he asked her. It was a quiet, hoarse, croaking voice- that pleaded with her from across the room as she was about to exit it. She turned, not expecting at all what he’d said.
“No, wait. Stay,” he said.
She stayed.
___________________________
They reminisced and talked about the old times- and for the first time in forever, Sasuke didn’t find Sakura annoying, for some reason. Maybe it was because she was no longer a weakling or because she no longer pursued him so much- but he enjoyed their talks that day. They talked about all kinds of things- their early missions, how stupid Naruto used to be- and still was, now- and Sakura didn’t leave for a good hour later.
Sakura had gotten up and turned- and walked away from his prison cell. Already, he looked to be growing much sadder- and even though Sakura knew that what he was getting had to happen, she couldn’t help to feel sad for him. She waited by the door to the stairs- and curled one had around it as she stood, halfway in the door and halfway out.
“Should I come tomorrow?” She asked him.
The voice echoed throughout the small prison- and she didn’t think that he’d say yes, but she’d noticed something had changed about Sasuke. Something was… different.
It was then that she saw that boy nod faster than he had ever in his entire life.
____________________________
She started coming to him everyday around that time- it was around lunch, or so, and she would leave the hospital and go, and talk to Sasuke. Everyday, she strode down from the halls of the hospital- far too used to the strange smells that accompanied the building- and she’d walk out in the sunlight and the open air for a bit. Then she’d enter the dank, depressing walls of the prison, and descend to the bottom level, and go talk to him- everday.
They talked about all sorts of things, and talked about nothing- and, in time, after a week or two; it became more that Sasuke enjoyed her presence more than anything else. The talking to her was just a bonus, but he enjoyed having someone else there, too, because Naruto hardly visited anymore, and Twilight visited often, but only every one or two weeks, because it wasn’t that long for her- three or four days became almost two weeks in Sasuke’s time.
Sakura found herself enjoying seeing Sasuke again a lot- and enjoyed talking with him even more. It didn’t help that her old attraction to him had surfaced- and his dirty face, from so much time in the prison- and even his smell, didn’t make her stay away. They were treating him fairly inhumanely, but she had to crush down her sympathy for him, even though she wished she could turn the steel that separated them into scrap metal.
“I still remember the day that dobe tied me up,” Sasuke said, smirking.
“Naruto tied you up? When was this?” Sakura asked, intrigued. Sasuke gave a dry chuckle. He shifted inside his cell- and winced, as the chains dug in too deep and were tied too tight. He was constantly doing that- shifting and moving inside his cell to try to get some form of comfort, but it wasn’t easy. They squeezed his wrists and ankles like boa constricters- and sometimes, he felt like there was that much force on his wrists and ankles.
“Well,” he said, trying to remember, “I remember it was the day that Kakashi came to us and asked our dreams or whatever. Then he left and told us not to eat breakfast. But that wasn’t till tomorrow, and then people were eating lunch, and I was eating by myself when he attacked me. The idiot managed to tie me up- and henged as me, though I have no idea why. I got free later, but I still don’t know why he even did that.”
Sakura had an idea, though.
“Naruto…”
She started snorting and chuckling, earning a confused, amused look from the Uchiha that sat restrained a few feet away from her. She played with her hair, and felt like she was twelve again- trying to talk to Sasuke, and feeling incredibly flushed and her heart was moving too fast- but unlike all of those other times, Sasuke wasn’t ignoring her. It was ironic that only after he’d become an international criminal, and was restrained in a super high-security prison, that only now he’d show her attention.
“He henged as you to try to get me to kiss him,” she admitted.
“Did you?” He asked. He was so much more different than he used to be- a little bit more like he had been when he was a lot younger- he still had a serious personality, but it wasn’t an impossibility to make him laugh, either. He had the same kind of outlook when he was a kid- but none of the poisonous, terrible hatred was there, or any of the frustrated anger either. It was a composed, less psychotic, healthier Sasuke, and Sakura was glad to see it.
“No… now that I think about it, Kakashi found spoiled milk inside his apartment, he told me a long time ago, I remember. He kept leaving for some reason, randomly. Now I get why!” She said, laughing. Sasuke chuckled. The jonin seemed to ignore them- and luckily for both Sakura and Sasuke, Kakashi had never had their shift yet- and instead, was usually in either early morning or early to late in the evening. They always saw random jonin, though- because the people that guarded were switched everyday.
Twilight visited them once- and she’d walked in, and talked to both Sasuke and Sakura- and they’d understood how little she understood about the shinobi world. She seemed frustrated the one time she’d came when both Sakura and Sasuke were there- as if Naruto were incredibly cruel and he was the villain. They couldn’t help but try to explain to her that he was just doing his job- and even Sasuke, even if he felt a fair amount of animosity- which was completely understandable- knew that.
Twilight visiting was rare, though, and she’d passed on some news to them while she’d been there. The Royal Sisters had made up it seemed, after their fight when they were taking sides with either Naruto or Sasuke. Ponyville was doing well, or so she said. Sasuke had mentioned to both Sakura and Twilight that he still wanted to go back there- and admitted that he preferred Equestria to the Elemental Nations.
It was still strange to Sakura to see it, too- Sasuke being so friendly with someone like Twilight, especially since she was a pony. She still hadn’t heard the story of how he’d been when he’d been there, but she suspected that it had calmed him down to how he was now- collected, tranquil, and much more easygoing- from how he had been- which was raving, foaming, lunatic, murderous and psychotic.
And that was on a good day, too.
They’d changed him so much, though, and that was the most surprising part about all of it. It hadn’t been her, or Naruto, or Kakashi that had any effect on him. Killing Itachi had only made him angrier in the end, after he found out the truth, and finally getting his revenge had only made him grow more furious when he discovered that he had killed his brother for basically nothing. And after everything, Sakura had to say that she wasn’t surprised.
It wasn’t that surprising, to be honest. After having such shitty luck in the Elemental Nations- repeatedly, one time another, being dealt the worst hand, it made sense that he no longer trusted or liked the Elemental Nations… much, at all, really. Instead, it had taken teleporting him to another world to cure what had been a borderline mental disease. His bloodlust and vengeance had seemed that way, to Sakura at least, by the end of the war- right before he’d left. She still remembered the day.
She remembered the look on Sasuke’s face- the terrible fury, the absolute hatred that was evident on his features that day. That day, she’d never seen him worse. Never before had he been worse, more hateful, and angrier, than the last day of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. She still shivered when she thought about how he used to be- but when she remembered how he was now, the shivers turned into a warm growth that began in her heart and exploded throughout her body, outwards.
It was all-encompassing- the feeling. There was tingling in her fingertips, and her stomach was about as still as a ship at sea during a storm. Sasuke spoke to her so easily- and it wasn’t just her love and affection for Sasuke that was making her feel so happy. He spoke back to her, he paid attention to her- and the best thing of all was, even though he was imprisoned, he seemed to be so… happy, and much more carefree. She was sure that he was still angry at Naruto, and maybe even at the village, but it was okay.
Because it was the good kind of anger- that was, frustration that was normal.
It wasn’t terrible wrath that wouldn’t leave his heart for years.
She was hoping that Naruto would be lenient on him-and maybe after he got out, something could happen between the two of them. Sakura knew that she was getting her hopes up- he probably wouldn’t return her feelings. But still, maybe, they could be friends now- instead how it used to be, with her chasing him around, and him absolutely ignoring everyone that wasn’t Itachi or anyone who could give him power.
“H-hey, do you remember that time when-“
Sasuke was unfortunately not able to continue his story as they heard the door at the far end of the prison open. The steps were slow, and they were steady, and when the person came into view, Sasuke glared. Naruto stood there- but even his glare softened as he glanced at Naruto. To put it bluntly, Naruto looked like death warmed over. He looked terrible. He ran a hand, shaking, through blond hair that was mussed and seemed even more messy than usual.
His clothes seemed new- he’d probably changed, but that was the only detail that seemed clean about him. His face looked haggard, and fatigued, and his eyes seemed more closed than open. Still, he smiled at the two of them, and the four jonin guarding the cell, who regarded Naruto with respect, even in his exhausted state, and saluted him. He gave them a lazy nod, and turned his head to Sasuke- who didn’t glare, but instead looked at him with no expression- and Sakura, who had a small smile on her face.
“How long am I going to be in here, dobe?” Sasuke asked him and Naruto only sighed in response- it was clear that he was frustrated. Sakura didn’t envy him, either- having to decide something like that, while being unable to spare one of your friends must’ve been hard. Sasuke did have to be punished- if word got out that Naruto hadn’t punished him, there’d be hell to pay- and she knew that just sending him back to Equestria wouldn’t work.
Banishment, on its own, would hold no meaning because Twilight would and could come back whenever she wanted, and bring Sasuke back- and then the punishment was ineffective, and it didn’t matter anyway. Most people probably wanted him to execute Sasuke, so he was already getting off light, there. Sakura was sure that Sasuke knew all of this, and probably was either just scared or impatient- or just sick of being in a cell.
“I’m not sure, yet, but you’ll probably be able to leave soon,” he said, and Sasuke looked a little more upbeat at this. It looked like Naruto had been thinking on it for a while- it certainly didn’t look like he’d been doing anything else. Naruto only looked at Sasuke a little more- a little sad, a little regretful, and then he shuffled out, probably heading straight to bed. It wasn’t long before he was gone.
Sasuke seemed a little happier at this- and so did Sakura, who was really hoping that Sasuke got off and out without too much punishment. It had almost looked like Naruto had decided what his punishment was going to be, but he hadn’t said anything, so she doubted it was true. The two went back to talking for some time after that, and then she left later, and went back to work at the hospital.
She only hoped that tomorrow would bring something different.
__________________________
In the Hokage’s Office, as he looked over the village, Naruto sighed.
Today was the day, after all. He decided the punishment for Sasuke, and the punishment was coming- and Naruto had already questioned himself several times if it was the right thing to do, but in the end, he thought it was. What he was going to do, combined with banishment to Equestria, should’ve been more than enough to placate foreign Kages and Daimyos. A few dignitaries were coming today to see the event.
And it made him fucking violently sick. Naruto had always been a good, moral person- and he was still feeling the guilt for what he’d done in Equestria. He didn’t believe that anyone, much less Sasuke, who was a friend to him, should have to be treated like this- paraded around as he took his punishment, like the thing was an entire joke. Or, like Sasuke was an animal for their entertainment. He didn’t like having to do it, or in this way.
He had to prove to people that it was really Sasuke, though, so it was the best way to do it. He wondered if this was how being Hokage felt all the time. He was still glad that his dream had come true, but he didn’t exactly look forward to making these very hard decisions. He knew that this was probably one of the hardest ones he’d ever have to make, but it still hurt him in his soft core that could only be damaged by… cruelty.
He was looking better, at least- he looked much less tired and exhausted after he’d slept for the night- and the better part of the early afternoon yesterday, now. It had been more than a month since Sasuke had been brought back, and now the decision was finally being carried out. Naruto only wished that it didn’t have to be him that ordered it.
The date was set around noon, today, and it was nearly time. People were gathering in the central square of Konaha as he had instructed his ninja to spread the word. There was already a large crowd, and several noble families from several countries- including Lightning and Earth, and Water- seemed to have arrived. There were a few high-level jonin as well, elite, older ninja that were here to watch the event.
The Kages or Daimyos themselves weren’t here to watch it, but they sent their most trusted forces or families to watch in their stead, to ensure that what was happening was correct. Naruto cursed the other nations for the first time- and he felt that, as a leader, it would hardly be the last time that he did so, either. If it was actually up to him, he’d let Sasuke go.
He couldn’t do that, though.
He groaned, and then forced himself to move, quickly making his way for the window and jumping down and out- not bothering to walk through the door and down all of those stairs. He wondered if Twilight would come today or not. It would both work for him, and not work for him- but again, this had to happen. Naruto was just hoping that she didn’t have to see the event itself happening.
He took his time- he didn’t rush, but he didn’t dawdle, either. He saw the crowd outside of the stage they’d erected growing, still, and he had to glance away after a few seconds. Many ninja that he passed saluted him, and Naruto regarded them with fake smiles that he’d gotten very good at practicing in his lifetime. Within a few more minutes- and it was nearly noon- he was at the prison. He breathed in deeply, and entered the prison.
He sighed as he went deeper- past levels for other kinds of ninja- weaker ninja that could be let off more easily, for their crimes usually weren’t as serious. Sasuke, though. There was no way of getting out of what was about to happen to him. Clan heir, strong, S-rank, involved in the war, and had even killed Konaha shinobi, like when he’d managed to murder Danzo. He still counted, even if he was a dick. There was nothing that Naruto could do for something like him.
Except punish, and try to not puke while doing it.
He reached the bottom level- and entered the room. The four jonin saluted him immediately, but he waved a hand, dismissing them.
“At ease,” Naruto said. They nodded and stood firm and unwavering, waiting for orders.
Sakura was there too- waiting by the cell, less than a foot or two away from Sasuke.
Naruto took a good, long look at his friend. It was the last time that he’d see him this way. Sasuke looked dirty and unkempt, as he would, being kept in a cell like that all the time. His clothes were ruffled and dirty, and his hair greasy- they cleaned him, but it was obvious that as he grew stronger and recovered, he refused care. He still had his pride, after all. Sasuke only looked at Naruto and waited for what he would say.
“Drain all of his chakra. Leave only the slightest amount,” Naruto said. Sakura wondered what he was doing, but that was a good way to start. He wouldn’t be able to use his Sharingan, or any sort of jutsu, if he was exhausted. She watched, hopeless, as one of the seals in the cell lit up brightly, and Sasuke grunted in pain- for a few seconds, and then he nearly fell over on the floor as he breathed, heavy and quick breaths, and his eyes drooped more than once.
“Sakura, move. You four, take the prisoner and lead him out. Follow me. He has several different seals in that cell- and cooped up as he was, though he was strong, he shouldn’t be able to resist you. He has no chakra now, either. We removed all his weapons. It’s time,” Naruto said, in a dead voice. Sakura already had tears that were threatening to spill themselves from her eyes. The jonin nodded and opened the cell- and Sasuke didn’t do much to resist, couldn’t do much to resist, as the jonin practically dragged him along.
They walked at a slow pace out of the prison- the entire time; Naruto’s cold look didn’t change. The stony face of the Rokudaime Hokage did not waver, and the other nations were about to see that the carefree, joyful Naruto Uzumaki could too make a hard decision, as they had to, so many times before in their lives.
Sasuke had several seals attached to his dirty clothing- one of which was a chakra suppressing seal- ensuring that he could do nothing during whatever was coming up. He didn’t have any chakra anyway, though. It took them a few minutes to exit the prison, and when they did, Sasuke covered his face and his eyes from the harsh sunlight- it was a terribly annoying change from the dim lights of the prison cell that his eyes had grown used to.
He was bound in shackles and chains- one for his arms, one for his legs, and he stumbled forward slowly as they led him throughout the village. Sasuke’s eyes constantly were tinging red, and then going back to black- proving that he was trying to use Sharingan, but it was simply not working. Before long, they reached the crowd, and they all parted for Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and the rest of the jonin guarding Sasuke.
It was unsurprising to see the crowd eager to see blood. They were yelling and cheering for it. Naruto didn’t speak until they were all up on the stage- a gigantic wooden pedestal built specifically for this occasion. The jonin took defensive positions around Sasuke- and held his arms, so that he couldn’t move. He was forced to kneel in front of the crowd- and, head down, Sasuke stayed silent.
It was about a few seconds after that, that Naruto got tired of their cheering.
“QUIET!” He roared, and people calmed down, and the square grew silent with confusion and fear in the air. He rubbed his nose and sighed, before speaking.
“This man,” he said, pointing at Sasuke, “is a traitor. He’s a criminal, he’s done horrible things to the Leaf, and he deserves to be punished- and, he’s going to be. Severely. But while all of that is true, he doesn’t deserve this cheering you’re doing, either. Are all of you animals, or are you human beings, at the very least? Show some restraint.”
Naruto turned away from the crowds in disgust- and it flashed back, in his mind- similar crowds wanting punishment for him being a demon- hell, maybe some of the people were even the same. He managed to force it down, though- and turned back to the crowd.
“You can come out, Roku.”
An older man walked out of the crowd, and began pacing his way to the cage. He looked old- much, much older than the crowd anticipated. What was he going to do? The crowd expected a public execution, but that wasn’t what Sasuke was getting. He was getting something that, to Sasuke, might’ve still been worse.
The man walked up to Sasuke and removed his shirt- leaving him bare-chested. He took some supplies out of his clothes- what was that, a brush, and ink? The man began to paint a symbol on Sasuke’s chest, and the ink felt cold to Sasuke as he coughed. It was only after a few seconds that Sasuke understood what was happening.
He struggled, furiously, but it seemed to make no difference- the man continued to paint the symbol on his chest and ignored Sasuke’s struggles. His arms, and everything else, were subdued, and he couldn’t move. His senses began to dull as the cold feeling on his chest began to grow stronger- it felt like it was trying to freeze his heart.
The old man muttered some words- it didn’t matter to Sasuke, because the pain that happened next blocked out everything. It was an existence of agony- pure pain, only. He didn’t hear, see, feel, taste, or smell anything. The only thing that he could hear was his own screams- and he could feel, and smell, and see the blood leaking from his eyes- and he could taste the bloody tears as they leaked from his eyes into his mouth.
The man moved away after that, but the damage was already done. His ears were ringing- and he felt the urge to throw up, so he did. He leaned forward and emptied what little remains his stomach had onto the wooden floor that he was sitting on. He could barely hear the words from the villagers, but Sakura was saying something that he could just barely detect with his ears- and he didn’t like what he heard.
“…sealed….what! Naruto, how could you!...” There was more, but that was what Sasuke heard- and it was all that he needed to hear. They’d sealed away his pride, his lifeblood- Sharingan. He felt numb, and dead, and he looked out at the crowd as they jeered at him- apparently already having forgotten what Naruto said. He didn’t have anything to say, and continued staring, until Sakura pulled him and turned him around.
He stared into her face- crying pure, clear tears, and the sun hit it at just the right angle in the morning- before she sobbed and wrapped her arms around him. The jonin already let go of him, knowing that their job was already over. He encircled her back with his arms and hugged her back, but he felt like he was… distanced. There was still ringing in his ears, and more than once, Sasuke wiped his eyes to find bloody tears leaking from them.
The entire world was presented in a haze of red, and Sasuke could barely understand what was going on around him. The one thing he did understand was a flash of white light- and then a purple unicorn that seemed to be crying next to him as well. A few minutes passed in a red existence that he could barely contemplate. He then felt a restraining feeling on his limbs- and turned, numb, and watched as Naruto stared with wide eyes, but didn’t look away- and right before he was teleported, Sakura latched onto him, screaming something that Sasuke couldn’t hear.
Naruto screamed and leapt forward- but it was too late.
Sasuke rolled and coughed as he tumbled. He looked around. He was in Ponyville again-the rebuilt version, that looked a little different than before- but still, was mostly the same. He still bled from his eyes- and reached a hand down, trying to wipe away the ink that wouldn’t. It wouldn’t wipe away- it was stuck, it was dried…
__________________________
He’d tried it as much as he could, but it was a no-go.
His Sharingan was sealed away, and to boot, a decent amount of his chakra and physical speed and strength. He was a lot weaker than before. He was probably as strong as when he left Orochimaru, maybe slighter weaker- and without Sharingan. Sakura had tried to comfort him, but he’d asked to be left alone, and she did so, reluctantly.
He’d never have to go back there again, or so he learned from Sakura. The punishment had been the sealing of his pride, and permanent Banishment from the Elemental Nations- Sakura said that that particular part could be taken back at any time, but Sasuke didn’t think it would be.
Not that he wanted it to be taken back, anyway.
Later, he entered the library-and everypony, all the friends he’d made- Twilight, Fluttershy, with her healed wing, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie- hell, even the Cutie Mark Crusaders were there- and friends included Sakura. They were all waiting there for him. They’d each said what they could, but they couldn’t understand it, what had been done to him. No one could.
“So, what’ll you do now?” Sakura asked. Sasuke glanced at all of them. He supposed they were his friends now- and he liked this place more than he liked the Elemental Nations, even if it was weak, had stupid logic at times, and the ponies here could be annoying- it was more of a home than he’d ever had before- besides before his clan was killed, that is.
“I guess I’ll take Celestia up on her offer,” Sasuke said.
Even with his lost prowess, he felt better than he ever had. He’d been freed of chains and demons- his Hatred and Anger, gone. His heart felt light, not weighed down by guilt, at all. He could still feel him, but they no longer controlled him.
And that was the best part.
Happier than ever before, even with the current circumstances. Eyes aren’t everything.
Sasuke supposed he’d help the ponies here out. They’d changed him, and dragged him out of the darkness- even if they didn’t fully understand how deep the pit he’d been in went.
So he’d do what he could to assist them.
Even without his Visual Prowess.
THE END.
Ending Notes:
I'm fairly happy with how this turned out. Now, people will ask if there's going to be a sequel- the answer is probably. I won't have the time for a while, though, and first, a few more ideas I have must be written. Still, any questions, criticisms, or holes you see in the plot- I'm pretty sure they aren't major ones, at least- all can and will be answered in the comments. You only need ask.
One question I'm sure people will have- you set up a romance? SakuraXSasuke. Yes, the answer is yes. It will be explored and covered in the sequel, if it's ever written- PROBABLY GOING TO BE WRITTEN. Remember the probably part, please. For now, the romance is only heavily implied.
It's strange that it's finally ending. At least for now, you won't see any more updates for this in your favorites.
What's even more strange is that this story is longer than my shitty original novel. Lolz, oh well.
I guess that's about it.
UgalaaWriter out.