Even being a ninja and knowing that you harbor one of the world's most feared beasts can't prepare you for everything. Naruto learned just that when a white pony with wings and a horn appeared one morning at his doorstep.
It was a few days after Pain's devastating attack on the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Half of the town was completely wrecked, but eventually Pain was stopped, and luckily there were no casualties. This was thanks to Naruto Uzumaki, now hailed by the townspeople as ‘Hero of the Leaf’. Things were really looking up for him, finally being respected, rather than shunned and hated by the citizens. However, all this becomes meaningless when a mythical creature appears at his doorstep, and somehow kidnaps him into another universe.
Now a stranger in a world full of colorful ponies, Naruto tries to conceal his identity until he can find a way to get back home. But with a millennium old evil soon making its return, he might find he plays a much bigger part there than just an unintentional visitor...
Please review after you read it! Constructive criticism is always welcome!
AU tag is there for a reason, even though it is not obvious at the beginning.
Many thanks to SkittlesJesus for providing me with (yet another) epic cover art!!!
Many thanks to my editor Viper Redbird!!! The story is currently undergoing fixing of mostly grammatical and punctuational errors.
A loud yawn rose from a certain ninja’s bedroom in Konoha, also known as ‘The Village Hidden in the Leaves’. That ninja’s name was Naruto Uzumaki, a sixteen year old, and a genin. The lowest rank of ninja which, as he sometimes thought to himself, doesn’t do him justice.
The sheets and covers wrinkled as their occupant turned restlessly in his bed, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep.
After a few unsuccessful tries, Naruto gave up, and stretched his hands upwards, letting out a sigh. He kicked the covers away from himself, revealing messy blonde hair. He rubbed his eyes, getting the sleep out of them, and finally opening them to reveal their deep azure color. Removing his hands, three whisker marks were apparent on each of his cheeks.
He turned around in bed and put his legs on the floor, slowly getting up. The first thing he grabbed was a headband next to his bead. It comprised of a long, black cloth band, and attached to its middle was a metal plate, proudly bearing the mark of Konoha.
He attached this prized headband blindly, still barely opening his eyes, but nonetheless quickly and proficiently. Doing this for over three years on a daily basis will do that to you. Afterwards, he changed out of his pajamas, which were white with fine stripes of blue, into an orange and black jumpsuit. This time he had no choice but open his eyes, as he nearly tripped into the bottom part when changing.
After putting on the suit and wearing his black shoes, he walked out of the room and into the bathroom. Quickly brushing his teeth and splashing some much needed cool water onto his face, he finally smiled at the mirror. “Another great day starting with a gorgeous face,” he said to himself with a slightly smug grin. He then walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen of his small apartment, and grabbed for himself a highly nutritious breakfast—instant ramen and milk.
After heating some water, he added them to the ramen cup and began the most excruciating wait of the day—the three minutes until the ramen was done. Taking out the milk from the fridge, he opened it up and brought it to his mouth to have a sip, when a rather forceful knock suddenly came from the front door.
“Coming,” Naruto called out, taking a large gulp of milk. “Who knocks this early in the morning? Kakashi? Nah… He’d never be this early. Sakura? Welp, that would be the day…” he thought to himself semi-humorously as he walked to the door and opened it.
“Hello, Naruto Uzumaki,” said in a female voice what seemed to be a white horse with a long horn and a huge pair of wings. She had purple eyes, and her fluttering mane was sparkling, and had red, green and blue stripes. She also seemed to wear a crown and a golden necklace, embroided with a large purple gem. All Naruto could do was merely stand there and gaze at her dumbfoundedly, his mouth agape and milk dripping out of it onto the floor. His brain was slowlying trying to come to terms with what his eyes were transmitting to it.
“I’m sorry, but…” was all the winged Unicorn said before bright light arose from her long horn. Soon the light became bright enough to turn the whole world around Naruto white, effectively blinding him.
“Hey! What the—” was all Naruto could yell, trying to shield his eyes from the penetrating rays, before his conciousness completely left him.
*****
“Naruto…” a voice called. Naruto groaned, his body feeling as heavy as if it was made of lead. “Wake up you brat!” the voice repeated, his volume increasing five-fold. Naruto’s eyes shot open as he recognized the voice.
Finally, he mustered the strength and pushed himself up, only then noticing the hard floor was covered in water. A pair of huge, red eyes with narrow pupils gazed at him from behind a humongous red cage. All around them was darkness, and the echoing sound of dripping water.
“Oh look, it’s Mr. Grumpy Fox. For what do I have the honor of meeting you today?” Naruto asked with sarcasm dripping from every word.
“This is no time for jokes, brat!” the creature behind the cage growled. Naruto paced closer, and could see the all-too-familiar shape of an orange, nine-tailed demon fox, which was simply called ‘The Kyuubi’. “You let someone get the jump on you, and now we’re probably in the stickiest situation we’ve ever been in. I can’t even tell how far we are from Konoha,” he said, looking down at the ninja angrily.
“Did we somehow get kidnapped by the Akatsuki?” Naruto inquired, stunned over being kidnapped out of his own home.
“Instead of expecting me to give you some answers, why don’t you just open your damn eyes?!” the fox roared. In an instant, Naruto’s physical eyes opened.
He found himself lying on the ground. He was unbound, still intact, and with everything he had on him. Letting out a sigh of relief, he stood up and looked around him. Shadowed by trees, he looked back to see an unusually dark and dense forest behind him. Up ahead, he saw slightly cloudy blue skies. The fields under them were green and slightly hilly. A small creek passed through it not far ahead, and had a bridge built over it. A trail, which the bridge was a part of, extended past the creek into a small town about half a mile away.
“Hmm…” Naruto crossed his hands, trying to remember what just happened. “One moment I was home… And the next I was here…” he muttered to himself, attempting to connect the two pieces of information. “Agh! I can’t remember!” he called in frustration, giving up after only drawing a blank.
“Oh well, at least if I was kidnapped, those kidnappers didn’t do a very good job if they’re leaving me out in the open like that…” Naruto said with a smug grin, which disappeared a moment later. “Wait… What if it’s a genjutsu?! Hmm… Aha!” Thinking it is a genjutsu, he started pinching his cheeks and jabbing himself with chakra-charged fingers.
Five minutes of that later, and he heard a somewhat malicious chuckle. “As much as I enjoyed this little show, I have to tell you this isn’t a genjutsu,” rang out the fox’s voice in his mind.
“Great, so what am I supposed to do now?” Naruto grumbled.
“How should I know?! Just go over to that town and gather some info!” the Kyuubi replied, his tone indicating that the conversation was over.
“Yeah, I probably won’t get anywhere if I just wander around,” Naruto figured, and did as the fox suggested.
As he walked over the bridge, a mountain which was hidden behind the trees came into view, revealing a city built into a mountain. Naruto rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and took in some of its details—it was white and beautiful, a large castle standing in its middle. The roofs of the buildings were completely covered in gold. “Well… This looks… Strange…” he muttered, having never seen anything built quite like that. It was as if a completely different culture had built it.
*****
Approaching the town, he started hearing a lot of noise coming from it.
“When’s the shipment coming?!” a male voice demanded.
“Bring the flags to the town hall!” a female voice called.
As he strode even closer, something caught his eyes. A rainbow suddenly flashed in the sky in front of him. “Odd, it’s not raining and that rainbow is completely straight,” he thought to himself.
Then, from between the building he caught a glimpse of two of the smallest horses he’d ever seen. But that was hardly their striking characteristic- one was white with purple, long swirly mane and tail, and the other was pink, with a puffy and darker pink-colored mane and tail.
“The hell? Those are some weird looking horses if I ever saw ones,” he muttered to himself, raising a brow.
“I’m really, really sorry, darling,” a very feminine voice rang out from the white and pink horses’ direction. “But this time I just don’t think I will need your help. While I do appreciate your parties and your abilities as a party planner, a more refined taste is required when none other than Princess Celestia herself will be coming over to visit!”
Watching the entirety of this being spoken, and the white miniature horse’s mouth moving in perfect synchronization, Naruto slowly but surely came to a shocking conclusion—“T-T-T-Talking Horsessssssssssss!” he screamed, hiding behind one of the buildings.
“Wait a second...” he muttered to himself. “There has to be a logical explanation here." He took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "It's not a genjutsu. Is it a transformation jutsu?" However, the sheer ridiculousness and colorfulness of their appearances made him realize that probably wasn't it. "I got it! They must be summons! Weird, small, colorful summons…” he realized. “Hmm… I wonder what kind of jutsus they use?”
Naruto took another peek at the horses, only to see the white one heading away, and the pink one nowhere in sight. He let out a sigh of relief. "Best not be spotted by them. They could be aligned with enemy ninjas…” he muttered worriedly. “If that’s the case, this whole place could be an enemy pony territory as far as I'm concerned." Quickly realizing just how ridiculous that sounded, he dearly hoped no one would ever hear that.
“That was the weirdest thing I heard this past hour. By the way, who's 'them'? They sound like a bunch of meanies.”
Turning his head to the left side and way below his eye level, he was met with a pair of light blue eyes, belonging to the pink horse he saw earlier next to the white one.
“Woah!” Naruto shouted, surprised. Stunned by her sudden appearance, silent and undetectable even to his ninja senses, he stumbled back and fell on his rump.
“’Woah!’ yourself,” replied the small pink horse back at him, smiling brightly. “Ooh, you’re tall! And you have a nice mane up there. Oh, I know! You’re a Minotaur! You kinda look like one! That’s so cool! No, wait, you don’t have horns. But then it’s really cool how you’re standing on two legs like that! How are you doing that?!” She said all that really quickly. “Oh right, so what’s your name? Mine’s Pinkie Pie!”
“H-How did you do that?! Are you a ninja?!” he called in shock. “She must be at least a jonin!” he thought as he was about to reach out for a kunai.
“No, silly! I just said I'm Pinkie Pie! Ponyville's best party thrower! Who are you?”
“Umm… Naruto Uzumaki,” he answered hesitantly as he got up, his hand still readied at a moment's notice for an attack. He wasn't quite sure how to react to the creature's hyperactivity.
“Ah! Since I don’t know you it means you’re new here, ‘cuz I know everypony, and I mean EVERYPONY here in Ponyville!” she said, again very quickly. “So… Welcome to Ponyville, Naruto! Now let’s see here… No horn… No wings… I’ve got it! You’re an Earth pony like me! We’re Earth-pony-extra-special-friends!” she shouted out, her eyes practically beaming out with joy.
“Earth… Pony…? I’m a human…” he muttered. Her constant over-the-top shouts made him drop his both his guard and the whole ‘talking horse’ issue.
“What’s a human? Sounds like a name of a bad brand of candies if you ask me”, she chuckled at her own joke.
“Wait a second… Where are we? How far is this place from Konoha?” he inquired quickly before she could continue blabbering on.
“Ko… No… What?”
“You know, the Village Hidden in the Leaves?”
“How can leaves hide an entire village? Is the village really small? Or maybe the leaves are really big? Come to think of it, the other day I saw nearby the Everfree Forest—”
“The Land of Fire?” he quickly interrupted.
“That just sounds dangerous. A whole country that’s burning? Oh, maybe that’s where all the dragons live…”
“Are you really that dense? I can’t take her rumblings any longer…” spoke the fox in his mind. “We’re in another dimension now. No amount of walking can get you back to Konoha.”
“An… An… ANOTHER DIMENSION?!” Naruto yelled aloud.
“Yep! Welcome to this dimension!” Pinkie answered cheerfully. “You can call it whatever you want, it doesn’t really have a name. Oh! You can make up a name for it! How about dimension-discovered-by-Naruto-who-came-from—”
“Pinkie,” Naruto cut her off. He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly before speaking. “Pinkie… Is there anything around here that looks like me, like a human?” He couldn't just take the fox's words at face value and had to hear it for himself, no matter how bad her answer would be.
“So… You’re not an Earth pony?” she confirmed.
Naruto glared at her angrily, starting to lose his patience.
“Nopey-dopey. Only Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi. Oh! We do have some bunnies, bears, griffons, dragons, donkeys…”
“If she doesn’t know humans then it means they’re not summons… Wait, what was that?” he asked, catching some bizarre ones in that list.
“Bunnies. You’re not afraid of them, are you?” she asked with a teasing grin.
“No, no. After that.”
“Donkeys?”
“Before that.”
“Dragons?”
“Dragons are only myths, aren’t they?” he arched a brow skeptically.
“Well, we don’t see them much, but they’re definitely real! Ooh, if one comes and lives here, wouldn’t it just be both awesome and terrifying?! It would be just awerrifying!”
“Come to think of it, aren’t Unicorns and Pegasi also myths?”
“What are you talking about?! It’s as if you’ve never seen a pony in your life!” she started pushing him into town. “Oh right, you didn’t,” she giggled. “Okay, just come and meet some. And afterwards I’ll throw you an awesome par—”
“Wait, Pinkie! Listen, I can't stay here. I have to get back home.”
“Aw, come on! It'll be as quick as pie! Besides, I still have to throw you a party! I mean, I have to throw a party for every new pony in Ponyville!”
Naruto pondered this. “Well… I do need some help getting home, and I do have the day off… Maybe I could get one of the ponies to cast a reverse summoning jutsu to send me back to Konoha? But… They don't know what humans are...”
“Okay, Pinkie. I’ll come,” he decided eventually. “But I can't just walk around like this,” he said. “Everyone will probably panic when they see me!”
“Oh don’t worry, Rarity will fix your hair in a jiffy!” Pinkie smiled.
“Hey! What’s wrong with my hair?!” he cried in protest. “Wait… That’s not what I meant!”
“Transformation Jutsu!” Naruto called, performing a certain shape with his hands, which looked odd to Pinkie, and causing a cloud of smoke to appear around him.
When the smoke cleared, instead of Naruto the human stood an Earth pony, deep orange in color, with bright yellow mane and bushy, fox-like tail which was white at its tip. He had blue eyes, and adorning his forehead was the Konoha headband. His whisker marks slightly thickened in comparison to his human self, but not as much as when the Kyuubi took over him. Only the top part of his jumpsuit remained in place, along with his tool bag, on the side of his belly.
“That… Was… AWESOME!” Pinkie cried. “How did you do that?! Are you really a Unicorn and you just hid your horn!?”
“No… That was just a transformation jutsu.”
“Ju-su?” she inquired, having trouble pronouncing it.
Naruto let out a sigh. “Never mind, don’t fret about it. Anyway, Pinkie,” he stared her square in the eyes “Don’t tell anybody—“
“Anypony.”
“Er… Alright. AnyPONY about this. As far as you know, I’m just a regular pony. Got it?”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye!” she immediately proclaimed.
Naruto stared at her for a few seconds after that weird outcry. “Umm… Alright, I suppose it’s okay then.”
Naruto couldn’t take even one step before falling over. “Dammit, how do you even walk on four legs?! That’s like two too many!”
Chapter 2 - Meet the Ponies (Part 1) [Upd. 19/10/2014]
“Oh, it’s easy, Naruto! One hoof in front…” Pinkie demonstrated slowly by taking a step. “And another… And another-another-another-another-another”, she accelerated to the point where she ran around him so fast she blurred.
“Uh, thanks, Pinkie. That was… useful,” Naruto muttered sarcastically as he rose to his new hooves.
After getting some practice and understanding the basics of walking on four legs, the two Earth ponies trotted into town. Naruto finally came to see that at least some of what Pinkie told him was true- walking around were ponies with horns on their heads, and in the sky and on the ground were ponies with wings. Naruto’s eyes began hurting a bit after a while. Never in his life had he seen such a… colorful population.
The town center was bustling with activity caused by many ponies, most of them Pegasi fixing the exterior of the large building.
“It doesn’t look that bad. Why all the repairs?” Naruto inquired.
“Didn’t you know? The Summer Sun Celebration will be hosted here the day after tomorrow!” the pink pony explained.
Meeting a completely clueless gaze from him, she explained. “Basically, Princess Celestia is coming here to raise the sun on the longest day of the year.”
“Pfft… Ahahaha!” Naruto burst and literally fell down on the ground laughing, causing several ponies around to gaze at him. Pinkie Pie burst out in laughter as well just for the sake of joining him.
“You… Pfft… Actually believe someone raises the sun?” Naruto groaned between laughs, barely breathing.
“Bahahaha, hilarious, right?” Pinkie wiped a tear of laughter from her eyes.
“Wait… So were you joking?” the orange pony finally asked after catching his breath.
“Nope,” Pinkie answered with a smile, starting a minute-long silence.
“Anyway…” Naruto began. “This is a really nice place, Pinkie, but I have to go home. Do you think anyone here could help me?”
“Home? That Konoha place? You can always just ask everypony where it is, but I doubt you’d find anypony that knows.”
“What about really smart people—Er, ponies? The type that read books all the time? They should know something, right?” he persisted hopefully.
“Hmm… Nope, not anypony who lives here. Ooh! Ideaaaaa!”
Naruto gazed at her questioningly.
“Princess Celestia knows everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! Just ask her when she comes during the Summer Sun Celebration,” she suggested with a beaming smile.
“Alright then… But you said it’s in two days, didn’t you? What am I supposed to do until then?”
“I don’t know, just walk around. Maybe somepony will need your help. There’s a lot to do. I’d start with the town hall if I were you,” she pointed to the large building in front of them.
“Well, alright then,” Naruto replied as he looked at it for a moment. “Thanks, Pink—,” he began, only to find out she was gone. “I wonder if everyone here’s a ninja like her…”
*****
Naruto’s jaw dropped slightly in amazement as he entered. The building already seemed huge from the outside, but on the inside it looked even larger. The brown wooden walls were already partially decorated with ribbons of several colors, and large flags with one of two pictures on them: two ponies, one white and one black, the sun and the moon in the middle between them, or two pink ponies with a large heart between them on yellow background.
“No… Green definitely won’t cut it. Orange? Not a chance. Now, blue…” a white Unicorn was talking to herself, her back side towards him. Naruto’s jaw dropped to the floor as he saw several ribbons of different colors floating around here, surrounded by light blue aura. “I’ve never seen this kind of jutsu before! Or is it just a wind jutsu?”
After he got over the shock, he trotted over to the white pony, which he soon remembered as the one talking to Pinkie before. “Hey there, do you need help with anything?”
The white mare turned her head towards him, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes matching his own. She had long eyelashes and was wearing elegant, light purple makeup. “Ah, very good. I was just requir—,” she began, but froze when she looked at him.
“Those… Those clothes!” she suddenly yelled. Naruto took a few cautious steps backwards as she started pacing towards him.
She came to a stop a few inches from his face. That’s when he got a first good look on a Unicorn’s horn. It was a lot shorter than he had imagined Unicorns in myths to have, but maybe it was due to her swirly, purple hair, which he found quite beautiful, hiding some of it. She began circling around him, taking mental notes at each and every feature of him and his jumpsuit that she noticed. Beads of nervous sweat started forming on his face, as he could only guess what her next move would be.
“It is quite striking. I have never seen anypony wear anything like it! I could make an entire line based on this concept!” she said with admiration in her voice. “Who designed this?” the white pony asked quietly, yet assertively.
“I… don’t remember? It was a long time ago…” Naruto has never met someone who was this interested in clothing, and especially his jumpsuit, so he was quite surprised.
“Really now? It’s in a rather good shape,” she said as she felt it. Naruto tried to take a step back, when he noticed he was surrounded by the same aura from before, and couldn’t move. Before he could even try doing anything about this, the aura disappeared and he could feel his limbs’ mobility once more.
“And that headband…”
Naruto puffed his chest. It was his pride and joy. The plate used to belong to Iruka-sensei, his teacher from the Academy, which he also looked up to as a big brother figure.
“It looks like a snail that fell over and can’t get back up. What does it even mean?”
Naruto’s chest sunk and his head fell low. “A… snail?” he muttered. That was the worst insult he’d ever heard.
The white pony shrugged as she continued on. “Your mane is rather cute. Beautiful color, but it should really be straightened out. It’s pretty messy. And those whisker marks… Are you sure you weren’t drawn on by some prankster, dearie?”
“Err, nope. They were always there.” He was getting slightly embarrassed and irritated by the criticism, but knew she didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, so he decided to bear with it for a little longer.
“Well, no matter. They are quite endearing, and they do make you stand out,” she smiled. “However… I simply have to say that the crème de la crème… is your. Smashing. TAIL!” she suddenly exclaimed and grabbed it.
Naruto panicked and took a few quick steps forward, but Rarity matched his steps and kept cuddling it. “How did you do it? It’s so soft and fluffy… It’d take me hours to do that with my hair! What lotion did you use?”
Giving up, he decided he might as well be over with it. “Nothing. It’s… natural.” He wasn’t sure if he was lying to her or not, though, since he really didn’t do anything to it, but also didn’t have a tail at all without the transformation.
“If we shave it off and let it regrow repeatedly… we could make the best wigs in all of Equestria! We’d be rich! RICH I TELLS YA!” she suddenly exclaimed, her face looking suddenly a bit insane.
“Hey, hey! No way!” he frowned at her, nearly terrified by her and her suggestion.
Rarity coughed. “Oh… Ahem. Sorry, I got a tad carried away,” she blushed and let go of his tail.
“A tad…?”
“Ah, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself,” she smiled. “My name is Rarity. I own the best fashion store in town—Carousel Boutique. You should really drop by sometimes. First order is free as long as you bring that marvelous tail with you!” she chuckled, but eyed it closely again.
“I’m Naruto Uzumaki. I’m a nin—Err, traveler. I came here for the Summer Sun Celebration,” he quickly improvised. “Best not let them know I’m a ninja. I still can’t be sure this isn’t some kind of weird, really well put together trap, right?”
“I see. Then I welcome you to Ponyville. I do hope you’ll enjoy your stay,” she smiled at him. “So you were coming to assist in the preparations, correct? I’m sorry, but I need a Pegasus right now. I need to hang those ribbons on the ceiling.” She motioned to a pile of blue ribbons lying on the floor next to her.
“Miss Rarity! Somepony’s here about the red ribbons your ordered!” a male voice called from outside.
“Coming!” she called back. “Sorry, darling. Try asking some other ponies around if they need help, or maybe try finding a Pegasus for me,” she said as she trod outside.
Naruto looked around the town hall. There was nobody around for the moment. He grinned, and then stood up on his hind legs and crossed his front ones. “Release!”
With a puff of smoke he was back in human form. Then, he crossed the two fingers of each hand for his favorite, most used jutsu—“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he exclaimed, and nine more Naruto’s appeared beside him.
*****
A few minutes later, Rarity walked back into the town hall, a bundle of red ribbons floating beside her.
“Hi Rarity, finished already?” Naruto asked, standing in front of her. He was back in his pony form.
Rarity’s jaw and the pile of ribbons fell down as she looked around. The entire ceiling was now decorated with the blue ribbons. “How did you… I don’t think even Rainbow Dash could pull something like THIS off! We’re way ahead of schedule thanks to you!”
“Heh, what can I say? I’m a guy of many talents. Well, see you around, Rarity!” And with that, he left the stunned Unicorn behind, chuckling.
Rarity smiled to herself. “Now I have some time to relax. Spa time, here I come!” She dropped down all of the red ribbons, putting them off until later, and happily marched outside.
*****
As he trotted down the street, Naruto noticed the sun getting slightly lower in the sky. “Someone raising the sun? Haha, as if…” he muttered to himself.
As he continued walking, he felt something lightly tugging his tail. Deciding to ignore it, he slightly picked up his pace. The sensation of tugging turned into petting, and as much as he found it pleasurable, which he found rather odd, he had to investigate the cause of it. Rapidly turning his head around, he saw a yellow Pegasus with pink mane and tail staring at him, her right front hoof at his tail. She was hovering a few inches above the ground, her wings flapping silently.
The Pegasus stared at him, her gaze and expression frozen. He did the same for a minute, until he decided to open his mouth. “Uh…” But the moment he did, the Pegasus blushed deeply, made a weak, high-voiced squeak, and flew away.
“Hey, wait—,” he started, but she was already far out of earshot. Looking down, he noticed a small, brown bag on the ground. Touching it with his front right hoof Naruto could feel hard, tiny things inside. “Probably seeds. I wonder why she had them…”
He picked them up and looked at where she flew towards. That direction lead very quickly to the outskirts of town, not far from where he entered Ponyville from. Without anything better to do at the moment, he shoved the bag into one of the pockets of his jumpsuit and walked in that direction.
*****
Not long after he was past the buildings of Ponyville, Naruto could see a house overgrown with vegetation. Another peculiar feature that house had was the many birdhouses scattered around it. The house was located just beyond the creek Naruto crossed before arriving at Ponyville, downstream of the bridge he used.
As he walked past the short bridge leading to the house, Naruto noticed many small animals staring at him—bunnies, birds, squirrels, and from the corner of his eye—a bear, or so he thought, as it disappeared during an involuntary blink.
*Knock knock* He pounded lightly on the door.
The door opened ever so slightly, to reveal a turquoise eye framed by a yellow face and decorated by pink hair.
“Hi there,” Naruto began. In response, the mare took a step backwards.
Naruto tilted his head, baffled at her reaction. “Um, you dropped this earlier,” he reached out from his pocket and handed her the small bag.
“Thank you,” the mare muttered, taking the bag.
“What was that?” Naruto asked with a smile. He heard her, but wanted to get her to speak to him normally.
“Thank you,” the mare whispered even more quietly than before.
Naruto let out a sigh. It wasn’t going as he had hoped, and he did what he came for, so he turned around and walked away.
Just then, he heard the door opening, and felt a slight tug at his tail. Naruto grinned, having figured out the key to get the shy mare to speak. He gave a sneak peek to see her stroke his tail as gently as one would a newborn puppy. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” he started conversing.
“I’m Fluttershy,” she said back to him in a daydreaming voice, as if not fully listening. She had a look of joyful calmness as she kept stroking his tail.
“Appropriate name,” he chuckled mentally. “So I take it you like animals? You sure have a lot of them here.”
“Oh yes, I love all kinds of animals. I take care of orphan animals until they are adopted by ponies who want them, or are ready to go back to the wild.”
“I see, that’s really nice of you. By the way… You like my tail, huh?”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, quickly letting go. “I’m really, really sorry, Naruto. The moment I saw it I thought it was a fox’s and couldn’t help but pet it. Foxes are pretty rare around here,” she explained to him, flustered. “Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you around here before, Naruto. Did you move into Ponyville?”
“Oh no, I’m just visiting here for the Summer Sun Celebration. I don’t have much to do at the moment, so I’m just going around seeing if anybody—*cough*—anyPONY needs some help. How about you??”
“You already did much help. Thank you, Naruto,” the yellow Pegasus said, showing the brown bag. “Although… I suppose I could use some help feeding the animals inside. I have to rehearse the bird choir for Princess Celestia’s entrance in two days.”
“Alright, no problem,” Naruto nodded, and followed Fluttershy inside.
*****
About an hour later Naruto left Fluttershy’s cottage, after having fed all of the animals in her house, minus the ones in the birdhouses which were too high for him to reach and he had to leave for Fluttershy to handle.
“Heh, feels like I’m back to the D-rank missions I did back when I became a genin, like finding lost pets or cleaning backyards,” Naruto thought, a smile of nostalgia on his muzzle.
“Ugh. Speaking of cleaning…” he muttered as he smelled the air around himself. “I really hope those birds didn’t take a dump on me while I fed them.” What he didn’t know was that resting on his head was a large, white splotch of dubious origins.
Walking back through the streets of Ponyville, he suddenly felt a drop of water hit his snout. And then another one on his back, and another on the base of his tail.
Looking at the sky ahead, he saw completely clear skies. When yet another drop fell right between his eyes, he stretched his neck upwards even more to see a cloud floating directly above him.
“What the—” was all he could say before he was completely showered from head to tail. After taking a moment to recover from the shock, he spat out the water that got into his mouth. “What’s going on here?!”
“Hey there, new guy,” a cheerful voice called from above the cloud, which Naruto noticed had changed from gray color to white. With a muffled thump, the cloud dissipated and vanished, revealing a light blue Pegasus with colorful rainbow mane and tail. The Pegasus smiled at him. “Hope you enjoyed the surprise shower.”
“Hardly! Now I’m all wet and my hair’s all droopy,” Naruto frowned. “Why did you even do that?”
“You honestly don’t know?” she asked in surprise. “Never mind, it’s better that you don’t know,” she said, badly hiding a chuckle. “And about the wetness… Just let me fix you up.”
With that said, and again no time to brace himself, she flew around him as quick as a tornado, creating a rainbow swirl around him. Eventually slowing down to a stop, she landed a few feet from him to look at the results. “I call it the ‘Rainblow Dry’. So, what do you think?”
“Hm. I feel fine,” he mumbled, and placed a hoof on his now dry mane. This made him freeze. “Wow, great job. Now I know how Pinkie’s mane-do feels like.”
“Ahahaha! Don’t worry! It looks great on you!” called the mare as she burst into wild laughter. “By the way, I’m Rainbow Dash. Fastest Pegasus in Ponyville—wait, scratch that—in all of Equestria!”
“Oh really? I doubt that,” Naruto teased as he straightened out his mane and tail. Her bragging sounded a little unbelievable. Moreover, he was convinced that his ninja speed would ensure he’d beat that pony, no sweat, human or pony form alike.
“Is that a challenge?” she asked in a serious tone, but was smiling in excitement nonetheless.
“You bet it is,” Naruto answered, sharing that exact same smile. “By the way, my name’s Naruto Uzumaki.”
“Strange name… Alright, Naruto. A quick race to the end of the street. And since you’re an Earth pony, I’ll give you a ten seconds head start. You game?!”
“Start the countdown,” Naruto answered, kicking at the ground with his front hooves one after each other, getting ready.
“Alright, Naruto… You start in three… two… one… GO!”
Naruto dashed ahead at full speed, barely slowing down just to avoid a collision with the ponies walking down the street.
Rainbow watched from high up as he had already made half of the way in the head start she gave him. “Not bad for an Earth pony. Not bad at all. However…”
The ten seconds came to an end, and Dash flew ahead, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.
“Ha, it was a mistake giving me that head start, Rainbow,” Naruto thought smugly as he was just one house away from the end of the block. But just then, a rainbow arched down and touched the ground in front of him, and from it the rainbow-maned mare appeared on the finish line, a victorious grin on her muzzle.
Naruto’s eyes widened as he attempted to stop or swerve to avoid her, but it was too late and he collided into her. The two ponies rolled a few feet before coming to a stop, Naruto above her. The two of them then started laughing, and Naruto helped her get up.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in a while now! You’ve got a lot of spunk, Naruto. I’m sure I’ll enjoy having you around,” she said happily and raised her hoof. Getting the hint, Naruto raised his own and bumped it.
“Say, Rainbow, do you have anything you need help with for the Summer Sun Celebration?” Naruto inquired.
“See those clouds above Ponyville?” she pointed upwards. “My job’s to clear them all.”
“Wow, it’s almost as if you can control the weather!” Naruto proclaimed, surprised.
“What do you mean by ‘almost as if’? That’s what us Pegasi do, you know,” she replied, baffled by his statement.
“Are you serious?! You can control the freakin’ weather?! What kind of jutsu is that?!” Naruto asked with his eyes nearly bulging out from the shocking information.
“By Celestia’s name, were you born yesterday? Wait… Ju-su?”
Naruto scratched the back of his head. “Err… Just kidding?” he chuckled nervously.
“Right… Anyway, as I just demonstrated, I can clear the sky in ten seconds flat. So I’ll just do that tomorrow. No prob’,” she said nonchalantly.
“Alright then. I’ll go see if somepony else needs help.”
“Go check out Sweet Apple Acres,” Rainbow advised. “They probably have their hooves full. They are taking care of the catering for the Celebration.”
“Gotcha, see you later, Rainbow!” Naruto replied as he set off.
“That was kinda fun,” he thought to himself. “If there are more ponies like her around here, maybe I should take a vacation here from time to time…”
From the name of the place, it wasn’t hard to gather that he was looking for apple trees. A lot of them. And it didn’t take longer than a minute to find that the trees covered all the western view of Ponyville. As he walked in that direction, the town scenery gradually changed to a farm one, and he passed a gate with a picture of an apple painted on a plank tied to its roof. Beyond it, there lay a large, maroon colored farmhouse. A chicken coup was to Naruto’s right, and extending all around him from nearly all directions were apple trees.
As soon as he saw the fruit-filled trees, his stomach reminded him of its existence, grumbling loudly. “I suppose taking just one won’t be a problem,” he thought as he walked over to the nearest apple tree. The apples glittered slightly in the sunlight, looking very appetizing in their red color. Directing chakra to his legs, he started walking up the tree’s trunk in order to obtain one of the delicious fruits.
“Howdy there, pardner!” a loud, jolly voice rang out.
Naruto’s concentration broke as his eyes widened in surprise and he fell down from the tree. Rubbing his throbbing head, he looked upwards to find an orange mare with a yellow mane and an odd hat gazing at him with beautiful green eyes.
“Ya must be the visitor Pinkie told me ‘bout. Ya’re here to help out with the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, aint’cha?”
Stunned by her weird way of speaking, his head still hurting and hungry to boot, he just stared at her blankly for a moment.
“Y’all right there?” she asked as she saw him struggling to even speak, and pulled him up with an unbelievable amount of strength.
“Ah, yeah… I’m here to sample the food for the Celebration,” he lied after getting his thoughts sorted out, with food at the top priority after remembering this farm’s responsible for catering the event.
“Ah, really there?” she inquired and stared at him. She didn’t sound angry or suspicious of him, but looking at her made him feel bad for lying.
“Err… Actually not. I’m just here to help out,” he admitted, finding himself unable to be dishonest with her for some reason, but his belly sounded its protest right after saying it.
“Well, ah could use some extra hooves fo’ the Celebration. There are many apples to be picked there,” she motioned over to the vast, vast plantations of apple trees.
Naruto gulped. There were so many trees he didn’t know if he could even finish it in a week, let alone two days!
“Don’cha worry there. Ah’ll be here to help ‘cha, and Big Mac will be comin’ down to lend a hoof as well,” she said with a reassuring smile as she saw his flabbergasted expression. “Oh, and you can eat as much as you want on the job,” she added, smiling casually.
“By da way, name’s Applejack. What’s yours?” she said as she put her front up for a shake.
“N-N-Nar-r-ruto U-Uzuma-a-aki,” he tried to say as she shook not only his hoof, but his entire body up and down with her remarkable strength. “I bet her speciality is taijutsu!” was what he thought immediately.
“Mighty odd name ya’ve got there, but alright. Let’s get to workin'!”
*****
As they walked deeper into the apple grove, a loud thud was heard, followed by a barrage of apples falling down on the ground a few feet in front of them, into a few wide wooden buckets. Next to them, his back to the tree, stood the largest pony he’d yet seen. He was red in color, and had orange mane and short tail. The color of his hooves was white, and around his neck was a large wooden horse collar.
“Howdy, Big Mac!”, Applejack called as she and Naruto approached him. He smiled gently at them as they came to a stop next to him.
“This here is Naruto. He’ll be helping us with apple bucking today. Naruto, that’s my big brother, Big Macintosh.”
“Nice to meet’cha,” Naruto said to him. He noticed he’s the first pony to really towered above him. He was just about the height of the rest of the ponies he’d met so far.
“Eeyup,” the red stallion replied concisely, smiling to him. He picked up each bucket with his teeth and unloaded the red contents into a wagon that was a short distance from him.
“Now see here what y’all be doing. Just walk over to this here tree and…” she instructed and walked over to a tree with some more empty buckets around it. Then, she kicked the tree with her hind legs, and a shower of apples came down. Nearly all of the apples fell into the buckets, and those that didn’t she flicked skillfully with her tail into them.
Naruto was surprised to see that the tree was now completely free of apples. Applejack grinned at him. “Don’cha worry. A few years of good apple bucking and you’ll be as good as us Apples.” She unloaded the apples into the wagon.
“Now try to give it a shot too.” The orange-colored mare motioned towards another tree. Big Mac had already set up four barrels nearby it.
“Just kick it for some apples? No problem at all,” Naruto said nonchalantly as he walked over to it. Turning his back to it, he kicked the tree with his hind legs as hard as he could and prepared himself for the barrage of apples… Which didn’t come. Only three apples fell down and into the buckets.
Bic Mac and Applejack gazed at each other, with slightly embarrased expressions on their faces. “Well, at least they all fell into the buckets,” Applejack muttered.
“Uhh… Eeyup,” her brother added.
“I-I was just warming up!” the ninja exclaimed, red-faced. “Wow, those trees sure are tougher than they look… But let’s see if they can handle a bit of chakra!”
Infusing some chakra into his back legs, he delivered a kick smack ib the middle of the tree’s trunk. This time barrage did come down, mixed together with plenty of leaves.
The two ponies glared at him, jaws down to earth. “That was the darndest strongest kick I’ve ever seen a non-family member do! Right, Big Mac?”
“Ee… Eeyup.” He also sounded quit stunned, even if his answer included just one word.
“Still, ah doubt we could finish everything today. Since it’s afternoon already, ah think we’ll only manage the east section. We can count on ya for tomrrow for da rest, right?” Applejack questioned Naruto, a hopeful smile on her freckled face.
“Heh, don’t worry. I’ll be here to help out. Believe it!”, he assured, earning a smile from Applejack and Big Macintosh.
*****
Several hours have already passed, and the sun had already set. The white full moon began to slowly rise over the horizon. Over his time volunteering at the apple farm, Naruto was getting more proficient and used to the apple bucking process, having figured out just how much chakra to put into his kick to get all the apples and only the apples to fall down. He’d also rewarded himself an apple for every tree he bucked, so by the time he finished his stomach was filled to the brim with the sweet fruits.
The disguised ninja bid farewell to the Apple siblings and headed back towards town. As he reached it and gazed at the buildings, a worrying thought popped into his head. “Where am I gonna sleep? I don’t have anything on me, unlike when I go to missions… Maybe one of those ponies would let me sleep at their place? Hmm… I wonder if they sleep on hay like horses back home.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO REDO IT ALL?!”, an ear-deafening screech reached his ears and made him shut them, only to fall forwards on the joints of his front legs. Needless to say his line of thought was cut down like string cut by an axe. However, his mind began racing once more as he recognized the voice as Rarity’s. He ran towards the town hall as quickly as he could, to find Rarity conversing with a light brown colored Earth pony.
“I’m really sorry, Rarity, but I’ve just got a note from the royal Summer Sun Celebration commitee. They’ve said that we need to take down the ribbons and instead put up the flags they’ll send us tomorrow morning. There’ll also be a supervisor sent by Princess Celestia herself from Canterlot to oversee the preparations!”, the brown pony told her.
“But mayor, I only managed to get all this up today with a miracle! I don’t know how it will be possible to remove the current ones and replace them all in a single day!” Rarity pleaded.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get by somehow. You’re used to getting last minute requests by Canterlot fashionistas, aren’t you?”
Rarity let out a sigh. “I suppose it cannot be helped. I will try to get this by somehow.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but is it anything I can help with?” Naruto spoke up, and the two mares gazed at him, finally noticing him.
“Oh, Naruto! Just the miracle colt I was hoping for!” Rarity said with much relief in her voice. She walked over to his side and faced the mayor. “This is Naruto, the gentlecolt I’ve told you about,” Rarity introduced.
“A pleasure meeting you, I’ve heard some very good things about you,” the mayor smiled and reached out her hoof for a shake, to which Naruto complied. “I’m Mayor Mare, mayor of Ponyville.”
“Did you parents know you’ll be a mayor when they named you?” Naruto pondered on this enigma.
“Naruto, I’m really in a bind here. Do you think you’ll be free to help me out tomorrow? You’ve heard what I said, right?”
“If you mean what you YELLED,” Naruto chuckled mentally. “Actually, I’ve already promised to Apple—,” he began, when he realized “Duh, I’m a ninja! I can be at two places at the same time, and as long as nobody sees both me, none would be the wiser!”
“Sure, you can count on me. Believe it!” Naruto said with his usual catchphrase and a beaming grin.
“Oh, you’re a real life saver, Naruto!” the white Unicorn called and grabbed his front hooves, overjoyed. “How could I ever repay you?!” she asked, smiling brightly at him.
“Well… Actually I’ve been looking for somewhere to crash. Got any ideas?”
“I could arrange a bed for you back at my home,” she offered him generously.
“That sounds great—“, Naruto froze when yet another worrying thought appeared in his mind. “What if the transformation jutsu wears off while I sleep? My real form will be compromised!”
“Ah, thanks, Rarity. But I really have to decline. A guy’s gotta have his privacy, you know. Ha ha ha…” Naruto excused himself as politely as he could, but still scratched the back of his head, his face tainted in red embarrassment.
“Oh! Well, of course. Right, silly me,” Rarity quickly replied, a slight blush spreading on her face as well.
“I’ll give you the key to the library. No one lives there at the moment,” the mayor suggested. "There’s a bed there too, so as long as you aren’t allergic to books you’ll find it quite comfortable,” she chuckled and pulled out a key.
“Wait, where did she pull that key from?!” was the only thing that occupied Naruto’s mind for a few seconds, until his brain started functioning again. “Oh, thank you, mayor,” he said as he took the key and put it into one of his suit’s pockets.
“Well, I’ll be going home now. I expect from you two to finish this little task tomorrow, alright? Good night!” the mayor said as she trotted outside.
“Well, it is getting a bit late. Shall I walk you to the library? You probably haven’t seen it yet,” Rarity offered.
“Oh, sure. Thanks, Rarity,” Naruto smiled.
*****
The town was really quiet now as the two ponies walked down Mane Street, bathed in the moon’s soft rays.
Looking at the moon, a thought popped into his head, as he smiled to himself cynically. “Say, if Princess Celestia raises the sun, does it mean she also raises the moon?” He still couldn’t believe the words that came out of Pinkie’s mouth.
“Well, of course, darling. Who else but her?” the unicorn answered with a hint of confusion in her voice.
Naruto’s smile vanished like the light from an extinguished flame. “Wait, Pinkie was serious about it?!”
“About…?” Rarity questioned.
“Uhm, never mind,” Naruto quickly said, as baffled at the subject as ever. “I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes,” he concluded to himself.
“Well, here we are!” Rarity announced as they came to a stop in front of a huge tree. Into it was carved a house, while still maintaining its shape. On several places there were windows, and the front door was bright and red. Next to the tree was a sign with a drawing of an open book on it.
Naruto took out the key and put it into the keyhole, but was surprised to find out that the door was already unlocked. He pushed open the door into the darkness of the interior.
“SURPRISE!” multiple voices yelled as the lights suddenly turned on, revealing many, many ponies waiting inside, all wearing party hats. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack approached the entrance to greet Naruto. A blue cannon fired in the back of the room, sending to the air a cloud of colorful streamers and confetti.
Naruto just stared, dumbfounded at the unfolding event, and Rarity smiled. “I should have seen this coming,” she laughed.
Pinkie Pie hopped over to them and put party hats on their heads as well, and then turned to the ponies behind them. "Everyone, together! One... Two... Three..."
“Welcome to Ponyville, Naruto Yuzumaki!” rang out so loudly all of Ponyville could hear it.
The orange ninja-pony smiled from ear to ear, so much so he completely disregarded the mispronunciation of this last name. “W-Wow, thanks everyb—pony! It sure looks great! But wait, Pinkie, how did you know I’ll be coming here?”
“My Pinkie Sense told me!” she responded with a grin.
“What?” was all Naruto could say to the awkward answer.
“Well, alright then,” Naruto shrugged. “Besides, having a giant demon fox sealed into me is much more out there than that.”
Naruto took a look around—cake, snacks, a bowl of fruit punch and games were strewn all around on tables in the entrance hall, which now he noticed had its walls filled to the brim with books. However, these were partially obscured by the party decorations. A huge pack of balloons were tied to the ceiling, and streamers and other colorful matter were practically covering all of the books.
“Now let’s get this party started!!!” Pinkie called out as she started the party music to a loud cheering from everypony around.
*****
After a few hours, during which Naruto drank, ate and just had fun with his strange new pony friends, the party was over. Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy stayed behind a bit longer to help him clean up. After bidding them farewell, Naruto cancelled the transformation, turning back into a human, and took another quick look around.
As he noticed earlier, the entrance was large and spacious. Bookshelves carved into the tree itself contained many books. A ladder was next to one of them, in order to help reach those which were higher up the shelves. Above them were many large, round windows, and next to one of them stood a huge black telescope. Another door was to his large staircase was leading upwards.
Naruto walked up the stairs, to find a smaller room. He had to lower himself in order to get through the doorway leading to it. Like the entrance downstairs, it had fully stacked bookshelves carved into the tree, and above another, small staircase, he found the bed he sought. His heart sank when he realized that the bed was far too small for him and let out a disappointed sigh. He’d have to sleep as a pony after all.
Naruto then prepared to change back into a pony when he saw a book resting on the bed. Picking it up to get a closer look, he noticed that the front cover was embedded with a picture he saw on the flags in town hall today—two mares, one black and one white, circling the moon and the sun. Upon closer inspection, Naruto was surprised to see that the mares had both Unicorns’ horns and Pegasi’s wings. All of the ponies he’d met today had only one of those at most. Curious, he opened the book to find a beautiful drawing of Equestria.
“Sure is the most colorful place I’ve ever seen,” Naruto smiled to himself as he began reading. “Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...” he began and flipped to the next page. “There were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land.”
The second picture showed the two sisters, which Naruto recognized as the same ones from the symbol. Naruto rolled his eyes. “This sounds like a children’s fairy tale,” he chuckled and flipped to the next page. “To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night.” “So that’s where Pinkie got this idea from?” Saying he was skeptical to this was an understatement, and this little kids’ fairy tale certainly wasn’t helping his opinion of it.
“Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.” “And they all lived happily ever after, right? Haha,” Naruto continued sarcastically. However, his eyes widened up a bit at the next page. “But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.” “I guess even in this colorful place not everything is perfect,” he said to himself.
“One fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.” He flipped to the next page to find a picture of a pitch-black, sinister-looking pony. “The heck? Are they trying to scare the kids with this?” Naruto asked, slightly stunned over the quick, dark turn.
“She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night.” “…Yeah, right.” “Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to Ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both the sun and the moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.”
Naruto put the book down on a nearby stool. “I wonder what these ‘Elements of Harmony’ are. Are they some kind of ninja tools? Hmm... Well, I don’t get it. And I shouldn’t even care anyway, I’ll get that Princess Celestia pony to send me back home. Just one more day. Heck, maybe I’ll even wake up to see this was all an odd dream,” he smiled to himself at the possibility as he performed the transformation jutsu, to emerge back as a pony from a cloud of smoke.
Naruto took off the top of the jump suit, his tool bag and his headband, and set them on the stool on top of the book. He then got into bed, getting comfortable as he gazed at the moon at the window. A silhouette of a pony was definitely evident on it. “Guess that’s where they got the idea to that story from,” Naruto thought as he closed his eyes, and shortly after fell into deep slumber.
Naruto ran as quickly as his four legs could carry him. “Foalish ninja! Not even you can escape my wrath!” an echoing voice called from behind him. He turned his head back to see a slender, pitch-black pony with both a horn and wings chasing after him. She seemed to nearly float as she charged, wanting to get her hooves on him, until suddenly she blurred and vanished.
Naruto let out a sigh of relief and stopped to look around, he was in a vast field of grass, with a starry sky hanging above it. In the horizon he could see a line of trees. Looking to his right, he saw some kind of shape lying in the grass. Walking towards it, he quickly recognized it as a pony. However, this pony was larger than the average one, and he could see it had both wings and a long horn. When he got closer, he came to see that she had dark blue coat, and that her blue mane and tail, which twinkled like stars, moved as if they’ve been caught in an intangible wind. She wore silver shoes, and had a small black crown on her head.
“Hey, are you alright?” he asked the mare, gently touching her front right leg.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. “Who are you?” she muttered weakly.
Naruto was mesmerized by her soft voice and beautiful blue eyes. “Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki,” he whispered. “And you?”
“My name is Luna. Tell me, where are we?”
“I… I’m not sure… I was just running away from someone and ended up here… I think.”
Luna slowly got to her feet. “I… I have to go… To my sister….”
“MUHAHAHAHA!” Naruto heard the black mare from before laughing wickedly, the voice seemingly echoing from the sky itself and all around them. “Did you honestly think you could escape from Nightmare Moon?!”
The twinkling stars in the sky vanished, and the moon changed into an emerald eye with a catlike pupil. “I am always watching you. You can’t escape the night, and I AM THE NIGHT!”
“We have to run away, quickly!” Naruto exclaimed to Luna. As they ran, the darkness of the sky began enveloping them, the grassy area shrinking gradually. Luna suddenly stumbled and fell down, and she looked up in fear to see Nightmare Moon towering above her.
“Luna!” Naruto yelled as he made a turn back as fast as he could, but it was too late. Nightmare Moon enveloped her with her wings, as Luna yelled out a final plea for help. “Save me, Naruto!!!”
*****
Naruto rose to a sitting position, his eyes slamming open, but then closed back just as quickly due to the sunlight pouring in from outside. Taking a few moments to process what he’s just been through, he slowly looked around him. “Did I honestly just get a nightmare from that book?” he sighed, quite disappointed of himself.
His heart sank to see the shelves of books in the wall in front of the bed. This was more than proof enough that he wasn’t in his room back in the hidden leaf village. Giving a single gaze at his hands told him that during the night the transformation jutsu indeed wore off, and his legs we sticking out of the small bed. He saw he had only the bottom part of his jump suit on, and the top was lying on the stool, changed back to its human proportions.
“Well, tomorrow I’ll get that Celestia to send me back home, and then this will all be over with,” he told himself as he got out of bed and put the top back on, strapped the tool bag on himself, and then put the headband back on his head.
“Okay, I need to make some clones, but still make sure no one suspects anything,” he confirmed with himself as he performed the seal. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he shouted, and out of a sudden cloud of smoke, a clone appeared beside him. With yet another seal, both of them transformed into ponies.
“Okay, you head to the town hall to help Rarity,” Naruto ordered his clone. The duplicate nodded and raced outside.
Immediately, in came another pony. Naruto hid behind the bed, since that pony probably saw him dashing outside. Upon catching the unmistakable shade of pink, he came out of his hiding, letting out a relieved sigh. “Good morning, Pinkie,” he greeted.
“Good morning, Naruto number two! Or Naruto number one? Do you have a twin brother? Oh my gosh, I didn’t throw a party for your twin brother! We can throw one today before this evening’s party! How convenient we’ll hold them both here!”
“Wait, Pinkie! That wasn’t my twin!”
“Oh, was it a doppelganger?! Or maybe an evil twin? Maybe we should call him Oturan! Although he didn’t seem bad at all…”
“No, Pinkie. That was just a clone jutsu,” he explained, getting a bit overwhelmed by her hyperactivity.
“Clone juice? You mean like a juice you drink and then you get a reward clone? Is it made of apples? Do you think Applejack can make some for me?”
“No, ju-tsu! Agh! Just look!” he yelled, tired of the guessing game’s sheer insanity and cancelled the pony transformation. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he exclaimed as he performed the hand seal and a clone appeared next to him.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is the most amazing thing ever! Now you can help me out with the party!” she called gleefully.
“Wait, what party? I told you I don’t have a twin!” Naruto objected.
“Not for you, silly-filly. I mean the new pony that will be coming here later.”
“How do you know about a pony that isn’t even here yet? Wait, don’t tell me… Pinkie Sense?” he ventured.
“No, Rarity told me about it,” she explained with her usual, carefree smile.
“Oh,” was all Naruto could think to say to the unusually plain response. “Well, I guess my clone could hang around and help you out.”
“Just make sure nothing hits me, alright?” the ninja duplicate added.
“Why, what will happen?” she asked and punched his leg without waiting for an answer. The clone only gave her a stunned look before dissipating.
“That happens,” Naruto replied, sweatdropping. “That’s why I’ll be going as my real self to Applejack’s. One apple mishap and everyone will be panicking about vanishing ninja ponies. By the way, you didn’t tell anyone—“.
“AnyPONY. If you keep speaking so oddly everypony will get suspicious, you know.”
Naruto chose to simply avoid the argument that could stem from that tiny point and continued on. “Right, anyPONY, about me not being a pony?”
“Don’t worry! I’ve made a Pinkie Promise!” She passed a hoof in front of her mouth, put it on the ground and then wiped the ground with her other one.
“Alright then,” Naruto said as he conjured up another clone, again choosing not to comment on Pinkie’s actions.
The ‘twins’ both transformed into ponies, and the clone walked over to Pinkie. “Just tell me what do and I’ll help out,” he smiled.
“By the way, where’s the party gonna be?” Naruto questioned.
“Right here, of course!” she said cheerfully.
“And… How do you know the new pony will be coming here?”
“Pinkie Sense!”
“Ah… Right, of course,” he rolled his eyes and headed outside.
*****
The sun was shining as beautifully as yesterday, sending a warm feeling all across Naruto’s body as headed to the west side of town and the Apple family’s farm.
“Hey, Naruto! Heads up!” a familiar voice called from above.
Recognizing the voice instantaneously, the orange ninja sprinted forward a few feet, and looked back to see the area he was just in getting a thorough soak.
“Woah, you’ve got some impressive reflexes there,” smiled at him a light blue mare, who was sitting atop of the small cloud that just released all of its cargo.
“Good morning, Rainbow,” Naruto greeted. “But you should know I only get fooled once by the same trick.”
Rainbow landed gently on the ground. “I’ll take that as another challenge for next time. I’m sure I’ll enjoy pulling another prank on you,” she laughed. “Say, if you’re not busy, how about we hang out a bit? I’ve been wanting to show somepony the new flying routine I’ve been working on, but everypony’s been really busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“I can always just make another clone…” Naruto thought, smiling. “Sure, just give me a moment,” he said as he dashed behind a nearby house. Rainbow stared at his direction, puzzled.
A moment later, he came out. “Alright, let’s go!” he exclaimed, and they both headed down the street.
A few minutes later, another Naruto appeared from behind the building, smiling. “Looks like she didn’t suspect anything, so I’m in the clear for now.”
*****
Naruto continued trotting down the street, taking in the scenery of the town and the mountains in the horizon, the noise of ponies minding their business, probably preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. The birds were chirping, and the quiet buzzing of bees added to the background noise.
Though, in actuality, those weren’t the bees buzzing, but in fact a very weak voice speaking to the transformed ninja walking down the streets of Ponyville.
“Umm… I’m very sorry to disturb you, Naruto. But I really need your help today… If you would please just look this way…” whispered a yellow colored Pegasus, which was floating next to him silently. So silently, in fact, that even Naruto’s honed ninja senses wouldn’t reveal to him her presence just to his left. “I’m really in a bind today, so if you won’t mind helping me out, I would really, really appreciate it,” she pleaded.
Eventually, her right wing accidentally touched his lower back. Naruto’s eyes shot open when he sensed the foreign body touching him. “Gyah!” he screamed, jumping six feet into the air. He quickly turned around to see Fluttershy hiding behind her wings, scared over his sudden reaction.
“Oh, good morning, Fluttershy,” Naruto greeted, catching his breath. “A-Are you alright?” he managed to say, despite feeling his own heart about to pop out of his chest.
“G-Good morning, and yes, I’m fine,” she replied in her usual, ear-strainingly weak voice. “If you aren’t busy, could you help me back home? I’m having a bit of an emergency. My bunny, Angel, needs to take his medication, but he’s hiding from me. And I just don’t have the time to look for him with the Summer Sun Celebration coming,” she asked with pleading eyes.
“O-Oh, sure!” he answered immediately, unable to withstand the power of her eyes. “Just hold on a second!” he called as he ran once more behind another building and performed the same trick as before.
Within moments, Fluttershy and Naruto’s shadow clone were on their way to Fluttershy’s cottage. The real Naruto watched them for a while until they got far enough, and then headed to the apple farm.
*****
Meanwhile, at the center of town, a golden chariot descended from the sky, pulled by a pair of white Pegasi wearing matching golden armor. Two figures, both purple in color, jumped out and looked around. One of them was a Unicorn, while the other was a small, reptilian creature.
Just then, passed them by Pinkie Pie and the clone assigned to her, both carrying several party goods such as balloons and streamers, freshly bought for the party. As soon as Pinkie saw the two, she made a loud gasp, grabbed the Naruto clone and with one of her hooves and dashed with him back to the library.
This made the Unicorn and reptile exchange baffled gazes.
*****
Naruto could see a familiar, orange-colored pony waiting for him at the entrance to the farm.
“Great to see ya, Naruto!” Applejack said with her upbeat voice. “Ready for some good ol’ apple bucking?”
“You betcha,” Naruto replied, returning a smile.
“Great! Ah’ll be coming later, since I have some family members coming and I need to take care of things for the Summer Sun Celebration now, but Big Mac will be there to help ya out. Ah’ll be counting on ya to do a fine job like yesterday. Just take this here wagon with ya.”
The cowmare then helped him strap the wagon to his back. “Feel free to eat on the job, and drop by the barn later for some of the best apple pastries ya’ve ever had!” she said as she headed to the barn.
“Alright, see ya, Applejack!” Naruto called and headed into the apple grove, his wagon trailing behind him. “I never thought I’d know what being a horse feels like, but this is no easy job!” he thought as he pulled the heavy wagon.
“Excuse me!” a voice he didn’t recognize called to him.
Towards him walked a purple unicorn, sporting dark purple mane and tail, in which a pink line of hair ran through. She had eyes that were purple as well, slightly darker than her coat. Next to her was another purple creature. However, it was definitely not a pony—it looked like a large lizard, only it walked upright, and had green spikes adorning its backside from head to tail. His eyes were big and green and his pupils were snake-like.
“Good day, sir. My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced herself. “Wait… Didn’t I see you before? You look a bit familiar,” she added, rubbing her chin.
“My name’s Naruto Uzumaki. And nope, I’ve never seen you before.”
“Oh, well… Are you the owner here?”
“No, not me. I’m just helping around here temporarily. You’re probably looking for Applejack. She’s in the barn over there,” he answered, when he eyed the creature next to her.
“Wow, what is that thing? It looks really cool!” he said in excitement.
“I’m not an it, you know. I’m a he. And I’m a Dragon. The name’s Spike,” the purple creature claiming to be a Dragon said.
Since Naruto was already shocked by the talking ponies in this universe once, he simply assumed anything can talk here, and wasn’t completely surprised when the little guy answered. “Aren’t you a little too small to be a Dragon?” Naruto asked skeptically.
In response, Spike blew a stream of green fire at his face, forcing the orange colt to jerk his head backwards.
“Baby Dragons can still breathe flames, you know,” Spike said with a cocky grin.
“Right. I believe you now,” Naruto smiled.
“Let’s go, Spike. We have much to do,” Twilight urged him and the two walked off to the barn. Naruto headed off as well to do his job at the apple grove.
*****
Later that day, back in the middle of town, the Naruto clone that was with Rainbow Dash was getting to enjoy some of the most impressive flying he’d seen. The rainbow-maned Pegasus flew in spirals around clouds, zigzagged between buildings and flew circles around the sun (from his point of view), dashed through rows of clouds creating perfect, round holes in them, and even made a small tornado in the air, making the clouds above Ponyville spin around in th sky. Finally, she flew up high, and then descended down as quickly as her wings could take her, until she was slightly more than a rainbow-colored blur in Naruto’s eyes, and quickly changed directions by ninety degrees to fly just inches off the ground, and finally came to a stop next to him.
Naruto applauded enthusiastically. “Wow! That was incredible, Dash! How did you all that?!”
“Heh, years of practice, my little pony. Years of practice. All this so that one day, I can become one of the best, the greatest—the Wonderbolts!”
Naruto only looked at her questioningly. “And they are…?”
Rainbow Dash’s lower jaw nearly fell to the ground with those three words. “Are you kidding me?! You’ve really been living under a rock or something, haven’t ya?”
Naruto could only scratch the back of his head, embarrassed with his ignorance of something that was probably seen as trivial here.
“The Wonderbolts are Princess Celestia’s personal aerial acrobatics team. They’re the best and fastest Pegasi in all of Equestria! Just you wait and see, one day I’ll be a member—no, wait… The CAPTAIN of the Wonderbolts!” she explained, her eyes shining as she talked about her dream.
“Good luck, Dash! But I really think you really got it all down already,” the orange Earth pony complimented.
“I have, haven’t I?” the light blue Pegasus laughed and gazed at him. “You know what? I feel like having another race. Feel like you’re up for another beating?” she teased.
“Heh, you talk big, but I want to see your face when I wipe the floor with ya,” Naruto grinned at her.
“Ha, I just love your attitude! Alright, same rules. We run to the end of the block, and you get a 10 seconds head start, alright?”
But Naruto had an idea this time around. “No need, we’ll start together this time.”
“You sure? Don’t you want, you know, an actual, slight chance of winning?”
“I can’t wait to wipe that smugness off your face,” was all Naruto answered with.
“Heh. Right back at ya,” Dash retorted. “Alright, let’s start this thing! Ready…”
Naruto stared forward, finding the best route to avoid the few ponies walking across the road.
“Set…”
He pumped chakra into his legs. He could feel his weight decreasing, and the muscles in his leg strengthening.
“Go!” Rainbow announced, and the two contestants set off like rockets. Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe her eyes—slowly, but surely, Naruto gained the lead over her, despite the numerous ponies he had to avoid.
Barely looking at his competition, Naruto mostly focused on accelerating as much as he could. In fact, he was too focused to notice a purple mare and purple lizard entering the road from a side street, and when he finally did, it was too late.
“Watch out ahead!!!” was all he managed to yell as he barely dodged them, but sent the mare spinning, literally, while Rainbow Dash, who was slightly behind him, knocked her into the muddy puddle on the side of the road, falling on top of her.
“Woops, sorry,” Rainbow Dash said, barely containing her laughter. “Here, I’ll clean ya up.”
Naruto walked back to them just in time to see the treatment he got yesterday from afar. The purple mare was washed clean of mud, and then blown dry by a Pegasus-induced tornado, leaving her tail and mane all puffy, just like Pinkie’s.
However, her serious expression, which was so much unlike Pinkie’s, in combination with the messy, puffy hairdo, caused him to literally roll on the ground laughing, along with Rainbow Dash and the small purple reptile who watched this all unfold.
The purple mare, however, seemed unfazed as she eyed Dash’s mane. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, I was sent here to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. And let me guess, you’re Rainbow Dash.”
“The one and only! The fastest pony in all of Equestria!” she bragged.
“I’d reconsider that title if I were you,” Naruto interjected. “Seeing as how I’d just mopped the ground with you!”
“That didn’t count! We didn’t get to the finish, and I was keeping the tension high by letting you lead for a bit, that’s all!” she exclaimed, flustered.
“Wait a second! Aren’t you that colt I met not long ago in Sweet Apple Acres?” Twilight demanded when she saw him.
“Who, me? I don’t think so. I’ve never seen you before,” the clone dismissed.
Twilight let out a sigh, giving up this line of questioning. She had more urgent business to take care of. “…Right. Anyways, Rainbow Dash. You’re supposed to be keeping the sky clean, aren’t you? Why are there still so many clouds in the sky?”
“Oh, don’t fret about that. I can clear those in ten seconds flat. Right, Naruto?” she asked with a confident smile.
“You betcha! She is the fastest Pegasus around here, after all,” he confirmed, though he emphasized the use of ‘Pegasus’ instead of ‘pony’.
“Oh, you’re so on for a rematch later, Naruto,” Rainbow said, grinning competitively and with sparkling eyes.
“Regardless, Princess Celestia sent me here to oversee the preparations, and I will see them through. So, if you please…?”
“Oh, fine then,” Rainbow sighed, and then took off. She flew like a madpony from cloud to cloud, giving each one a solid kick or punch to make it vanish. In a matter of seconds, the sky was completely and utterly cleared.
“See? Ten. Seconds. Flat,” she said calmly as she landed softly next to the shocked purple pair of Unicorn and Dragon. “Haha, I really like your expression! Can’t wait to see ya again soon, Twilight. Let’s go, Naruto!”
And so the light blue and orange duo set out, leaving behind a very shocked Twilight and smiling Spike. “Wasn’t she just amazing?” he asked and turned to her, but when he saw her wild mane again, he once more found it hard to contain his laughter.
“Oh, Naruto. I cannot simply stress how much your presence here is helping me. Although, yesterday it seemed like there were many of you at once, considering how quickly you finished setting up all the ribbons. It’s such a shame all that work was in vain,” Rarity said as she looked upwards.
Naruto’s clone couldn’t even afford to make a comment. He was standing on top of a ladder that extended all the way to the roof of the town hall with his back two hooves and left front hoof, a flag with a nail stuck in it was in his mouth, as he was pressing it against the wall, and a hammer was in his right front hoof. “Oh, if only she’d leave I could use my shadow clone jutsu and chakra and be done with it! Why did I have to make being a ninja so secret?” the clone lamented, as he was struggling to muster the dexterity required for the job.
“We were unable to find any free Pegasi to help out, but luckily the mayor provided us this ladder. She said she’d simply hate to see all of your enthusiasm go to waste,” the white mare said happily.
The clone rolled his eyes. “Yay, I’m so lucky she found that ladder,” he thought.
“Now let’s see… what color goes best with the new flags…” the white Unicorn muttered to herself as she pondered how to decorate the front stage.
Just then, the door opened, and Twilight Sparkle and Spike walked inside.
“Beautiful…” Spike muttered, his voice unclear and far-off.
“Yes, the décor is coming along nicely. Quite beautiful indeed,” the Unicorn said, and then froze when spotted a familiar-looking pony working on it, standing on a ladder nearby the ceiling.
“Not the décor. Her!” Spike called and pointed at Rarity, a dream-like smile spreading all over his face, and the look in his eyes growing more and more distant. “How are my spines? Are they straight?” he asked as he combed them with his claws.
Twilight once again decided to ignore this. “No way it’s the same pony…” she thought. She smiled at her companion and was about to talk to the white Unicorn, when a loud crashing voice resounded from behind them.
Everypony turned around to see what caused the noise. Nearby the ladder were a flag and a hammer, dropped by the orange colt.
“Sorry, Rarity. Could you get those for me?” he called from above.
“Oh, it’s no problem at all, Naruto,” the white Unicorn answered as she levitated the fallen items towards him.
There was no doubt now as to the orange pony’s identity. “Okay, that’s it!” Twilight yelled. “I’ve been seeing you all over the place and I demand to know—“.
“Wah!” a sudden shriek cut her short. “Good heavens, whatever happened to your mane?!” Rarity cried as she stared at Twilight, flabbergasted. She was so shocked she dropped the flag and hammer mid-air, which created another loud sound.
“Oh, it’s a long story. Don’t worry about it. I’m just here to check on the decorations, and then I’ll be out of your hair…”
“Forget my hair! What about yours?! Come, we must rectify this fashion disaster posthaste,” she said as she dragged her outside.
“Naruto! I’ll be leaving for now! Please carry on as usual!” she called as the two Unicorns left, the small Dragon hovering behind them, hearts in his eyes.
The Naruto clone slid down the ladder and landed softly on the floor. “Thank you, fashion disaster,” he laughed as he changed back into a human in a cloud of smoke. “Now for some ninja-style, ultra-quick decorating,” he said as he prepared the shadow clone jutsu once more.
*****
Some time later, nearby Fluttershy’s cottage, the yellow Pegasus floated in front of a flock of small birds, all standing on the branches of a small tree, conducing over them in a song. “Now, just a pitch higher…” she instructed softly.
Meanwhile, in the grass next to it, the Naruto clone was looking for Angel. “Here, Angel, Angel. Who’s a good bunny?” He’d spent quite a long time searching for the white critter, head in the grass, looking for small burrows or other crevices he could be hiding in, and frankly, he was growing tired of it.
A rustle from behind him got his attention, and he quickly turned around to find said white bunny tailing him from behind. “Ah, there you are, finally. Now let’s go and get your medi—“
The bunny stuck his tongue out at him, wagged his tail towards him tauntingly, and then ran off. “Oh, so that’s how you wanna play? Fine by me, bunny,” Naruto said and started chasing after him, his head still low at the grass so he would not lose sight of him. Angel then suddenly jumped in a burrow, which was immediately blocked by a purple object.
“Wow, this music sure is beautiful…” the object’s owner said, causing Naruto to raise his head in surprise, only to bump it against the pony’s head. Luckily, it wasn’t strong enough for the clone to vanish. “Hey, watch where you’re—,” the pony he bumped into started, but then froze. Her expression quickly changed into a furious one.
“I’ve had enough of this! This is the fifth time I’ve seen you today, and I demand to know why! Are you following me or something?!” she growled, narrowing her eyes at him, and walking closer and closer to him.
“W-Wait. This is just a mistake!” Naruto said in worry, having no idea what she was talking about. He started taking equally paced steps backwards, worried at what she’d to him. Any little mistake he made could cost him his secret of being a ninja and a human.
However, the both of them didn’t notice they were heading straight towards Fluttershy and her birds, until Naruto’s back hit the yellow Pegasus. Her eyes widened, as she let out a high-pitched squeak, causing the birds to fly away, and she herself after them.
Twilight broke her intense stare from the orange Earth pony and towards Fluttershy. “Ah, I’m so sorry! I was just here to check up on the music for the Summer Sun Celebration, and it sounded beautiful! I didn’t mean to scare you like that...”
Fluttershy landed behind Naruto, and just stared at her silently. “Uh oh,” was Naruto’s immediate thought as he saw her behaving this way. He knew where this is going, and unfortunately, it didn’t look like the purple Unicorn in front of them had a magical fox tail like him.
The purple mare smiled a bit awkwardly at her. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. What’s your name?”
“My name is Fluttershy…” she answered so quietly, even Naruto was barely able to make it out.
“One more time please?” Twilight pleaded with a supportive smile.
“Umm… It’s Fluttershy,” she answered so quietly Naruto didn’t think it was even humanly—or ponyly—possible.
“Didn’t quite get that!” Twilight asked, but Naruto had had enough of it. “It’s Fluttershy,” he vocalized with an annoyed sigh.
“Oh… Um, well, Fluttershy… It seems your birds are back…” Twilight said as she saw the feathered creatures landing back on the tree. “So I guess everything’s in order. Keep up the good work.”
Twilight walked away and approached a small, reptilian creature which Fluttershy and Naruto had only just noticed. Naruto wondered at what the strange creature would be, until an unexpected voice shouted right into his ear. “A baby Dragon!!!” sounded the uncharacteristically loud voice of Fluttershy.
She ran next to its side, knocking Twilight over in the process. “Oh, I’ve never seen a baby Dragon before! You’re so cute!”
“Well, well, well!” the small Dragon said, giving a smug grin to Twilight, who was now lying on the ground behind him, and turned back to the Pegasus for some more praises.
Naruto noticed a small, white figure a short distance to his right, and grinned to himself. Angel the bunny was watching the scene unfold, laughing. Most likely at the purple mare’s misfortune. “Gotcha!” Naruto exclaimed as he lunged at the rabbit, finally catching the elusive critter with his front hooves.
Angel once again stuck out his tongue at him, turning his head away from him snootily. “Gah! What’s with your attitude?! I hope Fluttershy’s medicine is as bitter as possible!” Naruto yelled, having his patience with the bunny reaching its end. Holding him firmly with one hoof (and forgetting to even question how it is possible), he walked back to Fluttershy’s cottage on just three hooves.
He missed out an unusual sight—Fluttershy driving Twilight out of her mind with Dragon-related questions—as the latter walked to her next destination with Spike on her back. The little Dragon was more than eager to answer all of the yellow mare’s inquiries.
*****
“This looks perfect, Naruto!” Pinkie exclaimed, overjoyed at the new party preparations completed. Balloons were hung everywhere, streamers dangled from the bookshelves and the ceiling, and the blue cannon Pinkie enjoyed using was fully loaded with colorful armament. On several small tables they brought were many pastries, snacks and drinks. “I’ve always wanted a little sidekick! Even though you’re not exactly little.”
“Wow, Pinkie. This party doesn’t look anything like mine!”
“Of course! No two parties are ever, ever, EVER the same! That’s why making parties is always super extra-special!” she called joyfully.
“By the way, why all those hot sauce bottles?” Naruto asked.
“Cakes go great with some hot sauce, didn’t you know?” Pinkie beamed.
“Welll… Alright then,” Naruto said. During his time spent with Pinkie today, if there was one thing that he’d learned, it was that when Pinkie says something, it’s probably true. No matter how odd what she said was, she was always right. And for some reason, it was always preceded by some sort of bodily twitch. He was saved at least twice today by her from falling flower pots, which the pink Earth pony had somehow predicted to occur beforehoof.
“By the way, you should really go now. You’ll be coming here pretty soon, you know. I’ll help you out,” Pinkie said cheerfully. Without even getting the chance to ask for an explanation on what she just said, Pinkie bumped the clone on the head and he vanished in a cloud of smoke. “Hehehe. That was really fun! Just like popping the leftovers balloons, or eating the leftover cake, or throwing up to the air all the leftover confetti, or—“
The knocking on the door interrupted her multiple situation comparison, and Pinkie opened it to let inside many, many ponies.
“PARTY HATS FOR EVERYPONY!!!” Pinkie shouted as she fired the cannon for the first time during the party. With a loud *BANG* a shower of pointy, colorful hats descended on the crowd. The ponies cheered and put the hats on their heads.
*****
Naruto was standing next to the library, back in his human form. He was peeking into one of the first floor’s windows. The lights were all turned off and several giggling voices came from inside. He easily recognized most of them as Pinkie’s.
Not long before that, roughly at around the same time, all of his clone’s memories came to him as they vanished. He finished decorating the town hall in a flash after Rarity went to fix Twilight up, and then quickly dispelled himself. He had done the same after forcing Angel to take a few spoonfuls of syrup medicine Fluttershy had prepared for him, and yet again after he parted with Rainbow Dash, telling her he needed to get something done before the party.
The orange ninja let out a sigh of relief. It had all worked out. That is, except for a certain purple Unicorn and her Dragon companion, which somehow ended up seeing all of his clones and his real self. Whoever she was, he was hoping she won’t pop up again and started questioning him… That is, until sunrise, when he’d finally be able to leave and tell the ponies his real identity. He watched the sun slowly set in the horizon. “After tonight, I’ll finally be back home. I wonder how Sakura and the rest will react…” He enjoyed the thought, at least until he envisioned Sakura sending him flying with a punch for disappearing for two days without letting anyone know.
This broke his concentration and he looked around. The town was vacant, most ponies waiting for the guest of honor inside the library. At the end of the street, he could see Twilight approaching, Spike on her back. Behind them was floating a familiar yellow-colored Pegasus. Twilight’s expression made her look like she was in pain. He could hear the talkativeness of Spike and Fluttershy and made the connection, which made him chuckle.
“Oh right, better get out of here before she sees me,” Naruto muttered. He collected chakra into his legs and ran up the library tree. Finding the window of the bedroom, he pushed it open and jumped inside, landing smoothly and silently next to the bed. He then closed the window and let laid back on the bed, his feet still on the floor.
*****
Naruto lay there for a good ten minutes or so. He wasn’t quite sure exactly. The orange shinobi finally took some time to process and review everything that had happened to him over the last two days. He had found himself in some kind of magical land filled with colorful, talking ponies. They apparently don’t know anything about humans, or ninjutsu, judging by Pinkie’s reactions.
Having no way to get back home, he decided to just help around. And so he met Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. He also met this town’s mayor, and Applejack’s brother, Big Macintosh. Then today, he met the irritable and uptight Twilight Sparkle, and her Dragon companion Spike.
He finally sat up, stretching his arms. “I guess I should go see that pony Pinkie is throwing the party for,” he figured as he walked down the stairs. He then performed the transformation jutsu, turning himself back into a pony, and reached out for the door, only to have it slammed open in his face, finding himself face to face once more with Twilight
“You!” Twilight yelled. Naruto gulped and stared at her nervously. “What are you doing in my room?!” she demanded.
“I… Thought nopony lived here?” he questioned. “The mayor said I could just crush here for as long as I wanted.”
“Argh! This is just great! I thought Princess Celestia sent out a letter about me coming here!” she grumbled and walked past him. She then marched straight up the stairs and landed face-first into the bed.
“Oh, this has just been the worst day ever! All I’ve wanted to do was to get some reading done on Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony, but because of all of these crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time, I couldn’t get even a tiny bit done!”
This piqued his interest. “What did you say about Nightmare Moon?” After reading that story and having that nightmare about her, Naruto just couldn’t get the thoughts of her out of his head.
Twilight raised her head from the pillow and gazed at him, surprised.
“Do you… Actually believe me?” she asked, completely stunned.
“Yeah, right! Raising the sun and the moon, as if!” he wanted to say, but decided to not to get even further more on her bad side. She’d somehow reminded him of Sakura too much to be comfortable. “I’ve read that book over there,” he gestured to the one sitting on the stool not far from them. “But it wasn’t really specific or detailed… Can you tell me more?”
Twilight looked at the book. It was the same book she read earlier today. She smiled slightly as she sat up and began sharing what she knew. “As you’ve read in the book, the older regal sister, banished the younger one to the moon a thousand years ago. I believe that the older sister is Princess Celestia.”
“Wait, why didn’t you just ask her?” he asked, gathering from how she spoke about her earlier that she was in close relations with her.
“I did… But she told me to stop thinking about fairy tales… Wait, that’s not the point!” she exclaimed, and then sighed, continuing her story. “Anyway, I found out that an old prophecy foretold Nightmare Moon’s return a thousand years after her banishment. ‘On the longest day of the year, the stars will aid in her escape.’ That is the Summer Sun Celebration, today!”
“So, can we even stop her? The book mentioned some ‘Elements of Harmony’, but didn’t specify what they are. Do you know anything about them?”
“I was going to look for some info but—” Twilight started, when the door opened.
“Twilight! Pinkie just started ‘pin the tail on the pony’! Wanna play?” Spike called, on his head a lampshade covered with streamers and confetti.
“Oh, there you are, Naruto! Everypony’s been wondering where you are!", he said as he tilted the makeshift hat up. "Umm... Am I disturbing anything?" he added in worry as he saw Twilight and Naruto laying/sitting on the bed rather closely to each other.
"No! We're not doing anything at all!" Twilight quickly exclaimed, her muzzle turning bright red, as she shoved Naruto to the floor. He gave her a confused, slightly angered gaze at her.
Spike shrugged. "Whatever. Are you coming down to party or what?” he urged them.
Naruto had completely forgotten about the party when he talked to Twilight. “Yeah, of course I’m coming!” he said happily.
Twilight groaned. “I’ll pass,” she said briefly and promptly used a pillow to cover her head. With no pony to talk to about Nightmare Moon and the prophecy, she seemed to return to her gloomy self.
Naruto shrugged and followed Spike downstairs to the party.
*****
A few hours later, the party was over, and every pony in Ponyville had gathered in the town hall. Naruto stood next to Twilight, Spike, Applejack and Pinkie amidst the large crowd of ponies who gathered there, awaiting the sun raising ceremony to begin. Rainbow was hovering above them, along with some other Pegasi, and Naruto could see Fluttershy hovering in front of her bird choir on one of the balconies. Rarity was on top of the central balcony, preparing to pull up the curtains to the entrance of Princess Celestia.
“Isn’t this exciting?! Are you excited? Cause I’m excited! I’ve never been so excited! Well, except for that time I found Naruto yesterday and then when I saw you walking in town today and I went *deep gasp*, but I mean really, what can top those?!” Pinkie said ecstatically to Twilight, who didn’t seem really amused, unlike Spike and Naruto.
“Huh? Weren’t you from Ponyville originally?” Twilight asked in surprise.
“Ah! Oh, me? I came from… Uhh… The east?” Naruto immediately said, picking random direction to go with.
“Huh. You don’t look like a city folk. Or maybe you’re not from Manehatten?” Twilight assumed, since Manehatten was the largest city in eastern Equestria.
“Yeah, Manehatten, right. Well, I just like the simple town life, y’know?” he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. He seriously hoped she’d buy that.
“Very well then. But you still owe me an explanation for what happened today,” she added as she gave him a stern gaze.
“Oh don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything tomorrow,” Naruto smirked.
“And speaking of tomorrow…” Spike said happily as music started playing, and Fluttershy began conducting over her birds in song.
The spotlight turned at the mayor, who was standing on the stage in front of Ponyville’s ponies. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration! In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this—the longest day of the year!”
The equines all started cheering, except for Twilight who looked worriedly at the moon just outside of one of the building’s windows. Naruto noticed this and looked at the moon as well. It was gradually lowering in the sky, as it started changing color from black to light purple. His eyes widened in shock and worry as the mare’s silhouette on the moon suddenly vanished. “No way… Could what Twilight said actually be true?!” he thought in worry.
“And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria—Princess Celestia!”
Naruto turned his attention to the front balcony, looking forward to seeing the one who’ll allegedly send him back home. He’d hoped that for once, things wouldn’t go horribly wrong.
Rarity pulled up the curtains… To reveal nothing behind them.
The ponies all around Naruto began whispering, their voices sounding worried. Twilight gulped loudly. “This can’t be good.”
Suddenly, black mist started creeping over the balcony. Naruto recognized it immediately. It felt as sinister and wicked as the pitch black mare in his nightmare.
Then, out of the mist, emerged that same mare. She grinned evilly at the crowd of ponies around her.
“Nightmare Moon…” Twilight whispered, fearful. Spike passed out on her back.
Naruto got his first, calm look at her as he was trying to figure out what to do. She was far taller than the average pony, had larger wings than any Pegasus, and a longer horn than any Unicorn. Her eyes were light blue and had long, cat-like pupils. Her mane and tail, which fluttered with no wind were sparkling like the stars. She wore a helmet and a metal piece on her neck
“Oh, my beloved subjects… It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces,” she said quietly, smirking at the fearful crowd in front of her.
“What did you do with our princess?!” Rainbow Dash yelled, clenching her hooves and ready to attack. Applejack stopped her by holding tightly to her tail with her mouth. “Whoa there, Nelly!” the Earth pony said through her clenched teeth.
Naruto braced himself for an attack as well. Depending on her answer, he’d go at her there and now, secret identity or not. The princess was his only way to get back to Konoha.
“Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am? Does my crown no longer count now that I’ve been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?”
“I did! And I know who you are!” Twilight exclaimed, stepping from the crowd towards the black mare. “You’re the mare in the moon! Nightmare Moon!”
The ponies all gasped in shock. “Well, well, well. Somepony who remembers me… Then you also know why I’m here!” Nightmare Moon said to her.
“You’re here to… To…” the purple Unicorn muttered, not baring to finish the sentence, which would make the horrible implications known to all.
“Bring eternal night, right? As if anypony would believe your little fairy-tale!” Naruto called as he stepped forward to stand next to Twilight.
“Oh? You think my powers are a myth? A mere legend? In just a thousand years, was it enough for you to forget them?” Nightmare Moon asked as she eyed the rude orange pony. “Very well then, watch and despair at the night sky, my ignorant little pony. It will be all you have left from now on, as this was your last day! FROM THIS MOMENT FORTH, THE NIGHT WILL LAST FOREVER!!!”
The black mare started laughing evilly, as the mist from her mane and tail rose up and enshrouded the ceiling, spinning around and shooting lightning at all directions.
“Seize her!” the mayor yelled. “Only she knows where the princess is!”
A group of white Pegasi in golden armor, belonging to Princess Celestia’s royal guard, flew up and charged at Nightmare Moon.
“Stand back, you foals!” the pitch black mare roared, her eyes glowing. She then sent lightning at them from the misty clouds, knocking them down.
Naruto had had enough. He stood on his back legs, crossing his forelegs to cancel the transformation jutsu, but was too late—Nightmare Moon had turned herself into mist and flew out of the Town Hall into the night sky.
Naruto gave chase and dashed outside after her, but even after sending chakra to his legs he was no match for her, and he stopped to watch her mist vanish into the woods out of town.
Then, past him ran Twilight, heading towards the library. He stared at her questioningly, when Rainbow Dash flew past him as well and Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie running after her.
Naruto joined the group and ran after Twilight. He’d wanted to try and defeat Nightmare Moon by himself, and while he was confident in his abilities, he didn’t know where she went to. He could only hope that one of the ponies would somehow provide him a hint to her whereabouts.
*****
Twilight stood in the middle of the library, books glowing in a purple aura floating around her. “Elements… Elements… Elements… Agh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?!” Twilight cried out after getting no success on the subject at all.
“And just what are the Elements of Harmony?!” Rainbow Dash demanded as she burst through the door and flew right up to Twilight’s face. The rest of the group showed up soon after her. “And how did you know about Nightmare Moon?! Are you a spy?!”
Naruto facehooved at the blue Pegasus’ reaction. Applejack yanked the rainbow-colored tail with her mouth and stared at her sternly. “Simmer down, Sally. She ain’t no spy.” The orange mare released her grip, and Rainbow landed on the floor. “But she sure knows what’s going on. Don’cha, Twilight?”
The group walked towards Twilight, and stared at her worriedly. Naruto, of course, knew exactly what made Twilight behave that way, but decided to let her speak for herself.
“I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called ‘The Elements of Harmony’ are the only things that can stop her, but I don’t know what they are or where to find them. I don’t even know what they do!”
“The Elements of Harmony—a reference guide,” Pinkie’s voice rose from the other side of the library. Twilight ran up to her and literally pushed her away from the shelf the pink mare was staring at.
“Where did you find that?!” she exclaimed, stunned that an experienced reader like her was beaten at finding a book.
“It was under ‘E’!” Pinkie announced happily as she started bouncing around.
“Oh,” Twilight muttered, slightly embarrassed. She pulled out the book from the shelf with her magic, and began reading.
“There are seven Elements of Harmony, but only six of them are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty and Bravery. However, it is said that the Element of Bravery is cursed, and that nopony can use it. Additionally, the seventh Element is unknown, a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the six elements was in the ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest.”
“So, where is this Everfree Forest?” Naruto inquired.
“To da south of Ponyville. But don’cha tell me you’re gonna go there all by—” Applejack started, but froze when Naruto just ran outside. “An’ he did.”
“Come on, let’s go after him!” Rainbow called as she was already halfway outside.
*****
“What took you so long?!” an orange Earth pony complained to the group of six ponies from the entrance to the forest.
“Don’t scare us like that! That forest is really dangerous! Nopony should ever enter it by himself!” Rarity exclaimed. She was clearly beside herself with worry.
“Yeah… Nopony,” Naruto thought. “I wouldn’t scare you guys like that. Besides, I had a feeling you’d be following me and I figured we should all go as a group,” he said with a smile.
“Wait, everypony,” Twilight spoke. “I really appreciate you all coming here, but I think I should really do this on my own.”
“No can do, sugarcube. We sure ain’t letting any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. Didn’t ya listen to Rarity? We’ll be sticking to y’all like caramel on a candy apple,” the orange mare said as she, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Rarity walked into the dark woods.
“Especially if there’s candy apples in there!” Pinkie exclaimed in her usual cheerfulness.
Twilight just stared, dumbfounded at her new friends, who were walking casually into one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. She then noticed Naruto standing next to her, smiling. “If there’s one important thing I’ve ever learned, it’s that teamwork is one of the most important things in the world. You should never leave behind your comrades, even if they do seem to slow you down sometime,” he told her.
“That’s the first lesson Kakashi-sensei taught me. And I’ll never forget it, ever! But this only applies to ninjas... I don't want them getting hurt...” he thought as he followed his friends into the dark forest. Twilight let out a sigh and followed him inside, her expression showing the conflict over her thoughts and her friends’ actions.
*****
Meanwhile, deeper into the Everfree Forest, Naruto (back in human form), was jumping as quickly and quietly as he could from branch to branch. “I really feel bad about leaving them behind with my clone, but I can’t put them in danger. There’s no telling what Nightmare Moon is capable of!”
His goal was nearly in front of him— he could see the ruins of a large, overgrown castle, which were standing on a cliff just beyond a bridge, in a large clearing. He landed down as he exited the forest, and dashed onwards to it.
*****
“So… None of you have been here before?” Twilight asked, worried. The hooting of owls and howling of wolves surrounded the group as they walked on the forest’s trail.
“Oh, heavens no! Just look at it! It’s so dreadful!” Rarity cried out.
Naruto rolled his eyes. In his opinion, this was just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill forest. “What’s so terrible about it?”
“It ain’t natural, Naruto! Folks say it don’t work the same as Equestria,” Applejack replied. Even she looked different from her usual self. The group soon arrived at a cliff that they needed to go down from to continue.
“What do you mean by that?” Naruto and Twilight asked at the same time.
“Nopony knows…” Rainbow said ominously as she slowly flew towards Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. “You know why?”
“Rainbow, quit it!” Applejack growled, knowing what the Pegasus was up to.
“Cause everypony who’s ever come in…. Has never. Come. OUT!”
Just then, the ground crumbled underneath their feet. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy quickly took to the air, while the rest of the ponies yelled in surprise as they were pulled by gravity down the mountain slope.
“Fluttershy, quick!” Rainbow yelled to her as she flew down to help her descending friends.
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” the yellow Pegasus called as she flew after her.
Using chakra he pumped into his legs, Naruto managed to slowly skid to a stop. He watched as Rainbow helped Pinkie Pie up to the air, and Fluttershy yanked on Rarity’s tail to get her to a stop. Applejack managed to grab onto a vine that was poking out of the steep slope, but Twilight continued tumbling down until she barely managed to hold onto a cliff she was about to fall down from.
Naruto raced to her help, but Applejack was closer, and she let go of the vine to slowly skid to the lavender Unicorn’s side. “Hold on! I’mma comin’!”
“Applejack, what do I do?!” Twilight cried in panic, holding the orange mare firmly and not noticing the colt coming to her rescue as well.
Applejack stared down the cliff as she held Twilight’s forehooves. “Let go,” she answered calmly.
Naruto’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t believe his ears. He doubled the pace, trying to get there before any of them would do anything stupid.
“Are you crazy?!” Twilight yelled.
“No, I ain’t. I promise you’ll be safe!”
“That’s not true!”
Naruto could finally see down the cliff as he got closer. When he saw what was down there, he skidded to a stop, smiling.
“Now listen here. What I’m saying to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you’ll be safe,” Applejack pleaded in absolute seriousness.
Twilight’s eyes widened, and then closed. She took a deep breath, and let go of Applejack. She began free-falling down to the ground below her, screaming… Until she was safely caught by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who were just below the cliff at the ready for her. The purple mare let out a sigh of relief as the Pegasi lowered her safely to the ground.
“That was really amazing there, Applejack,” the orange colt complimented. “But for a second there you really worried me.”
“Well, Ah did say she’d be safe. An’ ya can bet Ah always mean what Ah say!” she exclaimed proudly.
Naruto smiled. “Yeah, sorry for doubting you like that.”
“Apology accepted!” the cowmare announced with a grin, and the orange duo started jumping down small ledges on the cliff to the ground below.
*****
The group continued ahead on the trail. Rainbow Dash was flying around them, flaunting on how she and Fluttershy rescued Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight.
“And once Pinkie and Rarity were safe, woosh! Me and Fluttershy loop-da-looped around and WHAM, caught you right in the nick of time.”
Naruto chuckled. This wasn’t quite how it went down, and she didn’t mention at all how Appplejack held her until the Pegasi were ready to safely catch Twilight, but he enjoyed her enthusiastic vocality, which combatted the forest’s silence.
“Yes, Rainbow, I was there,” Twilight sighed. “And I’m very grateful, but we gotta—” she began, but was cut short by the appearance of a huge beast in front of them.
It had a huge lion’s body, wings, ears and fangs like a bat’s, and a humongous scorpion’s tail. The bottom of its wings, tail, mane and the inside of its ears were all red, and the rest of its body and fur were orange. It stared at them with a piercing, black pair of eyes.
“It’s a Manticore!” Twilight cried out. The Manticore rose on its hind legs and roared at the ponies.
Until that moment, Naruto simply stared in shock and awe at the crazy-looking creature, not having even imagined the possibility such a thing could exist. But when he took in its size and potential dangerousness, he quickly stepped in front of the group, ready to take action.
“Leave this guy to me. You go ahead and continue to Nightmare Moon,” he said as he stared at the beast.
“What are you talking about, Naruto?! This is way too dangerous!” Twilight shouted.
“Wait!”
“Come here and get some, you overgrown… Lion… Thing?” Naruto taunted as he wagged his long and yellow, fox-like tail at the Manticore.
The beast lunged at him, but the orange colt jumped ahead and delivered a backwards kick to its face, which surprisingly didn’t leave much of an impression on it.
“Wait!”
The Manticore let out a furious roar at Naruto, its sheer strength blowing him off his hooves, and he landed some distance ahead on his hooves.
Rarity stepped in front of the beast. “You should be ashamed of yourself, you ruffian! Attacking us like that! What did we ever do to you?!”
The Manticore stared at her as she scolded him for a moment, until he roared again at her face, sending saliva everywhere on her face and causing her perfect, curly hairdo to puff up like a ball of cotton. “My hair!” the purple-maned Unicorn cried as she ran away.
“Wait!”
Applejack jumped on top of the Manticore. “Yeeha!” she cried out, as the huge beast started jumping around, trying to get her off of itself. Eventually it succeeded, and Applejack flew into the air. However she looked completely calm as she turned her head to Rainbow Dash and said “All yours, pardner.”
“I’m on it!” the blue Pegasus replied with a salute and flew down to the Manticore.
“Wait!”
She began circling him, spinning into a rainbow tornado, until the Manticore had had enough, and with a swift flick of the tail knocked her into the ground.
Naruto again stepped in front of the group. “I told you to run away! I can handle this my—“
“WAITTTTTT!!!” Fluttershy yelled, startling everypony around (and the Manticore). She stood between Naruto and the Manticore, facing the latter.
The yellow Pegasus then smiled and calmly trotted to it. The huge creature raised its front paw, talons drawn, about to take a swipe at her.
“Fluttershy, don’t!” Naruto yelled at her as he was about to dash towards her, but then froze as he watched what she did next.
“Shh, it’s okay,” she whispered tenderly to it. Fluttershy and the Manticore stared at each other for a moment, until it finally revealed its other paw. A huge thorn was stuck in it.
“Oh, you poor little baby,” she said with much compassion in her voice.
“Little?!” Rainbow exclaimed. She and the rest of the group could only watch in awe as Fluttershy seemingly tamed the wild, ferocious animal.
“Now this might hurt for just a second…” she warned just before she quickly pulled out the pointy object from the humongous paw.
The Manticore grabbed her and lifted her up to its face, and let out another powerful roar at her, throwing drops of saliva everywhere.
“Fluttershy!” the other ponies cried out.
For the second time today, Naruto stood on his back legs, his front legs crossed. And just as he was about to release the transformation jutsu and save the yellow mare, the Manticore licked her, its expression showing its delight and gratitude.
Fluttershy giggled as her pink mane was getting a wet stroking. “Oh, you’re just a little baby kitty, aren’t you? Yes you are, yes you are!”
The group passed by the Manticore down the trail. Naruto and Twilight stopped first, and looked back as the Manticore put Fluttershy down, and walked into the depths of the forest beside the trail.
Naruto was genuinely impressed, he’d never thought that out of everyone there, Fluttershy would be the one to face the Manticore so bravely.
“How did you know about the thorn?” Twilight inquired.
“I didn’t,” Fluttershy answered simply, smiling. “Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.”
Fluttershy’s words seemed to get the gears in Twilight’s head working. Naruto gazed at her questioningly, wondering what could be so interesting about it.
Twilight then smiled, and noticed him staring at her a moment later. “Never mind, let’s go.”
*****
Naruto pushed open the humongous doors to the worn down castle and looked around. He stared down and saw a huge hall. It had a width of thirty feet, the height of sixty, and the length of a hundred. Its once pristine brown walls were now dirty and cracked all over, and grass was growing freely on the floor. There were several large gateways at the side walls, leading to other parts of the castle.
At the end of the hall was a staircase, leading up to a pair of thrones, colored yellow and dark blue, which looked just as aged as the rest of the room. Their color was peeling away and they were cracked and dirty. The wall behind them had a large section missing in it, allowing for a view of the night sky and the moon in the middle. Obscuring some of the view outside, were a pair of hanging flags, exactly behind the thrones, and matching them in color. On the yellow flag was a picture of a white winged mare with a horn, and a sun shining above her. On the blue, a picture of a similar black mare, with a crescent moon and stars above her.
The orange ninja took a long look around, but saw no hint of Nightmare Moon. Deciding to go with his gut feeling, he went up the second staircase to his right. Walking upwards, the darkness of the passageway was getting heavier and heavier, until finally he could see a light gleaming up ahead.
Running ahead, he found himself in a round room, twenty feet in diameter. The walls were all white marble, albeit they too were dusty and cracked. To his left, he saw a large bed. It was the most comfortable thing he’d ever laid eyes on: A huge bed, its covers made of dark purple silk, was slightly hidden by a semi-transparent purple canopy. Multiple pillows in colors of blue and silver were scattered on it.
All around the rest of the room were scattered pieces of expensive-looking furniture: chairs, closets and sofas.
It didn’t take long for Naruto to figure out whose room it was. “This must have been Nightmare Moon’s room!” he said as he stepped further inside.
At the other end of the room were large, glass doors, which were leading to a large balcony. On it was standing a black mare, her mist-like hair and mane fluttering in a nonexistent breeze. Naruto crossed his fingers in the Shadow Clone Jutsu seal, ready to launch a surprise attack.
“Who dares enter Nightmare Moon’s personal accommodations?!” she called, her voice echoing mysteriously and ominously. She turned around to look at the intruder, and her jaw nearly fell in shock when her gaze fell upon the strange creature standing behind her.
“And what are YOU supposed to be?!” she growled, narrowing her cat-like eyes at him.
“My name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. I’m a human,” he replied, acknowledging his surprise attack idea is no more.
“A human? Never in my life had I seen such a hideous-looking creature.”
Naruto decided to ignore the insult and get down to business. “I’ve come to find Princess Celestia. What have you done with her?!” he demanded.
The black mare started chuckling menacingly. “Forget her, and her pathetic sunlight. Embrace the night! Join me in eternal darkness!”
“Why are you doing this?! These ponies have never done anything to you!” he yelled, his anger growing by the second.
“This is my revenge against those sun-loving ponies, who enjoyed and bathed in my sister’s sun, while sleeping away and ignoring my beautiful nights! A pathetic creature like you could never understand this!”
Naruto looked down at the floor, and clenched his fists so tightly he could nearly feel his nails piercing into his flesh. “Revenge… This was the last word I imagined to hear in such a place…”
Naruto knew revenge all too well. It was the catalyst for many battles and wars that ravaged his world. It was the cause of so much sadness and anger. It was why his most precious friend had left him, trying to severe all bonds between them, and left a wound in his heart and soul. It was what he fought against just a few days ago, when he had cornered Jiraiya-sensei’s killer.
After the train of thoughts in his head had passed he took a deep breath. “I do understand,” he answered, not looking up at her.
“Oh? Then are you finally seeing things through my eyes? Do you finally realize that this is true justice?”
“No. You’re wrong,” he replied, finally raising his head to look her straight in the eyes.
“What?!” she growled, narrowing her eyes at him furiously.
“Revenge will never solve anything. Revenge only causes sadness and hate, which in turn will bring more revenge. Unless that vicious cycle is broken, it will never end, and people will continue to suffer,” he answered in his most serious tone.
“Enough with this foalishness! If you do not stand with me… then you are against me!” Nightmare Moon roared, firing an aquamarine colored beam at him.
The evil mare took him by surprise, and managed to hit him straight on the Konoha forehead protector. Naruto quickly jumped away and avoided more damage, but dropped the protector. When he looked back at where it was, he saw it completely melted away and snapped in two, no longer usable or recognizable.
“Gah! My headband!” Naruto yelled in horror. Furious, he pulled out a kunai from his hip pouch and was about to charge at the mare on the balcony, only to notice she wasn’t there. He instinctively looked up to see her flying down at him from above, her horn charged up and illuminating with an ominous light. He quickly jumped out of the way of the incoming beam, to see it making a large hole in the marble floor. She promptly landed on the floor next to the hole.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto yelled as he crossed the index and middle fingers of both hands, and three more Naruto’s appeared next to him, all wielding kunais, and charged at the black equine. She quickly and skillfully beamed one of them, grabbed another with her mist tail and tossed it at the third one, where they both vanished.
However, she didn’t notice that Naruto and yet another clone were preparing in the meantime yet another jutsu, until it was too late to avoid—holding a glowing, blue sphere in his right palm, Naruto jumped at her from above. “Rasengan!” he yelled as the blue sphere made contact, and a moment later an explosion occurred, sending debris and dirt flying all around him, blinding him for a moment.
“You possess some strange magic, human. I commend you for your strength,” Nightmare Moon said. She appeared out of the dirty cloud completely unscathed. She had herself wrapped in a magic bubble, which shielded her from the attack.
“However…” she added as she started chuckling. Bits of her misty mane detached themselves from their source, hovering next to Nightmare Moon. Then they grew, and grew…. Until a pair of snake-like aquamarine eyes appeared on each of them. The mist then darkened… Until each piece had turned into a clone of Nightmare Moon.
“No Way! She can use the shadow clone jutsu too?!” the orange ninja exclaimed, stunned. He now stood in front of seven black mares.
“Do you see now, foalish human!? You do not have a chance against the queen of the night! Just give it up, the numbers are against you!” Nightmare Moon called, laughing evilly.
However, Naruto grinned at her. “Sorry, but if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s not giving up!” he retorted and raised his hands for a seal. “And besides…”
“Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he yelled, and within a moment, the room was filled with a hundred duplicates of the blonde-haired ninja, many of whom standing on the walls and ceiling. Nightmare Moon and her clones stared around at the room all around them, completely stunned. “NoPONY outnumbers Naruto Uzumaki!”
“Uzumaki Shuriken Barrage!” Naruto called, and in unison all of the clones starting throwing metal stars down at the group of black mares.
“Gaaah!” the multiple voices of Nightmare Moon cried, as the metal collided with their flesh. Three of the clones were hit by enough throwing stars that they dissipated into fog and vanished. The other four flew around the room, firing their magical lasers at the Naruto crowd. Only ten seconds into their attack, half of the clones had been hit and dispelled.
But then, two Naruto’s jumped down at them from the ceiling, two of their palms holding together an enlarged version of the blue sphere from before just millimeters from their palms. Two of the mare clones were too late to see the mass of chakra descending upon them.
“Big Ball Rasengan!” the two Naruto clones yelled as it made contact with them, then promptly exploded, disintegrating them into mist. The Naruto clones landed down on the marble floor and high-fived, only to be immediately kicked away and vanished by Nightmare Moon.
She looked to the other side of the room, nearby the entrance, and saw a Naruto clone taking out her last clone with a kunai, after a short match of kicks by the black pony and punches by the blonde ninja.
Furious, she shot a beam from her long horn at the clone, and then turned the ray behind her at the last pair of clones, whom were in the middle of conjuring up another Rasengan.
The real Naruto walked up in front of her, a grave expression on his face. “I won’t ask you again—where’s Princess Celestia?”
But Nightmare Moon wasn’t about to comply with the Konoha ninja. “I have had enough of this foalish game! Prepare to witness the full prowess of the ruler of the night!” she roared, as her eyes started glowing white, and her horn black.
*****
With every pace the group took, the forest grew darker and darker, until at one point, even Naruto began to suspect that this wasn’t just an ordinary forest after all, not counting the Manticore they encountered earlier.
“Ugh. My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck,” Rarity soon vocalized her opinion. And as much as he’d hate to admit it, Naruto silently agreed with her.
Soon enough, the trees’ canopy grew so thick, even the full moon’s light wasn’t able to pierce through it any longer. That’s when it finally hit Naruto. “Wasn’t it supposed to be day already? That Nightmare Moon can really control the moon and sun!?”
“Ahhh!!!” Fluttershy’s scream soon hit his ears and he broke out of his daze. He stared forward to see one of the creepiest-looking trees he’d ever seen. Its weird bark made it look like a giant scary face, with big piercing eyes and pointy teeth. He let out a sigh of relief. “So it was nothing after all.”
But then he noticed the rest of the group all frozen in fear. They looked all around them, staring in shock at all the trees around them, which were just as creepy as the one up ahead. Soon enough they began to scream in panic.
“Are you serious? These are just trees!” he exclaimed in disbelief. However, the mares all seemed too stunned and fearful to even listen. “And they wanted to fight Nightmare Moon?” he thought, disappointed.
A cute laughter suddenly broke the girls’ screams. They all looked ahead to see Pinkie giggling at one of the trees, making funny faces at it. Naruto stared at her, bewildered. Even after getting to know her for a while, he couldn’t believe her optimism held through even in here, when the others went into a fearful paralysis.
“Pinkie, what are you doing!? Run!” Twilight cried out to the pink mare.
Naruto couldn’t help himself but join and laugh with the girls. He was too taken in by the laughs and too happy to notice that with each fit of laughter the trees magically went back to normal one by one, and the darkness diminished, until suddenly he found that everything around looked normal again.
The group walked ahead happily, still giggling and enjoying their victory over their fears.
Pinkie stayed back and smiled at the orange colt. “I don’t know how you deal with fears back home, Naruto, but I think laughter is the best cure ever!” she exclaimed with a beaming grin.
Naruto chuckled. “Yeah, I sometimes wish we were all like you.” He decided to just leave it at that and not tell her just how much conflict and pain his world was really in. Save for the Nightmare Moon incident, he couldn’t help but think that this place was almost too good to be true, and didn’t want to depress her by involving her in his own problems. Though… He doubted that anything could depress this pink ball of joy.
*****
The group soon found itself in front of a raging river. “So how are we gonna cross this?” Pinkie asked.
As if in answer to the question, a loud sobbing could be heard to their right.
The seven ponies walked a short distance next to the river to find a huge, purple sea serpent, which was responsible for both the cries and the raging water, by flicking his tail all around in his literal ‘storm of emotions’.
Naruto rubbed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge that the serpent had very well kept orange hair, neat and tidy eyebrows and a long, straight mustache. That is, it only had the left side of his mustache.
“Oh… What a world, what a world!” the serpent lamented, hitting the water with his front hands (Naruto forgot to even question their existence) in frustration.
“Excuse me, sir. Why are you crying?” Twilight asked him.
“Well, I don’t know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whizzed past me, and tore my beloved mustache clean off! And now, I look simply horrid!”
Naruto frowned. “This must have been Nightmare Moon! But what’s the point in doing this…?”
The sea serpent fell back into the raging river, crying uncontrollably. This made him splash all over the group of ponies. Naruto was getting annoyed at the melodrama. “Look, we feel really bad about your mustache, but we have to get across! So if you’ll just…”
“Naruto!” Rarity yelled, her eyes widened at him with disbelief. She made him jump slightly and he stared at her. “How can you simply stand there, and not offer some help to this poor fashion crime victim!? How can you live with yourself!? How can you be so insensitive!?”
“Well, what can we even do?” Naruto retorted, but Rarity simply walked ahead to the serpent, who laid his head on the river bank ahead of them.
“Oh, would you look at him! Such lovely, luminescent scales,” she complimented.
“I know!” the purple creature answered, his sobbing finally ceased.
“And that expertly combed mane!” the white mare continued.
“Oh, I know! I know!” he replied happily, brushing it with his right hand.
“And your fabulous manicure!”
“Oh, it’s so true!”
Naruto rolled his eyes. Only Rarity could possibly comment on every such trivial matters as peoples’ fingernails.
“All ruined without your beautiful mustache!”
“It’s true! I’m hideous!” the serpent cried.
“I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulousity go uncorrected!” Rarity said gravely, as she bit down and took off one of the serpent’s scales, who then screamed at the sudden, slight pain.
“What did you do that for!?” he cried out as he wiped a tear of pain from his left eye.
Rarity raised the scale up, revealing its sharp end, and to the shock of everyone around, took most of her own tail clean off.
The serpent cried out in overly dramatic shock and dropped his head on the river bank again.
Rarity’s purple, curly tail was then raised to the air by her magic, and was attached to the stump of the serpent’s right mustache.
“Oh, my mustache! How wonderful!” the serpent cried in sheer delight, when he saw the patchwork done on it.
“You look smashing!” Rarity complimented, smiling from ear to ear.
“Oh, Rarity! Your beautiful tail!” Twilight cried out.
“Oh, it’s fine, dear. Short tails are in this season!” Rarity replied nonchalantly. Naruto, however, didn’t buy it. And he was confident that no one else did either.
“Besides, it will grow back,” the white mare added with a half-smile. Naruto chuckled at this. Now she sounded a bit more truthful.
Everyone smiled at her, and Rainbow Dash commented “So will the mustache…”
“Oh! We can cross now!” Twilight said happily when she noticed the river was now calm.
“Please allow me!” the serpent called with a wide smile, and made small, scaly ‘islands’ with its long body to jump on across the river.
As they landed on the other side, Naruto smiled at Rarity. “You know, you’ve really surprised me.”
“Hmm? Whatever do you mean, darling?”
“It takes some real guts to do something like that to yourself. A friend of mine once did that to her hair to save me.” He recalled how Sakura did that in order to protect him and Sasuke during the chunin exams.
“She cut her hair… To save you?” Rarity asked, baffled.
“Oh!” the orange colt exclaimed, realizing he said something he shouldn’t have. He smiled at her, scratching the back of his head. “I’ll tell ya later.”
“Hey! Are you guys done flirting!?” Rainbow’s impatient voice reached them from further up the trail.
Rarity immediately took on a shade of red deeper by at least three levels. “W-We’re doing nothing of the sort!” she exclaimed as she ran ahead, giving a quick gaze back at Naruto.
He tilted his head at her, confused with her reaction, and ran after her shortly afterwards.
*****
The group made it out of the thick part of the forest, and could finally clearly see the ruins of the castle. “There it is! The ruins that hold the Elements of Harmony! We made it!” Twilight announced promptly, and dashed forward, her spirit renewed, and the rest of the group shortly behind her
However, her renewed spirit didn’t let her see the chasm that was cutting the path, a fallen bridge hanging on its’ side, and she shot her eyes open in astonishment when she finally did see it, barely managing to not fall down the cliff.
Rainbow dragged her backwards to safety by the tail. “What’s with you and falling off cliffs today?” she smirked.
“So now what?” Pinkie asked aloud.
“Let’s just jump across,” Naruto bluntly suggested. While it didn’t look like much of a jump for him, it earned him stunned gazes from his companions. It was then that he remembered he was probably the only ninja amongst them. “Ehehe, just kidding?” he muttered, blushing.
“While I do simply adore this shade of red, Naruto, this is no time for jokes! Only Equestria Games-level athletes could make a jump like THIS!” Rarity cried out.
“So do you have any other ideas?” Naruto asked grumpily.
“Uhh, duh!” Rainbow called as she flapped her wings.
Everyone looked at her as she flew down to grab the end of the dangling bridge, and then flew with it to the other side of the chasm to tie it up.
However, Naruto had a nagging feeling he should try to get across as quickly as possible. “I’m gonna look for a safer way across. Stay here and watch Rainbow!” he ordered as he raced on the sideways of the chasm, away from the group. They eyed him questioningly, but didn’t go after him.
“Be careful, Naruto!” Fluttershy yelled as loudly as she could. It was more like a vocal whisper.
After he got far away enough, Naruto had gotten himself a running start, and jumped cleanly across the thirty feet wide abyss, landing just behind trees next to Rainbow Dash, who was talking with a strange group of Pegasi. They all wore matching dark blue bodysuits and dark yellow sunglasses.
“…We want you to join us. The Shadowbolts!” Naruto heard. “We are the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in all Equestria! But first… We’ll need a captain.” This made Rainbow’s eyes sparkle.
Naruto gasped quietly. They felt as sinister as Nightmare Moon. “I’d get in there now, but it could put Rainbow in danger,” he thought. “I’ll wait until there’s no choice.”
“The most magnificent…” one of the Pegasi said as she started flying around Rainbow.
“Yep!” the light blue pony answered enthusiastically.
“Swiftest…” she continued.
“Yes!” Rainbow answered.
“Bravest flier in all the land!”
“Yes! It’s all true!” Rainbow laughed.
“We need… You,” she whispered the last word.
Rainbow jumped six feet into the air, hovering and letting out a cry of happiness. “Sign me up!”
Naruto didn’t need to hear the last few words to know that the suspicious Pegasi appealed right to Rainbow’s ego and to her dream.
Rainbow flew down towards the bridge. “Just let me tie this bridge real quick, and then we have a deal.”
The dark Pegasus flew immediately right up to Rainbow’s face. “No! It’s them or us!”
Naruto squinted his eyes angrily at them. “What’s Nightmare Moon up to? Is that her way of stopping us from reaching the castle?”
“Rainbow! What’s taking so long?” Twilight’s voice was heard from the other side of the chasm. “Rainbow!”
The dark Pegasus turned towards the chasm with an evil glint. The light fog around the chasm suddenly thickened, blocking the rest of the group from seeing or hearing what was going on.
“Well?” the Pegasus exhorted.
Naruto stared closely at Rainbow. “If she makes the wrong choice here I’ll have to stop her. I really don’t want to believe she’ll betray us, though…”
“…You,” Rainbow said. The Pegasus grinned evilly. Naruto was about to jump out to confront them when…
“Thank you, for the offer, I mean,” Rainbow said aloud.
Naruto let out a deep sigh of relief and slumped on the ground. He watched as Rainbow tied the bridge, the Pegasi staring at her, completely stunned.
“But I’m afraid I have to say ‘no’,” the rainbow-maned mare said as she flew back to the other side of the chasm to get her friends.
Naruto smiled and got up, when the group of Pegasi suddenly turned into purple fog. This made him go wide-eye and he jumped out of the bushes towards it.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going, Nightmare Moon!?” he demanded.
“And who are you, foal!?” a voice echoed from around the purple mist.
“Naruto Uzumaki!” the orange pony answered.
“I see… So back in the castle what I saw was your real form… Are you a clone?”
“I could ask you the same!” he yelled back at her. “Why are you doing all this!?”
“Funny. Our originals had this conversation a while ago back in the castle. So, I am not going to answer this again.”
“I went there to try to convince you to stop this. Why aren’t you listening!?”
“You young foal! You cannot even hope to understand the anger and bitterness that stem from a millennium of banishment in the Moon!”
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through! If you don’t stop hurting others this cycle will never—“
“Silence!” the voice roared. “I’ve heard this little speech of yours already. Be it once, or ten times more, none can convince me to stop from taking my revenge! And you’ve interfered with my plans far too much… Taste some of the despair I felt in my exile!”
The fog suddenly split into ten pieces, and each piece grew and grew… Until they’ve grown to about ten times his size. On each appeared a pair of yellow glowing eyes, all glinting with evil.
“Naruto!” Twilight’s voice called from behind him. The group heard what happened and rushed to his aid.
“No! Stand back! It’s too dangerous!” Naruto yelled he turned his head back in front of him. There he saw a pack of vicious, huge, wooden wolves growling at him, their sharp fangs exposed.
“T-T-Timberwolves!” five mares cried.
“Now, now, girls,” Fluttershy said calmly as she hovered to the nearest one, and smiled at his eyes. “I’m sure these puppies are just scared, or hungry, or lost…”
However, she was promptly cut short by a roar from the wooden wolf. “There’s no need to be so rude,” the yellow Pegasus replied softly.
“Fluttershy, those aren’t normal wolves! It’s Nightmare Moon!” Naruto exclaimed.
She looked at him in surprise, then turned back to the wolf. “Oh, I see,” she nodded. “Run!!!” she then suddenly yelled and flew away.
The others wordlessly complied, and turned back towards the bridge. “Naruto, let’s get going! This is too much for us to handle!” Twilight pleaded. “We need to regroup and—.”
But the orange colt stayed in place. “No,” he replied flatly.
“Naruto, don’cha be reckless! Timberwolves ain’t no joke!” Applejack said.
“All what we’ve been through today is what Nightmare Moon threw at us to make us give up! But together, you all faced every single obstacle we faced. And if you think that Naruto Uzumaki is gonna let you give up after we made it this far, then you couldn’t be more wrong!” he called out passionately.
“But it’s ten huge Timberwolves against us seven ponies! What could we possibly do, Naruto!?” Rarity asked.
“Let me correct those numbers,” Naruto answered as he crossed his front hooves.
“Ooh! This is gonna be so awesome!” Pinkie exclaimed, completely exhilarated, and jumped up and down. The others looked at either Pinkie or Naruto questioningly.
“Transformation Jutsu, Release!” the orange Earth pony yelled. A large cloud of smoke suddenly enveloped the area, and then slowly dissipated to reveal…
Every single pony (including Pinkie, who seemed to just enjoy doing it), stared at the strange creature that was now standing at twice their height, their jaws to the ground. Twilight was the first one to find her voice. “What… Are you?” she asked in pure astonishment.
“A human, and a ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves,” he answered proudly as he pointed with the strangest pair of hooves she’d ever seen at the metal plate headband shrouding his forehead. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki!”
“Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto called as he performed the seal. Everypony’s jaws fell even lower than before as they were now surrounded by duplicates of Naruto. “So now it’s ten Timberwolves against six ponies and a hundred ninjas. Still think we can’t win?” Naruto asked as he smirked towards the group.
“Ninety-nine, actually!” Pinkie corrected as she smacked the leg of one of the clones near her.
“Yowch!” the clone cried and vanished. Naruto gave her an angered look.
“Sorry, but it’s just so much fun! Oh, incoming!” she alerted him.
Naruto turned back to the wooden wolves to see them lunging for an attack, but the clones all produced small, metal daggers from pouches on their thighs, prepared for the attack.
The six ponies gasped as the wolves pounced on many of the clones at once, but were then promptly kicked up to the air by clones, who quickly jumped after them in groups and hurled the daggers at them.
The wolves all let out furious roars and crumbled into wooden pieces, which dropped on the ground.
“Yeah! Woohoo!” the ponies cheered as the Naruto clones landed on the ground.
The ‘original’ Naruto turned and smiled at them. “That was nothing, we didn’t even break a sweat!” he laughed, and suddenly realized that the ponies weren’t anymore.
“Sorry to rain on the parade, Naruto… But you really should look back,” Rainbow said as she pointed to behind him.
Naruto turned around, and his eyes widened as far as they could go. “What the he—,” he yelled when he saw the broken wooden pieces magically rising up to the air, forming another Timberwolf. However, this one was so humongous, it towered far above the trees, and with every step it took it shook the entire forest and the ground, crushing most of the stunned clones after just three.
The original Naruto, whom Twilight had kept a close eye on, was floated safely back to the group with her magic before he could get squashed as well.
“Phew, that was a close one. Thanks,” he smiled to the purple Unicorn.
“Naruto, while I have to admit that was like THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!” Rainbow Dash called ecstatically. “How are you gonna take THAT thing down?”
“Don’t worry, Dash. I still have a few ninja tricks up my sleeves,” the ninja grinned. He then bit his thumb, drawing a bit of blood. This made the others flinch a tiny bit.
“Let’s see how you like toads!” Naruto laughed as he put his hand on the ground. “Summoning Jutsu!” he shouted, as strange seals and markings began spreading from his hand and around on the ground.
Naruto and the ponies stared in anticipation. “Any second now!” he called. The others simply stared at him, puzzled.
“Argh! Are they all on break or something?!” Naruto yelled in frustration as the markings vanished. This earned him even more confused gazes from his pony companions.
“Fine, I can do this the old fashioned way! This is just a big piece of wood,” he grinned. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he called, and two clones appeared next to him.
The two clones stepped forward. One of them put his strange, front right hoof open in front of him. The other one started pounding at the air around it.
“Naruto, what are you—,” Twilight began, but froze in astonishment when she began to see a small, blue sphere forming above the open palm.
“Ooh… Shiny!” Pinkie said in a hypnotized voice.
After the blue orb was prepared, the clone holding it jumped up to the air, aiming his palm with the orb at the wolf’s humongous jaw. “Rasengan!”
The blue ball made contact, and started digging into the wolf’s snout, sending shards of wood flying all around. This only came to an end when the wolf flung its front paw at it, dissipating it. The end result simply comprised of half of the wolf’s snout being blown off.
“Damn, I didn’t want to use this…” Naruto muttered. “But this will take forever if I don’t! Sorry, but I’ll be using one of the clones now!” Naruto called as he made a seal. “It’s a good thing I left three clones to gather Natural Energy nearby the forest,” he grinned to himself.
*****
Meanwhile, near the entrance to the Everfree Forest…
Three Naruto clones were meditating just behind the tree line of the forest, beads of sweat forming on their faces, showing their deep concentration and effort.
“Gah! I can’t take this anymore!” the one on the right suddenly called in frustration, jumping on his feet. “There’s not a drop of energy anywhere in this crazy world!” he yelled as he shook his head with his hands.
He let out a sigh and dropped his hands. “I really hope he won’t nee—”, he started, but was cut short when he vanished in a cloud of smoke.
*****
“Okay, everyone—”, Naruto said as he finished unsummoning the clone.
“Pony!” Pinkie interjected.
“Take a few steps back! This is gonna get dangerous! Believe it!” he called.
The others complied, walking backwards while still staring at him in awe.
“Sage Mode!” Naruto called and let the Natural Energy he collected circulate in his body.
He stood there for a while, his eyes widening as he slowly and surely came to terms with a horrifying conclusion. He then let out the news vocally. “I can’t use Sage Mode in here?!” he yelled out and up to the night sky.
Taking this as a sign to attack, the wolf swiped its humongous paw at Naruto. However, the ninja had regained his senses just in time to jump to the right and dodge the attack.
“Naruto! What’s wrong?!” Rarity called.
“I can’t collect any Natural Energy! What’s up with this world’s chakra?!” he shouted back, as he once again jumped to avoid the wolf’s left front paw from slamming him.
“What’s ‘chakra’? Is it like magic?” Twilight inquired, curious.
“Are you serious?! There’s no chakra here?! What do the ninjas around here use then?!” Naruto called back.
“There aren’t any ninjas in Equestria, you silly-filly!” Pinkie shouted.
“Really?! Sounds really bor—,” Naruto was cut off when he was forced to jump away from the Timberwolf’s incoming snout, followed by an earth-shakingly loud roar of fury and frustration.
“Alright, let’s end this! I don’t need sage mode to beat you, you walking, overgrown tree!” the Konoha ninja yelled. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he called, and two more clones appeared beside him. The original Naruto stretched his right arm forward, palm open. The clones started hitting and smacking the air above it repeatedly, similar to the clone from before. Only this time, instead of just a blue sphere appearing above the palm, a circle of semi-transparent blades made of air appeared, circulating around the sphere at incredible speed.
However, before the clones could finish, the right paw of the wolf came down from above, determined to smash the three of them. The clones jumped away at the nick of time, but the energy they created had disappeared.
“Damn it! I have to distract it for a while somehow!” Naruto called, frustrated. “Oh, duh,” he said as he smacked his forehead protector. “Shadow Cl—,” he froze when he saw two figures circling around the Timberwolf’s head. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed their blue and yellow colors.
“Rainbow! Fluttershy!” he yelled, stunned (mostly at the latter).
“How dare you make everypony think badly of the innocent creatures of this forest?!” Fluttershy’s soft, yet fierce voice reached his ears. She stared angrily into its eyes.
“Go get him, Naruto!” Rainbow yelled. “Over here, you big sack of spare wood!” she teased as she flew back and forth in front of the humongous creature’s eyes, sticking her tongue out at it.
The wolf tried to bite her with its broken snout, when a pink object blocked its field of vision. “Pinkie!” Naruto called, amazed to see the pink pony standing on the Timberwolf’s snout, popping seemingly out of nowhere.
“It’s a wolf nose party dance! Wolf nose party dance!” she started singing happily, bouncing around on the wolf’s snout. The creature started shaking its head, hoping to rid itself of the pink menace, to no avail.
“Ya better not forget ‘bout me!” a familiar accent was heard by Naruto as he saw an orange Earth pony run towards the wolf, ramming its left front paw, and forcing it to stand on just three paws.
“Way to go, Applejack!” Naruto called, smiling from ear to ear. He was truly surprised and impressed to see his non-ninja friends not afraid to risk their lives to help him.
Suddenly, the right front paw started glowing in a half light blue and half purple aura. It started wobbling violently, until the wolf couldn’t stand any longer and fell down. Naruto immediately looked back to see Rarity and Twilight staring at the leg with great focus, their horns growing light blue and purple, respectively.
“This is your chance, Naruto!” Rarity urged.
“What are you waiting for!? Go get Nightmare Moon!” Twilight added.
“Right! Thanks Rarity, Twilight!” Naruto replied, and the two clones jumped back to his side, starting to focus both regular chakra and wind chakra at his open palm, creating the same rotating air blades around the blue sphere.
“Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!” Naruto yelled when they had finished. In his palm was now a very large, spinning mass of air and chakra, glowing blue in the middle sphere and white on the sharp, rotating edges.
Naruto jumped up at the exposed belly of the wolf, and the attack made contact. Rainbow picked up Pinkie and flew together with Fluttershy away, and Applejack ran away from the dazzling white sphere of energy created by the clone’s attack. The six mares all stared in amazement to see the white glow shredding the Timberwolf to sawdust. It then turned into dark purple mist, and vanished.
Naruto landed on the ground, smirking at his pony companions, whom all ran to him, smiling.
“That was the most EPIC thing I’ve ever seen!” Rainbow exclaimed as she flew right up to Naruto’s face.
“Indeed! I dare say that was quite ‘epic’, as Rainbow puts it,” Rarity nodded, smiling.
“That was the darndest stupid and amazin’ thing ah ever seen anypony do!” Applejack added, seriously impressed.
Naruto chuckled. “I’m kinda surprised you’re all taking this so well. I was worried you’d all be pretty shocked to see I’m not a pony. That’s why I didn’t show you my true form.”
“You said you’re a human, right?” Fluttershy asked as she flew up to take a closer look at this face. “You’re definitely one of the stranger creatures I saw... But definitely one of the cutest,” she added, blushing.
Naruto gazed at her questioningly. “Huh? What do you m—?”
“Now that everypony knows you’re a ninja, we can throw you a NINJA PARTY!” Pinkie suddenly yelled, cutting him off. She was beaming, excited at the possibility of throwing a unique, one-of-a-kind party.
“So this is how I saw you at so many places at once?” Twilight asked, arching a brow at him as she scanned him from head to toes.
“Ahaha… Yeah, sorry if I drove you crazy with that today,” the ninja said, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Twilight replied. “But say, how do you tell the clones apart? Do they all even know who the real one is?”
“Hmm…” Naruto muttered, bringing his hand up to his chin as he pondered about this. No one had ever asked him about such technicalities yet, so he never bothered to give it a thought.
“Well, I don’t know,” he shrugged. “You’d have to ask the real me, I guess.”
This earned him confused gazes from the ponies. “Oh right. They don’t know yet. Well, now that they know the truth, I guess it’s alright,” he thought.
“Oh, I’m not the original either. I’m also a clone. The real me went to fight Nightmare Moon at the castle,” Naruto explained, smiling.
“He WHAT?!” everypony cried.
“Oh, don’t worry! If I’m here it means that everything’s alri—,” he said, but was cut off when he suddenly vanished, together with the other two clones. This made the six mares exchange gazes of confusion and worry.
“Let’s hurry!” Twilight called. Her friends nodded and followed her to the castle’s ruins.
*****
Some time earlier, in the castle…
Naruto braced himself for an attack as he saw Nightmare Moon floating upwards, surrounded in black aura that was emanating from her horn, and her eyes glowing white.
She then spread her black wings as wide as they could. Their underside changed into a view of the starry night sky. Suddenly, one of the stars grew and grew, and flew right out of her right wing as a massive ball of fire.
Naruto’s eyes widened in shock as he barely jumped to the right to dodge the incoming inferno.
The meteor hit the bed and exploded, creating a ball of fire that sent flying charred pieces of the bed all over.
Naruto tried to think of what to do, but another thing appeared, this time out of her left wing—a comet. The freezing ball of stone, dust and ice flew right at Naruto, who again jumped to dodge it. The icy ball fell down the stairs leading up to the room, creating a loud thud each time it hit them.
Deciding to attack as simply as he could, in order to find out all of her abilities, Naruto pulled out a kunai and jumped at the black mare, swiping the weapon at her. She easily flew away and dodged his attack, and countered by literally showering him with small meteorites, which made small holes in the floor of the room. The ninja managed to either evade or block most of them with the kunai, but was forced to retreat to the balcony. He looked down to see a very deep, dark cliff behind him.
“Muhahaha!” the mare laughed triumphantly, as she flew to close down on him. “Farewell, human!” she called as she blasted him with a beam from her horn into the abyss. He quickly vanished into the darkness, leaving no sound behind him.
“You were either really brave, or really foolish to face the queen of the night! Now, none shall stand in my path to—”
“You know, you really shouldn’t speak about me as if I’m dead,” a voice came from above her.
Nightmare Moon looked up, her jaw falling as she saw a pair of Naruto’s running at her along the wall above the balcony, holding a familiar blue orb in their hand.
“I really take offense to that!” the one on the right yelled. “Rasengan!”
With no time to dodge or block, Nightmare Moon took a clean hit to her back. She let out a roar of pain as the force of the impact from the Rasengan forced her into the floor of the balcony, cracking it.
“Help me…” a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Naruto froze. He stared at the fallen mare he was standing on. Somehow, he could tell it was coming from her. “Please… Save me, Naruto!”
His eyes widened in shock. It took him only a second to recognize it. It was the same beautiful voice he’d heard in the nightmare he had. “L-Luna?” he muttered, horrified, as he took a step back. “No way! You’re… Luna?!” he then exclaimed, as he once more scanned her body, finding an uncanny amount of similarities between Nightmare Moon and Luna, such as her color, her collar and the crescent moon on her flank.
Nightmare Moon shot her turquoise, cat-like eyes open. She immediately took to the air and blasted Naruto with a beam from her horn, knocking him back into the room, where he hit the wall next to the staircase leading to it.
He slowly stood up as Nightmare Moon floated in front of him, in the middle of the room. “Luna! Please, come to your senses! I don’t want to hurt you!” he pleaded.
“That was my old name, you foal! Never address by it to me again!” she roared, as she charged right at him, using her horn as a spear in order to skewer the ninja.
“I don’t want to believe she’s doing it on purpose! I have to stop her somehow without hurting her!” he thought desperately. He rolled to the right just in time to avoid getting pierced.
“You can’t run away from me!” she roared as the levitated upwards once more. Many small meteorites erupted once more from her wings, following Naruto as he circled around the walls of the room, turning the cylindrical place into Swiss cheese.
“Ah!” Naruto exclaimed as he finally came up with something. “I’ll just tired Nightmare Moon out and then rescue Luna somehow!” he thought as he grinned deviously. He crossed his index and middle finger of both hands to weave a hand seal. “Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Many, many Naruto’s suddenly came into existence, each with his own small cloud of smoke.
“Let’s play hide and seek, ninja style!” one of the clones called as they all scattered, either heading towards the staircase or the balcony.
“All you little games and tricks won’t work on me, human!” the black mare called as she flew outwards through the balcony into the night sky. She immediately saw three clones running across the roof of the castle, which was full of holes of all sizes. Without warning, she fired beams from her horn at them. They all vanished in puffs of smoke.
“Hey, Moony! Over here!” Naruto teased from next to the entrance of the castle.
The black mare swooped down upon him, fury on her face and in her eyes. After charging her horn, the clone quickly met the same end as those before.
“Where are you aiming? I’m over here!” a voice called from just inside the door.
Shrouding the huge doors with her dark magic’s aura, Nightmare Moon flung them open and gazed inside, causing a mixture of shock and rage to boil within her. She was met with a huge crowd of identical humans staring at her, waving their hands and making a lot of noise.
“Over here! I’m the real one!” a clone called from the far right corner, nearby the yellow throne.
“Don’t listen to him! It’s me!” another called from the middle of the homogeneous crowd.
“Wow, this throne sure is comfortable!” yet another one called as he laid back on the black throne at the left end of the hall. He didn’t look a bit fazed by the entrance of said throne’s owner.
“Enough!!!” Nightmare Moon roared. She was almost agonizing at the sight and noise of the ninjas before her. She once again took to the air, the underside of her wings changing into the night sky. A mixed barrage of flaming asteroid, freezing comets, and raining meteorites descended upon the orange ninjas.
The hall was promptly enveloped in smoke from the dispelling of so many clones at once. Nightmare Moon panted heavily, having used so much magic at once.
At the corner of her eye, Nightmare Moon saw a shadow fleeing up the stairs back to her bedroom. She immediately took off, flying above the staircase and landed on the marble room in front of the real Naruto, who was standing ready for her.
“Did you have enough? Or do you want to go for another ride?” he smirked. “I hope I got her to use so much chakra that she won’t be able to fight back anymore…”
“You shall pay for your insolence dearly!” she threatened as she rose up to the air, he horn glowing black and her eyes white.
Naruto pulled out a kunai, braced to either dodge or block the attack, if there was one to come at all.
The underside of Nightmare Moon’s wings once again turned into the night sky. Only this time, instead of one of the stars growing out and firing something at him, the bright spots vanished one by one, until the image was pitch black. Then, wind started blowing in the room towards the wings. Naruto’s eyes widened when he realized that he was getting pulled into them.
He tried to run away before he’d be completely sucked in, but the suction was too strong. He tried to stab the marble floor with the kunai, but it wouldn’t dig far enough inside to allow him to get a hold, and he was sucked into the pitch black wings of the evil mare.
*****
Naruto opened his eyes. Instead of the blackness he expected to see all around him, he saw that everything was white. He couldn’t even tell what he was standing on. He looked around, looking for any sign of life or of an exit. Surely enough, he saw some black figure in the distance. Worried it’s Nightmare Moon, he pulled out a kunai and ran towards it.
When he got close enough to see who it was, his expression turned from worry and anxiousness into relief. “Luna!” he called out to the mare as he recognized her standing with her left side facing him. He ran towards her, smiling.
When he stopped in front of her, his eyes widened in horror. The right half of the dark blue mare’s body was covered in an eerie shadow. It was moving about, and was somewhat fuzzy, not allowing to identify any other features about it other than that it was a pony’s.
“Luna! It’s me, Naruto!” he called.
Luna slowly opened her eyes as she gazed upon him. Her expression looked full of pain. “Who… Are you? How do you know my name?” she muttered.
“I’m Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki! Don’t you remember me? I met you in that field!”
“No… I’m sorry…” she muttered painfully.
“Never mind that! What’s wrong? And what’s with that weird shadow all around you?!” Naruto demanded.
Luna’s face twitched in pain. “You have to stop this somehow… Before I hurt anypony else… Before I hurt my sister!”
“Yeah, I know! How can we do this?!”
“Please… You have to kill me,” she begged. “There’s… No other—”.
“Don’t give me this crap!” Naruto fumed. “What about the Elements of Harmony?!”
“It’s impossible… The Element of Bravery is cursed so that nopony can use it. Without it… It is only a matter of time until I lose control again.”
Naruto kneeled to look straight into her eyes. “I will save you. And I’ll never give up, because that’s my ninja way!”
The dark blue mare gasped, a tear of hope escaping her eyes. She nodded.
Naruto’s eyes widened. The clone’s memories from his experiences with the six ponies suddenly flooded his mind. They caused him to smile. “And I’m not alone! I thought I’ll be able to do this myself, but it looks like I have some brave friends out there to help us out!”
Naruto stood up and ran in the opposite direction, looking for the exit. “I’ll save you at all cost! Believe it!” he yelled without looking back.
“…I believe in you, Naruto…” Luna whispered in return.
Soon enough, Naruto started hearing voices in the distance. As he ran towards their source, he could slowly identify them as Nightmare Moon’s and… “Twilight?! They made it to the castle!” he exclaimed, and suddenly came to a stop when he collided face first with an invisible wall in the completely white space. After rubbing his aching nose, he leaned his ear against it he could clearly hear the two ponies talking.
“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?! Well, you’re wrong! Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!” Twilight yelled, her voice full of determination.
“What?!” Nightmare Moon rang out, panic sounding in her voice.
Naruto smiled as he weaved his most often used hand seal.
“Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of… Honesty!”
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” the ninja called.
“Fluttershy, who tamed the Manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of… Kindness!”
In a puff of smoke, a shadow clone appeared at Naruto’s side.
“Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of… Laughter!”
Naruto reached out his right hand towards the clone.
“Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of… Generosity!”
The clone started focusing chakra with both his hands on Naruto’s open palm.
“Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of… Loyalty!”
The blue orb was prepared, and the clone vanished. Naruto smashed it as hard as he could against the invisible wall. “Rasengan!”
“And Naruto, who stood up against the Timberwolves, and didn’t allow us to give up and run away, represents the spirit of…”
Nightmare Moon’s wings began glowing white, and then seemingly shattered as the orange ninja flew out of them. Nightmare Moon cried in shock and was propelled backwards as he did. Naruto then landed cleanly on the ground next to Twilight, who smiled at him knowingly.
“Bravery!” the purple mare finished.
Stone shards that were on the ground before, started floating around Naruto, spinning quickly and glowing in a green aura. Slightly confounded, he looked around to see the others, besides Twilight, also having similar shards hovering around them. He then noticed they were all inside the main hall of the castle.
“The spirits of these five ponies, and human, got us through every challenge you threw at us!”
Nightmare Moon groaned as she got up to her hooves. “But you still don't have the seventh Element! The spark didn't work!”
“But it did! A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you,” she said, her voice and expression showing her truthfulness.
“You know, when I saw what you all did in the forest, I actually started thinking that way too… You’re all really something else… For a bunch of ponies, anyway,” Naruto chuckled mentally.
“The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... Are my friends!” the purple Unicorn called out passionately, a single tear escaping from her eyes.
Everyone looked upwards as a bright flash of light appeared there, created by an orb not too different in size to a Rasengan. It was made of stone, and had no special features, save for the emblem of a star engraved on it. The orb descended until it was floating just above Twilight’s head.
“You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... The spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the seventh Element. The Element of... Magic!”
The orb began glowing brighter and brighter, and the shards around each pony changed into the color of the aura surrounding them, and changed their shape. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash all received gold necklaces with gems shaped as an orange apple, a pink butterfly, a blue balloon, a purple gem and a red bolt of lightning, respectively.
Naruto watched in awe as the shards around him also collected into one shape and changed their form, but instead of approaching his neck, approached his forehead. He didn’t notice, but under the bright glow they created, he uncontrollably transformed into his pony form. Adorning his previously exposed forehead, was now a black headband with a gold plate, and on the plate was the symbol of Konoha, carved into a large, green gem.
*****
Inside of Naruto, the nine-tailed fox, who had been watching everything that had transpired until now with a significant lack of interest, suddenly gazed upwards, his eyes narrowing in complete shock.
“That’s… His chakra!” the fox growled. “How is this possible?! What is it doing in this wretched world?!”
*****
Twilight’s orb had turned into a gold tiara, upon which was a light purple gem in the shape of a star.
“This energy… Is it chakra? It feels so familiar…” Naruto thought for a moment. However, immediately he focused back on the task at hand. “I promised Luna I’ll save her! I’m not going to fail!” he called out, and focused his entire being on the new, mysterious energy.
Along with the other ponies, Naruto shot out a rainbow ray at Nightmare Moon from his Element.
“No! Nooooo!” the black mare cried as she was surrounded with the ray. The beam turned into a rainbow tornado which enveloped her completely. A final, white flash passed through the hall, and Naruto began losing consciousness, having nearly lost all his energy with that one action. It might have been an illusion created by the light, but Naruto saw a large shadow flying in front of his eyes and to the outside as he closed his eyes.
*****
Naruto found himself lying on the ground. That was the first time now that he saw his orange hooves and realized that he had somehow turned into a pony without using a jutsu. Before he could question it, though, in his line of sight appeared a familiar, dark mare.
He quickly rose to his hooves and galloped towards her. “Luna! Luna, answer me! Are you okay?!”
The dark blue mare slowly opened her deep blue eyes and stared into his. “Na… Naruto…” she whispered. “You… Did it,” she smiled softly.
“Of course! I never go back on my words!” the orange colt grinned.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared from one of the windows. Naruto looked at it and saw that the others were already up. He walked towards them, and soon enough the bright light came inside, just as the sun finally rose on the horizon. The light slowly changed its form to reveal the largest pony he’d ever seen. She’d be at his eye level as a human, and towered far above him as a pony. Her mane was pure white, and her beautiful tail and mane, which had stripes of red, green and blue, fluttered in a nonexistent wind, and were glittering for some reason. Her eyes were purple, and she had biggest wings and the longest horn he’d ever seen, even more so than Nightmare Moon’s. She had a golden collar with a purple gem embedded in it, and a small, golden crown on her head. She also wore golden shoes. Naruto wasn’t sure why, but she seemed a bit familiar to him.
He then saw the others bowing down towards her, and tilted his head in confusion. Twilight smiled from ear to ear and walked towards her. “Princess Celestia!” she called joyfully.
“Finally! So she’s the one who can get me back home!” Naruto thought happily.
“Twilight Sparkle, my favorite student! I knew you could do it!” the white Alicorn smiled towards her.
“But… You told me it was all an old pony tale!” Twilight replied, baffled.
“I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more,” Celestia smiled. “I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!”
Celestia then walked towards Luna. The dark mare looked at Naruto, worried. The orange Earth pony smiled reassuringly and nodded, then moved away so that he would not be in the way.
As Celestia trotted past Naruto, she gave him a gentle smile, before turning back towards her younger sister.
“It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this,” she said as she sat down in front of her. “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”
“Sister?” Naruto heard Twilight asking in surprise. It was no news to him, however. Ever since he knew Luna was Nightmare Moon, it was obvious to him that she and Celestia were the mares in the storybook.
Celestia stood up. “Will you accept my friendship?”
Everypony looked in anticipation to her answer, but Naruto already smiled. From his two encounters with her, he knew just how much her big sister meant to Luna.
“I’m so sorry!” Luna cried as she ran to the white Alicorn, hugging her with all her might. “I missed you so much, big sister!”
Naruto and the six ponies smiled from ear to ear, as Celestia and Luna shed tears of happiness.
“I’ve missed you too, Luna!” Celestia replied, smiling, while tears still sparkled as they made their way down her cheeks.
Pinkie then started crying a river, only to stop a moment afterwards. “Hey! You know what this calls for?”
*****
“A party!!!” the pink Earth pony yelled cheerfully.
Everypony was back in Ponyville, celebrating the defeat of Nightmare Moon and the return of Princess Luna along with the rest of the town. The two regal sisters rode into town on a golden carriage, pulled by a pair of white Pegasi.
Twilight and Naruto (still in pony form) were with them, as per the princesses’ request. Luna was still nervous about the encounter with the townsfolk, and asked Naruto to be her chaperone, while Twilight stood behind her teacher.
Naruto watched happily as Spike came out of the crowd and jumped at Twilight in a big hug, a humongous smile on his face, as she dismounted from the chariot.
Naruto then dismounted as well, accompanying Luna and Celestia. The crowd all bowed. Naruto simply watched, finding the whole thing a bit awkward.
Luna still looked quite worried. Naruto nudged her side, smiling at her encouragingly. This made her return a smile, albeit a nervous one.
All the tension, however, quickly vanished, as a pair of young Pegasi mares flew towards her and put a flower necklace on her, smiling to the princess of the night.
As Luna grinned at her big sister, Naruto noticed that Twilight had a face that read the opposite feeling. Worried, he trotted towards her. Celestia too noticed this, and joined him.
“Why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?”
“Oh, that’s right. She’s not from here. I guess she’ll be returning home too now,” the orange colt remembered, and for some reason, felt his heart sink a bit.
“That's just it. Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them,” she said sorrowfully, as she looked at her six pony companions and Spike. The look in their eyes all shared the same sentiment, as they stared at her.
Celestia smiled. “Spike, take a note, please.”
Naruto gazed at the small dragon in surprise to see him pulling out paper and a quill. He started writing as the princess spoke.
“I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the Unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings, from her new home… In Ponyville.”
Everypony beamed with happiness and walked towards Twilight. Naruto too found it hard to resist, and joined in as he smiled from ear to ear.
“Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried out. “I’ll study harder than ever before!” she vowed. This caused the town to once more burst into cheers that rang out all across Equestria.
“So Twilight has a new home now,” Naruto thought. “Which reminds me…”
“Err… Princess Celestia?” He asked hesitantly. She felt quite intimidating, for a pony.
The princess gazed at him, smiling. “You have some urgent business to discuss with me, do you not?”
“Oh, yeah,” Naruto said in surprised. She took the words right out of his mouth.
“We shall be taking our leave now, everypony. Thank you for your hospitality. Please continue without us,” Celestia called. Her horn suddenly lighted up. Naruto could see a sphere of light shrouding him, Luna, Celestia, Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow and Twilight. Soon enough the light grew too bright for him to keep his eyes open.
*****
When the brightness finally decreased to a normal level, Naruto opened his eyes. He found himself inside a huge room. The floor was marbled in a chess formation, a long and wide red carpet stretched across the middle. One side of the room had humongous windows which extended all the way to the ceiling, about thirty feet in height, and brought inside the sunlight. Alongside the windows were beautiful, red curtains made of silk and adorned with golden strings. Another wall was decorated by beautiful portraits of some natural sceneries. Behind them and in front of them were huge pairs of wooden doors.
Naruto saw that everypony was standing near him, apparently just as surprised, save for Celestia who smiled calmly.
“Hey, this is the royal palace in Canterlot!” Twilight exclaimed. She was the most familiar with the place, other than Celestia, of course.
“Please excuse us for a moment, Naruto. My sister and I have some catching up to do. We will summon you shortly,” Celestia said as she and Luna trotted towards the doors up ahead.
Naruto’s eyes shot open in shock. “Wait a second! I didn’t tell you my name yet! How did you—“
Before he could finish, the doors closed, leaving him with his new friends.
“I can’t believe you guys really did it! You really defeated Nightmare Moon!” Spike exclaimed.
“What, you didn’t think we could do it?” Twilight grinned.
“Nope,” he replied flatly, earning a stern gaze from Twilight, only to melt into laughter alongside the others’.
“I guess what we did is quite amazing, isn’t it?” Twilight asked.
“By the way, why do all the Elements look like that?” Naruto pondered aloud. He finally got a good look at them and found them to have quite bizarre shapes.
“Well, they do remind of our cutie marks, do they not?” Rarity replied.
“What?” was all Naruto could answer with. He couldn’t make heads or tails of what the white Unicorn just said.
“Our cutie marks? Hello? Right here,” Rainbow pointed at the picture of a cloud shooting down a colorful bolt of lightning.
Naruto looked around them and saw it’s true. Everypony (excluding Spike) had different pictures on their flanks, and the picture indeed matched each of the Elements.
Applejack had three apples adorning her flank, and her Element was shaped like an apple. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie were the same, only with a jewel, a butterfly and a balloon, respectively. Rainbow’s Element was a red lightning, similar in shape to the one on her cutie mark, and Twilight had a large violet star surrounded by six, small white stars for her cutie mark, whereas her Element had a similar purple star adorning it.
“Well, let’s see my Element now,” Naruto said as he reached to the back of his head to untie the forehead protector. Upon doing so, a cloud of smoke poofed into existence around him, and when it dissipated, Naruto emerged as a human.
“Gah!” Spike screamed and hid behind Twilight.
She snickered. “Sorry, Spike. We didn’t have a chance to tell you. Naruto is really a human… And well, a ninja.”
“Woah! Sounds cool!” the purple dragon exclaimed as he poked his head out to sneak a peek at him. Then scratched his chin in confusion. “What’s a ‘ninja’?”
“Oh. We haven’t gotten to that yet,” Twilight smiled.
Naruto wasn’t listening, however. He was busy examining the element. “This is so weird. It looks just like the one Iruka-sensei gave me! Only it’s gold and green. How come?”
“Ah reckon since the Elements represent our cutie marks, yar’s should be da same. Care to change into a pony ‘gain?” Applejack spoke.
“No problem,” Naruto said as he gently put the Element on the ground. He weaved the seal for the technique. “Transformation Jutsu!”
“Awesome…” Spike muttered as Naruto had changed back into an orange Earth pony.
“Well, I noticed this earlier, darling, but…” Rarity muttered. She looked away, too embarrassed to finish what she was going to say.
Everypony looked at his flank. Naruto couldn’t help but feel as though this was a bit of an invasion to his privacy, but he sucked it up.
“Woah, no way! You’re a blank flank!” Pinkie exclaimed, her jaw to the ground.
“Pinkie Pie!” Applejack growled at the pink pony’s lack of tact.
“What? Is it a bad thing?” Naruto asked when he saw his clear flank.
“Well, it’s just that ponies usually get their cutie marks at a much younger age,” Twilight explained. “How old are you, by the way?”
“Sixteen.”
The ponies all nervous exchanged gazes. “Look at the bright side, this might be an all-time record!” Rainbow Dash cheered him up. Or at least tried to… Maybe.
“Look, I’m not really a pony!” Naruto shouted. “And besides, I can make myself any cutie mark I want!”
“Transformation Jutsu, Release!” he called as he crossed his front legs. “So I need a matching one to my Element, right? No problem!”
“Transformation Jutsu!” he said once more, this time his face showing that he was putting a bit more concentration into it.
“Come on, I wanna hear it from you! Does it look awesome or what?” he grinned.
“I’d go for the ‘what’,” Rainbow deadpanned.
Naruto turned his head to look at his flank. It was still as blank as before. “Hey, what gives?!” he frowned.
“Cutie marks don’t work like that. I guess it applies even to ninjas who turn into ponies,” Twilight said, her curiosity easily showing in her voice.
“Do I have to get somepony to tattoo me or something?” Naruto asked sarcastically.
“No. A cutie mark appears on its own when a pony discovers his or her special talent,” Twilight continued explaining.
The orange colt let out a sigh and frowned. “Doesn’t being a ninja count for anything?!”
“Don’t worry, Naruto,” Fluttershy said softly as she flew towards him. “One day, I’m sure you’ll find it!” she said happily.
Her words made his heart sink. “Actually… I’m going to return home now. After Celestia finishes talking with Luna, I’ll… Ask her to send me back.”
“So… No ninja party?” Pinkie asked in uncharacteristically sad tone. If his eyes didn’t betray him, he was sure that her puffy mane had deflated a little.
Just then, the doors opened, and out walked two white male Unicorns wearing gold armor. “Princess Celestia requests the audience of Naruto Uzumaki,” the one on the left announced.
Naruto gave the group a bittersweet smile. “Well, I guess this is it.”
Everyone gathered around him, tears in their eyes, and gave them a big group hug.
“We’ll miss you, Naruto!” Twilight called. “I wish you could stay longer, there’s just so much I could learn from you!”
“If ya come visit sometime, just drop by Sweet Apple Acres. Ah’ll make ya the best apple pies ya’ve ever had!” Applejack said.
“Yeah, you better come! We still have a rematch waiting!” Rainbow grinned.
“When you do, I’ll make you another smashing outfit to match your current one. Believe it!” Rarity said, then quickly put a hoof to her mouth at the last two words.
“And I’m gonna throw you the biggest ever welcome-back-slash-ninja party!” Pinkie exclaimed, her mane back to normal.
“I’ll introduce to you too all of my animals, and we could all go on a nice picnic together,” Fluttershy whispered, smiling gently.
“And I’ll be your number one ninja assistant!” Spike called out as he struck a pose.
“I thought you were my number one assistant, Spike,” Twilight arched a brow.
“Oh! Right! I got carried away, haha…” Spike muttered, scratching his chin. A blush of embarrassment painted his cheeks red.
“Here, you should take this back. I probably won’t need it anymore,” Naruto handed his Element to Twilight.
However, she pushed his hoof back to him. “Keep it. It will help you remember us,” she smiled, a tear in her eye. “Besides, if there’s more trouble and we’ll need the Elements, we’ll need you to come as well.”
Naruto nodded, and tied the Element around his forehead.
One of the guards coughed loudly, grabbing Naruto’s attention. “Well… Goodbye!” Naruto said as he broke from the hug. “I hope I didn’t make this too awkward. I’m not good at this sort of things…”
Naruto paced through the large doors, to find himself in a similar hall to that in the old castle’s ruins, where he fought Nightmare Moon.
Celestia and Luna both smiled at him from their thrones, which were at the top of a staircase leading up to them.
Naruto looked up at them, rubbing the back of his neck. “Um, should I bow or something?” he asked awkwardly.
“There is no need for such formalities,” Celestia smiled. “Naruto Uzumaki, I have looked forward to seeing you again,” she said as she got up from her seat and walked down the stairs towards him, Luna at her side.
“For your help at saving my dear sister, you will forever have my sincere gratitude,” she said as she bowed to him.
Naruto took a step back, surprised. “Well, y’know, I was just doing the right thing,” he said modestly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Indeed, I felt that choosing you was the right thing to do. I am very glad to have been correct. I apologize for leaving you in the dark these past two days, but I had to test whether or not you were truly worthy of the Element of Bravery.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Naruto didn’t know what to make of any of it. As Celestia finally raised her head to look at him, Naruto’s eyes went as wide as saucers. He finally understood why she seemed so familiar.
“Y—Y—You!” Naruto yelled as the realization descended upon him. He took off the Element, transforming back to normal, and pointed at her furiously. “You're the one who kidnapped me! You owe me a cup of ramen!”
Despite the outburst, Celestia smiled calmly and nodded. “That’s right. That was me. I came to your world specifically to bring you here, so that you could use the Element of Bravery to save my sister, Princess Luna.”
Celestia looked at her sister sorrowfully. “You are aware of what transpired here a millennium ago, aren’t you?”
“Yeah… You had to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon to stop the eternal night,” Naruto answered sadly as he stared at Luna.
“I originally planned to use the Elements to uproot the evil that had possessed my sister’s heart. But… I could not, since I was unable to use the Element of Bravery. With a heavy heart, I decided that I had no other choice but to banish Luna, so that her powers would not bring ruin upon Equestria and all those who live in it.”
Luna looked down shamefully. Naruto put a comforting hand on her back, its height at the line of his waist. She stared at him with blue eyes as deep as the ocean at night.
“A few weeks ago, when I felt that my sister’s imprisonment was coming to an end, I immediately began scouting for somepony who would be able to use the power that I could not. That way, I could save my sister instead of banishing her again. By that time, I knew that the one I sought was not a being of Equestria. A curse prevented that.”
“A curse? Was that the one mentioned in the book?” Naruto inquired.
Celestia nodded. “Indeed. The curse stated that ‘nopony shall ever be able to use it again’. It seems that first word was quite literal,” she smiled bitterly.
“So basically… You went to a lot of different worlds to find someone that will be able to use the Element of Bravery and save Luna?” Naruto asked to reconfirm.
“Exactly. I have been watching you for a while, Naruto, back in your own world. And I finally came to a conclusion that you were the one I have long sought.”
Naruto nodded. “I see. I’m really glad I could help you out then,” he smiled at the two sisters. “Now then… Since you brought me here, you can also take me back, right?”
Celestia and Luna exchanged gazes. “What’s wrong?” Naruto asked in worry. He didn’t like this one bit.
“Well… You should just see for yourself,” Celestia replied briefly. Her horn lighted up, and shot out a beam at the middle of the room, forming a round window of fog. Then, the fog slowly dissipated to reveal a large town. A mountain alongside it showed huge carvings of five faces into it. Naruto didn’t take half a second to know that this was his home, Konoha. Well, half of it. What was left after Pain ravaged it.
“Oh, don’t worry about the town,” Naruto chuckled. “That happened s a few days ago.” He had thought that Celestia thought she somehow did it when she came into his world.
“Naruto,” the white princess said calmly. “Look closer.”
Naruto stretched his eyes. It was an early hour morning, at just about the time of day Celestia kidnapped him. The streets were mostly empty and only a few people were walking around. Wait… Walking? No. Everyone was standing for some reason. There wasn’t a hint of movement anywhere. He even caught a few birds frozen in the air above Konoha.
“Um, is this just a picture?” Naruto pondered.
Celestia gazed at him seriously. “I’m afraid not. A while after I came to bring you to Equestria, I used this to take a look and see how many had noticed your disappearance. It had stayed exactly like this from the moment when you were gone. In other words… Time in your world has come to a complete stop.”
Naruto gulped. “Well… It will be fixed if you send me back, right?” he asked hopefully.
Celestia shook her head. “I have to teleport with you into your world, I cannot simply send you back. And regardless, there is no guarantee that time will continue flowing once we did. If I were to be stuck in your home world, none shall be able to govern the day and night here, and Equestria will fall to ruin. This is not a risk I am able to take.”
Naruto lowered his head to gaze at the floor in disbelief. “So… I’m stuck here…”
“Naruto,” Celestia said in her most serious tone yet. “You have my word that I will send you back. Somehow, I’ll find a way.”
Naruto raised his eyes to look straight into her purple irises, and nodded.
“You’ve already made so many friends here, Naruto. I’m sure that if you’ll take this the best way you can, your time here will just fly by,” Celestia said as she smiled at him.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied with a heavy heart.
“Besides, I’d like us to talk some more at times, if you don’t mind,” Luna quickly added. Naruto didn’t notice, but her cheeks turned just a bit bright red.
“And regarding you true form… I will leave it up to your judgment, but please be careful as to whom you reveal your true self. I am worried that some ponies may… Not take well to it,” Celestia warned.
“Don’t worry, as long as I put this on it won’t be a problem,” Naruto flashed his Element.
“Oh, it slipped my mind,” Celestia said as she stopped using the magic, and the window vanished. “Guard! Please summon everypony waiting outside!” Celestia called.
The door was then opened from the other side by one of the guards. Immediately poured in a pile of ponies.
“W—We weren’t eavesdropping or anything!” Rainbow immediately exclaimed as she flew up from the colorful pile. The others got up on their hooves as well and walked inside the room.
“Um, guys,” Naruto spoke, turning everypony’s attention to him. “Looks like… I’ll be staying a bit longer,” he smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
Immediately afterwards, he was ganged by the creatures that only reach his waist in full height (Spike barely reached the middle of his thighs).
“This is the best day EVER!” Pinkie Pie shrilled at the top of her voice.
Naruto smiled from ear to ear. “Well, no one will know I’m even gone when I come back… I guess I really should make the best of all this after all.”
*****
A while later, after the ponies all relaxed from the excellent news, Celestia had asked them for the Elements for safekeeping. They all handed them to her, and Celestia put it inside a beautiful, decorated wooden box.
“Hmm… You look kind of strange without that headband, Naruto. I must confess, it has grown on me,” Rarity noted.
“Oh, right. I forgot about it for a while,” Naruto said sadly as he felt his exposed forehead.
Celestia nudged Luna, smiling. “Go on.”
The dark blue Alicorn stepped forward, slightly blushing. Her horn glowing the same color as her mane, an object floated from under her wings.
Naruto’s eyes widened in amazement. “My protector! You fixed it!” he called joyfully as he grabbed and tied it back to its place. “I just don’t feel myself without it,” he said, letting out a sigh of relief. “Thanks a lot, Luna!”
“It’s the least I could do for you, Naruto. From the moment when I first saw you, I knew you were somepony special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” she said as she gave him a beautiful, gentle smile.
*****
Naruto (in pony form) and his friends all took the train back to Ponyville from Canterlot. It was then that Naruto got his first look of the big world he was now a part of. While Equestria was definitely beautiful, perhaps even more than his home world, Naruto was starting to get homesick. “And no one will even believe I was really gone…” The thought didn’t improve how he was feeling.
“Hey, Narutoooo!” a cheerful voice called from behind him.
The colt turned around, to find Pinkie only a few inches from his face. But the pink Earth pony looked quite different. Pinkie Pie had whisker marks drawn on her face, a piece of black cloth was tied to her forehead, and she crossed her front hooves. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” she called enthusiastically.
Needless to say, nothing happened. But the moment Naruto saw her he burst into laughter, rolling on his train seat.
Everyone stared at Naruto and Pinkie, smiling from ear to ear. After regaining control of his breathing again, Naruto wiped the tears of laughter from his face. “Thanks, Pinkie. I really needed that.”
“Ah know ya’re sad ‘bout not going home, Naruto, but ya can always have us to count on!” Applejack said.
“Yeah, don’t worry! We’ll have tons of great times together!” Rainbow Dash added.
“Whenever you need us, Naruto, we’ll be there for you,” Fluttershy smiled.
“And since Twilight will be moving into the library, you are free to stay in my house as long as you want,” Rarity offered once more.
“Right! Thanks, everyo— Um, Everypony!” Naruto replied happily.
“After all, we’re all friends, aren’t we?” Twilight asked, grinning.
“Yeah, we are! Believe it!” Naruto answered with all his heart.
“If you’re all done being sappy, can we all go celebrate at a good restaurant when we get to Ponyville? I’m starving!” Spike complained, rubbing his stomach.
Naruto’s stomach spoke his agreement for him, making everypony and him chuckle. With everything that happened the past hours, he had no time to think about his stomach.
“Yeah! A big victory like this demands huge bowls of ramen as a reward!” Naruto called cheerfully. “I hope there’s some tasty ramen in Ponyville!”
“Um, Naruto?” Twilight asked, directing his attention to her. “What’s ‘ramen’?”
Naruto gazed at her, bewildered. “You’re… Joking, right?” He looked around. Everypony had shared her baffled expression. The most horrible news he’d yet to hear here had slowly sunk in.
“NOOOOO!!!” Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs. “I WANT TO GO HOMEEEEE!!!”
*****
Back in the royal palace…
“I do not understand, sister. Why did you not tell him the truth? Hasn’t he done what you’ve requested?” Luna inquired.
“Indeed, he has. And I was not lying when I said that I am grateful,” Celestia answered as she looked at the view behind the large window next to them. “But unfortunately, I fear that Equestria’s troubles have only just began. Now that you’ve been finally freed, they would be able to make a move, for the first time in over a thousand years. If I sent Naruto away now, Equestria would surely be doomed to fall into its own shadows.”
“I understand that, sister, but why not tell him the truth? Hasn’t he proven his worth already?” Luna questioned.
“Because I cannot fully trust him yet. He must still prove to me the strength of his heart here in Equestria,” Celestia replied. “While his powers and abilities are indeed remarkable, not to mention that he can use the Element of Bravery, there is something deep inside him. Something terrifying. You felt it too, haven’t you, little sister?”
“Yes, of course I have, big sister. But… I trust him completely to be able to control it. Just like the Old Sage once did,” Luna said as she stared deeply at her older sister.
After a brief pause, something clicked in Luna’s mind. She smiled and closed her eyes. “The Old Sage… Is that why you chose Naruto, sister?”
“They do have that same air about them, don’t they?” Celestia smiled as well. “Though, I could only dream that one day, Naruto will be able to finish what the Sage had started. If that is even possible.”
“But Naruto is not alone. Together, who knows what they can accomplish?” Luna said and turned her gaze to the view outside.
“Well said, Luna. Well said,” Celestia answered as she smiled up at the blue sky.
*****
Meanwhile, at an unknown place…
A dark shadow flew down to a seat at a round table. Six more chairs surrounded it. The dark room the table was in, ten feet in length and width, and an unseen ceiling, was poorly illuminated by torches burning in green flames. The walls were all made of gray stone. There was only one, doorless entrance to the room, behind where the shadow had taken its place.
As the shadow had settled, its features became sharper and sharper, but it was still painted black completely, due to the poor lighting. Its shape was that of a large pony, and his eyes were purple, the pupils like a cat’s.
He looked around at the other seats, each occupied by similar dark figures, slightly smaller than him.
“My brothers…” the shadow’s deep voice rang, echoing in the small room. Its deep tone could send a chill down anypony’s spine. “After a thousand years of imprisonment on the moon by the detested Celestia, I have finally made my return! Now, it is only a matter of time before we shall assume our rightful place in the world once more!”
Chapter 11- ‘Ninja’ is not a Valid Occupation (Part 1)
Chapter 11- ‘Ninja’ is not a Valid Occupation (Part 1)
It was early morning in Ponyville. Naruto walked inside Rarity’s kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He had complied with her offer of a sleeping place, and actually found it to be the comfiest place he’d ever slept in. The guest room he occupied was far too girly to his tastes, but the large bed with its silky covers definitely did the job, providing him with the best sleep he had in a while.
Naruto looked in surprise to see Rarity already up. “Good morning, Naruto. Have you slept well?” she asked kindly. She had a pink apron on and was busily working on a breakfast for the both of them. She was moving around with her magic a pan and a spatula, while simultaneously cutting some vegetables. Something with a really good smell was sizzling in the pan, and Naruto’s rumbling stomach sounded its anticipation.
“Yeah, thanks a lot, Rarity!” Naruto replied as he sat down.
Rarity turned around, hovering two dishes above her head. On one was a large omelet, with a siding salad made of tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and onion. The other had a sandwich filled with daisies and a similar salad.
“I was worried humans don’t eat flowers. That’s according what Fluttershy told me yesterday. I hope omelets are to your liking!”
“Yeah! Itadakimasu!” he called as he dug in.
Rarity watched in interest at how he used his hands to grab the fork and knife. “This looks so much more convenient than hooves. I’m a bit jealous,” she thought. But luckily for her, she also had magic, so she wouldn’t actually need to use them.
*****
A while later, after they finished their meal, the two walked together to the entrance, where was Rarity’s clothing and fashion store, Carousel Boutique.
“Tell me, Naruto, how are you going to spend your time here?” Rarity asked as she walked towards one of the many drawers and floated out a measuring tape.
“I really don’t know… Don’t suppose they have ninja missions like back home, right?” he chuckled as the measuring tape went all over him.
“I don’t think so. If you ask me, you should start as an apprentice for somepony,” Rarity suggested, somehow focusing both on the tape and the conversation seamlessly. She also wrote down the results at the same time.
“So, what’s this for?” Naruto asked, as he couldn’t ignore the string hovering around him any longer.
“Last night you told me that ‘jutsu’ of yours wears off when you sleep, haven’t you? This means I have to make a pajama for your human form. You simply cannot walk around all day in those clothes!”
“Oh yeah, I guess so,” Naruto chuckled.
“But… Why do you not take them off? Only the nobles in Canterlot wear garments all the time,” Rarity asked.
Naruto’s face immediately turned redder than Applejack’s apples. “W—W—What are you saying?! I can’t off my clothes here! You’re a girl! Well, a mare, but still!”
“Well, the stallions here also walk around without any clothing. I do not understand what all the fuss is about?”
“Humans don’t go around naked! You’ll see our… You know…”
Rarity gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know how formal you humans are. Hmm… Now I am a bit curious to see both your world and what’s under there,” she eyed you-know-where.
“I don’t know about the first one, but the second is DEFINITELY NOT HAPPENING!” Naruto thought.
“Well, it doesn’t become of a lady to interfere with a gentlecolt’s business, so let us leave it at that,” the white mare smiled. Naruto let out a sigh of relief.
“By the way… How am I gonna pay you? This must be really tough, sewing human clothes for the first time…”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous! I did say my first job for you will be for free, didn’t I?” Rarity chuckled. “Besides, I do enjoy a challenge once in a while.”
“Hey, I know!” Naruto exclaimed. This made Rarity stop measuring every single part of his body. “I guess… I could try sewing? That way I can both repay you and find something to do for a while.”
“Hmm…” Rarity pondered aloud as she looked over him, and then focused on his hands. “Something this complicated-looking can’t possibly be bad!” she grinned.
“Alright, we shall give at a shot,” the white Unicorn said, then turned towards one of the many cloth hangers, on which lay many clothes. To each one was attached a note about the price of the repair and of the name of clothing’s owner.
“These are some of the simpler jobs I have here waiting. If you do well on those, we might go on to more advanced projects! Oh, how delightful it would be to have my own protégé!” she said, excited.
She hovered to him a black jacket. There was a noticeably large hole smack in the middle of its backside. Other than that, it looked perfectly good.
“One patch should do the trick here, dearie,” Rarity smiled at him in anticipation.
“Oh, right!” Naruto recalled. Rarity looked at him questioningly. “How do I sew?”
Rarity only blinked a few times before responding.
*****
“And that’s about it. Did you get it all down?” Rarity asked as she finished her lecture on using a sewing machine. Naruto nodded.
“Good, then I shall head upstairs to wake my sister. She has to go to school soon.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you have a sister,” Naruto said in surprise.
“Ah yes, her name is Sweetie Belle,” Rarity smiled. “She is simply an angel!”
“How come I didn’t see her yet?”
“She went off to sleep early yesterday. It’s hard for fillies her age to stay up all night,” Rarity explained.
“Oh, that’s right… The Summer Sun Celebration…”
“Well, I’ll be back later. Don’t worry, I’ll lead her through the back entrance, so feel free to stay in your human form. Although I do adore that tail of yours…” she turned around and walked out.
“Did you say something?”
“Oh no, please go ahead! I’m counting on you!” Rarity called as she disappeared up the stairs.
Naruto shrugged. “Oh well, let’s get to work!”
The young ninja laid out the coat under the machine, put the patch on and started working.
Ten minutes of work later, Naruto brushed away the sweat created by his deep concentration and raised the coat with a proud smile. Which then all but vanished as he saw the patch was not only attached to the back of the coat, where it should have been, but some of the stitches also got through it and onto one of the sleeves, which he accidently laid under it.
“Heh, no problem for the future Hokage of the leaf,” Naruto smirked as he proceeded to pull the sleeve out… Which caused it to rip, the end still attached to the patch and the coat’s backside.
“No problem! I’ll just reattach that, piece of cake!” he exclaimed as he proceeded to remove the end of the sleeve, only to pull with it the patch, which in turn ripped out more of the coat, enlarging the hole on the back.
Naruto bit his bottom lip, frustrated. He finally managed to separate the ripped sleeve from the patch, and then proceeded to attach the sleeve. On the wrong sleeve. “Gah!”
*****
A while later, Rarity returned to the Boutique. “Well then, how did it go? I’m sure you managed to perform splendidly, my dear pro— Yahahah!!!”
Her jaw dropped as she finally laid eyes on what used to be called a ‘coat’, and was now a very bold piece of modern art. “Oh, by the name of Celestia!” she cried, seemingly about to pass out.
Naruto scratched his chin, chuckling. “Yeah… Well, practice makes perfect, right? I’m sure the next one will be awes—”
“No!” Rarity shrilled, startling him. “Ahem. What I mean is… Your talent as a ninja is going to waste here! You should definitely find a more… Befitting occupation.”
Before Naruto could even get a word in, he found himself at the entrance to the Boutique, floated there by Rarity’s magic.
Naruto let out a sigh. “Transformation Jutsu!” he called before anypony could see him. As usual, out of a cloud of smoke appeared an orange Earth pony, wearing the Konoha protector and the top of his jump suit of his human form.
“Argh, what was I thinking?! I’m a ninja, for crying out loud!” he yelled as he trotted into town. “This pony land is getting in my head…”
*****
“So, who could use my help…?” Naruto pondered as he walked down the street.
“Hey, watch out up ahead!” a voice called from behind him.
Naruto jumped to the right barely in time to avoid a young Pegasus with an orange coat just like his and a purple mane and tail, who was riding on a scooter.
“Nice move, mister! Sorry, but I’m in a hurry!” she called without even sparing him a look.
“Oh, right! I’m sure Twilight will have an idea! She seems like a bookworm!” Naruto lighted up, as if that didn’t just happen. “Now where was the library again?”
He looked around and was met with a huge oak tree to his right. “Oh.”
Naruto knocked on the door. “Come in!” a familiar voice called, as the door was surrounded in a purple aura and opened to the inside.
The orange Earth pony trotted inside to see Twilight walking from the door to the kitchen to his left. “Oh, good morning, Naruto! What brings you here?”
“Morning, Twilight. I was just looking for a job and—”
“Hey!” an angry voice called from upstairs, as a purple and small head poked into the room. “The position’s filled!”
“Don’t worry, Spike. I’m not after your job,” Naruto chuckled.
Spike nodded with a serious expression and went back upstairs to do his business.
“So, a job for a ninja, huh?” Twilight asked, as she sat down on one of the chairs in the room, motioning him to do the same. “I don’t really know though, what do ninjas normally do? Other than duplicating themselves and using flashy balls of magic, I mean.”
“That’s chakra, not magic,” Naruto corrected. “And those are just the jutsu I’m good at. Everyone in my world has their own kind.”
“That’s really interesting! So ninjas are like the Unicorn parallels of your world, right?” the purple mare asked enthusiastically.
“No, ninjas don’t have a horn, or wings for that matter…” he answered in slight disbelief over the conversation. He then looked to the back of the room to see a quill surrounded in purple aura running across a scroll in the same rhythm he spoke in. “She’s recording me?!”
“So tell me, how do you use that ‘chakra’ of yours without a horn?”
“Well… I just focus and… Release it, I guess? That’s what I did when I learned to walk on trees and water…”
The quill dropped down and Twilight jumped up. “You can walk on trees?!” her eyes were beaming in excitement. The orange pony immediately regretted what he just said.
“Spike! Get down here, you’ve got to see this!” the purple Unicorn yelled.
In response the baby dragon walked down. “What’s up?” he questioned.
“Naruto can walk on trees, and he’s gonna show us! Isn’t this amazing?! This could be the scientific discovery of the century!”
“Woah, really?! Can all ninjas do that?! Can you teach me to be a ninja?!” Spike immediately asked.
“Wait, I never said I...” he began, but then sighed. There wasn’t any way around it. He turned towards one of the many bookcases, focused some chakra into his hooves, and then started walking up it on top of the books.
“This. Is. AMAZING!” Twilight squealed. Spike also gazed at Naruto with eyes full of wonder, his jaw lowered. From corner of his eyes, Naruto saw the quill dipping in ink and then writing so quickly it was a wonder the scroll didn’t catch fire.
Naruto jumped down from the bookcase. “So do you have any idea on where I might be able to work?” he resumed the topic of interest.
“Well, maybe the Pegasi could use a hoof. Can ninjas fly?!” she grinned from ear to ear in anticipation.
“It’s so obvious you’re just trying to wring more information on ninjas from me!” Naruto thought as he glared at her a bit angrily. He let out a sigh and decided to disclose this last piece of knowledge with her. “No, ninjas don’t fly. At least no ninjas I met until now.” As before, the quill was running smoothly on the scroll.
“Come to think of it, why don’t you transform into a Pegasus? You’ll be the very first flying ninja, at least in Equestria!”
While it did seem like she was trying to gather more information about him and chakra, this time she really did capture his interest. “It would be really cool to fly or use magic…” he thought with a smile.
The orange colt crossed his front hooves. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!”
“Alright, let’s give it a shot!” the blond human said. “Transformation Jutsu!” he called as he envisioned himself as a Pegasus.
Naruto looked backwards at his sides, and his heart sank when he saw no wings. Feeling his forehead too, he couldn’t feel a horn either. He looked exactly the same as any other time he transformed into a pony.
“Well, there goes my experiment to see if you could become an Alicorn. Oh well,” Twilight said in disappointed. Naruto frowned at her.
“Yeah, right! Princess Naruto! Now, that would be the day!” Spike called, rolling on the floor and laughing.
“Well, I guess since ninjas are so physical, being an Earth pony really fits you,” Twilight smiled, finally returning to the topic for which Naruto came there in the first place. “Really, of all the places I saw you working for the Summer Sun Celebration, Sweet Apple Acres seems like the best match for you.”
Naruto facehooved. “Right, I should have known that. Thanks, Twilight!” he said as he got up.
“Oh hey, since you’re here already, I’d like to hear more about—” Twilight started, but as soon as she did Naruto doubled his pace and was already far out of earshot.
“Isn’t it great, Spike?! Now not only I can make every week a report about friendship, I can also make one about ninjas!”
“Yeah. Reports, how exciting,” the young dragon answered sarcastically as he picked up a feather duster from a table and started cleaning the bookshelves.
*****
Naruto smiled as he saw and smelled the familiarity of the farm he’d worked at for two days. The smile grew when he saw a familiar orange mare treading out of the barn, a large wagon tied to her and rolling steadily behind her.
“Hey, Applejack!” the orange colt called as he trotted towards her.
“Well, I’ll be…” Applejack muttered with a smile. “Morning, Naruto! D’ya come for some more good ol’ apple bucking?” she greeted.
“Yeah, got room for one more? Or a hundred, maybe?” he chuckled, as he tied the wagon to himself as well to help Applejack.
“Ah appreciate da offer, Naruto, but none of them ‘jutsus’ today, ‘lright? Big Mac and Granny Smith will get suspicious if we’re doin’ too much progress in a day.”
“Oh, alright,” the orange ninja replied, a tad disappointed, but nonetheless eager to do something while he’s in this world.
“So, any other family members of yours I haven’t met yet?” Naruto asked casually as they walked towards the vast groves of apple trees.
“Well, ‘sides from Big Mac, there’s good ol' Granny Smith an’ Apple Bloom, my darlin’ little sister,” Applejack answered cheerfully.
“Oh, just like Rarity. She told me she has a younger sister too,” Naruto noted.
“That’s right. Though ah don’ think they really know each other. Really a shame, cause they both don’ have their cutie marks yet. Far as ah know, Apple Bloom’s havin’ a hard time cause of it.”
“Wow, is it really that bad here to not have it?” Naruto asked in surprise as he gave another look at his vacant hind side.
Applejack saw him doing that and smiled. “Don’cha worry ‘bout a thing! It’ll come when yar ready!”
“So, can we expect ya to become a full-time worker here?” she asked. “Ah’ll need to pay ya if so.”
“I’m not really sure. I’m just trying to find my place here for now, and working here seemed like the best fit for me,” he explained.
“Ah see. Heck, maybe ya’ll get yar cutie mark here too? If ya do, we’ll adopt you into the Apple family!” the orange mare laughed.
“Sure, I guess. Thanks,” he smiled, albeit half-heartedly. “Pony family members… That’s… Really strange,” he thought.
*****
A while later, the two reached the designated section of the apple orchard, where they saw a familiar, large red colt already bucking some trees. As he saw the orange duo, the colt smiled.
“Morning, Big Mac,” Naruto greeted as he began untying the wagon from himself, as did Appleack.
“Morning, Naruto,” he answered casually. Naruto jumped.
“That’s the first time I heard him saying a word other than ‘Nope’ or ‘Eeyup’,” he thought, stunned.
“Well, let’s get to it, boys! Da day’s short, and there are plenty of apples to be bucked!” Applejack said merrily as she removed a few wooden buckets from the wagon.
Naruto did the same, and proceeded to one the trees, which was loaded with red, juicy fruits. As he carried each bucket to the trees with his mouth, he couldn’t help but think how inefficient this is. But nonetheless, a satisfying, chakra-filled kick to the tree made him forget all about this as the red load descended into the buckets.
*****
A few hours later, Naruto wiped a sweat of satisfaction from the line between his blond mane and his beloved protector, and smiled at Applejack. Big Mac had left a while ago, having finished filling his wagon to the brim.
Applejack grinned at him. “Well, ah think we’re just about done—“
“It’s not fair!” a voice suddenly yelled.
Naruto turned his head back to see a young filly walking towards Applejack. She was half his height, with a light yellow coat and a red mane, a large pink ribbon tied to it, and had ember-colored eyes. She wore an angry expression on her face.
“How’d school go?” Applejack asked in worry.
“We had a lesson ‘bout cutie marks today, and of course everypony laughed at me for not havin' one!”
“Ya worry ‘bout it too much, sugarcube. Ya’ll get one eventually. Everypony does,” Applejack said with a reassuring smile.
“Well, ah don’t want one eventually! Ah want one now! What if ah end up being the oldest pony in history to not have a cutie mark?!”
Naruto smiled, thinking he could cheer her up. “Sorry, but the title’s taken,” he spoke. The filly then noticed him for the first time. She looked at him in surprise.
He trotted towards her. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” he introduced himself. “Who’re you?”
“Apple Bloom,” she answered grumpily as she gazed at his hind side. “Hey, you don’t have a cutie mark!” she called, stunned.
“Yeah. See? It’s not the end of—”
“Applejack, ah don' wanna end up like him! No offense,” Apple Bloom said. Naruto, however, was just a tiny bit offended.
“Now that ah think 'bout it, ah was the last one in mah class to get a cutie mark. Same fo' were Granny Smith and Big Mac,” Applejack said after a short delve to her memories.
“Ah don’ see how that’s supposed to make me feel better. It probably means that bein' the last one to get a cutie mark runs in the family!” Apple Bloom groaned as she laid her head on one of Naruto’s apple-filled buckets.
“Oh, ah know! Since y’all have apples for cutie marks, mah oughta be too!” the filly exclaimed, beaming and gazing at her elder sister expectantly.
Applejack read her younger sisters' mind, letting out a small sigh. “A’right. Naruto, can you take these here apples to the barn? Ah’m goin’ with Apple Bloom to the market to do some sellin’.”
“Yeah, you got it,” Naruto replied as he unloaded the last apples onto the wagon and put on top of them the wooden buckets.
“Who knows? Maybe all this cutie mark hooey will be settled today. Come on down when yar done, ‘kay?” the cowmare asked.
“Yeah, maybe I’ll get my cutie mark too,” Naruto chuckled. Apple Bloom looked back at him as she and Applejack trotted to the barn to prepare heading for the market.
Chapter 12- ‘Ninja’ is not a Valid Occupation (Part 2)
Chapter 12- ‘Ninja’ is not a Valid Occupation (Part 2)
A while later, Naruto pulled the heavy wagon behind him into the barn. He unstrapped himself from the heavy contraption and smiled in satisfaction.
“You down there, Big Mac?” he heard a voice calling from behind him.
Naruto looked around. The red stallion wasn’t there. “Nope,” he called back. He then realized just how Mac-like it sounded.
“Don’t you be lying to your elders, sonny!” the voice scolded. Soon came into view from the entrance to the barn an elderly, green mare. Her mane was white and her eyes orange. She had a pie for a cutie mark.
Naruto looked at her questioningly as he trotted towards her.
Her eyes widened when she saw him clearly. “Oh! You’re that apple bucking legend Applejack told me ‘bout!” This earned her a puzzled look from the orange colt.
She grabbed his chin and pulled his head down with remarkable strength for somepony her age. “Hmm… Looks good to me,” she said as she looked into his blue eyes. Naruto was getting nervous.
She then examined him as she walked around him, just as Rarity had done when Naruto first met her. “You’re… Granny Smith, right?” Naruto asked cautiously.
She stopped right in front of him, and suddenly smiled. “Yes siree. Now, that gal Applejack sure knows how to pick her colts. I can’t wait to be a great-granny!”
“W—What?!” the young orange stallion screamed and took a few steps back.
“Oh, it’s just a joke, sonny,” she laughed. Naruto was surprised, he didn’t take her for the joking kind. “Are all you city folk so uptight? You’re from the city, ain’tcha? You don’t smell like you’re from around these here parts,” she said as she sniffed the air around him.
“What was the city Twilight asked me about again…?” he thought. “Oh, yeah! I came from… Manehatten,” he quickly said.
“And do I smell foxes here? Darn creatures won’t leave our chickens in peace!” she added as she looked around.
A warning flare flew up in Naruto’s mind when she mentioned ‘foxes’. “Nope! No foxes here!” he quickly exclaimed. “Well, Applejack needs me in the market, so I’ll be going now! Bye!”
Before Granny Smith could get another word in he was already on his way. The green mare still looked at him suspiciously, but then shrugged and walked away.
*****
As Naruto walked among the crowd of ponies in the marketplace, he finally noticed the two sisters standing to a very empty cart, which probably used to hold apples. From Applejack’s angry expression, he quickly gathered that things weren’t going very smoothly.
“Sorry, little sis, but your apple-selling days are over,” Applejack said as she took off the white apron Apple Bloom was wearing.
“What?! But how else am ah gonna get my cutie mark?!” the filly cried in protest.
“Home. Now,” Applejack growled.
Apple Bloom huffed and walked away angrily, looking down. She didn’t even notice Naruto as she marched past him.
“Oh, there you are, Naruto,” Applejack said as she saw him. She let out a sigh, looking quite saddened. “What am I gonna do with that filly…”
“No success at a cutie mark, I see. Maybe I could help out?” he offered.
“That’s mighty kind of you! Could you go hang out with her for a while?” the orange mare asked.
“Yeah, sure,” he replied and trotted off.
“Oh, before I forget!” Applejack called after him. Naruto stopped and looked at her. “There you go,” she said as she tossed a small bag towards him. Naruto caught and balanced it with his hoof, then shoved it into a pocket in his jump suit.
“That there’s some payment for all your hard work,” she smiled. “There’s fifty bits in there.”
“Alright. Thanks, Applejack!” Naruto called as he went after Apple Bloom.
“None of them ninja business though!” Applejack shouted after him, worried for her little sister.
*****
Naruto soon caught up to the filly. “So, how are you doing?”
“Bad,” Apple Bloom replied concisely, still trotting angrily.
“Why are you so stressed to get a cutie mark now?”
The yellow filly finally stopped and looked at him, a tear in her eyes. She took a deep breath and began explaining quickly. “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are havin’ a cute-ceañera this afternoon, and I’m gonna be the only one there without a cutie mark! Everypony will laugh at me!” she cried.
“Well… A cutie mark represents your job, right?” Naruto asked to reconfirm.
“Yeah… I guess?” Apple Bloom replied, a bit unsure herself.
“Rarity told me today that the best way to get a job is to start as somepony’s apprentice. Let’s go together and see who could use a pair of awesome ones, alright?”
Apple Bloom immediately lighted up, a smile of joy on her face. “Yeah, alright! You’re the best, Naruto!” she called as she jumped around him.
“So, you wanna try some sewin’ at Rarity’s?” she asked, since he mentioned the white Unicorn.
Naruto immediately somehow got a strange hue of blue on his face. “No! No, no, no!” he called as he walked in the direction opposite to Carousel Boutique.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Apple Bloom called as she ran after him.
*****
Naruto and Apple Bloom stood in front of Fluttershy’s cottage, right at the edge of the Everfree Forest.
Naruto smiled. “I worked a bit with the animals when I came here. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
The yellow filly beamed. “Yeah! I can’t wait to get some awesome cutie mark of animals! I wonder which one it will be…”
As Apple Bloom took a ride on her train of thoughts about animal-related cutie marks, Naruto knocked on the door. A while later, it opened slightly to reveal large, aquamarine eyes. After a moment the door was wide opened to reveal Fluttershy, who was smiling at them both.
“Oh, if it isn’t Naruto and Apple Bloom. How can I help you?” she asked in her usual, quiet voice.
Naruto nudged the filly standing next to him, returning her to reality. “Oh! Right!” she exclaimed and smiled at her. “We’re here to be your CUTIE MARK APPRENTICES!” she yelled. Fluttershy flinched and covered her ears.
“O—Oh! I see. Please come in,” she said as she moved away to let the two enter. “Just be a little quieter, alright? We don’t want to frighten the animals,” she whispered.
“Hey, there are a lot more here than last time…” Naruto noted as he looked around. Nearly every corner in the house sported a treehouse, a burrow or a small bed.
“Yes…” Fluttershy replied sadly. “After the incident with Nightmare Moon, many creatures fled the Everfree Forest, and they don’t want to return. So until they are ready to leave or until somepony adopts them, they’ll be staying here.”
After letting her sadness out, however, Fluttershy smiled. “Well, it seems like you two arrived right on time for lunch. So you could help me feed them all?”
“Yeah, ‘course we will!” Apple Bloom replied cheerfully. Naruto nodded.
The three ponies then walked to Fluttershy’s kitchen. From one of the cabinets, Fluttershy pulled out a huge brown bag, then went to the fridge to take out a large blue bowl filled with salad that she prepared earlier.
“There are tasty nuts here for the squirrels, chipmunks and mice,” she motioned to the bag. “And yummy vegetables for the bunnies,” she pointed to the bowl. Make sure every animal gets a fair amount, alright?”
“I’ll take care of the birds,” the yellow Pegasus said as she took out another bag from the top cabinet and flew out of the kitchen.
“I’ll take the nuts. They seem heavier,” Naruto suggested. Apple Bloom nodded and started pushing the bowl with her head out of the kitchen. Naruto dragged out the bag with his mouth.
“Well, this ought to be easy…” Naruto smiled as he took out some nuts and put them inside a bowl, which lay in front a small burrow. “Wait a second!” he looked at one of his hooves. “How did I even—?!”
Before he could complete the thought though, he heard a rustle coming from behind. Having a bad feeling about it, he looked back to see what sort of creature came to eat them, and immediately frowned when his eyes fell upon an unfortunately familiar animal. “Bunny,” he muttered slowly as he gazed at Angel stuffing his small face with nuts.
Angel stared back at him, grinning deviously with his stuffed-full mouth. Then he shook his tail tauntingly at Naruto and jumped away.
“Hey! These aren’t for you!” the orange colt yelled and ran after him, knocking over the brown bag in the process, and spilling its content all over the floor. Hearing the noise, the animals poked out of their burrows to see the feast laid out in front of them, and immediately charged in to eat in a messy pile of nuts and fur.
“Apple Bloom, stop that bunny!” Naruto yelled as Angel was about to pass near her.
“You got it!” the filly called just as she finished laying out some vegetables into a small dish, and jumped on Angel. However, she missed horribly, and instead manage to knock the salad bowl into the air, where it flipped and sent the vegetables flying into a pile right next to that of the nuts.
Immediately that pile too was swarmed by bunnies, and other critters who simply preferred it to nuts. Fluttershy’s entire living room was in a state of pure chaos.
*****
A while later, Fluttershy flew inside through the front door, having finished feeding the birds outside. She gazed in shock and horror at the scene: The room was a mess, with nuts and salad strewn everywhere, Apple Bloom was half-covered in the green nutrients with a confused expression, and Naruto was holding Angel, a deathly glare on both of their faces.
“Outside, now!!!” Fluttershy yelled. Every living creature there simply stared at her, completely and utterly stunned by the level of her voice. “Please,” she added in her usual tone.
With a final, nasty gaze from Naruto, he put down Angel (dropping him from a few inches in the air), and trotted to the door, Apple Bloom just behind him.
“Are you really sure being an animal caretaker is for you?” Fluttershy asked in a soft, yet stern voice, as she stared at the duo. She looked back to make sure none of the critters were eavesdropping.
Naruto noticed Angel sticking out his tongue at him. “Grr… What’s with that bunny’s attitude?!”
“Actually, no offense, but it is kinda boring,” Apple Bloom answered.
Naruto nodded. “Yeah, and I don’t think me and animals get along too well,” he chuckled, a certain fox and a certain bunny on his mind.
“Alright then, good luck with your cutie marks,” Fluttershy said. “And don’t worry about the mess, I’ll clean it up after they’re all done eating.”
“Okay. Let’s go, Naruto,” Apple Bloom said as she walked away. Despite her cheery expression, he could hear she was a bit disheartened.
*****
Naruto and Apple Bloom were heading back to town, still pondering where they could go next.
“Hey, Naruto! Heads up!” somepony called from above him.
He immediately dodged by jumping backwards. “Woah!” Apple Bloom yelled as she saw him do that, surprised with his amazing agility and quickness. The area next to her immediately got washed by rain from a small, dark cloud hanging above it.
“You really should change the routine, it’s getting old,” Naruto smirked at the light blue Pegasus hovering above the cloud.
“There’s just no surprising you, Naruto. Oh well, guess I’ll prepare for next time something extra-special just for you,” Rainbow Dash grinned back at him.
“So what got you under the weather?” she asked as she pushed away the cloud and landed on the ground, seeing Apple Bloom’s gloomy expression.
Apple Bloom took a deep breath as she began explaining in a rapid tempo. “There's-a-cute-ceañera-this-afternoon-and-everypony-in-my-class-will-be-there-and-they'll-all-have-their-cutie-marks-and-I-wanna-get-my-cutie-mark-but-I'm-no-good-at-sellin'-apples-or-handlin’-animals-but-I-really-wanna-go-to-the-party-but-how-can-I-go-to-the-party-if-I-don't-have-my-cutie-mark-which-my-big-sister-says-I'm-gonna-get-eventually-but... I WANT IT NOW!”
“Cutie mark? I can get you a cutie mark like that!” she exclaimed as she snapped her tail at the air like a whip. “Are you in too, Naruto?” she asked as she tapped on his vacant flank.
“Yeah, of course,” the orange colt smiled, feeling certain that Rainbow will make this ordeal very interesting.
“But Applejack said gettin’ a cutie mark takes time,” Apple Bloom said as she remembered her sister’s words.
“Don’t worry about a thing, just leave it to me! After all, I was the first one in my class to get my cutie mark!” the Pegasus flaunted.
“So how’d you get it?” Naruto asked, intrigued.
“Glad you asked!” Rainbow called as she briefly said what happened back then. “I always liked flying an' all, but I was going nowhere in a hurry. It wasn't until my very first race that I discovered a serious need for speed,” she told, her expression indicating she was enjoying the memory. “And KAZAM, this sweet baby appeared as fast as lightning,” she motioned to her rainbow colored bolt of lightning on her flank.
“So what are you waiting for?! We have a lot to do if you want that cutie mark!” Rainbow Dash urged as she took to the air and hovered slightly above them.
*****
Rainbow took Apple Bloom and Naruto to a field just outside Ponyville. Telling the two that the quickest way to get a cutie mark was by doing a sport they’re good at, she coached the two through an intense warm up. She was wearing a sweatband, as was Apple Bloom, and had a whistle around her neck.
As Naruto and Apple Bloom were doing some push-ups, he couldn’t help but admire the little filly’s determination. She was clearly having a hard time with the exercise, but she wasn’t complaining. He, however, had no problem at all, and hardly broke a sweat.
“That's right, stretch out those legs. They gotta be nice and loose. The key here is to try as many things as possible as quickly as possible. One of them is bound to lead to your cutie mark,” Rainbow said from above them.
“Can’t argue with that logic,” Naruto commented with a grin.
“And you!” Rainbow called as she flew right in his face. “Don’t think I forgot about our rematch!”
Apple Bloom gazed at them, puzzled.
“Heh, don’t worry, kid. This is between the two of us,” Rainbow said as she smirked at the blond-maned Earth pony. “I’ll be running with you two,” she said as she landed on the ground. “All the way to the tree up ahead!” she pointed to a lone tree on a small hill about three hundred meters away.
“Finally coming down to the ground? You’ll regret this,” Naruto warned, smirking as he felt the adrenaline already taking over his senses.
“I don’t need my wings to beat a rookie pony like you!” Rainbow announced cockily. Apple Bloom again gave her a baffled look, but the Pegasus didn’t afford to look left or right, as her blood boiling and her hooves were itching to race.
“Get ready…” she said as the three took a deep breath. “Set…” The three got in position, and Naruto once more pumped chakra to his legs. “Go!”
Naruto and Rainbow Dash took off in a speed that seemed unrealistic to Apple Bloom, leaving her in the dust as she also did her best to run for her cutie mark.
The pair of orange and blue ponies ran as quickly as they could, each of them highly determined to be the winner. They ran at nearly equal speeds, up and down on the hilly terrain. For a few seconds Naruto took the lead, then he was preceded by Rainbow. The lead switched between them a few times as the tree was getting closer by the second, and soon enough, it was just on the next hill. Each pony would neither relent nor slow down, but eventually…
Naruto stumbled and fell down, falling face-first at the grass. Rainbow Dash easily galloped past him and reached the tree, then took off to the air, raising her hooves triumphantly. “Yes! I did it, haha!” she exclaimed. “I am the fastest pony in all of Equestria and you better believe it!”
Naruto got up and looked up at the joyous mare, and smiled to himself. “Heh. I used my chakra and yet you still won. Guess you really are the fastest pony in Equestria.”
“That was a good race, Naruto” Rainbow said as she landed next to him. The Earth pony and Pegasus hoof-bumped, smiling to each other.
“Hmm, I get the feeling I forgot something. Remind me why did we come here again?” Rainbow asked.
Just then, the sound of heavy panting reached their ears, as up the hill climbed Apple Bloom. She then promptly landed on her stomach. “Cutie… Mark…?” she muttered between breathes. She was too exhausted to look back and see for herself.
Naruto and Rainbow Dash glanced over her flank. It was still as bare as before. The two of them shook their heads at her.
“Nothing on you either, Naruto,” Rainbow noted as she took a peek. “Though, by our third race I guess we should have known that,” she smiled. “Well, onwards to the next one!”
*****
Sometime later, at the same field, the three of them were standing with a large basket full of small balls Rainbow brought.
“Juggling- Go!” Rainbow yelled as she threw at the both of them balls, one by one.
“Hey, this isn’t bad!” Naruto chuckled as he somehow managed to somehow balance on his two back hooves and juggle four balls with his fore hooves. “You’re doing well, Apple Bloom!” he cheered her. The filly seemed too concentrated on the task to reply.
“This isn’t nearly enough for a cutie mark! Put some more backbone into it!” Rainbow yelled as she threw more balls at them. However, when he reached the sixth one, Naruto couldn’t keep juggling them and they all fell down.
Apple Bloom, however, kept going on. Six balls, seven balls, eight balls. But eventually, she couldn’t do it either, and the balls fell down.
With still no cutie marks, they moved on to the next sport.
*****
The three of them stood next to a cliff. Apple Bloom and Naruto were both strapped to hang gliders.
“How did you even get these?!” Naruto called over the strong wind.
“Never mind the details! Now go!” the Pegasus called back, followed by a whistle.
Naruto ran ahead first, and jumped off the cliff. The wind carried him far, even boosting his speed. “Woohoo! Look at that! I’m flying!” he exclaimed.
Apple Bloom went next, but soon stumbled and began rolling, until she came to a stop upside down nearby the edge.
“Oh well. To the next one!” Rainbow announced.
“HOW DO I CONTROL THIS THING?!” Naruto yelled. He wasn’t even approaching the ground. The strong wind gave him too much lift and was carrying him farther and farther away, and he didn’t look like he had much control over it.
*****
The three of them were in some kind of dojo, all wearing white karate clothing.
“Where are we?! How did you even get these suits?!” Naruto demanded.
Rainbow, however, flat out ignored him this time. “Karate- Go!” she called and blew her whistle.
Apple Bloom jumped up to the air and the landed down with a mighty kick on a punching bag. “Hiiiiiya!” Her back hooves made contact with the heavy object, but instead of giving way, it made the filly shake like a gong, and she slumped onto the floor.
“Alright, my turn! This is some weird ninja style there, but I bet it’s gonna be a piece of cake!” Naruto went along and did the same as Apple Bloom, only he gave a kick too powerful to stop, which made him roll all the way to the exit. Karate and Taijutsu just aren’t the same.
Rainbow facehooved. “Next!”
*****
“Kite Flying- Go!”
Apple Bloom and Naruto both started running, in their mouths a roll of wire attached to green and orange kites.
“Can you even get a cutie mark for flying kites?” Naruto pondered. However, in his lack of focus, his kite began swirling around Apple Bloom’s. The young filly herself wasn’t doing too great either, and her kite also began swirling uncontrollably. The two kits soon got tied together and plummeted to the ground, falling to pieces.
*****
“Ultra pony roller derby- Go!”
“Can this world get any crazier?!” Naruto thought in horror as he was trying his best not to fall. On his hooves were tied wheeled shoes. He was desperately trying to maintain his balance. It was only his fourth day as a pony, and while he got the hang of walking and running down completely, this was a whole lot different to him. It didn’t help that he’d never done anything like it back home.
“Watch out, Naruto!” Apple Bloom yelled from behind him. She rolled towards him at an incredible speed, but didn’t seem like she had any control over it. Naruto tried his best to avoid her, but he was effectively handicapped by the four sets of wheels attached to him. The two ponies finally collided, spinning around all the track until they fell down face-first into the ground. Rainbow Dash facehooved once more at the pathetic sight as she shook her head in hopelessness.
Chapter 13- ‘Ninja’ is not a Valid Occupation (Part 3)
Chapter 13- ‘Ninja’ is not a Valid Occupation (Part 3)
Apple Bloom, Naruto and Rainbow Dash were sitting under a tree in Ponyville. Apple Bloom was exhausted from all the sportive attempts at a cutie mark, and Naruto started doubting whether this was even a good way to get one. It was starkly different than what Rarity told him about cutie marks, and her idea of it somehow seemed to make more sense.
“Tried that one, and that one, and that one…” Rainbow muttered to herself as she went over the list of ideas she had for cutie marks.
Giggling voices came from down the street. Apple Bloom’s eyes shot open immediately and she jumped into a nearby bush. Naruto looked over there to see a pair of pink and gray fillies.
“Your new outfit is, like, perfect for the party,” said the gray one. He noticed her to be one of the few ponies wearing glasses he’d seen. She had a nearly combed mane, which was a slightly lighter shade of gray and was tied in a braid. She had a silver spoon for a cutie mark.
“Does it mean she… Likes to use spoons? Or maybe she makes spoons?” Naruto couldn’t help but wonder.
“I know. It totally shows off my cutie mark,” the pink filly laughed smugly. She had a light purple mane with a white line running in its middle, and a tiara for a cutie mark.
“And… A tiara? Seriously, I can’t figure these things out…” Naruto pondered as the two passed him without even sparing him a look. He wondered what they’d say when seeing his empty hind. Though, that would give him an excuse to scold them for Apple Bloom’s sake.
“I love being special,” the gray filly chuckled.
“Can you imagine how embarrassing it must be to be... Not special?” the pink one asked with annoying, overflowing drama.
“I don't even want to, like, think about it!” the gray one replied in a matching tone.
“So… Those are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, right?” Naruto asked after they were out of earshot. Apple Bloom poked her head out of the bush and nodded sadly.
“Yeah... Those are them alright,” the yellow filly sighed as she stepped out into the open again.
“Do you want me to talk to them?” Naruto asked, angered with how Apple Bloom said they treat her.
“No! That’d only make it worse! Besides, they’d probably laugh at ya too!” the filly cried in protest, when she realized something dire. “What am ah gonna do, Naruto?! There’s not much time until the cute-ceañera!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll think of something until then. Believe it!” Naruto assured.
“And that’s what they call ‘Eating the cupcake and leaving it whole’!” a chipper voice suddenly said. “Or, was it a muffin? Or a cake? Or a pie?”
Turning their heads back to the bush, Apple Bloom and Naruto were startled to find Pinkie Pie’s head sticking out of it.
“Gah! Pinkie, when did you get there?!” Naruto screamed. “She’d definitely be at least a Jonin back home!”
“Never mind that! It sounds like the two of you have a cutie mark emergency on your hooves! You know what this calls for?” she asked in a grin full of anticipation.
“Eh…” Naruto and Apple Bloom gazed at each other, having completely missed Pinkie’s derailed train of thought.
“That’s right!” Pinkie called happily and grabbed each of them with a hoof. “Sorry, Dashie! I’ll be stealing these two buckos here!”
“Thanks for all the help!” Apple Bloom called. Rainbow merely waved back, still focused on the list of activities she ran her and Naruto through.
The Pegasus shook her head in disbelief as she gazed over the list. “We did nearly everything! Well, I guess not everypony’s made for an epic cutie mark like mine…”
*****
As quick as a scenery transition, Pinkie, Apple Bloom and Naruto were in Sugar Cube Corner’s kitchen.
“Wait… How did we get here so quickly?” Naruto asked. He didn’t even notice what way they took to get there.
“We’re on a tight schedule, Naruto! It’d be just silly to waste three whole minutes of air time on just walking here, duh,” Pinkie answered.
“I… Huh? What?” was all Naruto could blurt out. He didn’t get a lick of what the pink Earth pony just said.
“There’s a most critical mission on our hooves, soldiers!” Pinkie said as she grabbed a green helmet from one of the cupboards, put it on, and then started pacing back and forth in front of Naruto and Apple Bloom.
“Umm… Our cutie marks?” Apple Bloom asked, finding Pinkie’s reaction to it a ‘bit’ over the top.
“That’s right! And I will share with you the absolute super-duper, bestest, extra-terrestialific way to get one!”
“Alright! Let’s do this!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. With such a bold proclaim, there was no way Pinkie’s method was gonna fail! She even got Naruto a bit excited.
“We’re going to… Make cupcakes!” Pinkie announced happily as she tossed away the helmet. A loud crushing noise and a hiss of a cat were heard.
Naruto groaned. “But I don’t know how. I’ve never even eaten one before coming to Eques—” he froze when he remembered Apple Bloom was there. “Before coming to Ponyville!” he quickly corrected.
“Where in that hay did you come from, Naruto?! That has to be the saddest place in Equestria if there aren’t any cupcakes there!” Apple Bloom called with eyes full of sympathy. Naruto felt just a bit offended by that.
“Enough chit-chat! Time is cupcakes!” Pinkie barked as she pulled out two large plastic bowls from one of the cabinet, and laid one before Naruto and Apple Bloom.
“So how do we make them?” Naruto asked.
“Glad you asked, my little pony!” Pinkie said happily. “Luckily for you, I have just the song for it!”
“A song?” Naruto and Apple Bloom asked together, giving each other questioning gazes.
“All you have to do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix!” the pink pony sang, and her two students complied.
“Now just take a little something sweet, not sour! A bit of salt, just a pinch!”
“Sweet like what?” Apple Bloom questioned. Naruto just grabbed some nearby random box and added some of its content to the bowl.
“Baking these treats is such a cinch! Add a teaspoon of vanilla!” Pinkie instructed, and the two complied.
“Add a little more, and you count to four, and you never get your fill of... Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty!”
“Pinkie, didn’t we forget something?” Naruto asked, but it fell on deaf ears, as Pinkie started going for the big finale of the song.
“Cupcakes! Don't be too hasty! Cupcakes! Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAKES!” she yelled as her song was done.
*****
For the next hour or so, Pinkie was giving her pupils her tips on making the best cupcakes ever.
Naruto looked into the content of his bowl in utter confusion. The dark brown mix didn’t look appetizing at all, and it didn’t help that whole pieces of candy were strewn her and there. Even though they were recommended by Pinkie.
Apple Bloom, while didn’t object to her resulting mixture, also managed to get half of it on every single corner of the room. Since he wasn’t looking at the time, it was a mystery to Naruto how she even managed to get some on the ceiling. The rest of the room was in a pretty bad shape too. Cooking materials and appliances were strewn all over the room, and a thin cloud of flour hung in the air.
The oven ringed to signal the fresh contents were prepared— Apple Bloom’s first batch of cupcakes. The filly walked up to it, and grabbed out the tray using a piece of cloth.
The three ponies looked inside. What they say was a little more than six pieces of coal. They smelled and looked so bad none of them dared to take a bite. Or at least, that’s what Naruto thought until Pinkie bit down into one of them.
“They’re good, but a bit burnt,” she commented.
“A bit?” Naruto asked sarcastically. Apple Bloom’s saddened expression made him regret saying that.
*****
Afterwards, the batch was a mix of Naruto’s and Apple Bloom’s mixes. This time around, Naruto made sure to keep an eye on the contents, to make up for earlier.
The tray, which had two rows and a total of six cupcakes, was taken out by Naruto in the same manner as Apple Bloom did. “I can’t believe what I’m doing here with my mouth...” he thought as he took it out with an insulating piece of cloth.
He smiled proudly at his row of cupcakes. While they looked a bit odd, with pieces of candy sticking out, he thought they weren’t bad after all. Apple Bloom’s looked quite similar, but were at a darker shade.
“Well, here goes nothing!” Naruto claimed boldly as he took a bit of one of his own cupcakes. At first, it actually tasted pretty good. But then, an uncomfortable feeling spread across his neck and mouth. Starting as a tingling sensation, it grew more and more intense, until Naruto couldn’t keep it contained earlier.
“Hot! Hot hot hot!” he yelled as he tossed away the accursed object and began looking for any source of water. He quickly spotted the sink and shoved his head inside, while opening the tap in order to get some water into his mouth.
“Wow! Yours are great, Naruto! I love the hot pepper powder touch!” Pinkie called enthusiastically while eating another of his cupcakes.
Beyond the tears of pain and stream of flowing water, Naruto finally took a look at the red box he used earlier while Pinkie was singing. The label read exactly what Pinkie said—‘hot pepper powder’.
After having mostly lost the burning sensation in his system, Naruto walked back to the pair, just as Apple Bloom grabbed one of her own cupcakes. To his surprise, she hooved it to him. “Sorry about your cupcakes, I hope mine will be better,” she said happily.
“Thank, Apple Bloom!” Naruto said as he took a bite. A loud, disturbing, breaking sound was heard inside his mouth, making his eyes shoot open in shock. He didn’t move a muscle, hoping it wasn’t one of his teeth that broke.
“Wow! They’re so tasty he can’t find words for them!” Pinkie called in amazement as she grabbed another one of Apple Bloom’s.
“No! Pinkie, don’t!” Naruto yelled, rock-hard pieces of cupcakes falling from his mouth.
“Mmm, crunchy!” Pinkie said in enjoyment. “My sister would love these!”
Apple Bloom sighed and hung her head low, realizing even that without over-cooking that her mix was no good. “Guess I’m not cut out to be a baker either…”
She walked towards the exit, tears forming in her eyes. “I just have to face it! I’m gonna have a blank flank forever…”
“Well, what about that?” Pinkie asked, looking at her flank, which was covered with flour.
“What about what?” Apple Bloom asked, trying to look at her flank. “Is there something on my flank?!” she asked hopefully.
She quickly galloped over to a fallen bowl, and looked at her flank in its reflection. “A cutie mark!” she yelled joyfully when she saw the flour stain.
“It’s a… A measuring cup? No, a mixing bowl? Wait… Are those cupcakes?”
“A tower of cupcakes, maybe!” Apple Bloom went on, until Pinkie simply blew on her flank and cleared away the flour… Revealing nothing underneath it.
“Flour! It’s flour!” Pinkie announced cheerfully. Apple Bloom, however, looked discouraged once more. “Yay! I guessed it! What game do you wanna play next? Please say Bingo, please say bingo!”
“Woah, what’s been going on here?” Twilight asked. Everyone looked at the doorway to see her standing there, completely stunned.
“We’ve been making cupcakes!” Pinkie called as she ran up to her, balancing some on her head. “Wanna try one?”
As she asked that, one of Apple Bloom’s cupcakes fell down and shattered. Naruto shook his head at Twilight as quickly as he could.
“Uhh… No, thank you,” Twilight denied, getting the two hints. “Not that they don’t look… Delicious,” she added with a very forced smile.
“Oh, there you are, Naruto! I’ve been looking for you for a while now,” Twilight said as she walked past Pinkie towards him.
“After you’ve left, I’ve decided to make weekly reports about you! Doesn’t it sound great? I was just about to send the princess the first one regarding what you told me earlier, but I was wondering if we could make it a regular thing!” she asked with a huge smile.
“Oh… Uhh, okay? I guess?” Naruto replied, not very enthusiastic about this, and hoping he won’t have too many of these to conduct. “If Celestia doesn’t get me out of here soon I’ll go insane from not having ramen!” he thought to himself.
Apple Bloom then stepped in front of the purple Unicorn. “Twilight! You have to help me!”
“What’s the matter?” she asked, worried. “And how do you know me?”
“I met you when Applejack showed you through the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, remember?” the filly reminded her.
“Oh, right. How could I forget?” Twilight asked sarcastically, rubbing her belly, which never ached as much as back then from overeating.
“Anyways…” Apple Bloom began and took a deep breath, which Naruto took as a sign to plug his ears.
“RIGHT NOW!” he heard her finally yell after a very long monologue, which was his sign to resume hearing in peace.
“I don’t follow, how can I help you?” Twilight asked, confused.
“You can use your magic to make my cutie mark appear!”
“Oh no, Apple Bloom. A cutie mark is something that a pony has to discover for himself,” she explained, while also giving a warning gaze to Naruto.
“Don’t look at me, I’m in no rush,” the orange pony quickly said.
“Please, Twilight! Just try!” Apple Bloom begged.
“I’m sorry, but…”
“Oh please, please, please…” she began crying, at which point Naruto groaned and covered his ears again.
“Alright, alright!” Twilight finally gave in.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Twilight’s horn lighted up. She directed it towards the filly’s flank, which began glowing in the same violet light. A moment later, with a small flash of light, a cutie mark of a cart of apples appeared on her flank.
“Yes! I knew you could do it!” Apple Bloom exclaimed joyfully.
“Woah, good job, Twilight,” Naruto said in surprise. “You don’t suppose—” he began, but before he could finish the image disappeared, and Apple Bloom’s happy expression melted away.
“I’m sorry sweetie, but I told you—” Twilight started.
“Try again! Try again!” Apple Bloom called, her hope renewed.
Twilight frowned, but then sighed and gave up arguing with her, knowing it won’t yield anything.
Once again, Twilight’s horn lighted up as she made another cutie mark, this time of a pink kite, appear on Apple Bloom’s flank, which then quickly disappeared. Another try resulted in cupcakes, which vanished even faster. A teddy bear, a tricycle… More and more cutie marked had come and gone, and Apple Bloom changed expressions every second with each appearance and disappearance. The cutie marks made less and less sense, until Twilight finally gave up, panting heavily from using so much magic at once.
“I told you that not even magic can make a cutie mark appear before its time!” Twilight said.
“Oh, it’s hopeless! Hopeless!” Apple Bloom called, saying exactly how she felt. “I just won’t go to the party. I can’t go! Everypony will just laugh at me and make fun of me and call me names! It will be the worst party ever!” she said as she walked out of the kitchen.
Naruto quickly joined up with her. “Hey, if it makes you feel better, why won’t I come too? That way you won’t be the only one there without a cutie mark,” he offered.
“No, don’t worry about it, Naruto. You’re lucky you don’t need to go to the par—” the filly began, when she looked around. The place was filled with streamers and balloons, snacks, cakes and big bowls of punch. Many ponies were there, talking loudly and laughing, and many more were coming in, greeted by Pinkie, who was naturally hosting the whole thing.
“Wow. I can’t believe we didn’t notice,” Naruto noted as he looked around. He noticed a circle of young ponies, Apple Bloom’s age, all standing in a circle. In the middle of the circle were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who were showing off their cutie marks to the attendees and were wearing pink and yellow dresses, respectively.
Most of the ponies, however, were busy talking, dancing or eating. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a yellow Unicorn biting into a cupcake, and then running off and shoving her head into a bowl of punch. He decided to play innocent and completely ignore this.
Apple Bloom quickly jumped behind a life-size chocolate sculpture of a pony. “How could I forget the time?! How could I forget Pinkie was hosting the party?! How could I forget it was at Sugarcube Corner?!”
“You worry too much,” Naruto smiled. “Just enjoy the party and nopony will bother you. But, don’t eat the cupcakes,” he reminded her.
“Easy for you to say! Nopony will pick on a grown-up like you!” the filly complained.
“Don’t forget your party hats, you forgetty forgettersons!” Pinkie called as she put colorful party hats on both of their heads.
“Sorry, Naruto, but I’m gonna have to get out of here before anypony sees me,” the filly said as she snuck off, finding hiding places behind cakes, balloons, tables, which all somehow were eaten, popped or moved just as she got to them.
Naruto shrugged it off and went along to enjoy the party, when he noticed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing near the cake. Grinning to himself, he walked over to them.
“Hey, great party, huh? Congratulations on your cutie marks,” he said with a smirk as he passed in front of them, making sure to delay a bit as his flank passed in front of them.
Diamond Tiara smirked as she noticed the clear absence of a cutie mark. “Hey Silver Spoon, check out that bl—” she began, but quickly had her muzzle plugged by the gray filly, who shook her head at her, and gained a very angry gaze by the pink filly.
“She says ‘thanks!’” Silver Spoon smiled at him. Naruto walked away, smiling to himself to get some punch.
As he moved to grab the ladle to pour himself some of the sweet drink, he could hear the two fillies arguing.
“What the hay, Tiara?! Are you crazy?!” Silver Spoon hissed.
“Don’t you tell me what to do, Silver Spoon!”
As Naruto was about to pick the ladle up, the table suddenly floated up and then away from him. Confused, he followed it up to the entrance, where Apple Bloom came out from under it with a relieved smile, and proceeded to go outside, only to bump into her older sister.
“Naruto, Apple Bloom, you made it! After that whole cutie mark business, I was worried you two wouldn’t show up! I’m sure glad you came to your senses about it, Apple Bloom! These things happen when these things are supposed to happen. Try to rush it and it’ll just drive you crazy!” Applejack said as she unknowingly pushed her younger sister away from the exit, Naruto at her side.
“I’ll let you be. Looks like your friends wanna talk to you,” she said when she noticed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing there, grinning deviously at Apple Bloom.
“Let’s go, Naruto,” the cowmare said carefreely as she dragged him away, despite his wishes to tell the two bullies off.
“Listen, I just want to thank you for your help today,” Applejack smiled as the two stood next to one of the buffet tables.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Naruto said as he tried to look behind her, at Apple Bloom.
“So what were you two up to?” the orange mare asked.
“Oh, you know. Just getting ourselves cutie marks,” he replied while still trying to look at the filly without arousing Applejack’s attention.
“Oh really? What did you try?” she asked as she grabbed a cupcake. Naruto’s eyes widened and he flung it away from her hooves.
“What in tarnation was that for?!” Applejack frowned.
“Let’s just say we tried cupcake baking…” Naruto sweatdropped.
“Oh, gotcha,” Applejack smiled, getting his point.
Suddenly, the party music turned off with a loud scratching noise, making everyone look in the direction of the gramophone alongside one of the walls. Naruto saw Apple Bloom lying on the floor next to it with a troubled expression.
“Oh wow, that is an amazing cutie mark!” Silver Spoon said sarcastically, as she and Diamond Tiara started laughing.
“Nice try, blank flank!” the two called and laughed at her again.
Naruto had had enough. He frowned and started marching forward towards them. “Okay, you—”
“You got a problem with blank flanks?!” a voice shouted, interrupting him. Everyone started looking around for the source of the voice.
“I said, ‘you got a problem with blank flanks’,” the voice repeated in an angrier manner, as the owner of the voice, a young Pegasus with an orange coat and a purple mane and eyes came out from underneath one of the tables, which Naruto recognized from earlier this morning. Next to her was a Unicorn her same age, which sported an alabaster coat and purple and pink, curly mane, with green eyes.
The two fillies stared intensely and angrily at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who looked back at them similarly.
“The problem is, I mean, she’s like totally not special,” Silver Spoon quickly replied.
“No, it means she’s full of potential!” the white little Unicorn said as she walked up to stand next to Apple Bloom.
“It means she can be great at anything!” the Pegasus said as she did the same. “The possibilities, are like, endless,” she repeated, the last few words in a similar tone to that of Silver Spoon, mocking her.
“She can be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer!” the little Unicorn said. “She could even be mayor of Ponyville someday!”
Naruto smiled. “They're doing way better than I would have,” he admitted to himself.
Apple Bloom smiled at her two new companions.
“And she’s not stuck up like you two!” the orange Pegasus finished. Some of the other ponies chuckled a bit.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon frowned and looked around. “Hey! This is my party!” the pink filly cried. “Why are you two on her side?!”
“Because…” the Pegasus began, and then along with the Unicorn turned to show their flanks to them. They were blank as well, just like Apple Bloom’s.
The yellow Earth pony gasped. “You don’t have cutie marks either?! I thought I was the only one!”
“We thought we were the only two!” the Pegasus replied, smiling
“I, for one, think you are three very lucky fillies,” Twilight said happily as she stepped into the middle of the room.
“Lucky?!” Diamond Tiara asked in shock, while Silver Spoon made an exaggerated, disgusted expression. “How can they be lucky?!”
“They still get to experience the thrill of discovering who they are, and what they’re meant to be!”
“And they’ve got all the time in the world to figure it out, not just an afternoon,” Applejack added as she nudged her younger sister playfully.
Suddenly, all the young fillies and colts started gathering around the cutie mark-less fillies, taking interest and guessing at what they would grow up to be, and what their cutie marks would be like.
“That includes you too, Naruto,” Twilight whispered, winking at him and smiling.
He smiled back at her. “Yeah, I’m not worried. And it’s not like I’d have to work hard for it, right?” he asked, although he did find this day to be quite enjoyable.
*****
Everypony enjoyed the party for a while, and Naruto was treating himself to some of the food and drinks, but making sure not to touch the cupcakes. The time went by as he chatted with some of the ponies around, and found himself giving some excuses as to how he didn’t have a cutie mark yet.
“Hey, Naruto! Come over here!” he suddenly heard Apple Bloom calling from one of the tables, who was sitting there along the Pegasus and Unicorn from before.
“What’s up?” he asked as he approached them.
“Naruto, these are Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle,” she introduced him to the Pegasus and Unicorn.
“Oh, the one who nearly ran me over,” Naruto laughed. “And you’re Rarity’s sister?”
“Yep,” the two replied.
“By the way, that was really cool today,” Scootaloo grinned.
“Nice to meet you! Oh, how do you know my sister?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Uhh… We met in town?” Naruto spoke off the top of his head. It was for the best that she wouldn’t know, since it might reveal his human form, which he turns into over the night.
“Anyways,” Apple Bloom said. “The three of us decided to work together to find out who we are! We’ll be called the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’!” she said cheerfully.
“Great idea,” Naruto said happily. “Well, good luck with it,” he said as he turned to walk away, satisfied with the outcome.
“And we’d like you…” Apple Bloom began.
“To be one of the founding members!” the three of them called at once.
“…Huh?” Naruto asked, rather stunned.
“Yeah, Apple Bloom told us you don’t have a cutie mark either, so it’s only fitting!” Scootaloo said.
“The age doesn’t matter! As long as you’re mark-less, you can be a crusader!” Sweetie Belle chimed happily.
“Uhh… Well, I…” Naruto muttered, not sure how to deny the three. It just seemed a bit awkward to be in a group with young ponies.
“Please, please, please…” Apple Bloom began, and the other two quickly joined in.
He let out a sigh. “Well… If this is a pony universe, how bad could a little pony club be?” he convinced himself, and then smiled.
“Alright, I’m in,” he finally said.
“Hurray!” the three fillies called and put their hooves together, which Naruto took as a sign to do as well.
“From now on… We are officially…” Scootaloo began.
“The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” they all called at once as they raised their hooves up to the air.
The afternoon sun shone on the calm town of Ponyville and all of its inhabitants. Many ponies were crowding the marketplace, and others were busy at home or at work. One not-so-ordinary orange Earth pony, however, was already done with working for the day. However, he had a very important mission to still fulfill. As the sole ambassador and visitor to Equestria from another world, it was his obligation to share as much information about himself with the curious inhabitants of Equestria.
“Or at least that’s how Twilight put it,” Naruto thought, still not believing he was actually going to do this. He stood before a humongous oak tree made into a house. Or more accurately, Ponyville’s public library. Inside, was waiting the ever-curious librarian and proud student of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle.
“Alright, let’s get it over with,” he muttered to himself. If Twilight hadn’t pleaded him so strongly to do this, he probably wouldn’t have. But he also figured that this would be a good way to kill some time. Over the past few days, which were the time he spent in Equestria, he found day-to-day life to be quite uneventful, a stark change from his ordinary life back home. Not only that, but he’d probably get a chance to boast a bit about all of his accomplishments.
Approaching the door, he knocked twice with his front hoof, a limb that was far less useful than the one he usually had. He got used to it rather quickly, nevertheless, as he found himself spending most of his time in Equestria thus far in the form of a pony.
In response, the door was surrounded in purple aura, and then opened to reveal a female Unicorn with a matching color. “Glad you could make it, Naruto! Please, come in,” she said with a warm smile.
Naruto walked in, and Twilight magically closed the front door behind him, as well as switching the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’. Due to the nature of the scheduled conversation, which Naruto wanted to keep as secret as possible, the library had to be closed. This didn’t seem to bother Twilight at all, as this was a one-of-a-kind opportunity for her to learn more about Naruto and the world from which he came.
“Please, have a seat,” she motioned to a green, comfy-looking small sofa at the side of the main room of the library. Across from the sofa was another, identical one, and between the two was a small, round wooden table. A stack of papers, a red quill and a flask of ink already lay on it in wait to be used.
The two ponies took a seat. Naruto lay back comfortably, while Twilight was sitting close to the edge, ready to start.
Before she could do so, however, a small, purple and green creature came running in their direction, holding a tray with a pot and two cups on it.
“Hey, Spike. What’s up?” Naruto greeted the little dragon.
“Good Afternoon, Naruto!” he answered as he put the tray on the table. “Twilight asked me to make some tea. I hope you’ll like it. I made it with my fire breath!” he explained with a smile, breathing a small and brief green flame at the end.
“By the way…” Spike added, motioning Naruto to lean his ear towards him. “If she gets a little overbearing, just tell her to back off a bit, otherwise this could get really, really…”
He was promptly interrupted by a loud throat clearing from Twilight, with an added brow-raised glare.
“Well, see ya!” the baby dragon said as he ran off and upstairs.
Twilight then smiled at Naruto, as she magically raised the pot and poured the hot liquid into their two cups. She then raised her own cup and brought it to her muzzle. Naruto did the same with his hooves, but the moment the liquid entered his mouth he coughed it out, disgusted by the foreign taste.
“Oh, right. Tea is probably different in your world, Naruto. Sorry about that,” Twilight said with a slight blush of embarrassment.
“Yeah. This tastes… Weird. Are you sure it’s tea?” Naruto replied, brushing off his tongue.
“Wait… If we’re from different worlds, how come we both know what ‘tea’ is?” Twilight pondered aloud. “Now that I think about it... How are we even speaking the same language?!”
“See, it’s fine to ask yourselves questions and all, but for some, you just won’t get an answer,” a voice said.
Suddenly, a pair of books fell down from one of the bookshelves near them, and out of the hole created appeared Pinkie’s head.
“Gah!” the purple and orange ponies yelled together.
“’Gah!’ to you too,” the pink Earth pony answered happily.
“When did you get in here?!” Naruto and Twilight said together again, which made them stare at each other.
“I just happened to hear you’d be putting together a report about good-ol’ Naruto here, so I dropped by! Anyways, while this is an excellent opportunity to update the readers on Naruto’s situation here in Equestria, the two of you must simply accept that some questions just can’t be answered!”
“Come again?” Twilight asked. She couldn’t even begin to make half a sense of all that. Naruto simply stared at Pinkie, dumbfounded by the entire situation.
“Don’t worry, just go on as normal,” Pinkie instructed in a cheerful tone. “Welp, that’s all, folks! Have tons of fun now!” she called as she retracted her head back into the bookshelf.
Naruto jumped up and looked into the hole from which came Pinkie’s head. “Nothing,” he concluded in disbelief shortly afterwards and sat down. “I don’t think she even qualifies as a ninja anymore…”
Twilight let out a sigh. “Well, let’s just leave it at that, for now. I’ll figure out Pinkie eventually. I think.”
“Oh, right,” Twilight said as she decided to seat back. “I was just wondering how you’re faring here in Equestria. How is it at Rarity’s?”
“Oh, it’s not bad at all,” Naruto smiled. “She let me sleep in the guest room at Carousel Boutique, and she even sewed me a pajama. Not only that, she makes great omelets,” he laughed.
“That’s great to hear! Sorry for kicking you out of the library like I did, but I need my own private study, and there are no spare rooms or beds here.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s no problem at all over there. Well, actually the only downside is that I have to make sure that Sweetie Belle doesn’t see me.”
“Oh, right. It would be weird to find some stranger living in your house, wouldn’t it?” Twilight chuckled.
“Actually, it’s more of a problem if she sees me as a human. That’s why I asked Rarity not to let her in the guest room,” Naruto clarified.
“But why do you keep it a secret from everypony?” Twilight asked, baffled.
“Well, I just don’t want everypony to gawk at me like I’m some monster,” he explained. “I have a bad experience with that kind of attention…”
“Oh, you worry too much! I bet nopony will mind seeing a human. I mean, it’s not like you’re a giant monster or anything, right?” the purple Unicorn chuckled.
“Twilight," he said in a warning tone not to pursue this any further.
“Oh. Right, sorry,” she muttered. “I guess I should leave this up to your judgment.”
“Well, anyways…” the Earth pony continued in a more lighthearted tone. “I decided to work for Applejack at the farm for now. Without ninja missions or a job I’d go out of my mind with boredom.”
“So is Applejack paying you?” Twilight inquired. “How do you use the money?”
“Yeah. I decided to pay some to Rarity for everything she’s doing, and other than breakfast I eat outside, but I still have some bits left. I think I’ll save them for later. Though, I hope Celestia will find a spell to bring me back home before I can use them,” Naruto explained.
“I see. I hope so too. And I also hope that meanwhile you’re enjoying the Equestrian delicacies we have to offer,” the Unicorn smiled.
“Yeah, right… I’ve eaten enough salad for two lifetimes already,” Naruto said sarcastically. “And apples too,” he added, as he thoughts about all the free pies and fritters Applejack treated him to on the job.
“Oh well. I’ll just hang in there until Celestia gets me back. It won’t be too long, hopefully,” he sighed.
“Well, let’s get to that report,” the orange pony said. “What should I start with?”
“Great!” Twilight exclaimed as she magically raised the quill up and dipped it in the pitch black liquid near it. “First, I want to hear more about that ‘chakra’ you keep talking about!”
*****
“Incredible…” Twilight muttered in awe. Naruto had finished telling her the basics about chakra and jutsus. He couldn’t give her a very profound explanation since he never bothered to listen to that at the academy anyways, but the information he shared with the ever-curious Unicorn seemed to satisfy her nonetheless.
“So not only is chakra made of two energies in your body, which you call ‘physical’ and ‘spiritual’, some ninjas can use techniques called ‘sage techniques’, which also require ‘natural energy’, which you collect from the environment. And to top that, there are five attributes: wind, fire, water, earth and lightning,” she summed up what she had written so far.
Naruto nodded. “Yep, that’s about it. Though I can’t collect natural energy here in Equestria, for some reason. Maybe there is none here?”
“I’m really not sure. I do know that there is magic all around, but we ponies never use it,” Twilight explained to him.
“Wait… So not only Unicorns use magic?”
“Well, not per se. It is simpler when compared to your world, so I’ll explain briefly. We ponies only have one kind of magic in our bodies, depending on our kind: Earth ponies, Pegasi or Unicorns. Earth ponies use their magic subconsciously to enhance their physical capabilities and endurance, Pegasi use it to fly, as their wings alone are not powerful enough to do so by themselves, and Unicorns use it actively with their horn, but their magic is much more multipurpose.”
“And what about Celestia and Luna? They have both wings and a horn,” Naruto inquired.
“Yes. They’re called Alicorns. They have a large amount of all of the other types’ magic, as well as special Alicorn magic only possessed by them. But I’m not entirely sure how that kind of magic works, and what it does,” Twilight explained.
This made Naruto ponder on his battle with Nightmare Moon. If that was the power of an Alicorn, it was no joke. She may have had weaker attack than him, but even after a rather long fight she did not seem to run out of stamina or power. It was even possible she held back, since Luna seemed to fight against whatever was possessing her.
“Now, I want to know more about you, Naruto,” Twilight smiled at him, floating the quill next to the top of a new scroll. “What was your foalhood like?”
“Foalhood…? You ponies use really weird phrases,” Naruto sweatdropped. “Anyways…” he began, when he remembered something. “I can’t tell her! She might find out about the fox…”
Twilight raised a brow when Naruto seemed to freeze while answering her. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh… Uh, nothing,” he answered, a bit aloof.
“Then go on! What were your parents like, for example?” she smiled.
“I had no parents. They died when I was a baby,” he answered bluntly, looking down at the table between him and Twilight.
The quill slowly went down to the table, the purple aura around it vanishing. Ink started dripping on top of the blank scroll.
“Oh… I’m so sorry,” Twilight muttered, looking away. “That was really insensitive of me.”
To her surprise, Naruto smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m way over it. Besides, I wasn’t alone! I had Iruka-sensei with me, and I made some great friends back at the ninja academy! And then I also had the Pervy Sage!”
Twilight smiled as well. “That’s great to hear. You’re a really optimistic pony, aren’t you? Uh… Pervy Sage?”
“Person, not pony,” he corrected her. “Oh, right! I also met my dad just before I got here! He may have done some mistakes, but I was glad to know he really loved me! Plus, he was the leader of my village!”
“Wait… How did you meet your dad if he died?” Twilight asked, confused by the paradox presented to her.
“Oh!” Naruto exclaimed, realizing he said something he shouldn’t have. “He… Left me a message. It’s sort of hard to explain.”
Twilight arched a brow, not completely accepting his explanation, but refraining from going on about it. “I wonder if this is what Pinkie meant earlier…”
“Continuing with your foalhood… Tell me, what was your first jutsu like? Can you show me?” Twilight asked, an excited glint in her eyes.
“Oh wow, that’s a classic,” Naruto grinned from ear to ear. “Though I’m not sure I should show you…”
“Oh, come on! Pretty please!” the Unicorn pleaded as she moved to sit at the edge of her sofa in anticipation.
“Well… If you insist,” Naruto chuckled as he crossed his two front hooves. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!”
The human then walked towards the center of the room. “Prepare yourself! This jutsu, which I made myself, has knocked many ninjas off their feet!”
“Oh! Yes, yes!” Twilight nearly shouted as the quill started writing faster and faster on the scroll.
Naruto made a hand seal. “Sexy Jutsu!”
A cloud of smoke appeared around him. When it cleared, a tall, slender and beautiful woman appeared instead of Naruto. She had blonde hair arranged in twin tails. And most importantly, she was completely nude.
The quill came to a stop, as Twilight slumped back in her sofa, letting out a heavy sigh and pressing her hoof against her forehead.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Naruto asked seductively.
“One,” Twilight began elaborating. “I am a pony, not a human. Two, I am a mare, not a stallion. And three, WHAT IN THE HAY IS THAT INAPPROPRIATE JUTSU?!” she yelled.
Naruto frowned, and cancelled the jutsu. “Alright, alright. I get you.”
Twilight sighed again. “Let’s just pretend this never—“
“This one will totally be to your taste!” Naruto quickly called as he made the hand seal for the transformation technique again. “Reverse Pony Sexy Jutsu!”
“Naruto, will you be serious about this already?! I’m trying to study… About… Oh, wow…”
After the cloud of smoke cleared, instead of Naruto’s usual pony form appeared a tall stallion with cerulean coat, sparkling silver mane, a short tail in a matching color and green eyes. “What do you think?” he asked slowly in a very deep tone.
Twilight’s jaw was unhinged. She slowly brought it up to utter her opinion. “It’s… Just… Wow…” she muttered as Naruto slowly walked towards her.
Twilight could feel her heart beating quicker and quicker by the second. Naruto was only ten inches away from her now.
“Is he… Going to kiss me?” Twilight pondered. Without any internal voice to speak its objection, she closed her eyes and leaned in closer and closer…
“Hey Twilight, is Naruto gone? It’s really quiet—” Spike said as he waltzed in. When he saw the scene in front of his eyes he froze. Twilight and Naruto also stared at him, completely unmoving.
“Woah. Sorry to disturb you. I’ll just come back later,” Spike quickly said as he turned around and left, giving a somewhat disgusted look behind him.
Naruto and Twilight turned to gazing on each other, when Twilight’s expression became more and more furious. Eventually her horn lighted up, and from the bookshelf floated out the thickest book Naruto had ever seen.
“WHAT THE HAY WERE YOU THINKING TO YOURSELF?!” Twilight yelled as she hit Naruto’s head with the book so hard it knocked him out of the transformation.
“Ow! I’m sorry! Stop hitting me!” Naruto cried as he ran around to avoid being clobbered by the humongous flying book.
*****
Twilight groaned. After hitting Naruto twice more, she seemed content enough and put the book back in its place. Naruto took a peek at it to see how come it’s so impossibly thick. The bright pink cover read ‘The Complete Stallion’s Guide to Love’.
“Sit down, and don’t ever do it again,” she said in a warning tone.
Naruto let out a sigh of relief and sat down. “Okay. She definitely reminds me of Sakura. Watch out as if she is her,” was the only thought that went through his mind.
“So, did you have any other special skills back in the ‘ninja academy’ you spoke of?” Twilight continued.
“Well, not really… Back then I was…” he hesitated to answer, slightly embarrassed.
“Hey, not everyone can be at the top of their class. It’s really no big deal,” Twilight said with a poorly hidden smug grin.
“I was kinda dead last,” he finished, scratching his chin as he smiled sheepishly at her.
“Oh… Hehe…” Twilight mumbled as she scratched her head. “Well… It’s really no big deal… You did grow up to be a great ninja! Just look at what your clone did back in the Everfree Forest! Though, you probably don’t know that…”
“Actually, after my clones disappear, I learn everything that they experienced,” Naruto corrected her.
Twilight gazed at him wide-eyed and completely stunned. “Are you serious?! Do you know what I could do with that?!”
“Does it have something to do with books?” he thought sarcastically.
“I could read the entire Canterlot Royal Archive in just a week!” the lavender Unicorn exclaimed, completely exhilarated. “It could bring my studies to a whole new level!”
“I knew it,” Naruto sweatdropped. “Can’t you make clones with your magic?”
“Yeah, but they don’t have that INCREDIBLE ability,” Twilight replied. She then let out a sigh, looking disappointed. “Now I wish I could use that ‘chakra’ too…”
“So was that the second jutsu you could use?” Twilight asked, after she got over her chakra disability.
“Yeah,” Naruto confirmed. “I learned it just when I finished the academy. I had to rescue Iruka-sensei from a crazy guy… Hmm… I can’t remember his name.”
“Woah, incredible!” Twilight said in awe.
“Yep! That’s when he gave me this,” Naruto pointed at his headband, smiling proudly. “Well, only the metal piece. I had to change the cloth at one point because it wore out.”
“Alright, and what was your next jutsu?”
“Uhh…” Naruto began, worried whether he should continue or not, over what transpired just earlier.
“Come on! After such an incredible jutsu, the next one must be even more amazing!” Twilight called happily.
“No, it’s nothing, really. It’s just a combination of—“
“Don’t tell me! Just show me!” Twilight frowned at him.
“Well… Here goes…” he muttered hesitantly, while also making sure to note the door’s location.
He walked towards the middle of the room, and crossed his index and middle fingers of both hands. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Taking a deep breath and preparing for the inevitable, all the thirty clones made another seal, that of the transformation jutsu. “Reverse Pony Harem Jutsu!”
“Twilight, I just got a letter from Prin—” Spike said as he once again entered the room. The baby dragon immediately froze upon seeing it filled with many duplicates of the male pony from earlier, who all stared at him in surprise.
“Okay, that’s it. I’m taking the rest of the day off,” the dragon said angrily as he headed for the front door, closing it behind him as he left.
“Naruto…” Twilight muttered, turning all of the clones’ attention to her. She looked down, her face hidden behind her mane.
“BY CELESTIA’S NAME, IS THIS ALL YOU’RE EVER THINKING ABOUT?!” Twilight yelled as she started picking off one clone by another with a laser beam from her horn.
The real Naruto made a mad dash to the front door, as the clones provided cover for him. Eventually, he made it through, and closed the door behind him.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he smiled at Pinkie, who was standing only five inches away from him.
“Gah!” he shouted again when he realized she was there.
“’Gah!’ to you too, again!” she replied happily. “So how was it?”
“Oh, it was ‘interesting’ alright,” Naruto replied as he relaxed his heartbeat from the surprise encounter.
“I bet it was! Just look at her, it looks like she wants to continue, seeing how fast she’s running here!” Pinkie said cheerfully as she looked through the window.
Naruto went wide-eyed, turning around to see the door slamming open to the inside, and a furious-looking Twilight standing her with steam coming out of her nostrils.
“Gah!” Naruto yelled again as he fled from her as fast as his hooves could carry him.
“Naruto, get back here!” Twilight yelled and began giving chase, shooting lasers at him as he ran in a zigzag.
“That’s all, folks!” Pinkie called as she waved to you.
“I’m sorry, Twilight!!!” Naruto was heard yelling over the sound of beams shooting.
A shower of apples descended on Naruto as he delivered a chakra-filled kick to one of the many apple trees in Sweet Apple Acres. They filled to the top the wooden buckets he lay around the tree.
“Another day, another apple,” he sighed to himself as he began unloading the red content into the wagon he brought with him.
It’s been ten days now since he’s arrived in Equestria, and with no news from Celestia, he decided to keep the routine he adopted when he ‘moved in’ — helping out at Sweet Apple Acres. It was the only real way he had to spend his time here, not finding any other thing to do here to his liking. In fact, he’d grown so used to this, Applejack let him work without any supervision, so he was by himself for quite a while.
“Good morning, Naruto!” the cowmare said as she walked up to him from the direction of the farmhouse.
“Morning, Applejack,” Naruto answered. “Ready to work?” he asked, smiling to not get his pony friend’s mood down.
“Actually, about that… I’m been worried you’ve been too hard on yourself. You ain’t had a single day’s rest since you got here to Equestria!”
Naruto stared at her, surprised to hear the hard-working mare say such a thing. “Don’t worry. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do here,” he sighed.
“Hogwash! Y’all see there’s plenty to do ‘round here! Come along now, you’re going to have yourself the most relaxing day ever!” Applejack announced as she began pushing him away from the apples and towards town.
“I can walk myself, you know,” Naruto reminded her. Although, he wasn’t too enthusiastic with a ‘day of relaxation’. He needed to work to get himself rid of the homesickness he felt.
*****
“So… What’s this?” Naruto asked as the two came to a stop in front of a very girly-looking structure. Its purple roof had several pointy peaks, but was otherwise quite smooth, creating the illusion of a couple of huge tents merged together. It had light pink walls, and the golden entrance doors was covered with hearts. A large sign above the doors read ‘Ponyville Day Spa’.
“Like I told you, today y’all be doing absolutely nothing! Nothing stressful, that is,” Applejack smiled. “And look who just happens to be coming here!” she added as she pointed to their right.
“Good morning, Applejack and Naruto!” Twilight called as she walked up to them, Fluttershy walking to her left.
“Morning,” the shy Pegasus said quietly, smiling at the two orange Earth ponies.
“Oh, is everyone coming too? The more, the merrier!” Naruto said. “So, what’s a ‘spa’?”
“Everypony, Naruto,” Twilight corrected. “And it’s a very relaxing place. You’ll see soon enough,” Twilight smiled as she moved to open the doors.
“Aren’t the others coming?” Naruto pondered.
“They all said they’re busy today,” Fluttershy explained.
“Huh? I saw Rarity today and she didn’t seem to do anything,” Naruto recalled that day’s morning. She was working on something, but didn’t seem to be particularly in a hurry.
“Let’s get a move on! There’s plenty of relaxation to do!” Applejack called as she once again pushed Naruto into the spa.
*****
Finally inside after paying for the entrance, Naruto looked all around him in awe. There was a very large hot tub located at the top of a small staircase to his right, while the bottom floor had several small mud baths, massage tables, and other weird appliances the likes of which he’d never seen before.
“Well, let’s get to it!” Applejack exclaimed as she grabbed the zipper of the top of Naruto’s jump suit with her mouth and pulled it down.
“Hey! What the—” he called in protest, but then the suit was pulled off from his back by Twilight, making him, disregarding the headband and weapon bag around his waist, completely naked from head to hoof.
He immediately curled into a ball to cover himself up. “What’s the big idea?!” he yelled at his friends.
“What’s wrong, Naruto?” Fluttershy asked, baffled with his response.
“I don’t take off my clothes with girls around! You’ll make me look like a pervert!”
Twilight arched a brow, and was about to make a snappy comeback regarding the other day. However, she simply sighed and reminded him that “Well… Everypony’s naked around here…”
“’Sides, you were already half-naked from the get-go,” Applejack reminded him with a chuckle.
“Oh… Right,” Naurto muttered sheepishly, scratching his chin.
“Well then, let’s dive in!” the cowmare then called happily as she jumped into the hot tub, while still keeping her hat on.
Naruto followed suit after taking off the weapon bag, while Twilight and Fluttershy preferred to calmly use the stairs and entered the water without splashing all around.
*****
The four ponies spent quite a while in the water, chatting about all sorts of subjects. But the most talked about one was Naruto and his home town, which was by far the most strange and most exotic topic for the mares.
“So back there you have huge hot tubs, and you go in naked, just like here?” Twilight reconfirmed with him, as this was one topic she did not get to on her first report about Naruto. By now she had already voiced more than once her disappointment in not bringing Spike or another way to write it all down.
“Yeah. And boys and girls go in separately,” Naruto explained.
“Why’s that?” Twilight inquired.
“Cause the girls would beat the living hell out of you…” he thought in slight horror, recalling some events that took place during missions and in town, the most painful ones involving Sakura.
A single thought passed between the mares around him. “Those female humans must be insane…”
“Oh, your poor thing, how did you survive?” Fluttershy asked softly.
“Well, on the street we always wear clothes, so it’s fine,” Naruto chuckled. “Come to think of it, I didn’t think it was weird that all you ponies were naked when you got here. Should I have?”
“Mustta been more occupied by the whole ‘talking pony’ thing, huh?” Applejack smiled. Like the others, she found it really weird to hear that ponies there don’t talk.
“And other animals? Don’t they talk in your world?” Fluttershy inquired.
“Well, not regular animals. Summoned animals can talk, though. I would summon a toad here to show you, but I can’t because my world’s frozen. Well, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be here anyways…”
As he said that, he recalled once more the situation he was in. It was just ten days now, but how much more would he be stuck here? A month? A year? He began to wonder how long it would take him to literally go insane from not having ramen.
“I need a break,” Twilight suddenly said as she got up and walked out of the bath, drying herself with a towel before stepping out of the spa.
“I’m mighty sorry we got ya thinking about that,” Applejack said as she saw Naruto’s far off look. “But don’t worry. Everything’ll turn out just fine!” she tried to cheer him up. “Believe it!”
Naruto’s mind finally returned to reality due to the orange mare’s words. “Oh, yeah. Don’t worry, I got kinda used to it by now.”
“Ah,” he muttered, as he felt a familiar sensation in his privates. “Gotta use the toilets,” he explained as he got up and out of the water.
He quickly shook himself dry and walked towards the toilets, which were on the other side of the spa. As he passed by the entrance, he could hear Twilight speaking with someone, whose voice he quickly recognized as Rainbow Dash’s.
“Don’t worry, Naruto doesn’t suspect a thing,” Twilight whispered. Hearing his name made Naruto gain an interest in the conversation.
“Great. So keep him busy for a while more. I’ll come over when we’re done,” Rainbow whispered back.
“Oh, this is going to be great! Naruto will never guess what hit him!” Twilight whispered, a tone of excitement in her voice. Naruto’s mind froze as he was merely focusing on listening, and not yet fully processing what he was hearing.
“You can say that again when Pinkie’s behind it! This is gonna be so awesome!”
“Alright, so I’ll be returning now before he suspects anything. Make sure to tell me if anything goes wrong or when you’re done,” Twilight instructed.
“Of course, and same for you! See ya,” Rainbow replied. Naruto could hear the sound of her taking off.
As the door opened, Naruto rushed to the toilet to avoid being spotted by the purple Unicorn.
*****
Sitting on the throne, Naruto pondered what all this could mean. “It’s probably some kind of prank… There’s no way…” he spoke his thoughts, partially to convince himself that nothing suspicious was going on. “Nah, they’re my friends. They wouldn’t…”
“Aaagh!” he yelled in frustration, scratching his head, when suddenly he had an idea. “Alright, no problem,” he said to himself as he crossed his forelegs. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!”
Now sitting on the throne as a human, he crossed his index and middle fingers of his hands, as he did so often back at his home world. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
A perfect, half-naked clone of Naruto came into existence in a cloud of smoke, and found himself sitting on top of the real one. The two stared at each other for a few moments, slowly comprehending the moment’s awkwardness.
“Get off me!”
“Why did you summon me in the toilet?! Are you an idiot?!”
“If I’m an idiot then you’re an idiot, idiot!”
Finally, Naruto managed to reach for the lock and opened the door for the clone to jump out.
“Go follow Rainbow. I don’t what’s going on here, but we’re gonna find out!” Naruto said.
“Don’t tell me what to do, I’m you!” Naruto-clone answered angrily.
“Transformation Jutsu!” the two Narutos called at once as they performed the seal for the technique. A moment later, they emerged as ponies.
Luckily enough, there was a large window in the toilets, leading to the outside. The clone jumped through it, while the original went back to the spa.
*****
Naruto-clone wandered around Ponyville, wondering where Rainbow could have possibly headed to. As he passed by not far from his (hopefully) temporary home at Carousel Boutique, something colorful caught his eye. Looking at the entrance, he could see Rainbow Dash talking with Rarity. Speeding off ninja-style to behind a nearby tree, he could eavesdrop on their conversation.
“So how are they going?” Rainbow asked.
“Simply fantastic, Rainbow. I should have them ready very soon,” Rarity replied. “Naruto will be absolutely stunned!”
“Yeah! I can already picture the look on his face! It’s gonna be priceless!” Rainbow laughed.
“Well, I must get back to work now. I only finished making Pinkie’s, since she insisted to try it ahead of time.”
“Gotcha, see you later!” Rainbow said as she once again took off.
“Rarity! The headpieces are ready!” Naruto could hear Spike calling from inside.
“Great job, Spikey!” Rarity replied as she went inside as well. Naruto took this as a chance to go and get a closer look.
Peeking into one of the windows, Naruto could not believe his eyes. Resting on pony-shaped mannequins was a matching set of clothes, exactly like his when he transformed into a pony, but each a different color: Violet, Blue, Lavender, Green and Yellow. On the heads of the mannequins were ninja headbands in matching colors. But before he could get a good look on the pictures on them, he heard a rustling noise from behind him, which made him turn his head back quickly.
He found himself standing muzzle-to-muzzle with Pinkie, who was wearing a similar suit to his usual one (though he was naked at the moment), and on her head a headband, though most of it was hidden by her puffy mane. Both pieces of clothing were pink in color, slightly darker in shade than her coat. “You know too much, clone,” Pinkie said ominously as she punched him in the stomach before he could even react, making him disappear. "Yay! That was fun!" she then called merrily.
*****
Meanwhile at the spa, the real Naruto was wondering how to get some information about what was going on, without arousing anypony’s suspicion.
“Over here, Naruto!” he could hear Applejack calling. She, Twilight and Fluttershy were all getting massages by ponies working in the spa.
He stared at them for a moment. He’d never seen anything like it, so he didn’t know what to think of it.
“Don’t be so shy!” a pink mare with blue mane said as she walked behind him. Shoving him onto one of the tables, she began pounding with her bare hooves on his back in a steady pace. “How’s that feel?” she asked.
“G-G-Great, thanks,” he replied, his voice shaken by the constant pounds. “S-S-So, Twilight. Who wer-r-re you t-t-talking to outside?”
“O-O-Oh, you hear-r-rd that. It w-was… Spike. H-H-He asked for a tip on a b-b-book to start reading.”
“What did y-y-you tell him?”
“Uhh… S-S-Star Swirl the B-B-Bearded’s biography, of c-c-course! It is one of the…”
Naruto didn’t listen to the rest. The only questions running through his mind now were ‘Why is she lying?’ and ‘What could she be hiding?’ Whatever it was, the others probably knew about this as well. Applejack brought him specifically here, and there’s no way Fluttershy came here too by chance.
“I seriously hope it’s not what I think it is, but I have to make sure…” he thought to himself, when he came up with an idea.
“I was wond-d-dering if I should call P-P-Pinkie. She’s m-m-missing out on all the f-f-fun,” he said nonchalantly.
“No!” the three mares called as they jumped up, startling their masseurs.
“Uhh… What we’re trying to say is… She’s probably real busy an’ all if she ain’t coming,” Applejack said nervously, beads of sweat appearing all over her face.
“Wow… She’s the Element of Honesty, alright,” Naruto thought as he gazed at the orange mare. Even without eavesdropping on Twilight’s and Rainbow’s conversation earlier, her expression was like an open book with a title ‘I’m totally lying to y’all!’ She looked really nervous and would turn her eyes in every direction, except his.
Getting even more suspicious, Naruto continued interrogating them, hoping that one of them will eventually spill the beans. “So, what is she doing today?”
The three mares exchanged nervous glances. “She’s… Throwing a party…” Fluttershy mumbled. Applejack and Twilight immediately gazed at her with stunned expressions. “For Angel. It’s his birthday,” Fluttershy finished, smiling. The orange and purple duo let out a sigh of relief.
Naruto arched a brow. “So why aren’t you there with him?”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in response. “Umm… Well…” she began muttering, looking all around for some sort of inspiration to bail her out.
Just then, the memories from Naruto’s now gone clone returned to him. “I knew it!” he yelled as he jumped off the table. The masseuse fell backwards, surprised and slightly angry at him.
“You were lying to me! My clone was at Rarity’s now, and he saw everything!” Naruto yelled furiously.
“You did what?!” Twilight screamed.
“All this time, this was one huge genjutsu?! I spent ten whole days in this stupid pony world, and it was all just a trick! What village are you from?! Or are you from Akatsuki?!”
Everypony else simply stared at him, dumbfounded, and not getting a shred of whatever he was talking about.
“Naruto, will you please calm down?” Twilight said. “I don’t know what your clone saw—”
“Don’t play dumb with me! I heard you talking with Rainbow, saying Pinkie was behind all this!” Naruto replied, when he suddenly realized what to do. He turned around and ran for the exit.
“Fluttershy, go tell Rainbow that Naruto’s on the loose. Twilight and I will catch that rogue ninja,” Applejack said.
“R-Right!” the yellow Pegasus replied before flying out of the spa through one of the open windows.
“Let’s go, Applejack!” Twilight called, and the two soon galloped outside as well.
*****
Naruto looked around, pondering where Pinkie could be. “She must be the genjutsu caster! I’ll find her and end this stupid illusion!”
Before he could take a step, however, Twilight suddenly appeared in front of him in a flash of purple light. “Naruto, please listen! This isn’t what you think it is! Uh… Whatever it is you’re thinking…”
“Outta my way!” Naruto yelled as he jumped up and tried to land a punch on her. Twilight immediately teleported a short distance to the left, and watched in shock at the new, half an inch deep hoofmark in the road.
“Woah there, pardner!” Applejack called as she lassoed Naruto, holding the end of her rope in her mouth.
In response, Naruto reached to his weapon bag for a kunai to cut the rope, only to realize he’d left it at the spa. Instead, he tried to pull it and rip it off, to no avail.
“Twilight, now!” Applejack called between her teeth, the rope still in her mouth.
Twilight lighted up her horn, and in a few moments the three ponies were surrounded in purple light and vanished, reappearing a few moments afterwards next to a small lake about half a kilometer away from Ponyville.
“What’s gotten into you, Naruto?! Aren’t we friends?!” Twilight asked angrily.
“You all lied to me! You’re not even real! Elements of Harmony my butt!” Naruto called angrily as he started making a mad dash to break the rope. Applejack, however, not relenting an inch, easily overpowered him.
“What the hay are you talking about?!” the orange mare called.
“Everything here is a genjutsu, isn’t it?!” the orange stallion demanded. “And Pinkie’s the one behind it, right?! If that’s even her real name! All of you ponies’ names are just stupid!”
“Ha! Says the one who’s called ‘Naruto’. What the hay’s that? Some kind of weird side dish?” a voice laughed above them.
Naruto looked up to see Rainbow Dash, wearing exactly the same kind of clothes he usually did, only they were blue instead of orange, and she had a ninja headband with a matching color on her forehead, though he couldn’t see what was on it.
“I knew it! You really are all ninjas!” Naruto called furiously.
“That’s right! We had you fooled from the very start!” Rainbow answered, smirking cockily at him.
“Rainbow! That’s not helping!” Twilight called angrily.
Rainbow then flew down at great speed, snatched the rope out of Applejack’s mouth and then released it, loosening it and thus freeing Naruto. “If you wanna find Pinkie then you better follow me, Naru-slow!” she called tauntingly before zooming away.
Naruto immediately galloped after her, leaving behind the dumbfounded Twilight and Applejack.
“Don’t worry, girls. Everything’s going just like Pinkie planned,” Fluttershy said as she flew down from behind to land between the two mares. On her back were two suits, colored green and lavender. She herself was wearing a yellow one.
*****
Naruto was chasing after Rainbow Dash, who was soaring above him. He kept an eye on her from the ground as he followed her across the open fields surrounding Ponyville and in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
“I want answers, Rainbow! Why did you all lie to me?! What’s your purpose?!” Naruto yelled at her from the ground.
“Save it for later, Naruto. Pinkie’s waiting,” Rainbow said briefly.
“Why is she leading me there…” Naruto wondered. “Unless… It’s a trap!” he concluded mentally and came to a stop.
“It’s a trap, isn’t it?! You’re not leading me to Pinkie Pie at all!” he called.
“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…” Rainbow said, facehooving. “Get your butt over here, Naruto!”
“Pinkie’s really at Sugarcube Corner, right?!” Naruto shouted to her, and turned around without even waiting for an answer.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Rainbow called and dashed down towards him, passing by him so fast it caused him to spin around in place.
Finally bringing himself to a stop, he glared at her furiously. “Fine. You want a battle? You got it!”
“Transformation Jutsu, Release!” he yelled as he crossed his forelegs. In a puff of smoke Naruto appeared back in his human form.
“Oh, so that’s how you look like underneath? You have no coat at all!” Rainbow laughed as she gazed at Naruto’s exposed torso.
The ninja, however, was in no mood to joke around anymore. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he called as he performed the jutsu’s hand seal. A clone appeared to his right, and then approached the original, who put up his right hand in front of him. The clones started focusing chakra into the air above Naruto’s open palm.
“Uh oh,” Rainbow muttered. She recognized the technique, and knew just how dangerous it is. A large, light blue orb began appearing above Naruto’s hand.
“Naruto, you ain’t thinking straight! You gotta stop!” Applejack yelled. She arrived along with Twilight and Fluttershy, who were all wearing the suits matching Naruto’s. Applejack’s was green, while Twilight’s was lavender.
“Rasensgan!” Naruto called as he charged straight at Rainbow.
“There’s no time! He won’t listen if we don’t show him!” Twilight called and her horn lighted up again. Everyone in the area were surrounded in lavender light and then teleported away.
*****
The group reappeared inside the Apples' barn. Rainbow quickly took up to the air, barely dodging Naruto who ran her way with his Rasengan. An explosion occurred shortly afterwards as the glowing orb made contact, and Naruto was promptly covered with sticky pink pieces.
“Wow! You sure surprised me! Considering this is your surprise party, I was really, really surprised!” Pinkie’s cheerful voice said.
Stunned by her words and by being suddenly being covered in a sticky material, Naruto blinked and slowly removed some of the pink stuff from his face. Noticing its sweet smell he put a bit of it in his mouth. He recognized it in an instant from his previous tastes of it in Ponyville. “This is… Cake glaze?!”
Naruto then turned around to look behind him, and his jaw fell down in utter shock. Pinkie, Rarity and Spike were standing there, the last two with completely stunned expressions. All three of them were wearing ninja headbands on their forehead, and Pinkie and Rarity had the pink and violet suits. Behind them were three tables packed with sweets, snacks and punch. On the table next to Naruto were the ruined remains of a cake. A large banner hung up on the back wall read in colorful big letters ‘Welcome to Equestria, Naruto Uzumaki!’, and below it was a life-size drawing of Naruto’s Earth pony form.
A little distance from them, where Naruto’s equally stunned clone was, were Fluttershy, Twilight and Applejack, wearing yellow, lavender and green suits matching his own, respectively. They too were wearing ninja headbands in matching colors to their suits.
“What… What’s going on here?” the cake-covered Naruto muttered.
“Just like I Pinkie Promised, a ninja-slash-welcome party!” Pinkie responded happily. “What did you think it was, some kind of plot to deceive you and take you hostage?”
“We tried to keep it a surprise party, but after you heard me talking with Rainbow you went haywire and wouldn’t listen to anything we said…” Twilight explained.
“Yeah, you should really chill, Naruto,” Rainbow said as she landed next to him. “You almost scared me there with that Rasengan. Almost,” she smiled, not holding a grudge against him for nearly blowing her away with the chakra-made ball.
Naruto merely gazed at them all, not finding words for it. He proceeded to simply stare at them and their costumes.
“I made them all myself! I thought that you’d feel a bit at home if we’d all dress up like ninjas!” Rarity smiled. “This is how ninjas usually dress, is it not?” she asked. Naruto, however, was not in the state to explain that it couldn’t be any further from the truth.
“Uhh… Well…” Naruto mumbled, slowly calming down and taking in everything that is happening.
“And check out the headbands! I helped Rarity make them!” Spike exclaimed as he pointed at the light green one tied around his own forehead. Naruto looked at it to see an engraving of Spike’s own face, and then at the others’ to see they all had each’s cutie mark on them.
“Umm… Are you okay, Naruto?” Fluttershy asked worriedly. He just stood there, covered in cake and completely motionless.
“So… This isn’t a genjutsu?” Naruto blurted.
“You’ve been saying that for a while now, but what’s a ‘genjutsu’?” Twilight asked.
“Ooh! Ooh! I know!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Genjutsu must be jutsu for Gens, which are tiny little dwarves living underground! They come out once a month, eat your carrots, and then blame your sister for it! Oh, wait. That’s just me…”
“Are you saying this is really real…?” Naruto reconfirmed.
“You’ve lived here for over a week, and you’re asking just now?” Twilight arched a brow.
“It’s just like that time I met a ninja ten days ago! That story’s a classic…” Pinkie reminisced to herself.
“I’m mighty sorry we didn’t tell you, but Pinkie insisted to make this a surprise party, so we had to keep you away from the farm today,” Applejack explained.
“Looking on what just occurred, this turned into quite a mess… Literally,” Rarity said as she looked at Naruto. “But I guarantee we had all the best intentions,” she added with a smile.
“Come on, let’s do it already! We had him waiting long enough!” Rainbow exclaimed. “On three! One… Two…”
“WELCOME TO EQUESTRIA, NARUTO!” they all shouted together.
“Oh… Uh… Thanks,” Naruto smiled sheepishly, finally coming to terms with everything after getting the whole picture. The clone then made a seal and dispelled itself.
Over the next few hours, Naruto (after getting himself cleaned) enjoyed the party with the others. They all danced, ate, drank and laughed together, enjoying the party, and promised to warn Naruto ahead of time for any future parties Pinkie would hold for him.
“Listen, everypony,” Naruto said in a break between songs played by Pinkie’s gramophone. “I’m really sorry for all that. I really should have trusted you all. After all, you’re my friends.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Fluttershy said happily, as she and the others smiled at him.
“But, aren’t you forgetting something?” Rainbow asked as she flew towards him, arching a brow.
“Oh… What was it again?” Naruto chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.
“Oh right, you laughed about our names!” Applejack glared at him with a dangerous expression.
“Eh… Haha, that little thing…” Naruto muttered as he took a step backwards.
“I think a flying lesson would be a decent reward for it,” Rainbow grinned deviously as she flew behind Naruto’s back and grabbed his hands from below.
“Hey! What the—?!” he exclaimed as he was raised to the air and literally taken for a spin up near the barn’s roof.
“Get me downnnnnn!” Naruto called, getting dizzy, as everyone down on the ground laughed at the sight of the ‘flying’ ninja.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today, my friends and I learned that getting on a ninja’s bad side is not a very good idea, especially when he thinks you’re dangerous enemy ninjas. Regardless, we also all learned that you should always trust your friends. Even if they seem to act suspiciously and don’t tell you the truth, you should first assume that they only act with the best intentions. After all, true friends always have your best interests in mind, and would never do anything to hurt you. And who knows? Sometimes just rolling with the unexpected might turn in a pleasant surprise.
Naruto slowly woke up, but kept his eyes closed. Immediately the thoughts of yesterday’s events floated up in his mind. While his pony friends’ intentions were truly good, they constantly made him think of back home. He wished he would just opened his eyes to find himself back at his room in Konoha.
His thoughts were disturbed as a noise of tapping reached his ears. “Five more minutes, Rarity…” he mumbled, still not quite ready to wake up. “Come to think of it… Rarity never wakes me up. What’s going on?”
“Just how much longer are you going to sleep? Sakura’s been waiting for you at the door for a while now,” Kakashi’s voice spoke.
Naruto’s eyes shot open as quick as a rocket. He looked around the room, and his jaw fell. “No way…” he muttered to himself as he took in what his eyes transmitted to his brain. The posters, the furniture… He was home. He was really home.
“She’s waiting outside. Get dressed and come out,” Kakashi said with a smile. Naruto barely got a moment’s look at him as he turned to the window. Kakashi was already pretty far away, jumping from roof to roof.
Naruto leapt out of his bed, his heart beating a mile a minute. He got dressed as quickly as he possibly could, quicker than he had ever in his entire life. He rushed to the front door as fast as his feet could carry him. He didn’t even bother to see if he still had enough ramen in the fridge, like he would do every morning. He went straight for the door, flinging it open. The light that suddenly penetrated his eyes blinded him for a moment, but he didn’t need to see to know who was standing there in wait.
“It’s about time, Naruto! I’ve rang like a million times already!” a familiar voice called. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the radiance outside, he could see pink hair and a pair of green eyes looking at him.
“Sakura-chan!” he yelled joyfully and hurled himself at his teammate and crush.
“N—Naruto! What the—” she called, stunned. “You’re acting as if you thought you’d never see me.”
“Oh, Sakura-chan!” he called again, digging his head a little too much into her chest to be comfortable.
“What the heck you think you’re doing?!” the pink-haired kunoichi yelled as she smacked him upside the head and sent him kissing the floor.
But he couldn’t care less. He was just so happy to see her. “You’re not gonna believe it!” he jumped up to his feet and began explaining. “There were talking ponies, and Pegasuses and Unicorns! They were all colorful and had magic and…”
To his surprise, Sakura put the back of her hand on his cheek. “Hmm, no fever. Maybe it was just a really weird dream you had?”
“Eh?” was all Naruto could mutter to that.
“Or maybe you didn’t drink enough?” Sakura pondered. “It could be a hallucination.”
“No, really. You’ve gotta listen—” Naruto began.
“Oh well,” Sakura cut him off, smiling. “Let’s go. We’re meeting everyone over ramen.”
Any thought he had about ponies and whatnot vaporized into nothingness as that last word came up. “Did you say… ‘Ramen’?” he asked slowly, reconfirming what he just heard her say.
“Yeah. Don’t tell me you already had some for breakfast,” Sakura arched a brow at him.
“Are you kidding?! I could eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between! I feel like I haven’t had ramen in a week!” he exclaimed.
“Well, let’s go then,” Sakura smiled.
A moment later, the two were on their way. Naruto looked around in disbelief. Somehow, he really was home. How did this happen? Maybe everything was just a really long and really strange dream after all?
“Hey, Naruto!” he could hear a very familiar voice calling him.
Looking up ahead to greet back whoever called, only for his eyes to shoot open and his jaw fall into the ground.
“What’s up? You look like you saw a ghost,” Shikamaru said. Or a pony that very uncannily resembled him. A green unicorn with the same hairdo as the human Shikamaru had.
“Maybe he’s so hungry he got paralyzed,” a red, overweight red Earth pony said in a voice that he recognized as Chouji’s.
“I bet those things only happen to you, Chouji,” a light blue Pegasus with blonde mane chuckled. She could be Ino’s pony twin.
“Are you alright, Naruto?” a frail-sounding voice belonging to a light purple unicorn with a dark purple mane asked. Naruto didn’t need to look at her to know it was Hinata.
Naruto slowly looked around. Ponies. All his friends turned into ponies. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get whatever was in them out of there. When that didn’t help he turned to look at Sakura and hopefully regain some sense of sanity.
“What’s wrong?” a white Unicorn with pink mane and green eyes asked him. She was standing to his left, right where Sakura was a moment ago.
“Gah! Sakura! Why are you a pony?!” he yelled in horror as he jumped away from her.
“That’s an odd question… You should ask that about yourself first, though,” the Unicorn replied.
In response, Naruto slowly lowered his head and looked down to see no hands, but a pair of hooves. He felt something moving at the base of his back. He looked back to find a long, fox-like tail waving there, attached to his body.
There was but one proper reaction to the situation. “Nooooooooo!”
*****
Naruto shot out of his bed, breathing heavily. He looked around. There was no light outside, meaning it was night time.
“Whew… All that craziness was a dream,” he said to himself as he let out a sigh of relief.
Stretching his hands, he took a look at the clock above the door in his room. It was eight o’clock. Meaning it was evening.
“I wonder why I’m in bed so early,” Naruto said to himself as he got off the bed. “I’m not even tired.”
A grumbling stomach gave him an idea. “I think I’ll treat myself to an evening helping of ramen,” he said to himself happily.
*****
After changing out of his pajamas and into a pair of black short pants and a shirt with a red whirlpool picture on it, he grabbed some money for the meal and went out into the street outside, heading straight to the best ramen store in town, ‘Ichiraku Ramen’.
Smiling to himself as he breathed in the warm night air and constantly looking at the beautiful full moon shining outside, he walked along the different streets in the quickest way he knew to his destination.
As he got closer and closer, he noticed that the number of people on the side of the road was gradually increasing, and they were all whispering for some reason.
Eventually the number of people was so large he had to squeeze in between them, until he found himself in a large clearing right in the middle of the street, and surrounded by people.
“Look, there’s that demon again,” one whisper reached his ears.
“Ugh, when will it just disappear?” a woman asked in a tone of disgust.
“I hate him. Why does he even live here?” yet another voice said.
Naruto looked around. All the people were staring at him, but they’re faces were all hidden in shadows. There were so many they created an impassable barrier all around him.
“Go away, you monster!” one yelled and threw a rock at Naruto, which luckily only landed at his feet.
“Eh?” he muttered, not fully comprehending what was going on. Wasn’t it only a few days earlier that he saved the entire village, and was hailed as a hero?
“Get lost!” a man shouted,
“Don’t get near us!” another woman yelled.
“Is he infectious?” a little girl asked.
“Monster fox!”
“Evil demon!”
The slurs and insults continued, and people started throwing rocks at him. Naruto was too stunned and afraid to answer. Only tears came out silently from his eyes.
“Ugh, look at it crying! Does it think we’ll have sympathy for a creature like him?!” yet another woman called in disgust.
The crying turned uncontrollable, as Naruto couldn’t handle it anymore. “Why? Why do they all treat me like that? What have I done?” were the only thoughts that went through the blond boy’s head. He just wanted them all to disappear. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare, a nightmare which he had far too many nights.
“ENOUGH!!!” a voice suddenly roared, one strong and commanding enough to shake the entire village, and seemingly even the air and the sky themselves. The people and rocks they threw all turned into clouds of fog, and vanished under a beautiful, lavender light.
That light came from the moon, which now shone many times as bright as before. Suddenly, inside the white sphere, appeared a silhouette. The silhouette gradually became sharper and sharper, and descended down to the ground below. As the light from the lunar sphere returned to its normal level, the image of the one who descended from it came into full focus, revealing Luna, the Princess of the Night.
“Naruto. It’s alright now,” she said warmly as she hugged him with one wing, and wiped his tears with the other. Naruto slowly stopped crying, and looked to see who the gentle soul was exactly.
He looked up, and was surprised to see a dark blue pony with wings and a horn smiling at him. Just then, everything came back to him. Every single memory regarding Equestria.
“Luna… *sniff* Weren’t you shorter?” he asked.
Luna smiled. “No, but you were taller. Take a look at yourself.”
Only when she said that did he finally notice his arms and legs were way shorter than what he was used to, and he noticed that his voice was higher than usual. He could guess he was about ten years old.
“Maybe this would be more to your preference,” Luna said as her horn lighted up in a dark blue aura. In response, his body did too, and with a flash of light he turned into his sixteen year old self.
“Wow, this sure was strange,” Naruto said as he looked at his arms and legs once more.
“Wait a second…” he muttered when he realized something wasn’t right. “How come you’re in Konoha?!” he yelled, stunned.
Luna chuckled. “Did you not notice? This is a dream. Your dream.”
“Wait, so does this mean I’m still in Equestria?” he asked, completely disheartened.
“I am sorry to disappoint you, but yes,” Luna answered.
“Oh, no, no, no! I’m not disappointed or something,” he quickly lied to not hurt her feelings. “I’m just surprised. I just had another dream I was in Konoha so I kind of forgot about Equestria.”
“But wasn’t it about ponies as well? I must say, I think your friends would make excellent ponies,” Luna chuckled.
“What?! You saw that too?!” Naruto yelled in shock.
“Ah, yes. I was quite bored tonight, and so I figured that since I could go into ponies’ dreams, I shall head into yours,” the lunar princess explained.
“Really? I didn’t know you could do that!”
“Of course. I am the Princess of the Night, so that is one of my abilities.”
“So do you always go into ponies’ dreams and get rid of their nightmares? That sounds amazing,” Naruto complimented.
“Hmm…” Luna muttered. “I never actually did that before. Maybe that was the reason I used to think my night was not as important as my sister’s day. Alright then, I shall do that from now,” she told him with an optimistic smile.
“By the way… Thanks,” Naruto said, smiling at her.
Luna smiled back at the ninja. “You’re welcome. Now tell me, do you mind the two of us walk a bit?”
*****
The couple slowly strolled around Naruto’s dream version of Konoha, under the beautiful moon and through the warm air. Naruto showed her some of his favorite places, starting with Ichiraku Ramen and the Hokage’s residence.
“So this is your home town… It’s beautiful,” Luna complimented as she looked all around.
“Hehe, thanks,” Naruto chuckled. He also enjoyed looking around. It was a sight he sure have missed.
“By the way, might you explain what the faces on that mountain are?” Luna asked, directing his attention to the five faces on the mountain.
Naruto grinned. “Those are the Hokage of the village. All the previous ones and the current one, granny Tsunade. They’re the leaders of the village. And one day… I’m gonna be the Hokage myself! Believe it!”
Luna chuckled. “Good luck, though I am sure you will make it happen.”
“Oh wait, if this is a dream…” Naruto said as he got an idea. He closed his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. Suddenly, the area of the mountain next to Tsunade’s face began moving about freely, as though it was made of dough. Eventually, it turned into a face of Naruto, sticking his tongue out at the village.
Naruto opened his eyes, and looked back at the mountain. “Ha! It worked!” he cheered. “Do I look awesome or what?!”
Luna smiled. “Yes, very artistic, Naruto. But you must not—“
“I could imagine myself the hugest bowls of ramen, or Sakura smooching me, or—“
“Naruto!” Luna roared, making Naruto focus back on her.
“You must not forget that this is naught but a dream. Always remember that this is not reality, lest you come to believe it as one,” she said gravely.
Naruto’s excited smile left him, leaving only a bittersweet one. “Hmm, yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Oh, yes. I have been meaning to ask you, Naruto.”
“Hmm?”
“WE HAVE BEEN PRACTICING THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE! WHAT THINKEST THOU OF THIS?!” she practically screamed into his ear.
Naruto immediately covered his ears. “WHY IS THE ROYAL THINGIE SO LOUD?!” he yelled back. “And who’s ‘we’? You and Celestia?”
Luna sighed. “No wonder sister advised me against this. She said this was too ‘old fashioned’ for modern times.”
“Regardless, there is one very important reason I came into your dream, Naruto,” she continued normally.
“Huh? What? You had something to tell me or something?” Naruto inquired.
“No, to somepony else. Well, he is not a pony, probably.”
Naruto only gave her a puzzled look, which made her elaborate. “The one responsible for the nightmare you had.”
“The one…?” Naruto pondered. Immediately he realized just who she was talking about. “Nope! That was me! Who could possibly be responsible for a dream besides me?” he asked, deciding to play dumb.
“When we meet him, we both shall know,” Luna replied, and began raising her hoof.
Having a horrible feeling about this, he tried to protest. “Luna, don’t do this!” he implored her.
However, it was too late. The moment Luna brought down her hoof, the town began spinning all around, turning into nothing but blurs.
*****
The blurs began changing into a darker, gloomier shade, and slowly came more and more into focus.
Naruto looked around in horror to see the one place he did not wish to arrive at, especially with someone else. The sound of dripping water echoed all around them, and they were standing in knee-high, murky water. Behind them was a pitch black tunnel, and in front was a huge, red colored, barred gate. On the gate was a large piece of paper, with a large word ‘seal’ written on it.
“Grrr… Naruto…” a deep, terrifying voice was heard echoing from behind the gate. A moment later, a huge, demonic red eye with a narrow pupil opened to look at him and Luna.
“So he’s the one who caused you so much misery?” Luna asked, an angered tone in her voice.
“Who are you? How did you come here?” the voice asked. As it did, its owner moved closer to the gate and out of the darkness inside, to reveal the head of a humongous fox, with orange fur and teeth as sharp as razors.
“Hmm… So you’re the one… I must say you feel quite familiar, though I do not know you,” Luna said.
“Huh?!” Naruto blurted, astonished. That was the last response he imagined Luna to have to a monstrous, huge fox.
“Grr… I’m starting to remember… You’re that foal from back then…” the fox replied.
“I see now… I think I am beginning to understand,” Luna then said, although she still seemed deep in thought.
“Luna, what’s going on?” Naruto asked her. “Do you know him or something?! How is it possible?!”
In response, Luna just looked back at him. “I’m going to have to talk to him privately now,” she said as she stepped closer to him.
“Though I do have one more thing to say to you,” she added as her horn lighted up. With a flash of light, Naruto found himself once more in his pony form.
Luna’s mouth was now only inches from his ear, as she whispered her message. “There will soon be a great event in Canterlot called the ‘Grand Galloping Gala’. Please accompany there when that night comes.”
Not even waiting for his answer, she gave him a magical peck on the cheek. Naruto could feel his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
“Luna… Don’t…” was all Naruto could mutter, before he passed out to a dreamless sleep.
Luna smiled at Naruto, who was floating calmly on the shallow water, before turning back to the fox.
“Now, I do believe you have caused some trouble for Naruto in the past,” she said in an angered tone and a serious expression on her muzzle.
“Don’t blame me for how these foolish humans treated him, Luna. Or do you actually think you can do something to punish me for it?”
Luna smiled. “No, I am not here to blame anypony, nor I am here to punish. I merely wondered why you harbor so much hatred inside you.”
“You pony are trying to figure me out?! Bahahaha!” the fox laughed at her.
Luna, however, was not offended. “I believe your imprisonment is to blame. With this cage you are only limited to seeing the world through Naruto’s eyes.”
“Grr… What are you getting at, Luna?”
“You shall see soon enough,” the dark Alicorn replied as her horn lighted up.
*****
Naruto immediately opened his eyes when the sunlight piercing through the window hit them. Just feeling the unusually soft bed was enough to ascertain that he was still in Rarity’s guest room in Carousel Boutique. In other words, he was still in Equestria, and all this was real. Probably.
Suddenly, an odd sensation began spreading in his abdomen. Turning his look down to see the cause of it, his eyes went wide as saucers when he saw a red cloud floating from it, and collecting next to the bed. The red cloud became more and more dense, and then slowly came into shape. Naruto’s eyes widened even further when he realized that the form the cloud was receiving was…
“Nine-tailed fox,” Naruto muttered in shock as out of the cloud emerged the demon fox. A very, very small form of it, though. It was roughly Naruto’s size when he was in pony form.
Naruto quickly looked under his shirt at his belly. The seal along with all the markings was visible, and looked completely normal… Save for a hole in the shape of a crescent moon in its right side.
“Luna! What did you do?!” he thought in horror. “If anyone sees him… No, that’s nothing compared to the destruction he can cause with his chakra…”
“Naruto…” the fox growled. Naruto immediately looked at the creature next to his bed. “Naruto!” it roared before lunging itself at his host.
Naruto tried to shield himself with his hand, but before the fox could even get him, it dissipated into the red cloud, which then vanished.
“Damn that Luna… She gave Naruto control over that hole she created in the seal,” Naruto heard the fox speak inside of him.
“How did she make a hole in the seal?!” Naruto thought.
“Great. Now I can’t have private thoughts as well,” the fox said sarcastically.
“Same goes for me too, you know. Now tell me, fox. Why and how did she make a hole in the seal?”
“Something stupid like me making friends with ponies. How laughable. I’m a demon of hatred, what isn’t clear about that?! And she used her stupid pony magic for all I know.”
“And why did you only come out so little? What happened to the rest of your chakra?”
“The hole only lets me take out just enough to project myself outside. To be honest, I’d still die if I killed you.”
“So… Can I let you out?” Naruto asked.
“What would you gain from that?” the fox asked back.
“Nothing. Just that if you can go outside and not kill me I don’t see why I should keep you in,” Naruto explained. “Although it would be troublesome if other ponies knew of you.”
The fox didn’t answer. Naruto, however, still decided to give him another chance and concentrated his thoughts on the seal. The crescent moon in the seal started glowing in bright light, as the red cloud once again flowed out through it, collecting once more near the bed and transforming into the miniature version of the nine-tailed fox.
“Do we have a truce?” Naruto asked hesitantly.
“Hmph,” the fox spoke without moving his mouth. “Don’t get all mushy with me just because of that stupid hole. I still want to break that damn seal.”
“Stop going on about that damn seal! You think I wouldn’t take it off if I wouldn’t die?! Just be grateful I’m letting you outside, especially after what you did back when Pain attacked!” Naruto yelled at him.
“Don’t blame me for losing control of your anger after you thought he killed your girlfriend,” the fox scoffed.
“She’s not my—! Ugh, never mind! All I’m asking is that you don’t cause trouble, and don’t let anypony see you.”
“It’s really painful to hear ya, you know that? You’re already talking like one of those ponies.”
Naruto’s face was now redder than a cherry, what with that last remark and the girlfriend remark, and was about to shout at the fox again, when he cut him off.
“But fine, it’s not like I’m interested in those ponies anyway. You’re letting me breathe some outside fresh air, and I won’t show myself to them. Sounds like a great deal to me.”
Naruto smiled and let out a sigh of relief. “Maybe this will work out after all, and I’ll get to change his attitude too.”
“No, you won’t,” the fox deadpanned. “And I can still hear your thoughts, you know.”
It was late at night, yet not everypony was asleep. One little filly, by the name of Sweetie Belle, woke up with a strong sense of thirst to quench. After drinking some much needed water from the sink in the bathroom, the sleepy filly slowly trotted back to her room. The hallway was dark, but she did not need to see anything. She could navigate her own house blindly.
Hearing a faint snoring sound, she looked to her right, where was the sound’s origin. “Odd… This is the guest room, I thought nopony sleeps there now…” she muttered to herself. Eventually, her curiosity had won her over, and she pushed the door open to a small creek, and peeked inside.
Under the gentle light of the moon, she could see the silhouette of somepony sleeping in the bed. The Unicorn filly tilted her head in confusion when she noticed how oddly shaped and unusually big the creature was. Taking a few small steps inside, she could also see another shape on the floor next to the bed. Suddenly, the form shifted, and a blood red eye with a narrow pupil opened to look at her.
Sweetie Belle froze, horrified and unable to look away from that eye. “Grr… Get out…” a deep, terrifying voice said from its direction. But Sweetie Belle could not bring herself to neither move, nor make a sound. She was frozen with fear.
“GET OUT!” the voice roared again. That was when the young filly finally managed to move herself.
“Ahh! Rarity! There’s a monster here! RARITY!!!” she cried as she ran outside.
This woke Naruto up, who slowly opened his eyes. “What was that noise?” he muttered while still half-asleep.
“Nothing,” the fox answered briefly, before returning to his slumber.
*****
“Morning, Rarity,” Naruto greeted as he walked down the stairs, and the alabaster Unicorn entered his line of sight. He made sure to ‘unsummon’ the fox before heading out of his room.
“Good morning, Naruto,” she greeted back. “Tell me, did anything unusual happen last night?” she asked in a worried tone.
“Umm, not that I know of. Why?”
“Well, Sweetie Belle came over to my room at the middle of the night, yelling something about a monster in the guest room.”
“Did she see me in my human form?” Naruto asked, worried.
“I don’t think so. She said something about a monster wolf with red eyes. Honestly, it sounds like she had a nightmare and naught more.”
“Oh… Sorry, no idea,” Naruto shrugged it off cluelessly. “Although… Didn’t Luna say she was going to get rid of ponies’ nightmares?” he pondered.
*****
After eating the routine breakfast of omelet and salad, Naruto headed straight for Sweet Apple Acres (after transforming into a pony). As usual, he worked with Applejack and Big Mac, bucking apples and handling some of the other chores at the farm. This went on until noon, when the trio sat down at the middle of one of the apple groves to take a lunch break. Naruto was taking a big bite from one of Granny Smith’s prized apple pies when suddenly…
“Naruto!” he could hear Apple Bloom’s voice. The filly ran up to him, catching her breath a bit before she could continue speaking.
“Hey, Apple Bloom. Want some pie?” he offered with a smile.
“No time for pie! Cutie mark emergency! All crusaders are to meet in the treehouse right away!” she called between her breathes.
Naruto looked at her two older siblings. “Is it okay with you?” he asked.
“Eyup,” Big Mac replied concisely.
“’Course it is. Have fun, now!” Applejack added.
Naruto nodded and put the rest of the pie in his mouth. He then got up and followed his fellow Crusader.
*****
Naruto and Apple Bloom trotted into the treehouse, which was also the Crusaders’ headquarters. It was located on the outskirts of the apple grove closest to Ponyville, on one of the larger apple trees. It was a few days earlier that Naruto, along with the rest of the crusaders, fixed up Applejack’s old treehouse. A few hours of painting and redecorating were all that was needed to turn it into a functioning meeting place for the four cutie-mark-less ponies.
“Hey, Naruto,” Scootaloo greeted him.
“Morning,” Naruto smiled back at her and at Sweetie Belle, who was pacing impatiently back and forth next to the square small table in the middle of the room, a serious, troubled expression on her muzzle.
Naruto, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo each took a seat on the floor next to different sides of the tables.
“Okay, I’m officially opening the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ official meeting!” Apple Bloom announced ceremonially.
“So whatdya call this meeting for, Sweetie Belle?” she then asked not-so-ceremonially.
“I’m glad you asked, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle answered, still pacing back and forth in front of the table. “My fellow Crusaders!” she then called, and finally stopped to stand in front of the others. Today is the day we’ll all get our… Mystery Solving Cutie Marks!” she exclaimed.
An excited glint appeared in Scootaloo’s and Apple Bloom’s eyes, and Naruto’s interest piqued too to hear what she had to say.
“Tonight… I was confronted… By a really mysterious… Mystery!” the Unicorn filly announced dramatically enough to make her sister proud.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom leaned forward in anticipation as Sweetie Belle started elaborating. “I got out of bed to drink some water… And when I came back… Suddenly, I heard loud, malicious snoring in the guest room!”
That’s when Naruto started to get alarmed. “She really did go in?! …And do I snore?! No way, it’s gotta be the fox…”
“No. It was definitely you,” the fox replied. Naruto ignored him.
“So, how do you know it wasn’t a dream?” he asked, hoping to get her to believe just that, and avoid discussing the dangerous topic.
“Hehehe…” Sweetie Belle chuckled. “I thought you may doubt it, so I returned a few hours ago there to find some evidence. Behold: Exhibit A!” she announced proudly and pulled out a few strands of orange fur from under the table. They were about ten inches long. “I found them on the floor next to the bed.”
Naruto nearly fell backwards when he recognized it. “You’re shedding?! Aren’t you made of chakra?!” he asked the fox.
“Don’t blame me for it. You should have noticed that if you were trying to keep me a secret,” the fox replied condescendingly.
“Hmm… Come to think of it, don’t they look like part of Naruto’s coat? They look the same color to me,” Scootaloo noted as she went to get a close look at the strands.
“No!” Naruto replied quickly, trying to divert any attention away from himself. “My coat is… Uh… Shinier?”
“Tch. Don’t flatter yourself,” the fox growled angrily.
“’Sides, those hairs are way too long. I think they came from some wild animal,” Apple Bloom added.
“But that makes no sense! Why would there be a wild animal at your house?” Scootaloo asked.
“I’m actually not sure about that,” Sweetie Belle replied, quite baffled herself. “We only have Opalescence, but she’s hardly a wild animal. Plus, she’s white.”
Naruto was pondering how to explain the mysterious hairs without compromising neither his identity as a ninja, nor the fox. The first issue was really just on a need-to-know basis to him, but the other had to be a complete secret. Otherwise…
“So, that’s it for exhibit A. Let me go on to exhibit B now,” Sweetie Belle said as she put the strands of orange fur on the table and shoved her head under the table.
“There’s more?! It can’t be worse than the fox’s fur, right?” Naruto thought hopefully.
“Presenting: Exhibit B!” Sweetie Belle announced between her teeth, as she pulled out none other than one of Naruto’s kunai knives.
Naruto’s jaw fell down completely as he gazed in horror at the small instrument held in Sweetie’s muzzle. “What?! How?! I don’t even—“
“It fell out of your bag and rolled under the bed last night,” the fox explained, his voice barely containing his laughter.
“And you didn’t think of telling me?!” Naruto asked furiously.
“Hmph. That’s not part of our deal,” he answered concisely.
Scootaloo gazed at Naruto. “What’s wrong, Naruto? You look kinda pale,” the orange filly asked.
“Uhh… I’m just wondering… What the hay that is… Hahaha…” he muttered sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
“Me too. I ain’t never seen anything like this,” Apple Bloom said, deep in thought over the strange item.
“Same for me,” Scootaloo added.
“So, it’s settled then…” Sweetie Belle said. “We’re gonna solve this mystery, and get our…”
“MYSTERY SOLVING CUTIE MARKS!” the three fillies yelled together so loudly it caused Naruto to cover his ears.
“Yay…” the orange stallion muttered with a grin that couldn’t be any more nervous.
*****
The Crusaders first headed off to Carousel Boutique’s guest room, or ‘the scene of the crime’, as Sweetie Belle put it.
They all searched the room thoroughly for more clues Sweetie could have missed. Or more accurately, Naruto was looking for clues to hide from the others, who looked for more evidence to help identify the strange creature Sweetie Belle saw. About thirty minutes later, the four ponies concluded that there were no more clues there, much to Naruto’s relief. “I guess Rarity’s cleaning my pajama…” he thought in relief and gratitude, since it was nowhere to be found.
“Sweetie Belle! I told you not to enter here!” the white mare’s voice reached them from the doorway. A hint of panic was heard in it. “Wait… Naruto? What are you doing here?” she then added in surprise, when she noticed the young stallion.
Naruto quickly walked over to her. “Sweetie Belle caught a glimpse of me last night, and now she’s insisting on solving the ‘mystery’. Could you cover for me?” he whispered.
“Why? It would be simpler if you just told them…” Rarity whispered back.
“I don’t want too many ponies to know I’m a human. They’ll stare at me like I’m some kind of—”
“What are you two whispering about?” Scootaloo asked with a suspecting glare.
“Oh! Uh… Nothing at all!” Rarity quickly said. “Why don’t we all go downstairs and talk over this whole ‘monster’ nonsense, alright?” she asked as she walked inside and herded the three fillies out of the room. Naruto followed her, letting out a sigh of relief.
*****
“So, what was it again you were doing in the guest room?” Rarity asked after gathering the group in her store downstairs.
“I told you! It was about the monster I saw last night! The one you didn’t believe I saw!” Sweetie Belle replied angrily.
“I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle, but without some kind of proof I simply cannot believe all this ‘monster’ business,” Rarity said sternly.
“TAKE THAT!” Apple Bloom suddenly yelled, making everypony gaze at her. “What?”
“You don’t need to shout, Apple Bloom. We’re right next to you,” Scootaloo said.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Apple Bloom said before turning back to Rarity, showing her the orange strands of hair. “Sweetie Belle found these in the room this morning. Seems awful lot like monster hair to me!”
“Ack!” Rarity gasped, as her claim was shattered. “Well… They could have come from some other animal, right?” she asked, beads of nervous sweat starting to make her face sparkle in the light.
“OBJECTION!” Sweetie Belle yelled. Everyone stared at her. “What? I was just going with the mood,” she shrugged. “Uh… Anyways, the only animal around here with such long hairs is Opal, and she’s white!”
“Noooooooo!” Rarity called, before magically bringing over to her a fainting couch from the other side of the room. “I’m sorry! I told you all terrible lies!” she cried as she jumped on top of it. “I’m such a HORRIBLE pony! Waaaaaah!” she wept in an over-the-top manner.
“So, will you talk?” Scootaloo asked with a triumphant smirk.
Naruto desperately shook his head towards her. The young orange Pegasus turned back to look at him with a suspecting glare, which caused him to look away and whistle innocently.
“Yes! Yes!” Rarity cried. “I… Don’t know anything,” she then said flatly, stopping her crying all of a sudden.
“Oh,” the three fillies said in unison.
“Really?” Sweetie Belle asked, arching a brow at her.
“Really,” Rarity replied. “How should I know about some out-of-this-world monster?” she asked, winking towards Naruto.
“That’s a bummer,” Apple Bloom pouted, looking down.
“How about this thing, then?” Sweetie then asked, pulling out Naruto’s kunai seemingly from out of her mane, even though it wasn’t quite big enough to hide it.
“I don’t know it,” Rarity immediately said, looking away. That’s despite knowing perfectly well what it was. She even saw it being used once.
“Oh, well. Maybe somepony else will know something,” Scootaloo suggested.
“How about Fluttershy? She knows a lot about animals, so she might know what creature has this kind of fur,” Apple Bloom said.
“Alright. Let’s move, crusaders!” Sweetie Belle said as she led the team outside.
Naruto, however, stayed behind for a moment. “Thanks, Rarity. I owe you one,” he smiled.
“Oh, it was no problem at all,” Rarity said as she got off the couch. “It was actually quite an enjoyable performance. But, are you sure you should not let them know as well? I mean, being a human does not seem like much of an issue to me, dearie.”
“If there’s no choice, I’ll tell them. But I’d rather as few ponies as possible know. I don’t like being stared at by everypony like I’m some kind of monster,” Naruto explained.
“Well… I suppose so. Alright,” Rarity nodded, although she did not seem to fully agree with his reasoning.
“Hey, what in tarnation’s taking ya so long, Naruto?!” Apple Bloom’s voice was heard from outside.
“Oh, coming!” Naruto called back as he went out to rejoin the group.
*****
The Crusaders approached Fluttershy’s cottage at the outskirts of Ponyville, and Sweetie Belle knocked on the front door.
A few moments later, the door was opened by the owner of the house. “Oh, hi girls,” Fluttershy said happily. “And Naruto,” she added when she raised her eyes to see him standing behind them. “What brings you all here?”
“The Cutie Mark Crusaders are investigating a mystery to get our…” Apple Bloom began explaining.
“MYSTERY SOLVING CUTIE MARKS!” the three fillies yelled together, causing Fluttershy to wince.
“Oh! That sounds fun!” the yellow Pegasus said after recovering. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Actually, we found some suspicious hairs at the scene of the crime, and we wondered if you know what they are,” Scootaloo said as Apple Bloom hooved over to Fluttershy the hairs.
“There’s no way there’s anything like the Kyubi here,” Naruto thought in relief. “She’d never guess—”
“Oh, these are fox hairs. They’re quite longer than regular ones, but there’s no doubt about it,” Fluttershy responded happily. Naruto’s jaw headed straight to the ground at that moment.
“Alright! Then we’re one step closer to solving the mystery!” Scootaloo cheered, high-hooving with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, not noticing Naruto’s expression.
“Judging by the length, it should be a fox about Naruto’s size,” Fluttershy added as she looked at him.
Naruto quickly shook his hoof in front of himself. “No, no, no! Don’t turn their attention to me!” he desperately tried to telepathize to her.
Fluttershy, however, didn’t get the hint. “And it probably came from its tail, which should be all bushy and smooth. Also just like Naruto’s.”
Naruto was ready to either give up on this or just cry due to Fluttershy’s cluelessness, accompanied by her innocent smile.
“Wow, you’re amazing, Fluttershy! And here I thought taking care of animals was really boring,” Scootaloo smiled.
“Oh, it was no problem at all,” she smiled as well, not taking offense to her remark. “Do you need anything else?”
“Actually…” Sweetie Belle said as she was about to pull out the kunai.
Predicting what was going to happen, Naruto galloped around the fillies and towards Fluttershy, giving her a bit of a spook. “Fluttershy! I’m trying to not let them know I’m a ninja! Please, don’t say anything!” he whispered to her.
“Oh, really? Are you saving it for a dramatic rescue scene, just like you did with me and the girls?” she muttered back.
“That’s… Uh…” Naruto mumbled when he failed to find a counter-argument to that. “Was I… Really doing that on purpose?” he wondered.
“Hey, what are you two whispering about?” Scootaloo asked with a suspecting glare.
“Oh! Nothing, girls!” Fluttershy said, giving a not very successful fake smile.
“Anyways, look at this!” Sweetie called between her teeth, which she was using to hold Naruto’s kunai.
“Do you know what it is?” Apple Bloom asked Fluttershy.
Naruto and Fluttershy exchanged quick gazes. “Sorry, girls. I don’t,” she replied concisely. Naruto let out a mental sigh of relief.
“Oh, well,” Sweetie sighed as she put the kunai back in her mane.
“Thanks for all your help, Fluttershy!” Apple Bloom smiled.
“You’re most welcome, Crusaders!” she replied happily. “Bye, now!” she said before she walked outside and closed the door.
“Huh? You’re coming with us?” Naruto asked.
“Oh no, I simply have some shopping to do in Ponyville. I’m running out of bird seeds,” she explained. “But do tell me if you find that cute little fox, alright?” she asked with a smile and flew up and into town.
*****
“This is bad… They might actually find out about me and the fox…” Naruto pondered worriedly as they made their way back towards Ponyville. “Wait! I know!” he then thought when he got an idea, smiling naughtily. “If they wanna see a fox so much…”
“Ah! Look over there!” Naruto yelled as he pointed towards the nearby Everfree Forest. The girls looked at his hoof’s direction.
“What? What?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yeah, I don’t see anything,” Scootaloo added.
“There’s something in the bushes! Follow me!” Naruto yelled as he stormed into the bushes at the very edge of the forest.
Naruto peeked outside to see the fillies running his direction, although it took them a lot more time. After all, not only he had longer legs, but he also had the speed of a ninja.
“Transformation Jutsu, Release!” he called, crossing his forelegs, as he poofed back to a human. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he then continued with the usual hand seal.
“You know what to do,” Naruto grinned to his clone.
“Of course! Leave it to me!” the clone smiled back, pointing with his thumb to his chest.
The real Naruto ran behind a tree some distance away. “Transformation Jutsu!” he then called and changed back into a pony.
“And now,” the clone muttered to himself with a grin as he ran behind a nearby bush. “A very special… Transformation Jutsu!”
The fillies all made it across the bushes and looked around. Even though they had barely entered the forest, it was quite dark already, so they couldn’t see very well.
“Wow, Naruto can sure run fast…” Sweetie Belle huffed.
“Speaking of Naruto… Where is he?” Apple Bloom called, since she couldn’t see the orange Earth pony.
The three fillies exchanged looks. “Do you think he saw the fox and went after it?” Scootaloo asked.
Just then, a rustling sound came from another bush, deeper into the forest. The three fillies stared at it in a mixture of curiosity and fright.
“Grr…” a frightening growl came from behind it, as out of the bush walked out the nine-tailed fox.
“THE FOX!!!” the three fillies yelled in terror.
“But… Why does it have so many tails?” Sweetie Belle pondered aloud.
“Grr… I’m gonna… Eat you…” the fox growled again.
“And it talks!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Wait… What does the fox say?”
“I’M GONNA EAT YOU!!!” the fox roared and charged at the fillies. The three of them huddled together with their eyes closed, frightened by the humongous fox.
“Stand back!” a familiar voice called bravely, seemingly echoing from all around the forest.
The three fillies slowly opened their eyes to see… “Naruto!” they called in relief. The orange stallion was standing tall between them and the approaching fox.
“Get lost, you stupid fox!” Naruto called as he stomped as loudly as he called on the ground with his front hooves. “Mess with them, and you’ll have to answer to me!”
The fox growled again threateningly, but then turned around and ran away, back into the dark depths of the forest.
“Come on, let’s get out of here!” Naruto said as he lend his hoof to help the rest of the Crusaders back on their legs.
The Crusaders all came to a stop on the road leading back from Fluttershy’s cottage to Ponyville just outside the forest.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were panting heavily. The encounter with the fox and all the running definitely took their toll on the three little fillies.
“Are you okay?” Naruto asked, barely masking his grin over his successful plan.
“Yeah! Thanks, Naruto!” Apple Bloom said merrily.
“You were really brave!” Sweetie Belle smiled.
“You were just awesome!” Scootaloo called, clearly really impressed.
“Haha, it was nothing! But please, keep praising…”
“So what are we gonna do next?” Apple Bloom asked, ignoring Naruto’s last sentence.
“Isn’t it obvious? We’ve gotta catch it!” Sweetie Belle replied.
Naruto froze. “Huh? What? Did she just…”
“Yeah! And with Naruto, that stupid fox doesn’t stand a chance!” Scootaloo smirked towards the orange stallion.
“I just made this worse!!!” Naruto thought in horror. “Don’t they know when to give up?!” he cried mentally.
*****
Back in Ponyville, the Crusaders were trying to decide their next move against the vicious fox. Naruto, however, was desperately trying to think of something to foil their daring plan, to no avail. It seemed like there was absolutely nothing that could deter the three determined fillies.
“So I was thinking, maybe we should buy really REALLY big nets,” Apple Bloom suggested. “And then ambush it!”
“But we’ll need some kind of bait…” Scootaloo said. “What do foxes eat? We really should have asked Fluttershy earlier…”
“Well, the fox said it was gonna eat us. It’s kinda risky, but maybe one of us should be bait?” Sweetie Belle spoke. As she said that, the three fillies turned their gazes to Naruto, smiling brightly with their puppy eyes in full effect.
“Great… I’m gonna be bait to catch myself…” Naruto sweatdropped. “Alright, alright,” he consented reluctantly. “But I doubt the fox will like me as a bait after I scared the hay out of it today.”
“…Bait? Are you four planning something dangerous?” a familiar voice asked.
The Crusaders turned their gazes to behind Naruto to see Twilight trotting towards them with Spike on her back.
“Hi, Twilight and Spike!” Apple Bloom greeted. “Don’t worry, it ain’t anything dangerous!”
“Yeah, we’re just trying to catch a fox!” Scootaloo explained.
“A really REALLY big fox that likes to eat ponies!” Sweetie Belle chirped.
“So… It eats ponies, not dragons, right?” Spike confirmed fearfully, hiding under Twilight’s mane.
The lavender Unicorn rolled her eyes. “Foxes don’t eat ponies. In fact, even the biggest of foxes are too small to even theoretically prey on ponies.”
“No, Twilight! We’re serious! It was as big as you, and it had like a dozen tails, and it said it wanted to eat us!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
“Right, and I’m the Princess of Friendship,” Twilight said sarcastically. “Now tell me, where is everypony? The town is deserted!”
Only when Twilight said this did Naruto allowed himself to free his mind of worries about the fox and look around. Twilight was right. There was not a soul to be seen.
“Look over there!” Spike called, pointing to Sugarcube Corner. “I think I saw the curtains move!”
The group galloped to the tasty-looking building, and Naruto peered into the open, top part of the two-part entrance door and into the darkness inside. Suddenly, his orange snout was pushed back by a pink snout.
“Gah! Pinkie Pie! What are you doing here?” he asked in surprise.
“Shh!” Pinkie hissed. “Get inside, quick!”
“Uhh… What’s going on?” Twilight asked.
“Hurry up! Before she gets you!” Pinkie said ominously.
The group outside exchanged confused gazes, but then walked inside one by one.
*****
“Who?! The zombie pony?!” Spike asked in fright as Pinkie closed the door behind them and turned the room nearly pitch black.
The purple duo was then blinded momentarily by a flashlight Pinkie directed at them. “Zombieeee ponyyyyy?” she then asked in a spooky manner, positioning the light below her face.
“Spike, there are no zombie ponies,” Twilight growled.
“What’s a ‘zombie’?” Naruto asked, baffled.
“Ponies that rise from the dead and then eat your brains!” Apple Bloom replied fearfully. “I saw them in one of Spike’s comics.”
Twilight frowned, even though no one could see it. “Is that why you’ve been coming to the library so much?! Spike’s comics?!”
“Then no more comics for you, young lady!” Applejack scolded.
Only then did the newcomers looked around to see that Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack were in there as well, their eyes barely adjusted enough to the darkness to make out their forms.
“So… Why are you all hiding here in the dark?” Twilight asked with an arched brow.
“We’re hiding from her!” Applejack exclaimed as she paced to the window and moved aside the purple curtain.
Naruto looked outside to see some shady-looking figure covered in a brown robe digging in the ground and looking around, as if looking for something. She was actually not far from where the Crusaders had gather earlier. By her overall shape, Naruto was sure she was just another pony. But then, she turned to look at their direction, revealing a slightly sharper mouth and an odd, creepy pair of yellow eyes, as if glowing in the shade of the robe’s hood.
Everyone, excluding Twilight and Naruto, ducked away from the window to hide themselves. The two still standing ponies looked at each. Twilight seemed quite upset at the other’s reaction, while Naruto was simply baffled.
“So… Who is it?” Naruto was the first to break the tense silence lingering in the air.
“It's Zecora, right?! Did you see her?!” Apple Bloom asked Naruto and Twilight in excitement, completely forgetting about the fox.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack barked. “I told you never to say that name!”
“Well… I just saw her glance this way,” Twilight said about all that could be said. Save for Zecora’s gray snout, Naruto couldn’t see anything either.
“Glance EVILLY this way!” Pinkie said as she pressed her snout against Twilight’s, who promptly pushed her out of her personal space.
“What’s the big deal? You’re all making a big fuss about her,” Naruto asked. It was the first time he saw them act so suspiciously.
“What’s all the big deal?! Just look at her!” Applejack called, turning his head back towards the robe-wearing creature.
“She’s really mysterious,” Fluttershy said. Naruto put down Applejack’s hoof to look back at the group.
“Sinister…” Rainbow, who was floating above him, added.
“And Spoooooky!” Pinkie said, pressing her snout once more against his. Naruto turned back to look at Twilight. The two exchanged brief gazes and then rolled their eyes at the group’s odd behavior.
Naruto and Twilight looked again at her. She took off her hood to reveal a coat of dark and light gray stripes. She also wore many gold accessories on her legs and ears. As she did so, the others gasped in fright.
“Psst! Naruto, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo whispered. She and Sweetie Belle stood some distance away, seemingly not minding at all that whole Zecora business.
“While they’re all busy being afraid of Zecora, we can go out there and catch that fox!” the orange filly said as the two approached to make a circle.
“But everypony’s hiding from her now. We’ll have nowhere to buy the nets to catch it,” Naruto whispered, still trying to somehow foil their plan. “Besides, your sisters will freak out if we go out now.”
“She lives in… The Everfree Forest!” Applejack’s fearful voice reached them from the conversation the others were holding, followed by an ominous, loud rumbling voice.
“Sorry!” Spike called from the kitchen, holding a bunch of tasty treats. He knocked over one of the frying pans onto the floor.
“Hey… You don’t think…” Sweetie Belle whispered. “She knows the fox?”
“Maybe it’s even her pet!” Apple Bloom suggested. “We could get her to show it to everypony!”
“Did you say… She has a pet fox?” Pinkie asked, her head located between Naruto’s and Apple Bloom’s.
“Ah!” the Crusaders yelled in surprise, nearly falling back on their rumps.
“That would totally enhance the song I was about to sing to Twilight!” the pink Earth pony called happily.
“What song? About Zecora?” Twilight asked with an arched brow.
“Here we go…” Rainbow sighed.
She’s an evil enchantress, she does evil dances! She has some pet foxes, she casts on you hexes! And if you look deep in her eyes, she’ll put you in trances! Then what will she do? She’ll mix up an evil brew! Then she’ll gobble you up in a big tasty stew, so… Watch out!
“Wow… Catchy…” Twilight muttered in slight awe.
“It’s a working progress,” Pinkie said in a somewhat proud tone.
The Crusaders could hear Twilight and the others begin to bicker and argue about Zecora again, but they had no interest in taking part in it.
“So, are we doing this, or not? Zecora will get away at this rate,” Scootaloo said, looking outside to see Zecora starting to leave Ponyville.
“Yeah, come on! For our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom whispered, raising her hoof towards the center of the circle.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo put their hooves on top of Apple Bloom’s, and Naruto too, reluctantly, having found no way to get around this.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders! Yay!” they all whispered and raised their hooves, then snuck outside while the others were still arguing regarding Zecora’s true nature.
*****
The Crusaders gave chase after the hooded creature, and managed to catch up to her as she was entering the Everfree Forest. They came to a stop just before entering the dark shadows of the trees.
“Hey! Zecora!” Sweetie Belle yelled… Barely loud enough for even them to hear.
“What’s wrong?” Naruto asked.
“N—N—Nothing! I’m not afraid of her or anything!” Sweetie Belle quickly replied, her voice slightly shaking.
“Oh, so she is afraid… Well, might as well get this over with it. There’s no way she’ll know anything about the fox.”
“Hey! Zecora!” Naruto called as he walked towards her and under the thick canopy of the Everfree Forest, the rest of the crusaders just a few steps behind him. The small clearing they stood in was decorated by beautiful blue flowers, yet thick mist was hanging in the air, obscuring many of them.
The figure stopped and turned back to them, her face once more hidden by the brown robe’s hood. “Who was it who spoke my name? Watch your step, these flowers are no game.”
“Uhh… I’m Naruto…” he answered hesitantly, a bit baffled by her strange way of speaking. “Anyway… Have you seen a—”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity was suddenly heard yelling in fright.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack voice then called as well.
The six mares had quickly rushed to the Crusaders’ side.
“Beware! Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!” Zecora called.
Applejack quickly put Apple Bloom on her back, as did Rarity and Rainbow Dash to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
“You keep your creepy mumbo-jumbo to yourself, you hear?!” the cowmare shouted, although her voice shook in fear a bit.
The others also started shouting different things at Zecora, except for Pinkie who sang her song again.
“Oh, brother,” Twilight sighed.
“Beware! Beware!” Zecora called one last time, before disappearing into the mist.
“Yeah, back at you, Zecora! You and your lame curse are the ones who better beware!” Rainbow shouted back, digging her hoof angrily into the flower-covered ground.
“And you, Naruto!” Applejack called furiously, pressing her snout against his. “How could you let these three innocent fillies put themselves in such danger!? I trusted you to know better than that!”
“What danger!?” Naruto replied defensively. “She’s a just a pony with a weird coat… And accessories… And speech…”
“Technically, she’s a zebra,” Twilight corrected. “But I do agree with Naruto here. You’re all just superstitious!”
“Try saying that again after she puts some nasty curse on you!” Applejack turned angrily to her.
“Yeah! Just like in my song!” Pinkie exclaimed, and began singing again.
“There’s no such thing as curses!” Twilight called angrily, tired of repeating the same thing over and over again.
“Well, that's interesting to hear, coming from Miss Magic Pants herself,” Rainbow smirked as she poked Twilight’s horn.
Twilight let out a sigh and began explaining lengthily. “My magic, real magic, comes from within. It's a skill you're born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations. All smoke and mirrors meant to scare. But curses have no real power, they're just an old pony tale.”
Growing bored of the explanation, everyone simply turned around and began leaving through the blue patch of flowers.
“…Right. And what does Naruto think of it?” Rainbow then turned to look at the orange stallion, as the two were pacing side by side out of the shadows of the forest.
“Well, I guess there are some curses where I come from,” Naruto quickly said as to not add fuel to the fire. “Does Orochimaru’s curse seal count?” he pondered to himself.
“You mean… Manehatten?” Apple Bloom called.
*****
After leaving the forest and being scolded by Applejack some more for putting her sister in a close proximity with Zecora, Naruto met up with the rest of the Crusaders one last time in the town’s center. Much to Naruto’s dismay, the group decided to meet up the next day and go fox hunting, without Zecora’s help. They were to buy nets and ropes to catch the orange monstrosity, and then show it to Rarity and everypony else to prove its existence, and hopefully earn their mystery-solving/fox-hunting cutie marks.
The four of them said their goodbyes for the day, splitting up at the middle of town and each heading home. Naruto had pretended to live nearby Sugarcube Corner, so that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t find out that they both lived together. After the Unicorn filly was out of sight, he went back to Carousel Boutique, and simply walked up on the wall to the guest room’s window. He pushed it open from the outside and jumped on the floor next to the bed.
Naruto then proceeded to slump into the bed, lying on his back. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!” he called, as usual crossing his front hooves to do so.
He then let out a deep, long sigh. “Those three don’t know when to give up. Heh, they really tired me out today,” he chuckled to himself, and for some reason he was suddenly reminded of Konohamaru and his team back in Konoha. “Hmm… Well, I guess they do deserve to know about me. Heck, maybe if I tell them that much I can keep the Kyubi a secret…”
Smiling to himself, he nodded to reaffirm his decision. “Alright, I’ll tell them first thing tomorrow.”
Naruto then turned to his side to find his pajama, all cleaned and straightened out. “Thanks, Rarity. I really don’t know what I’d do here without your help,” he said quietly as he jumped up on his legs to get dressed for sleep. “Maybe those ponies are different than humans when it comes to trusting other creatures… Though, this whole Zecora thing is really confusing me…”
“Oh, right,” he muttered as he remembered something. Concentrating his thoughts, a red cloud floated out of his abdomen and condensed near the bed, turning into the miniature nine-tailed fox. The fox promptly turned away from him and lay down to sleep.
“What, no ‘thanks’ or ‘good night’?” Naruto scowled.
“I didn’t ask you to let me out,” the fox replied in his usual deep tone and sarcasm.
Naruto sighed. “Right, right. Of course,” he muttered to himself as he went to turn off the light, and then returned to his bed.
“Hey, Naruto,” the fox growled.
“What?” Naruto replied. “Maybe… He’s starting to warm up to me?”
“That little show you put on today was incredibly retarded.”
“…”
*****
The next morning, Naruto was woken up by the soft, golden rays of the sun peering through the window, and the song-like chirps of the birds outside. Stretching all of his limbs, he suddenly felt incredibly at peace, as if he had a major burden off his chest. Even when he jumped out of the bed, he somehow found the floor to be softer, and his senses sharper. “This feels like it’s gonna be a great—”
“AHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Rarity’s blood-curdling screech was heard from downstairs.
Naruto’s eyes widened in horror. “Rarity!” he yelled and started racing towards the door.
“MY MANE! MY BEAUTIFUL MAAAAAAAAAAANE!” Rarity cried very vocally.
Naruto skidded to a stop. “Are you freaking kidding me?! She’s just having another bad mane day?! It sounded like she was—”
Naruto froze when he realized something was wrong. Instead of his words, all he could hear were incoherent howls. “Eh?” he muttered in confusion. Even that very basic sound seemed to come out strange.
“Naruto Uzumaki! Testing, testing!” he called repeatedly, confirming his ears and mind were not simply playing tricks on him.
“No, no, no. This can’t be right,” he muttered to himself. But once again, all that was heard were confusing howls. That was when he felt something brushing against his tail. Something that felt like another tail.
“Wait a second… I didn’t use my transformation jutsu yet! Why do I have a tail?! Why do I even have more than one?!” he thought fearfully as he dashed over to one of cupboards. When he got closer, he noticed how much bigger it seemed compared to when he was a human. Having a horrible feeling about it, he hesitantly reached out a light orange paw to open it and reveal the large mirror inside. When Naruto looked into it, he fell backwards due to the shock he got.
“W— W—What kind of joke is this?!” Naruto yelled in horror, which only came out as several agonized howls.
“Bahahaha! That’s what you get for putting on that stupid performance yesterday, Naruto!” the fox laughed out thunderously inside him.
“Okay, relax. I can fix this. No problem,” Naruto tried to calm himself down. Making a hand seal with his odd paws… Hands… Things, he tried to channel chakra into them. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!”
Naruto kept staring at his own reflection in the mirror, holding his hand seal and hoping he would just turn back into his normal form. “Gah! It’s not working! How the hay did this happen?!” he called out, to which sounded more distressed howls.
“What is all that ruckus up there?!” he could hear Rarity calling, as her rapid hoofsteps grew closer and closer to him.
“Is it the fox?! Is he back?!” Sweetie Belle’s excited voice was heard shortly afterwards, her hoofsteps getting closer as well. “Wow, Rarity. Your mane looks—”
“Don’t you DARE finish that sentence, Sweetie Belle! And wait for me downstairs!”
Naruto looked around, panicked. If there was one thing worse than being discovered as the host to a monstrous fox, it was being found as the fox itself.
Scanning the entire room, he realized there was but one choice left for him. He ran towards the open window and jumped outside.
*****
Landing cleanly on all four, Naruto took a quick look around. “What to do… What to do…” he thought desperately.
“Dammit… I don’t think I can fix this by myself… Whatever’s going on, it’s not a jutsu…” he concluded shortly afterwards. “Right! Maybe that bookworm Twilight will know what to do!” he exclaimed, which only sounded a few foxy barks.
“Hey! It’s the fox!” Sweetie Belle called. Naruto immediately turned back, his eyes widening in surprise to see the filly looking out the window of Carousel Boutique.
“Oh, crap…” Naruto muttered as the door flung open and out came the Unicorn filly, running after him as fast as she could.
“Get back here!” Sweetie Belle yelled as Naruto started running as quickly as his strange limbs could carry him. He dashed into town, Sweetie Belle hot on his tails.
“Hey, is that a fox?” a turquoise Unicorn asked as Naruto ran by her, along with a cream-colored Earth pony. “Woah!” the Earth pony cried as Sweetie Belle stormed past her, nearly knocking her off her hooves.
Heading straight for the market and running between many surprised ponies, Naruto eyed a cart filled with carrots, tended by a yellow Earth pony with an orange mane. Jumping on the cart and running along its edges, he could hear her holler in surprise. “Hey! No running on the merchandise!”
Naruto jumped off the cart and ran ahead, nearly bumping into Fluttershy, who was looking quite distressed and unfocused. He briefly stopped to change his direction, but could hear her saying something.
“Sorry,” she muttered in a deep voice that definitely did NOT befit a mare.
Naruto looked back in horror at Fluttershy, to see Sweetie Belle running past her. “What the hay is going on here?! Is it not just me, or am I going insane?!”
Unfortunately, he didn’t notice that he nearly bumped into yet another pony. Looking down, he could see Scootaloo staring at him in shock. “Zecora’s fox!” she immediately yelled.
Every single pony in the market turned his head at the shout’s location, to see Scootaloo standing in front of a large, nine-tailed fox. “ZECORA’S FOX?!” they all repeated in horror.
A few moments later, the marketplace had become a colorful whirlpool of running, panicked ponies. The whole area had effectively descended into pure chaos. “Run for your lives!” some ponies yelled. “Zecora’s fox is gonna hunt us down!”
Naruto immediately started dashing away, giving a quick gaze behind him to see that now both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were chasing him, in the midst of the colorful whirlpool of scrambling ponies.
*****
Finally managing to get out of the marketplace, Naruto could see the huge oak tree that was the library. “Just a little bit more…”
“Watch out below!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
Instinctively, Naruto rolled to the right to avoid getting a shower, like Rainbow had done a few times in the past when they’d run into each other. But instead, he saw her crash-landing into the library’s window twice, before managing to enter via the door. “Is she flying backwards?!” he thought in shock when he saw her wings flapping unnaturally.
“There it is!” Scootaloo yelled.
“Get back here, fox!” Sweetie Belle shouted thereafter.
Naruto ran once more towards the library, only to nearly collide with yet another filly. “Gah! It’s Apple Bloom!” he howled. “And… A tiny Applejack?” he added in utter shock when he saw a nut-sized Applejack standing on top of the filly’s back.
“What in tarnation’s this here fox?!” Applejack cried in an unusually high voice. “And what’s up with all those tails?”
Apple Bloom gasped. “It’s Zecora’s fox! I told y’all it was real!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“Oh no…” Naruto muttered, as he turned back and ran away, knowing where this was going.
“Wait!” Apple Bloom called as she gave chase.
“What the hay?!” Applejack screamed, as she was blown off the filly’s back and fell down on the ground near the library. “Apple Bloom! You get back here right now!”
Apple Bloom, however, didn’t listen, and gave chase after the fox, too fast for tiny Applejack to even hope to catch up to. She was soon joined by the other Crusaders.
“Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Did ya see it?!” Apple Bloom called.
“Yeah! It looks kind of funny, but that’s gotta be the fox from yesterday!” Scootaloo replied.
“But where’s Naruto?! We can’t get the fox without him, he’s part of the team too!” Sweetie Belle said.
“There’s no choice! If we wait for him we’ll lose the fox!” Scootaloo answered.
“Alright then, let’s get it! For our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom shouted.
“For our cutie marks!” the other two fillies answered in high spirits, all the while unknowingly chasing after Naruto.
“How I wish they’d just get their cutie marks already and this will be over with!” Naruto cried mentally.
Just then, he finally noticed that he was already out of town, and heading straight to the Everfree Forest. “I got it! I’ll lose them in the forest! No way they’ll be brave enough to search there without me!” he grinned to himself as he ran into the trees’ shadows.
“Hey!” Sweetie Belle cried. “It ran back to the forest!”
“Hurry! Before we lose it!” Scootaloo called.
STOP THE MUSIC HERE
*****
Naruto ran as fast as he could on the forest’s trail, deviating away from it a minute of running later, when he spotted a bunch of thick bushes to hide in.
“It ran into the bushes!” Apple Bloom alerted the others.
“You’re not gonna get away, fox!” Scootaloo then shouted.
“Crap! They’re actually following me?!” Naruto thought in shock, and then started running deeper and deeper into the woods, between fallen trees and bushes. As he got farther and farther away from the path, the forest scene all around him began growing wilder: the trees grew closer to each other, had many more vines dangling from them, and weird, huge mushrooms began showing around every corner. The voices of the Crusaders gradually grew weaker and weaker, until after five minutes of running, they could not be heard anymore.
Naruto finally came to a stop, catching his breath. “Those legs… Weren’t… Made for… Running…” he panted. Of course, all that came out of his mouth were tired-sounding, soft howls.
“I didn’t notice it last time because I was with the others, but this forest is really quiet…” Naruto thought as he looked around him. There were almost no sounds to be heard. No streams of water, no whistling of the wind, and no tweets of the birds. Nothing. Complete silence. This made the forest seem even creepier. “I hope the girls can find their way back. Well, if they lived in Ponyville all their lives they can probably navigate here…”
“Oh… Crap…” he muttered when he realized something. “I don’t know this forest at all!” he hollered, the howls shattering the silence of the forest like a hammer shattering glass.
“Oh well… How hard could it possibly be? I’ll just go back…” he thought optimistically and turned around, retracing his steps.
*****
“Either this mushroom is very common, or I’m walking in circles,” Naruto thought as he spotted for the third time a red mushroom with white spots that was as big as him. He has been looking for the path for over thirty minutes now, and was starting to get worried.
“If only I could summon shadow clones I’d already be out of here…” he lamented. He had tried several times now to summon them, but it seemed like in this form he simply couldn’t use any jutsus at all. Even directing chakra to his legs seemed impossible, as he failed to do so to try to climb trees, to find his way out through the treetops.
“Maybe on that double-trunk tree I should take a left…” Naruto wondered as he passed by the unusual tree again. Going with his gut feeling, he changed course and walked to its left, eventually arriving at some more thick bushes.
Forcing his head through them, he could peek on an abnormally large tree. “Huh?! Does someone actually live here?!” Naruto thought in surprise. The tree and its surroundings was decorated by large, wooden masks, and strange, colorful bottles and other artifacts were hanging from its branches on ropes. The trunk seemed to be hollow, as he could see a door and a couple of windows built into it.
“Oh, maybe they’ll know how to get out of here,” Naruto smiled and walked towards the door. After arriving, he knocked on it twice and waited. Only when he retracted his foxy paw, he remembered. “Oh crap! I totally forgot I’m still a fox!”
But it was too late for him to do anything about it. The door opened to reveal… “Zecora!” Naruto exclaimed, his eyes widened in surprise. She had a somewhat similar stature to a pony, but was starkly different. Unlike ponies, who had a homogeneous coat, she had a striped coat of light and dark hues of gray. She had deep blue eyes, a medium-length tail, and a whirlpool pattern on her flank that somehow resembled a cutie mark.
Zecora smiled at the critter standing at her doorstep. “I thought I heard somepony talks, but it seems it was just you, orange fox.”
Naruto let out a mental sigh of relief. “At least she’s not panicking like the ponies back in town…”
Zecora then arched a brow at the fox standing in front of her. “Wait… Can this be? Is that… Naruto whom I see?” she asked, stunned.
Naruto’s eyes shot open. “No way… She recognized me?!” he thought, and immediately started nodding his head. “Yes! Yes! It’s me! Can you turn me back?!”
Zecora chuckled. “It seems my warning you did not note, so I must make now some antidote.”
“Huh? Warning? Antidote?” Naruto yelped.
“Come inside, my furry friend. Just trust me, and my help I shall lend,” she said as she stepped aside to allow him entry. Having not much of a choice, Naruto nodded and walked in.
Zecora closed the door behind him, and Naruto sat on the floor, watching her as she was walking over to many of her shelves, choosing several bottles and pouring their content into a large cauldron that sat in the middle of the room, that was the tree’s huge trunk. The cauldron lay in a small hole in the floor, surrounded by stones and filled with woods. The zebra soon after lighted the wood on fire by rubbing two stones together, which generated sparks.
After making the fire, Zecora walked over to some of her drawers, taking out several odd-looking leaves and flowers, and adding them into the concoction, which now turned green in color. She was singing quietly to herself in a foreign-sounding language, seemingly having fun brewing the elixir.
“How did you know it was me, Zecora?” Naruto asked, forgetting once more that he couldn’t speak in this form.
Zecora laughed again. “I do not understand what you speak, but taking a guess is not a hard trick. If you want to know how you were recognized, just take a look at by what you are symbolized,” she explained, pointing to her stomach.
Naruto looked down at his stomach. There was a large whirlpool picture on it. His expression turned into a puzzled one. “How did she recognize me by this?”
“I remember this crest from the day before. It was on the sleeve of that shirt you wore,” she clarified, smiling like she was quite enjoying mind-reading Naruto.
“She remembered that much about me? She barely saw me for a minute in that foggy place!” Naruto thought, quite impressed.
Naruto and Zecora looked again at the elixir brewing in the cauldron for a few minutes. “Tell me, you orange critter, did anypony else touch that blue flower?” she then asked, looking at him.
“Now that I think about it… Except for the crusaders, everypony else touched them!” Naruto realized, and nodded his head. “Wait… Is that why I turned into this?!”
Zecora chuckled once more. “It appears Naruto understands, but afterwards we must do the same for your friends.”
“The liquid has reached the right hue. Now it should be right for foxes, and ponies too.” Zecora said as she gave one more gaze at the cauldron. “In a few moments, this will be done. Just step in, Naruto, and your ailment will be gone,” Zecora instructed after looking at the contents of the cauldron again.
Naruto nodded, got up on his legs and began marching towards the bubbling concoction. “I really hope this will work…”
Just two steps before reaching it, the front door suddenly flung open and through it flew Rainbow Dash, with Applejack riding on her back. “I’ll save ya, Naruto!” the tiny pony cried, as Rainbow started crashing into everywhere in the house.
Zecora started yelling in the foreign language from before, as she saw her house turned into a pile of broken glass. Many of the bottles had broken by now, strangely colored liquids pouring onto the floor from them.
Applejack pulled out a tiny rope and lassoed with it Zecora’s ear, jumping on her from Rainbow’s back, while the blue Pegasus continued flying all over the place uncontrollably.
“Ponies! What is this you—,” Zecora cried, when Rainbow bumped into the cauldron, knocking it on right on top of Naruto, spilling all of its content on him. “No!” the zebra yelled in shock. “You know not what you do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!”
“Looks like we made it just in time, girls!” Twilight called in a relieved tone, as she and the others ran into the house as well. “I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming! We heard everything from outside!”
“You made me look ridiculous!” Rarity cried, her mane now looking like the fur of a Puli dog.
“You made me sound ridiculous!” Fluttershy said in a very, VERY deep tone.
“Nzktk zjdsinif zkdd izntkd!” Pinkie cried incoherently, her tongue all inflated and sticking out, covered in blue spots.
“You ruined my horn!” Twilight yelled. “And you turned Naruto into a fox, and then tried to cook and eat him!”
“How dare you! You destroy my home and destroy my work, then rudely accuse me of being a jerk?” Zecora called defensively.
“You put this curse on us, now you’re gonna uncurse us!” Rainbow demanded, after she finally managed to land down.
“Everypony…” a muffled voice sounded.
“It is unwise to venture down this road. Your actions will make my anger explode!” the zebra threatened.
“Release Naruto, and tell us where the Crusaders are!” Twilight demanded, pressing her forehead against Zecora’s.
“Stop it!” Naruto yelled, emerging from under the cauldron, which he pushed away from himself. Everypony immediately looked at him.
“Naruto! You’re alright!” Rarity called in relief. He was now sitting on the floor back as a human, wearing his pajama and soaked wet with Zecora’s cure.
“Yeah, of course I am! What’s the matter with you all?!” Naruto asked angrily.
“But… Zecora tried to get you to enter into this hot concoction! Wasn’t she trying to cook you?” Twilight asked.
“No, she was making an antidote. Seriously, Twilight, I can’t believe you actually bought into all that stuff.”
“But she said she’s gonna make us do the same!” Rainbow said, after finally landing upside down next to the fallen cauldron.
“Yeah, because I told her you all touched the flowers. She was trying to cure us!” the blond human explained.
“Cure us from the curse she put on us?!” Applejack shouted in her squeaky new voice.
To everyone’s surprise, Zecora started laughing. “If you will remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact.”
“She warned us not to touch that blue flower,” Naruto smiled.
“That plant is much like poison oak. But as its name suggests, it is just poison joke,” Zecora explained.
“What in the hay does that mean?” tiny Applejack asked.
“It means that plant does not breed wrath. Instead, that plant just wants a laugh,” the zebra said in her rhyming way of speaking.
“I think what she's saying is that when we ran in to save Naruto and the Crusaders, we ran into the poison joke,” Twilight said. “All our problems are just little jokes that played on us!”
“LITTLE JOKES?!” Applejack called angrily. “Very funny…”
“So what was with that chanting?” Fluttershy asked in a stallion’s voice.
“And the creepy decor?” Rarity added, looking at the strange masks all around in slight fear.
“Treasures of the native land where I am from,” Zecora replied. “This one speaks ‘hello’, and this ‘welcome’,” she pointed at two of the different masks in her house.
“Not welcoming at all, if you ask me,” Rarity muttered under her breath.
“And the words I chanted were from olden times. Something you call a ‘nursery rhyme’.”
“Okay then…” Twilight muttered, finally convinced. “So… That liquid in the cauldron was the cure for the poison joke?” she reconfirmed.
“Indeed it is. It’s a shame that in your library this book you miss,” Zecora said as she pulled out a green-covered book from one of the many bookshelves in the room.
Twilight gasped, and then looked at Zecora sorrowfully. “Actually, I do have this book. But I didn't look inside because the title was so... Weird.”
Naruto took a peek at it. Just the length of the book’s title was starting to give him a headache.
“I… I'm so sorry, Zecora,” Twilight said, looking down at the ground shamefully. “I had the answer the whole time, if only I had bothered to look inside…”
The others also looked down at the floor, guilt-ridden by falsely blaming Zecora for what had happened to them.
To their surprise, Zecora laughed. “Maybe next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book.”
“Mhm,” the six mares replied, nodding their heads. Naruto smiled, content that all the issues were resolves.
“Wait…” Rarity then said, still troubled by something. “But what about the girls? Didn’t they come here with Naruto?”
“Yeah! I saw ‘em chasing him when we all thought he was a fox!” Applejack called.
“I’m afraid I don’t have the answer. Perhaps Naruto can explain the matter?” Zecora asked, looking at him.
“Oh, yeah. I kind of shook them off at the forest. I figured they’d be able to get back on their own, but then I got lost here,” he explained, smiling sheepishly.
“YOU WHAT?!” everypony yelled, startling him.
“Naruto, this forest is like a maze! If you stray from the path you are almost guaranteed to get lost!” Twilight said in horror.
“Not to mention, there are many dreadful monsters in there!” Rarity exclaimed.
Naruto’s eye widened in horror. He jumped up and ran outside. “I… I have to save them! This is my fault!”
“Where are you going?! Leaving by yourself will be your undoing!” Zecora called as she ran after him, along with the others.
“Don’t worry! I won’t be alone!” Naruto replied and crossed the index and middle fingers of his hands. “Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Hundreds of Naruto duplicates appeared one by one all around, both on the ground and on nearby trees, each emerging from a cloud of smoke. As soon as they came into being, they all spread in different directions and started scanning the forest.
“We’re going too, Naruto!” Twilight called to the original.
“No, you can’t help me in your condition,” Naruto said.
“What they hay are you talking about?! I’ll just fly up there and find them in a flash,” Rainbow said as she took off, then flew in a spiral and crashed into a nearby treetop. She then slid down the bark and walked back dizzily to the group. “Ugh, never mind…”
“Naruto, might you explain what you are? You seem like the strangest creature here by far,” Zecora finally asked, as the group was waiting for the Crusaders to be found.
“Oh… Right…” Naruto said, turning to look at her. “My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I’m a Ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I came here from another world…” he answered, when he realized just how strange it must have sounded. “Uhh… You believe me, right?”
Zecora smiled. “When I first saw you, I thought you were unusual. It is not much of a surprise that you’re an otherworldly individual.”
“Really? How did you know?”
“It was just a guess, but I don’t think that was how anypony would dress.”
“I have to agree with Zecora on that matter, darling. Those are very, VERY distinctive clothing. I still wonder if I should make an autumn line based on them,” Rarity said from underneath her lengthened, ribbon-like mane.
Naruto then good his first good look at her today. “Wow, Rarity. You mane looks—”
“Don’t you DARE finish that sentence, Naruto!”
*****
Meanwhile, one of Naruto’s clones jumped between branches of different trees, looking for the crusaders. “Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo!” he yelled repeatedly, his voice echoing in the dark, silent forest. “Where are you?!”
Suddenly, a troubling hissing noise reached his ears, making him stop moving and look down at the ground below. His eyes widened in horror to see a humongous green snake, over a hundred feet long and three feet wide, moving its head in a wavy pattern, with its split tongue sticking out. It was gazing at the three little fillies, whom simply stared at it in a trance. Then, they suddenly stood up on their hind hooves, and began walking in a circle, waving their front hooves about, as if dancing.
“What the hay…” was all the clone could mutter at the surreal scene. Quickly regaining his senses, he jumped down between the snake and the three fillies.
“What the hay are you doing?! Get out of here!” he yelled back at them and looked up at the snake’s eyes, which had a spiraling image in them. “Hey! You want a meal?!” he yelled, waving his arms and trying to divert the snake’s attention. “Come get… Me…” he muttered, as his arms slumped down, his eyes becoming glassy.
Naruto started marching around, waving his hands around in a non-rhythmic, almost robotic-like pattern. A few moments later, as if taking the time to ponder what to do, the snake suddenly charged forward as quick as lightning, sinking its foot-long fangs into Naruto’s chest.
“They started dancing… In front of a giant, green snake,” Naruto explained awkwardly. Twilight, Zecora and Fluttershy gasped simultaneously. The others simply looked utterly confused.
“What the hay, Naruto?! You’re not making any sense!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“That’s a Danciconda!” Fluttershy shouted in a stallion’s voice.
“Wrujfsd sfdi sdina?!” Pinkie Pie asked.
“A giant snake that hypnotizes its victims and makes them dance to its enjoyment, before devouring them! And the worse you dance, the quicker it will eat you!” Twilight called in horror.
“Yeah! My clone looked at it and got all trancy!” Naruto confirmed.
“Well, what the hay are we waiting for?! Let’s go save ‘em!” Applejack exclaimed.
“No, we cannot take the risk! With your ailments, we will not be amply quick!” Zecora said.
“I’ll go! I can deal with animals!” Fluttershy said gravely.
“And I shall assist too, it is the least I could do!” Zecora said, looking at Naruto.
“Okay, Fluttershy. Take Zecora, and follow me!” Naruto said as he jumped to the closest tree to a left, and continued jumping from one branch to another in a straight route.
Fluttershy picked Zecora up with her hooves and flew after Naruto as quickly as her wings could carry her.
“Be careful!” Twilight called.
“Yeah! Go kick that snake’s big ugly scales!” Rainbow added.
*****
“Hurry up, Fluttershy!” Naruto urged. She was barely keeping up with him, even with the rush of needing to save the Crusaders.
“I’m trying, I’m trying!” she replied with her disturbingly low tone. She was clearly having a hard time carrying Zecora.
“Naruto! No matter what you do, you must not look in its eyes! That is how you will be hypnotized!” Zecora warned him.
“Okay, but do you have any tips, or do I just beat it the old fashioned way?”
“That snake enjoys rhythmic movements above all else. Dancing to it should work best,” the zebra replied.
“Sorry, but I don’t dance. I’m gonna do it my way! Believe it!” Naruto said, when he came to a stop. “We’re here!” he said as he looked down.
The Danciconda seemed to be quite content with the fillies’ strange ‘dance ritual’, still moving its head about in a way fashion. However, the trio of fillies had begun growing quite tired, their moves much slower than before.
“When I attack it, go down there and rescue them!” Naruto instructed. Fluttershy and Zecora nodded in response.
He then jumped down, careful not to look straight at the snake’s face. “Hey, snake! Why don’t you get a taste of this instead?! Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
A clone immediately appeared to Naruto’s right, and began focusing chakra onto Naruto’s right palm. “Rasengan!” the two Narutos yelled when the glowing blue orb was ready.
“Fluttershy, Zecora—Now!” Naruto called as he took a step to prepare to jump up at the Danciconda. But then, he suddenly froze, tears of pain forming in his eyes.
“AH!!! MY FOOT!!! WHAT THE HELL DID I STEP ON?!” Naruto cried, grabbing his aching, bare right foot, the Rasengan vanishing. Looking down, he could see the spiky shell of a chestnut on the ground, where his foot was just a moment ago.
“Crap! I totally forgot I don’t have my shoes!” the barefoot ninja shouted in pain, jumping all around on his left foot. Surprisingly enough, the snake seemed rather in interested in Naruto’s energetic ‘dance’, and followed his every movement. It completely forgot about the three fillies dancing in a circle not far from him.
Fluttershy got close enough to the ground to let down Zecora, and then landed down herself. The two stared at the jumping human for a moment, before turning their attention back to the hypnotized Crusaders.
“Wake up, you three! There’s no time, we must flee!” Zecora said urgently, giving each of them a soft shake.
The three of them suddenly shook their heads, as they finally landed down on all four hooves and slowly regained their senses and focus.
“Ah! It’s Zecora!” Sweetie Belle cried, pointing at the zebra in front of her.
“Ah! It’s a huge snake!” Scootaloo cried, pointing at the creature behind Zecora.
“Ah! It’s… What the hay is that?!” Apple Bloom asked, pointing towards Naruto, who had just stopped jumping around in pain.
“Ow, ow, ow…” Naruto muttered, as he finally allowed himself to put his foot down on the ground, the sensation of intense pain finally starting to calm down.
“Naruto, look out!” Fluttershy yelled, as she pushed him out of the snake’s fangs’ way just in time.
“NARUTO?!” the three Crusaders shouted, completely shocked.
“Thanks, Fluttershy. Sorry I lost focus,” the ninja said as the two stood up.
The Danciconda was about to strike again at the two, when Zecora ran to stand between them. “Leave those two alone, before I make you with agony moan!” she called threateningly, her expression furious. However, she was careful not looking directly at the snake’s eyes.
The snake stared at Zecora intensely, trying to work its hypnotic charm on her, to no avail. It then hissed once more, its tongue sticking out to smell the gray prey in front of it.
“Zecora!” the Crusaders called fearfully, unable to do anything to help.
“Hey! You didn’t forget about me, did you, you stupid snake?!” Naruto yelled, as he jumped once more at the giant snake, holding again the glowing blue orb in his palm. “Rasengan!”
The force from the impact between the orb and the snake’s belly scales flung its head and the top of its body backwards. Naruto then landed back on the ground.
“Yeah! You got him, Naruto!” the three fillies cheered.
But the Danciconda immediately rose back, and once again tried to bite down Naruto, who dodged by jumping to the left. “Over here, you overweight pile of scales!” Naruto called, sticking out his tongue at him and waving his hands.
Naruto started running away, and the snake immediately slithered after him. It quickly caught up with him, and began choking Naruto with his tail, only for him to vanish in a cloud of smoke. The snake released its grip and looked at where Naruto was supposed to be, completely puzzled.
“Hey! You’re looking for me?! I’m over here!” Naruto called. The snake turned back, to see Naruto standing boldly in front of him. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he then called as he performed the hand seal.
Two clones appeared at Naruto’s side, and began channeling chakra towards Naruto’s open palm. A large blue sphere, this time surrounded by glowing blades made of air began formed above it. “Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror. She saw what that technique could do before. It completely decimated a huge, albeit fake, Timberwolf. “No, Naruto! You’ll kill the poor creature!”
The snake slithered closer, and Naruto moved his hand backwards, ready to use the Rasenshuriken. “Sorry, Fluttershy, but I don’t have a choice,” he said coldly, preparing for the right moment to land the blow.
Then, to the shock of everyone, Fluttershy flew up right in front of the snake, staring it dead in the eyes. The snake immediately stopped in its tracks.
“Now you listen here, you mean old snake!” she called and looked up at it fearlessly. “I don’t know what you’re thinking to yourself, but you CANNOT eat my friends! Do you understand me?!” her male roar echoing in the woods. Everyone around simply stared at her, completely and utterly stunned.
The snake looked a bit confused, but then it stared back at Fluttershy, its eyes starting to spin again hypnotically. “I said… DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!” Fluttershy repeated, as if not affected at all by the snake’s hypnotic ability.
Then, every single jaw in the area dropped, as the Danciconda hung its head low, as if accepting its defeat. It turned around and slithered away silently into the darkness of the forest.
*****
“Oh… I can’t take this anymore! They’ve been gone forever now!” Rainbow Dash said, pacing around nervously.
“I know what you mean, Rainbow. But we have to put our faith in them,” Rarity said encouragingly, but it was more to herself. She’s been beside herself with worry for her little sister.
“That’s it. I’m going,” Applejack said, standing on Twilight’s back. “I’ll be darned if I leave Apple Bloom in this kinda—”
“Hey, everypony!” Sweetie Belle’s voice rang.
Everypony looked to the source of the voice, and smiled from ear to ear to find the Crusaders running towards them happily. Naruto, Fluttershy, Zecora walked just behind them, all smiling as well.
Sweetie Belle and Rarity hugged, as did Applejack and Apple Bloom’s snout.
“We were really worried about you, squirt!” Rainbow said happily, giving Scootaloo a noogie. “We heard you tried to take on a giant snake!” she laughed.
“Well, we kinda bumped into it by accident,” Apple Bloom explained. “But those three sure took on it!”
“You should have seen them! They were amazing!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with much enthusiasm.
“Yeah!” Scootaloo called. “Zecora was all like ‘you shall not pass’! And Naruto made clones and cool glowing orbs!”
“Well, sounds like it all went just fine,” Twilight smiled in relief.
“See?” Naruto grinned. “I told you to leave it to—”
“But Fluttershy was the coolest!” Scootaloo exclaimed, looking at her with sheer admiration. “She just looked up at the snake, and the snake was all like ‘no way I’m messing with her!’, and ran away!”
“Wow, are you serious?!” Rainbow exclaimed, and the mares all began gathering around, asking her just how she did that.
“Tsdkmf tsdkmf, Nsdnro,” Pinkie Pie tried to comfort Naruto, putting her hoof on the degraded ninja who just lost to a pony.
“…Thanks, Pinkie… It’s… No big deal…” he lied, clearly distraught over being out-cooled by Fluttershy.
“So… What are you, Naruto?” Apple Bloom finally asked.
“Oh, right,” he grinned, realizing he still hadn’t introduced himself to them properly. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki! I’m a Ninja of the Village hidden in the Leaves! Nice to meet you all!” he grinned, putting his arms behind his neck.
*****
A while later, after cleaning the mess they made at Zecora’s house, the whole group walked out of the forest, safe and sound. Before they did so, Naruto transformed back into a pony, and thus earned a barrage of questions from Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. By the time they were done, Zecora and the Crusaders were just as informed about him as the six mares.
“By the way,” Naruto said as they were about to enter town. “It was me and a clone who staged that whole fox thing yesterday.”
“Yeah, we kinda figured that out by now,” Scootaloo smiled.
“Yeah, no offense,” Apple Bloom added. “But that was some pretty darn bad acting, Naruto.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m a ninja and not an actor then!” Naruto laughed lightheartedly. “Oh, right. I’m also the one who left that knife and those hairs. Sorry I got us all on that crazy running around yesterday,” he admitted, though there was still a small lie hidden there.
“Wait, so does that mean you live in our guest room?!” Sweetie Belle asked happily.
“Yes, ever since he came to Equestria. I’m sorry, but Naruto wanted me to keep it a secret, so I had to cooperate,” Rarity said.
“Hey, don’t worry about it!” her younger sister said happily. “And besides, do you know what that means?”
Naruto and Rarity exchanged looks, completely at loss, and then looked back at the three fillies.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS SUPER SLEEPOVER!” Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle yelled at the same time, earning cheerful laughs from everypony, and a somewhat amused groan of pain from both Rarity and Naruto.
“By the way, Naruto,” Twilight spoke. “Why did you turn into a fox with nine tails? That seems… Completely unrealistic, even for the poison joke.”
“Oh! Uhh… Haha… Who knows?” he chuckled nervously, looking away from her. Zecora and Twilight arched a brow at him, but did not raise an objection to this.
As the group made it back into Ponyville’s market, all the nearby ponies stared in horror at Zecora and the Mane Six, since most of them looked strange because of the ‘curse’. They all began running around and fleeing into their houses in horror, afraid of the ‘curse’.
Twilight took the lead, walking towards one of the colorful houses, just behind a cart full of flowers, and knocked on the door. The door opened slightly to reveal a frightened, pink Earth pony with green mane and tail. “Daisy, we need to talk…”
*****
Over the next two hours or so, Naruto and the others walked around Ponyville, explaining to everypony that Zecora is not an evil enchantress. Pinkie was pantomiming with a surprisingly high success rate for getting the message across.
Afterwards, Zecora met with the residents and made amends. The citizens of Ponyville apologized for criticizing and being wary of her without a good reason, while Zecora properly introduced herself, and explained her strange behavior during the times she came to Ponyville. Afterwards, residents happily gave away everything she needed to help brew the cure for the poison joke inflicted mares. The spa ponies even volunteered the Jacuzzi to be used as a bath for the cure.
And so, a while later, the mane six and the Crusaders were all enjoying a warm, healing dip, their poison joke symptoms all gone. The spa mares were chatting happily with Zecora, while Spike was writing down a letter dictated by Twilight.
“And… Done!” the purple dragon announced happily.
“Great!” Twilight smiled. “Now it’s your turn, Naruto.”
Spike walked towards the tub of water and showed Naruto the scroll.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today, my friends and I learned two important lessons: First of all, never judge a book by its cover. Somepony may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is. It's the "contents" of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.
“Well, I don’t really get all that stuff, but it looks okay to me,” Naruto smiled.
“Really? Didn’t you learn anything from that little fox hunt this morning?” Twilight smirked at him knowingly.
“Oh, right,” Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
After a while of trying to piece together an appropriate paragraph to present to Princess Celestia, Naruto was finally done, after getting some help from Twilight and Spike.
Second of all, we learned that painting over your real “cover” with a nicer one will never bring any good. It can only serve to lie and confuse your friends, and could bring about much trouble. As I wrote before, it is only your “content” that counts for real friends. And you should not be afraid to be honest with them. That’s because at the end of the road, real friends will always appreciate who you truly are on the inside.
Your Faithful Students, Twilight Sparkle and Naruto Uzumaki
“Hey! I didn’t sign up for this!” Naruto objected to the last few words, as the scroll was rolled neatly by Spike and burned away in green flame. Nevertheless, his frown soon melted away into laughter alongside the others’.
However, Naruto’s smile vanished again not long afterwards. “Sorry, Twilight… But there are some things I just can’t tell. I… I don’t think I can ever be completely honest with you all…”
The Crusaders were strolling down the marketplace, looking for something to inspire them on their next crusade for their cutie marks, for now without much success.
“I’m officially out of ideas, guys,” Apple Bloom sighed. “We helped Zecora out with cleaning her house and also collected herbs for her.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “We tried swimming in the lake, diving in the lake, floating on the lake…”
“But are you all even interested in those?” Naruto asked. “Some of them seemed really boring to me, really…”
“Well, what are you suggesting? Didn’t you have any other hobbies back at that ‘Village Hidden in the Leaves’?” Scootaloo asked. “Except, you know, being a ninja and all that?”
“Hobbies…” Naruto repeated aloud, thinking about it.
“Or maybe something you really, really liked to do?” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“Hmm…” Naruto said, closing his eyes and deep in thought. “Well… I really, really, really liked eating Ramen.”
Naruto then froze, and suddenly started crying a river. “Oh, Ramen… My sweet, tasty Ramen! I have no idea how I lived so long without you…”
“Naruto?” Apple Bloom asked, a bit worried.
“The inviting smell, the slippery, soft noodles melting in your mouth… The delicious ingredients and their amazing flavor when they mixed together… Oh… How I miss you… How I miss all of you…”
“Uh… Naruto?!” Apple Bloom asked again, very worried.
“I can feel the end growing near… Oh, what’s the use…” he muttered, completely depressed, as he slumped on the ground, succumbing to Ramen deprivation. Several ponies stopped around the street to look at the crying adult pony.
“NARUTO!” the three fillies shouted together, snapping him back to reality.
“We ain’t got a clue what that Ramen is…” Apple Bloom said, smiling at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
“But we’re gonna help you make some!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“And earn our…” Sweetie Belle began.
“RAMEN CHEFS CUTIE MARKS! BELIEVE IT!” the three shouted enthusiastically.
Naruto looked up at them in utter shock. “Are you… Serious?!”
“Yeah! Of course!” Sweetie Belle said happily.
“Anything for a fellow Crusader!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“Alright then…” Naruto said, rising back to his hooves, and wiping the Ramen-yearning tears from his eyes. “Let’s go and make some Ramen!” he called while raising his hoof up, completely rejuvenated.
“Yeah!” the rest of the Crusaders exclaimed.
“So… How do we make it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Oh, right…” Naruto chuckled sheepishly, and gave it some thought. “Okay! First we’ll need to buy stuff to make the noodles!”
“We need… Umm…” Naruto mumbled, as he was thinking back to the time Teuchi, Ichiraku Ramen’s chef, showed him how to make it. “Right! Lots of flour, eggs and some salt!”
“I’ll get the salt!” Sweetie Belle called.
“I’ll grab some eggs from the farm!” Apple Bloom volunteered.
“And I’ll look for some flour, Naruto,” Scootaloo said and ran off.
“Whatcha doin’, Naruto?” a familiar voice suddenly asked from just behind him. Naruto jumped up, then quickly turned around, hastily reaching his hoof into his weapon bag, his instincts taking over for a moment. His muscles only relaxed when a pink flash entered his line of sight.
“Hey, Pinkie. What are you doing here?” he smiled, barely masking the feeling of his heart nearly popping out of his chest.
“Hey, I asked you first!” she objected.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Naruto chuckled. “I was just trying to ma—”
“Just visiting an old friend. He’s a traveling merchant,” the pink pony explained, cutting Naruto off. “His name is Momo! Have you seen him?”
“Momo? Is he a pony? How does he look like?” Naruto asked in surprise. “That sounds like a name you’d give a pet monkey or something….”
“Yep-a-rooney! His real name is just really, really difficult! Even your crazy hard name is a piece of pie with ice cream compared to it! I can’t even remember it! So I just call him ‘Momo’!” she explained cheerfully. “He’s an old, blue Unicorn with a really long beard. Have you seen him?”
Naruto looked around, and sure enough, he could see one such pony on the other side of the street. He raised his hoof to show her. “He’s ov—”
“Ah, there he is! Thanks anyway, Naruto!” Pinkie said as she darted off, somehow leaving behind a cloud of dirt exactly her shape, which dissipated soon afterwards.
“Well… I’ll need some way to carry all the ingredients…” Naruto said, completely brushing off the last few minutes.
*****
Naruto had purchased from one of the vendors a simple, large, black saddlebag to carry the goods, and waited for the fillies to return.
“Alright! We have everything!” Sweetie Belle announced, coming back. Naruto grinned at his fellow Crusaders, as a sack of flour, a small bag of salt and a basket of eggs were unloaded into it. “Wait… How did the last one fit in?!” Naruto pondered.
“But, that just seems like we’re making pasta. Is Ramen some kind of pasta?” Apple Bloom asked, cutting his line of thought.
Naruto stared at her, bewildered, his eyes almost poking out of their sockets due to shock. “No! Of course not! Ramen is… Ramen is… Perfect noodles in a perfect, tasty liquid brew…”
“Alright, alright,” Scootaloo cut him off before he goes on and on about it. “So, what’s next?”
“Okay, now we need to make the broth… Hmm… The old man didn’t exactly show how to make it… But he always put some green rings in it…”
“Ah! We grow some at the farm!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Those are green onions! I’mma go get some!” she said before running off.
“Thanks!” Naruto called after her.
“Okay, what else?” Scootaloo asked.
“Hmm…” Naruto muttered, the lines hidden under his forehead protector furrowing in thought. “Ah, right!” he finally exclaimed. “It also has a bit of a stinging taste… So maybe… Garlic!”
“On it!” Scootaloo saluted and ran off to find somepony selling the white veggies.
“And also… Soy sauce!”
Sweetie Belle arched a brow. “Soy sauce? Are you sure, Naruto? This starts to sound kinda weird,” she said skeptically.
“Don’t worry! Just count on me!” Naruto grinned from ear to ear.
“Well… Okay then!” she smiled, unable to deny the optimism in Naruto’s voice, which made it seem like a sure-work plan.
“Okay,” Naruto said to himself. “Now what else—”
“Hi again!” a voice practically shouted into his left ear.
Naruto had barely managed to contain the urge to either jump in fear or pull out a kunai, and settled for grabbing his chest, which its left side felt like it was gonna pop out, like before. He turned back to see exactly who he expected it to be, especially on account of what transpired earlier.
“Hey again, Pinkie,” he answered. “Are you done meeting Momo?”
“No, you silly filly! I came over to bring you to him! He said he wants to meet you!”
“Huh?” Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
*****
A few moments later, Naruto had nearly arrived with Pinkie to the shop at the farthest end of the marketplace. A huge, colorfully garish sign read ‘Momo the Merchant’s Otherworldly Goods’.” Each letter was painted on the sign in a different color, and below it was a drawing of a blue pony. It looked more like a birthday party sign rather than a business one.
“Guess who made that sign! I’ll give you three—no, five guesses!” Pinkie said very quickly, jumping once to Naruto’s left, and once to his right.
“Umm… You?” Naruto ventured.
Pinkie’s jaw dropped. “Woah, you’re good, Naruto! That other time he came to town his sign was all dirty and old, so I just had to make him a new one!” she explained. “Oh right, I forgot to ask you—can you mind read? Do you have a mind reading jutsu?!”
“No, but be quiet. I don’t want him to know I’m a ninja,” he whispered, as the two finally stood in front of the large, yet plain wooden cart to which bottom of the sign was attached. It was packed to the brim with all sorts of strange goods of all different categories, but it was a complete chaos. Weird plants, tools, and small pieces of furniture lay inside in a mess.
Behind the cart stood an aged-looking Unicorn with a royal blue coat. He had a lengthy, light gray mane, which fell over to the left side of his back, and a very, very long and relatively thin beard which nearly reached the ground. He had a yin-yang sign for a cutie mark, and his eyes were closed, but he immediately turned his head to where Naruto and Pinkie had arrived from, smiling calmly.
“Ah, there you are, Pinkie Pie. And that must be Naruto, I presume?” he spoke in a tone so soft and calm you could nearly drift asleep upon.
“Hiya again, Momo! Yup-indeedily! This bucko’s Naruto, and as he says, ‘Believe it!’” Pinkie laughed, her voice nearly completely contrasting his.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto,” he smiled, bowing to him.
“Oh! Uhh… Nice to meet you too,” Naruto replied, slightly taken aback by him for some reason, and gave him a small bow as well.
Momo then walked to the front of the wagon and stood just in front of Naruto, surprising him. He then started circling him, causing him to tense up a bit.
“Umm… What are you looking for?” Naruto asked, slightly puzzled.
“Psst, Naruto!” Pinkie hissed, causing him to lean his ear in. “He’s blind!” she ‘whispered’ loud enough to be heard across the street. “He can’t look for anything!”
“That I am,” Momo said as he stopped circling Naruto, and stood next to Pinkie. “That is why I was more along the line of hearing and smelling.”
“You seem to be collecting some ingredients. I can smell fresh eggs, salt and flour. Oh, and a fox, for some strange reason. Are you making fox pie?” he smiled.
Pinkie burst into a laugh, and literally started rolling on the ground. “Hahahaha! Fox pie, he said! Isn’t he a cracker, Naruto?!”
“Hahahaha….” Naruto made a very forced laugh. “Yeah… Fox pie…”
“So, seriously now. What are you making? Perhaps I could be of help,” Momo said.
“I’m making Ramen. Not that you would know what that is…” Naruto replied, giving up on anypony in this universe knowing what it is.
“Hmm… No, I can’t say that I do…” he said, passing his front right hoof on his very long beard. “Are you looking for some ingredients? Maybe I will have something that will help you.”
“Hey, Naruto!” Scootaloo called. Naruto looked to the right to see the rest of the Crusaders arriving from down the street. “We’ve been looking for you. We got everything!” she said happily.
“Great job, Crusaders!” Naruto grinned, and bent down to allow the three fillies to unload everything into the saddlebag.
“So, who’s he?” Apple Bloom asked.
“A pleasure to meet you, little ones. You may call me ‘Momo’,” he introduced himself, smiling gently.
“Even he is calling himself like that?!” Naruto thought, stunned.
“Hi, Momo!” the Crusaders replied heartily.
“So, did you find everything for the Ramen, Naruto?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Not really. I still need a few things,” Naruto said, trying to remember what they could possibly be.
“What do you need? What do you need?” Pinkie asked enthusiastically, jumping in a circle around Naruto. “Is it… Uhh… Bubble gum! Right?”
“No, it’s definitely not gum…” Naruto said, still thinking.
“WHAT KIND OF INSANE PONY WOULD PUT APPLES IN RAMEN?!” Naruto shouted, horrified by the very idea. “I’m not sure, really…” he continued, deep in thought. “It needs to… You know… Pack some kind of punch?” Naruto tried to explain to the best of his capabilities.
Except for Momo, who kept his calm smile, everypony looked utterly confused by the vague description. “I believe I could offer you something…” the aged Unicorn said, as his horn lighted up in blue aura. Out from the mess of assorted item floated an oddly shaped piece of plant, encompassed by the same aura, and came to a stop in front of Naruto. It was brown, and had inconsistent bumps all over it.
The orange Earth pony’s eye widened to the size of saucers, as he suddenly clearly recalled seeing the Ramen chef in Konoha chop that thing into tiny pieces and add it to the broth. “Yes! Yes! This is it!” he announced ecstatically, to the shock of everypony around. “So… What is it?”
“It is called ‘ginger’. It’s very rare around here, and thus not many ponies use it for cooking. It’s quite peculiar you should desire it,” Momo smiled, and levitated it into Naruto’s saddlebag.
“So, are we all done?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at Naruto.
“Not yet! We still need to find the most important ingredient!” Naruto grinned, his mouth nearly starting to drool. “I need some p—”
“Naruto!” the old pony suddenly shouted, startling everypony. “A word, if you please?” he asked, and motioned him to come over behind the cart.
Naruto did as he asked. “Ponies don’t eat meat, you know. Neither pork, nor any other kind,” Momo whispered with a strict expression.
Naruto gazed at him in surprise. “Oh. I see…” he muttered, quite disappointed. “Well… I guess it is weird for ponies to eat meat…”
“Grr… That was incredibly suspicious,” the Kyubi spoke.
“It was?” Naruto asked back mentally. “Why do you even care?”
“Stop hearing my thoughts! Mind your own damn business!” the fox snapped at him.
“Hey! I can’t help it, you know!”
“Naruto,” Scootaloo called. “What’s going on back there?”
“Yeah!” Pinkie called, jumping back and forth between Naruto and Momo. “What’s going on? What’s going on?” she asked cheerfully.
The blue Unicorn stared at Naruto intently, a curious expression on his muzzle. “Oh, it was nothing, Pinkie,” he finally smiled at her. “Just a culinary tip.”
“Oh! Oh! Was it ‘don’t leave your milk out’? Or maybe ‘don’t scramble your eggs before you count them’?” Pinkie guessed. “Or was it ‘do scramble your eggs before counting them’?”
“Returning to the Ramen topic…” Momo said, as he led the other two back to the front. “How are you going to hold the noodles? With your hooves?”
“Ah!” Naruto called. “I… I completely forgot about that! Well, it’s no problem for me, but I do want everypony else to enjoy it too…”
Momo smiled from ear to ear. “I think I have the perfect solution for you, Naruto,” he said as his horn lighted up. A metallic noise rose from inside the wagon, and out floated a strange-looking, gray, metallic tool. It looked like a small cup, and attached to its base were a couple of metal rods, about five inches in length. The rods grew gradually thinner from their base to their tip.
“I may not look like it, but I have a hobby of inventing useful things. Well… These haven’t been selling really well, so I guess they weren’t that useful. I hope you’ll think differently, though, Naruto,” he explained, and then turned to the Crusaders. “Anypony wants to volunteer for a demonstration?”
“Pick me! Pick me!” Pinkie and the three fillies called in excitement.
“Haha, I like your enthusiasm!” Momo laughed. “You can all get a turn if you wish,” and floated the strange tool towards them. “Now, raise up a hoof,” he instructed.
The open end of the cup floated towards Sweetie Belle’s front hoof, covering it. “Now, try moving the sticks,” Momo smiled.
“How? With my other hoof?” Sweetie Belle asked, baffled. Then, suddenly, the two rods clasped together in a strong, metallic noise.
“Woah, cool!” she exclaimed. The others stared at her and the device in utter shock. “I just thought about it, and the sticks moved!” Sweetie Belle explained, ecstatic. Soon afterwards, the rods moved away to open and back together to close a few more times, at Sweetie Belle’s control.
“You should try it too, girls!” she said happily. Momo then floated it to Apple Bloom’s hoof.
“I invented this for ponies who didn’t want to use their mouths or magic to hold things. Besides, it was really fun,” Momo said cheerfully as the sticks were passed around. “I have some more, if you want to have them, Naruto.”
Naruto simply gazed at the contraptions in awe. “Those are…”
“AMAZING!” Pinkie finished, moving the sticks around in incredible speed. “No, they’re not just amazing. They’re super-ultra-MEGA AMAZING!”
Momo laughed heartily. “I’m glad that at least somepony took a liking to them. So, what will it be, Naruto?”
“Yes! I’ll take them! Believe it!” he called ecstatically.
“Alright then,” Momo smiled again, and his horn lighted up once more. A loud metallic rustle arose from the wagon, as nine more of the same metallic instruments came out, deflating the pile of items in the vehicle a bit. The cups came in a few different sizes, so that anypony could find one fitting for him.
“I planned on making some more, but I never got to it,” he added. Naruto looked up to see two pairs of simple, metal rods. “Would you like them too, free of charge?”
“I could probably use them like regular chopsticks…” Naruto figured. “Alright! Thank you very much! Err… Momo,” he struggled to say that last part. “Seriously, that name is really weird…”
“So, how much would everything be?” Naruto grinned.
“Nine thousand bits,” Momo answered, smiling as calmly as usual.
Naruto reached for his pocket with the bits, his savings from what Applejack had paid him for his work at the farm. “No problem, nine thousa… WHAT?! NINE THOUSAND?! THERE’S NO WAY THAT CAN BE RIGHT!” Naruto yelled in shock. That was about thirty times what he earned up until now, even without the expenses.
Momo started laughing. “I jest, of course. It is a hundred and twenty bits.”
Naruto let out a sigh of relief. “You really got me there…” he muttered, and paid him the sum. Momo unloaded the apparatuses into Naruto’s black saddlebag.
“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Naruto. And you’ve made an old pony really happy, using my invention like that,” Momo said as he levitated the sign and placed it horizontally on the wagon, covering the merchandise.
“Huh? Are you leaving?” Naruto asked in surprise, seeing him tying the wagon’s reins around himself.
“Well, he is a traveling merchant,” Pinkie smiled.
“Yeah, but do you have to leave like, right now?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yes, my little filly. The road calls me,” he said as the wagon started rolling. “Besides, I feel like I’ve done plenty good here already,” he smiled at Naruto once more.
The others walked along him as the wagon slowly picked up the pace. “Oh, Naruto?” he asked.
“When I return to Ponyville, I expect to have some tasty Ramen, alright?” he laughed.
Naruto was surprised by this, but then smiled. “You got it! Believe it!”
*****
As they reached the road leading out of Ponyville, Momo waved goodbye to the group. “I will see you around, my little ponies. Until then…”
“Bye, Momo!” the group called back, waving and watching him walking away into the setting sun.
“And good luck with your cutie marks, you four!” he shouted back to them, just as the road curled to the left and he disappeared behind some trees.
“Thanks!” the four Crusaders replied.
“Alright! Now let’s make some Ramen!” Naruto called happily.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS RAMEN CHEFS! YAY!” the other Crusaders said happily.
Pinkie had led the Crusaders to the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, so they could start making some delicious Ramen.
As soon as they got there, Naruto unloaded all of the ingredients onto the counter, and set Momo’s apparatuses aside.
“Alright! Let’s start!” the orange Earth pony called, and then proceeded to open the bag of flour.
“Weehee! This is so exciting!” Pinkie called, jumping around energetically. “Tell me if you need anything, Crusaders! I Pinkie Promise to help you in any way I can!”
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Naruto said, and poured some of the flour on the counter, remembering the time he helped the Ichiraku owner save his daughter by making Ramen for the chef-ninjas who kidnapped her.
“Okay,” Naruto began. “First we—”
“Stop!” Apple Bloom yelled, causing everypony to look at her. “My sister says we always gotta wash our hooves before cooking!”
“Oh, good point,” Naruto chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his hoof.
After cleaning their hooves properly, Naruto began explaining. “First, we need to make a mound of flour, like this,” he instructed, shaping the flour into a small mound with a ‘crater’ at its top. The three fillies followed suit as he was demonstrating.
“We put a pinch of salt,” he continued after the others were done, taking a bit of salt from the small bag. “And put it in the mound,” he demonstrated. However, too focused on his own mound, Naruto didn’t notice that Sweetie Belle had halfway filled the crater with salt.
“And we fill up the crater with eggs!” Naruto said, breaking an egg gently on the rim of the counter, then poured its inside into the crater. Two more eggs, and the hole was filled to the brim.
However, Sweetie Belle’s eggs overflowed and soaked the salt, continuing to spill down the mount of flour like lava on an erupting volcano.
Some distance away, Pinkie Pie has happily turned to look at you. “This totally foal-friendly cooking show is brought to you by—”
“Who are you talking to, Pinkie?” Apple Bloom called, though she was busy focusing on the Ramen making project.
“Nopony!” Pinkie waved to her.
“Now mix the flour into the eggs and keep going until everything smooth and even,” Naruto called, pressing his hooves into the dough. Surprisingly enough, he found it somewhat more convenient than kneading with human hands. “Oh right, I forgot to change back…” he chuckled mentally. “Oh well.”
“How’s everypony doing?” he smiled at the Crusaders.
“Great!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle replied, while Scootaloo tried as hard as she could to keep the dough off her hooves.
“Mine is too sticky!” the Pegasus filly called, white pieces clinging to her orange coat. “I think I used too many eggs…”
“Goodnight, everypony!” Pinkie blew a kiss and waved to you.
“Just add some flour to fix it,” Apple Bloom suggested to Scootaloo.
*****
Afterwards, the four Crusaders had all finished managed to combine the ingredients. However, they were far from done.
“Alright, now to really mix it up!” Naruto exclaimed and grabbed his piece of dough. “Now, you really gotta put your all into this!” he said as he raised the crude dough upwards, and started pulling it apart and then back together quickly like an accordion. He twisted it in mid-air, and even threw it upwards and caught it a few times. “If you don’t, the noodles won’t be thick and even enough,” he explained.
“Woah!” the others called in awe, unable to take their eyes off the impressive dough dance Naruto performed.
Then, after a few more minutes of kneading, stretching and compressing, the dough began separating into strings, almost like magic. “Whew,” Naruto said, wiping a bit of sweat from between his mane and the forehead protector. “All done!” he announced happily, turning to look at the three jaw-dropped fillies after putting the finished raw noodles on the counter.
“My Little Noodle: Ramen is Magic,” Pinkie said, looking directly at you. “Even I don’t get it,” she shrugged.
“Alright, let’s do it!” Scootaloo called as she, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom started mimicking Naruto’s actions.
Naruto watched them all, instructing and cheering them. “You’re doing great! Put more shoulder into it!”
“This is…” Sweetie Belle muttered. “A lot harder than it looks…” she said, struggling to knead the dough properly.
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom added. “My hooves hurt, and I barely even started!”
“Hang in there, this is the hardest part,” Naruto cheered them up. “I think,” he added under his breath.
*****
About fifteen minutes later, the three fillies were sitting on the stools they used to stand on while making the noodles, completely exhausted. On the counter above them were somewhat similar creations to that of Naruto.
“Wow…” Sweetie Belle panted. “This is really hard work…”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo added. “I’m aching in places I didn’t even know existed!”
“Are we done yet, Naruto?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Not even close!” Naruto laughed.
“What? Don’t look at me,” Pinkie glared you. “I’m not even gonna comment on this anymore,” she said, turning back to the Crusaders.
“Next, we need to fry the vegetables for the broth,” Naruto explained. “Pinkie, do you have a—” he began, when he saw her holding a bottle of oil with her tail, a pan on her back.
Naruto stared at her, a bit surprised. “How did you know?” he questioned after recovering rather quickly.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Pinkie said shook her hoof towards him. “It all comes with the territory, my little ninja. I’m a cooking expert, you know!”
“Alright, thanks,” Naruto smiled and took the pan and oil from her. “A cooking expert… At making cupcakes and sweets, maybe? How does it even relate to Ramen…?” he pondered.
“So, is everypony ready?” Naruto asked the tired fillies.
“Can we have a break first, Naruto?” Apple Bloom asked.
“A break?! But we’re only like a thousand words into this chapter now!” Pinkie objected, earning utterly baffled gazes from the four other ponies.
“Anyways…” Naruto continued as if that didn’t just happen. “I’ll cut the vegetables, and you can tell Pinkie how to cook them, alright? That shouldn’t be too difficult,” he suggested, smiling.
“Okay!” Sweetie Belle called happily, grateful she doesn’t have to do much physical work again. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.
Over the course of the next ten minutes or so, Naruto (in human form) cut the ginger, green onion and garlic for the Crusaders to use. “You only need to use a little ginger!” Naruto made sure to tell the others. Other than that, he focused intently on the task at hand and worked diligently, constantly thinking about the prize that would await them in the end. Perhaps contrarily to the three fillies, for him that prize was actually the Ramen itself, rather than the possible resulting cutie mark.
Not long afterwards, after being assisted by Pinkie and Naruto, each of the Crusaders had made their own version of the base for the broth. Naruto made his version himself, monitoring closely the smell and color of the mixture, to ensure they weren’t burnt.
“What now, Naruto?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Now we heat some water, and add all this the vegetables into it,” Naruto said, and demonstrated by filling a small pot with water, then put it on one of the stoves.
The other crusaders did the same, again with some help from the two grown-up ponies, and now there were four pots with fragrant vapors rising out of them.
“Awesome! So all we need now is put the noodles in and we’re done, right?” Scootaloo inquired.
“No, now we add soy sauce, salt and pepper until it tastes just right!” Naruto explained, grinning over the somewhat familiar smell entering his nostrils. “Plus, we need to boil the noodles in water first.”
First, the Crusaders refined and tasted the broth using the soy and salt they bought at the market, and borrowed some pepper from Pinkie that she pulled out of her mane.
“Why do you have pepper on you, Pinkie?” Naruto arched a brow at this.
“Reasons,” Pinkie replied, refusing to expand on this. But being a former prankster himself, Naruto could very accurately guess the ‘reasons’.
“This tastes… Weird,” Sweetie Belle said, tasting a spoonful of broth Naruto brought it to her mouth. “Not bad, just weird.”
“You need more soy sauce,” Naruto expressed his opinion after tasting some of hers as well. “But not a lot. Maybe half a spoon.”
The Crusaders gazed at him in surprise. “Wow, I didn’t know you were a chef back at the leaf village,” Apple Bloom said, sounding impressed.
Naruto chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “More like a Ramen taster, really. I don’t know half a thing about other cooking-related stuff.”
About half an hour later, the four broths made by the Crusaders were all ready. Naruto smiled proudly at their achievements so far. “Good work, Crusaders! Now just one last thing before it’s ready!”
“Boil the noodles?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yep!” Naruto grinned. “Are you ready to start?”
“Yeah! Ramen Cutie Marks, hurray!” the three fillies replied.
Naruto started by filling another small pot with water, and added some salt. He then turned on the flame to boil the water. The others followed suit, with some assistance from him and from Pinkie.
“Hey, Naruto. Think someday you could show us how to be human too?” Apple Bloom asked as she saw him holding the pot. “Those weird hooves you have look really convenient,” she explained her reasoning, staring at his hands.
“Yeah! Just like how you use that juice of yours to turn into a pony!” Sweetie Belle added, smiling hopefully.
“It’s jutsu, not juice,” Scootaloo corrected her. “But yeah, that does look like it would be cool,” she grinned.
“Sorry, but using jutsus takes chakra,” Naruto said with apologetic smile. “Only ninjas have chakra.”
“Aww, that sucks…” Apple Bloom sighed.
“Well, let’s continue,” the ninja then said, redirecting their attention to the noodles. “All we need to do is put them in the water once they boil. I think about five minutes should be okay.”
Soon enough, the water was bubbling significantly, and they all put the raw noodles they prepared at the beginning into it.
*****
“Alright! They’re finally ready!” Scootaloo called five minutes later. She and the others kept looking at the clock in anticipation.
Naruto went ahead and filled four bowls, each with each Crusader’s broth and noodles. He then put them on the floor, and transformed into a pony, so that he could use Momo’s apparatus. He was actually rather eager to use it himself. The five ponies in the room all gazed at their creations in awe, then exchanged excited gazes.
“All we need to do is stir so that the noodles will get some of the broth’s taste, and then it’s ready to eat!” Naruto explained, grinning from ear to ear.
“Me first!” Pinkie quickly called, grabbed one of Momo’s devices and tasted them all one by one, loitering with each one and pondering their taste. Or at least so it appeared to the others.
“Well…?” Sweetie Belle asked in anticipation. “How were they?”
“Hmm…” Pinkie muttered, still deep in thought. “Hmm… Alright, I’ve decided.”
“Really?! Whose is the best?!” Scootaloo asked, excited.
“I dunno. They’re all really good though!” the pink Earth pony called happily. The Crusaders nearly all fell on their faces over that.
“Let’s just try them ourselves, okay?” Naruto suggested, and handed the three fillies three of Momo’s smaller devices, while he took a larger one.
“Let's dig in!” Naruto called, and took himself some of his noodles after thoroughly stirring them inside the broth. The others did the same with their own dish, using the magical metal rods to hold the noodles for them.
The moment Naruto has brought the noodles to his mouth, his heart sank in disappointment. “It’s not bad… But it’s no way near Teuchi’s… It doesn’t even begin to compare…”
“Ah! Too salty!” Sweetie Belle cried and made a dash to the sink to drink some tongue-cleansing water.
“Too spicy!” Apple Bloom cried and joined Sweetie Belle in her attempts to clear her mouth from the taste.
“You probably used too much ginger,” Naruto called out to her.
“My Ramen tastes like eggs,” Scootaloo said, her muzzle showing she was somewhat disgusted by her meal.
Naruto then let out a sigh. “Sorry, girls. Looks like this was all for nothing. None of us got a cutie mark. I guess Ramen will have to wait until I get back home. And I guess the others won’t get to enjoy it either…”
“Even yours is bad, Naruto?” Scootaloo asked in surprise. “But you gave us all tips and helped us make everything! We should at least try yours!”
“Well… Okay,” Naruto said and moved aside so that Scootaloo could try his.
The orange filly brought the noodles to her mouth, and her eyes immediately shot open. “This… This is AMAZING!”
“It is?!” Naruto asked, stunned.
“Sweetie Belle! Apple Bloom! You’ve gotta taste this!” she called to the two fillies who were taking turns watering their mouth.
“Huh?” Apple Bloom asked, bringing her mouth away from the water flowing out of the faucet.
“It does?!” Naruto repeated. “I didn’t think it was really good… Maybe it’s because I’m used to the Ramen at Ichiraku’s…” he wondered.
The two fillies walked over, grabbed their metallic chopsticks and took a taste one by one. Immediately as the noodles entered and touched their tongues, their expressions lighted up.
“This is…” Apple Bloom started, looking at the bowl in awe.
“THE TASTIEST THING EVER!” Sweetie Belle shrilled, her voice cracking slightly.
“I didn’t want to make you feel bad earlier” Pinkie spoke. “But Naruto’s is definitely the best, hooves down!” she exclaimed gleefully.
“Wow… Thanks, Pinkie,” Naruto said, surprised with how suddenly considerate she was about this.
“Could use a few carrots and some hot sauce, though,” the pink pony smiled.
“I’m calling Applejack over! She’s GOT to taste this!” Apple Bloom called as she immediately ran outside.
“Well, might as well get the whole gang here,” Naruto figured, smiling.
*****
“This is… So good!” Spike called with his mouth half-filled with noodles. He kept eating the Ramen in a crazy rate, and was now downing his third bowl. The purple dragon was eating alongside the other mares on the large table at the kitchen. He was using the regular metal sticks quite skillfully.
“Slow down, Spike, or you’ll get a stomachache!” Twilight called. “Although… This is really amazing! I can’t believe I’m getting to taste food native to another universe!”
“I don’t care! I don’t care if I even explode because of it! It’s. So. Good!” the drake called as he wolfed down more and more.
Naruto smiled proudly at all of the guests, who were eating his Ramen most enjoyably. He had afterwards made another, larger batch of Ramen, this time using Pinkie’s carrot tip. He skipped the hot sauce, though.
“I do have to agree, I have never tasted anything quite so remarkable!” Rarity called after cleaning her muzzle with a napkin after her most recent bite. “The smooth, savory noodles, the picante broth and the delicious aroma… It is all very exotic!”
“Yeah! Whatever she said!” Applejack called as she slurped loudly on Ramen. “This ain’t half bad, Naruto! Ya really outdid yourself!” she grinned at him.
“I’m definitely coming for more of these, Naruto!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “So this better not be a one-time thing, got that?!”
“I bet everypony would like to have some,” Fluttershy said happily, as she was quietly eating her own meal. “Oh, another bowl please!” she called, remembering she finished her first one.
“Coming right up!” Naruto called, and quickly served her again.
“Yeah! They’re so good, I bet ponies would even pay for them!” Pinkie said merrily, as she was having her second bowl now too.
“Pay for them… Huh?” the orange stallion repeated as he laid the bowl in front of Fluttershy, pondering this. “Of course! Pinkie, you’re a genius!” he exclaimed, giving Pinkie his biggest smile ever.
“Of course I am!” Pinkie laughed and slurped on more Ramen. “What’s a ‘genius’?”
“I’ve made up my mind!” Naruto announced, directing everypony’s attention at him. “I’m gonna open a Ramen shop, right here in Ponyville!”
Immediately as he said that, a bright, white light arose from him. Every single eye in the room was directed at Naruto, as a picture came to form on his flank while the light slowly diminished. The picture was of a light blue bowl of Ramen, out which of was sticking out a pair of chopsticks and two narutomaki. On the bowl was a green-colored symbol of Konoha.
“No way! Naruto’s got a cutie mark!” Rainbow called as she flew to take a closer look at it. “And it looks downright epic!”
“I do?!” Naruto yelled in astonishment, and turned back to look at his flank. “No way, I totally do! Alright!!!” he called, throwing a triumphant hoof to the air.
“Congratulations, Naruto!” Twilight called happily, smiling at him alongside the others.
“Do you know what this means, girls?!” Apple Bloom asked in excitement, looking at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The look in their eyes told her they were thinking exactly the same thing.
“This is the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ first successful crusade EVER!” Sweetie Belle yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking at the last word.
“Do you know what ELSE it means?” Pinkie asked. Everypony smiled, knowing full well what it meant.
*****
“Fire in the hole!” Pinkie yelled as she pulled the wire on her fabled blue party cannon, sending to the air a barrage of colorful confetti and streamers.
Many ponies from all around town had gathered to the party Pinkie had planned and organized in just two hours as Naruto’s cute-ceañera. The entirety of the front of Sugarcube Corner was covered from floor to ceiling in balloons and streamers, and a huge sign was hanged which read ‘Congratulations for Your Cutie Mark, Naruto!’ in big, colorful letters, below which was a drawing of Naruto. “I guess that’s Pinkie’s thing for signs. It’s actually not bad at all,” the orange stallion grinned at it.
He himself was quite the busy bee these past two hours too, making even more Ramen to serve to the party’s guests. A long line formed all the way to the reception desk, from which the Ramen was served and managed by Pinkie and the Cakes.
“So that was why Pinkie was so secretive about using the kitchen,” Mrs. Cake grinned. “I would never have imagined something like that was brewing there.”
“It’s… Really good!” Mr. Cake called over a bowl of Ramen. “Kind of a shame we can’t have our shop to also be a Ramen shop, Naruto.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Naruto replied. “I decided to open shop in the market.”
“Does that mean I won’t be seeing ya down at the farm anymore, Naruto?” Applejack asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
“I’ll drop by once in a while, Applejack,” Naruto assured her.
“Glad to hear it!” the orange mare smiled. “Oh yeah, if ya need help building that Ramen stand, I have some spare parts ya can use. Plus, I could lend ya a hoof.”
“Alright! I’ll come first thing tomorrow, Applejack. Thanks!”
Suddenly, a noise of glass breaking was heard, directing everypony’s attention to the front door.
“Sweetie Belle, you need to tap on glass to get everypony’s attention, not break a glass,” Scootaloo whispered.
“Oops, sorry,” the Unicorn filly whispered back.
“Ahem! Anyway…” Apple Bloom began. She and the other two were standing at the entrance, each carrying a certain item.
Apple Bloom put the sheet of paper she was carrying on the floor in front of her and started reading it. “We have all gathered here today to celebrate a most exce… Umm, what’s that word, Rarity?” the yellow filly asked.
“Exceptional,” the white mare replied. “I helped them write the speech,” she whispered to Naruto with a grin. *squee*
“Right! Exceptional event,” Apple Bloom continued. “Naruto has finally obtained his cutie mark! But that’s not all…”
“Naruto is also the first Cutie Mark Crusader to have successfully completed his crusade,” Scootaloo continued. “Therefore, the Cutie Mark Crusaders would like to bestow upon Naruto the following gifts.”
Naruto simply stared at them with a mixture of shock and happiness.
“First, a drawing made by the three of us!” Sweetie Belle called as Scootaloo hooved over to him the piece of paper that was rest on her back.
Naruto balanced it on his hoof and looked at it, grinning. It was a crude drawing, yet it was clear the three fillies put all they had into it. It was a drawing of him, standing in a simple field of grass and blue sky above him. He was waving with his front hoof, and his cutie mark was visible for all to see. The other three Crusaders were standing beside him, waving as well.
“And second… Your very own Cutie Mark Crusaders’ official cape!” Apple Bloom called as now Sweetie Belle paced forward, giving him the red cloth that was resting on her back.
“I didn’t have a large enough piece of cloth for you back when I made ours, but now you finally get your own!” Sweetie Belle explained happily.
Naruto unfolded it and looked at it. It was completely matching to the others’. It had a gold underside and a red topside, and on it was patched the blue and yellow emblem of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He grinned, and laid it over his back, tying the front around his neck.
“Thanks a lot! You really didn’t have to though!” he laughed.
“But wait! There’s more!” Sweetie Belle said. “We’ve decided to make you…”
“PRESIDENT OF THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” the three fillies shouted at the top of their lungs.
“Huh?” Naruto muttered. Everypony else in the room looked just as confused.
“Well, you’re the only one of us who has a cutie mark, plus you’ll make a great leader!” Apple Bloom explained cheerfully.
“Yeah! And it’s not like you’re leaving the Crusaders, right?” Scootaloo asked.
“Well… I did say I’ll help you get a cutie mark… Okay then!” Naruto smiled.
“Great! Then all hail President Naruto!” Sweetie Belle called.
“All hail President Naruto!” for some reason everypony in the room answered.
“You can skip the ‘President’ part, though,” Naruto chuckled sheepishly.
“Yes, President Naruto!” everypony called, then burst into a laugh for playing along with this.
“And so, the Cutie Mark Crusaders would like to tell you…” Apple Bloom began.
“Keep being awesome!” they finished all at once.
“I told them to use that line,” Rainbow whispered to Naruto, smirking proudly.
*****
That evening, after the party was over, Naruto finally trotted back to his room and slumped on the bed. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!”
The human ninja continued lying on the bed for a few more minutes, slowly processing everything that had happened today. Not only he successfully created Ramen, but he also decided on making it a permanent job here, since he didn’t have ninja missions to go out on. Just as importantly, he also obtained his cutie mark. “Or maybe, they all derived from each other?” he pondered.
Naruto then remembered Momo, the old merchant. “Now that I think about it… It kinda looked like he already knew what Ramen was. Everything just went too smoothly back there… It was like he knew what I needed before I even told him…” he thought. “Nah, it was probably just a lucky guess,” he figured, saying it out loud partially to convince himself. “There’s no way anypony knew what Ramen is, since it came from my world.”
He then concentrated on the hole in the seal that Luna had made, and as usual, a red cloud flowed out of it, becoming the miniature nine-tailed fox.
“Congratulations,” the fox said.
“Huh?” Naruto asked, completely stunned by him being so hearty. “Uhh… Thanks?”
“Congratulations for officially becoming one of these stupid ponies. I hope you’re feeling proud of yourself,” the fox said, sarcasm dripping from each word.
“Well, what should I do then?! Be grumpy all the time like you?!” Naruto snapped at him. “That won’t solve anything!”
“You’re not even trying to think of a way to get back, are you?!” the fox retorted. “Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in this sickeningly sweet place?!”
“Celestia promised me she’ll find a way back! What else do you want me to do about it?!”
“Tsk. I don’t want to even talk to you anymore. You make me sick,” the fox replied condescendingly and turned away, lying on the floor to get some sleep.
“Fine! Be like that!” Naruto yelled back. He changed into his pajama and went to sleep without saying another word, his mood completely ruined.
*****
It was the middle of the night. Save for the hooting of owls and rustling of leaves in the wind, no sound was heard. Naruto and the fox slept soundly, basking in the pale light bestowed upon them by Luna’s moon.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of trotting hooves inside the room.
The nine-tailed fox, who was sleeping on the carpet, immediately opened his eyes to find the cause of the sound. A silhouette of a pony stood at the entrance.
“Grr… Who are you?!” the fox demanded, raising his head to gaze at him. “How did you get in here?!” By his smell, the fox quickly gathered that it was neither Rarity, nor Sweetie Belle.
The pony paced forward, basking in the moonlight peering from outside. “You sure have grown quite crabby since back then,” he said very calmly as he stared at the orange fox. “I wonder if it comes with age…”
The nine-tailed fox stood on his legs. “You’re that pony from—” he began, when something clicked and his mind, and he froze, utterly shocked. “You… I… I can’t believe it… Is it… You?!”
The pony smiled at him. “I too am surprised to finally meet you again, after all those years. Especially here.”
“What are you doing here? All this time… I thought…”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that I do not have much time here,” the pony cut him off. “I will talk to you more and answer all of your inquiries when we get the chance. Tonight, I have come here because I have an important request to ask of you, Kurama…”
Naruto stretched his limbs as he slowly woke up, pushing away the covers of his bed in Carousel Boutique’s guest room, where he had made his temporary home for the past few weeks. He got up to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep off his eyes, and then turned to look down. The nine-tailed fox was lying on the purple, round carpet next to the bed, but he seemed wide awake by now. He looked outside the window at the blue sky.
Contemplating whether to say anything to him or not, Naruto stared at him for a minute or so. Then, to his absolute shock, the fox turned towards him. “Good morning,” he said in a low-tone growl. He didn’t sound sarcastic in the least.
Naruto stared at him, blinking and slowly processing what it just said. “Umm… Good morning?” he replied hesitantly. “Why is he being so polite?”
“Just because I feel like it,” the fox said. “I can hear your thoughts,” he then reminded the blond human upon seeing his surprised expression.
“Umm… Is something wrong?” the ninja asked, worried about his behavior despite what transpired between them last night.
The fox took his time answering, still gazing at the clear sky outside. “It’s… Nothing,” he finally said, but still seemed to be deep in thought. Naruto felt that the fox won’t appreciate it, to say the least, if he kept trying to extort more information from him, so he just left it at that for the moment.
*****
After the very brief conversation, Naruto got dressed and retracted the fox’s chakra back inside him. He then brushed his teeth and headed downstairs to eat breakfast. By that time, Sweetie Belle was probably already at school, so he only expected Rarity to be there.
“Morning, Rarity!” the ninja called as he entered the kitchen. His eyes promptly widened in shock as he saw himself eating breakfast. “What the hay…?”
“Morning, me!” Naruto waved while taking a bite of toast. He was still wearing a pajama, and was sitting at the table in front of a large plate of salad and omelet.
“Good morning, Naruto… Again,” Rarity said, arching a brow in surprise.
“So… What’s going on?” Naruto asked, having a hard time processing all this after just waking up.
“I would like to know that myself. Did you not use that ‘shadow jutsu’ of yours?” the white mare inquired.
“No, I didn’t. Unless I somehow used it in my sleep,” Naruto replied, quite confused.
“Yep, you were asleep when I appeared, so I just got ahead and had some breakfast,” the Naruto at the table smiled.
“You know, even if you eat, I’ll still get hungry!” Naruto frowned. “Sorry, clone, but your time is up,” he said as he made a hand seal. “Release!”
Rarity stared at Naruto, Naruto stared at Naruto, and Naruto stared at Naruto. This kept on for a while, until Naruto finally burst. “Why aren’t you disappearing?!”
Naruto shrugged, and continued eating. Naruto got pissed off. “That’s it. You’re going the hard way then,” he said, promptly smacking him upside the head.
“Ouch! What’s your problem?!” the clone yelled as he got up and was about to strike back, when his fist was frozen in mid-air, encased by a light blue aura.
“Boys, boys. There is no need to fight amongst yourselves!” Rarity smiled. “I can simply make another meal. Now, apologize to Naruto, Naruto.”
Naruto frowned at Naruto, who frowned back. “Okay, I’m sorry.”
Naruto nodded. “I guess it’s okay.”
Rarity smiled and released the spell. “Good. Now that it is all settled, I shall make—”
She got cut off when a loud explosion sounded in the room, accompanied by a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, stood four Naruto’s in the room. Two of them were wearing pajamas, the others Naruto’s outdoor clothing.
“This isn’t good,” the original Naruto summed up the situation concisely.
*****
“Fascinating…” Twilight muttered as she examined from all angles one of the pajama wearing Naruto’s, who was sitting on Rarity’s fainting couch.
“So, they all appeared without Naruto even making those ‘hand seals’ of his, right?” the purple Unicorn reconfirmed with Rarity, who stood behind her. The latter had called Twilight and Spike over as soon as it became apparent that Naruto was not in control of the situation.
“Well, yes. At least, that’s what Naruto claims,” Rarity said, looking at the original Naruto, who stood next to her. The other two Naruto’s were sitting on the floor nearby, bored out of their minds.
“Yeah. Plus, I can’t make them disappear,” Naruto added.
“Make sure you write everything down, Spike! This is invaluable research material about the magic of ninjas!” Twilight called over to her little assistant, who was sitting next to one of Rarity’s dressing tables.
“Got it! Appear without hand seals… Don’t disappear…” he muttered as he wrote on the scroll he brought along with him.
“Magic of ninjas? She can’t be serious…” Naruto mentally face-palmed.
“But do you have any idea what could have caused this?” Twilight asked, looking at the Naruto sitting in front of her.
“Nope,” he replied. “I don’t have a—” he got cut off by a cloud of smoke appearing all around him. When the smoke vanished, he emerged as a pony. “Clue,” he finished, his expression showing just how confused he was.
“I think I see it,” Twilight grinned, looking at his flank.
“Twilight, are cutie marks usually glowing?” the original asked, looking at it. As soon as he said that, the glowing stopped, returning the Ramen cutie mark to normal.
“No, they don’t,” Twilight answered, rubbing her chin in thought. “Maybe this has something to do with being a ninja?” she pondered. As she said that, the same thing happened to one of the Naruto’s in the back of the room.
“Well, everything that happened until now does look like it’s related to what he can do as a ninja,” Spike agreed with her.
“We should examine the magic levels inside Naruto’s body,” Twilight suggested. “Maybe that would shed some light on the situation.”
“Rarity, can you help me out?” the purple mare turned to the alabaster one. “You have a keen eye for this sort of things.”
Rarity nodded. “Alright, I shall do my best,” she replied. Her horn then lighted up, casting magical light on the original Naruto.
“What are you doing? I can’t see anything special,” Naruto said, baffled.
“Yes, only Unicorns can see what this spell shows,” Twilight replied, as she and Rarity started examining the image of Naruto’s body.
“Hmm… There are three different kinds of magic in Naruto’s body,” Rarity said, all the while continuing to cast the spell. “If I had to color them, they would be blue, red and green. Actually, together they create quite a beautiful image…”
“Not only that, but they’re incredibly strong,” Twilight added, looking up at him. “Their total is easily over twenty times the amount most ponies have! Spike, make sure you write all that down!”
“You’re the boss, Twilight!” Spike called as he continued summarizing the findings.
“The blue magic seems to flow all around Naruto’s body,” Rarity said, looking carefully. “Especially to those fascinating human hooves of his.”
“They’re called hands,” Naruto reminded her. “And I don’t think that’s magic. According to what you say, that’s probably my chakra.”
“The red one…” Rarity continued. “It is concentrated on your stomach, but it is also leaking into the blue one. Any idea what could it be?”
“Uhh… Nope! Not at all!” Naruto quickly exclaimed, looking away. Needless to say, he could perfectly guess what it was, and it was obviously unrelated to the problem at hoof.
Rarity shrugged before continuing. ”I do not think that’s the cause of the problem, anyhow. I presume the green energy is. It seems to be flowing into your body from the outside at great pace, then mixing with the blue energy, and partially transforming into it. Whatever could that be, Twilight?”
Twilight merely stared at Naruto, her muzzle agape. “I can’t believe it! He’s collecting magic from the outside! I’ve never seen that happen before!”
Then, as if on cue, another puff of smoke occurred, and this time the original Naruto turned into his pony form unintentionally.
“Well, now it’s obvious!” Twilight smirked. “Look at his cutie mark, Rarity!”
“Oh, my! You are absolutely right, Twilight!” the fashionista mare replied, seeing the glowing cutie mark, and the green energy entering Naruto’s body through it. “It is as though his cutie mark is causing all of this… But why?”
“I think the green energy from the outside is overloading him with magic, but I’m not sure why the cutie mark is acting like this,” Twilight said, still sounding deep in thought. “I need to go to the library and see if there’s any information about this.”
Just then, Naruto’s cutie mark started glowing again, as well as the one of the two other transformed clones. Then, with four puffs of smoke, appeared more Naruto’s, one next to each of the four already present. Each clone appeared in their original’s form, so now there were six ponies and two humans. Four wore pajamas and four wore Naruto’s outdoor clothing.
“This is incredible! They’re multiplying exponentially!” Twilight called, grinning in excitement from ear to ear.
“Uhh… Isn’t that kinda bad? Won’t they cover up all of Equestria eventually?” Spike asked in worry, arching a brow at the librarian.
“Don’t worry, Spike. He’ll need to multiply about twenty more times for that to happen, and the more he multiplies, the longer it should take for the next time to occur,” Twilight explained. “In fact, if my extrapolation is right, then that should take at least five years, so we have nothing to worry about.”
Three Naruto’s, two ponies and one human, got up at once. “I’m going to the toilet,” they all said together, then exchanged confused gazes, and raced upstairs to be first to relieve themselves.
“I’m going as well,” Twilight announced. “I’ll go to the library to look for some material and be back in a flash.”
“Can you take all the Naruto’s with you? Meanwhile, maybe I could help Rarity with… Stuff,” Spike grinned dreamily at the white Unicorn.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Twilight called and stepped next to him. “You’re coming with me, I need your help!” she called as her horn charged up.
“Hey, wait—” was all Spike could say before being teleported away with Twilight, leaving Rarity with five Naruto’s.
“So, now what?” the original asked Rarity.
“I’m not sure,” Rarity answered. “But it is clear that you cannot go outside without risking exposing your identity. I guess you will just have to stay here for now.”
“This sucks,” Naruto complained. “I was planning to start working on the Ramen stand, but I need Applejack’s spare parts for that.”
The front door then opened to the ringing of a bell, revealing said mare. “Howdy, y’all!” she called happily in her southern drawl.
“Howdy, Applejack!” five Naruto’s replied, much to the orange mare’s shock.
“Oh, good morning, Applejack,” greeted Rarity. “We were just talking about you.”
“By ‘we’ you mean… You and a bunch of Naruto’s?” she asked in surprise, looking all around.
“Yes, well. There have been… Ahem, complications,” Rarity smiled awkwardly.
“I can see that. Ya were supposed to come down to the barn to get yar parts, Naruto, so I was getting kinda worried. It ain’t like ya to be late,” Applejack smiled. “So, what are y’all up to making your clone doohickeys so early?”
“Yeah, I can’t really control it…” Naruto smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Then two of the clones and the original all transformed into their countering forms in three clouds of smoke.
“I see whatcha mean,” Applejack glared at the now human Naruto. “So, need my help bucking some clones?” she grinned, stretching her back legs.
“Don’t bother, they don’t disappear,” Naruto replied with a sigh, slightly worried. “Well, at least if we stay like this until Twilight figures out something, nothing too bad will happen.”
“Hey, be careful with that!” one of the clones suddenly yelled. Everypony turned their heads to see that the air started vibrating above one of the human clones’ palm. Then slowly, an unbalanced orb came into being, as if it was a floating ball of water, but glowing brightly in a bluish light.
“Hey! Don’t do that! That’s dangerous, ya know!” another clone called.
“I can’t control it, ya know!” the clone holding the unstable Rasengan cried, looking around for some way to get rid of the dangerous thing. However, since he generated it by himself, it was too unstable to keep holding onto or safely abort.
Finally, without having much of a choice, the clone settled for slamming the unstable Rasengan against the floor. This resulted in a bright, small scale explosion, after which a twenty inch crater was formed in the floor.
All eyes were locked at the crater for a few moments. The original Naruto then looked worriedly at Rarity, noticing her face was starting to get rather red. Her expression was starting to twist in fury, which she was clearly trying really hard to suppress. “Uhh… Really sorry about this…” he muttered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He dearly hoped that it would be enough to pacify her.
“Woah!” Applejack suddenly cried. “What in tarnation’s wrong with your eyes, Naruto?!” she gazed up at him.
“Kyaa!” Rarity cried as she looked up at him, and nearly lost her balance as well. “I… I do say! They look like the eyes of a big, creepy toad!”
“Huh?” Naruto asked, confused. In response, Rarity floated out a pink hoof mirror from one of the drawers of a dressing desk and showed Naruto his reflection.
His eyes widened in shock. They were now yellow, and had a horizontal pupil. In addition, orange markings appeared on his face around his eyes. “No way! I managed to enter sage mode?!” he called in astonishment. “I didn’t even collect any natural energy!”
“What in tarnation’s ‘sage mode’? Ya turn into a frog or something?” Applejack asked, arching a brow at him.
“No offense, Naruto,” Rarity said. “But please leave this instant if you will turn into a yucky frog!” she cried. “I simply cannot stand them!” Applejack rolled her eyes at her in response.
“No, this is as much is goes,” Naruto assured her, but his mind was somewhere else. “Why did it happen now? I couldn’t do it before even when I tried it, and now it happens without I even planned to…”
Then he felt something that cut his line of thought. “Somepony’s coming here really, really fast!” he called, now being able to sense such things due to sage mode.
Just a moment afterwards, Twilight and Spike emerged out of a bright purple flash that appeared at the middle of the room. “I’ve figured it out!” Twilight exclaimed happily and looked at Naruto.
“Uhh… What happened to your eyes?” she arched a brow at him.
“I’ll… Explain later. It’s a long story.”
“Twilight thinks this is a ‘Cutie Mark Magic Surge’, caused by Naruto’s new cutie mark,” Spike said. “Oh, hi Applejack,” he waved to her.
“How are ya?” Applejack replied heartily.
“Yeah, hi. But we have to focus here!” Twilight said. “According to a book I found, Cutie Mark Magic Surge is a rare phenomenon that occurs occasionally when young ponies obtain their cutie marks, particularly Unicorns.”
“But I’m not a Unicorn!” Naruto called. “I’m not even really a pony!”
“Yet somehow it had affected you. Now let me continue,” Twilight glared at him. “It causes them to lose control of their magic, and usually results in large-scale consequences. I also remembered in the library that it happened to me too!”
“And… What happened then?” Naruto asked, dreading her answer.
“I… Kind of turned my parents into potted plants and enlarged Spike enough to make him blow a roof through the ceiling,” she muttered very quickly, blushing and smiling sheepishly.
Other than Spike, every single being in the room stared at her in utter shock, their jaws agape. “It was only a minute before everything returned to normal, though!” Twilight quickly exclaimed.
“After Princess Celestia intervened,” Spike grinned. Twilight shot him a death glare. The purple dragon promptly turned away and started whistling innocently.
“Anyway,” Twilight looked back at the others. “The magic surge should pass by itself soon. When did it all start?”
“About two hours ago,” said the Naruto sitting on the couch. “I’m the first clone, so I should know.”
“Cool! Then you’re Clone-prime, huh?” Spike asked.
Clone-prime grinned. “Clone-prime, huh? I kinda like the sound of that…” he said to himself, rubbing his chin.
“Hey! Why does he get a title?!” another clone objected.
“Yeah! I want one too! How about… Naruto the first?”
“Because one, you’re not the first, and two, you’re not royalty!” Twilight replied, looking at him. Then she shook her head. “We don’t have time for this!”
The lavender Unicorn let out a sigh. “Naruto got his cutie mark about sixteen hours ago,” she said, putting a hoof on her chin in thought. “So both the response time and magic settling times are very, VERY delayed.”
“Any estimates to when he will go back to normal, Twilight?” Rarity asked. Clone-prime, as well as another clone in the back, then changed once more into their countering forms.
“I’m not sure… Could be anything between a few minutes to a few weeks,” Twilight answered grimly.
“Well, is there any way to hurry it up?” Applejack asked.
“I… I don’t really know…” she replied. “I guess we could try sucking the magic out of him, but we don’t really have any place to put it in…”
“Anyways, I’m not using magic for the clone and transformation jutsus. I’m using chakra,” Naruto reminded her.
“Then maybe the magic entering your body is forcing your chakra to come out, and it appears as jutsus. Or maybe the magic is causing your chakra to go haywire. Honestly, I don’t get it either,” Twilight sighed.
The cutie marks of all the pony Naruto’s in the area started glowing, and then multiple clouds of smoke appeared all around. The number of Naruto’s was doubled once again.
“Hey! I was in the middle of pooping! Get the hay out of here!” Naruto was heard yelling from upstairs, followed by the sound of a slamming door.
“I need to poop too, ya know! Hurry it up in there!” another clone replied. Everypony stared at the ceiling, faces red with embarrassment.
“Oh no… This is way too soon…” Twilight then muttered. Everyone looked at her with question marks on their faces. “The next doubling should be in an hour according to my calculations!” she cried out.
“What difference the time makes?” Applejack inquired.
“It means my exponential model is all wrong! The multiplication time is already stabilized!” Twilight called in distress.
Meeting with only confused expressions, Twilight sighed and began explaining. “The time it takes for Naruto to multiply is not increasing at all! At this rate, the clones will probably cover all of Equestria by this afternoon!” she cried.
Naruto gulped. “We need to think of something, quick!”
Everypony exchanged gazes, but it was obvious that no one had a magical solution up their sleeve.
“Maybe he should just use up all his chakra,” Pinkie suggested, suddenly appearing behind the Naruto who was sitting on the sofa. Every being in the room immediately jerked their heads to look at her, completely taken by surprise.
“Like ‘Rasengan’, ‘Rasengan’, ‘Rasengan’!” she called, posing by raising her right front hoof forward while standing on her hinds. “Or maybe that ‘Big-Rasengan-with-rotating-blades-thingies’!”
“Pinkie, that’s brilliant!” Twilight exclaimed.
“I know, right?! Naruto’s spells are all really shiny!” Pinkie giggled.
“Yeah, about my ‘shiny spells’…” the original said, gaining everypony’s attention. Above his hand was floating a blob of chakra similar to a Rasengan.
“Gah! Not again!” Rarity shrilled.
Twilight quickly lighted up her horn, and a purple sphere appeared around the blob. “This should contain the explosion,” Twilight grinned. And indeed, shortly afterwards it exploded harmlessly. The Unicorn then stopped using her magic and the sphere vanished.
“Phew,” Rarity let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Twilight.”
“Uh oh,” another Naruto said, this time a pony. The clone quickly lifted his hoof to avoid causing even more damage to Carousel Boutique’s floor and held it upwards.
“No way! I can use chakra as a pony?!” the original shouted, stunned. The unstable orb was floating above Naruto’s front right hoof.
Twilight used the same trick again, and the unstable Rasengan’s detonation was safely contained. “We need to get all the Naruto’s to someplace they can cause a lot of destruction without anypony knowing,” she then said, after pondering how to implement Pinkie’s idea.
“Hey! Be careful with that thing! It’s dangerous!” one of the Naruto’s was heard yelling from upstairs. Twilight groaned in annoyance and teleported over there.
“So, does anypony have any ideas on how to get Naruto to expend his chakra?” Rarity asked.
“I know!” Applejack called. “I think it’s time to visit some good, not-so-old friends of ours.” She grinned at Rarity for some reason, much to her confusion.
*****
The sound of knocking echoed down a cave dug into the side of one of the mountains nearby Ponyville. “I’m coming! I’m coming!” an annoyed, raspy voice called in response, as its owner walked over to answer.
The wooden door at the entrance was then opened, casting bright light into the otherwise dark interior. It revealed the gray Diamond Dog inside to the purple Unicorn outside, and vice versa.
The dog narrowed his eyes angrily at the uninvited guest. “You! Pony! What are you doing back here?!” he demanded.
“Hello, Rover” Twilight smiled, trying to start things on the right hoof this time around. “I assume you remember us, so there is no need for any further introductions. We came because—”
Rover promptly responded by slamming the door in her face. It was momentarily afterwards engulfed by a light bluish aura and opened back inside, this time revealing a very discontent Rarity.
“Gah! M-M-Miss Rarity! W-W-Whatever… Brings you to our humble abode?” Rover asked very nervously as soon as he saw the white Unicorn, his ears drooping.
Rarity smiled. “Color me surprised! You do sound a tad more refined than the last time we met, but you should still know better than to slam a door at a lady’s face!”
“Y-Yes! Of course! Whatever you say, Miss Rarity!” Rover whimpered, taking a step back. “But what are you doing here?”
“As my good friend Twilight was trying to say, we require some assistance. We would like to mine at your caverns posthaste,” Rarity explained, smiling.
“No. We refuse,” Rover replied sternly.
“What did you say?!” Rarity demanded, drilling holes into him with her gaze.
“Our ears are still bleeding from all your whi— I mean, complaining! We, Diamond Dogs, refuse to ever take that risk again!” the gray dog explained.
“Well, unfortunately, you don’t really have a choice,” Twilight said, stepping next to Rarity. “If you won’t allow us to get in, we’ll just have to do it by force.”
“Oh really?” Rover snickered. “You and what army?”
Rarity and Twilight grinned to each other, and then stepped aside to reveal a thirty-two-strong brigade of Naruto ponies, grinning at the dog deviously. Some of them were kicking dirt around threateningly. Rover’s eyes widened, and his jaw and ears all dropped. “Oh… That army…” he gulped.
*****
The group had all entered the Diamond Dogs’ caverns and spread around, splitting into three teams. They then watched as the clones made Rasengans, and used them to dig around to get rid of the excess chakra in Naruto’s body.
“There are quite a few gems over there, Naruto,” Rarity said to a couple of the clones she was with. She marked a spot on the wall of the cavern with a stick.
“Got it!” a ponified Naruto called, and made a Rasengan on the hoof of another one. “This is awesome! I didn’t think I could make a Rasengan in my pony form!” he grinned as the orb was finished.
“Rasengan!” the other clone called as he smashed the jutsu against the gray stone, grinding a circle deep into it, until finally the colorful gems were released and fell down on the floor.
Rarity then levitated the gems to a diamond cart. “The gems we will find should be sufficient payment for allowing us the use of your caverns, don’t you think?” she smiled at Spot, one of the smaller Diamond Dogs.
“T-Thank you for your generosity, Miss Rarity!” he called in slight shock, his eyes sparkling at the sight of the shiny haul falling into the cart.
“Where next, Rarity? There’s still much more where that came from!” one of the several frog-eyed clones grinned.
Meanwhile…
Rover, Twilight, Spike and a few clones were practically digging a new cavern for the dogs using only Rasengans.
“Yeah! Go Naruto! Umm… Naruto’s,” Spike cheered enthusiastically, watching as each blue orb was digging deeper and deeper into the hard stone as if it was made of butter, sending little more than rock dust to the air.
“Spike! Don’t forget to document this!” Twilight called in excitement. “This is the first time we’ve ever seen Naruto use jutsus as a pony!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Spike said reluctantly. “But make sure to tell me if any gems come out! I could use a snack!” he said as he began writing once more on the scroll he brought along.
“Will do, Spike,” Twilight smiled.
“Hey! These are our caves!” Rover called. “Get your own gems somewhere else!”
Twilight shot him a death glare. Rover whimpered in fear. “I… I mean, if you don’t mind?” he added nervously.
“So, whatcha been up to till now, dogs?” Applejack asked, trying to strike up a conversation. The quiet cave, other than the sound of Rasengans ramming against the stone, was starting to get under her skin.
“Dig more. Get gems,” Fido, the large Diamond Dog replied concisely and dryly.
“Oh. Well, ain’t that… Nice?” Applejack replied awkwardly, looking away. She quickly realized that starting a conversation with him was probably a lost cause.
“Yeah! It’s so interesting! Can you tell us more?” Pinkie asked energetically, hopping in place in front of Fido. She probably thought the opposite of the orange mare.
“Is Diamond Dog life. We find gems, dig more,” Fido replied dryly, clearly not sharing Pinkie’s enthusiasm.
“But what do you do with them?” Pinkie asked further. “Do you eat them? Do you sell them? Do you build huge machines and do awesome battles with them?”
“We look at gems. Gems shiny, make good reflection. Fido sees handsome self,” he answered, surprisingly adding a small, haughty grin at the end.
“Oh, brother,” Applejack facehooved. “Naruto, are ya done yet?” she called, unable to take much more of this. “Uhh… I mean, Naruto brigade?” she revised, since there were ten of them there.
“Sorry, Applejack. I’m trying as much as I can,” Naruto said, while loading a Rasengan onto another clone. “We’ve all transformed into ponies and we’re using Rasengans as fast as we can, but we’re just not running out of chakra! We’d make bigger Rasengans, but the cave will collapse if we’re not careful.”
Then, all their cutie marks started glowing again. The caverns were then covered in smoke, and the number of Naruto’s doubled again.
“Yay! More Naruto’s!” Pinkie called happily, throwing her front hooves up to the air. Applejack and several clones facehooved again.
*****
“Well, this was a complete failure,” Twilight sighed. Everypony met up after the last doubling. They decided to leave the caverns and try to think of another idea. Needless to say, only the Diamond Dogs were satisfied, since now they had three more carts filled to the brim with gems, thanks to Naruto’s fruitless endeavors at ridding himself of his chakra.
“We’re… Uhh… Sorry this didn’t work out,” Rover called, barely even trying to mask his grin over the large, newly-filled wagon of gems next to him. He and the other Diamond Dogs were seeing the ponies — and Dragon — off from the entrance to the dog-made tunnel.
“So what are we gonna do now? There are sixty-four Naruto’s now,” Spike said, looking at the orange army all around him.
“Sorry, but that weird energy from outside is getting in just as quickly as we use our chakra,” said one of the roughly thirty frog-eyed Naruto’s.
Twilight then let out a sigh. “I didn’t want to do this… I really didn’t…”
“What do you have in mind, Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Please, don’t tell me it is anything dangerous!”
“I didn’t want to bother her with this, but the situation has grown out of hoof. I’m going to ask Celestia for her help,” Twilight replied with a grave expression. “Spike, take a letter,” she instructed the baby Dragon.
“Dear Princess Celestia,” she began dictating. “Yesterday, Naruto has acquired his cutie mark. And now, the cutie mark is causing the magic in his body to go haywire, and Naruto keeps multiplying, releasing dangerous jutsus uncontrollably. Do you have any remedy for this? We require your assistance as quickly as possible, Princess. Your faithful disciple, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Done!” Spike called, rolling the scroll neatly.
“Alright, send it,” Twilight nodded.
Spike took a deep breath, and then released green fire from his mouth, turning the scroll into smoke, which then flew away to the sky.
A few tense, silent moments passed, when a flash of light suddenly appeared in the sky above them, revealing Equestria’s high ruler, Princess Celestia. The large, white Alicorn descended to land on the ground.
“Hello, everypony,” she greeted. All the ponies around bowed, even Naruto. “I came as quickly as I could.”
“I’m deeply sorry for calling you out of the blue like this, Princess, but—” Twilight began.
“I understand the situation,” Celestia cut her off, nodding. “Magic surges on such a large scale could bring about much destruction, as you’ve experienced first-hoof.”
Twilight looked down shamefully. “There is no need to feel sorry for what happened in the past, Twilight,” Celestia smiled. “However, what we should concern ourselves with is the future,” she said, and then turned to look at Naruto with a more serious expression.
“Yes, uh… Princess?” the original stepped forth cautiously.
“I’m afraid there is no easy solution for this problem. Your ninja abilities, combined with the surplus of magic in your body, could cause irreversible damage to all of Equestria and its inhabitants,” she said gravely.
“Then, what do you suggest?” he gulped.
Celestia sighed deeply, closing her eyes, before looking back at him. “You are hereby banished… To the moon.”
Everypony fell deadly silent, as the meaning of Celestia’s harsh words slowly sunk in.
*****
“I can’t believe you all did that without telling me!” Rainbow Dash grumbled, after the day’s events were summarized for her.
“Sorry, but we were in such a hurry, we completely forgot to tell you and Fluttershy about it,” Twilight apologized.
“Man, I totally would have joined Naruto! I’m so freaking jealous of him now!” Rainbow continued.
“I think going to the moon sounds terrifying,” Fluttershy shuddered.
“Actually, it was pretty cool up there,” Naruto said happily, looking at her. “I could jump so high! And you can see a lot of stars over there! It was really weird, but it was night on the moon, even though I could see the sun.”
“Really?” the yellow Pegasus replied. She seemed to have second thoughts regarding the moon, because of Naruto’s words. “Maybe we really should visit there one day,” she smiled. “I wonder how Angel will like it. He likes jumping around…”
Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Naruto and Spike were sitting on a blanket on a hill nearby Ponyville. Rarity was laying on a sofa she brought with her just next to them, saying she did not want to lay on the grass. They were all basking in the last rays of sun for the day, gathered to watch the moonrise.
“But Princess Celestia sure have worried me back there,” Spike said. “I really thought she was gonna banish Naruto to the moon forever!”
“That just goes to show that Princess Celestia always knows what she’s doing,” Twilight smiled at him. “And besides, she never said ‘forever’, did she?”
“So how did ya get rid of all that excess chakra thingy, Naruto?” Applejack asked.
“It was epic!” Naruto said, beaming. “I made like the biggest Rasengan ever! I wish you could all see it! It even made a huge crater there!” he explained enthusiastically. “I waited for us to double again, and then all of us made one, huge Rasengan! We needed ten clones just to hold it with both hands!”
“Huh, so a hundred and eighteen times the power,” Twilight grinned. “I don’t suppose you could make it back here too?”
“No, because usually clones divide my chakra, not multiply it. Even if I tried to use all my normal chakra it won’t be even close to it,” he explained. “Anyways, I don’t know what happened with the cutie mark today, but I probably used enough chakra because after that it glowed for a little while, and then the clones vanished,” he pointed at the mark adorning his flank. “And then Celestia brought me back to Equestria.”
“So, how strong would you normally be, Naruto?” Rainbow inquired.
“Hmm…” Naruto pondered, since he never tried using all of his chakra in one go. “I guess if I really put my all into it, I could normally make one that would destroy a large building… Like your shop, Rarity,” he smiled at the white Unicorn.
“Please, do not make such horrible comparisons, Naruto!” Rarity cried, which made everypony burst in laughter.
“But…” Naruto began, uncharacteristically serious. “I still don’t understand how I could use sage mode all of a sudden…” he pondered aloud.
Other than Twilight, who had been explained this previously, everypony looked quite baffled. “It’s like a set of jutsus I can use by collecting natural energy from the outside in my world,” Naruto explained briefly.
“Ohhhhh…” they all said in unison.
“I’m not quite sure I could explain it, really,” Twilight spoke. “If only I knew more about chakra… I can’t even figure out why your cutie mark did what it did.”
“Don’t worry about it, Twilight. I doubt I’ll really need to use it here in Equestria,” Naruto smiled, and laid back on the cloth spread on the grass.
“So what can you do with that ‘sage mode’, Naruto?” Rainbow asked. “Except, you know, that whole frog eye thingy.”
“I can make really huge Rasengans, I can throw my Rasenshurikens… Uhh… Basically that and a couple more,” he said off the top of his head.
“So you made that moon crater you told us about with just one Rasengan, right? How big was it, anyway?” Applejack asked curiously, staring at Naruto.
“You’ll see,” Naruto smirked. “That’s why I told you we should all watch the moon tonight,” he chuckled.
“But what about the Royal Astronomical Forum?” Spike asked. “Won’t they panic when they see a new crater all of a sudden?”
“I think Princess Celestia will be able to come up with a decent explanation for this,” Twilight grinned confidently.
“Oh! Here it comes!” Fluttershy called as the lunar orb started to make its appearance above the horizon in the darkening sky.
*****
In a room of the observatory in the highest tower in the Canterlot Royal Palace, a group of several ponies, most of them middle-aged Unicorns, were taking turns using the large black telescope facing the moon outside, stunned expressions on their faces.
“Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I can see a new, large crater on the moon! By Celestia’s name, just how is this possible?!” a Unicorn stallion with gray coat and white mane cried.
“Quite!” a pink-coated Unicorn mare, with a short yellow mane called. “There have been no indications of asteroids in the area! Did somepony cause this artificially?”
Just then, the door was encased in yellowish aura and opened to the inside, revealing none other than Princess Celestia.
“P-P-Princess!” the gray Unicorn called, and bowed together with the others in the room. “What brings your highness here tonight?”
Celestia smiled calmly and paced towards the Telescope, taking a look through it at the lunar orb. “I assume you have all noticed the recent ‘changes’, correct?”
“Yes, your highness!” the pink mare replied. “We were just wondering whatever it could be…”
“Well, I thought watching that same moon for so many hundreds of years would get… Quite boring, don’t you think?” she asked the group. They all exchanged gazes, reluctant to call her out on how strange and random that reason was. “So I simply added a little something.”
“But, if I may ask something, Princess?” a yellow Earth pony mare with green swirly mane asked.
“Yes?” Celestia smiled at her.
“Why is there a whirlpool carved into the new crater?” she asked, turning back to look at the moon, now adored with a small crater on its top right side.
“It has quite the striking shape, don’t you think?” Celestia asked back, looking at the moon as well.
“How should we name it then?” the gray stallion asked, since most prominent lunar craters had a name.
“How about… The ‘Uzumaki Crater’?” Celestia suggested. “It means ‘whirlpool crater’ in a faraway language,” she explained.
The group all nodded. “That’s a great suggestion, Princess!” the yellow mare said.
“But… Won’t Princess Luna mind you did that to her moon?” the pink mare asked.
“I think her mind is somewhere else at the moment…” the white Alicorn grinned knowingly, looking up at the moon again.
*****
“He loveth me, he loveth me not…” Princess Luna muttered to herself in a daydreaming voice, magically picking petals off a white flower. She was standing on the balcony of her room, staring at the moon more deeply than she had ever stared before. Her usually dark blue cheeks were now painted crimson.
“He loveth me…” she whispered, and then froze when she noticed the flower had only one petal left on it. Looking around to make sure nopony saw what was going to happen next, she promptly threw it down from the balcony.
“Such a wonderful gift thou hast left me, Naruto,” she said to herself dreamily as she focused on the small, new whirlpool on the moon. “I cannot wait to meet thou… At the Gala…”
‘Twas a beautiful day in Ponyville. A day which started out perfectly for our young hero, Naruto Uzumaki. Not only was the air especially cool, and the sky especially blue, but it was also the day when he would finally open Equestria’s first ever Ramen stand, right in the market of Ponyville.
However, even that was not why that day would be marked as the most glorious day in history. No, it was because on that day, Naruto was about to embark on a most glorious quest. One that would change him, his thoughts and his very standing. It all began as Naruto walked up to his pride and joy, the ‘Uzumaki Ramen’ Ramen stand…
Naruto took a deep, satisfying breath as he looked upon his wonderful, yet humble Ramen shop. It was a few days of hard work, but with some help from Applejack, Rarity and the rest of his friends, he was finally able to put it together. The stand, which resembled a huge caravan, was semi-mobile and situated at the side of the marketplace. It had a built-in roof, and an entry door to the small kitchen inside. It was also connected to water and gas, and had a counter for serving out the prepared dishes.
The caravan was painted mostly orange, but it had a blue roof, and a large, simple sign which simply read ‘Uzumaki Ramen’ in black letters. This was the name chosen for the store, for which Naruto gave no less than five whole minutes of thought.
Applejack had also found some folding tables and chairs at the attic of her farmhouse, which she needed only for family reunions, so she simply let Naruto have them. The orange stallion then dragged them outside from the stand and arranged them in front of it. “Phew, this is hard work without hands or magic…” he thought as he struggled to figure out whether pulling them using his mouth or pushing while only standing on his back legs was more convenient.
*****
After setting the few tables and chairs around in front of the stand, Naruto proceeded to make the Ramen. Using a similar process to the day when he obtained his cutie mark, it took him only half an hour for the finished broth to bubble in a pot on a stove built into the stand. The raw noodles were laying on the inside counter, and a pot of boiling water was ready to have them cooked at a moment’s notice.
Naruto grinned to himself. “I can’t believe I’m really doing it!” he thought in excitement as he looked around, but his heart soon sank to see that nopony was passing by. “Must be because I’m not at the center of the market…” he figured.
“Hmm… How should I get ponies to come here?” Naruto pondered for a moment, and then grinned when an idea popped into his head. “First pony gets a free meal of Ramen!” he shouted out, hoping that somepony will soon come.
Just then, as if on cue, a pony fell down from the sky, impacting the ground just in front of Naruto’s stand and knocking over two chairs. Naruto shielded his eyes from the created dust. “That was… a Pegasus!” he realized in horror and ran outside.
“Hey! Are you okay?!” he called as he approached the Pegasus, taking a closer look at it to see if he should call for help.
To his surprise, the winged pony immediately got up, just as the cloud of dust dissipated. It revealed a blue-gray mare with yellow mane and tail. She immediately turned towards him, a huge grin plastered on her muzzle. “Hi there! Is this the new muffin stand?!” she asked in excitement, looking at Naruto.
Naruto simply gazed at her, unable to speak properly. “Is she… Looking at me? She’s looking up and down… No, left and right at the same time… Right?” he pondered, simply staring deeply into her off-center yellow eyes.
“Hello?” she asked. “Is anypony in there?” she tilted her head at him.
“Oh! Umm… Were you talking to me?” Naruto finally found it in him to speak.
“Yeah, you! It’s not like there’s anypony else here!” she chuckled. “You’re the muffin pony, right?”
“I’m selling Ramen, not muffins,” Naruto replied, still somewhat shocked by the encounter. “You have the wrong pony.”
“Pfft. ‘Muffin’ and ‘Ramen’ are basically the same thing, right?” she dismissed. “They even end in the same letter!”
“No, they’re not!” Naruto replied, somewhat offended by the comparison.
“Look, sir. I heard you say ‘free Ramen’, and I’m gonna get my ‘free muffin’, okay?” she asked sternly. It was obvious she was not going to accept ‘no’ for an answer.
Naruto sighed. “Okay then. I’ll just assume whenever she says ‘muffin’ she means ‘Ramen’,” he decided, in order to save himself more arguments with the odd pony.
“Alright, one… uhh… muffin, coming right up!” he called as he went back into the caravan-slash-restaurant.
Despite his first customer being so strange, Naruto couldn’t help but grin in excitement as he poured the broth into one of the bowls he had bought to use. He then boiled the noodles, removed them from the water with a strainer and then added a generous amount of them into the hot liquid. The prepared meal was placed at the outside counter, with one of Momo’s apparatuses next to it.
“Okay,” Naruto started to explain how to use the metallic device. “Just put the cup on your hoof and—”
“Thanks for the muffin!” the Pegasus called happily and just shoved her head into the bowl.
Naruto was surprised by this, but smiled proudly nonetheless when he saw her eating his dish so enthusiastically.
*****
“So, how was it?” Naruto grinned from ear to ear as the mare drank the last remaining drops of the broth.
“That was the strangest muffin I ever had,” she replied with an unusually serious expression. “Butttttt it was really good! I’m definitely gonna recommend it to everypony in Ponyville!” she then smiled at him.
“Alright!” Naruto cheered, raising a hoof to the air.
“Just one thing,” the Pegasus said. Naruto looked at her questioningly.
“This isn’t very exciting. The taste, the appearance. Any other muffin out there could compare to it,” she gazed at him with her unfocused eyes.
“Well, this isn’t a…” he replied, when he remembered that for some reason, she decided that ‘Ramen’ was ‘muffin’, and he had no choice but to play along. “So what do you suggest?” he inquired. “What could possibly be bad about improving my Ramen?”
“Well, there’s actually a really pretty seven-colored flower nearby. If you add it to that weird muffin of yours, it would look REALLY good, and taste REALLY delicious!”
“Well… I DO want my muffin to be delicious. I mean, Ramen!” Naruto thought. “Alright, how do I get those flowers?” he asked.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea! I was going to go pick some of those flowers anyway, so I might as well come with you!” she said happily, looking at him with those odd eyes of hers.
“Well… Okay,” Naruto replied. “Why not?”
“Hurray!” the Pegasus called happily. “Then let us depart on an epic quest!”
“Err… Alright, I’ll just close up the stand for now,” Naruto answered, not sure what to say about the ‘epic quest’ part.
*****
And so, the duo embarked on a journey of a lifetime, a journey which would take them into faraway realms, into places beyond their imaginations. A journey that would teach them about the entire universe, and even themselves…
“The flower field is on the top of that mountain,” the Pegasus pointed at a mountain nearby Ponyville. It didn’t look too high, and could probably be easily reached in about an hour’s walk.
“Alright then,” Naruto replied with a nod, and the duo set out.
“Oh, right! I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” he introduced himself. “What’s your name?”
“Derpy Hooves! Or Derpy, for short,” she replied cheerfully.
“So… Umm… How do I look to you?” Naruto asked, finally having an opportunity to ask her about her eyes.
Derpy stopped walking, and simply stared at him. “Are you hitting on me?”
Naruto’s face became redder than Applejack’s apples. “W-W-What are you saying?! Of course not!” he cried. “Like hell I’m in love with a pony!”
“I hope not. That was the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard. And trust me, I’ve heard a LOT of them,” she replied and continued walking.
“I really should have worded that better… Never mind, I won’t even question it anymore,” Naruto decided, in order to spare himself further embarrassment.
*****
A little ways out of town, Naruto noticed a familiar filly looking up at a tree, a troubled expression on her muzzle. “Get down, Opal! Please!”
“Hey, Sweetie Belle. What’s up?” Naruto asked as he and Derpy walked over to her.
“Hi, Naruto,” the Unicorn filly replied. “Oh, you’re that pony… Uhh... Ditzy Doo, right?” she asked, looking at the Pegasus mare.
“Nope, it’s Derpy Hooves! But you can call me whatever you want!” she replied happily.
“So what happened, Sweetie Belle?” Naruto asked.
“I had an idea of getting a pet grooming cutie mark, so I tried putting same makeup on Opal. But she got really mad and ran up this tree,” she explained, looking upwards. Naruto and Derpy looked there as well, to see the white cat sleeping on one of the branches without a care in the world. A large red stripe of lipstick was on the side of her face.
“Oh, the poor thing!” Derpy cried. “She must be so terrified!”
“Yeah. Think you can help me get her down?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I’d call Rarity, but she’d kill me if she found out I caused Opal to run up a tree!”
“Well, it’s a good thing Derpy’s a Pegasus,” Naruto smiled at her.
“Actually, I decided not to fly anymore today,” she told him.
“Huh? Why?” Sweetie Belle asked, surprised.
“A couple of days ago I broke a leg when I tried to land. The doctor advised me to ‘give it a rest’ for a while. I thought it would be better today, so I gave it a try. But you saw how that turned out, Naruto.”
“Oh, I see,” Naruto nodded. “So is your leg all better now?” he asked, since there was no indication of any injuries on her.
“Oh, I didn’t break my leg. I broke Bon Bon’s. Poor girl, I landed right on top of her…” she sighed. “So anyways, I decided to take a break from flying for now,” she finished explaining with a somewhat goofy smile. Sweetie Belle and Naruto simply stared at her, utterly flabbergasted.
“Umm… Think you can get Opal down, Naruto?” Sweetie Belle asked after getting over what Derpy said.
“Of course! Piece of pie!” Naruto grinned.
“What a gentlecolt you are, Naruto!” Derpy called in admiration.
Naruto paced towards the tree, infusing his hooves with chakra. “Oh crap! Derpy doesn’t know I’m a ninja…”
“Well… Maybe we should just get another Pegasus to get her down,” Naruto suggested.
“Huh? Why?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You said you’re really good at climbing trees.”
“What, are you scared of climbing a little tree, Naruto?” Derpy laughed.
Naruto blushed deeply with embarrassment as his expression became angered. “Fine! I’ll show you I can climb the stupid tree!” he shouted. “I don’t need chakra to climb a dumb tree!”
Naruto then marched towards the tree, got up on his back hooves and grabbed onto the trunk with his front ones. He then latched onto it with his hind legs as well, and started lifting one hoof after the other.
“Yeah! Go Naruto!” Sweetie and Derpy cheered.
*****
“Dammit… This is really tough with no hands or chakra!” Naruto thought as he clenched his teeth in effort. “Seriously, how do those ponies do it?!”
He had been climbing the tree for over five minutes now and barely got halfway to the branch Opal was on.
As he managed to hold a small branch lower down, it snapped. “Gah!” Naruto cried as lost his grip on the tree, falling to the ground and landing on his rump.
“You stupid cat! That’s why I never liked you! Get down this instant!” Naruto screamed as he looked up furiously at Opalescence. Upon being completely ignored, he kicked the tree just like he’d do at Sweet Apple Acres.
Many leaves came falling down, and Opal’s eyes flung open in surprise. She then looked down at Naruto, hissed angrily towards him and ran down the tree and back towards Ponyville.
“Opal! Come back!” Sweetie Belle called as she started galloping after her. “Thanks, Naruto!” she added without looking back.
“Argh! This was all a waste of time!” Naruto called in annoyance. “I should have just kicked that tree from the beginning!”
“You know, a wise pony once told me: ‘It is not the outcome that matters, but the journey taken to obtain it’,” Derpy said in a sagely tone.
Naruto let out a sigh. “I guess so… Okay, let’s go.”
*****
“So what do you usually do in Ponyville?” Naruto asked after a while.
“I’m a mail carrier!” Derpy replied cheerfully.
“Oh right! I did see you a couple of times around town with the mail,” Naruto recalled. “Oh, and Twilight also told me about you.”
“Only good things, I hope!” Derpy chuckled.
“She actually said you dropped a ton of stuff on her, including a piano. How crazy is that?” the stallion laughed, not believing that outrageous tale for a second.
“I know, right?” Derpy laughed. “But I apologized to her and everything, so now it’s all better!” the mare replied cheerfully, meeting Naruto’s stunned expression. “I even sent her a ‘get well soon’ card!”
“That… actually happened?!” Naruto thought in shock, and suddenly felt really bad for Twilight.
“Hey! Naruto!” a voice called out.
Derpy and Naruto turned to the caller’s direction, to see an orange filly standing by the riverbed.
“Hey, Scootaloo. What’s up?” Naruto greeted the young Pegasus as he paced over to her.
“I’ve got a problem, Naruto,” she explained, when she noticed the mare at Naruto’s side. “Oh, hey Derpy. What are you doing with Naruto? Are you two dating or something?” she grinned at the two.
“No way!” the two yelled simultaneously.
“Naruto has the worst pickup lines ever!” Derpy added angrily, as if offended by the mere suggestion.
“She keeps calling my Ramen a muffin!” Naruto said on his side.
“Sure, alright, whatever,” Scootaloo said, not buying it. “Anyways, my ball kinda rolled into the river. Think you could get it for me?” she pointed at a medium-sized orange ball with a purple stripe along its circumference. It was caught on some branches of a shrub next to the riverbed, which luckily prevented it from being carried away by the water.
“No problem, Scootaloo,” Naruto said as he paced closer to the river, preparing to infuse chakra once more into his legs to allow him to walk on top of the water. “Oh, right! I forgot about Derpy!” he remembered again.
“What’s up, Naruto?” Scootaloo asked. “You told me and the others you can walk on wa—”
“Ahaha! Very funny, Scoots!” Naruto shouted. He’d galloped to Scootaloo’s side and covered her muzzle with his hoof before she could finish speaking.
“She doesn’t know I’m a ninja, remember?” he whispered.
“Why don’t you just tell her?” she whispered back, arching a brow.
“Cause I don’t want everypony to look at me like I’m some kind of—”
“Hey!” Derpy called, cutting Naruto off. “The ball’s getting carried away!”
“Ah!” Naruto yelped and ran over to the river. The ball was slowly moving out of the branches way and into the open, where it would be quickly carried away by the flowing water.
“I’ll help you!” Derpy called as she stopped next to Naruto.
“Thanks, Derpy!” Naruto said as she held his back hooves. He reached forwards, stretching all of his body just above the waterline, and just barely managed to hold onto the ball. Meanwhile, Derpy was holding his back legs just inches off the river, supporting Naruto and preventing him from falling into the stream.
“Alright, you did it!” Scootaloo cheered, standing next to Derpy.
“Okay, pass the ball here!” the mare called.
“Alright,” Naruto replied and reached back his left front hoof, the ball safely balanced on it, for Scootaloo to grab.
However, Derpy grabbed it instead. “Here ya go!” she said happily, giving it to the orange filly.
“Thanks!” Scootaloo replied, when she remembered something. “Where’s Naruto?” she asked. He wasn’t where he was just a few moments ago.
“Help!!!” Naruto cried, carried away by the rapids. When Derpy took the ball, she had let Naruto go, causing him fall into the water and get carried away by the stream.
“Oops, my bad!” Derpy called out to him.
*****
A few minutes later, Naruto was panting heavily, standing nearby the river soaked and shivering.
“Are you okay, Naruto?” Scootaloo asked.
“You sure are lucky you managed to grab that branch over there, Naruto. I really thought you were gonna end up in Las Pegasus or something,” Derpy chuckled.
“Why did you let go of me?!” Naruto shouted.
“Well, I couldn’t let little Scootaloo put herself at risk, you know. She’s just a little filly!” she replied with a serious look.
“She’s got a point, I guess…” Naruto admitted to himself reluctantly.
“Hey! I’m a big pony! I can take care of myself!” the orange Pegasus objected. “Well, I can’t swim though. So thank you both!”
“You’re very welcome,” Derpy said happily, smiling alongside Naruto.
“See ya!” Scootaloo said, trotting off with the ball balanced on her back.
“Great, my shirt’s all wet now,” Naruto grumbled, feeling the soaked top part of his jumpsuit. His coat was drying quickly, so he didn’t mind it.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. You did a good deed!” Derpy tried to cheer him up. “Besides, as a wise pony once told me: ‘It is not the outcome that matters, but the journey taken to obtain it’,” she said once more in a sagely tone.
“You already said that,” Naruto reminded her. “Whatever, let’s continue.”
*****
The duo was now standing right in front of the mountain. The gray, rocky mountain was about eight hundred meters tall and almost completely devoid of plants, save for some pine trees which were growing along its sides. A rocky path was carved in a spiral around it, leading up to the relatively flat summit.
“Well, here we are!” Derpy said happily, looking upwards. “We could probably get to the top in about ten minutes!”
“Are you sure?” Naruto asked skeptically. “I think it would take us like an hour on that path,” he said, surveying it. “Well, if I used my chakra I’d probably get there in five minutes…”
“Oh, we’re not taking that way!” Derpy laughed. “We’re taking the fun way!” she exclaimed cheerfully. Naruto replied with a puzzled gaze.
*****
“This… *pant* is the… *pant* fun way?!” Naruto groaned.
“Yep!” Derpy replied. “Isn’t mountain climbing super fun?”
The two ponies were taking the shortest way to the summit — climbing straight up. Finding little nooks and crannies to grab onto, Naruto very slowly managed to make his way up the mountain, Derpy taking the lead just a few meters above him.
“We’re really behind schedule, though. Think you can hurry it up?” Derpy asked. It’s already been fifteen minutes of climbing, and Naruto could only make it a quarter of the way.
“How the hay is she doing this?! She doesn’t have chakra or even hands! Are all ponies good at mountain climbing or something?!” Naruto thought in frustration. Derpy had made this all seem completely effortless.
“We can take a break if you want, Naruto. We can use that ledge over there!” Derpy suggested, pointing with her hind right hoof to a small ledge a meter to her right.
“Okay!” Naruto replied. “I could really use a break right about now…”
A few moments later, Derpy had managed to get on the ledge, happily looking down on Ponyville below them.
“Isn’t it great to go on trips once in a while?” she asked happily, looking down at Naruto who still had a bit more to climb.
“Yeah, sure,” Naruto replied without really listening. “Can you help me up?”
“Sure thing!” Derpy said cheerfully as she reached down and pulled him onto the ledge next to her.
Now safely at her side, the two ponies stood above the impressive view of central Equestria, the wind fluttering through their manes and the sunlight warming up their bodies.
“Naruto,” Derpy said, turning to look at the orange stallion.
“What?” he replied, looking back at her.
“I don’t think this will work out. I mean, the two of us.”
“Huh?” he replied, not understand her.
“We can’t be together like this anymore,” she said with a grave experience.
“What?! We’re not together!” Naruto quickly denied.
“Look, you should really just leave, Naruto.”
“Why?! I don’t get it! I just got here!”
“I mean you should get off the ledge. It’s breaking.”
Naruto froze. “Wait, what?”
Derpy pointed a hoof behind them. The ledge on which they were standing was slowly cracking from end to end. This continued for a few more seconds until the two cracks met, and the rock they were standing on started sliding down the mountain’s slope.
“Whee!” Derpy cried happily, as she and Naruto were unintentionally riding the boulder on its descent.
“Gyah!” Naruto cried as he lay down on the stone, holding it with all his might as to not fall off. “Get me off this thing!” he hollered as the rockslide started.
*****
“Wasn’t it awesome, Naruto?! Let’s go again!” Derpy laughed as she jumped off the boulder, shortly after it rested on the flat ground.
Naruto wobbled a bit as he stumbled off the boulder. He was still rather shaky after the two minute long ‘ride’ down the mountain. “Why didn’t we just take the normal path?” he asked as he lay against the rock, trying to regain his sense of balance.
“Because it wouldn’t be any fun. It’s just like what a wise pony once told me: ‘It is not the outcome that matters, but—’.”
“I know. You already said that twice,” Naruto frowned. “Who told you that anyways?”
“I don’t know. It was some old Unicorn. He said he’s a traveling merchant, but he looked like a total weirdo to me,” Derpy replied.
“You’re calling him a weirdo?” Naruto thought sarcastically, quickly realizing who that pony was.
“Anyway, it’s a good thing we got down the mountain. We climbed the wrong one!” Derpy laughed.
“We WHAT?!” Naruto shouted.
“Yep, we should have climbed that one!” Derpy pointed to a mountain to the right of the mountain they had climbed. It looked very similar to the first one, only it was about three times as tall.
“ARGH! THAT’S IT!” Naruto shouted, completely fed up with everything that happened. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!” he called as he crossed his two front hooves. Out of a cloud of smoke, he emerged as a human.
“You were onto me all along, weren’t you?!” Naruto burst, pointing at her. His face was red with anger and he was breathing heavily. “Well, there you have it! I’m a ninja! I could have walked up that tree, I could walk on the river and I could just walk up on the mountain! You somehow made me do all of this just to get me to admit it, right?! I hope you’re satisfied now!”
“Woah, what are you? You look so cool!” Derpy said in awe. “But you really should have told me in the beginning. Do you know how much trouble it could have saved you?”
“Wait, you didn’t know?!” Naruto asked, shocked.
“Nope! You were really good. I’d have never guessed you’re not really a pony!” she said, impressed. “Well, for a while there I thought you’re like Zecora because of those stripes on your face,” she laughed.
“And you’re not… You know, afraid or shocked… Nothing?” Naruto asked, surprised by her calm demeanor.
“You look weird, but then again, everypony is special,” she smiled.
Naruto smiled, his anger mostly gone thanks to her calm, and somewhat sagely reaction. “Thanks, Derpy. And… I’m sorry for shouting at you just now.”
“Don’t worry about it, Naruto. I've had a great day together with you!” Derpy replied cheerfully.
“Well, let’s go get those flowers!” Naruto called, pumped up and ready to continue.
“Actually, I think I've had enough fun for today. Let’s go back,” the gray mare said as she turned back towards Ponyville.
“But what about the flowers? I thought you wanted some too,” Naruto asked, joining her.
“Oh, you’ll see,” Derpy smiled.
*****
“That’ll be ten bits, please!” Daisy said.
“Here ya go!” Derpy replied as she paid the pink Earth pony the sum, and got a small bouquet of flowers in return. Each daisy-like flower had seven large petals, and each petal was a different color, creating a beautiful, circular rainbow.
“I prefer to pick the flowers myself, because it’s more fun that way. But it was getting kinda late, so I figured we should just buy them here,” Derpy explained to Naruto with a smile.
“You mean the flower vendors were selling them in the market?!” Naruto, in pony form, called in shock.
Derpy and Naruto had returned an hour later to Ponyville. On the way back, Naruto had told her what he had told the others about himself, and had asked Derpy not to tell anypony about his true form, which she had complied to with a ‘Pinkie Promise’, much to his surprise. Derpy had then led him back to the market to meet with the flower vendors: Daisy, Rose and Lily Valley.
“Yeah. Didn’t you know that?” Rose smiled. “And you went all the way out to get them? That’s our job,” she added with a chuckle.
“Are you telling me you’re climbing that huge mountain every time you’re getting more flowers?!” Naruto asked, deeply impressed.
“Mountain?” Daisy inquired, arching a brow. “Rainbow daisies grow on the plains southwest of Ponyville.”
“Derpy, don’t tell me you’ve got Rainbow daisies confused with White cloud lilies again…” Lily Valley sighed.
“Oops, my bad,” Derpy smiled.
“So we did all that for nothing?!” Naruto yelled in disbelief.
“Oh, don’t be like that,” Rose said. “You know what they say…”
“‘It is not the outcome that matters, but the journey taken to obtain it’,” said the three mares simultaneously.
“Everypony here spent way too much time with Momo,” Naruto sweatdropped.
“Well, let’s get on with that muffin!” Derpy exclaimed.
“I can’t wait to make that muffin already!” Naruto grinned. “No, wait! I meant Ramen!”
*****
Back in the Ramen stand, Naruto, in human form again, was working on his new broth for the Ramen. Derpy watched him as he crushed a few of the flowers and added them to the broth. When the hot liquid was done, it was nearly glowing with several colors, contrarily to the usual light brown color.
“Told you it will look great! You really deserve that first bite!” Derpy said happily while munching on another Rainbow daisy.
“Alright!” Naruto said as he poured some of the rainbow broth into a bowl and added some freshly-made noodles. “Itadakimasu!”
Naruto brought the bowl to his mouth, deciding to first take a sip. The moment the broth entered his mouth and touched his tongue, he immediately spat it out. “Sweet! Sweet! Too sweet!” he cried and immediately shoved his head under the faucet to cleanse his mouth with water.
“Derpy! What the hay?! That flower is way too sweet!”
“Well, duh,” she replied, rolling her off-centered eyes. “I mean, you wouldn’t want a salty or a sour muffin, now would you?”
“This is Ramen! This isn’t a muffin! It’s not supposed to be sweet!” Naruto snapped at her.
“Well, you should have said so from the beginning!” Derpy retorted. “But you know what? This was all for the best. Because, as a wise pony once told me…”
Thus, Naruto’s most epic quest ever had come to an end. Never in the history of this world, nor of any other, had a more epic quest existed, nor will one exist ever again.
On that day, many ponies, some of which were as far as Canterlot, could attest to hearing loud cries of anger and frustration originating from the new stand at Ponyville’s marketplace.
On that day, the ‘Uzumaki Ramen’ stand had acquired wide fame, mostly because ponies were curious as to why somepony would scream in such manner and simply decided to stick around to have a taste of delicious, non-rainbow Ramen.
On that day, a most powerful friendship had been formed between our young hero, Naruto Uzumaki, and one Derpy Hooves. A friendship so powerful, Naruto would have described it as ‘don’t drive me crazy again and I’ll give you free Ramen whenever you want’. Truly, a friendship for the ages.
It was just another morning for Naruto at Ponyville. The usual routine included getting up, awkwardly saying ‘good morning’ to the fox before retracting his chakra back into his body, brushing his teeth and eating breakfast together with Rarity. After that he would head out to the marketplace and to his new job of managing Equestria’s first and only Ramen stand.
“So how are the dresses coming along, Rarity?” Naruto asked the white Unicorn over breakfast. She has been working on dresses for herself and the rest of the gang for a few days now, and with the Grand Galloping Gala coming right around the corner, she hardly took a break from her work. Not only that, she was also making suits for Naruto and Spike.
“I am happy to report that they’re nearly done!” she smiled in response. “I will just add the finishing touches, and then I shall summon you and the girls to check them out. I dare say this should be all over by noon!”
“Sounds great! I hope you didn’t work too hard on mine, I don’t want to wear anything too fancy,” he smiled back.
“Of course, dear. It was quite a simple design, so I put it together rather quickly. Thanks to that I had more time to work on the others’ dresses.”
The sound of knocking then came from the front door. “I’ll get it,” Naruto volunteered and got up from his seat at the table.
“Oh, what a gentlecolt Naruto can sometimes be,” Rarity thought happily. “I could only hope he would be just the same…”
*****
“Transformation Jutsu!” Naruto called as he changed into his pony form, before opening the front door. “Oh, hey Spike. What’s up?” he grinned at the baby Dragon at the doorstep.
“Morning, Naruto!” Spike replied. “I have a letter for you!”
Naruto’s eyes widened, his heart beginning to race. “Is it from Celestia?! Did she find a way to send me back?!”
“No, it’s from Princess Luna, actually,” Spike said as he unfolded the short scroll for Naruto to read. As he did, a golden piece of paper fell on the floor. Naruto’s heart sank, but he still proceeded to read the letter.
Dear Naruto,
It has come to mind that I have forgotten to send you an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala. I cannot wait to spend a most magical night with you.
Love Yours truly, Luna
Naruto picked up the golden ticket and read it, noticing the writing was slightly different. “You are cordially welcomed by Princess Luna to the Grand Galloping Gala. This ticket is valid only for Naruto Uzumaki.” The bottom right of the gold paper was signed very extravagantly in dark blue ink. It was completely unreadable, but a small crescent moon was visible to the signature’s right.
“So that’s why you didn’t care at all when Twilight got the two tickets from Princess Celestia a couple of days ago,” Spike smiled. “I didn’t know Princess Luna invited you. I thought you just didn’t want to go.”
“I really don’t think I would have gone if Luna didn’t personally invite me, actually,” Naruto replied as he took the scroll and ticket, putting them into a pocket of his jumpsuit. “It sounds like it’s filled with stuck-up ponies who don’t do anything fun.”
“Oh, don’t be like that! There’ll be fancy food, good music, celebrities, and most importantly — we’ll all be together!” Spike lighted up. “It’s gonna be the best night ever!”
“I don’t know about that, but I don’t really have a choice now, do I?” Naruto half-smiled. “At least Luna seems to be looking forward to it.”
“Oh yeah, how are the suits coming along?” Spike asked. “I still can’t believe Rarity is making mine herself,” he added with a dreamy smile.
“She told me she’ll probably be done by noon,” Naruto said.
“That’s great! By the way, I have a letter for her too. Can I come in?” Spike asked, showing Naruto a much longer scroll than the one he had received.
Naruto nodded and let him in, then closed the door and walked back to the kitchen with him.
*****
“Morning, Rarity!” Spike called joyfully as he entered the room.
“Why, if it isn’t my Spikey-wikey!” Rarity called merrily and stroked the green spikes adorning his head. “What brings you here today?”
“What… doesn’t?” he replied quietly, small hearts floating above his head as his arms dropped and his eyes became unfocused.
“Err…” Naruto watched the scene for a few moments in confusion, before snapping Spike back to reality. “Spike has a letter for you, Rarity.”
“Oh! Right!” the little Dragon exclaimed, then showed Rarity the scroll. The Unicorn floated it up and started reading through it, her eyes widening three-fold by the time she had reached the end.
“P-P-PRINCESS LUNA WANTS ME TO—” was all she could manage to scream before passing out, falling over on her back dramatically.
“Rarity!” Spike cried and rushed to her side, along with Naruto.
“Hey! What’s wrong?!” Naruto asked. He could see the contents of the scroll, which had fallen next to her. It was a quite long list of requests for a new dress for the Gala. The bottom was signed ‘Princess Luna’, along with the same seal that was on his invitation to the Gala.
*****
“This is unbelievable! I never would have imagined I’d be asked to sew a dress for A PRINCESS!” Rarity cried. She recovered a few minutes later, after drinking a glass of cool water.
“But… I don’t think I could possibly have the time to… But… A PRINCESS!” she started arguing with herself, pacing back and forth across her store. Spike and Naruto merely watched her, unsure of what to say to her.
“Alright! You can do this, Rarity!” she finally called, her chest puffed up. She seemed to almost glow with a bright aura of confidence.
“Now, out with the two of you! I am about to be very busy now,” she said as she promptly levitated them towards the door.
“But my breakfa—” Naruto protested as the door slammed shut, after he and Spike were pretty much kicked out.
“Isn’t she just marvelous?” Spike asked, staring in a far-off gaze at Carousel Boutique’s door. “She always takes her work so seriously.”
“She didn’t have to kick us out, though,” Naruto grumbled over his unfinished meal. “Oh well, might as well go buy some groceries. I keep running out of flour…” he said as he began trotting off towards the market. “See ya later, Spike!”
As he said that, Spike immediately snapped back into reality, and stared back at him. “Oh! Uhh, yeah, Naruto. See ya…” he replied in a somewhat saddened tone.
*****
Not long afterwards, Naruto had reached the Ramen stand, carrying with him a bag of flour he bought and managed to balance on his back. “I keep forgetting I don’t have hands… Man, how do those ponies do it?! It’s so inconvenient!”
He opened the door into the small kitchen inside the stand and walked in, setting the flour on the inside counter. “Alright! Time to start making the—”
“Naruto?” came a voice from the door. Naruto looked back, and was surprised to see Spike standing there. He was fidgeting his claws nervously.
“Hey, Spike. What’s up?”
“Umm… Can I come in?” the baby Dragon asked quietly, looking around.
“Sure,” Naruto replied. Spike quickly walked in and closed the door behind them. The cloth shutter separating the inner part of the counter from the outer one was mostly closed, so nopony could see them there.
“What is it?” Naruto asked, a bit baffled over Spike’s unusual behavior.
“Umm… Well… It’s kind of a big request…” he muttered nervously, looking down.
“Well?” Naruto urged.
“CanIbeyourRamenassistant?”
The orange pony didn’t get a shred of what he said. “… Come again?”
Spike took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before repeating slowly. “Naruto, can I work here for you at the Ramen stand?”
“Oh, that’s all?” Naruto chuckled, surprised. “Okay.”
“Really?! Alright!” Spike called joyfully. “I promise you I’ll be the best assistant you’ll ever have! I’ll be your number one assistant!”
That sentence rang familiar to Naruto, bringing up a small problem. “Hey, aren’t you Twilight’s assistant already?” he arched a brow at him.
“Well, yeah…” he replied, looking away. “That’s the thing. I really, really, REALLY love Ramen! Ever since I first tasted it I knew I had to have more! The incredible scent and the wonderful taste in my mouth… It’s like I fell in love!” he said with much passion. “Well… Not like… Umm, you know… But you know what I mean!” he then added nervously.
Naruto smiled. ”Sounds exactly like somepony I know…”
“That’s why I thought of working here with you, to get to experience that feeling all the time! But… I have responsibility helping Twilight too. I can’t just drop everything!” he said in distress. “She really needs my help! That’s why I thought about it for a few days, but I decided I just had to go through with it!” he finished explaining with a determined look in his eyes.
“So what are you gonna do?” Naruto asked. “You can’t be at two places at the same time.”
“But you can!” Spike smiled.
Naruto blinked and stared at him blankly. “I don’t follow.”
“If you make a clone of yourself, and then transform into me, you can both replace me as Twilight’s assistant, and still manage the stand!” Spike explained cheerfully. “You… can do that, right?”
Naruto pondered this. “Well, I guess so… Alright, if that’s really what you need to help you fulfill your Ramen dream, there’s no way I can refuse to that, ya know!”
“Alright! You’re the best, Naruto!” Spike called and hugged him. He then immediately pulled back, face red with embarrassment.
“Okay, now let me try something…” Naruto said, a look of curiosity evident on his face. Spike watched him as he crossed his forelegs. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
A pony clone of Naruto soon emerged next to the original. “It worked!” the pair called simultaneously, hoof bumping.
“This is incredible! You can still use your jutsu thingies when you’re a pony! I wish we could show this to Twilight!” Spike exclaimed, when he remembered something. “Oh, Naruto, can we keep all this a secret?”
“Why?” the clone asked.
“It’s a matter of Dragon honor, Naruto! I can’t let her know that I left her and went to do something else!” he called, his eyes looking at him pleadingly.
“I really don’t get why it’s so important…”
“Please! Promise me, Naruto!” Spike called and fell on his knees. “I won’t be able to stand it if Twilight is disappointed in me!”
“Alright, I promise,” Naruto nodded.
“No! That’s not good enough!” rose a voice from beneath a large pot which lay upside-down on the floor. It tilted upwards slightly to reveal a pair of light blue eyes, surrounded all around by pink.
“So how long have you been under there, Pinkie?” Naruto asked calmly. He was finally getting used to her doing this kind of things.
“Never mind that!” she brushed him off, still mostly hidden under the pot. “You know the chant!”
Naruto rolled his eyes, but decided to go along with it. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my—YOUCH!”
“Good! Pinkie out!” she called, before the pot fell back on the floor.
While the original was rubbing his aching eye, the clone went to check if she was still under there. “Thought so,” he said when he lifted the pot, revealing only the wooden floor underneath.
“Oh yeah,” Spike said. “You should go as the original. Your clone vanishes if it gets hit, right?”
“Yeah, why?” the clone asked.
“Well… Let’s just say you should be careful around books,” Spike half-smiled.
Naruto and the clone exchanged baffled gazes, but then the original nodded and crossed his forelegs once more. “Transformation Jutsu!”
“Woah! Not bad, Naruto!” Spike called as he now stood in front of a duplicate of himself.
“Yup! I guess I can use all of my jutsus as a pony. Also, I don’t even have to make hand seals!” Spike-clone replied cheerfully.
“Well, Twilight’s at the library. As usual,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “She probably thinks I’m still delivering you and Rarity the letters, so if she asks, just tell her I… I mean you, ran a bit late. Hmm… Having a clone kinda makes things confusing.”
“Alright,” Spike-clone nodded. “Good luck! And be careful not to get my clone hurt somehow, or he’ll disappear,” he reminded Spike.
“You got it!” Spike replied with a salute as Naruto turned and ran outside.
“So, what are we gonna do now?” Spike asked the Naruto clone.
“Let’s start by making the noodles,” the clone instructed.
“Okay!” Spike replied happily, and the two immediately got to work.
*****
“Whew… Sure takes a lot of effort running with these short legs…” Naruto thought as he finally reached the library. He reached up to the handle of the red door and opened it, to reveal Twilight sitting in front of a desk below a window at the right side of the library. She was reading through an old-looking book, and a stack of about ten other books was at her side.
“I’m back, Twilight!” Naruto called.
“What took you so long, Spike?! We’re on a tight schedule today!” Twilight replied, looking at him angrily.
“We are?”
“Oh, I don’t know… Of course we are!” she snapped. “There’s a ton of things left to do, and I’m busy with my preparations for the Gala! I need your help!”
“You’re reading a book,” the transformed ninja arched a brow at her.
“It’s ‘Formal Etiquette 101’, Spike. I can’t go to the Gala without any knowledge on how to properly behave there! I’d embarrass the Princess!”
“And all those other books?” he glanced at the pile of books.
Twilight sighed in annoyance. “History of the Grand Galloping Gala, Beginner Level Waltz, Two Hundred Ways to Tie a Tie…” she began going over each one. “Spike, we’ve made a checklist of those this morning. Did you forget already?”
“Oh! Uhh, sorry. Skipped my mind,” Naruto replied.
“It’s okay,” Twilight nodded. “I guess you too are pretty nervous about the Gala. It’s completely natural.”
“Actually, I don’t really care, but she might throw the book at me if I say that…” he thought, remembering the last time Twilight got mad at him.
“We need to complete every task in the checklist before we head over to Rarity’s and check out the clothes she made for us, Spike.”
“Alright, no problem!” the Dragon replied. “Uhh… Where is the checklist?”
Twilight arched a brow at him again. “It’s on the table,” she pointed to the round table at the middle of the room. “That’s where you left it before you went out, remember?”
“Oh, right!” he called and ran over to it.
“I know you have a crush on Rarity, but it’s no excuse to lose your head every time you meet her,” Twilight said as she continued reading the book.
“Huh?! I don’t have a crush on Rarity!” Naruto immediately called.
“Very funny, Spike. You made a big deal out of it that time you told me, and even roped Pinkie into it,” Twilight replied, not taking her eyes off the book.
“Oh… Was that why he’s always acting so weird around Rarity?” Naruto realized as he started looking over the checklist scroll. “Read this book, read that book, buy ink, feed Owlowiscious…”
“Who?”
“What do you mean ‘who’? The owl you took in a couple of days ago,” Naruto reminded her.
“Don’t remind me, Spike,” Twilight said. “Especially after the trouble you got yourself into because of that.”
“Okay, so where is he?” Naruto asked, looking around. The owl was nowhere to be seen.
“Who?”
“Owlowiscious,” Naruto replied, getting slightly irked.
“Who?”
“Your pet owl!” Naruto shouted.
“I’m trying to read, Spike. Can you keep it down?” Twilight frowned.
“It’s not my fault!”
“Who?”
“Mine! It’s not my fault!” Naruto snapped, when something overshadowed him. The small creature casting its shadow descended until it finally landed on the scroll.
“Who,” Owlowiscious hooted softly, staring at ‘Spike’ with big black eyes.
“Who am I? I’m Spike. Don’t you remember me?” Naruto answered.
“Who?”
“Spike! Twilight’s number one assistant!”
“Who?” said the owl again.
“He’s… not seeing through the jutsu, right?” Naruto wondered nervously.
“Spike, that was only funny the first three times you two had that conversation. Just give him some of the food Fluttershy gave us,” Twilight said as she flipped a page with her magic.
“Alright, alright…” Naruto grumbled. “Let’s go, Owlowiscious.”
“Who,” the owl said as he flew along with him.
“Don’t start this again,” Naruto replied dryly.
*****
“You need to push harder, Spike!” Naruto said.
“I’m trying! I’m trying! But it starts to hurt!” he cried.
“There’s no other way. Otherwise this will take forever!”
“Agh! Aaaaaaagh!” Spike groaned, trying to bear the pain.
“You’ll get used to it once you become more experienced,” Naruto smiled.
“I didn’t think kneading dough for Ramen was so difficult! My claws are getting really soar!” Spike said, biting his bottom lip.
Spike and Naruto were now making the noodles for the Ramen. Spike was standing on a stool, with Naruto next to him and guiding him on how to properly knead the dough for the noodles.
“So, you’re gonna quit?” Naruto smirked tauntingly.
“No way! It’ll take much more than this to break me!” the small dragon exclaimed, and accelerated the rhythmic kneading.
“Great!” Naruto smiled at him before turning to look outside. “And it looks like we’ve got our first customer for today!” he added cheerfully.
“What’s up, Naruto?” greeted a black Pegasus with light blue mane as he paced towards the counter.
“Heya, Thunderlane,” Naruto replied with a hoof-bump. “You haven’t missed a day since the opening!”
“You betcha! Ramen’s the best thing to happen to Ponyville since… Well, ever!” the stallion replied enthusiastically. “Where did you get the idea, anyways?”
“Oh! Uh… I just… dreamed it, I guess?” Naruto stuttered.
“Well, doesn’t matter to me!” he called, tossing three bits onto the counter. “Hit me with a big bowl!”
“Coming right up!” Naruto replied. “Spike, give me the—”
A tug at his tail caused Naruto to look down and see Spike sitting down under the counter, out of Thunderlane’s sight.
“Psst, Naruto! Don’t tell him I’m in here!” the purple drake whispered.
Naruto lowered his head to look at Spike. “Why not?” he asked quietly.
“If anypony knew I was working here, they’d probably tell Twilight! Can you keep it a secret from everypony else too?” he asked with pleading eyes.
“You know there are going to be customers all the time. How are you going to keep hiding from everypony?” Naruto inquired.
“I’ll think of something, but please, just let me hide for now!”
“Alright,” Naruto replied with a nod, when a faint rumbling noise diverted his attention back to the pot on the floor.
“I’m watching you,” a warning voice rose from a pair of blue eyes underneath the pot. The pot slowly descended back to the floor. Naruto rolled his eyes in response.
“What’s up, Naruto? Everything okay in there?” Thunderlane asked.
The orange stallion raised his head back above the counter. “Yup! Everything’s great!” he quickly replied before turning to grab the strainer that was hanging on the back wall of the caravan.
*****
Sometime later, Naruto, who was still posing as Spike, had headed out to buy some ink for Twilight. Holding a small, red wallet the librarian gave him, he marched straight to the quill store to buy some ink. Or at least, that’s what he had originally planned.
“Okay, let me get this straight,” Spike-transformed-Naruto said, faceclawing. “You’re selling quills, and instead of selling ink to go with the quills, you’re selling sofas?!”
“Well, yeah,” the owner of ‘Quills and Sofas’, a light brown Earth pony wearing a blue suit replied as a matter of fact. “Economic statistics reveal that many ponies also ponder their sitting habits while writing. Ponies who write a lot also tend to break a lot of quills, which is an excellent opportunity to discuss with them about their writing desks and what they sit on, and sell them one of my high-grade sofas!”
Naruto stared back at him blankly, his mind failing to process the complicated subject. “You lost me at that eco thingy.”
“We talked about it the last time you came here to buy some quills for Twilight Sparkle, did you forget?” the store owner replied.
“Oh! Uh… right! Skipped my mind!” Naruto quickly exclaimed. “So, where can I buy some ink?”
“At my wife’s store, just three buildings down the street, Spike. You’re awfully forgetful today,” he noted. His muzzle then formed a knowing grin. “Don’t tell me you’re like that because of a certain somepony?”
“What?! No! I don’t have a crush on Rarity!” Naruto proclaimed, remembering Twilight’s words from earlier and quickly denying a possible infatuation with a mare, but forgetting it wasn’t really him they were talking about.
“Whatever you say, Spike. But trust me on this — the way to a mare’s heart goes through a good sofa! I’m sure that’s especially true for Rarity!” he chuckled. Naruto gave him one last, deeply troubled look before leaving the store.
*****
“Thanks for the meal! I really don’t know how I’ve lived without Ramen until now!” a purple Earth pony mare said happily as she returned the empty bowl to Naruto’s counter.
“You’re welcome, Berryshine!” Naruto’s clone replied before grabbing the bowl with his mouth and bringing it over to Spike. The purple drake was in the back, out of sight to anypony who didn’t practically shove his head behind the counter, and was busy cleaning the dirty dishes in the small sink there.
“Are you doing okay, Spike?” the orange pony asked after dropping the bowl, the magic chopsticks inside, into the small sink.
“Yup! I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning and cooking for Twilight, so this job is a piece of cake for me!” Spike replied as he started cleaning the white ceramic bowl with a wet, blue dishcloth.
“Great to hear! And after you finish cleaning we can work on the next batch of stock for the Ramen,” Naruto said before turning back to the counter. “Heya, Lyra and Bon Bon,” he said as he spotted the familiar Unicorn and Earth pony friends. “Got it! Two bowls coming right up!” he called after getting their order.
Having finished cleaning the bowl and chopsticks from earlier, Spike jumped off the small white stool allowing him to reach the sink, and took it to the stove, upon which stood a pot of broth and a pot of boiling water with noodles. The stoves were to the right of the counter, and still out of sight to the ponies outside. Grabbing two clean bowls from next to the sink, the drake laid them next to the pots, and tried grabbing the ladle in the pot of broth, just a little beyond his short arm’s reach.
“Need some help, Spike?” Naruto whispered as he went for the other pot and removed some noodles with a strainer, putting a decent amount in each bowl.
“No, it’s okay! I got this!” Spike answered just as he managed to just barely grab the ladle.
“Well, at least you have hands. I have to use my mouth,” Naruto grinned.
“Well, why don’t you just turn back to a human?” Spike asked as he proceeded to pour a good amount of savory liquid into each of the bowls. “I really don’t get why you’re keeping being a ninja secret from everypony.”
Naruto’s smile quickly vanished, and he looked back to the counter, shortly behind which were the two mares waiting to get some food. “It’s… a long story. I’ll tell you some other time, alright?”
“Well, if you say so,” Spike replied, putting the ladle back into the pot. However, as he did so, he hit the pepper shaker on the counter above the stove, knocking it down.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto caught it with his hoof before it could fall into the broth and ruin it. “Woah! That was awesome, Naruto!” Spike whispered in awe. “How did you do that?”
Naruto grinned. “All ninjas practice their reflexes a lot at the academy,” he explained. “It came easier for me though, since I was just that awesome!” he added haughtily, when the shaker slipped out of his fingerless grasp and fell on the counter, creating a small cloud of pepper. “Oops.”
Spike’s eyes became watery as some of the powder entered his nostrils. “Ah… Ah… Achoo!” he sneezed, gushing forth a stream of green flame towards the two bowls.
“Bless you!” Lyra’s voice was heard from outside, reminding Naruto that there were customers waiting for their food outside.
“That was the cutest sneeze ever, Naruto!” Bon Bon giggled. Spike blushed deeply, looked away and didn’t say a word.
“Your food is rea—” Naruto began saying, when he looked at the content of the bowls. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was seeing. “NO WAY!” he promptly yelled, startling all those within earshot.
“Everything okay, Naruto?” Lyra asked as she tried to take a peek inside. Naruto quickly turned around and stood in front of her, blocking her view of Spike and the bowls.
“Yup! Everything’s great!” he quickly replied. “Just a minute, okay?” he asked, and closed the curtain before even hearing the turquoise Unicorn’s answer.
“Spike, do you know what this is?!” Naruto asked, pointing at the bowls while looking at the baby Dragon.
“It’s because of my sneeze, right?! I’m really sorry!” Spike cried. “I promise you it won’t happen again, so please don’t kick me out!”
“Kick you out?! Are you kidding me?!” Naruto called. “Do you know what you just did here?!”
“Um… Yes? No? Maybe?!” Spike asked in panic, unable to think straight with Naruto talking to him in such fashion. He’d never heard him speaking so urgently before.
“You’ve made instant Ramen!” Naruto exclaimed, his eyes beaming with excitement.
“I… Huh?” Spike muttered in confusion.
“You’ve made the Ramen completely dry! It’s just like what’s in the Ramen cup back home before I add water!” Naruto said, looking into the bowls. Their content was now comprised of dried up noodles and vegetables, covered by the dry remnants of the savory broth.
Naruto grabbed the ladle of the broth and used it to add some hot water from the noodle pot to the dry content of the bowls. Spike and he then watched for a few minutes as the water regained the look and smell of the broth, and the noodles and vegetables returned to normal.
“See? It looks just like earlier!” Naruto said.
“But does it taste the same?” Spike asked. “Shouldn’t somepony taste it to make sure?”
“Good idea,” Naruto replied. He seemed to think for a moment, as he closed his eyes and put a hoof on his chin. Suddenly afterwards, he smiled somewhat mischievously and took the bowls one by one to the counter, before opening the curtain to reveal the somewhat confused Lyra and Bon Bon.
“Here you go! Two bowls of freshly made Ramen!” Naruto smiled. “Oh, right,” he said and went to sink to get two clean pairs of chopsticks for the two mares to use.
“Thanks!” said the two mares simultaneously. Lyra floated up the bowls and chopsticks and took them to one of the tables outside.
Naruto watched the two as they grabbed the chopsticks and brought the first bite into their mouths. Spike was peeking at them too, his head partially visible behind the counter.
Bon Bon was the first to grab the chopsticks, take a first bundle of noodles and blow them colder. She then brought them to her mouth and slurped them quite silently. “Delicious as ever! Right, Lyra?”
The turquoise Unicorn slurped her first bite very loudly, earning a somewhat scornful gaze from her friend. “Sure is!”
“YES!” Spike and Naruto yelled simultaneously, giving each other a high-five. The two mares immediately turned to look at them, but the stallion and dragon had managed to duck behind the counter before they could be spotted spying on the two mares.
Naruto immediately turned to look at the young drake. “Spike, with you here I can even make instant Ramen!” he whispered in excitement. “That’s why… I want you to keep working here with me every day! What do you say?!”
In response, Spike’s mouth formed an exuberant grin.
The original Naruto, still transformed into Spike, marched out of ‘Ink and Lamps’, the store managed by ‘Quills and Sofas’ owner’s wife, a yellow Pegasus with an orange mane and tail.
“Come again soon, Spike!” she called as she waved to him from the entrance.
“Yeah, thanks!” Naruto replied, waving back with a claw that held the flask of ink he just purchased. “I didn’t even bother asking why she sells ink and lamps. Those ponies really don’t make sense sometimes…”
“Okay,” Naruto said, trying to remember what to do next. “Now back to Twilight and—”
“Howdy, Spike!” rang a cheery voice with a southern accent.
“Oh, hey guys,” Naruto answered as he looked up ahead to see Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy trotting towards him.
“What’s up?” Rainbow asked. “Doing some shopping for Twilight?”
“Yeah!” he replied, showing them the small bottle of ink he was holding. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re goin’ out for a good ol’ bowl of Ramen, of course!” Applejack replied.
“We actually wanted to bring Rarity and Twilight too,” Fluttershy said. “But they said they were too busy preparing for the Gala. And we couldn’t find Pinkie Pie anywhere…”
“I get why Rarity’s so busy, making our dresses and all,” Rainbow said. “But that egghead is way too nervous! As long as we’re gonna look cool at the Gala, everything’s gonna go as smooth as a cloud bed,” she explained as she passed a front hoof smoothly in the air.
“Uh, I guess so,” ‘Spike’ replied awkwardly, not sure what to think of it.
“So, wanna join us for a quick bite before we head on over to Rarity’s?” Applejack inquired.
“Well I—”
“Of course he wants to join us!” Rainbow exclaimed. “You always say that you’re the ‘number one Ramen lover’, remember?” she laughed and quickly pulled him up on her back. “Besides, that ink can wait. Our Ramen’s getting cold right about now!”
A loud rumbling noise was then heard. “Sorry,” a blushing Fluttershy whispered, rubbing her stomach. Rainbow Dash and Applejack giggled in response.
“Hey, maybe we should hold a Ramen eating contest some time! What do you think, Fluttershy?” Rainbow suggested and began marching in the direction of the Ramen stand.
“A-A contest?!” Fluttershy cried out.
“All the talk about Ramen made me hungry too. Well, I guess Twilight can wait for her ink a little bit…” Naruto figured.
*****
“How’s it going, number one assistant?” Naruto, who was cleaning the dishes, asked Spike, who was busy stirring a freshly made batch of Ramen broth. He had already been taught the basics of creating the broth and was working splendidly.
“Everything’s great, number one boss!” the purple Dragon answered, looking at him admiringly. “This should be ready in five minutes!”
“Alright! Keep up the great work!” Naruto replied. “I can’t wait to try and sell some of that instant Ramen already!”
“Me too!” Spike replied enthusiastically. “Oh, this is gonna be great! Two hombres working together to bring the legendary tale of Ramen to all of Equestria!”
“Yup! I’m sure we’ll be so famous Twilight won’t even mind if you weren’t there to help her out anymore!” Naruto laughed.
“Yeah! I’m sure she’ll be—” Spike began speaking before freezing, staring blankly into the air.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Spike?” Naruto asked, as he paused cleaning one of the porcelain Ramen bowls.
“Twilight…” Spike muttered as he lowered his gaze down to the floor. “She probably doesn’t need me anymore, with Owlowiscious and you replacing me…”
“Well, isn’t that a good thing? You said you wanted to work at the Ramen stand. After all, you’re getting free Ramen here whenever you want! You already had three bowls today!” Naruto smiled at him.
“Yeah, but…” Spike muttered. Naruto gave him a puzzled look, not sure what the little Dragon was trying to say.
“Never mind,” Spike said eventually with a sigh. “As long as Twilight is happy, it’s good enough for me,” he concluded and continued stirring.
“Don’t worry, Spike. I’m sure the real me is doing a great job!” Naruto assured him. “Twilight couldn’t be in better hands — er, hooves — no, I mean, claws! All those transformation are starting to give me a headache…”
“Heya, Naruto!” rang a voice from down the street. In response, Naruto and Spike looked towards the voice’s direction to see Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack trotting to the stand. Upon recognizing them, Spike quickly ducked back under the counter before he could be spotted.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?” Naruto greeted.
“I’ll tell you what’s up, Naruto! Lunch!” Rainbow grinned.
“Yup! We sure could use a tasty, filling meal before heading over to Rarity’s,” said Applejack.
“Right! Three bowls coming right up! And don’t worry, these are on the house!” Naruto said cheerfully as he turned to the stoves.
“Four actually,” Fluttershy corrected him and pointed at Rainbow. ‘Spike’ revealed himself by moving his head away from behind Rainbow Dash’s and waved at Naruto.
Naruto’s eyes shot open when he realized what was happening. “Hey, ‘Spike’!” he called, badly masking the worry in his voice. “What brings you here today?”
Upon hearing that, the real Spike looked up at the counter, a panicked expression on his face.
“Heya, ‘Naruto’,” he replied with a wink. “Just coming for a quick bowl before I head back to Twilight.”
“You can’t just leave her! You’re her assistant, remember?” Naruto-clone growled at the original.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. But I barely ate anything for breakfast! I’m starving!” ‘Spike’ complained.
“Baby dragons must eat a lot if they want to get big and strong,” Fluttershy said with a confident nod. She froze a moment later, her eyes widening. “Well… Maybe becoming a big dragon isn’t really a good idea…” she stuttered.
“Yeah, quit being such a stick in the mud, Naruto,” Rainbow said. “A quick bite never hurt anypony, right?”
“’sides, I’m sure if you were hungry, you could just eat on the job, right?” Applejack grinned knowingly.
“I… actually had three bowls too today,” the clone admitted to himself. “Sorry, Spike. But I can’t let myself go hungry, right? That’s just stupid!”
“Okay! Four bowls coming right up!” Naruto-clone called and moved towards the stoves.
“Sorry, Spike. I’ll make sure he eats quickly and then he’ll go back to Twilight,” he whispered.
“I knew you liked Ramen, Spike. But this is just AWESOME!” Rainbow exclaimed. She and the others were still sitting at one of the tables outside Naruto’s Ramen stand, watching ‘Spike’ downing his fifth bowl.
The purple drake then finished drinking the remains of the meal in the bowl and lay back on the chair. *BURP* “Woah, excuse me!”
“Bless ya!” Applejack laughed. Rainbow and Fluttershy smiled at him, seemingly not minding his lack of table manners.
“That was great, ya know!” ‘Spike’ called. “I wish I could spend every day like this, without a care in the world…”
“Spike! What are you doing here?!” came a shout to his left. Everypony quickly jerked their heads in the voice’s direction to see a very unhappy Twilight Sparkle standing there, glaring at them.
“Oh, hey Twilight,” ‘Spike’ replied as he made an effort to get off the chair and walk towards her. However, his inflated belly prevented him from doing that. “I was just about to come back with the ink I bought,” he continued, still fruitlessly trying to get off the chair.
“Yeah, thanks a lot, Spike,” she said sarcastically and floated him to the air in front of herself. “I was counting on you! I sent you over an hour ago to get some ink and here you are, stuffing yourself with…” she began and looked at the table. “One… Two… Three…”
“Five bowls! You should have seen him go!” Rainbow exclaimed. “What?” she then asked, seeing Applejack looking at her scornfully.
“We’re going home now, and you can think about what you’ve done on the way there!” the Unicorn furiously said as she put ‘Spike’ on her back and floated the flask of ink next to herself.
“Oh, right. How much do I owe you, Naruto?” Twilight asked as she turned to Naruto’s clone.
“Oh, it was on the house, Twilight,” the clone answered as he finally looked up from the area underneath the counter, seemingly fixated on something.
“Alright then. I’ll see you later, Naruto,” Twilight replied before trotting back to the library.
“I’m so sorry, Spike…” Fluttershy muttered as she looked at Twilight heading away. “It’s my fault… I should have asked him to stop after the third one…”
“You did,” Rainbow deadpanned. “He just didn’t hear you over all the Ramen he was slurping.”
Applejack sighed. “It was my fault too. It ain’t like me to drag a pony off his work like we just did. I’mma apologize to him when we go to Rarity’s later.”
“Me too,” Fluttershy nodded.
Upon hearing no reaction from Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy turned to gaze at her. Rainbow looked back and forth between them, a puzzled expression on her face. “Oh!” she exclaimed in realization. “Well, I guess I’ll apologize too, if I gotta…”
“We’ll see ya later, Naruto,” Applejack called as the trio set off. “Thank ya mighty again for the Ramen!”
“Bye, Naruto,” Fluttershy added.
Naruto’s clone, however, didn’t listen. He was looking down worriedly at Spike, who was sitting down with his face buried in his claws.
“Oh, what have I done…?” Spike cried quietly.
*****
The door slammed shut after Twilight entered the library. She then turned over the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’, hovered the ink to her desk and placed ‘Spike’ down on the floor, before pacing over to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, Spike…” Naruto thought. “I promised you I’ll do a great job covering for you… Some ninja I turned out to be… And Twilight must be really mad at you now…”
“Spike,” came Twilight’s voice from the kitchen shortly after. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t sound angry at all, but actually quite sad.
‘Spike’ paced over to the kitchen, a small room containing only a few cabinets, all carved from the tree the library was in, a sink, magical stoves, a small fridge and a simple table with four chairs. Twilight greeted him just outside the room.
Twilight let out a sigh. “I’m sorry for shouting at you back there, Spike. You’ve been all over the place today and you hardly had anything to eat this morning, since you ran over to Rarity’s as soon as you got that letter…”
Naruto was surprised as Twilight suddenly embraced him tightly. “I actually made lunch for us and I got really worried when you didn’t come back, so I went out to look for you. That’s why I yelled at you earlier,” she explained before releasing him.
“Will you ever forgive me, Spike?” she asked softly.
“Yeah… It’s okay,” Naruto replied, still somewhat stunned by her sudden gentleness. “Woah… I guess I was kinda wrong about you, Twilight…” he thought.
“Well, since you already ate lunch I guess I’ll save your meal for dinner. It’s too bad, because it’s your favorite,” Twilight said.
“Really? What is it?” Naruto asked, curious as to what a Dragon would eat.
“Hay, honey and ruby powder sandwiches,” Twilight smiled.
“I’m… really glad I ate lunch already,” was Naruto’s mind’s immediate response to that.
“Oh well, I’ll just eat by myself now,” Twilight said. “Think you can get back to the checklist without me?”
“You can leave it to me! Believe it!” Spike replied.
“Great! That’s why you’re my number one assistant, Spike!” Twilight replied happily before turning back to the kitchen. “Believe it…?” she then muttered, baffled.
“Alright, let’s see…” Naruto said to himself as he walked back to the table at the middle of the library, upon which lay the checklist scroll. “Rearrange the fantasy section by publishing year?!” he cried.
*****
“Oh, what should I do? What should I do?!” Spike asked, pacing back and forth inside the stand, with Naruto’s clone watching him. “I’ve never seen Twilight this angry with me before!”
“Well, a lot of people were really angry with me a lot of times, and everything turned out okay,” Naruto said, remembering some of the pranks he used to pull and the reactions of their victims.
“No, no, no! I have to be number one! If I don’t be my very best all the time, do you have any idea what will happen?!” Spike cried, looking at Naruto.
“Uhh…” Naruto mumbled, trying to think of an answer. Eventually he just shrugged, having come up with nothing.
“I’ll be replaced… by Owlowiscious!” Spike cried. “I’ll be downgraded to number one point five, or maybe even worse… To number two assistant! NOOOOOOO!!!” he screamed in horror.
Naruto rolled his eyes. “Then just tell Twilight. Then she’ll know it wasn’t really you,” he suggested.
“Are you crazy?!” Spike cried. “If she was this angry with me for being gone for just an hour, just think what she’ll do if she knew I was gone since morning!”
“Don’t worry, I promise it won’t happen again. The real me won’t let Twilight find out. After all, a ninja always sticks to his mission,” Naruto replied in a tone unusually serious for him. He instinctively looked back at the large pot that was still on the floor. A pair of light blue eyes that appeared underneath the pot vanished a moment later in the darkness.
“Yeah, alright…” Spike replied half-heartedly. “Well, let’s get back to work.”
“Oh, wait. Isn’t it time to go to Rarity’s now?” Naruto asked, looking at a clock on one of the nearby buildings.
“Oh, yeah. It is,” the Dragon answered. “Are you gonna close the stand for now?”
“No way! It’s almost peak hour, and a lot of hungry ponies are gonna come eat soon,” Naruto said. “I’ll just make another clone and send him instead.”
“Good idea, Naruto!” Spike complimented.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto called as he crossed his forelegs to activate the jutsu. As before, a pony clone of himself came into existence in a cloud of smoke.
“Okay, I’ll be back later, Naruto,” Spike said as he headed for the door and reached for the handle. “Oh, I can’t wait to see the suit Rarity made for me! I bet it’s gonna be amaz—”
“Wait!” Naruto called. Spike turned back to look at him. “The real me is already going as you with Twilight, did you forget?”
“Oh,” Spike said as his arm slumped down. “Right,” he said with a sigh. “I guess I’ll have to go see it another time.”
“Sorry about that,” one of the Naruto’s said as he headed for the door. “But at least you get to keep working at the stand. Pinkie, are you coming?”
In response, the pot under which Pinkie was constantly appearing was lifted up by four pink legs, and then walked over to the door.
“Can you leave the pot here?” the other Naruto asked.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie replied and removed the pot, dropping it on the floor. “Let’s go-go-go!” she called and promptly started hopping towards the exit. Naruto opened the door for her and then went out himself.
“See you later, Spike!” he called as he closed the door.
“See ya…” Spike answered and let out a heavy, depressed sigh.
“What’s wrong?” the Naruto who stayed with him inquired.
“It’s just… I’m starting to feel like I’m missing a lot while I’m here, you know?” the baby Dragon replied.
“It’s too bad you can’t use chakra. I could have taught you my shadow clone jutsu,” Naruto said as he got back to work.
“I guess so. Oh well,” Spike replied.
“This time, you’re gonna make the broth alone from scratch,” Naruto said. “Do you accept the challenge?”
Spike then smiled, happy to get back to work and get his mind off Twilight and Rarity. “You betcha, Naruto!”
*****
“Are you alright, Spike?” Twilight asked in worry as she trotted down the street, on her way to Rarity’s. The purple Dragon was sitting on her back, rubbing his aching head.
“I never knew books could be so… painful,” Naruto muttered.
“Well, sixty of them falling together on your head are sure to leave a mark. I can’t believe you told me you were alright when it happened!”
“Well, I accidentally changed back to a human, so I couldn’t call you. I was really lucky she didn’t notice my voice wasn’t Spike’s…” Naruto thought.
“It’s been months since you’ve last caused an entire bookcase to cave down on you like this,” Twilight noted. “Is everything okay? You’ve seemed kind of… distracted today.”
“I’m okay, Twilight. Don’t worry about it,” ‘Spike’ assured her.
“If you say so,” Twilight replied. “Well, here we are!” she announced upon arriving at Carousel Boutique. “I bet you’re as excited as I am to see our new clothing for the Gala!” she smiled.
“Sure,” Naruto replied and jumped off Twilight’s back. “Let’s get this over with.”
Twilight glared at him as he opened the door, bewildered. “Something’s definitely wrong with Spike! He nearly cried with happiness when Rarity suggested making him an outfit!”
“Say… You’re not angry with me because of earlier, right?” Twilight asked, worried.
“No, no!” Naruto quickly exclaimed. “I’m just… Uhh… Worried you’ll… not like the dress Rarity made?” he spoke off the top of his head.
“Oh, don’t be silly, Spike,” Twilight chuckled and paced into the shop. Naruto closed the door and followed her. “If Rarity made it, then I’m sure it will be no less than perfect,” she assured him. “Phew… I was starting to get worried there…”
*****
After Twilight and Naruto made it up the stairs, they turned to Rarity’s room, where she had told them she prepared all of the clothing for the Gala.
“We’re finally here!” Twilight announced happily and opened the door. Everypony was already there, waiting for Rarity to unveil her newest creations. Behind the Unicorn designer stood in half a circle eight large mannequins and a small one, all covered in pink blankets.
“It’s about time!” Rainbow complained. “What took you so long?!”
“Sorry,” Twilight apologized. “Spike had a little book accident.”
“Spikey-wikey!” Rarity cried and rushed to him. “Are you alright? You have a positively humongous bruise!” she called, looking at his head, which had a red mark on it, left of the first green spike.
“It’s nothing, Rarity. Don’t worry about it,” Naruto assured her.
“Did everything go okay, ‘Spike’?” asked the Naruto clone who arrived from the Ramen stand.
“Yeah, everything’s alright, ya know,” ‘Spike’ answered.
“No, it ain’t, Spike,” Applejack said as she stepped forward. “I’m mighty sorry for distracting ya off your work,” she apologized as she took off her hat. “Please don’t be mad at him for it, Twilight.”
“We didn’t mean to make you so angry, Twilight. We’re sorry,” Fluttershy continued. “Please forgive Spike. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Yeah, we didn’t think you’d be this uptight about him getting some grub,” Rainbow Dash added.
“Don’t worry, girls,” Twilight smiled. “Spike and I talked it over already, so no hard feelings. Right, Spike?”
“Oh, yeah,” ‘Spike’ said. “Don’t worry about it!”
“So Twilight’s not mad? Spike will be glad to know,” Naruto-clone thought, relieved.
“Well then, now that everything’s settled,” Rarity spoke, after Spike’s issue was cleared. “I can finally show you my latest creations!” she announced proudly, with the other mares in the room smiling in anticipation.
“But first, would you please wait outside, boys?” Rarity asked. “It would be bad luck to see our dresses before the big night!”
Naruto and ‘Spike’ exchanged baffled gazes. “Umm… Okay then,” Naruto said and turned back to the door. ‘Spike’ then followed him, and closed the door behind him.
*****
“So how’s it going with Twilight?” Naruto asked.
“It’s really just a bunch of chores. Kinda like the boring D-rank jobs we did back when we first became ninjas,” ‘Spike’ replied.
“Well, ya can’t help it. It’s not like there’s anything exciting to do here in Equestria.”
“Yeah, and since we’re doing it for Spike, I guess it’s okay,” ‘Spike’ said, partially in order to convince himself that it all this wasn’t a waste of time.
“Yup! We really need Spike at the stand! Especially since I found out he can make instant Ramen with his fire breath,” Naruto grinned.
“Woah! Really?! Then I’ve gotta work extra hard to make sure Twilight doesn’t find out!”
“Yup, ‘cause if she does, we can kiss goodbye all the instant Ramen Spike will make!” Naruto nodded.
“Boys, would you please come in?” Rarity called from inside her room. Her voice clearly lacked the excitement it carried before Naruto’s clones left.
“Coming!” the pair called simultaneously, as Naruto opened the door.
*****
“Umm… What’s up?” Naruto asked over the unusual atmosphere in the room. Rarity looked somewhat discontent, while the others looked troubled.
“It’s nothing, Naruto. Don’t you worry about it one bit!” Rarity assured. “A-Anyway, let me finally show you boys your suits for the Gala! I think you’ll be quite impressed with the results!” she said, a hint of distress in her tone.
Rarity’s horn lighted up, and the blankets covering one of the large mannequins and the small one floated up and then placed down on the floor, unveiling Naruto’s and Spike’s suits. A top part of an elegant black tuxedo with a red bowtie for Spike, and a simple collar with two layers, the back black and the front white, with a large, dark orange tie for Naruto.
“Woah, looks nice, Rarity!” Naruto smiled as he approached his suit and examined the tie. “It feels really smooth!”
“Of course, my dear! Nothing but the best fabrics and materials for a good friend like you!” Rarity smiled, the relief in her voice clear.
“Yeah!” ‘Spike’ agreed, examining the small tuxedo. “I bet Spike will really like this suit!”
The odd sentence caused everypony to glare at him. ‘Spike’ glared back, quickly realizing he said something he shouldn’t have. “I-I don’t have a crush on Rarity!” he quickly proclaimed in panic, causing arched brows to be added to the glares.
“I mean, I love this suit, Rarity! Hahaha…”
“By the way, Rarity,” Twilight spoke, breaking the awkward silence. “Whose are the other suits? You didn’t show us two of them.”
“Oh, why one of them is for me,” Rarity answered. “And the other one… Well, it’s a surprise. You shall all see at the Gala,” she said, winking towards Naruto and ‘Spike’.
“Come to think of it,” Rarity remembered. “You never did say you wanted to go to the Gala, and neither did you get an invitation, Naruto. How were you planning on getting inside?”
“Oh, I’m just coming because Luna asked me to come. She sent me an invitation,” Naruto explained nonchalantly and pulled out the invitation and letter from his jump suit’s pocket.
“Oh… D-D-Did she?” Rarity asked, a hint of panic in her voice, before levitating the letter towards her and reading through it. Little by little did her eyes enlarge in size, her breathing getting deeper and quicker.
“Are you alright, Ra—” Fluttershy began.
“Y-Y-Y-YOU’RE PRINCESS LUNA’S DATE FOR THE GALA?!” Rarity screamed, cutting Fluttershy off and causing her to squeal in fright, before flying off to hide behind Rainbow Dash. Rarity stared at Naruto in horror, looking like she was about to pass out again.
“It’s not a date!” Naruto quickly objected.
Rarity, however, flatly ignored his words. “No, no, no!” she yelled and quickly covered up Naruto’s outfit. “This simplistic suit shall simply not do!”
“Look, it’s really no big deal,” Naruto said.
“No big deal?!” Rarity asked as she marched up to Naruto. “NO. BIG. DEAL?!” she screamed, taking deep, quick breathes as if she just ran a marathon.
“Settle down, nelly,” Applejack said calmly and put a hoof on her Unicorn friend’s shoulder. “Breathe in, breathe out.”
Rarity composed herself for a few moments, doing as the cowmare suggested, before explaining to Naruto. “As Princess Luna’s personal escort during the Gala, all eyes will be upon you, Naruto! If you do not look tip-top, you will be the laughing stock of all of Canterlot’s royalty!” the white Unicorn explained, and then pressed the back of her hoof against her forehead, her tone getting more and more dramatic by the word. “And more importantly, as the suit’s designer, I will be the laughing stock of all of Canterlot’s royalty!”
The others all arched brows at Rarity on account of her odd prioritization and conclusion.
“That settles it, I’m making a new suit for you too, Naruto!” Rarity called. “I shall summon you all later.”
“Look, you really shouldn’t—” Naruto began, before he was quickly levitated by Rarity’s spell and got literally tossed out of the room.
“And that’s final!” Rarity yelled after him.
The others all quickly left the room, the door slamming behind them. Rainbow helped Naruto up on his hooves.
“Sorry, Naruto,” Twilight said. “It’s just that the dresses are really important to Rarity. She’s even making our own dresses again.”
“Huh? Why?” Naruto asked.
“They’re just… ain’t what we expected,” Applejack tried to explain.
“And it’s not like we made her make them again, it’s just that she wanted to,” Rainbow said.
“And Rarity’s really good at making dresses,” Fluttershy smiled. “It was really important to her that they’ll be as perfect as we’ve imagined!”
“You definitely can’t argue with talent!” Twilight said. “If somepony wants to do something and he’s good at it, then why not let him?”
“I can definitely agree with that!” Naruto smiled, thinking about a certain Dragon’s Ramen talent.
“Yeah, like a good party! Nopony can stop the party pony!” Pinkie exclaimed, a small explosion of confetti occurring behind her.
“Well, maybe too many parties could be—” Fluttershy began.
“Nopony can stop the party pony!” Pinkie repeated ominously, pressing her snout against Fluttershy’s.
“Umm… Okay,” Fluttershy yielded quietly.
“Well, we’ll see you all later!” Twilight said. “Let’s go, Spike.”
“Yeah,” ‘Spike’ said as he hopped on Twilight’s back. “See ya!”
“Pinkie, are you coming?” Naruto asked and turned back to look at her, only to find out she no longer where she was only a few moments ago. “Oh, well… See you all later,” he said to the others as the group left Carousel Boutique.
“I’m back!” Naruto announced as he returned to the Ramen stand. In there, Spike was busy kneading new noodles, while the clone who stayed back was doing the dishes.
“Great, I can finally leave!” the clone who stayed back quickly called, relieved to be taken off dishes duty. “Release!” he called as he made the appropriate hand seal, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
As the clone vanished, the memories of what happened at the stand flew through the other Naruto’s mind. “Woah, you’ve really improved at making Ramen, huh Spike?”
“And where did he get that apron?!” Naruto sweatdropped, noticing Spike was wearing a pink, frilly apron with a large, red heart at its middle.
“Yeah,” Spike smiled as he took a break, wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead. “Though kneading the noodles is still pretty hard, if you ask me.”
“Oh, right,” Spike remembered as he began fidgeting with his claws, a worried expression forming on his face. “How was Twilight? Was she still mad at me?”
“She wasn’t mad anymore, don’t worry,” Naruto assured.
Spike let out a deep sigh and seemed to relax. “Well, that’s a relief. And how was the suit Rarity made for me?”
“Oh, your suit was nice, Spike. I bet you’ll like wearing it,” Naruto replied.
“Really?!” Spike asked in excitement. “I wish I could see it! I hope you showed Rarity my gratitude, Naruto!”
“Oh, uh… Don’t worry, it all went smoothly, Spike,” Naruto replied, not mentioning a certain slip of the tongue he had back there.
“And how was Rarity? She must have been swamped with work, with all the dresses and suits she had to make. At least all that’s behind her and she can finally get some rest before the Gala!”
“Actually… Save for your suit, she’s making all of them again,” Naruto revealed.
“Huh?! Why?!” Spike cried.
“Well, the others didn’t really like their dresses, and Rarity refused to let me wear what she made when she found out I was going to be with Luna at the Gala,” Naruto explained.
“B-B-But what about her own dress?” Spike asked, distressed.
“Rarity’s dress? I bet she finished hers first,” Naruto replied.
“No!” Spike shouted. “When I first talked to Rarity after she took up making the dresses, she told me she’ll save hers for last!”
“So what’s the problem?” Naruto asked.
“The problem is she’ll never finish it in time for the Gala, Naruto!”
“Really?” Naruto asked. “Remind me when the Gala is again?”
“Tomorrow night!” Spike answered, getting more and more panicked.
“Tomorrow night… Wait, really?!”
“I can’t leave her alone in this situation!” Spike called, taking off the pink apron. He then jumped off the stool he stood on and ran towards the door.
“Hey, where are you going?!” Naruto called as Spike reached up to the door’s handle. “I need you to make instant Ramen!”
“Sorry, Naruto. But Rarity needs me even more,” Spike replied with a serious expression and opened the door.
Naruto quickly galloped towards him and put his hoof on the doorknob. “Wait! What if I go instead?”
“But I gave her my word!” Spike insisted.
“What do you mean?” Naruto inquired.
“I promised Rarity that whenever she’s in trouble, I’ll be there to help her! It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t do it myself…” Spike explained, looking away.
“Look, if I go as you again, then it’s just like you went yourself, right?” Naruto asked.
“Well…” Spike mumbled, looking conflicted.
“I need you here too, Spike! Please!” Naruto called, giving his best pleading smile.
“Well, I…” Spike muttered, looking back and forth between the door and Naruto. “Alright,” he finally sighed. “I’m counting on you.”
“Just leave it to me!” Naruto called and crossed his forelegs. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
“I’m off to Rarity’s,” the clone that was already there said. “Transformation Jutsu!” he called, transforming into Spike, before dashing off.
“Great!” the other Naruto replied. “And I’ll…” he began, when he noticed the pile of dishes in the small sink. “Gah! Dishes duty?!”
The real Spike stared a few seconds more at the door, before letting out a sigh. He then slowly trudged back towards the stool.
*****
‘Spike’ ran as quickly as he could to his destination — Carousel Boutique, which also doubled as his—hopefully—temporary home, in order to fulfill his unofficial ninja mission of helping Rarity with the dresses for the Gala.
Soon arriving at the front door, Naruto could hear a non-stopping sound of galloping from Rarity’s room. He then climbed up the stairs and opened the door, to see Rarity frantically running around, pulling out more fabrics, threads and tools from the drawers of her many cabinets with her magic. She was so busy she didn’t even notice the small Dragon standing at the door. However, what really stood out about her now was her unkempt mane, a state Naruto would have never thought he would see her in.
“Umm… Need some help, Rarity?” Naruto asked cautiously.
“Ah! Spikey! You’re here!” Rarity cried. “Thank you so much for coming!” she called as she quickly levitated a pile of colorful fabrics towards him to hold.
“Argh! You’re… welcome…” Naruto muttered, barely able to keep his balance. The stack of clothes was almost too heavy and tall for his small transformation to hold.
“Oh, it is simply a nightmare! A nightmare, I tell you!” Rarity cried as she quickly hovered a turquoise cloth to one of the vacant mannequins in the room, and began cutting it with scissors held in her magic, glancing once in a while on a pattern she drew and was hanging on the wall. “There’s just so much work to do!
“But… didn’t you volunteer to make the dresses again?” Naruto asked, watching Rarity working through folds in the stack of clothes he was holding.
“Well, of course I have!” Rarity replied, still not sparing him a look in order to not break her concentration. She then floated up some green cloth from the Naruto’s stack and began cutting it into thin strips, before laying them in an orderly fashion on the turquoise cloth and beginning to sew them together. “I simply could not disappoint my friends!”
“But what about your own dress? Spike told me— *cough* You told me that you were saving yours for last.”
“That cannot be helped. A promise is a promise, and I cannot disappoint my good friends!” Rarity repeated, still working tirelessly. “This would probably cost me some sleep hours… But I’m sure it will all be worth it in the end!”
“Well, if you say so…” Naruto replied, unsure of her reasoning. “And what about Princess Luna’s dress?”
“AH!!! I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT IT!!!” Rarity screamed and ran past Naruto to the mannequin at the far end of the room, causing him to lose his balance and being covered in the stack of clothes he was carrying.
“Oh, what am I gonna do, Spike?” Rarity sighed as she removed the white cloth covering Luna’s dress. Naruto dug his way out from underneath the clothing to look at it. At the moment, it only comprised of a purple base, some golden X markings dotting it in several places, and a golden outline of a crescent moon on its left side. The back part of the dress was covered in glittering, semi-transparent lavender fabric of a sort he had never seen.
“I do not think I have time for it!” Rarity thought, deeply worried. “If it comes down to it, I might actually have to…”
“Alright, Rarity,” the white Unicorn said as she took a deep breath. “No resting, no eating and no sleeping. Those dresses will be ready, and they will be perfect if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Uh oh,” Naruto thought in response to that. Knowing Rarity and her dedication to her work, he knew she wasn’t just saying that.
*****
Two hours later, much to Naruto’s surprise, Rarity had managed to fully recreate Fluttershy’s dress from scratch. She had then sent him to get the yellow Pegasus to come again and see it.
“That’s very kind of you to help Rarity, Spike,” Fluttershy smiled at him, as the Pegasus and Dragon climbed up the stairs at Carousel Boutique.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Anything to help my Ramen st—I mean, a good friend!” he coughed to mask his slip of the tongue.
Fluttershy soon reached Rarity’s room and opened the door. “Hello, Rarity,” she smiled at the white Unicorn, who was sewing something golden to a dark purple fabric with her sewing machine.
“Ah, Fluttershy! Great you could drop by again!” Rarity smiled and trotted towards her. She looked just as distraught as before, due to the pressure from her work.
“Your new-new gown is ready! I completely revised it and I know you’re going to LOVE it!” Rarity announced and promptly showed her the way to the small dressing room in the back of Rarity’s bedroom.
“I knew Rarity could make it all work out in the end…” Naruto thought in relief as he watched Fluttershy disappearing behind the magenta curtain.
*****
Not long afterwards…
Fluttershy stepped out of the dressing room wearing her new dress.
“Don’t look, Spikey! Bad luck!” Rarity called as she led Fluttershy to a large mirror. In response, ‘Spike’ hid his face with his claws, but made sure to look between them at Fluttershy.
Naruto studied the dress carefully, trying to find any glaring differences between it and the old one. Soon enough, he reached a conclusion. “I don’t get pony clothes.”
“So, what do you think?” Rarity asked hopefully.
“I… love it,” Fluttershy replied in a tone that sounded somewhat like a sigh.
“Great!” Naruto exclaimed. “Let’s get to the next one!”
“No, you’re just saying that!” Rarity called out, staring into Fluttershy’s eyes.
“No, I do like it,” Fluttershy insisted. “It’s nice.”
“’Nice’?” Rarity repeated, unimpressed by the compliment.
“Nice,” Fluttershy replied, her voice still lacking any enthusiasm.
“Well, ‘nice’ sounds good enough to me,” Naruto said and ran towards Fluttershy in order to show her out. “Let’s start working on the next one now! See you later, Flutte—”
“Hold it, Spike!” Rarity called, stopping him. “Number one rule — nopony leaves my store unsatisfied! Are you satisfied, Fluttershy?!”
“Well, um… I guess?” she answered nervously.
“Is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’?” Rarity pressed, trying to get a clear answer.
“Umm… Both?” Fluttershy replied, and started to back away from Rarity and her severe, slightly intimidating facial expression.
“Which is it?!” Rarity insisted, matching Fluttershy’s steps and keeping a constant, short distance.
“Please stop asking me this…” Fluttershy pleaded, and soon found herself backed against the wall.
Naruto merely glared at the scene, wondering how he should stop Rarity’s interrogation, if at all. “Rarity can sure be scary sometimes…”
“Tell me, tell me, tell me, TELL ME!” Rarity roared. Naruto unwittingly took a few steps back, quite intimidated as well.
“Alright!” Fluttershy finally yielded. “If you really want to know…” she began, taking a deep breath. “The armscye’s tight, the middy collar doesn’t go with the shawl lapel, the hems are clearly machine stitched…”
Naruto’s jaw dropped as Fluttershy kept on pointing more and more flaws to the dress’s design, most of each were tailoring-related terms he didn’t even get.
“…and the overdesign is reminiscent of prêt-à-porter and not true French haute couture,” Fluttershy finished.
Rarity’s jaw was at floor level when Fluttershy finished, and Naruto kept looking back and forth between the two mares, nervous about the outcome of the situation.
“But, um… You know… Whatever you want to do is fine,” Fluttershy quickly rectified her earlier criticism, or at least attempted to.
“Well, I…” Rarity began, looking quite at a loss. “Alright… I’ll make sure it’s just the way you want it to be.”
“Are you sure it’s not too much of a bother?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yes, darling…” Rarity replied with a sigh. “I’m quite sure.”
“Alright then. Thank you, Rarity,” Fluttershy smiled and returned to the changing room to take off the dress.
“Oh, Spike… I wonder if I’m doing the right thing here…” Rarity said, not really raising a question for ‘Spike’ to answer, and neither was he able to anyway.
*****
Over the next hours, Naruto doubled both as Rarity’s errand boy and her assistant, while making sure he wasn’t revealing his true identity.
One by one, he brought each mare to Rarity so they could work out the details for their revised dresses. However, one of them posed a bit of an issue.
“Spikey dear, could you go and fetch Twilight now? She mentioned something about constellations and I shall probably require some guidance,” Rarity asked as she was sewing cloud fluff to the rims of Rainbow’s colorful dress.
“Uh… sure,” Naruto replied. He put down the stack of clothing he was holding in his claws and the spool of blue thread he was holding with his tail, having gotten used to using it relatively well in Spike’s form.
Heading to the door, Naruto could hear Rarity conflicting over Rainbow’s dress. “Cooler? Rainbow Dash wants a cooler dress? And twenty percent? Just how should I input that? Adding another color would only enhance it by sixteen percent…”
*****
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
“Coming!” called a mare’s voice.
A few moments later, the red wooden door opened to the inside, revealing the interior of the town’s library and the librarian herself.
“Oh, hello Naruto,” Twilight smiled at the orange Earth pony. “What brings you here?”
“Heya, Twilight,” Naruto replied. “Rarity asked for you to come to her shop. She needs instructions on your dress.”
“Oh, great!” Twilight replied. “Just let me get my equipment…” she said before heading back inside.
A few minutes later, accompanied by a lot of noise of falling items and the sound of a hissing cat, for some reason, Twilight returned to the front door with a mobile projection screen. “Let’s go!” she said happily before marching outside, the screen floating by her side.
“Spike! I’m leaving to Rarity’s! Keep up the good work!” Twilight called before closing the door.
“Sure, whatever…” a moderately annoyed ‘Spike’ was heard from the inside.
“Poor me…” Naruto’s clone thought with a half-smile, imagining all the kinds of book-related torture he must be going through. “Well, it was all his idea. Or mine too, I guess, since I am him…”
“So how come Rarity sent you?” Twilight asked as the two began walking back to Rarity’s. “Shouldn’t you be working at your stand now?”
“Oh! Uh…” Naruto stuttered, forgetting the crucial discrepancy. “I… Uh… Oh, right! I left a clone there!” he said.
“Oh, I see,” Twilight replied, before letting out a sigh. “I sure wish I could make clones too…”
“I guess it is pretty convenient to have on daily chores,” Naruto conceded. “I usually only use them when I go on missions, so I didn’t really think about this until now.”
“Huh… So is going on missions your usual routine?” Twilight asked. “I guess you’re pretty bored here in Equestria without those missions…”
“Well… At first I was really bored,” Naruto admitted. “But after a while I guess I just got used to this, and started spending time by hanging out with lots of ponies. It was kind of fun to get to know everypony,” he smiled.
“That’s great to hear!” Twilight giggled. “Oh, by the way…”
“Yeah?” Naruto asked, looking at her.
“Have you spent some time with Spike recently? Like a really long time?” Twilight asked with a concerned look.
Naruto froze in place. “Crap! Is she onto me?!”
“Uhh… No! What makes you say that?!” he stuttered nervously, resuming walking as if nothing had happened.
“Well… It’s just that recently Spike was talking and acting kind of weird lately…”
“W-Weird?! Weird how?!”
“Well, he asked me if we had any books about Ramen and ‘dongo’ or something like that, he kept on shelving the books with the spines facing inside and in the wrong order, and kept on tacking ‘believe it’ or ‘ya know’ to the end of his sentences… In short, he’s acting a bit like you, don’t you think?”
“Great… Aren’t I just the stealthiest ninja ever?! Remind me to ask Kakashi to help me work on that sometime…” Naruto mentally noted. “I just hope I don’t forget all my ninja skills by the time I get back,” he half-smiled.
“Well… Who knows…? Maybe it’s all the Ramen he eats?” Naruto suggested, dearly hoping Twilight would buy that.
“Yeah. Or maybe he’s undergoing some weird Dragon puberty,” Twilight giggled.
*****
Soon enough, the duo reached Carousel Boutique.
“Thanks for your help, Naruto,” Twilight smiled at him. “Well, I’ll see you later then,” she said as she opened the door and trotted inside.
“Ah! Wait! I’m coming too!” Naruto called, galloping to the entrance as well.
“Why?” Twilight inquired.
“I… Uhh… I’m just helping Rarity out, ya know,” Naruto blurted.
“Wow, that’s really kind of you, Naruto!” Twilight said, impressed. “I thought you hated tailoring.”
“Well, Rarity needs help, so…”
“If you had to report to the Princess, I bet you could write a great friendship report!” Twilight smiled. “Well, let’s go!”
*****
“We’re here!” Naruto announced as he and Twilight entered Rarity’s room. The white mare was working on a dark purple dress in the back of the room, sewing small pieces of golden fabrics onto it.
Rarity wiped a few beads of sweat as she turned to look at them with a smile, although her red-shot eyes and messy mane could tell just how exhausted she was. “Great to see you… Wait… Naruto?!” she asked, baffled. “Where’s Spike?”
“What do you mean ‘where’s Spike’?” Twilight asked. “He’s at the library.”
“At the library?” Rarity asked, puzzled. “But darling, he was here up until—”
“What she means is,” Naruto quickly spoke. “There was so much work piling up at the library he couldn’t come! Right, Twilight?”
“Well, yeah,” Twilight confirmed, surprised with Naruto’s sudden outburst. “There’s a lot of work because of the Gala. I just wouldn’t make it all in time for it without him!”
“Oh, I see…” Rarity muttered. “But will I make it in time?” she thought in worry.
“Well, I’ll be here to help you out from now, alright?” Naruto suggested.
“Thanks, darling. Much appreciated,” Rarity said swiftly before hovering a stack of fabrics onto his back.
“Shall we start working on your dress now, Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“Right away!” Twilight exclaimed happily and unfolded her projection screen.
“The first constellation I want you to add to the dress is Libra,” she said as light from her horn projected an image of the constellation onto the screen. “The positions of the stars should be arranged as though we were looking at them from a latitude of…”
“Ugh, studies,” Naruto thought in disgust, trying to block Twilight’s words out as much as he could.
*****
“Too soggy,” Naruto said as he examined the contents of a bowl of dried Ramen. “Too crispy,” he dismissed another bowl.
“Spike! This one’s just a pile of ashes!” Naruto shouted, showing the purple dragon a bowl of gray ashes.
“I-I’m sorry!” Spike cried, fidgeting with his claws. “I just can’t recreate the ones from earlier! I’m not really good at fire breath control…”
Spike has now been practicing Ramen drying for a few hours. But unlike the preparation of fresh Ramen, which he had gotten down with relatively no hitches, turning it into transportable, instant Ramen had proved to pose quite a challenge.
“Look, you’re pretty much a Ramen master now!” Naruto said. “All you have to do now is to turn it into instant Ramen!”
“Well, maybe I can’t do it!” Spike cried. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this whole instant Ramen business!”
He then let out a sigh. “I knew I wasn’t meant to work here,” he said and took off his pink apron, laying it on his stool.
“What was I thinking to myself…?” Spike asked quietly as he trudged to the Ramen stand’s door. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, Naruto.”
As Spike reached his hand to the handle, it was suddenly caught by an orange hoof. He looked back and was surprised to see a very angry Naruto looking straight into his eyes.
“You know what I hate the most?” Naruto asked.
“N-N-No…” Spike mumbled, a bit afraid.
“Quitters,” Naruto answered. “Those who give up on their dreams after barely even trying.”
“I-I didn’t quit!” Spike protested. “I just found out I can’t do it! What’s the point in keeping doing it if I know I’ll just fail?!”
“So what if you fail?!” Naruto retorted. “I remember times when everypony told me I should give up on becoming a ninja. I did a lot of stupid things, and I sucked at all my classes. But no matter what happened, I never gave up! And from then on, I made up my mind, and found my ninja way!”
“Your… ninja way?” Spike asked, his eyes shining with curiosity and anticipation.
“Never, ever give up!” Naruto exclaimed. “That’s my ninja way!”
“Your… ninja way,” Spike repeated, deeply impressed by the simple, yet powerful resolve.
“Alright! I won’t give up!” Spike finally proclaimed, his spirit completely renewed. He marched back to his stool and confidently tied back the apron around his stomach.
“I’ll keep practicing again and again, and I’ll make the best instant Ramen in Equestria!” Spike vowed. “Even if I have to burn all the Ramen in the universe!”
“Now that’s the spirit!” Naruto laughed. “Wait… all of it?!”
Spike hopped onto the stool and started pouring another serving of Ramen to dry. “Thanks, Naruto. Has anypony ever told you that you give great motivation speeches?”
“Great what now?” Naruto asked, unaware to the power of his words.
“Never mind,” Spike chuckled. “Well, here goes again,” he muttered and took a deep breath, preparing to release his inner flames.
*****
“How are you doing, Rarity?” Naruto asked in concern, soon after Twilight had left.
“Fine,” the white mare replied, stitching another star to Twilight’s dress.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m quite sure,” Rarity replied. Her shaking hooves had caused her to miss hitting the star with the needle, creating a tiny, yet unnecessary puncture in the dress.
“Don’t you want to take a break? You’ve been working since morning non-stop,” Naruto noted. “I could really use a break myself…”
“WOULD YOU STOP BREAKING MY CONCENTRATION?!” the white mare suddenly snapped, furiously gazing at Naruto with her blood-shot, tired eyes, causing him to flinch and take a step back.
“S-Sorry, Naruto… I’m just so exhausted from this work…” Rarity muttered, “But I cannot afford to take a break! Not with the Gala starting so soon!”
“Can’t you just drop the others’ works? That way you’ll have only Luna’s and your dresses to do,” Naruto suggested.
“No! I would never allow my best friends to go in dresses they are unsatisfied with! Do you have any idea how much the Gala means to us?!”
“Umm… Not really,” Naruto admitted flatly. “Well, at least drop my suit. I’m completely cool with it as it is now!”
“I’m not remaking your suit for your sake, Naruto!” Rarity growled. “I’m making it for Luna’s!”
“I… Huh?” Naruto baffled, Rarity’s words completely going over his head. “I don’t get it.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “It’s a mare thing, Naruto. I cannot expect you to understand.”
“Well, alright… But what about your own dress? Will you finish it in time?” Naruto inquired.
“Darling, please hoof me over the sky blue fabric,” Rarity asked, completely ignoring his question.
Naruto turned his head, nearly causing his neck to cramp, and found the fabric laying on his back. He pulled it out of the stack of fabrics and hooved it over to the white Unicorn. “Thank you.”
“Can’t I do anything to help her?” Naruto thought in worry. “I almost wish I could sew too now…”
“Good night, Naruto! Thanks for the meal!” a yellow Earth pony called after dropping the empty bowl at the counter.
“You’re welcome, Carrot!” Naruto replied, before taking off the bowl and dropping it into the sink.
“How’s it going, Spike?” he asked the small drake, who was still diligently working on his skills as instant Ramen maker, next to the counter and out of the outside world’s sight.
“Sorry, Naruto,” Spike replied as he poured another meal into a bowl. “Not yet. And I’m sorry for wasting three whole pots of Ramen today…” he said in a tired voice.
Naruto bit his lip in grief over all the lost Ramen. “But it’s all for a good cause, right?” he thought, attempting to convince himself that this was all worth it.
“Anyway, wanna call it a night?” Naruto asked, looking at a large clock tower in the square. It was already after ten. “I don’t think anypony else will be coming. It’s pretty late already.”
“No, not yet,” Spike answered. “I have to master it today!”
“But you’ve gotta switch back with my clone at Twilight’s, remember?” Naruto reminded him.
“Please, just a little longer!” Spike pleaded, looking away from the bowl and towards Naruto. “Wait…” he muttered, remembering something. “And what about your clone at Rarity’s?”
“Oh, uh…” Naruto said, trying to recall everything he learned when the clone vanished. “Hmm… I don’t know anything,” he finally said. “Probably means he’s still helping Rarity.”
“What?! This late?!” Spike cried.
“Well, I’m not really any good at sewing, so I guess I wasn’t too much of a help to her,” Naruto admitted, smiling sheepishly. “I did stay with her just like I promised I would, though! Believe it!”
“Oh, this is not good! This is not good at all!” Spike cried, starting to panic.
“Don’t worry, Spike,” Naruto said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll be—” he began, before suddenly stopping mid-sentence.
“Naruto? What’s wrong?” Spike asked, seeing Naruto freezing all of a sudden, his eyes widening in surprise.
“My clone got pricked when he gave Rarity a pin cushion… and vanished. Wow, that’s kind of lame,” Naruto sweatdropped.
“What do you mean ‘vanished’?! What about Rarity?!” Spike demanded.
“Well, the good news is she finished remaking the girls’ dresses,” Naruto reported.
“Oh, that’s good,” Spike said, letting out a sigh of relief. “Wait… The ‘good news’?! There’s bad new too?!”
“The bad news is… she barely even started working on her and Luna’s dresses,” Naruto said.
“Oh no! I’ve gotta get there and help her out!” Spike cried, took off his apron and ran for the door.
“Wait!” Naruto called, causing Spike to stop and look back at him. “I thought you said you weren’t gonna give up until you finished with the Ramen!”
“I’m not!” Spike objected. “It’s just that…” he began to say before looking away, unable to finish what he was saying.
“Just that what?” Naruto asked. In response, Spike let out a sigh.
“Thanks a lot for letting me work here with you, Naruto,” the purple Dragon said quietly. “It was really fun, and I learned a lot from you! But… I don’t think I should work here anymore.”
“Huh?! Why?!” Naruto cried.
“Because… even if I’m really good at something, and even if I really like it… Sometimes there are things that I just have to do, no matter what!” Spike began explaining, looking away. “I kept relying on you today for doing things I should have done myself, and because of that I missed out on a lot of important stuff! I couldn’t help Twilight prepare for the Gala, I couldn’t go thank Rarity for the suit she made for me, and I couldn’t even help her with the dresses, especially when she needed me the most!”
Spike paused to take a breath, and Naruto kept staring at him, trying to understand what the little Dragon was trying to convey.
“What I’m trying to say is… I’m really happy to be working here with you, Naruto. But if that means I’m going to have to give up on other things that are even more important to me, then maybe I shouldn’t work here at all,” he finished explaining, finally looking up at Naruto with a saddened look of resolve.
Naruto’s eyes widened in realization. He then looked down, a guilty look on his face. “I get it now… I’m sorry, Spike. I only thought about using your talent to help my Ramen stand, so I pressured you to stay and forgot that you had other responsibilities. That was really selfish of me. Well, I guess it just wasn’t meant to work out. It was fun working with you for me too, so thanks,” Naruto said, half-smiling at the end.
Spike lighted up and ran to Naruto, hugging him. “Thanks for understanding, Naruto.”
Naruto then turned around and trotted to the Ramen bowl that was about to be scorched by Spike. “Let’s take this to her. She didn’t eat dinner yet, ya know!”
“Yeah,” Spike nodded, when an idea suddenly popped into his head. “But we can’t take it to her like this, ya know!”
In response, Naruto gave Spike a puzzled look.
*****
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
“Y-Yes, darling… *yawn* Come in…” a female voice mumbled.
The door to Rarity’s room opened, revealing an orange stallion and a purple baby Dragon, who was carrying a small bowl.
“Oh, Naruto! There you are!” Rarity exclaimed in surprise, looking at him as she lay against her sewing machine, where she had attempted to sew together a few pieces of indigo fabrics. Judging by the vast number of such fabrics lying all around her in a torn mess, it was easy to guess that Rarity’s skills and motoric abilities were heavily reduced by her exhaustion.
“I was so worried when you had just vanished not long ago… and… Spikey?! Just what in Equestria are you doing here?!” she finally asked, her blurred vision finally focusing just enough to notice the little Dragon.
“Oh, Rarity…” Spike muttered in sadness, looking at the mare that was now a mere shadow of her former self. Her coat was a mess, her mane fallen over like withered branches of a tree. Her eyes were red and unfocused, dark sacks hanging beneath them. “I heard you were in trouble, so I had to come back!” he explained.
“Oh, that’s so sweet of you, Spikey… But I’m afraid I shan’t be using your help now. I have a long night ahead of me, and you have to go to sleep. Could you come back… *yawn* …tomorrow?” Rarity asked.
“We thought that you’re probably hungry, since you didn’t have anything for dinner,” Naruto smiled. “So we brought you a little something.”
“Why, thank you. I am actually quite famished and—” she began, when she got a look at the contents of the bowl Spike had brought with him. “Pray tell, what is that?”
Inside the bowl were dry, shriveled noodles and vegetables, covered by light brown powder. Spike placed it down on the floor in front of Rarity. “Just a second!” he then exclaimed, before running downstairs.
Not long afterwards, Spike had brought with him a tea pot filled with water he had just boiled. He ran up to the bowl and began pouring the hot water into it.
Rarity’s eyes widened in amazement to see the shriveled noodles turning into a most familiar and appetizing bowl of Ramen.
“Spike worked all day to get this to work! I hope you’ll be satisfied with the results!” Naruto grinned proudly and paced over to give Rarity a pair of magical chopsticks.
“I-I don’t know what to say…” Rarity muttered quietly, tears starting to form under her tired eyes. “Thank you both so much!”
Rarity took a long, satisfying whiff of her meal. She shakily put on the chopsticks and put them into the bowl, picking up some of the savory noodles. She brought them to her mouth and slurped quietly, the wonderful taste reaching every single taste bud on her tongue. She smiled gently with her eyes closed, as if a great weight was taken off her heart by that single bite.
“Thank… you…” Rarity muttered quietly. *thump*
“Rarity!” Naruto called. The white mare had suddenly slumped down on the floor.
“It’s okay, Naruto! Look!” Spike said, pointing to Rarity’s smiling, peaceful expression. The white mare was ever so slightly shifting up and down, in rhythm with her breathing.
“She’s so beautiful when she sleeps…” Spike muttered, mesmerized.
“Wow, she must be really tired,” Naruto said. “She fell asleep after just one bite. I usually take at least two bowls for that!”
“Anyway, great job with that instant Ramen, Spike! I knew you could do it!” the orange stallion said with a proud grin.
“Thanks, Naruto,” Spike replied happily. “I don’t know how, but… thinking about Rarity really helped my concentration. I felt like I just had to succeed that last time!”
Naruto bent down and picked Rarity up on his back. He then trotted towards her bed and laid her down on it, covering her with the bedsheet.
“Ready to go home?” Naruto asked quietly.
“Yeah,” Spike nodded.
*****
Shortly afterwards, Naruto and Spike had left Carousel Boutique and headed towards the library. The nearly full moon’s pale light was lighting up the way, revealing a Ponyville painted with soft, pure white light.
“So why are you coming with me?” Spike asked. “Don’t you live at Rarity’s?”
“Well, yeah,” Naruto replied. “But there’s something I’ve got to tell Twilight first.”
“Really? What is it?” Spike asked.
“I’m going to tell her everything that happened today,” Naruto answered with a serious expression.
“W-W-Wait!” Spike cried. “But then I’ll be—”
“HOLD IT, BUCKO!” a voice screamed as the front door of the house to Naruto and Spike’s right slammed open, revealing a pink mare.
“PINKIE! KEEP IT DOWN!” a voice from the house yelled.
“OOPS! SORRY, MR. TROTTERS!” Pinkie yelled into the house. “I MEAN… Oops! Sorry, Mr. Trotters!”
Pinkie then tip-hooved outside and closed the door as gently as she could. She then galloped silently towards Naruto, stopping roughly two inches from his muzzle.
“Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie yelled angrily, albeit very quietly.
“Sorry, Pinkie. But I just have to tell Twilight!” Naruto retorted.
“B-B-But if you tell Twilight… she’ll be furious! She’ll never trust me again with anything!” Spike cried.
“And losing a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend forever!” Pinkie confirmed with a strict nod.
“But I—” Naruto tried to explain.
“FOREVER!!!” Pinkie repeated in a loud, ominous tone.
“PINKIE! KEEP IT DOWN!” several voices from nearby houses all shouted at once.
“Sorry!” Pinkie called, albeit again very quietly.
“Pinkie, listen,” Naruto said. “I did a lot of stupid stuff today and already got Spike into trouble with Twilight. I have to tell her the truth so she’ll know that nothing that happened today was his fault. And also, it was my fault Spike wasn’t of any help to her at all today. So if Twilight’s gonna be mad at anypony, it will be me.”
Naruto turned to look at Spike. “Are you okay with that?”
“Well…” Spike said, pondering this. “I guess we really should tell her the truth. It’s probably only a matter of time before she figures it out, anyway. And, well…” he began, looking down. “I feel pretty bad for lying to her too…”
“Well, Pinkie?” Naruto asked, hoping she would be convinced.
“Hmm…” Pinkie muttered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully with her tail.
“Let’s see,” she finally said, pulling out a purple book from her mane. The words ‘DA RULES’ were printed on the book’s cover in golden letters.
She then plucked out of her mane with her other hoof a pair of red reading glasses, put them on and began flipping through the book’s pages, somehow balancing herself on only her hind legs. “Chapter ‘F’, section ‘U’, subsection ‘N’…” she muttered to herself as she was looking for a certain page.
“Here it is! ’If the promisee of a Pinkie Promise permits the promise to be broken, and the promiser is not against the idea of the promisee permitting the Pinkie Promise to be broken by either the promisee or the promiser, then the Pinkie Promise can be broken!’,” Pinkie cited and closed the book, taking off her glasses.
“So…?” Spike asked, confused.
“The Pinkie Promise is hereby unpromised!” Pinkie announced ceremoniously.
“ALRIGHT!” Spike and Naruto yelled at the same time.
“NARUTO! SPIKE! KEEP IT DOWN!” several voices yelled from nearby houses.
“Well then, I’m off now!” Pinkie said, stuffing the book and glasses back into her mane. “See you in three scenes!”
And with that, Pinkie turned around and hopped away, to the confused gazes of Naruto and Spike.
*****
As the two boys approached the library, a great commotion could be heard from inside.
“No, no, no!” Twilight’s voice was heard. “Spike! We’ve been over this a million times already! History section is sorted by book thickness and nature section is sorted by book width and length!”
“What the hay?! That’s not what you said five minutes ago!” Spike’s voice retorted.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
“We’re closed! Come back tomorrow!” Twilight angrily responded to Naruto’s knocking on the front door.
Naruto, however, just went ahead and pulled down the handle, opening the red entry door to the inside. He quickly had to jerk his head backwards to avoid a book carried away by Owlowiscious. The owl was fruitlessly trying to restore order to the now chaotic library; books were strewn over the entire floor, scrolls lay unfolded and crumpled all around and a flask of ink lay on the floor, shattered in a puddle of black liquid.
At the left side of the library, nearby several empty bookshelves and surrounded by stacks books, Twilight was glaring down at ‘Spike’ very angrily, who in return glared back at her. The two of them seemed just about ready to tear each other apart.
“W-W-WHAT THEY HAY IS ALL THIS?!” the real Spike yelled, horrified by the sight.
Every single being in the room turned its eyes to the source of the shout, finding a very angry little Dragon standing at the entrance of the library.
Twilight turned her gaze away from ‘Spike’ with a stunned look, to find Spike and Naruto standing at the entrance. She then looked back at the Spike she was standing next to, and then once more to the one at the entrance. “What?! I… but how?!” she could only utter to the surreal sight of two Spikes.
“I leave the library to you for one day! ONE! DAY!” Spike shouted as he paced forward, not minding at all that Twilight kept staring at him in absolute shock. “And you turn the library I worked WEEKS to organize upside down in that ONE SINGLE DAY! How the HAY did you even do that?!” the purple dragon screamed, still pacing closer to Twilight and ‘Spike’.
“I was alright when you didn’t return from Twilight’s errand and kept on stuffing Ramen. I wasn’t even mad when you didn’t help Rarity’s sewing. But this?! This is just ENRAGING! You have got to be the WORST LIBRARY ASSISTANT IN THE HISTORY OF LIBRARY ASSISTANTS!” Spike continued.
Spike then stopped in his tracks, only a few steps before he was snout to snout with ‘Spike’, breathing heavily and exhaling puffs of smoke from his nostrils.
“So, uh… am I fired?” ‘Spike’ asked cautiously.
“You better believe it!” Spike retorted. “At least now I don’t feel so bad anymore for quitting the Ramen stand!”
“Finally!” ‘Spike’ called happily, letting out a sigh of relief. “I couldn’t take this anymore! If I had to work with this nutso here anymore, I’d go mad! I don’t want to see another book in my life!”
‘Spike’ than performed claw seals. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!” he called, and soon appeared as an orange stallion out of a smoke cloud.
“N-Naruto?!” Twilight cried, still dumbfounded by everything going on.
“Well, guess I can finally get some rest,” Naruto at the entrance smiled. “Release!” he called, crossing his forelegs, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Twilight turned her gaze back and forth from the entrance to Spike to Naruto. “WOULD SOMEPONY TELL ME WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON HERE?!”
*****
“…and then I decided to come here with Spike and confess everything,” Naruto finished retelling what took place that day. He, Spike and Twilight all sat at the library, explaining everything that happened and led to the surreal scene earlier.
“I see,” Twilight said, deep in thought. “I should have realized something was going on when Spike’s speech pattern got so weird earlier.”
“Hey!” Naruto called in protest.
“But I didn’t expect you to use your ninja abilities to lie to me like that, Naruto,” Twilight said, sounding quite hurt.
“I’m really sorry, Twilight,” Naruto apologized. “But I had to do that to keep you from finding out that Spike was gone.”
“I’m sorry too, Twilight!” Spike cried. “I knew that you needed me, but I didn’t think everything would go so out of hoof so quickly! I really thought nothing would go wrong!”
“Yeah, turns out I’m not really good at sorting books and stuff like that,” Naruto chuckled sheepishly.
“Well, that’s an understatement,” Spike muttered angrily, crossing his arms.
“But I still don’t understand, Spike,” Twilight said. “Why did you make such a big deal of all this? Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“The truth is…” Spike answered quietly. “I’m always busy running errands for you and helping you out with your chores, so I don’t really have a lot of time for myself… Ever since Naruto opened his Ramen stand I’ve been wanting to work there with him, but I couldn’t just leave you, and I knew that you wouldn’t let me go!”
“So he asked me to take his place while he worked with me,” Naruto continued. “That’s why I made a clone to stay with him while I transformed into Spike and helped you out. Well, I tried to help you, anyways.”
“But now I see that it just doesn’t work,” Spike said, looking down. “It’s got to be me that helps you, Twilight. That’s why I quit working at the Ramen stand. So, I’m really sorry for everything that happened today. Please don’t be mad at me or at Naruto. I swear it won’t ever happen again…”
A long silence then lingered in the library, and not even Owlowiscious, who was watching the conversation, made a sound. What finally broke the silence was Twilight, who stood up and paced towards Spike, surprising him when she gave him a big hug.
“Oh, you silly little Dragon… I could never be mad at you,” Twilight smiled. “Besides, I guess all this was partially my fault.”
“Huh? Why?” Naruto asked, baffled.
“Spike’s right,” Twilight said, releasing the little Dragon from her hug. “I don’t give him enough free time to do what he wants. He’s always busy helping me out and when he’s done, he’s just too tired to do anything he wants to do for himself. I thought having Owlowiscious would solve that problem, but I guess I was wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said. “I keep relying on your help without even considering that you might have other hobbies or other things you want to do. I promise not to be so overbearing from now on, and to take care of my own chores myself, without shoving so many onto you. And if you feel that you have to get some time off, just tell me. Deal?” she asked with a smile, raising a hoof.
Spike stared at Twilight, genuinely surprised by her words, before smiling and shaking her hoof. “Deal.”
“So how about right now?” Spike promptly asked. “I have to go do something important.”
“At this late hour? What could be so important?” Twilight asked.
“Rarity still didn’t finish making her dress! I’ve got to get it ready for her before the Gala!” Spike said.
“WHAT?!” Twilight screamed, causing Naruto and Spike to block their ears. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HER DRESS ISN’T FINISHED?!”
“Rarity saved her own dress for last,” Naruto explained. “It was so important to everypony’s dresses will be perfect, that she didn’t have time to finish working on it. She was so exhausted from making them, she fell asleep.”
“Yeah!” Spike said. “That’s why I have to go and finish it for her! I know I’m not very good at sewing… but I have to at least try!”
“I… I didn’t know…” Twilight mumbled. “I can’t believe we all just asked her to remake our dresses without even thinking about her own dress… How could we be so selfish…?”
“And actually, Princess Luna asked Rarity to make her a dress as well,” Naruto added. “It’s still not finished either.”
“So is it okay, Twilight? Can I go?” Spike asked.
“No,” Twilight replied. “Not without me you don’t,” she smiled.
Spike smiled back at her. “Thanks, Twi!”
“But can you finish them in time by yourselves?” Naruto asked. “I won’t be of much help, really…”
“Probably not…” Twilight said, rubbing her hoof against her chin as she pondered what to do. A moment afterwards, her face lighted up. “But I know a few ponies that with their help we could! Naruto, can you summon four clones, please?”
Naruto grinned and crossed his forelegs. “You don’t have to say another word!”
*****
Not long afterwards…
It didn’t take long for Naruto’s clones to complete their task, and soon enough six ponies and one Dragon were gathered in front of Carousel Boutique.
“I can’t believe we all just abandoned Rarity like this,” Fluttershy said, looking down at the ground.
“Yeah, some friends we turned out to be,” Applejack sighed.
“Don’t worry, everypony,” Twilight said, smiling at the circle of friends around her. “The fact that we’re all here now shows that we all truly care about Rarity. And together, we’ll make sure she gets that beautiful dress she deserves!”
“Well, what are we waiting for?!” Rainbow asked. “We’ve got a couple of EPIC dresses to make!”
“Yeah!” the others replied enthusiastically, raising a hoof to the air.
Naruto opened the front door, and soon everypony trotted inside (except for Pinkie, who hopped inside), before he closed it and turned on the lights.
“Alright,” Twilight said, standing at the middle of the studio. “Let’s break up our work. First, we need to get Rarity’s patterns for the dresses, as well as the mannequins with the bases she made, fabrics and tools.”
“I’ll get the mannequins and the sewing machine,” Naruto offered.
“And I’ll bring the other stuff, Twi!” Spike said.
Twilight nodded as the two boys quietly hurried to the second floor. “Now, who here can use a sewing machine?”
To Twilight’s surprise, Fluttershy hesitantly raised her hoof. “Umm… I can give it a try… if you don’t mind, I mean…” she said quietly.
“Great! We’ll all count on you, Fluttershy!” Twilight smiled. Fluttershy gulped in response.
“Next, we need somepony to pick out the best gems to use for the designs,” Twilight continued.
“Ooh! Me, me! Pick me!” Pinkie called enthusiastically.
“Alright, Pinkie,” Twilight smiled.
“Weehee!” Pinkie cried and literally flew off to get the gems from Rarity’s large jewel box.
“We don’t even have the patterns yet…” Twilight thought, looking at the pink pony. “Oh well. Now we need somepony to get Luna’s dress to Canterlot as quickly as possible, when we finish working on it.”
“Just leave it to me!” Rainbow said, taking to the air. “I’ll be there faster than you can say ‘Future Wonderbolt Extraordinaire’!” she exclaimed, performing a few loops in the air as a demonstration.
“Great!” Twilight smiled. “And I’ll cut the fabrics according to the patterns!”
“What about me, Twi? ‘fraid I can’t really help y’all with making these fancy-shmancy dresses,” Applejack said in concern.
“Don’t worry, Applejack,” Twilight smiled. “I have the perfect assignment for you! How do you feel about tiny lassos?”
*****
The group all worked into the night at Rarity’s shop, struggling to make Rarity’s sketches a reality.
Spike hung the designs on the wall, and then ran around getting everypony what they needed, whether it was tools, fabrics or even just a second opinion. He also helped Pinkie distinguish between gems, picking out the best ones to use for the dresses.
After Naruto brought down the heavy items, he also served as an errand boy to get everything the girls needed from upstairs, where Rarity had kept most of the fabrics she was going to use for the dresses. The girls needed a lot, since they were less than professional, and not once made a mistake.
Twilight cut the fabrics according to the patterns, while Fluttershy sewed the larger pieces together.
Applejack stitched together the smaller pieces and the gems Pinkie picked to the dress with surprising ease and accuracy using a spool of thread and a pin, claiming it was a bit like the lasso training she had as a foal, before she moved on to the real thing.
However, a few hours later, a major problem arose…
“We’re out of fabrics!” Naruto announced as he headed back to the studio. The others all paused their work and looked at him, worried.
“What?! How can this be?!” Twilight cried. “Rarity should have a lot of fabrics!”
“Well, maybe she ran out of them while… *yawn* …she made your second dresses,” Spike said, barely able to keep awake after all those hours.
“And it sure didn’t help we all made a bunch of mistakes,” Applejack said, motioning over to a pile of used fabrics, now rendered unusable for any decent dress making, either from wrong stitching or cutting.
“What are we gonna do…?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well, if Rarity used a lot of fabric to make us two sets of dresses,” Pinkie said. “Then maybe if we scrap one of the sets we’ll get half of a lot of fabrics!”
“Pinkie, that was really smart of you!” Rainbow exclaimed in surprise.
“I have my moments,” Pinkie grinned. *squee*
“But ain’t our dresses whole different colors? We can’t use them,” Applejack said.
“Not to worry!” Twilight exclaimed. “I may not be able to salvage our mis-stitched fabrics, but I do know a recoloring spell!”
“Alright then,” Naruto said. “The first dress set should be in the dressing room upstairs.”
“Great! Mind getting it for us?” Twilight asked.
“Well, alright but…” Naruto began, looking quite worried.
“Something wrong?” Twilight inquired.
“Well, uh… have any of you seen your second dresses?” Naruto asked. In response, the others, beside Fluttershy, all shook their heads
“I already saw my second dress,” Fluttershy said. “But if you mean my second-second dress, then no.”
“…Right,” Naruto said, seemingly pondering how to tackle the situation. “You know what? I’ll just bring down both sets here. Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
The others all glared at the clones, baffled, but decided not to question Naruto.
*****
A few minutes later…
“Oh… my…” Fluttershy muttered, covering her mouth with her hooves.
“Well… it’s exactly what I asked for, but…” Twilight struggled.
“It looked way cooler in my imagination,” Rainbow said.
“It’s so colorful!” Pinkie exclaimed. “But it’s kinda…”
“Those are the darnedest ugliest dresses I’ve ever seen,” Applejack said flatly.
“Count on the Element of Honesty to spell it out…” Naruto thought in relief.
The group all gazed, horrified, at the new dresses Naruto brought from Rarity’s room, and were lined up against the old ones for comparison.
“I still can’t believe Rarity made them for you… Just imagine if you actually wore them!” Spike said, horrified. A most unwelcome mental image floated up in their minds as a result.
The five mares all got the chills from the very thought.
“I may not get a thing about pony dresses, but even I know horrible clothes when I see them,” Naruto said, struggling not to laugh. “I can’t believe you were all actually going to wear them for the Gala.”
“You know what? I think I’m fine with giving up my new dress for Rarity. I’m totally cool with the first one,” Rainbow quickly said. The other four soon voiced their agreement, while Spike and Naruto smiled at each other.
And so, after Twilight had disassembled the second line of dresses, the group got back to work, making use of the last pieces of fabric they had on hoof. They all worked through most of the night, and Spike even fell asleep one of the dresses’ remains. But would they finish the task in time…?
*****
*BOOM* *BOOM *BOOM*
Rarity jolted up from her bed, startled by sounds of faraway explosions.
“W-When did I fall asleep?! The dresses! I have to finish the—” she began, but froze upon finding where the sounds came from. Turning her head to the window left to her bed, a clear view of Canterlot came into view. The Royal Palace was lighted up in white, and fireworks exploded above it, dyeing it momentarily in changing colors.
It took less than a second for the white Unicorn to piece together what was happening. “T-T-THE GALA! IT’S ALREADY BEGUN!” she screamed, jumped out of her bed and galloped towards the mannequins standing in a row against the wall. Two of them were dressed with merely the bases of what Rarity easily identified as hers and Luna’s dresses. “No! I didn’t finish them!”
“This is it!” Rarity cried. “The end! La grand finale! I’m finished!” she sobbed, falling back onto her bed. “I’ve disappointed the Princess and I couldn’t make it to the Gala! This is officially the worst night of my lifeeeee!!!”
Rarity continued crying into her bed, not noticing that behind her, the moon’s light was starting to grow stronger. Violet light poured from it through the window and into the room.
A sphere of light rose from the light cast on the floor, and then grew and changed its shape to that of a pony. The brightness then began to diminish, revealing the Princess of the Night.
Seeing the crying mare, Princess Luna trotted towards Rarity, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. Feeling the gentle touch, Rarity turned around and looked through her tears to see who the visitor was.
“P-P-Princess… Luna?” Rarity sniffled. “I’m… I’m… I’M SORRY!!!” Rarity screamed, her crying beginning anew as she groveled at Luna’s hooves. “I couldn’t keep my promise, and I destroyed what should have been the best night of your life!”
Surprisingly, Luna let out a light chuckle. “Fear not, my little pony, for naught is destroyed,” she said calmly.
“H-Huh?” Rarity muttered. “But… the Gala! It’s starting any minute now and the dresses are not nearly done yet!”
“It might be difficult to grasp, but you should understand that all this is naught but a dream. Mere imagery shown to you by your heart,” Luna explained with a smile.
“A… a dream?” Rarity asked, baffled. She wiped her tears and slowly rose to her hooves. “But if this is a dream, then what are you doing here, Princess? How can you be inside my dream?”
“For the longest time, I have thought that my role and importance were inferior to that of my sister, Princess Celestia,” Luna began explaining. “Since ponies sleep during my night, I had come to think that I had no role in their lives. However, thanks to a very special somepony, I now realize that there is something I can do that my sister cannot. I can visit ponies in their dreams, and by helping them confront their nightmares, they would be able to face their daily strifes, which cause them.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Rarity smiled, before her concerned expression reappeared. “But if this is a dream, then that means I truly did fall asleep! And I truly did not finish either of our dresses!”
“True,” Luna confirmed. “But that was only due to your generous heart, and because you’ve put your friends’ wishes before your own.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore…” Rarity sighed. “I won’t have the time to finish the dresses. I’m truly, truly sorry,” she said, looking down. To her surprise, she could hear Luna chuckling again, and looked back up at her.
“But your generosity did not go unnoticed and unappreciated,” the dark blue Alicorn said.
“What… whatever do you mean?” Rarity inquired, baffled.
“Have faith in your friends. All will turn out just fine,” Luna assured with a smile.
“I… well, alright. I suppose I have no other choice,” Rarity consented, although she had no idea what Luna had meant.
“For now, forget your worries. Sleep well, my little pony,” Luna said softly and bowed down towards Rarity. Luna’s horn gently touched Rarity’s forehead. With a purple glow from it Rarity closed her eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep.
*****
The chirping of the birds and the warmness of the early morning sun’s light had gently woken Rarity up. She slowly opened her eyes, finding herself momentarily blinded by the sunlight.
“Morning, Rarity!” a cheerful voice rang a few moments afterwards.
“S-Spike…?” Rarity muttered, immediately recognizing the voice. She sat up and looked around her room, her eyes shooting open in surprise to see Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Naruto and Spike standing next to the door, smiling at her.
“W-What are you all doing here so early?” Rarity asked, dumbfounded.
“Well, we just wanted to show you a little something…” Twilight said, smiling.
Everypony moved aside to reveal a mannequin dressed in a beautiful pink and magenta dress, which had golden linings and was embroidered with beautiful purple and pink gems. A dress which looked very familiar to Rarity.
Rarity’s eyes widened as she slowly got off her bed and trotted to the creation. “My… my dress? But… I don’t understand,” she mumbled, stunned, as she surveyed the dress with her eyes and placed a hoof on it, as if to confirm its realness.
“We’re all really sorry, Rarity. We were all so focused on our own dresses, we never even bothered to ask how your own dress was proceeding,” Twilight said shamefully. “We took advantage of your talent and pretty much coerced you into making them again, after you worked on the first set so hard…”
“We should have appreciated all of the hard work you put into them, and seen beyond just the exterior,” Fluttershy said sadly.
“Because of us, you didn’t have enough time to make your own dress,” Applejack said. “So Twilight, Spike and Naruto here got us together last night and…”
“We made you your own dress ourselves!” Rainbow Dash smirked. “And Princess Luna’s too, so you don’t have to worry about a thing! I personally express mailed it to Canterlot!”
“Naruto and I mostly just helped by getting your designs and materials from your room,” Spike smiled. Naruto grinned, crossing his arms behind his head.
“So do you like it? Or do you LOVE IT?” Pinkie asked with an excited grin.
“I… I don’t know what to say…” Rarity muttered, tears starting to run down her eyes. “Thank you… THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYPONY!”
*****
Dear Princess Celestia,
This week, Spike and my friend, Rarity, have both learned that if you try to please everypony, you often end up pleasing nopony, especially yourself. Naruto and I have also learned another lesson: while it’s nice to have talented friends you can rely on, you have to remember that they have more to them than just their talents. You have to let them go when they have to go, but in return, you can rest assured that you can always count on them whenever they are truly needed.
Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle
“And… done!” Spike announced as he finished writing the letter. He then rolled the scroll tightly and tied it with a red ribbon.
“Great job, Spike,” Twilight smiled. “Fire at will!”
Spike took a deep breath, and then released it as a stream of green flames. The scroll burned away into sparkling green smoke, which then flew outside through the library’s open window.
“All done, Twi!” Spike reported. “Can I go now?”
“But Spike, the library is still a mess!” Twilight exclaimed, pointing to one of the many unorganized stacks of books that lay on the floor next to the bookshelves.
“Oh, please! Just today! It’s a special day today!” Spike pleaded.
Twilight smiled. “Alright. Today’s an exception.”
“Yes! Thanks, Twilight!” Spike called before turning around and making for the exit.
“Say ‘hi’ to Naruto for me! And don’t forget we have to get ready for tonight!” Twilight called after him.
“Alright!” Spike answered as he closed the door after him.
“I can’t wait for tonight to come!” Twilight thought in excitement. “I’m sure it will just be… the best night ever!”
“Bye, Bon Bon, Lyra!” Spike waved as he took the two empty Ramen bowls the two friends had left.
“Bye, Spike! We’ll see you soon!” Bon Bon called.
“As in, tomorrow probably!” Lyra laughed. “I just can’t get enough Ramen!”
Spike hopped off his stool, which allowed him to see past the counter, and walked back to the sink, where he began washing the bowls and chopsticks.
Behind him, Naruto turned off the stoves and closed the lid of the pot of broth. He then turned around to the little Dragon.
“Thanks for sticking around, Spike,” the stallion smiled. “Especially considering what happened yesterday.”
“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Spike replied, smiling back. “We all learned a valuable lesson, didn’t we? Besides, as long as I’m just working here for fun, that shouldn’t take my mind off my responsibilities for Twilight, right?”
“Believe it!” Naruto replied. “And I’ve decided that my Ramen should always be served fresh. So no more instant Ramen!” he laughed.
Spike finished cleaning the dishes and hung them on the small dish rack beside the sink to dry. “Are we done for today?”
“Yup,” Naruto replied, looking at the large clock tower across from his shop. “Rarity said we should join her and the girls at about five o’clock.”
“Alright!” Spike called, all pumped up. “I can’t believe it’s finally time! I can hardly wait!” he exclaimed, opening the door for him and Naruto to leave the stand.
Naruto closed the door behind him and joined Spike. “I still don’t get why everypony’s so excited about the Gala… It’s just some sort of fancy party, right?”
“It’s not just ‘some sort of party’, Naruto!” Spike cried, stunned. “It’s the party of the year! Everypony who’s anypony is going to be there!”
Naruto rolled his eyes at that. “Still sounds to me like a fancy party full of stuck-up ponies. If Luna didn’t ask me to come, I’d just stay here and sell some Ramen.”
“Oh, be a little positive, would you?” Spike asked. “Just think of all the amazing things that will be there! The best food, the best musicians, the Wonderbolts! Even Princess Celestia herself is going to be there!”
Naruto’s pessimistic thought train came to a halt at the last sentence. “Princess Celestia will be there too?”
“Well, duh. She’s the hostess of the Gala!” Spike smiled.
“Princess Celestia…” Naruto thought. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, and I still didn’t have a chance to ask her how she was doing on finding a way to send me back home… Maybe tonight I could finally…”
“But you know what the best part will be?” Spike asked. Naruto shook his head, unsure what the little Dragon was going for.
“We’ll all get to spend the night together!” he called in excitement. “And after the Gala is over, I can’t wait to show you all around Canterlot! The golden apple tree, the crown jewels, my favorite donut shop…”
Naruto’s mind trailed off again, thinking about the upcoming night. “And I wonder why Luna invited me. All this just sounds like a huge chore…”
“…in short,” Spike summarized. “By tonight is over, you can be sure this will be the best night you’ve ever had!”
“Sounds more like the worst night ever,” Naruto thought, a sarcastic smile on his muzzle. “I hope Luna won’t mind me leaving early. The more I stay there, the more chances all those ponies might have to figure something out about me…”
“Well, here we are,” Spike said and came to a stop in front of Carousel Boutique.
“Oh hey, what’s that?” Naruto asked, pointing at a large, apple-shaped carriage parked next to the building.
“That’s our ride for the Gala,” Spike replied. “Twilight made it from an apple using a magic spell. Pretty neat, huh?”
“…An apple carriage?” Naruto asked dubiously. “Why am I surprised? After being here so long I really should accept all those weird things…”
“Who’s pulling it?” the orange stallion asked.
“Beats me,” Spike shrugged. “But I’m sure Twilight and the others have it all sorted out.”
“Oh well, let’s go then,” Naruto said and opened the front door. Spike quickly followed after him inside.
*****
Naruto opened the door to Rarity’s studio. “Hi, Rar—”
“AHHHH!” Rarity shrieked, and Naruto quickly found himself hit by an endless stream of pillows, towels and other items. “WE’RE GETTING DRESSED! GET OUT!”
“Hey, stop that!” Naruto cried, fruitlessly trying to block the incoming attacks with his foreleg.
“Uh… beg your pardon, Rarity” Applejack was heard from inside the room. “We don’t normally wear clothes.”
Rarity groaned in defeat, and the assault came to a halt. “Sorry, boys. Some of us do have standards.”
Naruto noted she wasn’t actually apologizing for tossing the items at him and frowned for a moment. However, he quickly forgot all about it upon taking in the odd state in which were the six mares. Rainbow’s and Applejack’s manes were wrapped in a towel, Twilight and Pinkie had their heads up a cylindrical tube of some machine, Fluttershy had her hooves brushed by Applejack, and Rarity was attaching fake eyelashes to her eyelids. “Girls are… really weird.”
“I still can’t believe we’re going to be in Canterlot tonight! Our home town, Twilight!” Spike exclaimed as he walked inside alongside Naruto. “And the best part is we’re going to hang out together, all night long!” he said happily, taking a seat on a chair nearby Twilight.
Curious, Naruto trotted towards another one of the machines Twilight and Pinkie were using. He placed the tube on his head. “So… what is this— YOUCH! HOT!” he cried, suddenly feeling arid wind blowing on his mane. He quickly removed it.
“I don’t know, Spike…” Rainbow said with an unsure expression.
“We’ll just have to see,” Rarity added, attaching the eyelashes to her left eye.
“We’re gonna be a mite busy,” Applejack said as she spat on Fluttershy’s hoof and began rubbing it with a brush, much to the other’s revulsion.
“Busy having fun!” Pinkie exclaimed as she removed the machine from her mane. It appeared all droopy and straightened out, but it puffed back up to normal in a second.
“Oh, okay…” Spike sighed.
“Don’t worry, Spike. We’ll all get to spend some time together,” Twilight said as she applied some powder onto her muzzle using a small brush and a circular item Naruto had never seen before.
“Great!” Spike called happily, cheered up by Twilight’s words. “I can’t wait!”
Naruto then paced over to one of the small makeup tables. He picked up the small, circular item Twilight had used and opened it up, only to be greeted with a pinkish cloud of powder. “W-What the hay is this?! It’s worse than a smoke bomb!” he coughed, quickly putting the wretched item back where it was.
“Oh, darling,” Rarity said. “While I admire your desire to use muzzle powder, you must simply leave it to a professional for such a grand occasion as this! I shall assist you in a moment, alright?”
“No!” Naruto cried. “Uhh… I mean, no thanks…”
“So… why are you all so excited about the Gala, anyway?” Naruto inquired. “No matter how much I think about it, it really doesn’t sound all that to me.”
“Oh, you’ll understand once we get there, Naruto,” Twilight smiled. “Just imagine… a night when anything you could ever hope for might just happen!”
“I doubt that, unless Princess Celestia can finally get me back home,” Naruto thought, rolling his eyes. “Well, I guess I’ll play along as much as I can for Luna's sake.”
“So when are we going?” Naruto asked. “I thought you’d be done getting ready by now.”
“We will be soon,” Rarity said as she attached her fake eyelashes to her other eye. “Don’t you have some preparing to do yourself?”
“I’m just gonna throw on the suit you made me,” Naruto said, causing Rarity’s eye to twitch at the phrasing. “It won’t take long.”
“Besides, we have another problem,” Spike chimed in. “Who’s gonna pull our carriage?”
“Well, we were hoping Naruto here could ‘summon’ us some help,” Rarity said. “If you know what I mean,” she smiled at him, blinking her eyes suggestively.
Naruto rolled his eyes a bit, although he smiled in amusement. “Alright, you can count on me!”
“Now, here are your suits, boys,” Rarity said, floating towards Naruto and Spike the mannequins dressed in her creations for the two. “So off you go,” she said as she opened the door.
“Huh? Why do we have to go?” Spike asked, a bit hurt.
“Rarity thinks it’ll be bad luck to see us in our dresses before the Gala,” Applejack said. “Bunch of hooey if ya ask me, but there ain’t no harm in going along with it, right?” she smiled.
Naruto and Spike exchanged gazes, shrugged, and then turned around to leave the room.
*****
About an hour later…
“Are we ready to go?” Spike asked in excitement, looking at Naruto who sat to his left at the front bench of the carriage in a human-like posture. The two guys were both wearing the suits Rarity had made them — a tuxedo’s top with a red bowtie for Spike, and a white collar with a black overtop and an orange bowtie for Naruto, which was a stark change from his usual jumpsuit. Beneath them, two of Naruto’s clones were tied to the reins of the apple-shaped vehicle parked near Carousel Boutique, ready to take the eight guests to the party.
“Without the girls?” Naruto smirked at him.
“Oh, right,” Spike chuckled. “By the way, why are you keeping your forehead protector on? Do you need help taking it off or something?” he asked, reaching up to it.
“No way!” Naruto exclaimed, quickly placing a hoof on top of it. “I’m not taking it off, believe it!”
“Is it that important to you?” Spike asked. “Come to think of it, I’ve never heard how you got it! Can you tell me sometime?”
“Sure, why not?” Naruto smiled. “Huh, guess I never really told the others much about myself. Well… I guess it would be a problem if they found out too much…”
Just then, the front door of Carousel Boutique opened, and one by one did the six mares trot outside. Naruto turned to look at them, but Spike quickly covered his eyes. “Hey! We’re not supposed to look, remember?” he asked, quickly covering his own eyes with his other palm.
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned back to the front. “These ponies have such weird customs…”
“We’re all set, boys!” Rarity called as the carriage’s door closed.
“Let’s get moving!” Rainbow Dash added.
“If you don’t mind, that is…” Fluttershy said softly.
“Well, let’s go then! Hiya!” Spike called in excitement as he whipped the clones with his reins, making them both vanish into two puffs of smoke. He then turned to the left to find Naruto looking at him scornfully.
“Uhh… Oops, my bad,” Spike scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
*****
About two hours later…
“We’re here!” the right carriage-pulling Naruto exclaimed as the carriage stopped.
“And much earlier than we thought,” the left Naruto added. “Canterlot sure seemed a lot further than this from Ponyville!”
Naruto and Spike smiled, jumped off their seats and onto the ground. Spike then opened the carriage door and gave a bow as the six mares trotted outside.
“Thanks, guys,” Naruto thanked his clones as the two carriage-pulling Naruto’s moved the carriage away to be parked, before turning back to Spike and the others.
“Woah!” Spike cried in awe, glaring at the six mares with sparks in his eyes, as it was the first time he saw them wearing their dresses. “You all look… amazing!”
Naruto also surveyed the mares for a moment, quite impressed, but his attention was soon drawn to the palace, and he found himself staring at it slightly jaw-dropped. Unlike the summer solstice, after he and the six mares saved Luna, when he saw the palace in the light of day, this time the palace seemed to glow almost mystically under the dark night sky. The golden rooftops of the palace’s towers glittered beautifully in the moonlight, and fireworks in different colors popped seemingly endlessly above it.
“I can’t believe we’re finally here!” Twilight called in excitement, looking up at the Canterlot Royal Palace along with her friends. “With all that we’ve imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this… the best night ever!”
“At the Gala… At the Gala…”
For some reason, everypony began singing about the Gala. Naruto, however, flatly ignored this and began marching straight towards the humongous golden gates of the palace. “I’ll be going ahead of everypony, Spike,” he said to the little Dragon as he began marching forward. “I want to get this over with as soon as possible.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later then!” Spike waved, not noticing the ninja’s clear lack of interest in the event as he instead chose to listen to the unfolding song.
*****
After Naruto had paced on the lowered wooden bridge, passed the huge golden entrance gates and trotted into the entry hall of the palace, he found himself bathed in brilliant light bestowed upon him by beautiful chandeliers. The sparkling, clear black-and-white tiled marble floor was covered in a red carpet, which spread out horizontally towards huge doors to his left and right, and vertically up the marble staircase and lead to…
“Princess Celestia,” Naruto thought, looking up at the white Alicorn. “I wonder if she’s already found a way to send me back… I didn’t have a chance to ask her yet…”
Save for Naruto’s ‘kidnapping’ and a brief, emergency encounter he had with Equestria’s high ruler not long ago, this was only the second time the two had met face to face. Only the second time the two actually had the time to speak with each other.
“Naruto!” Princess Celestia called as Naruto reached her, the delight in her voice clear. “Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala,” she greeted with a brief bow. “I am so glad you could make it here tonight.”
“Well, Luna specifically invited me, so I couldn’t really say no…” Naruto thought, but quickly dismissed it. “Thanks. Of course I came,” he smiled. “So, how are you doing with the whole sending me back thing?” he immediately asked, full of anticipation.
“I truly apologize, Naruto,” Celestia replied with a saddened look. “Setting right the flow of time in an entire, different universe is no simple task. However, my promise to you remains true. As soon as I will know how to properly send you back, I shall contact you,” she reassured him.
“How long would that take?” Naruto asked, a bit downcast.
“I’m afraid I cannot say for sure yet,” Celestia answered.
“Well, alright…” Naruto yielded, realizing there’s no point in arguing.
“I would suggest you to forget about that, for now,” the Princess advised. “Until then, I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here in Equestria, and especially tonight at the Gala,” she smiled. “I am positive you will have a wonderful time here.”
“I guess so… Well, where’s Luna?” Naruto asked, looking around to try and find her. “She said that she wanted to spend the night with me.”
“Of course,” Celestia smiled. “You have no idea how much she has looked forward to this night. You are quite the devil to win her over like that.”
“Huh? Win her over?” Naruto asked, unsure of what she meant.
“Oh, excuse me. It’s nothing,” Celestia chuckled. “Well, she should be just about done preparing herself. I would say she ought to be here any minute now.”
“Good evening, Naruto…” a familiar voice spoke softly, causing Naruto and Celestia to turn their heads to the staircase to Celestia’s right. Naruto moved his gaze upwards to find Luna trotting down towards him and promptly froze, needing a few seconds to take in what he was seeing.
The Princess of the Night slowly paced down the staircase. She was wearing a purple silk dress, embroidered by many small stars made of yellow gems and a large, golden crescent moon on its left side. Attached to the back of the dress was a short train made of semi-transparent, lavender fabric that glittered in the light. On Luna’s head was a small, violet tiara, decorated with a golden crescent moon. She wore golden shoes to match.
“Umm… hi,” was all Naruto could blurt, for some reason quite dumbfounded by Luna’s appearance, even though he saw and even helped make the garment she was wearing.
“H-Hello, Naruto…” Luna replied hesitantly.
“Psst… compliment her,” Celestia whispered to Naruto, smiling.
“Umm… your dress… looks… nice!” Naruto said somewhat forcefully, in lack of a better compliment in his arsenal.
“Compliment her mane!” Celestia suggested quietly, her grin showing that she was quite enjoying the situation.
“And your mane… it’s really sparkly tonight!” Naruto uttered.
“T-Thank you,” Luna muttered and looked away, a faint blush and shy smile decorating her muzzle. “Umm… it is good to see you again, Naruto.”
“You too,” Naruto replied, still somewhat dazed.
“I will handle the reception, Luna. So off you go to enjoy yourselves, you two,” Celestia urged. “Wasn’t there something you wanted to do?”
Luna’s eyes widened, and soon so did her smile. Without warning, she began making her way down the staircase. “H-Hey!” Naruto cried in surprise as he could feel Luna’s hoof grabbing his own and pulling him along.
As Naruto looked at Luna, he could see her excited, innocent and somewhat child-like grin. For some reason, he could not bring himself to look away from her, not even noticing that Twilight had just passed them, running up the stairs towards Princess Celestia.
“Where are we going?” Naruto asked as Luna pulled him along through the door to the right.
“You will soon see, Naruto,” Luna replied mysteriously, retaining her pure smile.
*****
Soon enough, Luna’s destination and goal became clear, as slow-paced music reached Naruto’s ears. Spread out in front of the couple was a large dance floor made of black-and-white marble tiles, illuminated by silver chandeliers and decorated by large Alicorn statues and ornamental columns. Many ponies dressed in fancy suits or dresses were waltzing to the music of a piano, a harp, a tuba and a cello.
“Let us ‘hit on the dance floor’! …Or so they say,” Luna said as she took Naruto’s front hooves in her own. All the nearby ponies took a few steps back, giving the couple more than enough dancing space.
“W-Wait!” Naruto exclaimed.
“What is the matter, Naruto? Do you not want to dance with me?” Luna asked in worry.
“I… don’t know how to dance,” Naruto explained. “And I don’t really want to, either…”
“Oh, is that it?” Luna asked, relieved. “It is simple,” she said and moved her left hind hoof backwards. “Simply watch my steps and—”
“I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala, I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala, I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala!”
Pinkie Pie’s cheerful, booming voice soon echoed throughout the hall, causing everypony to jerk their heads towards the noisy guest. The pink party pony soon started hopping and dancing around wildly, distracting and disturbing the Gala attendees and even the musicians on the stage.
“It’s all I’ve ever dreamed! It’s all I’ve ever dreamed! Woohoo! It’s all I’ve ever dreamed! Yeepee!”
“Perhaps we ought to return later, when the ‘bass is dropped’,” Luna said, quite disappointed by the ruining of the mood.
“Ah! Wait!” Naruto called, but Luna didn’t listen and turned to leave the dance floor, still holding Naruto’s hoof. Pinkie was still cheerfully singing in the background. “Aw, darn. Just when the music was getting good…” Naruto thought in disappointment.
“I’m at the Grand Galloping Galaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
*****
This time, Luna had led Naruto to the door on the opposite side of the entry hall and into a large garden, where the couple was greeted by a summer breeze and the fragrant smell of flowers.
“So, where are you taking me now?” Naruto asked again.
“I wish for us to talk and catch up,” Luna smiled. “And one of my favorite places here in the palace is by the rose bushes,” she explained as she led him along. All of the nearby ponies moved aside to allow them clear passage.
As the couple reached the rose bushes, they quickly noticed a pair of white Unicorns standing next to them, one of which was familiar to Naruto, whereas the other was not. Upon getting closer, Naruto smiled when he recognized Rarity, while Luna’s face fell to see the other.
“Oh, there you are, Auntie Luna!” greeted the second pony. He was a white Unicorn stallion with light brown mane, and was wearing a large, blue bowtie.
“Hello, Blueblood…” Luna replied in what sounded almost like a sigh.
“Please meet lady Rarity,” he motioned to the white mare. “She has a very keen eye for beauty,” he smiled, pointing at a somewhat crumpled red rose which stuck out of his suit.
“Princess Luna!” Rarity called, bowing.
“Good evening, Rarity. It is good to see you again,” Luna said with a smile. “You have my sincere thanks for designing me this beautiful dress. You may expect a generous reward to be delivered to you in a few days.”
“Oh, it was no problem at all!” Rarity replied with a smile, although both mares knew that was quite far from the truth. “I hope you and Naruto will have an absolutely fantastic time tonight!”
“Naruto?” Blueblood asked, studying Naruto for the first time. “I do not believe we have ever met before. In which royal circles do you usually partake?”
“Umm… what?” was Naruto’s blunt answer to the question.
“I believe Prince Blueblood is asking what royals are in your clique, Naruto,” Rarity clarified, while not making the question much easier for him to understand.
“Oh, uh… I don’t know any royals. I’ve only been in Canterlot once before,” Naruto answered. “Is that what I should have said?”
Blueblood’s eyes widened in horror, and he quickly moved to whisper to Luna, barely quietly enough to keep what he was saying secret. “Auntie Luna! How are you allowing yourself to spend the Gala with some… peasant?!”
“It is our own business with whom we wish to associate, Blueblood,” Luna replied sternly, her voice dangerously rising by a few decibels.
“Well, uh…” Naruto began, before things could get out of hoof. “Let’s go talk over there, alright?” he asked, motioning over to a more distant part of the garden.
Luna gave one last angered look at Blueblood, before she began trotting away towards where Naruto pointed. As the orange stallion looked back momentarily, he could see Rarity’s apologetic smile.
*****
Luna and Naruto were now greeted by the soft whistling of birds as they made their way into a more secluded part of the gardens.
Naruto looked around in awe to see many colorful birds, possums and other critters staring at him and Luna from the trees.
“I truly apologize for earlier, Naruto,” Luna said sorrowfully. “I ought to have known nothing good would arise from that meeting …”
“It’s no problem, Luna” Naruto replied nonchalantly. “I pretty much expected this was how tonight would be, anyway, so I’m not surprised…”
The birds’ whistling suddenly grew stronger, and Naruto instinctively looked around to try and find its source. Unfortunately, that led him to fail noticing the yellow Pegasus standing right in front of him. He slammed head-first straight into her rump.
“EEEEK!!!” the Pegasus shrieked and flew upwards to the tree she was under, clinging to one of its branches like a scared cat.
“Oh, hey Fluttershy,” Naruto said, quickly recognizing the mare. Luna simply stared at her, blushing intensely over what just happened.
“Oh, it’s you, Naruto!” Fluttershy said, letting out a sigh of relief as she glided back down to the ground. “And… P-P-Princess Luna!” she immediately cried, jumping upwards and hanging on the branch again. Luna’s expression suddenly became troubled.
“You can come back down now,” Naruto said.
“Oh, umm… I’m really comfy up here, though…” Fluttershy muttered, wearing a very forced smile. Naruto simply stared at her, puzzled.
Luna sighed. “’Tis alright, Naruto. Let us leave now,” she said and began pacing away. As she did, a little yellow bird flew down from the tree Fluttershy was clinging to and perched on Luna’s tiara.
“Good evening, Mr. Chirps,” Luna said, not even needing to take a look at the bird to recognize it. The bird let out a few chirps in response.
Fluttershy slowly descended down, landing a little distance from Luna. A stunned expression was on her face. “…How did you do that? You didn’t even call him!” she asked, somewhat jaw-dropped.
Luna looked at her in surprise. “I have spent most of my time in the palace since my return, and so I have come to know all of the animals in the garden,” she replied. “They were wary of me at first, but soon we have all come to befriend each other.”
“I’ve been trying to meet the lovely animals you have here, but they’ve all been running away from me. Do you think you could teach me how to…?” Fluttershy muttered, pointing to Mr. Chirps. The little bird then flew back up to the tree.
“While the animals here are quite reserved, with enough persistence, it is only a matter of time for them to learn to love you. They aren’t bad creatures,” Luna said. “They only need to have a chance to know you.”
“Persistence, huh?” Fluttershy repeated, pondering about it. “I see… Thank you very much, Princess!” she smiled.
Luna looked at her a bit mouth-gaped, but then smiled as well. “You are most welcome, Fluttershy.”
After bidding farewell to Fluttershy, Naruto and Luna casually strolled through a more distant, secluded part of the garden. Flowers, bushes, and other sorts of ornamental plants provided a pleasant scent and atmosphere for the two ponies.
“So how have you been doing in Equestria, Naruto?” Luna asked, pacing alongside the orange stallion. “I hope the past two months haven’t been too hard on you.”
“I was actually really bummed when Celestia told me she couldn’t send me back,” Naruto admitted. “But then I decided that I was gonna enjoy being here as much as I could!” he smiled. “I really hope Celestia will find a way to send me back soon though, I’m really starting to miss all my friends back in the Village.”
“I see…” Luna said, downcast. “I suppose it is to be expected. And I hope too that you will soon return home…”
“Thanks!” Naruto grinned, oblivious to the sadness in Luna’s tone. “And what about you? Gotten used to everything by now? I bet everything’s really different after such a long time on the moon!”
“Well…” Luna said, suddenly stopping in her tracks. “I was actually…”
“Hey! Naruto!” a voice called out to their left. Luna and Naruto turned to see a small purple reptile running towards them, holding two small pieces of breads with greenish toppings. “I was looking everywhere for you! You’ve just gotta taste those hors thingies!”
Spike skidded to a stop when he noticed who Naruto was with. “Oh! P-P-Princess Luna!” he cried, quickly bowing down as low as he could. “Oh no! I completely forgot Naruto was spending the night with her!”
“G-Good evening, Princess! I-I mean, your majesty! Your highness!” Spike called, his eyes closed in fear. Luna shifted uncomfortably in response, averting her gaze from him.
“Spike, that’s just Luna. You’ve met her before,” Naruto said, baffled by his nervousness. “You even helped making her dress!”
“Y-Yeah, but… Last time we saw her was when it was day out. Seeing her at night like this…” he muttered, cautiously rising from his bow. “Sorry, it just felt a bit like seeing Nightmare Moon again, ya know?”
Luna’s eyes widened and she took a step back.
“Really? Hmm…” Naruto asked, turning to look at Luna with a studying gaze. She looked back at him in a mixture of fear and anticipation.
“I don’t think so. Luna is Luna, ya know,” Naruto quickly concluded, smiling. Luna’s mouth formed a hint of a smile as well, and she seemed a bit relieved.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Spike conceded, and seemed to have relaxed a bit. “Anyways, you two wanna have some?” he offered, stretching his claws with the small pastries towards Naruto and Luna. “These are incredible!”
“Don’t mind if I do!” Naruto said happily, taking one of the appetizers and shoving it in his mouth. “Oh, this isn’t bad at all!” he exclaimed with his mouth full. “What’s in this?”
“This one is topped with month-old hay and spinach, fermented inside the palace’s cellars,” Luna said. “A bit too fancy for my taste, to be honest, but I’m glad that you enjoy it.”
Naruto’s face turned a sickly hue of green, and he promptly ran straight to a nearby bush, sticking his head inside it. Very unpleasant noises were shortly heard from within. Spike and Luna both glared at him, worried.
Not long afterwards, Naruto pulled his head back out of the bush. He slowly trudged back to Spike and Luna, holding a hoof to his muzzle. “H-Hay… I… I ate rotten hay…” the orange stallion mumbled quietly. “I feel so violated…”
Spike shrugged. “Suit yourselves, I think these are awesome!” he exclaimed, popping the other appetizer into his mouth.
Luna suddenly raised her head high and looked around as she was sniffing the air around her. “What is this most… exotic smell?” she asked, excited.
Spike sniffed the air as well. “Oh yeah, those must be apple pies from Applejack’s cart. She opened up a mobile store nearby,” he explained. Spike then smiled, an idea popping into his head. “Hey, maybe we could go together and—”
“Come, Naruto!” Luna shouted, taking Naruto’s hoof. He was caught completely by surprise, as he was still recovering from his most recent meal. “Let us make haste to the fabled ‘apple pies’!”
And so, Luna took flight and carried Naruto in her magic speedily away, leaving Spike in the dust. “H-Hey! You left me behind!” he cried at the direction the two ponies had gone to.
“Figures. Nopony wants to hang out with me,” Spike grumbled and turned away, stomping the ground as he walked off.
*****
Having mostly recovered by now, Naruto had reluctantly followed Luna, who seemed more than eager to get her hooves on one of the apple pies Spike had mentioned. The duo made their way back into one of the more crowded areas of the garden, nearby the door back to the castle’s interior.
“Howdy, folks! Get your apple treats here!” Applejack’s booming voice rang clear. “Apple pies, apple fritters, caramel apples and apple cider! All made from the freshest apples of the Equestria-wide famous Sweet Apple Acres farm! Here at Canterlot tonight only!”
“Heya, Applejack!” Naruto called out to the cowmare, as he and Luna approached the stand. Naruto looked around in confusion to see all the ponies in the area leaving.
“Howdy, Naruto!” Applejack waved from her booth, loaded with several kinds of apple-based pastries, candies and drinks. “And howdy to ya too, Princess Luna!” she added with a brief bow as she noticed her.
“Oh, um… Hello, Applejack…” the dark blue Alicorn replied cautiously.
“How’s business going?” Naruto asked.
“Not too great, actually,” Applejack sighed. “I tried pretty much every selling trick in the book by now, and only had one sale! But I’ve got a feeling it’s only a matter of time before I hit the jackpot!”
“In that case, I think you’re in luck,” Naruto smiled, turning to Luna.
“May I have one of the fabled ‘apple pies’?” Luna asked. “I have smelled a most delicious smell from far away, and had to discover its source no matter the cost!”
“Well, ya sure came to the right place, Princess!” Applejack grinned, pointing at one of her pies at the stand. “Our apple pies are only made from the freshest, best apples of Sweet Apple Acres! Guaranteed to be the best pies in all of Equestria!”
“Marvelous!” Luna replied. “Then I shall help myself to one of those ‘pies’. Would five hundred bits be satisfactory payment?”
Naruto’s and Applejack’s jaws nearly hit the ground. “F-F-Five hundred bits?!” Applejack cried, leaning forward.
“I see…” Luna muttered thoughtfully, rubbing her muzzle with her hoof. “I suppose that for a best Equestrian pie, larger funds are required… Would eight hundred bits be sufficient?”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Applejack said. “Slow down there, Nelly! As much as I’d like to have all that there money, that’s way too much for a pie!”
“Applejack’s pies may be the best, but they’re not worth THAT much!” Naruto exclaimed. “I’d have to work at Applejack’s for months to get that much!”
“They are not?” Luna asked, surprised. “Well, I have never eaten a pie before, nor anything that resembles it… I could only estimate its worth by your high praises.”
“Oh, shoot! Y’all mean to tell me ya never had an apple pie before?!” Applejack cried, stunned. She quickly grabbed with her jaws a pie and gave it to Luna, who floated it with her magic, quite surprised.
“Now, I may not represent the Element of Generosity,” Applejack said. “But I sure as heck can’t stand to know a pony never had a taste of an apple pie before! This one’s on the house!”
“Are you certain?” Luna gasped.
“Certain as cider season!” Applejack replied, smiling.
“Then you have my sincere gratitude, Applejack! ’Tis the most generous offering a pony had made me in a thousand years!”
“I reckon so!” Applejack laughed. “I bet nopony would want to give anything to an evil tyrant who wanted to create an eternal night, right?”
Luna’s eyes widened. She then looked down at the ground. “Yes… They wouldn’t…” she said quietly, trotting away. The pie landed gently on the ground.
“H-Hey!” Applejack cried. “I didn’t mean…” she began.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll go after her. See you later, Applejack,” Naruto quickly said, turning to catch up with Luna.
“Oh, me and my big mouth…” Applejack sighed as she watched Naruto galloping away.
Luna trotted along the garden aimlessly, her head hanging low. “What was I thinking to myself? How could I have deluded myself so? There is no way I could ever be forgiven, that my crimes be forgotten…”
“Hey, what’s wrong, Luna?” Naruto asked as soon as he rejoined her. He was only a few steps behind her.
Luna stopped in front of a fountain. In its center, a life-size marble statue of an Alicorn was spewing water from its horn.
“Tell me, Naruto,” the Alicorn said quietly, looking up at the full moon shining above the fountain. “How were you able to cope, back in your Village Hidden in the Leaves?”
“Cope?” Naruto asked, baffled.
“When all eyes are always turned towards you, waiting for you to make a mistake, to do something bad… I know that used to be a part of your life, Naruto. Just… Just how did you face it all?” Luna asked quietly as she turned to Naruto, her eyes filled with tears. “How can I keep moving forward, bearing the weight of my sins?!”
“Luna…” Naruto muttered, his eyes widening. “So that’s why everypony was keeping a distance from you… I never thought that being Nightmare Moon was still troubling you…”
Inside Naruto, the nine-tailed fox perked his ears up.
“Hmm…” Naruto muttered thoughtfully. He sat down on the fountain’s ledge in a human-like fashion, crossing his forelegs. “It’s kind of weird… For a really long time, I didn’t know why everypony hated me, so I couldn’t really do anything to fix it. Instead, I guess I just looked for other things to do to be recognized for.”
“Other things?” Luna inquired as she wiped her tears, taking a seat beside Naruto.
“You know… Making a mess at the academy, pranks… Stupid stuff like that,” Naruto replied, smiling in nostalgia.
“After that, though…” he began, his smile vanishing. “When I found out the truth, I was a bit lost there for a while. I didn’t know what to think.”
Luna just looked at Naruto quietly, taking in every word.
“At first, I just tried to ignore it as much as I could. But…” Naruto swallowed, looking down. “Just before Celestia brought me here, I was reminded again that it’s a part of me. A part I can’t ignore,” he said, smiling bitterly. His hooves shook slightly, as if he was clutching his human fists, but then quickly relaxed.
“But you know… Even after all that, I still don’t blame him, and I don’t hate him,” Naruto then said with an optimistic smile. The nine-tailed fox’s eyes widened slightly, and so did Luna’s.
“Sorry, I got a bit carried away there,” Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t think too much about it. You just gotta face it head-on and not look away or turn back. No matter what, you just have to keep going forward!” he said, turning to look at Luna.
The dark Alicorn didn’t say anything in response, and merely looked down at the ground.
“Umm… Was that any help?” Naruto asked, smiling sheepishly.
To Naruto’s surprise, Luna stood up, her eyes filled with determination. “Come now, Naruto. There is somepony I wish to speak with right away.”
“H-Hey, wait a second!” Naruto cried. Luna dragged him along again without warning.
“Thank you, Naruto! I think… I think I finally understand what must be done!”
*****
Naruto was led by Luna back to the entry hall of the palace, where he found Princess Celestia and Twilight standing at the top of the main staircase. The two of them were still welcoming late arrivals to the Gala, but the stream of guests seemed to have dwindled significantly compared to before.
“Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala,” Twilight said monotonically, shaking Naruto’s hoof.
“Uh, Twilight?” Naruto said. Twilight’s eyes shot open and she finally noticed who was standing in front of her. Celestia giggled.
“Oh! Naruto!” Twilight exclaimed in surprise. “And Princess Luna!” she added, bowing.
“Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, hesitantly offering her hoof for a shake.
“It’s great to see you tonight!” Twilight smiled, shaking Luna’s hoof. Luna smiled a bit in return.
“How’s it going, Twilight? Having fun?” Naruto asked.
“Uhh…” she began, giving a quick look at her mentor. “Great! Just great!” she smiled very forcefully, although Naruto didn’t notice it. “And how is your night?”
“It’s alright,” Naruto replied. “At least it isn’t as boring as I thought it would be…”
“And how about you, Princess Luna? Having fun with Naruto?” Twilight asked.
“Well, I…” Luna began, but soon lost her voice. She looked down at the floor again.
“Is everything alright, Luna?” Celestia inquired.
“Yes, sister. It was just that… I was simply wondering where the Wonderbolts are at the moment,” Luna finally replied, looking back up at her elder sister.
Naruto could’ve sworn he heard both Celestia and Twilight gasp, for some reason.
Celestia smiled softly. “You sure have come a long way in such a short while, Luna… Was it his influence, I wonder…?”
“I’ve last seen the Wonderbolts heading to the main dance hall. They are probably still in there,” Celestia said.
“I see,” Luna nodded. “Thank you, sister. Let us go, Naruto.”
Naruto was then led along again down the staircase and towards the dance floor. “I’m kinda getting used to it by now…” he sweatdropped.
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight spoke, looking up at her. “Does Princess Luna know the reason for the founding of the Wonderbolts?”
“She does,” Celestia answered, keeping her eyes on her sister. “Which is why I am so proud of her right now. It’s not easy to let go of the burdens of the past, and yet it seems that she finally has.”
“How do you think this happened?” Twilight asked. “You told me that only yesterday she would refuse to go near them!”
“It is quite peculiar indeed,” Celestia smiled, closing her eyes. “But then again… that might be why they say that ‘friendship is magic’… I see that I was right in bringing you here, Naruto, in more ways than one… You are a very special individual indeed…”
*****
Luna and Naruto had made their way back to the dance floor. It was now much more crowded than before, and yet Naruto could clearly notice ponies were scurrying out of their way to make more than ample room for him and Luna.
Naruto looked up at Luna, worried that she’ll once again be hurt by the imposed seclusion, but the Princess seemed set in her goal and undeterred.
“So… What do the Wonderbolts look like?” Naruto asked. “Rainbow told me a lot about them… Like, a lot… but I really have no idea who are they.”
“They are a group of Pegasi, all wearing matching blue and yellow suits,” Luna replied whilst scanning the crowd for them.
“Oh, okay,” Naruto replied and began looking for such ponies. “Hmm… Why do I get the feeling I know somepony like that…?” he thought. “But why are you looking for them, anyways?”
“You shall know when we find them,” Luna replied concisely.
Naruto kept on looking around, when suddenly his left shoulder was grabbed and he was pulled back. “Hey! What the—”
“Sorry, Naruto, but I need to borrow ya for a while!” the pony who dragged him along said.
“Wait, Rainbow?!” Naruto exclaimed in surprise, turning around to see the colorful mare. “What do you need me for?”
“I’ve been hanging out with the Wonderbolts for a while now,” Rainbow Dash said. “But they won’t pay me any attention at all! I’ve tried to show them my sleek moves a couple of times, but they keep getting pulled into boring conversations or photographs with other ponies! So I need to show them something that’ll really blow them off their hooves! That way, there’s no way they’ll be able to ignore me!”
“Wait, you know where the Wonderbolts are?!” Naruto asked. “Luna! Come on this way— Oh,” he stopped when he realized he got separated from the Princess, and he couldn’t see her anywhere. “What do you need me for, then?” he asked.
“What do you think?!” Rainbow smirked. “There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore me if I introduced them to Equestria’s one and only ninja!”
“Hey, wait a second!” Naruto called, putting up enough resistance to make Rainbow stop. “You can’t tell them I’m a ninja! It’s supposed to be a secret!”
“Secret shmikret, why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Rainbow frowned.
Naruto frowned. “I can’t tell you, alright?! I just don’t want them to know!” he retorted.
“Hey, is that…?!” a voice called. Recognizing it, both Rainbow and Naruto turned to look in its direction. “Woah, no way!”
“Hey, Soarin’!” Naruto exclaimed as soon as he noticed the Pegasus. “What’s up?” he asked happily, hoof bumping with him.
“Wait… YOU KNOW HIM?!” Rainbow Dash asked, stunned.
“Well, duh,” Naruto replied. “He’s one of my best customers!”
“You betcha!” Soarin’ exclaimed. “I come to Ponyville like all the time for Naruto’s amazing Ramen! I even dragged the whole team there a couple of times!”
“Speaking of the team…” Soarin’ added. “Hey Spitfire! Fleetfoot! Look who I found!” he called over his back.
“Well, well, well,” a female voice said. “Look who came to the Gala after all!”
Naruto looked behind Soarin’ to see Spitfire and Fleetfoot joining their comrade.
“Hey, guys,” Naruto smiled. “What’s up?”
“You know, the usual routine,” Fleetfoot replied. “We perform for a bit, and then we get to enjoy the party. So it’s a win-win for us.”
“Yup,” Spitfire smiled. “Sometimes it really does pay to be in the Wonderbolts!”
“Wait… You’re the Wonderbolts?! The same Wonderbolts Rainbow talks about all the time?!” Naruto exclaimed, pointing at them in shock.
“Hey, Rainbow!” Naruto called, turning to look at her. “The Wonderbolts are regulars in my stand, isn’t this awesome?!”
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?! EVEN NARUTO’S FRIENDS WITH THE WONDERBOLTS?!” Rainbow screamed. “I… just… can’t… ARGH!” she hollered in frustration, crossing her legs as she floated a bit off the ground, grumbling to herself.
Spitfire gazed at Rainbow momentarily with a puzzled look, before turning back to Naruto. “So what are you doing here, Naruto? I thought you said you wouldn’t be caught dead in the Gala!”
“Well… I was kind of asked by the Princess to be her company tonight, so I couldn’t really say ‘no’, right?” Naruto explained with a half-smile.
“Really?!” Spitfire replied, surprised. “But isn’t Princess Celestia in the main hall, greeting the arriving guests?”
“Oh, not Princess Celestia,” Naruto said. “I meant Princess Luna,” he clarified.
The Wonderbolts’ eyes widened in surprise to hear that. Spitfire then narrowed her eyes at Naruto. “Oh really? She’s here too?”
“Yup, she’s somewhere nearby right now, actually,” Naruto replied. “We got separated a few minutes ago, but she’s probably not far from here. We were actually looking for the Wonderbolts, but I had no idea she was talking about you guys.”
Fleetfoot looked around, before pacing towards Naruto and whispering into his ear. “I really don’t think you should get too close to her. It could be dangerous.”
“Huh?” Naruto tilted his head in confusion. “Dangerous? Why do you say that?”
“Naruto, you know who Princess Luna is, right?” Soarin’ asked in concern.
“Well, yeah,” Naruto replied. “She’s Princess Celestia’s sister, right?”
“We mean who she was until not too long ago,” Spitfire said angrily. “We’re talking about… Nightmare Moon!”
“Well, she’s not Nightmare Moon anymore, so what’s the problem?” Naruto asked.
“Do you know why the Wonderbolts were founded in the first place, Naruto?” Spitfire asked. Naruto shook his head to that.
“The Wonderbolts were founded in order to protect Princess Celestia, in case Nightmare Moon ever came back!” Fleetfoot explained.
“So why didn’t I see you when she came back two months ago?” Naruto asked, baffled.
“Princess Celestia actually told us to hold back and leave it to the Elements of Harmony,” Soarin’ explained. “If the Elements hadn’t worked, we would have been the ones to stop Nightmare Moon ourselves.”
“But she’s not Nightmare Moon anymore, so your job’s over, right?” Naruto smiled.
“If only it were that simple, Naruto…” Spitfire sighed. “It only means we need to be more vigilant than ever! There’s no telling when Princess Luna might transform back into a monster!”
“Princess Luna wouldn’t do that! She’s a good pers—pony!” Naruto retorted, his voice starting to rise.
“Did you honestly think she’s such a ‘good pony’ when she tried to fry you?!” Spitfire replied angrily. “We know about the battle you two had!”
“It wasn’t her fault! Stop treating her like she’s some kind of monster!” Naruto insisted, nearly shouting.
“LUNA IS A MONSTER!” Spitfire shouted back at him. Suddenly, all the voices, music and noises from the dance hall around them died down, and all eyes locked at Naruto and the Wonderbolts.
From the corner of his eye, Naruto could see a familiar, dark-colored Alicorn. She glared straight at Spitfire, her eyes wide as saucers.
“Wait!” Spitfire cried. “Princess, I—”
Before Spitfire could utter another word, Luna turned around and flew out the door, just above the heads of Princess Celestia and Twilight, who had just arrived.
“Naruto,” Spitfire said. “I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did!” Naruto snapped at her. “You all did!” he shouted, looking around at the other guests. “Do you think Luna didn’t notice?! Ever since the Gala started, you were all avoiding her! Not one of you made any attempt to talk to her at all! You all still think… You all think she’s—!” he struggled.
Naruto swallowed and looked down. “You all think she’s a monster. All because she made a single mistake a thousand years ago. All because she was Nightmare Moon!” he hollered.
“Auntie Luna was Nightmare Moon?!” Prince Blueblood was heard crying in the distance. Nearby him, several ponies, including Rarity, facehooved.
“Are you all perfect?!” Naruto shouted once more, looking around the many ponies. “Didn’t you ever make a mistake?! Didn’t you ever hurt a friend?!”
Many ponies looked down with looks of shame. Princess Celestia stared straight at Naruto in a studying gaze.
“I was once labeled a monster too…” Naruto said. “And that monster in me hurt a good friend of mine… Sakura-chan… But she was brave enough to look past it! She was brave enough to help me overcome it, and she kept calling me her ‘friend’! Why can’t you all do the same?!”
“Princess Luna was trying to move forward, she was trying to make a new start… And look what you all did!” Naruto screamed. “You pushed her aside instead of giving her another chance! You’re all too coward to be her friends!”
“Naruto…” Twilight muttered. Looking back and forth between him and Princess Celestia, as if pondering what to do, she turned back and ran outside.
“I may not be the smartest, kindest, or most generous pony out there…” Naruto continued as he scanned the crowd. “But I do know that everypony deserves a second chance! None of us are perfect! That’s why we need another chance to make up for our mistakes! Can’t you give Luna that second chance she deserves?!”
A long silence fell on the hall, and nopony dared raise his voice, until finally Spitfire took a step forth. She looked around at the ponies, and then fixated her gaze unto Naruto. “You’re right, Naruto. I was too focused on what happened, and what could happen, instead of focusing on the here and now. I never saw Princess Luna as a pony, but as a dangerous creature waiting to attack.”
Spitfire took a small pause, as she collected her thoughts. “But now I realize she’s much more than that! She governs the night, through which we peacefully sleep. She banishes our nightmares and replaces them with pleasant dreams. She’s Princess Celestia’s sister, and she’s a Princess of Equestria! And from now on…”
Spitfire raised her front right hoof. “‘I, Spitfire, hereby declare my loyalty to Equestria, its citizens, and its leaders, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! I swear to protect them all as I watch from above, and to dedicate my life to them from here forth!”
Nearly all the ponies in the area gasped. Rainbow’s jaw fell. Naruto was the only one who seemed rather confused.
Fleetfoot and Soarin’ glared at each other, a bit stunned, but then nodded to each other as they raised their front right hooves as well. “‘I, Fleetfoot/Soarin’, hereby declare my loyalty to Equestria, its citizens, and its leaders, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! I swear to protect them all as I watch from above, and to dedicate my life to them from here forth!”
Celestia smiled. “I think I like this new version of the Wonderbolts’ Oath, even if it is a bit improvised.”
“Now, if you’ll all excuse us,” Spitfire said as she unfolded her wings, along with Soarin’ and Fleetfoot. “We need to go apologize to our Princess.”
“There's no need for that,” a voice said.
Turning to the entrance, Naruto could see Twilight standing beside Princess Luna. Princess Celestia was standing a short distance behind them, smiling mysteriously.
“I thought Princess Luna would like to know what was happening here,” Twilight smiled. “So I went out to get her.”
“Princess…” Spitfire said as she and the other Wonderbolts trotted towards her. They all soon bowed down.
“I’m terribly sorry for my earlier outburst, Princess,” Spitfire said. “If you could ever—”
“Enough!” Luna called authoritatively. “Speak no more! Because…”
Naruto could have sworn he heard a collective gulp ringing throughout the hall at that moment.
“Because I would like to apologize as well,” Luna said.
“For what, Princess?” Soarin’ asked in surprise. “You didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Ever since my return I have avoided you, my ponies. I was too afraid of our encounter, and thus never dared talk to come forth to you.”
“But nopony would blame you for that, Princess!” Fleetfoot called. “After all, the reason for the founding of the Wonderbolts is—”
“I am fully aware of the reason,” Luna said. “And yet, it does not excuse my behavior. As one of your rulers, it is my obligation to care for you all, equally and unconditionally. Yet I let my fear of you take ahold of me, and cloud my judgment. For that, I give you my sincere apologies,” Luna said as she bowed down.
“I also offer my apologies to the rest of you, my ponies,” Luna said as she scanned the crowd. “I ignored my mistakes and carried on as if they never happened. I should have addressed them when I returned, and not have left you all in speculation. I will properly address the matter to all citizens soon, but for now…”
Luna took flight and rose up to the air. “I promise to you all I will never hurt anypony ever again! I will use all of my powers to protect you, my little ponies, now and forever more! All I ask for is…” she began, and descended down to the crowd, with every eye still following her every move.
“Please give me another chance. Could you do that much… for me?” Luna asked, closing her eyes.
A hoof met the floor. Then another. And another. Soon enough, a full concert of hooves hitting against the marble floor in applause was heard.
Luna looked around in shock, and tears began to escape her eyes as she was met not with fear and suspicion, but only with warm smiles. “Luna! Luna! Luna!” all the ponies called.
“Thank you for getting rid of my nightmare the other night!” a stallion called.
“And thank you for that wonderful dream of flying you gave me!” a mare added.
“From now on, Princess Luna, let’s never be afraid to face each other, alright?” Spitfire smiled. Soarin’ and Fleetfoot nodded in approval, smiling as well.
Luna’s eyes sparkled with tears of joy. “I… I don’t know what to say to you all… Thank you… Thank you for giving me another chance, everypony!”
The crowd all burst into cheers in response. Naruto grinned from ear to ear. Celestia smiled softly, closing her eyes peacefully. “From now on, I’m certain you’ll finally be able to move forward, my sister…”
“This calls for a super-happy song, right everypony?!” a familiar, bubbly voice called happily to the cheers of the crowd.
Turning his gaze to the stage, Naruto could see Pinkie standing beside the musicians. “Hit it!” the pink mare yelled as cheerful music began playing. All the ponies in the hall soon started dancing to it wildly, seemingly forgetting the Gala’s usual formality.
“Perhaps now we could share a dance, Naruto?” Luna asked with a hesitant smile.
“Well I—” Naruto began.
“Princess Luna!” a familiar voice called.
Luna turned around to see Applejack trotting towards her and Naruto, pushing a cart with a huge cake, taller than Luna. The Alicorn’s eyes grew three fold.
“I’ve gone and said something real mean to ya earlier, Princess. So to make up for it, I present to ya the Apple Family’s secret recipe grand apple cake!” Applejack exclaimed proudly.
“It looks marvelous! Even better than that elusive ‘pie’ of yours” Luna gasped. “I cannot wait to taste—”
“Let’s… PARTY!” Pinkie screamed. Without warning, she jumped off the stage. “STAGE DIVEEEEE!”
Instead of the crowd, however, the pink pony landed on the cake’s cart, knocking the cake up into the air. “NOOOOOO! MY CAKEEEEEE!” Luna cried, reaching her hoof up to it in a futile attempt to save it.
The cake arched through the air, where it headed straight for Rarity and Blueblood. The two Unicorns screamed in surprise, and Blueblood quickly hid behind Rarity, using her as a shield.
The music died down, as nearly all ponies turned their eyes to the cake-covered Unicorn. “Uh oh,” Naruto thought nervously.
Rarity literally fumed, her face turning red with fury as she turned to Blueblood. “You, sir, are the most uncharming prince I have ever met!” she shouted, backing him off against the door. “In fact, the only thing royal about you is that you’re a ROYAL PAIN!”
“Yeah! You get that spoiled, little…!” Luna cheered in a most unprincessy manner. Naruto stared at her for a moment, slightly shocked.
“Ew, stay back! I’ve just had myself groomed!” Blueblood cried, desperate to get as far away from Rarity as possible.
“Afraid to get DIRTY?!” Rarity screamed, and began shaking off the cake onto Blueblood. As a result, the Unicorn stumbled back and hit a large marble statue of an Alicorn, causing it to shake dangerously.
“Crap! I’ve gotta stop it before anypony gets hurt!” Naruto thought. He began running towards the statue, when he got bypassed by a rainbow-colored flash.
Naruto stopped in his tracks to see that Rainbow made it to the statue in the nick of time. “Yes!” she exclaimed triumphantly, balancing it on her back. “Now there’s no way the Wonderbolts won’t be imp— W-Woah!”
Overwhelmed by the statue’s weight, however, Rainbow began struggling for stability, moving around sideways like a crab to prevent it from falling.
Eventually, she got too close to one of the ornamental marble columns in the hall. The statue knocked it over, which then knocked over another, and another, and another and another.
Soon enough, when the resulting dust cleared, half of the dance floor was a wreck, covered with fragments and pieces of marble columns. All the ponies stared at Rainbow Dash, who was standing in the middle of the ruins fairly shocked and embarrassed. The statue on her back then broke as well, adding to the mess.
“Well, this was… interesting…” Naruto said, barely suppressing a smile. Luna just started laughing at the situation.
Suddenly, one of the doors to the garden slammed open. Through it many, many animals of all sorts ran or flew into the palace.
An ominous shadow of a pony stood outside the door, its breathing heavy. “Wait… Fluttershy?!” Naruto called in astonishment as he recognized the mare.
“You’re… going to… LOVE ME!!!” the Pegasus roared, and started giving chase after the fearful animals, which as a result jumped in fright on many of the guests.
“That is not what I had in mind when I told her to be persistent!” Luna exclaimed, as all around her the entire area descended into a chaos of panicked ponies and animals, stray feathers and fur.
Naruto sighed. “Oh well, maybe I should save the party,” he thought reluctantly, when he noticed that Celestia, standing beside Twilight at the hall’s entrance was whispering something to her pupil.
Twilight whistled, gaining her friends’ attention. She then motioned them to follow her outside.
“Works for me too!” Naruto grinned, when suddenly his front right leg was grabbed by somepony. “Luna?!” he asked in surprise. The Alicorn had a mischievous smile on her muzzle.
Before Naruto could say anything more, Luna’s horn lighted up, encasing the two of them in magical aura. The two ponies then vanished in a flash of purple light.
*****
Naruto and Luna reappeared at the large balcony outside Luna’s room. The two immediately looked down to see the girls running out of the castle. For some reason, Rarity seemingly went back for a second, before running outside again.
The two ponies stared at each other, and after mentally reviewing what just happened down there, burst into a laugh.
“That was quite entertaining, if I do say so myself,” Luna grinned.
“Yeah, that actually turned out pretty funny,” Naruto smiled back.
“Hmm? What’s up?” Naruto then asked when he saw Luna looking up the sky. He turned his gaze up as well, where he could see the magnificent, cloudless night sky stretching out in all directions.
“Do you like the night, Naruto?” Luna asked quietly as she looked at the white orb in the sky.
Naruto turned to look at it as well, scanning the night sky in all their twinkling beauty. “It’s alright, I guess.”
Luna arched a brow at the young orange stallion. “Oh! I mean, it’s really beautiful!” he exclaimed, scratching his head with his right forehoof.
To his surprise, Luna chuckled. “I thought that it is what you meant.”
The two spent a while more at the balcony in silence, gazing out at the sky, taking in the cool air and watching over Ponyville and the rest of Equestria down below.
“So tell me, Naruto,” the dark blue Alicorn finally said. “How was tonight?”
“Well, far better than I expected, really. I thought it was gonna be really formal and boring, but all that craziness earlier made it really funny,” he smiled.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it…” Luna said, but sounded a bit depressed.
“Yup!” Naruto replied. “You too, right?” he asked, again failing to pick up her tone.
Luna glared back at him, looking quite discontent. “What?” Naruto asked, baffled.
“Well, to be honest, what I truly wanted tonight was to have a dance with you,” Luna replied. “It is too bad we did not get the chance to do so.”
“Umm… I’m not a really good dancer, ya know…” Naruto replied awkwardly, thinking back to a certain experience he had with a huge snake.
“It is a slow dance, it shouldn’t be too difficult…” Luna pleaded.
“I really…” Naruto began, when he saw Luna was staring at him with puppy-eyes, sided with pouting of her lips. He let out a sigh. “Okay, fine…”
Luna immediately lighted up, as did her horn. A gramophone began playing a soft tune back in her room.
Luna took the lead, and grabbed Naruto’s front hooves. As Luna began taking slow, rhythmic paces, Naruto tried to match his own with hers.
Naruto took a brief moment to look at Luna. She was looking straight at him, a joyful expression on her muzzle. He then looked back down to resume his attempts of not tripping over his own hooves.
“You dance quite well, for your first time,” Luna chuckled.
“Oh, uh… thanks,” Naruto replied awkwardly, still gazing down at their hooves. “I don’t even know what I’m doing!”
The two continued dancing a while more in slow, rhythmical movements. Soon enough, it started feeling more natural to Naruto, and he could afford to look up at Luna, who was still retaining her peaceful, yet joyous smile. “Hey, this isn’t so bad…” Naruto figured with a nervous smile.
A few moments later, Luna’s horn lighted up in dark blue aura, which then encased the both of them, and slowly took them up into the air.
“H-Hey! What the—” Naruto began, when he looked up to see Luna had her eyes closed, smiling like she was dreaming a sweet dream. Luna’s dreamlike smile soon caused Naruto to relax as well. “Well… I guess it’s kinda like walking on water, somehow…”
Soon enough, Naruto didn’t even mind anymore that he and Luna continued dancing in the air, as if they were standing on an invisible floor. He looked upwards to see the pure white moon up above, and then all around, seeing stars twinkle everywhere. The world somehow seemed to be in complete peace.
“Thank you… for everything, Naruto…” Luna said quietly.
“You know what… Maybe tonight wasn’t so bad after all…” Naruto smiled, closing his eyes peacefully. “You’re welcome,” he replied quietly as the couple continued to dance the night away…
There is a certain place in the woods, where even the most powerful and curious of beasts do not dare approach. It is a large hole, around which only dead trees can be found. There is no wind, and not even the hooting of the owls can be heard from the surrounding forest.
Dark, purple energy covers the hole, radiating ominously, intending to keep what’s out outside, and what’s in inside. However, a green ray of light piercing through it from the bottom of the hole is slowly diminishing the purple barrier…
Deep inside, and directly beneath the hole, where no moonlight can penetrate, there is a black, round table. The small chamber in which stands the table is illuminated by only seven torches, burning in green, magical flames. Behind the table is a doorless entrance, and around the table are sitting seven dark figures on dark stone thrones. The green light threatening to break the seal above them originated from these dark figures.
Soon enough, the rays of light began shrinking, until all that remained of them were green auras surrounding the figures. It took a few more moments for the auras to vanish as well.
“Hatred Hex, we have managed to sufficiently weaken the seal, at least temporarily,” a female voice, belonging to one of the figures reported calmly.
“Good,” said the largest figure out of the seven, as he opened his purple, cat-like eyes.
“Fear, you know what to do,” he said in a frightening, echoing deep voice, his pupils moving to the right. “You’re the only one of us who can free him.”
“As you wish, Hatred,” the shadow to Hex’s right replied briefly, his voice sounding like a juvenile’s. He then transformed into a shapeless cloud, flew high up and vanished.
“Ah, this is the life…” Naruto said in satisfaction. “The stand is open, the chairs and tables are arranged, and the delicious smell of Ramen is in the air…”
It wasn’t even noon yet, but Naruto had already finished setting his Ramen stand up for yet another day of work. Since it was still early and nopony was expected to come and eat some freshly-made Ramen soon, Naruto had decided to treat himself to an early lunch. He prepared a large helping of Ramen and carried it over to one of the tables. With one of Momo’s apparatuses attached to his front right hoof, he was ready to dig in.
“Itadakimasu!” the orange Earth pony called and grabbed some noodles with the magical chopsticks. However, the noodles immediately slipped back into the bowl.
“Huh, that’s odd. I almost never drop them…” Naruto thought in surprise and tried again. When he tried to grab another mouthful, the noodles all practically squirmed out of the way of the chopsticks and avoided being caught.
“What the—!” Naruto exclaimed as he tried again multiple times more in a rapid pace, until he finally managed to grab some. “Gotcha!” he called triumphantly and brought the noodles to his mouth.
“Now down the hatch—YOUCH! HOT!” he cried in a mix of surprise and burning pain when the noodles suddenly flicked his cheek, causing him to drop them back into the bowl.
“That’s it! No more mister nice pony!” Naruto called and brought the entire bowl to his mouth.
“Hey! What gives?!” Naruto cried in protest when the noodles simply started crawling out of the bowl, fell onto the ground and then continued moving away like worms.
Naruto merely stared at the surreal scene for a few moments as his brain was deciding on an appropriate reaction. “Get back in my mouth!” Naruto finally shouted and got off his seat, giving chase after some of the noodles while still holding the chopsticks.
All of a sudden, the sun’s light was dimmed. Naruto looked up and was stunned to see the sun being blocked by a pink cloud, which soon started raining.
“Great, now my Ramen’s gonna get all muddy!” Naruto grumbled, when a drop of rain fell into his mouth, causing his eyes to widen.
“Chocolate milk?!” Naruto called, surprised over the sweet sensation spreading throughout his mouth. “What are the Pegasi thinking?!”
“Oh, right! My Ramen!” Naruto remembered and started looking for the noodles again, but couldn’t spot even one of them. “Dammit, my lunch crawled away!”
“Your lunch did what now?” a familiar voice asked. Turning back, Naruto could see Rarity trotting towards him. She was wearing a purple raincoat and a saddle with a beautiful purple jeweled umbrella, matching her mane.
“Oh, hey Rarity,” Naruto said. “Did you happen to see any runaway Ramen around here?”
“Runaway… Ramen?” Rarity repeated, quite baffled. “Come to think of it, I did see a few strange-colored worms digging into the ground earlier, but I was more disgusted than interested in them.”
“Oh, great,” Naruto sighed. “There goes my lunch.”
“You… weren’t planning on eating them, were you?” Rarity asked, arching a brow at him.
“Oh! Uh… Haha, of course not,” Naruto quickly said, scratching the back of his head. “Oh well, at least I can always fix myself another—” he then said, when he looked back to his stand.
Naruto’s jaw dropped to see all the noodles he worked hard to make crawling out of the pot in different direction. “Can’t a guy have some Ramen in peace?!” he yelled in frustration, shaking a hoof up at the pink cloud that was now raining chocolate milk specifically on him.
“Well, now that you’re not busy with your…. *ahem* …lunch, would you mind lending out a hoof?” Rarity asked with a smile.
With a disappointed sigh, Naruto turned back to look at the Unicorn. “Sure, what is it?”
*****
“And I thought I had a weird day…” Naruto half-smiled as he looked around Sweet Apple Acres. The entire ground was soaked with chocolate milk rain and covered in popcorn.
Applejack was standing shoulder-high inside a hill of popcorn, quite disgruntled, for obvious reasons. Not far from Naruto and Rarity, Pinkie Pie was stuffing herself with popcorn, while Rainbow Dash was in the apple tree above Applejack, keeping clear of both the popcorn and chocolate milk rain.
“Howdy, Applejack! Funny day we’re having, huh?” Naruto grinned as he paced towards her alongside Rarity. “I wonder how often it happens here in Equestria…”
“’Funny’ sure ain’t how I’d put it, partner,” Applejack frowned.
“Well, luckily for you,” Rarity said. “I’m here to see if there’s anything I could do to help. Without getting wet. Or dirty. Or out of my umbrella.”
Applejack arched a brow at her, but Naruto smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got the situation under control!” he exclaimed as he crossed his front hooves. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
“Yeah, let’s do it!” called one of the fifty or so clones that appeared around Naruto.
Every eye in the area widened as it fell on the new arrivals.
“What?” one of the clones squeaked. “Could you stop looking down on me?!”
“Awww! They’re so cute!” Pinkie cried, suddenly appearing beside Rarity. She ducked to examine the clones that stood only an inch tall each. “Can we keep them? Can we? Can we?”
“Wait, what?!” the clone cried. “How come you’re so bi— GAH! WE’RE TINY!” he screamed in a very high tone as he realized the situation.
“And our voices are weird!” another clone screamed in panic. A few others soon joined him into a chorus of squeaky screams.
“What the hay’s wrong with my jutsu?!” the original Naruto cried.
“Focus, everypony! We’re not gonna let a little problem like this stop us!” another clone called.
“Really? Little problem?” Applejack frowned. “Speaking from experience, that ain’t funny, Naruto.”
“Narutos, attack!” the clone roared.
Letting out battle cries, the clones charged with bravado at the popcorn his surrounding Applejack, each of them starting to nibble on a single piece.
“Yeah, go Narutos, go!” Pinkie cheered them on, before scooping a mouthful that put the clones’ hard work to shame.
“Yeah… That’s not helpful at all,” Rainbow deadpanned as she looked down at the tiny brigade.
“I don’t get it… Just what’s going on here?!” Naruto cried. As if on cue, all the Apples on the trees suddenly grew tenfold, and the trees’ trunks began bending under their weight, causing Rainbow to fly out of the tree she was hiding in, only to slam straight into a small pink cloud and get stuck in it.
“An earthquake!” one of the Naruto clones cried as the ground began shaking slightly.
“No! It’s a stampede!” another clone shouted, pointing to a herd of squirrels, bunnies, mice and raccoons which ran in their direction and began jumping on the trees, biting into the now humongous apples.
“No! My apples!” Applejack cried.
“No, no, no!” a familiar voice cried in the distance. “Stop this! Please!”
Everypony turned to look at Fluttershy, who landed on the ground, panting heavily. She looked around at the animals on the trees in panic.
“Fluttershy! Do something!” Applejack cried, looking in horror at all of the half-eaten apples on the treetops.
The yellow Pegasus looked up to the tree Rainbow was just in, spotting an all too familiar white bunny. “Angel! You have to stop—”
Suddenly, Angel’s short legs turned disproportionally long and deer-like, causing Fluttershy’s eyes to widen in horror. “No! It’s not possible! I must be seeing things!” she cried as more and more bunnies transformed in the same way, and began running around on their new, long legs.
“Well, I sure as heck know what to do with these here critters!” called a squeaky voice in a country accent. All eyes turned to a mini-Naruto, who was now purple in color, and riding one of the disfigured bunnies. “Narutos, away!” he called as he whipped the bunny with a cowboy hat he produced out of thin air. “Yee-ha!”
More and more clones turned purple and jumped on the disfigured bunnies, pulled out a cowboy hat matching Applejack’s out of nowhere, and began riding around on them.
“Okay, that’s it! I’ve had it!” Naruto said in annoyance as he crossed his forelegs. “Release!”
No clone seemed like it was gonna vanish in the near future, as they still rode around on the wild deer-legged bunnies.
“Well, then…” Naruto said, narrowing his eyes ominously. “It seems I have no other choice now…”
All eyes turned to Naruto expectantly, when the orange stallion simply turned around and began heading towards Pinkie Pie. “Hey, Pinkie! Leave me some popcorn, will ya?! My lunch crawled away and I’m starving!” he called as he dug into a pile of nearby popcorn.
“Aw, I hate it when that happens!” Pinkie called sympathetically.
“I’m not even gonna try to figure out what’s going on anymore. This whole world is just crazy sometimes,” Naruto thought as he filled his mouth with popcorn. “Wow, these are chewy!” he exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, everypony!” called Twilight’s voice. Naruto turned to look at her, his mouth filled with popcorn as she and Spike arrived at the scene. “I’ve learned a new spell that will fix everything!” she announced as she charged up her horn.
“Just like that? Sounds too easy to me,” Naruto thought skeptically as he chewed the popped kernels in his mouth. A ray of lavender light shot out of Twilight’s horn and soon exploded into a wave which passed through the entire area.
When the light faded, it became evident that… absolutely nothing had changed. From the pink sky, popcorn covered ground, huge fruits and crazy animals to the mini purple cowboy Naruto clones, it was obvious that… “My fail-safe spell… failed!” Twilight cried in disbelief. “What do we do?!”
“Uh… Give up?” Spike suggested. “At least Naruto’s clones seem to enjoy this,” he added as he looked at them.
“Yeah! Our freedom’s at hoof!” a mini-Naruto called. “And there ain’t no city-pony that can stop us now! Adios, amigos!” he called as he rode away, the other clones joining him.
Naruto noticed that Applejack was glaring at him quite angrily. “What?”
“Hey, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy!” Twilight called. “I need your help!”
Rainbow Dash shook herself free from the pink cloud clinging to her and Applejack burst out of the popcorn hill she was buried in. Fluttershy joined the two as they raced towards Twilight, and Naruto soon followed. “Need my help too, Twilight?” he offered.
“No thanks, Naruto,” Twilight replied without looking at him.
“Oh, alright,” Naruto said, somewhat disappointed.
“Rainbow, can you corral all those clouds in one corner of the sky?” Twilight asked as she pointed towards the pink clouds.
“I’m on it!” Rainbow replied with a salute and flew upwards.
Naruto and the others watched in awe as the Pegasus flew around from cloud to cloud, herding them into one place. She then spun around them as fast she could, forcing them together into a single huge pink ball.
“Applejack,” Twilight said. “I need you to bring those high-strung storm clouds down to Earth!”
“Gettin’ right to it!” Applejack replied, pulling out from under her hat her favorite lasso rope. Spinning it around, she then threw it up at the pink cloud ball in the sky, caught it and pulled it down to the ground.
“Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered. The yellow Pegasus flew down towards her, and leaned her ear towards Twilight as she whispered her something.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy called. “I hope none of the animals see these delicious chocolate-filled cotton candy clouds! I’d hate to have to share them!”
As Fluttershy said that, all the nearby animals turned their eyes to either her or the giant cloud ball, now tied to a nearby fence.
Pinkie was meanwhile treating herself to an extra-large helping of cotton candy cloud, and turned back towards Fluttershy with a chocolate milk covered smile. “You and me both, sister!”
Pinkie was immediately pushed off as all the nearby animals began digging into the giant cloud. “Hey!” she called in protest.
“And when y’all done with that, feel free to have some popcorn for dessert!” Applejack said with a smile, happy that the crisis was over.
“Don’t worry about Angel, Fluttershy,” Twilight smiled to her. “Once the cotton candy’s been taken care of, I’ll find a transformation spell and turn him and his friends back to normal.”
“That was incredible, Twilight!” Rarity said. “You did it!”
“Yeah, and you didn’t need me at all…” Naruto thought, disappointed.
“You see, Spike?” Twilight asked with a smile as she turned to him. “You should never give up! There’s nothing we can’t overcome if we all work together!”
Suddenly, Spike burped out of green flames a scroll, which landed on the ground. Twilight swiftly picked it up and removed the red ribbon and gold seal, with the others all grouping around her in curiosity.
Twilight gasped. “Come on, everypony! Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately!”
The group all exchanged baffled gazes before racing to the train station.
*****
“Is something wrong, Naruto?” Fluttershy asked.
Naruto was gazing out of the train’s window, silently watching the changing scenery of Equestria. He hadn’t uttered a word since he and the six mares boarded the express to Canterlot. Twilight had told Spike to wait for her in the library, since only the Element bearers were summoned.
“Naruto?” Fluttershy asked again, hovering just beside him.
“Gah! Fluttershy!” Naruto cried when he finally noticed the Pegasus, nearly falling from his seat
“S-sorry, Naruto” the yellow mare uttered. “You just seemed a bit sad, that’s all.”
“Yeah, usually you’re way more fun than this, Naruto!” Rainbow added as she joined in. “What’s up?”
“Say, are there ever any troubles in Equestria?” Naruto asked. “Besides the whole Nightmare Moon thing, everything here is always so peaceful.”
“What are you talking about?!” Rainbow frowned. “In just the three months you’ve been here we had to deal with a Dragon, an Ursa Minor, a Danciconda, Parasprites, Diamond Dogs…”
“That’s not really what I meant, Rainbow,” Naruto replied.
“Well, what did y’all mean then?” Applejack asked. Naruto’s eyes shot open to find out he was now surrounded by all of his friends, save for Twilight who was staring out the window further up ahead in the booth, a stern expression on her face.
“I meant any fights between ninjas—err, I mean ponies,” Naruto clarified.
“Well, me and Applejack had a little quarrel a while back,” Rarity said, smiling towards the cowmare.
“Sure had!” Applejack grinned.
“I meant real fights. Fights that cause people to harm each other,” Naruto explained.
“There’s no need to fight!” Pinkie exclaimed. “With one huge smile and maybe a good party, there’s no argument that can’t be settled!” she flashed a toothy grin at Naruto.
Naruto made a small smile to her before turning back to the window. “If everything’s here alright and I there’s no hatred to defeat… Then what am I needed here for…? The resolution I made after my battle with Pain… It’s useless in this world…”
“I’m okay now,” Naruto smiled at the group. “Thanks, everypony.”
*****
When the train made a stop at the station near the royal palace, Twilight was the first one to run outside. The others all immediately followed her, but soon came to a stop.
“Princess Luna!” the seven ponies exclaimed as their eyes fell upon the dark Alicorn.
The Princess of the Night was standing in the station, surrounded by many white or black guards. “Greetings, friends. We have been waiting for you,” she said formally. “Come now, there’s nary a moment to spare!”
Luna turned around and hurriedly paced towards the palace. The seven ponies all exchanged nervous looks and followed her.
“I wish we could have all met again under happier circumstances, but I fear that today is not the case,” Luna said sternly as she led the group through the palace’s many corridors and hallways.
“What happened, Princess Luna?!” Twilight exclaimed. “Is this about the weird weather?! And the animals’ weird behavior?! And why my and Naruto’s magic don’t work?!”
“Not magic, chakra,” Naruto reminded her again. “Yeah, and my Ramen crawled away. Got any idea why?” he asked.
“My sister and I will now explain everything,” Luna said as she opened another door.
Naruto’s eyes were immediately flashed by multiple colors, shining from many stained glass paintings which replaced every other window in the hallway in front of the group. Just a few meters ahead of the group stood Princess Celestia, who paced back and forth with a troubled expression.
Twilight immediately raced ahead of Luna and towards her teacher. “Princess Celestia! We came as fast as we could!”
Celestia finally ceased her nervous pacing and turned to Twilight with a faint smile. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you all for coming,” she said as she looked at the other six ponies accompanying Luna.
After surveying the seven ponies for a moment, she turned around. “Follow me.”
Luna joined up with her sisters, while the seven ponies all trotted behind the two regal sisters, looking around at the colorful windows. Naruto could clearly notice that a couple of them were decorated by the image of a creature he’d never seen before, nor could have ever imagined. No matter how much he’s try to make sense of it, it would just seem like an assortment of different creatures: Dragon’s leg, deer hoof, lion paw and eagle claw. A pair of nonmatching wings and nonmatching horns, a long reptile body and a goat-like face.
“I’ve called you here for a matter of great importance,” Celestia said. “It seems that an old foe of me and Luna, someone we thought we have defeated a long time ago, has returned. His name… is Discord,” she said as she looked at the strange creature’s drawing.
Fluttershy turned to look up at the strange creature, before squealing in fright and ducking behind the orange stallion, as if to hide herself from Discord’s gaze.
“Discord is the mischievous spirit of disharmony,” Luna said. “Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness.”
“Luna and I saw how miserable life was for Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns alike,” Celestia continued. “So after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone.”
“Discovering them?” the nine-tailed fox, who was listening closely, thought. “Something here smells fishy to me…”
“All right, Princesses!” Rainbow cheered.
“My sister and I thought the spell would keep him contained forever,” Luna said. “But unfortunately, it seemed to be imperfect, and was therefore broken.”
“Imperfect?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean by that?”
Celestia sighed. “It was the same reason for which I could not have saved my sister, Princess Luna, from the clutches of darkness.”
Twilight gasped in realization, and Naruto felt all eyes turning towards him. “What?” he asked, looking around, as he had not realized the same.
“Your Element, Naruto!” Twilight called. “The Element of Bravery!”
“That golden headband?!” Naruto asked in surprise. “For a while I completely forgot about it…”
“Precisely,” Luna nodded. “We’ve only managed to utilize the other six Elements in order to seal Discord away. Unfortunately, neither of us could use the Element of Bravery.”
“But now, with the seven of you, things will be different,” Celestia said.
“Whatever do you mean, Princess?” Rarity asked.
“This is Canterlot Tower, where the Elements of Harmony were kept since all of you recovered them,” Celestia answered. “I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord before he thrusts all of Equestria into eternal chaos!”
“Again… Those items with the Old Man’s chakra. Just how did those damn ponies get them?!” the nine-tailed fox thought in frustration. “Was he in this stupid pony world back then too?! I can’t remember anything…”
“But why us?” Twilight asked. “Why don’t you—”
“Hey, look!” Pinkie cried. “We’re famous!”
Everypony turned their eyes to Pinkie Pie, who was standing in front one of the stained glass windows in the hallway.
Naruto glared at the picture on it, surprised to see himself along with Twilight and the others. Alongside the six mares, he saw a ray of light shining from his pony self and hit Nightmare Moon.
“You seven showed the full potential of the Elements by harnessing the magic of your friendship to beat a mighty foe,” Celestia said. “Although Luna and I once wielded the Elements, it is you have managed to use their full prowess, and it is you who must seal Discord once and for all!”
Twilight seemed to ponder the matter for a moment, taking in the gravity of the task at hoof, before looking up at the white Alicorn with certainty. “Princess Celestia, you can count on—”
“Hold on a second!” Pinkie called, her eyes practically bulging out with excitement. “Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guy! Chocolate rain!”
“Don't listen to her, Princess,” Twilight quickly said, moving to her teacher’s side. “We'd be honored to use the Elements of Harmony again!”
“Wait a second!” now Naruto called. “We don’t have to seal him away! It’s not like he’s all crazy like Nightmare Moon was, right?” he asked.
Luna arched a brow at him at that. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack facehooved. Celestia merely watched him curiously.
“Err…” Naruto stuttered, scratching his head. “What I mean is… he can be reasoned with, right? I’m sure if we just speak to him he’ll—”
“Naruto,” Celestia cut him off, looking at him harshly. “While I appreciate your good will, unfortunately, Discord is not somepony who can be reasoned with. He wants nothing more than to bring ruin to Equestria. He is the very embodiment of chaos itself!” she said and continued pacing ahead, the others all following silently.
“I’m still going to try,” Naruto insisted. “And if he doesn’t listen to words…”
Naruto punched his right forehoof against his left. “Then I’ll just have to knock some sense into him!”
“Discord is also not somepony who can be defeated with mere force,” Luna said, her gaze still fixated to the front. “You’d be wise to remember that, Naruto.”
“Indeed,” Celestia concurred, as she came to a stop in front of a huge door, covered with many brilliant gems and images of the sun and a crescent moon. The others all stopped as well. “You seven are going to need one another in order to defeat him.”
“And you shall also require…” Luna began, as she and her elder sister put their horns into two holes in the door, in the middle of the celestial drawings. The two sisters fueled some of their magic into the door, causing it to light up in bluish aura, and then slowly open to the outside. Emanating a bluish glow, a familiar blue, jeweled chest stood on a purple pedestal bearing a drawing of a star, inside the small room behind the doors.
“These,” Celestia finished, floating the chest towards the seven bearers.
“You can keep the Elements. I’ll take that case!” Rarity called with sparkling eyes.
The fox’s eyes narrowed. “That box is…!”
“Have no fear, ponies,” Celestia smiled. “I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord… with these,” she said as she opened the box to reveal… it was empty.
Everypony gasped, eyes widened in astonishment and jaw-dropped, as the stunned Celestia dropped the chest onto the floor. The resulting echo lasted for a few more seconds, for some reason sounding far more ominous than it should have had.
“Oh, well,” Pinkie said, quickly recovering. “If anypony needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant swizzle straw!”
Rainbow shook her head as if to return to reality. “H-hey, wait! Pinkie Pie!” she cried as she flew after her, quickly dragging the protesting pink pony back.
“The Elements!” Twilight cried. “They’re gone!”
“How could this be?” Fluttershy muttered fearfully. “Did somepony steal them?”
“That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only Luna and I can break! This doesn’t make sense!” Celestia cried.
“Hahahahaha…” an ominous voice echoed in the hall. Naruto’s eyes darted across the hall, attempting to find its source as he reached for his bag.
“Make sense…? Oh, what fun is there in making sense…?” the voice asked.
“Show thyself, Discord!” Luna demanded, her horn charging up for a spell. The voice merely cackled back before answering.
“Did you miss me, Princesses?” the voice asked. “I missed you.”
Naruto’s eyes widened in astonishment as he saw a painted glass image of Discord moving its mouth in speech. The image then flew off, seemingly out of the window, but then appeared inside another one, one that showed the seven Elements bearers surrounding the Elements of Harmony.
“It's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone!” he called, tapping on the immobile image of Fluttershy as if to demonstrate his point.
“Enough!” Princess Celestia roared. “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?”
“Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while,” he said nonchalantly. Snapping his fingers, the image of the Elements disappeared from the stained glass.
“Give them back!” Naruto hollered, throwing a kunai at the window.
“What the—?!” Naruto cried as the kunai bounced back off the glass towards him, as if it were made of rubber. He jumped out of the kunai’s way just in time. Luna caught it with her magic before it could bounce at anypony else.
“I’d be careful with that thing. You could really poke somepony’s eye out,” Discord said as his eyes popped out of their sockets and fell onto the pedestal which previously held the Elements.
“You'll never get away with this, Discord!” Celestia called.
“Oh, I'd forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia,” Discord sighed as he shoved his eyes back into their places. “It's really quite boring.”
“Hey! Nopony insults the Princess!” Rainbow Dash called as she charged at Discord’s image, only for it to disappear as she hit the glass. She pushed herself away from it and shook her head.
“Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent,” Discord said as his image reappeared, this time as large as the window.
“That's right!” Rainbow called. “I'll ALWAYS be loyal to the Princesses!”
“We’ll see about that…” Discord replied as his image vanished.
“I can’t believe we’re wasting our time talking to a tacky window,” Rarity said, quite bored with the conversation.
“The beautiful Rarity, representing the Element of Generosity, if I'm not mistaken?” Discord said as he reappeared in another stained glass window of the symbol of the royal sisters, nearby the fashionista.
“So ya know who we are, big deal,” the unimpressed Applejack said, pacing towards him to get a closer look at him.
“Oh, I know much more than that, honest Applejack,” Discord said, his image once again increasing in size to cover most of the window.
“You seem to know our strengths too,” Twilight noted, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Yes, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord replied, flashing back into the glass with the Element bearers, appearing on Fluttershy’s head. “And yours is the most powerful and elusive element, Magic. Fluttershy's is Kindness and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favorite of mine — Laughter,” he snickered. Pinkie Pie burst in laughter.
“Pinkie!” Twilight growled.
“H-he’s standing on your head!” Pinkie laughed, pointing at the image of Discord which was dancing on top of Twilight’s image.
“Oh yeah?” Naruto smirked. “Well, I bet you don’t know anything about me!”
“And of course, who could forget Naruto Uzumaki, our favorite little ninja and wielder of the Element of Bravery? You were brought here straight from the Village Hidden in the Leaves by courtesy of our dear Princess Celestia,” Discord smirked at him, as he tapped on the forehead protector on Naruto’s image in the stained glass.
Naruto’s jaw dropped slightly at that. “H-how do you know all that?!”
“How could I afford not to know all that, especially considering you were brought here just to cover up for Princess Celestia’s blunders?”
“Silence, Discord!” Princess Luna shouted. “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!”
“Oh, you’re just as boring as your sister, Luna,” Discord sighed. “Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way: ‘To retrieve your missing Elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the Elements back where you began…’”
As Discord’s image returned to its rightful place, his malicious cackle slowly died down.
“C-can we go home now?” Fluttershy muttered.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Naruto assured her. “I know he probably has a reason for doing all this, but we’ll find a way to stop him!”
Fluttershy looked at Naruto in worry, before slightly nodding.
“What do ya reckon he meant?” Applejack asked, trotting towards Discord’s stained glass image. “Twists and turns and ending back where we started?”
“Twists and turns…” Twilight muttered, deep in thought. “Twists and turns…”
Naruto began thinking as well. “I think… I think…! I’m getting a headache. I’m not good at this kind of stuff…”
Twilight slowly marched to the window, as if to help her focus her thoughts, when she noticed something outside. “Twists and turns! That’s it!”
She pointed out to the large garden seen below the castle, and a large maze made of wall-shaped bushes. “I bet Discord hid the Elements in the palace labyrinth!”
Celestia nodded. “Good luck, my little ponies. The fate of Equestria is in your hooves,” she said, as the others nodded back.
“Thanks, Princess,” Twilight replied. “We won’t let you down!”
The seven ponies promptly turned around and ran through the hallway.
Soon enough, the seven ponies were on their way, and in a few minutes had made it to the labyrinth’s entrance.
“Wait, everypony!” Naruto called a short distance from the entrance. The others skidded to a stop and turned to look at him.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now,” Naruto said. “There’s no need for you to risk yourselves! Just let me handle Discord myself!”
“What are you talking about, Naruto?!” Rainbow scowled, marching up to him. “Didn’t you hear what the Princesses just told us?!”
“I’m with Rainbow on this one, Naruto,” Applejack nodded. “We can’t let ya go alone!”
“Not to underestimate your ninja abilities, Naruto,” Rarity said. “But we need to use the Elements of Harmony!”
“And to use the Elements, we must all be together!” Twilight nodded.
Naruto frowned. “Look, I don’t think we have to use them! Let me just talk some sense into that Discord guy!” he argued.
“Good luck making sense of the one who made these yummy clouds, Naruto!” Pinkie called. She stuck a giant straw into a small cotton candy cloud floating not far off the ground and began drinking the chocolate milk out of it.
“Umm… I don’t mind letting Naruto talk to him…” Fluttershy muttered, hiding behind Applejack.
“Are you just gonna ignore what the Princesses told us?!” Rainbow demanded, pressing her snout against Naruto’s. “What part of ‘embodiment of chaos’ didn’t you get?! We’ve got to beat Discord up and then stop him with the Elements of Harmony!”
“I don’t care what anypony says!” Naruto retorted. “I’m going to talk to him whether you want me to or not!”
Rainbow stared daggers into him. “You stubborn, little—!”
“QUIET!” Twilight yelled. Rainbow and Naruto broke their furious stare-off and turned to her.
“Twilight,” Rainbow said. “Would you talk some sense into him?!”
“I’ve thought about what you said, Naruto,” Twilight said. “And I think you’re crazy,” she deadpanned.
Naruto frowned at her. “See? What did I tell you?” Rainbow asked with a victorious smirk.
“But I also think that Naruto has a very good point,” Twilight continued.
“Really?!” everypony, included Naruto, exclaimed.
“As Naruto said at the Gala,” Twilight replied. “Everypony deserves a second chance. Even if that pony is a spirit of chaos that ruled the world and caused misery for everypony,” she deadpanned. “I think we should at least give him a chance to do the right thing before we use the Elements against him.”
The others all exchanged looks, before hesitantly nodding in agreement. Rainbow floated off the ground and crossed her forelegs with an angry huff.
Naruto grinned. “Thanks, Twilight! Just leave it to me!” he called as he raced forward. In a moment, however, he was lifted off the ground by a purple aura. Surprised, he turned back to see Twilight looking at him, her horn aglow.
“But I also think that we should get our Elements back first, just in case your plan won’t work,” Twilight said. “And most importantly…”
Twilight turned back with a smile to see the others trotting forward. Even Pinkie had given up on her sweet cloud and Fluttershy came out of hiding. Rainbow let out a sigh before descending to the ground and joining the others.
“We’ll all be going along with ya!” Applejack exclaimed, smiling.
Twilight put Naruto back on the ground and ceased her spell. “Just like what happened with Nightmare Moon; if we all work together, I’m sure everything will turn out just fine!” she smiled.
Naruto pondered this for a moment, before sighing in defeat. He smiled back to his friends. “Alright, let’s do this!” he called, thrusting his hoof up to the air.
“Yeah!” they called, throwing their hooves up as well.
“So what’s the plan?” Applejack asked.
“Well, if Discord hid the Elements in the maze, they’re probably at its center!” Twilight said. “So our next course of action should be heading over there.”
“That’s it?” Rainbow grinned. “Don’t bother! I’ll be there and back before you can say ‘future awesome Wonderbolt’!”
The Pegasus rocketed off and was just about to fly over the entrance, when suddenly her wings vanished in a flash of light. “What the—!” was all she could cry before falling out of the sky, screaming.
“Rainbow!” Naruto called and raced to save her. He managed to jump right to where she had landed and catch her in the nick of time, where his legs gave out and he fell on his belly.
“M-my wings!” Rainbow cried in disbelief, looking back at her now wingless back.
“Can you get off my back now?” Naruto groaned.
With three more flashes of light, Fluttershy’s wings and Rarity’s and Twilight’s horns had vanished as well, causing each to scream in fright.
“W-what the—?! My chakra!” the nine-tailed fox roared, looking around in panic. His eyes then widened in shock. “T-this power… This is…!”
Suddenly, a humongous flash of light materialized at the entrance of the maze, before out of it appeared Discord. Standing at over twice the height of the ponies, and looking just as insane as in the stained paintings, he began laughing madly, lightning rolling behind him for extra dramatic effect.
The seven ponies simply stared at Discord in astonishment, as if attempting to come to terms with his realness.
“You should see the looks on your faces! Priceless!” Discord laughed as he pointed at the ponies, his initially overwhelming image all but dissipating.
“So that’s… Discord,” Naruto thought, glaring at him grimly. “This world sure keeps a steady supply of weird creatures…”
“Give us our wings and horns back!” Twilight demanded.
“You’ll get them back in good time,” Discord said, before teleporting in a flash of light to Naruto’s side.
“You see, I’ve been listening to your little conversation for a while now,” Discord said, leaning against Naruto’s back.
“So you know what I just said, right?” Naruto asked, completely unnerved by Discord’s proximity. “We don’t have to fight each other! Just turn everything back to normal and we can all live together in peace!”
“Oh Naruto, you are far much funnier than those boring Princesses up there!” Discord said as a huge red arrow appeared at the sky, pointing towards the castle. “A true comedian, really!”
Discord snapped his fingers and a window appeared in front of Naruto, in which was an image of himself. ‘Let me just talk some sense into that Discord guy!’ the Naruto in the image said. ‘Let me just talk some sense into that Discord guy!’ the image repeated. And then again, and again and again.
“I… I literally laughed my tooth off when you said that!” Discord laughed, spinning around in the air as he held his knees. Suddenly, his large tooth fell down on the ground, sprouted little arms, legs and mouth, and began laughing as well in a squeaky voice.
After ceasing his mad laughter, Discord snapped his fingers again. The image vanished and his tooth reappeared back inside his mouth.
“Why, Naruto here was simply trying to be a gentlecolt and stop all this bad-mannered chaos in a civilized fashion!” Rarity reprimanded.
“Oh, I was so touched. I nearly cried,” Discord wiped off a tear. The tear then increased hundreds of times in size as it made its way down to earth. Applejack pulled the stunned Rarity out of its way just before she’d got soaked from hoof to head.
“Well, what the hay do you want from us?!” Rainbow shouted up at Discord. “Why did you take my wings?!”
“Why, I simply decided to take Naruto’s advice and reach out a hoof in peace,” Discord said. His deer leg popped out of its place and hopped towards Fluttershy. The wingless Pegasus screamed in fright and jumped on top of Rainbow Dash, putting herself out of the leg’s reach.
“How’s taking our wings and horns ‘reaching out a hoof in peace’? Twilight frowned.
“Oh, don’t be such a party-pooper, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said. “It’s all for the sake of a fun little game I had in mind! A simple game to decide the fate of Equestria!”
“Ooh! Ooh! What game?! Tell us the game! We want to play!” Pinkie called, hopping in place ecstatically.
“Glad you asked, my little pony!” Discord grinned as he floated upside-down beside the pink pony.
“All you have to do to win the game is to find the Elements of Harmony,” Discord said. “If you win, I’ll return Equestria back to its boring old self.”
“So what’s the catch?” Applejack asked, glaring at the Draconequus.
“Oh, there are no catches, Applejack,” Discord replied. With a flash of light, a pair of reading glasses materialized on Discord, and a heavy looking book, floating and open appeared before him. “Just a pair of simple little rules, see?” he asked, dropping the book down. Applejack jumped out of its way just in time. The ground slightly cracked underneath the book.
Applejack squinted at the book, trying to make sense of the words written in it. “The letters here are all mish-mashed! I can’t make a lick of it!”
“So let me explain to you in a way even you can understand,” Discord grinned mockingly. The book and glasses vanished in flashes of light. “The first rule is…” Discord said before teleporting away.
He reappeared next to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “No wings,” he said as he looked at them, before teleporting again.
“And no magic,” he continued as he appeared next to Twilight, stroking her from head to chin.
“The first rule?” Rainbow asked, worried.
Discord then teleported back to the maze’s entrance, behind Rainbow’s back, causing her to turn around in surprise. “The second rule is everypony has to play, or the game is over and I win!” he smirked.
“Good luck, everypony!” Discord called, laughing thunderously as he vanished in a flash of light.
Naruto smirked mischievously. “Looks like Discord forgot something!”
“He forgot his leg!” Pinkie exclaimed, poking the deer hoof which Discord forgot to reattach to himself. The hoof tried to kick her, and then jumped up and down in protest before vanishing in a flash of light.
“I can use my chakra to get us up on the walls,” Naruto suggested. “We’ll get the Elements from up there in no time!”
“Great idea, Naruto!” Applejack exclaimed.
“But I’m gonna need to take you up there, so first…” Naruto said as he crossed his forelegs. “Release!”
“Um, Naruto… What are you doing?” Twilight arched a brow at him. The orange stallion simply stood in place as if he was expecting something.
“Huh?” Naruto mumbled. He crossed his forelegs again. “Release!”
Naruto looked around at his orange appendages and yellow tail, starting to panic. “Release! Release! Release!”
“I… How?!” Naruto cried. “Now that I think about it… My chakra feels really… numb. Just what’s going on here?!”
“That clown has the ability to disable chakra. Don’t bother using any jutsus,” the nine-tailed fox said indifferently.
“Are you serious?!” Naruto replied. “Did he get you too?!”
“Hmph, mind your own business,” was all the fox said in response.
“Don’t tell us that Discord has somehow blocked your chakra too, Naruto!” Rarity cried.
Naruto slowly turned back to the group. “He… did,” he confirmed quietly. “Just how did he do that?! I get him blocking the Unicorn magic, but my chakra too?! Despite how he looks, that Discord is definitely one of the most dangerous guys I’ve ever faced…”
Twilight paced towards Naruto, placing a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Naruto. We’ll just have to follow Discord’s rules, and beat him at his own game!” she smiled confidently.
Naruto looked up at her, before his troubled expression turned into a grin. “Yeah, we will! Believe it!”
“Just like Twilight said!” Rainbow called. “There’s nothing we can’t overcome if we all stick together!”
The others all smiled, taking the encouraging words to heart, before trotting up to the maze’s entrance, full of confidence.
“All right, guys, let’s do this!” Twilight called.
“TOGETHER!” the seven ponies yelled at once, taking their first, brave step inside.
Suddenly, bush walls rose up behind and to the sides of each of the ponies, causing Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity to scream in surprise. The seven were effectively cut off from each other and trapped inside the maze.
“Twilight! Everypony!” Naruto yelled. He quickly produced a kunai from his bag and started cutting up one of the walls, holding the metallic object in his mouth. But just as quickly as the branches were cut, the wall grew back up to fill the dent.
“Dammit!” Naruto cried in frustration. “I can’t cut through these!”
“Don’t worry about it, Naruto!” Twilight called. “Let’s all hurry up to the middle and regroup there!”
The others all sounded their agreement, and with no time to spare, Naruto raced off.
*****
“Why do I have such a bad feeling about all this?!” Naruto wondered as he ran through the maze, taking occasional left and right turns. “Discord must be leading us into some kind of trap now, but what is?!”
“Dammit, I can’t believe I let the others come with me!” Naruto thought. “I should have seen this coming!”
As more and more time passed since the group had entered the labyrinth, Naruto was growing more and more worried. “I’ve been running for a while now, but I didn’t see anypony yet…” he thought. He kept running on and on, barely minding the maze itself, but instead looking around for any signs of life. “Argh! Why am I so worried?! They’ll all be just fine!” he hollered.
“But that Discord… There’s definitely something odd about him,” Naruto pondered. “Just how does he know so much about me? And why do I feel like he’s the most dangerous enemy I’ve ever faced?!”
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in Naruto’s face, blowing some leaves onto his eyes. “Argh! Get off me!” Naruto cried as he attempted to remove them.
As Naruto wiped the invasive leaves off his eyes, he could spot a shadow at the turn ahead of him. Naruto’s eyes widened in astonishment as he recognized it. “N-no way… Sasuke…?” he muttered. “It… It can’t be! Right?!”
A soft chuckle was heard from the shadow as it made a right turn. Naruto immediately raced after him, galloping faster than he had ever galloped. “Sasuke! Is that you?! Come back here!” he shouted desperately.
The mysterious shadow continued chuckling as he ran in speed matching Naruto’s. Another gust of wind soon blew into Naruto’s eyes, which were again assaulted by small leaves.
“Sasuke!!!” Naruto hollered as he tore the leaves off his eyes. Naruto looked around for his former teammate, but instead his eyes widened in astonishment when he saw the surrounding scenery.
Naruto had found himself standing on a large, open field. In the distance he could see many, many trees. A few dozen feet away from him, at the trees’ direction, were three identical wooden pillars, standing side by side. Some distance behind them, not far from the tree line, was a black stone, inscribed with various words.
Naruto slowly trotted forward and laid his hoof against the middle wooden pillar. “I know this place…” he muttered, looking around. “This is the third training ground… It’s where Kakashi-sensei gave me, Sakura-chan and Sasuke that test! It’s where Team 7 was born!” he called in astonishment.
“Hahahahaha… Like what I did with the place, Naruto?” an all too familiar voice echoed.
Naruto broke his gaze off the wooden pillar and looked around. “I know you’re here, Discord! Come out and face me!” the orange pony yelled.
“I’m right here,” Discord whispered. Naruto jerked his head to the right, finding Discord standing against the right wooden pillar. He was holding up a brown cloth, concealing his appearance ninja-style.
Naruto jumped backwards and looked straight up at Discord. “I want some explanations, Discord! Just how did you block my chakra?!”
“Really…? Didn’t you listen?” Discord sighed as he dropped the cloth, fully revealing himself.
Discord snapped his fingers, causing both him and Naruto to vanish, and then reappear just outside the maze, bluish and transparent. He and the jaw-dropped Naruto then witnessed a scene of the past:
“The first rule is…” Discord said before teleporting next to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “No wings,” he said as he looked at them, before teleporting again.
“And no magic,” he said as he appeared next to Twilight, stroking her from head to chin.
Discord snapped his fingers again, and he and Naruto reappeared back in the third training ground. Naruto shook his head off the shock of what just happened and turned to look at Discord. “You said ‘no wings and no magic’! You didn’t say anything about chakra!”
Discord face-pawed. “Do I honestly have to spell it out for you? I was sure you’d get it after spending such a long time here.”
“Get what?!” Naruto demanded.
“Get ready for it…” Discord said as a drum and a pair of drumsticks appeared floating in the air, and began to sound a drum roll. “The truth is… chakra… is… magic!” Discord called as a party popper sounded and flakes of confetti were thrown to the air. “Aren’t you just shocked?” Discord smirked at you.
“Uh… I’m over here,” Naruto said, watching Discord speaking in another direction. “Wait! What do you mean ‘chakra is magic’?!” he called. “Ninjas use chakra, not magic!”
“Oh, but chakra and magic are one and the same! There’s quite an interesting tale behind it!” Discord said as he poofed into existence a large blue sofa and sat on it, crossing his legs. Naruto watched closely as he waited for the answer.
“Oh, I’m not going to just tell you now!” Discord laughed. “That would be far too spoiling for the story!”
“F-fine! Whatever!” Naruto called, having no idea what Discord was going on about, and having a much more pressing issue to discuss with him. “Then how do you know all this?!” he asked, motioning at the field around them. “How do you know so much about me?!”
“Oh, a little birdy told me,” the Draconequus said nonchalantly from next to Naruto’s ear. Naruto quickly jerked his head to his left to see a canary version of Discord smirking at him.
“But enough about me,” Discord said as he turned with a bright flash back to his ‘normal’ form and stood next to Naruto, laying against his shoulder with his eagle claws. “Let’s talk a bit about you! Let’s talk about the legendary ninja, who’ve single-handedly saved his entire village just a few days before being brought here by good old Princess Celestia.”
“You already know enough! Why do you even care?!” Naruto scowled at him.
“Well, it’s just that I couldn’t help but notice you’re hiding a foxy little secret from everypony. Or should I say, a huge foxy secret,” Discord smirked deviously at him.
Naruto took a few steps back, stunned. “N-no way! He didn’t…!” he thought in horror. “H-how did you—?!”
“And so I was wondering,” Discord continued, keeping close to the orange Earth pony. “How did ‘The Hero of the Leaf’ fare before that little act of heroism?”
“I-I had friends long before that!” Naruto quickly proclaimed, somehow knowing exactly what direction Discord was going in, and he didn’t like that direction one bit. “I had Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura-chan, Hinata, Bushy Brows—”
“Of course you had some friends,” Discord said. “But how did everypony else see you? Maybe like… this?!”
Discord snapped his claws, causing a mob of people to appear around Naruto, their faces hidden in shadows. The people’s eyes were glowing red, filled with hatred and fear. Naruto looked around in horror to see that the scenery had changed into that of the Village Hidden in the Leaves’ main street.
“Monster!” a man’s voice yelled.
“Get lost!” a woman called.
“No…” Naruto muttered, looking around the shadowy figures. “No… Not this again!”
“Demon fox!” yet another men yelled. Soon enough, the shadows started throwing eggs and rocks at Naruto.
“NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Naruto hollered as he started running away. But no matter where he ran, he was still surrounded by the hostile shadows.
“Damn fox!” “Get out of our village!”
“STOP IT ALREADY! DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Naruto screamed, tears starting to fall from his eyes. After a few meters, he tripped and fell down to the ground.
Naruto blocked his ears with his forehooves and shut his eyes tight, trying in vain to block out the sounds and images that were now playing vividly in his mind. “I’ve proved myself already! They’ll never talk to me like that again!” he yelled, more to himself than to anypony else.
“But what about all the ponies here? Should they find out your little secret, it will be the same thing all over again,” Discord whispered into Naruto’s right ear. Naruto’s eyes widened in horror.
“You’ll have nowhere to go… And you’ll be completely and totally alone once again. Hated by everypony, with no friends anywhere,” the Draconequus said quietly, grinning diabolically. “That’s what really frightens you, isn’t it?”
Discord snapped his fingers once more, and the scenery changed into that of Ponyville. Naruto looked around, stunned to see that he was now surrounded by many ponies he knew, most of their faces hidden by shadows, their eyes glowing red, just like the humans. At the innermost circle, completely visible, were standing Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie. They were all staring at Naruto, fearful and furious.
“How could you lie to me, Naruto?! I trusted you!” Twilight called.
“You’re a monster!” Rainbow yelled.
“Don’t ya dare hurt my friends, ya darn demon! Ya hear me?!” Applejack shouted.
“You must be the vilest creature I’ve ever laid my eyes on!” Rarity called.
“You disgust me!” Fluttershy said.
“I can’t wait to throw a ‘good riddance’ party in your honor, Naruto!” Pinkie called.
Other ponies soon started throwing slurs and hateful words at Naruto as well, their eyes and voices radiating with hatred.
“NO! DON’T SAY THOSE THINGS! DON’T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT! I’M NOT A MONSTER!!!” Naruto screamed up to the sky, his voice shaken by the constant stream of tears flowing from his eyes. The ponies’ eyes started spiraling in a hypnotic whirl.
“Do you see now, Naruto?” Discord asked. “The only way you can keep on living here in Equestria is to hide your true identity. You have no other choice, my little ninja.”
Naruto’s eyes widened as he gazed at the ponies, completely frozen in place. His orange coat slowly started graying from his head downwards. “No… I can’t tell them… I mustn’t tell them… Nopony can ever know…” he muttered in a tranced voice. He then lowered his gaze to the ground, his expression filled with terror and his eyes lacking focus. His tears slowly came to a stop, until all that remained of them were wet streaks on his cheeks.
“Oh, and how do I adore that fancy little headband of yours! I think I’ll keep it as a souvenir!” Discord said cheerfully as he snapped his claws once more. Naruto’s protector flashed and vanished from his forehead, and then appeared on Discord’s. “I’m going to keep this look!” the Draconequus called joyfully before teleporting away. Ponyville’s scenery faded away, turning back into a plain space in the maze.
One of the room’s walls suddenly fell down, revealing Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie. “Naruto! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight called as she cantered towards him.
Naruto jumped up before turning to look at the five mares, a panicked expression on his face. Save for Twilight, all of the mares’ coats had shifted to gray. For some reason, Rarity was carrying a huge boulder on her back.
“Hey, what happened to your forehead protector?” Twilight asked, immediately noticing that it was missing.
“I-It’s nothing, Twilight! I’m not hiding anything! Honest!” the orange pony cried, taking a few steps back.
“Clearly he’s telling the truth, y’all!” Applejack proclaimed, then looked away.
“Alright then… But is everything okay?” Twilight inquired.
“Y-yes! Everything’s fine! Let’s go,” Naruto answered quickly and began trotting towards where the others had come from. Twilight looked at him worriedly, but soon followed after him.
“And what are you looking at, Narudolt?!” Fluttershy asked as she tripped Naruto with her back left hoof, causing the Earth pony to fall down.
“Gah! I’m sorry! I’m not hiding anything!” Naruto cried out, covering his face with his front legs. Applejack started laughing at him cruelly, and Rarity and Pinkie didn’t even spare him a look.
Fluttershy began trotting away, and Twilight helped Naruto get up. “I’m really sorry, Naruto. This maze must be getting to everypony,” the purple Unicorn said, looking at the others in a mixture of sadness and anger.
*****
A few minutes later, Naruto was now walking behind the group, specifically hiding behind Twilight. She was now carrying the huge boulder herself, since Rarity was too tired to continue doing so, and refused to go on without it.
Naruto cast nervous glances from side to side, as if expecting something to pop out at him.
“Boo!” Fluttershy called out behind him.
“Gah!” Naruto cried, jumped five feet off the ground and landed on the boulder, further weighing Twilight down. He was shaking uncontrollably and burying his face in his hooves.
“Get you mangy hooves off my gem!” Rarity yelled at Naruto. The orange pony jumped in fear again and fell on the ground, earning him mocking laughs from Applejack and Fluttershy.
“And just what is so funny?!” Pinkie demanded.
“Uhh… Apple pies,” Applejack responded quickly.
Twilight groaned, before trying her best to force a smile. “Must… find… Rainbow Dash,” she muttered as she struggled to pace onward. “As a team… we’re unstoppable. Rainbow Dash won’t let us down!”
“Well, lookie there,” Applejack said, looking up at the sky. “Rainbow Dash is flyin’ away. She’s abandonin’ us!”
“Now I know that’s a lie,” Twilight said as she dropped down the rock. The noise caused by the boulder’s impact caused Naruto jump up and land on Twilight’s back.
Ignoring her new rider, Twilight looked up at the sky, her eyes shooting open in disbelief when she saw Rainbow flying away. “How can it be?!” she cried.
Suddenly, dark clouds began rolling in from all directions, casting a dark shadow everywhere, as thunder and lightning began sounding from them.
“GAH! LIGHTNING!” Naruto cried, hiding his head underneath Twilight’s mane.
The walls of the maze then all came down, shaking the earth as they did. In a few moments, the six ponies were left in the middle of a large crater, surrounded by clouds of dust.
“Well, well, well,” Discord said as he floated towards the group out of the dust. “Somepony broke the ‘no wings, no magic’ rule!”
He snapped his eagle claws, causing Twilight’s and Rarity’s horns and Fluttershy’s wings to reappear.
“Game’s over, my little ponies! You didn’t find your precious Elements!” Discord called, smirking as he pressed his head against Twilight’s.
Discord materialized a pink umbrella in his hand. “Looks like we might be due for a big ol’ storm of CHAOS!” he said as he opened it with a ‘meow’ sound.
“AHAHAHAHAHA!” Discord began laughing madly as the dark clouds began to sound a powerful lightning storm.
“NO! LIGHTNING! STAY AWAY!” Naruto screamed, jumped off Twilight and started running off.
“No! Naruto, come back!” Twilight shouted in vain. The orange stallion had ran off as fast as his pony legs could carry him, while Discord’s boisterous laugh grew even louder in response.
Naruto ran away as fast as his hooves could carry him, not looking back even once. “Home… I want to go home! I want to go where nopony can ever find me! Where they can never find out!” he thought, his eyes shut tight in fear.
It wasn’t long after Naruto had abandoned his friends that he made it back to Ponyville. But when he had arrived, more than a few strange occurrences were taking place; the ground was now covered either in tiled or polka dotted floor, the creek turned to fruit punch and chocolate milk was raining here and there.
Many ponies were wandering outside, trying in vain to make sense of what was happening to their previously peaceful town, when Naruto came running through the street, taking the quickest way he knew to Carousel Boutique.
“Hey, Naruto!” a black Pegasus flew down at him, floating beside Naruto in a speed matching his gallop. “My house is literally upside down, and—”
“Gah! I don’t know anything!” Naruto cried, before speeding up even further and surpassing him.
Thunderlane scratched his head in confusion as he came to a stop and landed on the ground. “Huh, wonder what’s with him. And did he seem a little grayer than usual, or was it just me?”
*****
Trying to make his way to Carousel Boutique as fast as he could, Naruto had to avoid more than a few strange occurrences.
“Gah! Pies!” Naruto cried as pies suddenly appeared on the ground and rose up to the sky.
“Gah! Bison in tutus!” he then cried when a group of tutu-wearing bison danced across the street in the opposite direction.
“Gah! Mini-mes!” Naruto cried when he saw a group of mini purple cowboy clones riding on deer-bunnies across the street.
“Gah! Dark!” Naruto cried when day suddenly turned into night, and he found himself running half-blind in the dark street.
“Gah! Soap!” Naruto cried as the road was suddenly covered with a slippery, fragrant substance. Naruto lost his balance and slipped, sending him on a straight collision course with… “Gah! Library!” he cried as he crashed right through Twilight’s Library’s front door, and slammed head first into one of the bookshelves.
“Ow, ow, ow… My head…” Naruto groaned, rubbing his aching head.
“Look at yourself,” the nine-tailed fox spoke in Naruto’s mind. “You’re pathetic, letting that clown turn you into… this.”
“Don’t talk to me! You’re not real!” Naruto cried in response, covering his ears with his hooves and shutting his eyes as if it would help. “I’m not a monster!”
“If this wasn’t so sad, I’d laugh,” the fox said.
“Shut up! Don’t talk to me anymore!” Naruto yelled again.
“Whatever, you’re boring me anyway… Have fun being a pathetic little coward,” the fox replied.
Naruto hesitantly looked around, his eyes widening when he noticed the room’s other occupant — Spike. The baby dragon was sleeping on the ground holding a wet mop. Next to him was a bucket filled with water.
“Crap! I should hide somewhere he won’t find me…” Naruto thought as he looked around. A few moments later, Naruto spotted a bookshelf with a large enough gap for himself, and began tip-trotting towards it.
Just as Naruto passed by the sleeping spike, the baby dragon suddenly turned around, flinging the mop towards Naruto.
“GYAH!” Naruto cried, before quickly covering his muzzle with a hoof. He nervously looked back at Spike, who was thankfully still sleeping peacefully.
Naruto then climbed into the bookcase, hiding himself within its shadow. “If nopony finds me, they’ll never know the truth,” he said to himself. “They’ll never hate me, and I won’t ever be alone again…”
“Maybe I should just stay here… forever…” Naruto sighed, as a wave of dim light washed him from tail to head, turning him completely colorless.
*****
A while later, after the sun rose, sank and rose again, the library’s front door suddenly slammed open, causing a surprised and frightened Naruto to look from his hiding place at the new arrivals.
Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie all came inside one by one, their colors now completely gone as well.
“Oh no, I hope they don’t find me…” Naruto thought as he squeezed to the bookshelf’s back as much as he could.
Pinkie looked around, angry and uninterested in anything, Applejack simply let out a bored yawn, and Fluttershy looked straight at the sleeping Spike for a few moments, before a sly smirk crossed her face.
The gray Pegasus flew down and grabbed the bucket next to Spike, before flying back up and dumping half of its content on the little dragon. Spike woke up with a frightened gasp, soaked from head to tail. Naruto let out a surprised yelp as well, causing Applejack to look straight at him.
“Crap! She found me!” Naruto shuddered, but dared not move. Applejack, however, turned away after a few moments without saying a word.
Spike quickly shook himself dry and turned his gaze up to Fluttershy, who was still holding the half-full bucket. “What did you do that for, Fluttershy?!” he cried.
“Cause you just looked so peaceful,” Fluttershy smirked.
“I… Uh… Huh?” was all the confused dragon could reply to that, after squeezing the remaining water out of his tail.
Suddenly, the front door and the wall surrounding it shattered as Rarity’s huge rock burst through it. The mare galloped inside and stroked the rock lovingly. “Careful, Twilight! You’ll ruin its beautiful finish!” Rarity cried out at the single colorful mare in the area, who stood just outside the library.
“Oh, for the love of…” Twilight muttered in annoyance.
“Twilight, what’s going on?!” Spike asked as he ran up to the Unicorn’s side. “Why does everypony look so… gray?” he looked at the four mares, who returned gazes of varying degrees between indifferent and angry.
“Don’t ask,” Twilight frowned. “I need you to help me find something,” she said as she entered the library, Spike following her closely.
“If you’re looking for Naruto, I sure haven’t seen him hiding inside that bookshelf!” Applejack commented, pointing at the bookshelf Naruto was in.
“Phew, I was sure she’d seen me…” Naruto thought in relief.
“Great…” Twilight muttered, and began making her way to said bookshelf.
“Hey, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “What’s soaking wet and clueless?”
Twilight groaned as she was about to reach the bookcase. “Fluttershy, I’ve had just about enough—”
Twilight was cut off as Fluttershy emptied the remaining water in the bucket on her head. “Your face!” the Pegasus called, slamming the bucket on Twilight’s head.
“What’s happened to everypony?!” Spike cried.
“I guess you just bring out the worst in us, Spike,” Applejack commented as she trotted past him.
Twilight removed the bucket from her head and shook herself dry, before making her way to the bookshelves again. “No time to explain,” she said with a groan. “We’ve got to find the reference guide to the Elements of Harmony before somepony does something she’ll regret!” she hissed, looking back at the four gray mares in the room.
“The Elements of Harmony?” Spike asked. “Oh! I know exactly where that book is!” he called as he ran towards one of the bookshelves’ ladders, behind which was the bookshelf that Naruto was hiding in.
“Phew, they forgot about me…” Naruto thought in relief.
“And help me get Naruto out of that bookshelf while you’re at it!” Twilight added, causing Naruto’s eyes to widen in fright.
“N—no! You can’t make me!” Naruto cried as he squeezed back as much as he could.
“Get out of there, will you? It’s not like you at all, Naruto!” Spike pleaded as he began climbing the ladder, looking between the steps to see Naruto’s cowering silhouette between the books.
Twilight, however, took a more direct approach, and simply levitated Naruto outside with her magic. “Gah! No! Don’t look at me!” the orange pony cried as he hid his face with his hooves.
“Found it!” Spike announced as he waved the book, still on the ladder.
Suddenly, a scroll was tossed in Spike’s face, causing the surprised dragon to drop it straight into Fluttershy’s hooves, who was floating just next to him. “Ha!” she exclaimed triumphantly, smirking.
Twilight ceased her spell, dropping Naruto onto the ground, as she trotted towards Fluttershy with a furious expression. Naruto used the chance to squeeze back against the wall as much as he could.
“Fluttershy… You’d better give me that book!” Twilight demanded, stomping the ground.
“Keep away!” Fluttershy called in reply, tossing the book towards Applejack, who skillfully balanced it on her muzzle.
“Hey!” Twilight called as she ran up to her. “Applejack, give me that book!”
“I don’t have any book,” Applejack replied as she bounced the book towards Pinkie Pie.
The formerly pink pony caught it on her back and then bounced off towards Naruto. “Pinkie!” Twilight cried in protest, before racing off to Naruto.
“No! Stay way!” Naruto cried when he saw Twilight galloping towards him, and instinctively kicked with his back hooves the book up to the air. It soon landed back in Fluttershy’s hooves.
“Naruto!” Twilight shouted, before turning back to Fluttershy.
“Gah! I’m sorry!” Naruto cried, once again hiding his face with his hooves.
“You guys!” Twilight called as she began chasing after the book, which kept being thrown from one gray pony to another. “Stop it right now!”
Eventually, just as the book was about to reach Fluttershy, Spike tackled her. The book fell down onto the floor.
Twilight galloped towards it and was about to pick it up, when it was levitated by blue aura and flew off. “Mine!” cried Rarity as she galloped away with it.
“Hey!” Twilight called and started giving chase. “Do you even know what you just stole?!”
“No, but if you want it, I want it!” Rarity replied. Twilight tried to get the jump on her but missed, and instead face-planted into the floor.
“GIVE ME THAT BOOK!” Twilight screamed as she continued to give chase.
Rarity jumped on the small table at the middle of the library and kicked back a decorative statue that stood on it in an attempt to trip Twilight. The lavender Unicorn, however, skillfully jumped over it.
Twilight was just about to catch up to Rarity, when Fluttershy lifted her up to the air along with the book. The librarian was caught by surprised and failed to dodge Rarity’s boulder just in front of her, and now had her face planted on it.
“Where is she?!” the dazed Twilight demanded, as she shook off the stars she was seeing. “Where’s Rarity?!” she asked Applejack and Pinkie, who were standing behind her.
“Beats me,” Applejack replied indifferently.
“LIES!” Twilight screamed as she jumped at the two gray mares, starting a messy scuffle of kicks, punches and bites. Fluttershy smirked deviously as she dropped Rarity and the book into the mess, and then joined in herself.
“Those ponies… they’re all crazy!” the horrified Naruto thought as he watched the fight from a safe distance. “I’ve gotta get out of here!” he thought. Noticing the unguarded staircase to the upper floor, he began tip-trotting towards it.
Before long, Twilight jumped out of the scuffle with the book safely in her hooves.
“Get back! All of you!” Twilight shouted to her gray friends, who still had their sights on the book. “This is my book! And I’m going to READ IT!”
Spike stood guard between Twilight and the others, with a scroll as his trusty weapon. It didn’t make him look any more intimidating whatsoever.
Twilight used her magic to open the book, soon letting out a surprised, yet happy gasp. “The Elements! They were here all along!” she called as her eyes were met by the golden glow of the Elements of Harmony. The book was hollowed out to make room for the seven magic artifacts.
“This is great!” Spike called as ran towards the book and looked the Elements. “Now you guys can defeat Discord and put everything back to normal!”
“See girls? We did it!” Twilight called as she ran to her four friends. “We found the Elements of Harmony! Together!”
Rarity was polishing her rock, Applejack laid against the bust Rarity knocked over earlier and Fluttershy swung Pinkie’s mane from side to side in attempt to get an annoyed reaction from her, but the former party pony simply sat with her hooves crossed, a spiteful look on her face. None of the mares showed any reaction to what Twilight said, save for Applejack who let out a yawn.
“You don’t even care, do you?” Twilight deadpanned.
“Nope!” the four mares replied simultaneously.
“I never thought it would happen…” Twilight sighed. “My friends… have turned into complete JERKS!” she snapped.
“Necklace! Necklace! Necklace! Necklace!” Twilight yelled as she used her magic to attach the matching necklace to each of the four mares. “And… big crown thingy!” she placed the Element of Magic on her head.
“Come on, everypony! Let’s go!” Twilight called as she began trotting outside.
“But Twilight, aren’t you missing somepony?!” Spike asked as he joined up with her.
“Nope. We’ve got the liar, the grump, the hoarder and the brute,” Twilight replied, looking over Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy.
“Wait a second…” she remembered. “Where’s the coward?!” she demanded, looking around for any sign of Naruto.
“Sure haven’t seen him sneaking upstairs,” Applejack said.
Twilight groaned in annoyance, her horn lighting up.
“No! You can’t make me!” Naruto could be heard whining from upstairs. “I don’t wanna go!”
In a few moments, Naruto came floating downstairs, encased by a purple aura. He was running in mid-air, attempting in vain to run away again. Twilight then dropped him on the floor.
“Now put on that headband!” Twilight yelled as she tied the Element of Bravery around Naruto’s head with her magic.
“It’s the Old Man’s artifact!” the nine-tailed fox thought. “But… something feels wrong. Is the chakra blocked?”
“Twilight, we’re still missing Rainbow Dash!” Spike reminded her.
Twilight pondered for a second, before smiling. “Congratulations, Spike,” she said as she levitated the Element of Loyalty towards him, placing it around his neck. “You’re the new Rainbow Dash. Now let’s go!”
“Me?!” Spike cried, attempting to catch up with Twilight, who was racing to the now smashed front door. “B-b-but what if she finds out I've been impersonating her?” he shuddered. “That won't end well…”
“Too bad, you're Rainbow Dash,” Twilight replied as she continued pacing forward. “Now let's go defeat Discord so we don't ever have to talk to each other again!”
“Yeah! Woohoo!” cheered Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack as they galloped after her, trampling Spike in the process.
“And you too, Naruto!” Twilight yelled back at the gray stallion, who was busy trying to stuff himself back into the bookshelf. Twilight promptly levitated him outside, placing him beside Pinkie. The previously pink pony frowned at him when buried his head inside her tail.
“Look out! Here comes Tom!” Twilight yelled a few moments later. Suddenly, Rarity’s boulder burst through the window and fell down. Pinkie moved aside and Naruto jumped on her back in the nick of time. The formerly pink mare shot him another angry gaze before shaking him off her.
Not much later, Twilight, Rarity and Spike came outside as well and joined up with the others.
“Well, well, well…” a familiar voice spoke in an irreverent tone. “I see you found the Elements of Harmony! How terrifying!”
“Gah! Discord!” Naruto cried and dove behind Tom, before taking a peek at him. The spirit of chaos was levitating not far ahead of them, a mocking grin on his face.
“Discord!” Twilight called, taking a few steps forward. “I've figured out your lame riddle. You're in for it now!” Twilight threatened.
“I certainly am,” Discord conceded and landed on the tiled floor. “You've clearly out-dueled me, and now it's time to meet my fate,” he called dramatically, putting on a pair of fashionable red sunglasses.
“I'm prepared to be defeated now, ponies,” Discord said, a large bullseye appearing on his torso. “Fire when ready.”
“Formation! Now!” Twilight ordered. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack paced forth to form a half circle around Discord, although they rolled their eyes indifferently.
“Naruto! Rainbow Dash! Get over here!” Twilight called out in Tom’s direction.
A doubtful Spike peeked out from behind Tom, before running ahead to join the mares.
“Now!” Twilight yelled, upon seeing that Naruto didn’t join him. The stallion jumped in fright and slowly paced forth, keeping his eyes off Discord. He gulped very audibly on his way.
“Alright,” Twilight said as the group was united. “Let’s get this over with!”
The Element of Magic began glowing, causing magical breeze to whistle among the group. The ponies, all wearing indifferent expressions—or frightened, in Naruto’s case—began glowing in a magical aura and levitated upwards.
“Something’s not right… This isn't anywhere near what I felt the last time...” thought the nine-tailed fox, who had been keeping a close watch ever since Twilight found the Elements in the book.
Discord looked out of the sunglasses with a surprised look, as the light from the ponies grew brighter and brighter… before vanishing completely, the ponies falling down on the ground.
“What’s going on?” the baffled Twilight asked.
“Mine’s working,” Applejack said. “There must be something wrong with yours,” she pointed a blaming hoof at Twilight.
“I hate the Elements of Harmony!” Pinkie yelled.
Fluttershy tossed her Element aside. “Hmph, garbage.”
“Mine!” screamed Rarity, who quickly snatched Fluttershy’s Element.
“Well, glad we tried. Bye!” Naruto quickly called before speeding off. “I’ve got to get out of here, or Discord might tell them about me!”
Looking around for the nearest safe haven, Naruto remembered that he was right next to Twilight’s library, and immediately rushed back inside. “I really hope Twilight won’t be back until she takes care of Discord. Maybe then this nightmare will be over…”
*****
Sometime later...
“Ahahahaha! This is wonderful!” cheered Discord. He was sitting on a red throne balanced on the top of Ponyville square’s fountain, now remodeled as Discord wearing a crown and a cape, and was spewing orange juice from the staff, horns and mouth.
Discord snapped his fingers and a glass with wings appeared next to him. The cup flew down towards the staff and started to be filled with cola, instead of juice. The cup then flew back up towards Discord, who grabbed it and took a large, satisfying sip.
“Finally, after all these years, it’s about time I had some fun!” he exclaimed as he looked down at Ponyville, smirking to see the many ponies slipping down the soapy streets, caught up in cotton candy clowns or attempting to enter or leave their upside-down houses.
Discord snapped his fingers, causing a nearby tan-colored Earth pony to scream in surprise as she floated above the ground upside-down. A nearby mint-colored Unicorn simply stared at her, slack-jawed.
“Oh, this is just the best!” Discord cheered, before taking another sip of cola. “And this time around, those pesky Elements won’t be around to get in my way! Not to mention those idiots from—”
“Having fun, Dissssssscord?”
Discord performed a spit-take, spewing out milk everywhere, before turning around and looking up. Up there, was a large, pitch-black bat floating in the sky, its eyes locked on Discord.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Discord smirked. “Did you and the others have fun spending the last few hundred years down that hole?”
“Don’t think we don’t know how you’ve fared up until now,” an echoing voice replied from the bat’s direction. “If it weren’t for Fear freeing you, you’d still serve as an ornament in Celestia’s little garden.”
“Oh please,” Discord dismissed. “At least I had a charming view of Canterlot while I was a statue.”
“If you won’t end your foolery, I can ensure you that you will have a charming view of Tartarosssssss for the next millennium,” the bat hissed.
“Are you threatening me?! Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony?!” Discord demanded as he flew up towards the bat. “Don’t forget that you’re the ones who need me! If it weren’t for me, you all wouldn’t even have a chance of—”
“DISCORD!!!” another, much deeper voice roared from the bat. Discord’s eyes widened in horror as he began shrinking more and more, until he was even smaller than the bat.
“Oh, uh…” Discord muttered. “I didn’t know you were back. How was your… uh… vacation, Sir Hatred Hex?”
“Cut the crap, Discord!” the voice roared. “Your foalish little games had cost us our freedom a thousand years ago!”
“Well, in my defense,” Discord spoke, “none of us had anticipated that the Sage would—”
“If you hadn’t chosen to play games with those foalish Princesses, it wouldn’t have mattered what he’d done!”
“Y-yes, you’re right,” Discord muttered.
“Now get out there and destroy those damn Elements! And if you make even one more mistake, I will make you wish that you were never made!” Hatred threatened.
“R-right. Of course,” Discord replied, looking down. He slowly grew back to his normal size and descended down to the floor.
“And when you come across the heiress,” Hatred continued. Discord turned back to look at the bat.
“Get out! Get out of my house this instant!” yelled Rarity as she slammed Carousel Boutique’s front door open, pointing a hoof outside. She was glaring at Naruto with fury, her breathing heavy.
The orange pony stood a little ways from her, simply staring at her in utter astonishment. “H-huh? What’s with you all of a sudden, Rarity?”
“Don’t bother playing dumb with me!” Rarity shouted. “I know everything about you!”
“E-everything…?” Naruto replied fearfully, taking a few paces backwards.
“You’re a monster!” Rarity cried. “You’ve been harboring that vile… thing this whole time! How could you?!”
“No…” Naruto muttered, horrified. “Wait, I can explain! Please, just give me a chance to—”
“I want nothing to do with you, you demon!” Rarity yelled.
“No, wait!” Naruto cried. The scenery of Carousel Boutique began stretching away from him, causing him to be relocated outside.
Naruto soon found himself outside of Carousel Boutique, and looked around in shock to find himself surrounded by the ponies of Ponyville.
“How could you lie to us, Naruto?!” Twilight demanded. “I thought you were our friend!”
“You’re a traitor!” Rainbow Dash called.
“You’re a liar!” Applejack yelled.
“You’re a monster!” Fluttershy cried.
“You’re the worst partier ever!” Pinkie frowned.
“Naruto, you are hereby officially kicked out of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Apple Bloom called. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who stood next to her, nodded their heads with a grave expression.
“Nopony will ever want to eat your Ramen now,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “You should really just leave Ponyville.”
“Naruto Uzumaki, you are a threat to all of Equestria,” spoke a formal-sounding voice.
Naruto turned around to find Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing behind him. Luna was looking down at the ground woefully, while Celestia looked straight at Naruto.
“I should have never brought a monster like you here. Leave Equestria immediately, and never come back!” she ordered.
“Leave, monster, leave! Leave, monster, leave! LEAVE, MONSTER, LEAVE!” all the ponies began chanting.
“Why…?” Naruto muttered. He shut his eyes tight in a vain attempt to hold off the tears threatening to rupture out. “Why do I have to go through this nightmare again?!” he screamed.
“Leave! Leave! Leave! LEAVE!”
Naruto began galloping away, his eyes shut tight. “Why…? WHY?!” he cried out to the heavens.
“Ahahaha…. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Discord’s boisterous laughter began echoing in Naruto’s mind. “I told you that you’ll end up alone, Naruto…”
*****
Up in Twilight’s bedroom, Naruto was sitting down on the floor, his back against one of the bookcases. His head hung low, buried between his legs.
“I’m not a monster… I’m not a demon… Please believe me…” he muttered quietly to himself, as nopony else was in the room. “I don’t want to be alone…”
“Is… Is somepony there?” a voice asked from beyond the room’s entrance door. Naruto didn’t reply.
“Hello? Anypony?” the voice repeated. The door then slowly opened, revealing Spike.
“Huh? Naruto? What are you doing here?” he asked in surprise as he spotted the orange pony. “I thought you ran off like the others!”
“I’m not evil… I don’t want to hurt anypony…” Naruto continued, as if not even noticing that Spike was there.
“Naruto, what are you talking about?!” Spike said. “You’ve never hurt anypony!”
“Please… Please believe me…” Naruto continued speaking to himself, completely ignoring Spike.
The little Dragon ran over to Naruto and tried to move him to get a better look at him, but the orange stallion was completely frozen in place, locked within his mind.
“Please, Naruto! You can’t give up! You can’t let Discord win!” Spike cried, but Naruto still did not respond.
“Oh, what should I do? What should I do?!” Spike cried, shaking his head with his claws. “Can anypony help Naruto?! There has to be somepony who can cheer him up! Maybe somepony Naruto has spent a lot of time with…”
“Ah! I know!” the little Dragon exclaimed a few moments later. “Wait here, Naruto! I’ll be back with help as soon as I can!” he said as he ran outside as quickly as he could.
*****
“How’s your essay goin'?” Apple Bloom asked in a tone that clearly suggested she didn’t really care, and was just trying to break the hour-long silence that hung in the Cutie Mark Crusader’s treehouse.
“Fine,” Scootaloo replied simply in a venomous tone. She looked down at the nearly blank page that lay in front of her. The word ‘The’ was the only thing she wrote on it.
“Yeah! I’m doing great!” Sweetie Belle called, as she looked at her likewise blank page. “And none of you can copy it!”
“My essay’s doing so great, you two oughtta copy it from me!” Apple Bloom retorted. Her page only had a doodle of two fillies on it, with the word ‘MEANIES’ written above them.
“Maybe we should have,” Scootaloo said, sending her an angry gaze. “Since it’s your fault that we’re stuck here writing it!”
“My fault?!” Apple Bloom demanded, as she finally took her eyes off the page. “How in the hay is it my fault?!”
“Maybe because you’re the one who started arguing about everything about that stupid statue!” Sweetie Belle called.
“You’re not any better than her, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo called. “You’re the one who started correctizing my words!”
“Actually, the word is ‘correcting’, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said.
“That’s it! I’ve had it!” Scootaloo yelled as she jumped up on her hooves. “The biggest discord here isn’t the one who turned Ponyville and our clubhouse upside down!” she motioned at the treehouse.
The ceiling and floor were now two of the walls, and the door was at the bottom. Most of the crusader’s drawings and charts turned into pictures of Discord and other surrealist pictures like long-legged ponies and melting clocks.
“The biggest discord around here is you two!” Scootaloo yelled.
“Well, I couldn’t agree more!” Sweetie Belle retorted.
“I’m so agreein’, that’s what my essay’s about!” Apple Bloom called as she showed them her ‘essay’.
“I wish I never joined this stupid club in the first place!” Scootaloo called.
“And I wish I never met either you!” Sweetie Belle added.
“Fine! Then maybe you two should just LEAVE!” Apple Bloom screamed, so angry that her face started to go as red as her mane.
“Fine!” Scootaloo yelled.
“Fine!” Sweetie Belle repeated.
With a huff and an angry expression, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle trotted towards the door. Sweetie Belle turned the knob, causing the door to open downwards.
“YOUCH!” a voice shouted below them.
“Huh? What in the hay was that?” Apple Bloom asked.
The three fillies looked down through the doorway. “Spike?!” the trio called in surprise, seeing the small purple dragon rubbing his head. He was just below the door, climbing up the staircase to the clubhouse.
“Crusaders! I need your help!” Spike cried as he looked up at them. “It’s an emergency!”
“Sorry, Spike,” Apple Bloom said. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders are now officially disbanded. Can you go and tell President Naruto, Spike?”
“That’s why I came to get you, guys!” Spike called. “It’s Naruto! He’s in big trouble, and he needs your help!”
The three fillies’ eyes widened in surprise, and they turned to look at each other.
A knock sounded once more at the door to Twilight’ and Spike’s bedroom. When it wasn’t met by and answer, the door was opened.
Through the door peeked Spike’s head. He looked around, and quickly found Naruto sitting in the exact same place as he was before. Motioning those behind him to follow, Spike walked into the room, followed by Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The latter two were each carrying a certain item on their backs — a large piece of paper and red cloth.
“Sorry I took so long, Naruto,” Spike said to him. “I’ve had to get some help, and then we had to go get a few things from Carousel Boutique!” he said before turning to the fillies. “Can you do something about this?!”
“He really is all gray!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Just like Rarity was!”
“Naruto, are you alright?” Apple Bloom asked, pacing towards him. “Please, say somethin’!”
“I’m not hiding secrets… Please, believe me…” Naruto only muttered in response.
“This is as bad as Spike said it was!” Scootaloo cried. “It’s just like what Discord did to your sisters and the others, isn’t it?!”
“Well, luckily, we’ve brought our secret weapons!” Apple Bloom grinned. Scootaloo laid down on the floor the large paper she carried, while Sweetie Belle laid down the red folded fabric.
“Naruto, you’ve got to look at these!” Sweetie Belle called and began pulling Naruto’s hoof away in an attempt to get him to look at the items.
“Hey, help me out here!” the filly called. The other three pitched in, but even their combined strength wasn’t enough to break Naruto’s ‘shell’.
“Oh, this is hopeless!” Apple Bloom cried. “What good are our ‘secret weapons’ if Naruto won’t even look them?!”
Suddenly, with a loud burp, a green flame burst out of Spike’s mouth. Out of the flame materialized a scroll, tied and sealed with a golden ‘C’.
“Who’s that letter from, Spike?” Scootaloo asked.
“Probably from Princess Celestia. But what could it be at this time?” Spike replied as he picked the letter up.
“Oh! Maybe she came up with something to help everypony!” the purple Dragon exclaimed and quickly unfolded the scroll. Upon reading it, Spike’s eyes immediately widened. “Hey! I remember this letter!” he called. “This is a letter Naruto and Twilight sent a while back to the Princess!”
“Why did Princess Celestia…?” Spike wondered. “Wait! Of course!” he called and turned to Naruto. “Naruto, you’ve got to read this!” he called, waving the scroll in front of him.
The orange stallion didn’t reply, and merely continued to mumble to himself. “Please! Just read it!” Spike pleaded.
“Alright, I’ll read it for you,” Spike finally said upon getting no reaction.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today, my friends and I learned two important lessons: First of all, never judge a book by its cover. Somepony may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is. It's the "contents" of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever. Second of all, we learned that painting over your real “cover” with a nicer one will never bring any good. It can only serve to lie and confuse your friends, and could bring about much trouble. As I wrote before, it is only your “content” that counts for real friends. And you should not be afraid to be honest with them. That’s because at the end of the road, real friends will always appreciate who you truly are on the inside.
Your Faithful Students, Twilight Sparkle and Naruto Uzumaki
As Spike read through the letter, Naruto slowly began lifting his head. “It’s the ‘content’… not the ‘cover’…?” he muttered. “Real friends will always… appreciate who you are… on the inside…?”
“I ain’t got a clue what kind of secret you’ve been mumblin’ about, Naruto,” Apple Bloom said. “But you’ll always be one of us, no matter what!”
Scootaloo then moved the paper she brought with her towards Naruto. It was the drawing the three fillies had all made for Naruto when he had gotten his cutie mark, which showed all four of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, smiling together.
“Don’t you remember this drawing?” Scootaloo asked. “We made it for you back when you got your cutie mark! We made it because we’re your friends!”
Naruto raised his head just barely enough to look at the drawing, his eyes widening. “I remember this… The Crusaders gave it to me at my cute-ceañera… Everypony was there… The whole town…”
“Our Cutie Mark Crusaders cape too!” Sweetie Belle added, showing him the cape she brought from Naruto’s room back in her home.
“The Crusaders made me this when they made me their leader… Back when I felt like I found my place here… When I finally felt like I really belonged here…”
“We made you our leader, Naruto!” Apple Bloom called. “We did it because we believe in you, no matter what! It doesn’t matter if you’re holdin’ some kind of big secret! You’re one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and you better believe it!”
Tears began welling up in Naruto’s eyes. His cutie mark began glowing brightly, and so did the tip of his tail. “You… believe in me?”
“Not only that, you brought Ramen to Ponyville, and even fulfilled my dream of working with you in the stand!” Spike called. “You’re really cool, and one of my best friends! No matter what you do, or who you really are, I’ll never stop being your friend!”
“Your… friend?” Naruto muttered, tears starting to drip down his cheeks. The glow at the tip of his tail became a ring of light, which then slowly traveled up his tail and restored the yellow color to it, before it reached his coat and began repainting it orange.
“Friends…” Naruto thought, the images of six certain mares appearing in his mind.
“You’ll always have us to count on!” Applejack said.
“Whenever you need us, Naruto, we’ll be there for you,” Fluttershy said softly.
“We’ll have tons of fun together!” Pinkie grinned.
“You will always have a place with us, Naruto,” Rarity smiled.
“We’ll always stick by your side, no matter what!” Rainbow said.
“After all, we’re all friends, aren’t we?” asked Twilight with a reassuring smile.
“That’s right… I’m not alone anymore…” Naruto thought, as his tears continued dripping down. “I’m surrounded by friends who’ll never abandon me!”
“Please come back, Naruto!” Apple Bloom called.
“The fate of Equestria depends on you!” Scootaloo said.
“So stand up! We know you can do this!” Sweetie Belle added.
“WE BELIEVE IN YOU, NARUTO!” the three fillies and Dragon yelled, putting their hooves and claw together.
Naruto slowly placed his hoof on top of theirs. “Yeah… sorry for being so stupid,” he said quietly, wiping his tears with his other hoof. “How could I be so afraid of telling my friends the truth…? From now on …”
“I’ve made up my mind! I’m done hiding behind dumb lies! Believe it!” Naruto exclaimed as his coat was fully recolored. His cutie mark stopped glowing.
“I should have believed in you all from the beginning. When this is over… I’m going to tell everypony the truth. All of it…” he decided in his heart.
“Naruto! You’re not seriously planning to…!” the nine-tailed fox said, shocked.
“Thanks, everypony. I’m going to finish this. Right here, right now!” Naruto called as they all raised their hooves/claws to the air with a cheer.
Naruto stood up, the spark in his eyes showing his determination. “Stay out of trouble. I’ll be back soon!” he exclaimed before galloping out of the room.
“Good luck, Naruto!” the Cutie Mark Crusaders called.
“Yeah!” Spike shouted. “Go kick that Discord’s bu—” he began saying, when he suddenly barfed out another scroll.
A few moments later, as Naruto made it to the front door of the library, he met with none other than the librarian herself. Twilight had lost all of her color now too, and looked utterly depressed, her head hanging low.
“Naruto…? What are you doing here…?” Twilight asked quietly, looking at him. Naruto trotted past her, taking a couple of steps into the outdoors.
“Sorry for being such a coward earlier, Twilight. But I’m going to make up for it by fixing everything,” he said, before pointing at the Element of Bravery tied to his forehead with his foreleg. “I swear on this protector you gave me — I’ll make everything right again!”
“Naruto…” Twilight muttered quietly, watching the orange stallion as he galloped away.
*****
Naruto stopped at the middle of the chocolate milk covered soapy street, looking around the upside-down, floating houses and trees. “Discord! Come out and face me!” he hollered up at the cloudy sky.
“Well, well, well… if it isn’t my favorite little ninja?” an all too familiar voice echoed. “Don’t you need to run with your tail between your legs?!”
Naruto could feel his tail had disappeared when Discord said that, but he paid no heed to it. “I’m not scared of you anymore, Discord! Come out so I can see you!”
A flash of light appeared in front of Naruto, revealing the Spirit of Chaos, who was wearing Naruto’s forehead protector and a butler’s suit. “You rang?”
“I’ll give you one last warning, Discord!” Naruto called. “Stop what you’re doing and turn everything back to normal!”
“Stop it?!” Discord asked, his suit disappearing in a flash of light. “But I’ve barely just begun! Where’s the fun in stopping now?! Here, have a pie and enjoy the chaos!”
A pie fell down from the sky. Naruto quickly jumped up, flipped and kicked it away. It exploded in the distance. “I’m done playing games with you!”
“A game, huh?” Discord repeated, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “Maybe I should have one last game before they end Equestria… And maybe… Just maybe…”
A devious grin snuck its way into Discord’s face. “Very well, Naruto. We’ll decide the fate of Equestria with a fun little game! If you win, I’ll surrender and you can have your stupid, normal Equestria back! And if I win… it’s game over! For you, and for everypony else!”
“That bastard can take my chakra away any time he wants… I guess I have no choice but to play along with his rules. At least for now…” Naruto figured. “Alright, Discord! You’re on!” he replied.
“Great! I just love good sportsponyship!” Discord exclaimed and snapped his fingers. A flash of light surrounded him and Naruto, and the two vanished.
*****
Naruto opened his eyes to find himself standing on a large, rectangular field of grass. A large board with Naruto’s and Discord’s names appeared at the field’s side, the number ‘0’ below each name.
“Phew, at least my tail’s back,” Naruto thought in relief as he looked backwards. Instinctively, he then turned his gaze up.
“WHAT THE HAY?!” Naruto cried, looking up to see an upside-down Ponyville in the sky above.
“What? Don’t you like having a change in perspective once in a while?” Discord grinned. He was doing a headstand nearby Naruto.
When Naruto took another look around, he realized that the two of them were standing in a stadium, on the bottom side of a cloud floating above Ponyville.
“This is how it’s going to work,” Discord began as he flashed back into an upright position. “The pony who ends up with the highest score wins!”
“And as for the rules…” Discord said. Naruto glared at him, listening closely. “There aren’t any!” the Draconequus cheered, a barrage of olives ceremoniously popping into the air behind him.
“Did you really expect anything else?” Discord asked you, arching a brow.
“Uh… Who are you talking to?” Naruto asked, glaring at Discord in confusion.
“Let the games… begin!” Discord roared. Hundreds upon hundreds of clones of Discord began popping into existence and filling up the aisles, cheering and whistling. Many of them were holding huge signs such as ‘Discord roolz, Naruto droolz’, ‘Discord for Diarchy’ and ‘Marry Me, Discord’.
“I’ll take you out with one move!” Naruto called, crossing his forelegs. His Element began glowing. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
As the clone materialized, the Element’s light faded. Naruto looked at the clone beside him and smiled. “Great, my clones are normal again!”
Naruto started channeling chakra onto the clone’s front right hoof.
Discord grinned calmly as the clone charged towards him, galloping on three hooves. On the fourth was floating a blue glowing sphere.
“Rasengan!” Naruto roared, jumping up in order to slam the glowing ball straight into Discord.
Mere moments before the impact, Discord snapped his fingers, causing him to reappear wearing a baseball player’s outfit and holding a baseball bat.
Both Narutos’ eyes widened in surprise as Discord raised the bat high and knocked the Rasengan far into the sky, where it hit Ponyville’s main square. It exploded into a wave of paint, dyeing everything orange in a five meter radius.
“Strike one!” Discord called, batting the stunned clone and dispelling him. The crowd of Discords burst in loud cheers as the number below Discord’s name on the scoreboard changed from ‘0’ to ‘1’.
A quintet of Discord cheerleaders wearing heavy make-up, extremely short tutu dresses and pompons appeared below the scoreboard.
“Go Discord, go Discord, go Discord!” the cheerleaders called to the cheers of the many Discord spectators.
Naruto bit his lip in frustration. “I didn’t think it would be that easy, but I couldn’t see a single opening…” he thought. “Just how can I beat him?! Does he have any weakness?!”
“My turn!” Discord called. “Our next game is…” he began, before a large, metallic ball appeared in his eagle claws. “Dodgeball!” he called, tossing the ball at Naruto.
Naruto grinned and simply jumped to the right, easily dodging the ball. “Ha! You’ll have to do a lot better than—”
Discord vanished and then reappeared just behind Naruto, holding the ball.
Naruto looked back, stunned. “Crap! I forgot he could do that!”
“Here, catch!” Discord called as he tossed the ball at him.
“URGH!” Naruto cried as the metal sphere hit him in the stomach, sending him flying back a few feet. The ball fell down and rolled down the field, stopping a little ways from him.
“I can’t underestimate him…” Naruto thought as he glared at Discord, who was merely grinning at him mockingly. “But just how can I beat him? It’s like he can make everything as he wants!”
“Two can play at this game, Discord!” Naruto called as he made it back up on all fours. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
A single clone appeared by Naruto’s side, who then went to pick up the ball, balancing it on his hoof. “It’s our turn!” he called, tossing the ball towards the original. The clone then ran up to Discord, who was looking at the two Naruto's curiously.
“Here, have it back, Discord!” Naruto called as he threw the ball at him. A hole appeared in Discord’s body where the ball should have hit, causing it to go right through him.
“Don’t you know it’s terribly rude to return a present?” Discord smirked at him.
“Well, sorry,” the clone said as he caught the ball from behind Discord. “But I wasn’t raised to be polite!” he called as he tossed it back at Discord from point-blank range.
The ball hit Discord’s head so powerfully, it was detached from the rest of his body and flew back a few dozen feet.
“Alright!” the two Naruto's cheers, high-hooving.
“Boo! Boo!” called the Discord crowd.
“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, everypony,” said Discord’s head that was resting on the ground. “It’s not like I lost my head or anything,” he said, causing the Discord crowd to burst in laughter and cheers.
Discord’s body snapped its finger. Discord’s head vanished and then reappeared on its proper place while the ball vanished.
“Well, that was fun indeed, Naruto. But how do you plan on winning our little game?” Discord asked.
“Huh?” Naruto wondered, as he turned to look at the scoreboard. “What do you…?”
Naruto’s eyes widened when he read the score count — 1-0.
“Hey! No fair!” Naruto called. “I totally hit you just now! Where’s my point?!”
“Too bad, Naruto,” Discord said. “That didn’t count! If you want to score in our little game, you have to throw a stronger punch!”
Discord snapped in his fingers again, causing him to reappear wearing a pair of red trunks and boxing gloves. Naruto’s clone vanished and reappeared right in front of him. “Like this!” Discord called as he rapidly punched the clone several times. The clone soon vanished in a puff of smoke.
The Discord crowd began cheering and whistling again. “Discord, Discord, he’s the Draconequus! If you look like him, you’re just like the rest of us! Goooooo Discord!” the Discord cheerleaders cheered once more.
“Wait a second…” Naruto thought as he looked back to the score board, now showing a score of 2-0. “Why did Discord get his second point only now? He hit me with that ball too earlier!”
“A stronger punch, huh?” Naruto repeated thoughtfully as he crossed his forelegs. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
A group of clones appeared around Naruto and soon divided into pairs. Half of the clones began focusing their chakra into the other’s hooves, creating small blue orbs. The orbs then began growing, until they were twice the size of a normal Rasengan.
“Big Ball Rasengan!” the clones called as they charged at Discord, galloping on three legs.
“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Discord called. “Oh! You reminded me of another game I like!”
A blue ball materialized in Discord’s hand. He then began swinging his arm with the ball, and finally released it, rolling it in the clones’ direction. The ball quickly became larger and larger, and was soon twice the size of the clones.
The clones froze, stunned at the giant sphere that was suddenly hurdling towards them. They turned around and tried to escape its path, but the ball eventually grew too big for them to evade.
“Strike!” cheered Discord, throwing a fist to the air.
The Discord crowd cheered and whistled once more as the score underneath Discord’s name changed from ‘2’ to ‘12’.
“Give me a ‘D’!” the first cheerleader Discord yelled.
“Alright, that’s enough of you!” Discord called angrily. He snapped his fingers and the quintet of cheerleaders vanished. “The last thing this story needs is a ‘mature’ rating!”
The number underneath Naruto’s name suddenly changed from ‘0’ to ‘5’.
“Hey! That wasn’t my fault!” Discord yelled to a Discord wearing a referee’s suit, who was standing on the sideline. “Well, it sort of was, but…”
The referee shrugged, shaking his head. He sounded the whistle hanging around his neck and pointed towards Naruto. The orange stallion was now meditating on the far side of the stadium, his cutie mark glowing brightly.
“Fine!” Discord called angrily, turning back to Naruto. “I have this game up my non-existent sleeves anyway!”
Naruto opened his eyes for a moment and looked at the scoreboard. “I knew it… Discord gets a point for any of my clones that disappears… And I get a point for any of his clones that disappears… Which means…”
Naruto grinned as he stood up. His cutie mark stopped glowing. “I think it’s time we finish this game! Don’t you, Discord?!”
“I guess it is about time I returned to wreaking some more beautiful chaos on Equestria,” Discord smirked. “Well, let’s see what you’ve got!”
“Here I go!” Naruto called, opening his eyes. They were now orange and akin to a frog’s, surrounded by orange markings. “Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Scores of clones appeared around Naruto, all in Sage Mode as well. They then began forming balls of Rasengan on one of their hooves. The Rasengans then inflated more and more, until they eventually became even larger than the ponies holding them.
“Let’s see you dodge this, Discord!” Naruto roared as the army of clones charged at him.
“Oh please, this again?” a bored Discord asked. “Do you honestly think I’m going to fall for this—?”
“Gotcha!” a pair of clones cried as one of them grabbed Discord’s legs from behind, and the other wrapped his legs around his torso. “Now stand back quietly and watch!”
“Wait, what are you—?!” Discord began, his eyes widening in shock to see the army of Narutos splitting up and galloping to the sidelines, where they all jumped up at the stunned crowd of Discords.
“Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!” the clones yelled as the massive balls hit the hundreds of Discord’s clones in the aisles. Each dispelled clone generated a cloud of smoke, akin to Naruto’s shadow clones, and soon the whole stadium was engulfed.
“No!” Discord shouted as Naruto’s score on the board began skyrocketing.
Soon enough, the smoke cleared and the aisles reappeared, this time filled with Naruto’s clones instead, who were all smirking at the only Discord left in the stadium.
The slack-jawed Discord turned to look at the scoreboard, which now indicated a score of ’12-1005’.
The Naruto holding Discord’s torso grinned at him. "I win."
The stadium and Discord vanished, and Naruto found himself hanging in the air, before gravity took ahold of him once more and sent him falling down. He landed on the roof of Ponyville’s town hall and slid down it, before jumping down to the balcony and then to the ground below.
“You’ve lost, Discord!” Naruto called. “Now turn Equestria back to normal!”
Thunderclouds began gathering in front of Naruto, shooting lightning and sounding loud thunder. “Congratulations for winning our little game, Naruto…” Discord’s voice echoed.
A huge lightning struck down at the tiled, pink floor, and out of it emerged Discord. “But I’m going to keep everything exactly as it is!”
“You promised!” Naruto roared, stomping the ground. “You gave your word!”
“Well, I am the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony,” Discord smirked. “Lying is one of my favorite pastimes!”
“I don’t want to fight you, Discord!” Naruto called. “Please, just turn everything back to normal! This doesn’t have to be this way!”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my little pony. It does have to be this way!” Discord called. “And if you want to save your friends, I suggest that you do fight me!”
The thunderclouds sun flew towards Naruto, and began shooting lightning at him. The orange stallion quickly jumped from side to side and backwards in order to avoid being hit by them.
“Something’s different about Discord than before…” Naruto thought as he did his best to dodge the high-power electricity. “But what, and why?!”
Naruto took a large leap backwards to avoid another bolt. When he had landed back on the ground, he felt an odd sensation under his hooves. Looking down, Naruto’s eyes widened to find that his hooves were now stuck in a cotton candy cloud.
“Crap! I’m stuck!” Naruto cried as he desperately tried to pull himself out of the sticky substance, to no avail.
“And now…” Discord said as he paced towards Naruto, reaching his eagle claws towards Naruto’s forehead. “To take care of the first of the Elements…”
“Angel, charge!” a voice suddenly shouted. “I mean… if you don’t mind.”
“What the—?!” Discord called as he turned around, his eyes widening and jaw dropping to see scores of rabbits on deer legs charging straight at him, all ridden by miniature purple Naruto’s.
Discord flew up in order to avoid the stampede, and looked back to see who was calling the attack. “You?! How?!”
“Fluttershy?!” Naruto called, stunned. Fluttershy stood on a small hill nearby, fully recolored and with a look of unyielding resolve. The Element of Kindness was tied around her neck once more.
“Looks like you’re in a sticky situation, Naruto,” another familiar voice said from above him. “Hope we’re not late!”
Naruto looked up, and smiled to see a familiar sky-blue Pegasus grinning at him. “Rainbow! You came too!”
“Oh, you know me. Element of Loyalty and whatnot,” Rainbow said nonchalantly as she wrapped her hooves around Naruto. She lifted him away from the sticky sweetness, before putting him back down on safe ground.
Fluttershy soon joined up with them. “Are you alright, Naruto?”
“Yeah! Thanks for the help, guys!” Naruto said as he crossed his hooves. “Now let’s finish this!”
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto called, a clone appearing by his side. The clone began focusing chakra onto Naruto’s hoof, forming a small blue orb, before dispelling.
Naruto charged towards Discord, balancing the orb on his front right hoof. He jumped up, his attack aimed at the Draconequus. “Rasen—!”
“Why don’t you cool down, Naruto?!” Discord called, snapping his fingers.
A large snow globe materialized around Naruto. Naruto’s eyes widened in surprise, but he then quickly moved to attack the glass instead. However, the Rasengan simply passed through it, while Naruto himself couldn’t.
“Giving up already?!” Discord asked, amused by watching the trapped ninja attempting to break free.
“It is I who had already given up on your tacky fashion sense, Discord!” a voice shouted, as Naruto was encased by a light blue aura, before vanishing.
“I mean, snow globes are so last winter. Don’t you agree, Naruto?” Rarity winked at the orange stallion, who reappeared beside her.
“Rarity! Thanks!” Naruto called, before resuming his charge at Discord.
“Don’t think I don’t have any more tricks up my sleeves!” Discord called. Several nearby trees were uprooted and then rose up to the air, before spinning together into a small wooden tornado.
The vortex began to settle as a pair of legs sprouted from it, and then another pair. Soon enough, out of the woody mess emerged a huge wooden bear.
Letting out a fearsome roar, the bear charged at Naruto, who was running right towards it in order to reach Discord.
“YEE-HA!” a call was heard, as a lasso was suddenly tied around the bear. The bear fell down, unable to take another a step forward with the mare holding the end of the rope holding it down with all her might.
“Go get ‘im, Naruto!” Applejack called between her teeth, as she was still struggling against the bear.
“I’m on it, Applejack!” Naruto replied as he jumped over the fallen bear and continued his charge.
Discord looked around for something to use in order to block Naruto. Looking up, he smirked as he had an idea. He began summoning down more and more cotton candy clouds, until he created a pink wall between himself and Naruto.
“I don’t think my Rasengan’s gonna be any use against cotton candy!” Naruto thought. “I gotta go around it!”
“Don’t worry, Naruto! I’ve got this!” a familiar voice called.
Naruto looked to his left, and smiled once more to see a pink pony galloping beside him. “Pinkie!”
“By the way, you’ll never guess what happened!” Pinkie said. “After we all split up, I went frowning down by the lake and started frowning at my own frowny reflection. Pretty soon though I got tired of frowning at myself and started looking for more things to frown on, but then—”
“Pinkie! The wall!” Naruto called, ceasing Pinkie’s rapid chatter.
“Oops, right! Sorry!” Pinkie giggled. “Look, Naruto! I’ve got a ninja move too now!”
“You do?!” Naruto called in astonishment.
“Watch this!” Pinkie called as she sped up, taking the lead. She jumped up at the wall, opening her jaw more than could possibly be anatomically possible. “Pinkie Chomp!”
Taking a humongous bite as she jumped through the wall, Pinkie left a hole large enough for anypony to pass through. “Yum-my! Delicious as ever!” she called as she landed on the other side.
Naruto grinned as he jumped through the hole, and was now only moments away from reaching Discord again.
“I don’t think so!” Discord called and snapped his fingers. A large, gray bubble appeared all around him, effectively cutting him off from the outside.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the newly-emerged barrier. “Okay, now what?!”
“Keep going, Naruto! Don’t slow down for even a second!”
Looking up above him, Naruto smiled again as he saw Twilight being carried by Rainbow Dash, who flew at top speed towards Discord.
“I’ll use my shield-breaking spell to boost your jutsu, Naruto!” Twilight called as her horn lit up. Naruto’s Rasengan began growing and glowing brighter, and slowly changed its color from blue to violet.
“Woah, awesome!” Naruto exclaimed as he looked at the new Rasengan floating just above his hoof.
“GO, NARUTO!!!” six voices shouted at the orange stallion, who kept galloping towards Discord.
Naruto leapt up at Discord, who was smirking at him nonchalantly from inside his barrier. “Thanks, guys! I couldn’t have done this without your help!”
Naruto forced the Rasengan deeper and deeper into the semi-transparent barrier, as it slowly began bending under the attack.
“Just give up, Naruto!” Discord yelled. “There’s no way you stupid ponies can—”
“Sorry, Discord!” Naruto shouted. “But if there’s one thing I’m not good at…”
Discord’s eyes widened in astonishment as the barrier shattered into pieces and Naruto pierced through it. “It’s giving up!” Naruto called.
“Heh. Not bad.”
“Pony Style Jutsu: Friendship Rasengan!” Naruto hollered as he slammed the purple glowing orb right at Discord’s stomach. Discord’s eyes widened in pain as the Rasengan sent him flying back, spinning in the air.
“GAHHHHH!!!” Discord screamed as he flew towards the town square, crashing into the fountain, shaped like a statue of himself. The statue shattered, covering the entire area around Discord in rubbles and orange juice.
*****
A few minutes later, Discord coughed at the dust created by shattered stature as he tried to get back up on his legs. As he did so, the images of seven ponies emerged from the dust and came into focus.
“How could you…” Discord coughed. “Stupid ponies break my spell?! My plan… was perfect!”
“It wasn’t easy, Discord, I can assure you that,” Twilight replied. “But I was reminded of how important my friends are to me, and that I couldn’t allow little fights to get in between us! All I had to do afterwards was to get my friends to remember that too!”
“And of course,” Rarity added. “Twilight telling us that Naruto would be putting himself on the line for us did help persuade us.”
“Although some of us took a lot more effort to convince than the others,” Applejack said with a knowing smile. “Don’t you think so, Rainbow Dash?”
“Enough chit-chat!” Rainbow called as she slowly trotted towards Discord. “It’s back to the stone age for you, Discord!”
“Wait, Rainbow!” Naruto called. He rushed in to stand between the mares and Discord, facing the former. “This doesn’t have to end like this!”
“What the hay do you think you’re doing, Naruto?!” Rainbow snapped. “Are you actually protecting Discord?! After what he did to Ponyville, and to us?!”
“Listen to me!” Naruto called, stomping his hoof. “We can’t just turn him back into stone without giving him another chance to—”
“Another chance to what?! To destroy Ponyville?!” Rainbow cut him off. “Give me a break! How gullible could you possibly—”
“Rainbow Dash!” a voice shouted. Everypony looked to the source of the voice, and were surprised to find Fluttershy looking at Rainbow with a very stern gaze.
“I think we should listen to what Naruto has to say, before we decide anything,” the yellow mare said, and looked at Naruto expectantly.
Naruto looked around the six mares. Nopony else raised an objection, although Rainbow took to the air and crossed her legs, frowning.
Naruto took a deep breath before starting to explain himself. “Back in my world, just a short while before I came to Equestria, my village was attacked. My teacher and many of my friends were…” he gulped. “They were gone.”
“Naruto…” Twilight muttered. Pinkie Pie pulled a napkin out of her mane and blew her muzzle on it, her eyes filled to the brim with tears.
“When I finally found the guy who attacked us, I was so mad…” Naruto said quietly, his hooves shaking a little. “The only thing I could think of was to take revenge on him, how to avenge all the people I lost. But then…”
Discord and the mares all stared at Naruto quietly, as they waited for him to continue. Soon enough, Naruto composed himself and continued.
“I decided to hear him out, and he told me everything that happened to him, and led him to do what he did,” Naruto continued. “It’s a long story, but there was one thing that was made clear to me — he did what he did because he truly believed it would bring peace to our world.”
“So did you just forgive him?!” Rainbow demanded. “You just let him go because he told you some sad story?!”
“Of course I didn’t forgive him!” Naruto retorted. “I just… I decided to believe in what my teacher once told me. I decided that if there was any way to get true peace in my world, then I would do it, no matter what it takes! And I believe this can happen here too.”
Naruto looked back at Discord. “If we just give him a chance.”
A long, almost unnatural silence hung in the air for a long while. The mares all looked at each other, contemplating what to make of Naruto’s words. Even Rainbow looked down, seemingly having second thoughts about sealing Discord away again.
Discord looked up, squinting his eyes at a large bat that appeared on a nearby rooftop. The bat looked down at him, watching the events that transpired on the ground.
“Discord sure have caused a lot of mess in Equestria,” Twilight said, looking around. “But maybe Naruto is right. Maybe we should still give him—”
“Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!” Discord’s rolling laughter cut Twilight’s words short.
“May I inquire as to what you find so particularly funny, Discord?” Rarity asked, frowning.
“Ahahahaha! Oh, excuse me,” Discord said as he recomposed himself, wiping a tear of laughter. “It’s just that it seems to me that Naruto here has a tiny, little, miniscule misconception about Equestria.”
“A miscon-who what?” Rainbow asked.
“Naruto, you believe that by getting me to give up on my chaos, you can make a peaceful Equestria for all of us, right?” Discord asked as he stood back up.
“Well, yeah,” Naruto replied. “It—”
“WRONG!” Discord shouted, pressing his head against Naruto’s. “True peace is something that cannot exist in Equestria! It never has, and it never will!”
“What in tarnation are you talkin’ about?!” Applejack called. “Equestria’s been plenty peaceful until you showed your face around here!”
“Oh really now?” Discord smirked smugly. “Need I remind you of that little encounter you had a short while ago?”
Discord snapped his fingers once more. The sun fell down from the sky, replaced by the moon. A large, dark image materialized itself before the seven ponies.
“AHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA! I will make the night last FOREVER!” Nightmare Moon’s boisterous cackle rose from the image, as her appearance came into focus. Fluttershy squealed in fright and hid behind Rainbow Dash.
Twilight’s horn lit up. Nightmare Moon’s image glowed violet and then vanished. “But we’ve defeated her, just like we’ve now defeated you!”
“And you’ve only just barely begun scratching the surface, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said. “You still know nothing! Not about Equestria, the Elements of Harmony, or even… yourself!”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “What do you mean by that, Discord?!” she demanded.
“It means that as long as I’m here, you’ll never have the peace that you so foolishly try to get!” Discord said as he raised his hands up. “I was created to destroy all harmony in Equestria, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”
The ground began shaking and rumbling. Everypony looked around in fear, trying to figure out the source of the quakes.
All around Ponyville, the ground began cracking. In the horizon, a huge, dark object appeared, heading straight towards Ponyville.
Rainbow took up to the air to try and identify at it. “It looks kind of like…”
The moon sank from the sky, and the sun rose in its stead, casting clear, bright light on the incoming object.
Rainbow’s eyes widened in shock. “A-A-AVALANCHE!” she screamed, pointing at a huge wave of an assortment of candies, teddy bears and musical instruments that was making its way to Ponyville.
“EARTHQUAKE!” Pinkie Pie screamed as she pressed her right ear to the ground.
“This ain’t an earthquake!” Applejack called. “It’s an earth-break! Discord’s tearin’ Ponyville off the face of Equestria!”
The scenery all around Ponyville started disappearing below the houses, as the piece of Equestria that Ponyville was located on was starting to get torn off, floating up in the air.
“AHAHAHAHA!” Discord began laughing madly. “So what’s it going to be, ponies? Avalanche, or upside-down Ponyville? It’s your choice!”
“We don’t have a choice, guys!” Twilight shouted as her friends gathered around her. “We’ve got to use the Elements of Harmony to stop Discord, right now!”
“Finally, some common sense around here!” Rainbow called, smacking her right front hoof against the left one.
Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie nodded. Fluttershy looked around, taking in the severity of the impending disaster, before finally nodding as well.
“Naruto!” Twilight called at the orange stallion, who simply looked around at the impending disasters.
“Yeah…” Naruto replied, clenching his teeth. “Let’s do this!”
Naruto began focusing his thoughts, his mind and his very self into the golden protector tied around his forehead. “I’ll do everything to protect my friends, and I’ll never allow them to give up!”
As if reacting to Naruto’s words, the Element of Bravery began shining brightly in green light.
“I completely forgot about this feeling I had the last time…” Naruto thought as the Element’s energy began coursing through his body. “This thing’s energy… No, this thing’s chakra is really familiar…”
Around Naruto, the six mares all activated their Elements as well, which began radiating colored, warm energy. The seven ponies began floating up in the air, surrounded by a bright aura.
“The brat and those stupid ponies are activating the Old Man’s artifacts again!” the nine-tailed fox thought, clenching his teeth as he looked through Naruto’s eyes, and sensed everything that Naruto was feeling. “Just how are they doing that?! And why are they here in this world in the first place?!”
Seven rays of differently colored light rose from the Elements up to the air, before combining and turning into a large, bright rainbow. The rainbow then arched down and hit Discord, who was still laughing madly at the impending destruction of Ponyville.
While still laughing, Discord slowly began turning into stone from his legs upwards. Soon enough, he was completely turned back into a statue.
The light from the Elements then began spreading further and further like a colorful wave. Ponyville landed back on the ground, the floating or upside-down houses returned to their former positions, the tsunami of assorted items vanished and all the other oddities created by Discord were returned to normal.
*****
When Naruto opened his eyes once more, the entire ordeal was over — Ponyville was completely back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened. The only unusual thing left remaining was the statue of Discord, which now lay motionless on the ground.
“ALRIGHT, WE DID IT!” Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack cheered, proceeding to do a group hug.
“You know what this calls for, right?!” Pinkie called happily. “A PAAAAA—”
Applejack, however, quickly broke from the hug, noticing that somepony was missing. Looking to her left, she saw Twilight looking down at her Element, which she now held in her hoof.
“Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she trotted up to Twilight. The others soon joined her, looking concerned as well.
“I’m just…” Twilight muttered. “I’m worried about what Discord said. He said that I don’t know anything about the Elements, or even about myself. What do you think he meant by that?”
“I bet he was just trying to scare us,” Rainbow frowned. “Come on, Twilight, what could you possibly not know about yourself?”
“Well, regardless what he said was true or not,” Rarity said. “I’m sure that if we just give it some time, we will be able to figure it out. Together,” she assured with a smile.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Twilight conceded quietly as she put her tiara back on her head. “But I’ll still do whatever I can to find out what he meant!”
Twilight looked back at her friends, and quickly noticed that there was still somepony missing. “Wait, where’s…?”
Fluttershy silently pointed towards Naruto, who was standing next to Discord’s statue. He then removed his forehead protector off Discord’s marble forehead, before looking down at it sadly.
“Sheesh, what’s with everypony being depressed after we beat Discord?” Rainbow asked. Nevertheless, she followed the others as they headed towards Naruto.
“What’s wrong, Naruto?” Fluttershy asked.
The orange stallion stared at his protector for a moment, before removing his Element and replacing it back on his forehead. He then looked back at Discord, whose statue had retained a smile that somehow seemed more peaceful than any smile he wore before.
“I really thought that I could change his mind, ya know… But he still chose to destroy Ponyville anyway,” Naruto explained with a sigh. “I thought I could bring peace to Equestria, but…”
“But you did, Naruto!” Rarity smiled. “Just look around you!”
“But he’s not a part of it,” Naruto continued, looking back down at the statue.
“You gave Discord more chances than he ever deserved, Naruto,” Rainbow said as she put a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault he was rotten to the core!”
“I guess so. Maybe you’re right, guys,” Naruto said, smiling sadly. “So why do I feel like I missed something really important…?”
“Twilight! Twilight!” a voice called out.
The group turned around to find Spike running towards them. He jumped up at Twilight, hugging her as tightly as he could. “You did it, guys! You saved Equestria! Again!”
“And it wouldn’t have been possible without your help, Spike,” Twilight smiled as she rubbed his head.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without any of you, my ponies,” a majestic voice said.
The group turned around to see a large golden carriage landing on the ground, pulled down by a pair of white Pegasi clad in golden armor. The carriage’s occupant was none other than…
“Princess Celestia!” everypony exclaimed. Save for Twilight and Naruto, everypony bowed down to her.
Twilight happily cantered towards the carriage, which had just landed down on the ground. “We did it, Princess Celestia! We’ve stopped Discord!” she reported proudly.
“I knew you could all do it,” the Princess smiled as she descended the carriage. “I’m very proud of you, my ponies.”
“So, are you here to…?” Fluttershy muttered, pointing at Discord’s statue.
“Yes,” Celestia nodded. “I’m here to take Discord back to where he belongs. And this time, thanks to you all, the spell will never be broken.”
Celestia then turned to look at Naruto, who was still looking down at Discord’s statue solemnly.
“Is there anything wrong, Naruto?” Celestia asked softly as she joined up with him.
“Yeah…” Naruto replied quietly as he took his eyes off Discord and looked up at the Alicorn. “There’s something important I’ve got to tell you.”
Celestia nodded. “I imagine so. But can it wait until tomorrow? I think we should have at least Princess Luna hear your words as well.”
“Yeah, alright…” Naruto replied. Celestia smiled at him.
“Twilight Sparkle,” the Princess called, turning towards her pupil.
“Yes, Princess?” Twilight asked.
“Please come to the palace’s throne room tomorrow, along with your friends,” Celestia smiled. “I have a surprise for you that you should all see.”
“Is it cotton candy?! Please tell me it’s cotton candy!” Pinkie called, clasping her hooves together. The others arched a brow at her.
“Alright, I guess I could settle for some chocolate milk instead,” Pinkie compromised.
Princess Celestia giggled. “You shall all see tomorrow.”
It was the talk of Canterlot. The heroes who had saved Equestria once again were invited back to the royal palace. There, a grand ceremony was to take place, honoring their actions from the day before.
Most of Ponyville and many other ponies from Canterlot and the rest of Equestria had gathered in the throne room, where Equestria’s rulers, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, would soon appear in order to congratulate the heroes.
Meanwhile, just one hallway away from the throne room, in a small room, were six mares and a stallion, the wielders of the Elements of Harmony, and Equestria’s second-time heroes. Standing against the room’s walls were many vanity tables, and the room’s large windows showed a beautiful view to the castle’s garden, where Discord’s statue stood once more.
Rarity has been nervously trotting across the room from side to side for a while now, opening drawers at random and searching through their contents while looking at the vanity tables’ mirrors from every possible angle.
“I may regret askin’ this,” Applejack said. “But what are you doin’, Rarity?”
“Oh, Applejack! I can’t handle it!” Rarity cried as she raised her hoof to her forehead. “I have no idea what the lighting’s gonna be like in the throne room! Is it natural? Is it magical? I did my make-up for two hours this morning and I still have no idea if I used too much eyeliner, or too little! Not to mention my mane was—”
“Would you quit your worryin’?!” Applejack asked, covering Rarity’s mouth with her hoof. “You’re shinin’ brighter than my apples after a morning shower,” she said with a smile.
Rarity smiled back at Applejack as she lowered her hoof. “Thank you, Applejack.”
Meanwhile, at the other side of the room, Naruto was quietly gazing at his own reflection in one of the mirrors. Today, for the first time, he didn’t wear his jumpsuit.
“Are you worried about your looks too, Naruto?” smiled Twilight, who trotted towards him.
“No, not really…” Naruto replied as he turned to the Unicorn.
“It’s about that ‘confession’ you told us you were going to make today, right?” Twilight asked. “Are you really going to go through with it?”
“Yeah,” Naruto replied. “I have to do it, no matter what!”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will turn out fine,” Twilight smiled. “We have a lot of weird creatures here in Equestria. You would fit right in!”
“Hey, who are you calling a ‘weird creature’?!” Naruto cried in protest. “Well, that’s not the confession I was thinking about, but yeah. I know you and the others will still accept me, no matter what!” he then thought, smiling.
“By the way, where’s your jumpsuit, Naruto?” Rainbow asked as she flew towards him. “First time I’ve seen you without it.”
She looked down at Naruto, who had no clothes on save for his forehead protector and his weapons bag.
“It’s kinda funny, actually. When I decided to make my confession, I suddenly got a lot more comfortable with being a pony,” Naruto explained. “And when I transformed this morning, the jumpsuit just didn’t stay on!”
“Maybe being comfortable with who you are on the inside, makes you more comfortable on the outside too?” suggested Fluttershy who joined in on the conversation.
“Yeah, I guess it does,” smiled Naruto. “I won’t doubt any of you, or myself anymore!”
“Can we go already?!” Pinkie cried. “I can’t hold my excitement much longer!” she called as she began to rapidly jump in place.
The door was opened with a golden glow. The two Princesses stood at the entrance, smiling from ear to ear.
“It’s time,” said Princess Celestia.
*****
The grand doors to the throne room opened with a fanfare of trumpets. The seven ponies at the entrance looked around in awe. The floor was covered by a red carpet and huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling reflected the light piercing through the colorful windows, made of stained glass. Banners were hanging from the ceiling next to the walls, and the entire room, with the exception of the red carpet in the middle, was filled with many ponies, cheering at the arrival of the heroes.
The seven ponies then trotted forward towards the pair of thrones at the other side of the room, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stood. On the way there, Twilight nervously smiled at Spike, who waved back to her, smiling as well. The baby dragon stood at the front of the crowd, just below the stage. Next to him were standing Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, smiling as well from ear to ear.
Naruto looked around to see that he knew most of the ponies there, many of them recurring customers, friends and acquaintances. He waved at Spike, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who all waved back at him. He then smiled at Princess Luna, who stood at her sister’s side. Luna blushed a little and turned towards her sister, although her sight was still on Naruto. Her mouth curled into a small smile as well.
With Twilight leading the group, the seven ponies trotted up the small staircase leading up to the thrones.
Princess Celestia smiled at the group, before looking up and scanning the crowd standing below her. When all the whispering, excited ponies quieted down, she began to speak.
“We are gathered here today to once again honor the heroism of these seven friends,” said Princess Celestia.
“’Tis the second time these ponies have saved Equestria from the dark forces that threaten us all,” Princess Luna continued. “This time, they have stood up to the villain Discord, and saved Equestria from eternal chaos!”
The crowd of ponies all burst into loud cheers.
“Therefore, in the name of all of Equestria,” Celestia spoke over the ponies. “We would like to bestow upon them this small gesture of our gratitude and respect! Princess Luna, you may do the honors.”
Luna smiled as her horn lighted up. A blue aura formed around a pair of huge red curtains on the wall to her left, which then moved aside to reveal a huge painted glass window. The window showed Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie and Naruto all using their Elements’ light against Discord.
“Woah, cool!” Naruto thought in awe as he looked upon the huge painted glass.
The crowd burst once more into cheers, as streamers and confetti began falling down from the ceiling. The seven ponies turned towards the crowd and waved at them smiling from ear to ear.
“If there’s anything any of you would like to say,” Princess Celestia said, looking over the seven ponies. “Now is the time to do so.”
“I have something to say,” Naruto immediately said as he trotted towards the front of the thrones’ stage. The cheering of the crowd slowly died down as all eyes turned towards the orange stallion.
“Uhh… Hello, everypony,” Naruto began awkwardly, looking around at the large crowd in front of him.
“Hi, Naruto!” Pinkie answered cheerfully, waving from behind him.
“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I manage the Uzumaki Ramen stand in the Ponyville market,” he briefly introduced himself.
“When I faced Discord yesterday, he caused me to lose faith in myself and in my friends. He caused me to think that I was completely alone, that there was nopony by my side. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever faced,” Naruto said, looking over the ponies.
“Naruto…” Princess Luna muttered.
“The reason for that is a certain secret I’ve been keeping, one that Discord threatened to reveal. It’s a secret that caused me to be completely alone for most of life. I was terrified of having to go through this loneliness again, and that’s why I couldn’t bear to tell it to anypony,” Naruto continued.
The ponies all stared at Naruto, some showing understanding, others confusion.
“That fear caused me to lose myself, to forget who I was. I felt like I was in some kind of dark pit,” Naruto said quietly. “But then… my friends reminded me of who I was, and they promised me that no matter what my secret was — they’ll always stick by my side!” he said as he smiled at Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who smiled back at him.
“It was then that I realized what friendship meant to me — friendship is the bravery to be true to yourself, to never hold back who you are from your friends! And because I consider all of you my friends… I want to make a confession,” Naruto said, before taking a deep breath.
“As some of you may know, I arrived at Ponyville a little before the Summer Sun Celebration, and I stayed there since. I told everypony that I came from the city, but that was a lie,” Naruto admitted. In response to that, some ponies began whispering amongst themselves.
“The truth is… I’m not from Equestria. I’m not even really a pony. I came here from another world,” Naruto confessed, looking around at the many ponies. At the last few words, any noises or talking in the crowd had completely died down, and a tense silence lingered in the air. The ponies all stared at Naruto in an odd mixture of confusion and anticipation.
Princess Celestia said nothing, and merely looked straight at Naruto, her mouth curled into a mysterious smile. Luna stared at Naruto worriedly.
Naruto once again took a deep breath, before closing his eyes and crossing his front legs. “Transformation Jutsu, Release!”
A cloud of smoke came to appear around the orange stallion on the stage. Within a few moments, the cloud had dissipated, revealing Naruto’s true, human form. He could see more than a few jaws dropping to the ground all around.
“My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I’m a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves,” Naruto introduced himself as he looked down at the crowd.
“Woah! No way! Did anypony know that?!” Pinkie shouted a few moments later, shattering the silence and causing several ponies to look at her. “Nah, I’m just kidding. I already knew it,” she then whispered to an amused-looking Princess Celestia.
“But that’s not the only secret I’ve been keeping,” Naruto said. The ponies began whispering amongst themselves again. Naruto tensed up a bit, clenching his fists. He then took a moment to relax before continuing.
Naruto closed his eyes once more, and focused on the seal in his abdomen. Immediately, a red cloud started flowing out of it. The cloud then condensed next to the floor of the stage, growing larger and thicker, before a red pair of eyes appeared in it. Before long, the cloud had changed into the miniature nine-tailed fox, his size almost the size of the ponies.
The ponies all fell completely silent and stared at the fox in astonishment. The fox stared back at them, just as shocked. “That Naruto… He actually went and did it!”
“Sixteen years ago, when I was just born, a creature called the nine-tailed fox attacked my village. He hurt a lot of people and nearly destroyed everything,” Naruto retold. “But then, my dad, who was the leader of my village, decided to seal part of him into me, in order to stop the destruction.”
“Woah! No way! Did anypony know that?!” Pinkie shouted once more, shattering the tense silence and causing several ponies to glare at her. “Okay, this part — I really didn’t know,” she quickly admitted.
“But everypony in village continued to hate him for what he did to them, and to their friends and families,” Naruto continued. “And because part of him was in me, they hated me and were afraid of me too. That’s why I was alone for most of my life, why it took me a really long time to make any friends…”
“Discord threatened to use this secret against me. He told me that if you knew about the fox, you would hate me too, and I’d be alone again,” Naruto said as he looked at the fox. “I believed him, and it caused me to turn into a coward who couldn’t even talk to his own friends! That’s when I really felt like I was alone…”
“But now I know. I know that as long as I’ll be true to myself, I’ll have nothing to fear!” Naruto called, looking once more over the ponies.
“And I know that true friends…” Naruto smiled back at the six mares alongside him. “Will always be by my side.”
Rarity and Pinkie were wiping their tear-filled eyes, and Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow and Twilight were smiling at Naruto.
“As I said before, I consider each and everypony of you as my friends,” Naruto turned back to the crowd. “I just hope that you can all forgive me for lying to you, and that we can all still get along,” he concluded, looking down at the many ponies gathered down below.
Celestia and Luna smiled at each, and then at Naruto. “I’m very proud of you, Naruto,” Celestia thought. “You’ve definitely grown a lot since you first arrived in Equestria…”
“You’re one of the bravest ponies I had ever met, Naruto,” Luna thought. “I’m lucky that my sister has brought you here. It’s thanks to your bravery that I can stand here today, by your side.”
The pony crowd kept on staring at Naruto and the nine-tailed fox, as if slowly processing everything they had just been told.
“Uh, this is probably kind of confusing,” Naruto then said awkwardly, scratching his head. “So if you have any questions, just ask me.”
Pipsqueak, who stood in the front row, was the first to raise a hoof. “Um… Do you eat ponies, Naruto?” the little colt asked hesitantly.
“No, don’t worry,” Naruto grinned. Pipsqueak smiled back, clearly very relieved.
Cheerilee, who stood next to Pipsqueak, then raised her hoof as well. “Excuse me, Naruto. Does the fox bite?”
“Oh, uh…” Naruto muttered. “Well, probably not if you don’t piss him off,” he said after looking at the miniature tailed beast briefly. The fox was still standing still, staring down at the many ponies below the stage.
“What are those things at the end of your hooves?” asked Lyra, as she pointed at Naruto’s hands.
“Oh, these? They’re called fingers. And these are hands, not hooves,” Naruto said. He raised his hands towards the ponies and started moving his fingers about.
“Oooooh…” said several ponies, awed by the odd appendages.
“Do you still have a cutie mark when you stop being a pony, Naruto?” Carrot Top asked.
“I… don’t think so?” Naruto replied. “Actually, I should really check sometime…” he thought in worry.
“Can you show us?” the orange mare inquired, since Naruto’s pants were hiding the part of his body in question.
“No!” Naruto shouted, his face red with embarrassment. “Not in public!”
“Why are you standing on just two hooves?” Berryshine asked.
“Why…? That’s just how everypony back in my world walks,” Naruto answered.
Thunderlane then raised his hoof. “Will you still make Ramen, Naruto?”
“Of course!” Naruto exclaimed, smiling.
“Alright!” Thunderlane cheered. “Your Ramen’s the best!”
“I love your Ramen too, Naruto!” another pony called. Other ponies soon voiced their agreement on the topic.
“What is this ‘Ramen’ you all keep talking about?” a gray Canterlot stallion asked a nearby brown Ponyville stallion.
“Just the tastiest thing EVER!” he replied enthusiastically. “It’s like a really savory soup with something like pasta inside, only the pasta’s kind of…”
“Are you going to add more flavors, Naruto? I’d really like to taste some strawberry-flavored Ramen!” a pink mare asked.
“Uh… Maybe,” Naruto said, baffled by the change of topics. “Thanks for liking my Ramen, guys, but don’t you have any more questions about my confession?”
“Nah. If you’re still making Ramen, then that’s all I need to hear!” one of the ponies said.
“Ramen! Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!” all of the ponies began chanting. The stunned Naruto merely stared at the crowd, his jaw dropped half-way to the floor.
“These ponies are all idiots,” the nine-tailed fox deadpanned.
“Luna, should we schedule a visit to Ponyville soon?” Celestia asked. “I am getting quite curious about this ‘Ramen’ everypony is talking about.”
“A marvelous idea, sister!” Luna smiled. “I can hardly wait!”
“Is Ramen the most important thing about all of this?!” Naruto cried, although his words were almost completely drowned out by the ‘Ramen’ chanting.
“I told you most ponies wouldn’t mind who or what you really are,” Twilight said with a smile, as she and the others trotted towards Naruto. “We have a lot of weird creatures here in Equestria. You and that… fox would fit right in.”
Twilight then looked again at the nine-tailed fox, arching a brow. “That is a fox, right? I know you called it the ‘nine-tailed fox’, but… Why does it have so many tails?”
“He looks kinda funny!” Pinkie beamed, hopping in place.
“It sure ain’t like any fox I’ve seen,” Applejack commented, as she took a moment to look at him.
“This little guy destroyed your village, Naruto?” Rainbow asked dubiously.
“Well, regardless of his past behavior, he has an absolutely stunning coat!” Rarity complimented, eyeing him closely.
“Tsk. If you ponies are done gawking at me, then send me back, Naruto,” the fox scoffed in annoyance.
“Oh my, he talks!” Fluttershy cried and flew towards him. “Umm… hello, Mr. Fox. I’m Fluttershy,” she introduced herself quietly. A shy, and yet somewhat excited grin adorned her muzzle. Just a few inches of air were separating the mare and fox.
“Naruto!” the fox shouted and turned to the ninja, unwilling to get involved with the yellow Pegasus.
“Pfft,” Naruto snickered, pointing at him and Fluttershy. “You two actually look like you’d make a good pair.”
“NARUTO!!!” the unamused fox roared furiously, startling Fluttershy, and lunged at his Jinchuuriki. Naruto quickly closed the hole in the seal, and the fox vanished in a red cloud, before he could bite Naruto’s nose off. “Damn annoying ponies.”
“Um… anyway,” Twilight said, brushing off what just happened. “That was really brave of you, Naruto. Telling the truth like that to everypony must have been pretty difficult.”
“Hehe, thanks,” Naruto smiled, crossing his arms behind his head.
“But to be honest, I was just really lucky,” Naruto said, turning to smile at Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “I was lucky to have friends who showed me that I don’t need to be afraid of showing who I really am.”
“Any time, President Naruto!” the quartet called happily.
“Why is Spike calling me that too?” Naruto sweatdropped.
*****
Not long afterwards, the crowd had dispersed and left. Naruto had then asked to talk to Celestia and Luna privately, while Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity and Spike were waiting for him outside.
“So then, Naruto,” Princess Celestia said, getting straight to the point. “What did you wish to talk to us about?”
“About the nine-tailed fox…” Naruto replied. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for hiding it from you all this time. I just thought—”
“Please, listen to me, sister!” Luna called as she rushed to Naruto’s side. “I had known and even met the creature called the ‘nine-tailed fox’, and it was I who enabled it to be set free from the seal inside Naruto! If anypony is to blame for putting Equestria at risk because of it, it is I!”
“Putting Equestria at risk? Why are you saying that, Luna?” Celestia asked, sounding surprised.
“I… I haven’t said it before,” Naruto said, taking a step forward. “But the small fox you all saw before is just one tiny part of the fox that’s inside me,” he said, clutching his stomach. “And… he’s still powerful. Really powerful.”
“In fact…” Naruto said, looking down. “Back in my world, there were more than a few times when I got really angry. So angry that I couldn’t control the fox’s chakra. When it happened, I couldn’t tell between friend and foe. I just hurt everypony and everything around me…”
“Naruto…” Luna muttered.
“If there’s one thing I’m still afraid of, it’s that I’ll lose control again,” Naruto said. “And I don’t think that there’s anypony here in Equestria who can stop me if that happens. So, if you think I should leave Ponyville, I’ll understand.”
Celestia closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. Luna looked at her with a troubled expression.
“I’m proud of you, Naruto,” Celestia finally said, smiling.
“H-huh?” Naruto asked. “What do you mean?”
“While it’s true that surpassing and conquering your fears takes bravery, Naruto,” Celestia answered. “Admitting your fears also requires considerable courage.”
“Of course, neither of you had put Equestria in any risk without my knowledge,” Celestia said. “I knew all along about everything that transpired during your battle at your village, and I’ve seen the fox’s rampage when you had lost control of it.”
“I told you I had been watching you before I brought you here, didn’t I?” Celestia smiled. Naruto’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“W-wait, you knew?!” Naruto cried. “You saw how dangerous I was back then and you still brought me here?! Why?!”
“Because,” the white Princess answered calmly, “I wanted to believe that you have the power to change that destructiveness into something good. When you’ve used that power after your battle with Discord, I became certain that I was right in bringing you here.”
“What are you talking about?!” Naruto yelled. “I couldn’t do anything to help him! I wanted to change him, to make him see that there’s a better way, but I failed!”
Celestia turned to look outside the window, from which the statue garden could be seen. Discord’s statue was back in his place.
“Unlike you and the others, Discord doesn't believe in the Magic of Friendship,” Celestia said with a solemn expression. “However, I believe that your words and your feelings might have begun to get through to him.”
“Perhaps, one day,” Luna said. “If you do not give up on him, you will be able to make him understand as well.”
“After all,” Celestia continued. “Isn’t that your…?”
Celestia and Luna both looked expectantly at Naruto, who slowly managed to smile back. “Yeah… My Ninja Way!”
“Oi, brat! If you’re all done being corny, then let me out!” the nine-tailed fox suddenly said. “I want to talk to them!”
“Huh? Why?” Naruto asked.
“None of your damn business! Just do it!” the fox shouted.
“If there’s anything else you would like to say, you are welcome to do so,” Celestia smiled.
“Ugh. Sometimes I think you might be a mind reader, Celestia,” Naruto sweatdropped. “Well, here goes…”
Naruto focused on the moon-shaped hole created in the seal by Luna. Not a moment later, red fog started flowing out of Naruto’s stomach, and collected on the floor. The fog grew thicker and thicker, and was slowly receiving the form of an animal. A pair of red, glowing eyes appeared in the fog, before it vanished, leaving in its stead a miniature version of the nine-tailed fox.
“It seems that we finally have the chance to talk, nine-tailed fox,” Celestia said as she looked down at the fox.
“Yeah…” the fox replied, staring at the two Princesses. “First of all…”
He then turned around to look at Naruto. “You, brat! Get out!”
“H-huh?! What do you mean ‘get out’?!” Naruto demanded. “You can’t just come out here and then tell me to get out, you stupid fox! And what’s with all the secrecy, anyway?!”
“Like I told you before — it’s none of your damn business, you stupid brat!” the fox retorted. “Now get out of here before I—”
“Naruto!” Celestia called. The fox fell silent, and both he and Naruto turned to look at the Princess. “Perhaps it would be wise to do as the fox asks.”
“Really?! You too?!” Naruto cried.
“Please, try to understand, Naruto,” Luna said.
Naruto’s face went redder and redder. He seemed like he was going to erupt like a volcano for a moment.
“ARGH! FINE!” Naruto finally shouted as he turned around and grumpily walked outside, his hands in his pockets. “Stupid fox and stupid Celestia hiding stupid secrets…” he muttered to himself on the way out.
After Naruto had closed the door after him, the nine-tailed fox turned towards the Princesses. “I want some explanations, Princess Pony.”
“About what?” Celestia asked, seemingly not bothered by the odd nickname.
“You and Luna know far too much, and ever since I met you, I had a feeling that we had already met. Moreover, this world definitely has some connections to mine, including those ‘Elements of Harmony’. All of those connect to one thing!”
Celestia narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you trying to ask, exactly?”
“Why do those seven jewels contain the Sage of the Six Paths’ chakra, and what’s his connection to this world?!”
*****
Meanwhile, unusually loud voices were rising from the sealed pit at the middle of the Everfree Forest.
“Damn that Disssssscord! He’d failed again!” hissed the voice of one of the figures surrounding the stone table that stood at the bottom of the pit.
“Just like last time,” Fear said in his juvenile voice. “He’d failed to destroy even a single Element! Not to mention, the heiress still lives!”
“Bahahaha! I knew we should have gotten rid of that stupid useless idiot when we had the chance!” complained another voice in a rapid tempo. He had an unusually high voice for a male.
“Settle down, all of you. Those foalish Element bearers have only managed to delay the inevitable,” Hatred Hex said calmly. “However, it’s been made clear that we need to carefully ponder our options… The new bearers are not to be underestimated.”
“Sir, if I may speak?” another voice spoke.
“Yes, Deceit?” Hatred replied.
“Allow me to be the one to destroy those foolish Elements bearers. I have a feeling that the perfect chance for me to strike shall soon present itself,” Deceit said in an elegant, calm tone, which unlike Hatred Hex’s terrifying growl, sounded almost seducing.
“Heh. Do as you wish,” Hatred Hex grinned, revealing a set of dangerously sharp canines. “But in the meantime, we must focus on weakening the seal once more.”
