515Hey everybody. Third installment up and running. I hope you like it. Dialogue was always my strong point in my opinion, back in my heyday as a fanfiction writer. That and tugging at the reader's heartstrings. What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic at heart and an unapologetic manipulator of emotion. I want a reader to be emotionally invested in my stories, to care about the characters. Sure, this is a silly little story, but its just something I take joy in. Please Come Home by Uncle Kracker.
CHAPTER THREE
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! How could they have gotten so far ahead of me? I was only a few minutes behind them."
Naruto used every bit of his training to track the six mares down. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten where the library was already. Then it clicked. East side of town. His teeth ground together as he ran. He couldn't let them do this alone. They couldn't stand up to the kind of power that Nightmare Moon exuded. He didn't know if he could either, but he knew for certain they couldn't.
He'd slammed the door of the library open with his shoulder and rushed inside, thankful that Applebloom had shown him where it was earlier in the day. The candles were still lit and books were scattered everywhere. Naruto was near panicking. This wasn't good, not good at all. If anything happened to Applejack, Big Macintosh would have his hide. Especially because of his little show of authority back there.
That was another thing. Now they'd all want an explanation of his past affiliation with the Royal Guard. But that would have to wait. Which book had that studious unicorn used to find where to go? Gods, she'd left books everywhere! Piles of them! He glanced furiously around but nothing stood out. He heard a snore upstairs. Of course! Her little dragon assistant would know.
He pounded up the stairs to find the little creature tucked away in a basket. Normally, he wouldn't be so rude, but time was of the essence. He ripped the blanket away, spinning the tiny dragon out of his bedding, where he hit the floor with an 'ouch'.
"Get up. Wake up! I need to know where those ponies went!"
Spike rubbed his eyes blearily as he tried to wake up. Dragons slept harder than other creatures. He recognized that voice though.
"Hey. Hey! You're the pony at the party that took command of the situation! That was pretty cool, dude!"
"Yes, yes. Cool, whatever! I need to know where your owner went!"
Spike glared at him, his head fins standing up straighter.
"She's my boss, not my owner, buddy! And I don't know where they went. I remember her mentioning something about the Elements of Harmony. I passed out after that. Sorry, big guy."
Naruto slammed a hoof onto the floor, making the whole tree shake and startling Spike, who looked up at him with wide eyes and more than a little fear.
"Then help me find something. Anything! I have to find them before they either catch up to Nightmare Moon or she catches up to them!"
Spike hurriedly hopped down the stairs.
"Alright, alright, sheesh. Rude much?"
"Manners are a luxury I can't afford at the moment. Now help me look!"
"You know, you sound like Rarity right now."
"So I've heard. When I meet her, I'll be sure to compliment her on her impecable manners and attitude. Until then, LOOK!"
Spike immediately dove into a stack of books and began to search titles. Naruto did the same.
"Hexes and Curses. No. Science of Friendship. No. Rotation of Crops...better set that aside for AJ and Mac for later. Lifestyles of the Not so Rich and Famous. No."
"Hey, uh...Mister Naruto?"
"What?"
"Did you look at the bookshelf to see if its there?"
Naruto sighed and wandered over to a random bookshelf.
"Now why would it be here? She looked at it obviously and every other book is strewn about, so why in Celestia's name would..."
"Here it is. Elements of Harmony: A Guide."
"...where'd you find that?"
Spike looked non-plussed as he flipped through the book and shrugged.
"Under the 'E' section. When Twilight's in a rush, she usually puts the book she's looking at back on the shelf. Not so much when she's doing her usual research. Now let's see. Ah, here it is. Last known location of the Elements was in the Ancient Castle in the Everfree Forest. But that's..."
He heard the sound of a crash and looked to see that Naruto had flown through the door, off towards the Everfree Forest. He sighed and flopped down against a pile of books.
"Well, this is certainly a mess."
Of course, he thought to himself as he ran, whatever you're looking for is always in the spookiest, nastiest place on the planet. Of course a treasure as valuable as the Elements of Harmony were in a dilapidated old castle about to fall down around itself. Of course it was in the middle of an incredibly dangerous and hard-to-get-through forest. Murphy's Law, Naruto, Murphy's Law. Whatever can happen, will happen.
If he ever met Murphy, he'd kill him, just to show him the irony of that little law.
He was making ground now though. Having slummed his way through the forest once, he knew that the most direct way was to go straight through. It was strange though. He felt as if the closer he got to the castle, the more right he felt. Surely that wasn't his destiny? Running toward a rundown castle? He hoped not.
He was halfway through the forest when a roar nearly knocked him on his butt. He slammed to a stop and spread his legs, ready to fight. If it was a manticore, it wouldn't be a long fight. He'd just kill the beast and be on his way. What stepped out of a nearby cave made his heart sink.
It was an Ursa Minor. A Celestial Bear. A cub, to be precise. And where a cub was, his mother wasn't far behind. He didn't have time for this. The Minor took a swing at him and he dodged, letting it take out a couple trees instead. It wouldn't be long before Mamma Bear heard the commotion and made her way over. He really didn't have time for this.
The Ursa Minor chased him a ways as he tried to find a way around it, but it was no good. It was almost like something was controlling it. That's when he saw the purple mist around its head. Of course. Nightmare Moon. The forest was her domain, the area she used to rule from. Of course she'd know the lay of the land.
He didn't want to hurt the cub. That was a sure way to get its mother angry and willing to fight. But he wasn't making it past without doing something. Could he put it to sleep somehow? No, not without knocking it out. This was going to be hard. He was almost resigned to fighting a cub when an earth-shattering roar echoed throughout the forest and Mamma Bear, an Ursa Major. emerged from the cave.
'Aw prarie shit.'
...man, he'd been swearing a lot lately. Celestia would be most displeased with him.
The purple mist around the cub's head seemed to disipate, no longer needing to be there now that the mother bear had awoken. Naruto grimaced as the cub ran past its mother and back into the cave. No avoiding a confrontation now. He was almost flattered that Nightmare Moon thought him a big enough distraction to try to keep him away.
The Ursa Major lifted a huge paw and slammed the ground in front of him before roaring again. Intimidation tactics, huh? Seems it didn't want to fight either, but that was only because of the cub. If it fought, it could get hurt. If it was hurt, it couldn't protect the cub. Basic wildlife 101. Always offer the bluff first.
But right now, time was of the essence. A fight would severely drain him and he needed every ounce of strength when he made it to the castle. So he squared his shoulders, and stomped each hoof so hard they left an imprint in the ground. He practically reeked of power as he looked up into the towering eyes of the bear, his furious glare matching her own.
"Get. Out. Of. My. Way."
The Ursa Major was slightly taken aback by the tiny creature's attempt at intimidation. Even through all of its growling, the words had carried to its ears. Surely it didn't think it had a chance? But as it stood at its full height, looking down at the rust-orange pony, it saw something. An aura, if it could be described as such. And it didn't like the feeling.
The little pony that stood before it looked ready to destroy the bear. And it didn't need that. It had a cub to take care of. Slowly, coming down onto all fours and backing away, it continued to growl and circle back to the cave, always keeping Naruto in her sights. Naruto, in turn, circled her as well, ready to bolt at a moments notice.
When he was certain she wasn't coming after him again, he galloped into the bushes and back towards the castle, leaving behind a shaking and frightened pair of Celestial bears. He let out a shuddering breath. He was never doing that again if he could avoid it. Sure, he could have probably beaten the beast, but he'd have been severely hurt.
Some things just weren't worth it.
A scream split the air and he flew into a full on run. He might be too late. Faster and faster he ran, his face settling into a war-torn grimace the closer he got. He hadn't realized how much strength he was putting into his gallop.
The girls had finally found the Elements of Harmony, but there were only five. Twilight desperately tried to figure out what was the matter, to find the spark she had read about that activated them. But just when she had made her move, Nightmare Moon appeared and teleported both them and the Elements to another tower, away from her new friends.
The Mare in the Moon oozed self-satisfaction. With the Elements in her possession, never again would she be exiled, sealed away. Twilight looked on, dumbfounded as the bringer of Eternal Night shattered their only hope of defeating her into tiny pieces. Literally. The others appeared just in time to see their hopes go up in smoke as the Alicorn cackled maniacly. She used her magic to toss them all about, slamming them into the floor.
Twilight merely stared at the broken pieces of the Elements from her prone position and shut her eyes, blocking out all sound and sight, trying with all her might to find the spark.
They all felt the rumbles, small at first, and building. Even Nightmare Moon had stopped laughing, looking around for the cause. Was the castle collapsing? For a second it stopped and she turned to gloat to the six little ponies in front of her one last time.
She never got to start. A rust-orange blur slammed through the stone wall and into her, barreling the both of them through the adjacent wall and outside. As they fell, she looked into the eyes of her attacker. They were blue, endlessly blue and filled with rage. His mouth was set in a sneer. They landed hard, her shock having prevented her from teleporting away.
The dust was cleared immediately with a flap of her wings and she settled into a ready stance. She was not a fighter. She preferred magic and trickery, but her opponent was obviously battle-ready and wary. He was already to his hooves again, ready for her.
"I promised Princess Celestia that I would protect this land. Her kingdom. I won't let you throw away all her work, sister or not."
Nightmare Moon turned her head slightly, looking at him with one eye.
"You know of my royal blood and still attack me? Why not serve me?"
His hoof struck the ground and cracked it, the fissure snaking all the way to her hoof.
"I promised the Princess on the day I joined the Royal Guard that I would serve the true rulers of Equestria. You are neither of them. And there's one thing I do not do, Nightmare Moon..."
His lips curled back into a contemptuous smirk and he leaned back, ready to spring forward.
"...I never break a promise."
They both lunged forward.
Applejack heaved herself to her feet and grunted. That had hurt. Badly. She remembered Nightmare Moon slamming them all to the floor, the destroying of the Elements, and then...something had burst through the wall and tackled the Mare in the Moon outside, away from them.
Realization struck her hard enough to shift the hat on her head.
"Naruto!"
She looked left and right for him, but found only ponies trying to recuperate and Twilight Sparkle nearly in tears laying before the ruined pieces of Harmony, whispering to herself.
"Uh, AJ?"
She turned to find Rainbow Dash and the others staring out the window.
"You might wanna come see this. Your farmhand is going head to head with Nightmare Moon."
As she galloped to the window and shoved her way to the glass, she could only think that Rainbow Dash always did have a way with words.
Naruto snarled as he dodged another piece of her mane that threatened to decapitate him. This fight wasn't to his advantage. Her magic was simply too strong to ignore. She'd tried to fly away and back to the tower, but he'd leaped up and wrapped his legs around her torso, driving her back into the ground. That had surprised her. She'd obviously never encountered an Earth pony with such a prodigious leap before.
She'd tried to engage him in physical combat, but after the first few dozen swipes of his hooves nearly took her head off, she had reverted to magic and found it suited better to dealing with him. Fine, if that's what she wanted, he'd just get in close. He couldn't afford to lose here. His oath to the Princess was on the line.
And the lives of his employer and her friends as well. He had come to enjoy his time with the Apple family. They'd accepted him when they didn't have to and he wouldn't see their dreams shattered because of one mare's selfishness, even if that mare was of royal blood. He'd sworn to Celestia to protect her sister Luna, not Nightmare Moon.
He'd kill her if he had to.
Her flowing tail thrust at him and he ran inside her guard, spearing her through yet another wall and driving her into the cold tile. She lay beneath him, her head twisting this way and that as he pounded his hoooves into her face relentlessly, like jackhammers.
She'd never been hurt before. And this hurt. It hurt so bad. She feared that her skull would break. No one had ever dared to hit her. And this...this lowly Earth pony...a being of no magic...of no regal bearing...decided to strike her? To lay peasant hooves on her?
She threw Naruto off of her in an explosion of power, a cut above her eyes bleeding profusely. She touched a hoof gently to it and stared. It was red. She began to tremble with fury.
"No one has ever drawn my blood before. Consider yourself a fine warrior. To make a goddess bleed is unthinkable. I will keep your memory forever. You would have made a fine servant."
Naruto's tail swished back and forth angrily.
"I make a lousy slave though."
And he was on her again as quickly as he could, kicking, biting, headbutting. He couldn't even tell if he was hurting her. But he had to be. She was being pressed back, bit by bit. But he didn't know if it would be enough. Now, he just wanted to buy the girls enough time to run. He wouldn't be making it out of this alive. Of that he was sure.
He overextended one of his mule kicks and felt her tail envelop him. He was caught. She brought him near her face and sneered.
"You. I'm going to make an example of you."
Her eerie calm did not bode well for him.
He didn't even register as they broke through the floor of the tower, the five mares at the window screaming in terror. Nightmare Moon laughed as she held him aloft for them to see.
"Look, ye mortals! This one dared to strike a Princess, a goddess! To draw her blood! Now, I shall draw his and use it to paint the walls of my palace! I'll use his broken body as a message! This is what happens to those who deny my birthright!"
The mares looked on in horror as she slammed Naruto into every surface she could. She battered him along the wall, the floor, the ceiling. Naruto's vision was a blur. He vaguely noticed where they were. A throne room. They were in the tower with the throne room. His head lolled. Everything was a throb of blood and pain. He wasn't going to live through this.
It was ironic really. Royaltly took him in, royalty was taking him out.
His eyes began to slowly close, but he felt something powerful then. It felt like the magic that Celestia used at times. He could hear voices arguing, and the suddenly self-assured voice of Twilight declaring that she and the other girls were the Spirits of Harmony. His eyes trained on the sparkling pieces of the Elements circling the six ponies.
Maybe they had done it, he thought. A vortex of color enveloped the six and shot toward Nightmare Moon, who screamed in fear. Her moonlight mane retracted and he felt himself falling. He didn't even feel himself hit the stone floor with a heavy thud, in the shadows of a column.
He struggled to straighten his hind legs, but found they wouldn't work. Probably broken. With shuddering breaths, he was able to lock his forelegs in place long enough to lean against a wall. He noticed that the wall felt wet. That was probably his blood. His breaths were shallow and ragged and his body felt heavy as he used the wall for support.
Well, at least he'd kept her at bay long enough for them to stop her. If only he'd fought harder, hit her harder, not been so worried about the girls and collateral damage. But they weren't fighters. That was his job. He'd protected them...
His eyes closed and his body slumped against the wall, still upright. His necklace began to glow with a dull light.
Applejack smiled at the scene before her. Celestia, released from her bonds, had reunited with her sister Luna and all was right with the world. They'd won the battle, defeated Nightmare Moon, and realized their potential as the Spirits of Harmony. Why, she even had a personal element to prove it! A cute little apple broach. But a little bit of doubt grew in the back of her mind. Not all was right.
Then it clicked. They'd been so engrossed with what had transpired with the Princesses, they'd forgotten about Naruto. Frantically, she looked around and found him leaning against a wall. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. At least he was trying to get up. That meant he was alive. He needed medical attention immediately though. She trotted over to help him, but the closer she got the more her smile faded.
There was blood everywhere. Cuts and bruises all over his body. It scared her. She'd never seen a pony this broken and battered. She stopped just short of him.
"Naruto? Naruto, wake up. Its ok now. We won."
Silence greeted her. Her heart sank further and the others started to take notice. She took another step forward, her ears pinning to the side of her head.
"Naruto, this isn't funny. This isn't a joke like you usually play on me and Big Mac and Applebloom. Wake up. Now!"
The other girls and the two princesses had come up behind her now. Applejack didn't notice. She was focused on Naruto. She leaned in and pushed his shoulder. He didn't move. He felt clammy. Her lips were quivering with fear now.
"Naruto! Naruto, please...wake up."
She sat on her haunches in front of him and her head hung low. Fluttershy wrapped her in a hug when she began to sniffle.
"It ain't right. It ain't fair. He did all the fighting. And I didn't even help him. I just stood there. What am I gonna tell Applebloom? What am I gonna tell Big Mac?"
Fluttershy's own eyes began to tear, her connection to the emotion of kindness making her squeeze Applejack tighter. She hated seeing her friends suffer. Applejack's hat fell to the floor as her shoulders shook, landing between her and Naruto. The rest of the girls looked away from the scene before them, the joyous mood gone, replaced by somberness. Luna looked devastated, but Celestia...
...she was staring intently at the staircase.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Something was coming down the stairs. It couldn't be a pony. No one was there except the ponies present. Celestia looked at the crying mares. None of them seemed to register the steps. She nudged Luna to get her attention.
"Sister, do you hear that?"
Luna dried her eyes and listened intently, her ears twitching back and forth.
"It sounds like someone's coming this way and they're...grumbling to themselves?"
Celestia nodded and kept her eye trained on the stairwell, trying her best not to disturb the grieving mares. She wasn't worried just yet. Naruto wasn't dead yet. He needed help, yes, but he wasn't dead. His breathing was shallow, his heartbeat slow. He was close to death. But close wasn't dead. Before she helped him, she wanted to make sure that they were in the clear.
The creature that turned the corner of the stairwell was one she'd never seen before, but she was used to them by now. She'd never thought she'd see one outside her dreams though. It was female, with long blonde pigtails trailing down her back. Her chest was massive and barely held in by a small gray shirt. She was solid, real, but the six mares didn't notice her. Only she and Luna seemed to be able to.
Her breath hitched as the unknown female creature stopped and looked at Naruto, her delicate eyebrows cocked. One hand went to her forehead, covering the blue diamond that adorned it, while the other hand went to her hip, balled in a fist. Her foot was tapping an angry stocatto on the tiled floor.
"I swear, you can be the stupidest, most dense idiot on the face of the earth, Naruto."
Celestia and Luna were taken aback. It wasn't hostile in its words. It sounded...sad and loving, full of care and disappointment and aggravation. They watched as she approached and knelt before the blonde maned pony. Her once angry eyes softened and she sighed.
"Always leaping in to help before you know the situation. Always willing to put yourself in harm's way to help others. When are you ever going to be a little self-serving? When are you going to learn that you can't take the weight of the world on your shoulders?"
Her pale hand, with its manicured and painted nails, rose up and came to a rest on the side of his cheek. Her smile was almost motherly.
"I hate how you do this to yourself, Naruto. You always do this. You tear your body apart just to help your friends. When will you learn that you have to let others help you? What will it take? You were given another chance and you just tried to throw it away."
A single tear slid from her eye and dropped to the tile below, simply dissipating ethereally.
"I can't be there to patch you up when you do stupid things anymore. You have to be more careful. I know you can't hear me, but you have to stop this. It hurts all of us to see you do this to yourself. And I'm not allowed to come again. You're supposed to be at peace here. Why do you always seek out trouble?"
The female's chocolate brown eyes closed and she leaned her forehead against his.
"Just be at peace, Naruto. That's all we want. We want you to be happy. You hear me, you stupid brat? Be happy, damn it!"
She leaned back and put her hands on either side of his head gingerly.
"This is the last time, Naruto. I can't do this ever again. You're on your own. I can't stand to see you broken and bloodied like this again. I saw it too often in that long ago time. Just be safe until we meet again."
She pressed her lips to his forehead as she had done so long ago. The blue diamond on her forehead shimmered and began to disappear. Everyone gasped and stood back as the wounds on his body began to smoke and sizzle, the cuts closing and the bruises disappearing. They could hear the sound of broken bones mending, snapping back into place. The blonde female leaned back and slowly slid him down the wall, taking care to gently lay him on his side. To those who couldn't see her, it looked natural, like his body had finally succumbed to gravity.
She stood to her full height, unbidden tears in her eyes as she looked down at him. Applejack exclaimed that he was breathing again with joy. Too soft for the Spirits of Harmony to hear, but magically carrying to the ears of the woman and the princesses, he murmured.
"...baa-chan..."
He'd never know he said it.
The grin that came to the woman's face threatened to split it and she wiped furiously at her eyes. Her form began to break apart and disappear from the feet up. As her torso began to mist away, she turned to the sisters, happy tear tracks running down her cheeks.
"I've waited so long to hear him say that again...damn brat..."
And like that she was gone.
Celestia wasted no time in teleporting everyone out of the ancient castle. She had had enough excitement for one day.
Naruto's eyes fought to stay closed. He hurt all over. He remembered fighting Nightmare Moon, but it was all a blur after she started slamming him around the throne room. Since he was alive and breathing, he could only assume that everything worked out in the end. He slowly let his gaze roll around the room. He was in his room on the farm.
Suddenly yellow and red invaded his vision and he was assaulted with a hug.
"OhMisterNarutoIwassoafraidwe'dlostyouandyouwouldn'twakeupandiwassoscared..."
Naruto gagged and tried to breath. He hadn't known Applebloom had that kind of strength in her.
"Applebloom...I can't...breathe..."
The little filly let go of him enough to where his windpipe wasn't crushed, but she wouldn't let go completely. He felt something wet hit his neck. She was crying. He put a leg around her and rubbed her back. He ignored the pain that it brought him.
"Shhh, shhh...its ok. Everything's ok. Don't cry. I've told you before to only cry when you're happy."
Applebloom hiccupped and giggled a bit.
"But I am happy. I'm happy you're alive."
She leaned back now and rubbed her eyes, trying to calm down.
"I was so scared you weren't going to wake up..."
"We all were."
Naruto leaned around the filly and locked eyes with Applejack, Big Mac and Granny Smith right behind her. He gave them a smile and laid his head back on the pillow.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself. We were afraid we'd lost ya."
"So I've heard."
"That was a right foolish thing you did, Naruto. You took on Nightmare Moon all by yourself. You should have died from what she did."
"I lead a charmed life."
Applejack stepped forward and lowered her head so that their gazes were even.
"You owe us all an explanation. Princess Celestia told us a bit, but she said that the story was yours to tell. So, when you're feeling up to it, you owe us a story, Lieutenant."
Naruto cringed. He'd momentarily forgotten about his little show at the Celebration.
"There's not much to tell, Applejack."
Her look of incredulity seemed to burn him.
"Really? Not much to tell, hmm? Seems like you're seriously underestimating your value to Princess Celestia then."
He cocked an eyebrow and she tipped her hat back, a habit she'd picked up when she was about to make a point.
"Oh, that's right. You've been out, so you don't know. Right now there's two royal guards outside your door. There's five more out in the orchard bucking trees. We haven't done a lick of work in over a week because the Princess wanted us to let her know as soon as you woke up. We've been watching you round the clock, unless I'm in town selling apples. Those guards are working like they have something to prove. They guard the door like its a matter of life and death. You. Have. Some. Explaining. To. Do. Mister."
Naruto sighed and began to try to prop himself up. Big Mac ambled forward and helped him into a sitting position. His breathing labored for a second. Everything hurt.
"Alright. Let's do this before I lose my nerve or pass out."
It had been hours since he'd told the Apple family his backstory. It hadn't been as hard as he thought. He trusted the Apples. They were good, honest folk. It had spilled forth from his mouth. Hour upon hour passed and they hung on every word.
He'd told them everything. From being practically raised by the Princess, to joining the military, to being her bodyguard. He told them what the medals above his bed meant, what he'd recieved them for. Military honors. Exemplary service.
He told them everything. His trials as the only Earth pony in the three Court Guards. How he became a role model for newer recruits because, if he could make it, how could they not? He told them of his rising in the ranks. He told them of the things he'd done, the places he went.
And Applejack shared the story of her adventures on the way to the castle and how Twilight Sparkle had figured out exactly which Element they each were as their journey wound on. He'd chuckled and told her that her being the Spirit of Honesty was't too much of a stretch. She always said what was on her mind, even when no one wanted to hear it.
They'd left when he started yawning. Applebloom wanted to stay and keep him company but Big Mac had shuffled her out, saying he needed his rest. Granny Smith promised him a big breakfast in the morning and left. Applejack turned before she went out and gave him a smile.
"Thank you."
The door shut and Naruto rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. He was asleep within minutes.
He could feel himself being watched. It was annoying. All he wanted was to sleep and regain his strength and maybe not hurt so much. He groaned and pulled the covers tighter. Through the fog of his mind he heard a familiar giggle. He rolled over and looked out of a slit in the sheets only to be met with two big twinkling, mischievious familiar eyes.
"Boo."
He yelped and fell off the bed in a tangle of limbs and covers and curses. Celestia laughed demurely behind her hoof and looked down at her gawking sister. The poor thing was still unused to how things were nowadays and stuck to her side like glue.
"See, Luna? I told you my old student was quite funny."
Another string of muffled curses came from the blankets as Naruto struggled to release himself and she thumped him with a hoof.
"Naruto, language! There are ladies present."
And done. More to come soon. Let me know what you think.