DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything used in this work of fiction. There, half-assedly done and to the point- my trademarks.
The words don't always come easy, I guess. I'm just no good at sitting still and focusing to begin with . . . and some things I just don't want to remember. Some things, though . . . I don't ever want to forget.
I've always been a doer, a fighter- not so much a thinker. Certainly not a writer. But time keeps moving, passing even me by.
I get asked a lot of questions, you know. Who I really am. Where I came from. My past. Only a few, a very, truly precious few have those answers. I feel like it's time to leave something behind while I still have the chance. To answer those questions for all the world. Leave something of myself behind, I suppose. Yeah, something like that.
In a way it can be said it all began one fateful night in Konoha. A horrific encounter that ended so many lives and scarred so many more, my own included. That's not where I think it really starts though. I think the truly important things began with my new life, my new precious ones. So that's where I'll start.
Better be careful though. If my writing's too sloppy or I ramble on too much Twi might lecture me again. Spelling and grammar. Sentence structure. Something like that. Hehe.
Nine impossibly massive tails waved lazily in the breeze. This was, after all, the most anticipated event of the day. Sunset. No need to ruin it with unnecessary wastes of energy.
Thinking back, Kurama could remember the day that its container decided to "spruce the place up because I'm freakin' tired of landing my happy ass in a damn sewer every time I hit my head too hard. Which is way too often, by the way.". The dreary mental landscape was soon replaced by an endless sunlit field. An ancient tree stood near the center, a single conspicuous piece of paper pasted haphazardly to its giant trunk.
The peaceful moments had been interrupted by periodic rumbling in the distance. Storm clouds, thunder clashing violently on the northern horizon. The setting sun seemed more dismal this time, the globe of warmth and light sinking more quickly than usual and rapidly plunging the land into darkness.
Ears pricking ever so slightly, the Kyuubi turned its head to pin its expected guest with a somber gaze. "I've been waiting for you, brat."
A figure, dwarfed by the massive nine-tailed fox, emerged from behind the tree. Using one hand to steady himself against the old tree a familiar blonde emerged into the growing twilight and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, furball. I was kind of busy fighting an epic last battle to save the world and all that. Did I keep you waiting long?"
With a nearly imperceptible shake of the head the Kyuubi returned to staring at the setting sun, mindful to avoid looking at the gathering storm quickly closing in from the north. "You're dying. Is it worth so much to you? Your victory?"
Leaning more of his weight against the tree and resting his head against the rough bark, the young man joined his . . . prisoner? Unwilling companion? No . . . friend. Naruto joined his friend in watching the sun dip down below the western edge of this world he himself crafted. His eyes were somber and the grin had faded away completely as if it had never existed to begin with, imaginary like the grassy field around them. "I had to win no matter what. I promised. I promised everyone I would protect them and that's exactly what I did."
Letting loose a grunt of effort at the sudden strain the shinobi detached himself from the old tree and padded closer to Kurama. "I still have one last promise to keep, though."
He was met with deep, rumbling laughter. "Oh? The great Uzumaki would fight to keep his word even on the edge of death?"
Finally reaching his intended destination, Naruto stood beside his infinitely larger- and arguably grouchier- counterpart. "You know me so well. Why, we're practically an old married couple! We have technically been together for almost twenty years. Oh! And to think, I'd nearly forgotten to get you an anniversary present!"
Eyes closing, the Kyuubi did not bother to respond to the halfhearted joke. This was oddly painful. Confusing as well because it could not understand why it hurt so.
Sensing the mood in the air Naruto decided to do what he did best. Second best, too. He cut straight to the heart of the matter and did the unexpected. "It's already gone now. The seal, I mean. You're free now, just like I said."
Kurama's eyes shot open again in surprise and some vague sense of trepidation as it fought the urge to look at the paper seal that it could already sense was gone. "You . . . you would really . . ?"
The blonde ninja pressed on as if he hadn't heard the fox speak at all. "Now you better not go on a rampage or something. I'll be watching you. If you're not on your best behavior I'll haunt your furry ass for the rest of eternity."
Sagging slightly, he fought to stay on his feet. "You can leave whenever you want."
A short, labored intake of breath. "You can leave whenever you want, but . . . I'd appreciate it if you would stay here for just a little bit longer. Just to watch the sun set with me, one last time."
His voice had dropped lower and lower toward the end, the Kyuubi noted with a growing feeling of- displeasure? The tiny human was visibly shuddering with the strain of simply standing now. Tiny motes of blue light drifted away from the jinchūriki who now seemed . . . less. Like a vibrant shout that had been quieted to a breathless whisper.
Gently, the nine-tails scooped up the dying boy with a single tail and held him close under its chin. A familiar scent, embedded deep into memory from years of familiarity, entered its sensitive nose. It hadn't been able to detect Naruto's scent even when right next to each other. That, too, was fading. "I see. Even as you leave this world you would still seek to bring happiness to those around you. Do you not understand the folly of such reasoning, Naruto?"
The sky had already darkened. Only a sliver of light remained over the western horizon now. This would soon fade away as well, lost forever. Yes, forever . . .
"Foolish child. In what world did you ever think that death and joy go hand in hand? Even the world of shadows that you shinobi live, toil and die in is not so cruel."
The weight in Kurama's tail was gone now. It was as if it was merely trying to hold up air. Some part of the fox rallied against the idea of glancing down at its fragile cargo. It won. "And you. You would have me simply leave this place, leave YOU, and what? Enjoy my newfound freedom? Perhaps frolic in a meadow somewhere with all the little woodland creatures?! Do you think ME capable of that particular brand of cruelty as well?!"
The Kyuubi's voice had risen to a fevered pitch, booming out across the land. The fox raged now, all the world quaking at the frenzied wrath of eight tails lashing furiously at nothing and everything. "Perhaps it never occurred to you that I could be somehow inconvenienced or maybe even upset at your untimely passing?! That I might just prefer it if you actually survived your idiotic quest and found a bit of happiness for YOURSELF, some measure of PEACE?!"
It howled to the high heavens, drowning out even the thunder that crept ever closer.
"Did such thoughts never even manage to span the endless gap of stupidity that exists between your ears, fool child?!"
Just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. Kurama lifted the pitiful remains of its former jailer to eye level. All that remained now was a blue colored fog, vaguely humanoid in shape. Even that was evaporating into nothingness as it watched on with the calm of one who knows what must be done and has accepted it entirely. Softly, it spoke again. "No, boy. Our fates are intertwined, yours and mine. Where you go, I go- and I choose the chill of the grave for neither of us."
Red tendrils of power began to leak out from the fox's body, traveling up its tail and coiling around the blue wisps, binding them together. The rest of its tails snaked forward to wrap around them tenderly. Protectively. Possessively. "No. Not even Death may part us. I won't let it."
The outside world was an eerie reflection of Naruto's mindscape now- or perhaps it would be more accurate to say the mindscape was the reflection. Rain had begun to pour harshly from above, gusts of wind uncaringly battering an already broke landscape. Flashes of lightning illuminated a hellish scene from a truly demented nightmare.
Craters littered the area like hideous pockmarks. Already they were filled to the brim with murky rainwater, bubbling over and running in dark rivulets that swirled around the burned and smashed husks of trees, little more than scarred stumps and scattered tinder.
Bodies, torn and bloodied, dotted the earth. It was some small mercy that they had begun to sink into the mud and away from sight. Already many of them resembled nothing more than grotesque tumors marring the ground.
One such grisly protuberance swelled and heaved momentarily before bursting, drowned soil flung about in all directions.
In its place a bedraggled youth crouched low. Soaked blonde hair draped down over his eyes, casting them in darkness. A shuddering breath escaped the hunched figure as it slowly raised itself to full height. Red, slitted eyes cast about the area for several heartbeats before settling on something half buried in a shallow ditch nearby.
Naruto's body began to take halting steps toward its goal, movements unnatural and wooden. It was, after all, merely a puppet for another and recent death had made the joints stiff and unyielding. Even if it could be forced to draw in air and its heart coaxed into beating, this body was still dead. Even the Kyuubi's greatest efforts had not been able to keep it alive.
Another would be needed.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the body reached its goal. A pony, covered in mud, breath shallow as its eyes stared sightlessly at nothing. Either a wild creature unfortunately caught in the crossfire or a beast of burden for some ninja or other. It mattered not. The beast's back had been broken by the unparalleled destructive forces being thrown around what used to be a small forest. Fortuitously, it still lived- even if it was already breathing its last.
It could be used.
Without further contemplation or delay, the fox in a young man's body knelt down and sank unnaturally long, sharp canines into the pony's neck. After a few seconds flashes of demonic red chakra began to flare around the bite wounds, slowly spreading out before eventually encompassing the entire beast. Seconds more and the blonde ninja's eyes returned to their normal blue before becoming glassy, empty. Dead.
Naruto's body crumpled backwards, sinking back into the welcoming mud. It did not matter in the least, however, to Kurama as the fox set about mending the pony's broken body. A few quick alterations were made here and there even as the nine-tails began to gather the remainder of its considerable power. After all, no matter what the body it is the soul that determines who you are.
And who Naruto Uzumaki happened to be is an idiotic child that would likely get himself killed again on some inane fool's errand, pony body or no.
Clearly, this could not be allowed to happen. Not again.
Clearly, the stupid brat would be better off somewhere more . . . peaceful. A place where his heroic nature wouldn't get him offed by yet another megalomaniac on a power trip gunning after world domination.
It also wouldn't hurt to figure out a place where the stupid boy- colt? Foal? Oh, whatever. A place where Naruto would be able to fit in. Hmm . . .
With that in mind, the great Kyuubi no Kitsune began to craft an eldritch construct of a scale never before witnessed by mortals.
But really, it practically sneezed minor destructive miracles that were almost as amazing. Almost.
Near the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, a burst of arcane fire announced the unceremonious arrival of one Naruto Uzumaki. Smoke still drifted lazily in the air, obscuring the sleeping young nin, er, pony from view.
Heh, with any luck the Kyuubi had managed to incinerate one or two adorable, defenseless woodland creatures with that completely unnecessary flashy entrance.
. . . What? Even great tailed beasts had to have a hobby of some sort. Some just happened to be more productive than others. And less psychotic.
With a yawn, the nine-tailed fox tapped into this world's nearby ley lines of arcane power and began to take in some basic information about this . . . Equestria? Interesting.
Another yawn.
It had expended almost the entirety of its considerable strength in its recent endeavors. It would need to rest for a long while in order to replenish itself. It could sort through the information later, after awakening again.
Still, though, Kurama couldn't help but feel that it had forgotten something . . . important. Oh, yes! Vocal cords. After all, apparently the ponies of this world could speak. With the alterations to Naruto's new body he would blend in reasonably well- however, it was still just a regular pony from another world. It could only really neigh and snort.
Hmm, maybe that should have been a higher priority to fix up than a few cosmetic alterations?
. . . Nah.
The brat could stand to learn how to talk less, anyway.
Kurama could just change the body to be able to talk after it woke up. Whenever that would be.
Not Kurama's problem, that's when that would be.
With a snort, the fox curled up in preparation to doze off within its new home- right next to Naruto's own soul. Much better than that stupid seal. It was pleasantly warm here. Not temperature wise, mind you.
Perfect to give the Kyuubi a few good dreams about combusting bunnies, detonating deer and igniting . . . uh . . . iguanas.
Opening one eye for a moment just before drifting off, Kurama raised a single tail up, smirked and . . .
. . . effectively punched Naruto. In the soul. Socked him right in his existence.
Probably not the nicest way to wake the boy-turned-pony up but it sure was effective. And fun. Cathartic, really.
See? Things were looking up already.
Naruto woke with a start, twitching violently. From his position on his back all four of his hooves waved in the air comically.
OW! My soul! Was that you, furball?! What in the he- wait, hooves? HOOVES?!
The deceptive peace of the Everfree Forest was shattered by an earth-shaking neigh, driven by fury and confusion.
*&^ #($& (#$*^$ *# (?!
This, too, was comical.
Ahaha. A Possessive Kyuubi. Kind of like having a possessive girlfriend. That you can never get rid of. And that happens to also be an ancient entity of unparalleled destructive potential. Yep, that there's wifey, Naruto.