WHAT'S UP! It is I, the one and only jhasd12. I am here to present you with yet ANOTHER chapter!
Just so you know, I'm going to do this for two more chapters just to get the point across. (Read Below)
Disclaimers: I do not own Naruto or My Little Pony, they go to their rightful owners.
Chapter 3: Shadows Part 1: Cousin
(Night Time-Castle: Naruto's Room)
(Dream)
"GET BACK HERE!" A figure knocked over a trash can. The figure got up and revealed Naruto in his human form.
He didn't have time to figure out why he's back in his human form since he's trying to get away from his pursuers.
He ran for what felt like hours, until he took a right turn in to an alley and met a dead-end.
"We finally caught you this time." Naruto turned around to see five villagers blocking his exit. He slowly backs away to the end of the alley.
The villagers came towards him, pitch forks, knives, and any other sharp objects they could get their hands on. They grinned maliciously at him.
"This time, you will DIE!" one villager shouted before he brought his knife down.
(Dream End)
"NOOOOO!" Naruto woke up from his nightmare and looked around the room frantically.
The two guards that were guarding his room came rushing in, their weapons ready for anything. (AN: I still don't get how they could hold items or play string instruments. But it is a cartoon, so yeah nuff said.)
"Young prince, are you alright?" an earth pony guard asked worriedly.
Naruto saw their weapons and jumped to the corner of the room as far away as he could get. "GO AWAY!"
His shouting took the guards by surprised. "But young highness, is-"
"I SAID GO AWAY!" Naruto shouted, closing his eyes shut as if that would make the guards go away.
The guards stood there for a moment before one whispered to the other. "Go get the Princess. I'll stay here in case he does anything reckless" The guard nodded and went out the door to get the Princess.
It didn't take long before Celestia teleported into the room with the guard and found Naruto cowering in the corner. She told the guards that she will handle this and told them to leave. Once they left, she turned back to her son.
"Naruto, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.
Naruto knew she was worried about his well-being. Since the only negative emotions he could feel from her was sadness and concern. "Why?"
Celestia raised an eyebrow at him at his weird question. "Why what?"
Naruto looked at her with a sad face. "You showed nothing but kindness to me, when you barely even know me. So tell me, why do you care when others just try to kill me or just plain ignore me?"
Celestia had a forlorn look at what he said before laying down in front of him. "Do I need a reason to care for you? I saw a little colt being attacked. I don't need a reason to help, I just did what was right."
Naruto looked away from her to look at the moon. Every time he wants to clear his head he either looks up at the moon or check out the scenery from a high place, but tonight it doesn't seem like its working, so he turned back to Celestia.
"But, you barely even know me." His ears lowered as he said it.
Celestia sighed before bringing Naruto into a hug, she paid no heed to his little flinch. "I know enough that you were in dire need of some type of guidance. I know that you don't trust me right now, but I hope that you would eventually will. Because you are my son and I will always protect you. Don't you ever forget that, " she said the last part with a smile.
At first Naruto thought that she was being nice to him because she pitied him, but he couldn't feel that emotion from her, only kindness and comfort. "Thank you miss." he whispered.
Celestia heard what he said and it saddened her that he didn't call her mom, she figured it was just a spur of the moment thing that he called her that yesterday. She was about to say more but Naruto was already sleeping soundly in her embrace. She smiled at him before laying him down on the bed, she laid down next to him in case he got another nightmare.
-XXXX-
The first thing Naruto felt when he woke up was warmth. He felt so at peace like there was nothing in the world that could ruin what he was feeling right now.
Naruto's eyes opened slowly only to see a familiar flowing multi-colored mane. He saw Celestia looking at him with a smile.
"Good morning." she greeted.
Naruto rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before greeting the Princess. Their midnight conversation still fresh on his mind. He decided that he will at least give her a chance since he didn't feel anything negative from her that might endanger him.
"Good morning." he greeted back.
After eating their breakfast, which Naruto needed a lot of help with, they went to the garden so Celestia could talk with Naruto.
"Naruto, I know that you're not quite used to being in a new place, but I promised nothing will happen to you here." she assured him.
Naruto smiled softly at her, he was about to say something but saw a familiar purple filly came running towards them.
"Naruto!" Twilight shouted as she stopped running when she got close to the royal ponies.
For some reason his personality went from guarded to happy when he saw his first friend other than Kurama, who for some reason has been quiet for the duration of his time when he got to Equestria.
'I need to see what Kurama's doing later, he's been awfully quiet lately.' he thought before greeting Twilight. "Morning Twilight, anything good happening today?" he asked.
As the two converse, off to the side Celestia pouted slightly. 'It's not fair, how come she gets treated differently?' She didn't know that Naruto still has a slight fear of any living being bigger than him, except for Kurama, since all they ever did was try to kill him. Twilight is different because she's the same size as him and the Leaf village only told their children to stay away from him, and she was the first person or pony to actually interact with him positively.
A pegasus guard flew down in front of her and kneeled. "Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence has arrived."
Celestia's eyes widened, she completely forgot that she had Cadence foal-sit Twilight a week prior since she has a lot of stuff she needed to do for the kingdom.
Twilight overheard what the guard and jumped up and down in joy. "Yay! Cadence is coming! Cadence is coming!"
Naruto gave her a questioning look. "Who's Cadence?"
Twilight stopped jumping and gasped at Naruto "Cadence is only the BEST foal-sitter in all of foal-sitter history. She's caring, fun-loving and spreads love wherever she goes. You'll never find another foal-sitter like her." she said as she started jumping again.
Naruto sweat-dropped. "But that barely even answered my question on who she is."
"She's your cousin." Celestia said, jumping in to the conversation. Her sudden appearance made Naruto run behind the nearest tree. Realizing what she has done she reassured Naruto that nothing will happen. "Don't worry, It's just me."
Naruto slowly comes out of his hiding place and went back to Twilight so she can talk to him about Cadence more, but not before nodding towards Celestia.
It wasn't long before the guards brought in a pony, but not just any pony, it was Mi Amore Cadenza or Cadence. She had a pale, light grayish cerise coat with a moderate violet with moderate rose and pale gold streaks mane. And light purple eyes. Her cutie mark was in the shape of a cyan-colored crystal heart with multiple facets around its center. Her mane tied in a ponytail by a darker shade cyan ribbon.
"Greetings Aunt Celestia" she greeted her adoptive aunt with a bow. She glanced to the side at Twilight, to find an orange ALICORN?! Her jaw dropped at seeing another alicorn aside from her and her aunt.
Celestia saw her expression and couldn't help but laugh. "I see you've met my son. Cadence, this is Naruto your cousin."
Cadence fainted hearing at the news, Celestia and the guards that brought her in had a small laugh, Twilight was freaking out that her foal-sitter was unconscious, while Naruto was watching the whole event with a question mark over his head.
-XXXX-
Cadence slowly woke up to find she was in one of the suites in the castle. She looked around and saw Twilight and her supposed cousin doing her and Twilight's special hoof-shake.
"OK, let's do it again." Twilight instructed.
Naruto nodded. "All right."
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" they both said as they did a series of movements and ending with them turning away from each other and did a shake.
"You got it!" It surprised her that Naruto was able to get it in a couple of hours. It took a few of days for Twilight and Cadence to make and perfect it. And here was Naruto doing it in a couple of hours!
"Um, hello there." Cadence said to get their attention.
It did get their attention, the two child ponies gave a quick glance at each other before hugging the living daylights out of her.
"Cadence/Cousin!" they shouted at the same time. It lifted the weight off their chests knowing that she was awake.
Returning the hug, she wondered why they were hugging her. Twilight she could understand, but her cousin, she didn't, but welcomed the hug nonetheless.
"You're OK!" Twilight said.
"Of course I'm OK. Why wouldn't I be?" she said after she broke the hug. She wondered what has gotten them so worked up.
"You've been asleep for three days." Naruto said, lowering his ears.
"THREE DAYS!" Cadence exclaimed. How could she have been asleep for three days? She suddenly hears a clicking sound and a flash.
Cadence heard the two little ponies snickering softly.
"I can't believe she fell for it." Twilight said, covering her muzzle to hold in her laughter that was bound to happen.
"All right, enough teasing her, you silly little ponies." The three ponies turned to the voice and saw Celestia walking in.
"What are you talking about Auntie? I need to go back to the crystal empire everypony must be worried sick!" Cadence said frantically.
"No need to fret, they're only playing with you. You've only been asleep for a couple of hours." That eased her worries.
When Cadence calmed down, she looked at the children still grinning at her. "Why~" She whined cutely.
Twilight stuck her tongue out to her. "It was for taking the last cheese cake last year." She then looked towards Naruto. "And Naruto here came up with the idea."
Naruto just grinned and rubbed the back of his head. Cadence then remembered something. "Wait a minute, I remember a bright flash."
Instead of answering, Twilight brought out a camera and Naruto was holding, between his teeth, a photo. Cadence looked closer at it and saw it was her with a shocked expression. She blushed in embarrassment because she looked kinda stupid.
"Can you give me the photo?" She asked, kindly.
The filly and colt shook their heads and galloped past Celestia, laughing along the way.
Cadence looked at her Aunt. "Is he really your son?" she asked.
Celestia's smile turned into a frown and sighed. "Yes, yesterday he was accepting me as his new mother, but something happened and everything went south from there."
Cadence heard her say "new mother" and asked what she meant. Celestia explained to her that Naruto wasn't originally her son. She informed the young princess on her son's life, but left out important facts such as the giant fox that resides within his stomach and that he was once a creature that walked on two legs. That type of information will go with her to the grave, unless Naruto tells it himself or he gives her permission.
Cadence cried throughout the explanation, she didn't understand how ponies could be so cruel to a sweet little colt. She promised herself that she would help the colt with whatever he needs help with.
"I'll do whatever I can to help him." She said after wiping away the last of her tears.
"Thank you, but aren't you forgetting something?" She said trying to lighten the mood. Cadence looked at her quizzically wanting to know what she meant.
Celestia rolled her eyes. "The photo, the two ponies have of you." she said dragging it out.
Cadence's eyes widened. "AH! The photo, I can't let anypony see that." She got out of the bed to give chase to the filly and colt.
-XXXX-
"Come on~ Can I please have the photo." Cadence said as she went for another dive at the photo. She tried using her magic but Twilight countered it using her own. She also tried sneaking up on them, but her cousin, that she hasn't gotten the name of yet due to shock from earlier, always seemed to know when she was about to strike and dodges every time.
Naruto dodged her as he has the photo in his mouth. This game of catch the photo has been going on for about five minutes.
Off to the sides guards stationed around the garden were looking at the royalties and royalty's student. "Bet you five bits that she won't catch those two." The guard next to him just shook his head at the guard's childishness.
"Do you think we should give it to her?" He asked his partner in crime. She paused for a minute and nodded her head.
He gave Twilight the photo before they slowly walk up to the princess, he watched her stand up. He grinned before saying, "That was fun! Let's do it again someday."
Cadence didn't give them a reply, but watched as they got closer. She waited until they got close enough, and tackled them to the ground and started tickling their sides.
"HAHAHAHA!" They laughed uncontrollably at getting tickled to death by Cadence.
"Do you give up yet?" she questioned.
"N-n-never!" Naruto managed to say before Cadence upped the pressure. They tried to hold in their laughter, but it was too much for them.
After the three ponies stopped playing, Twilight gave the photo to Cadence, which she promptly destroyed it. They spent the next couple of hours just talking and getting to know each other. Naruto told them about yesterday's event.
"You wouldn't believe it, Cadence. When Princess Celestia and I got to the HeartCruz Hospital it was chaotic, ponies of all kind were bumping into each other, things were breaking, papers were flying everywhere. That is, until the Princess made herself known and everypony bowed to her." Twilight said excitedly, "Then I found Naruto here inside a clo-" She didn't get to say more as Naruto blocked her muzzle a hoof.
"Okay, Okay! She gets it." he said blushing, he didn't want his new cousin to hear about his meeting with Twilight went. It was embarrassing to find out that she met him in a closet.
"A what? Twilight." she didn't get the last part, but something else was on her mind. 'Naruto? How very peculiar name for a pony.'
"Its nothing! Don't worry about it." Not wanting to have Twilight the chance to answer her. It slightly miffed Twilight that she got interrupted, but got over it thinking that he was just embarrassed about something.
"Oh, Okay."
"So Naruto, I saw that you manage to perfect our special hoof-shake." Cadence said.
Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "I wouldn't say its "perfect"but I know how to do the steps for it.
"Oh, don't be so modest. I saw you do it with Twilight when you thought I was still unconscious, and I just have to say it was a stupendous performance. It took us days to make and perfect it. And when I saw that you completed it in a couple of hours, I was completely astonished."
Naruto just sat there listening to her praise him, he didn't know what to think as he never had any type of positive emotions from anyone other than Kurama and the old man.
"Can you show me how you did it?"
"Huh?" Her voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Cadence and Twilight giggled at his cluelessness. "I asked if you want to do the hoof-shake with me."
Naruto was a little nervous, but nodded nonetheless. "Okay."
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"
Twilight bobbed up and down like a rabbit watching her first friend and foal-sitter interact with one another. A bright idea suddenly sprang in her little head. "Ooh, Cadence! Cadence! We should definitely incorporate Naruto in our hoof-shake."
Cadence and Naruto looked at her, confused. "How are we going to do that Twilight?" Cadence asked. "We designed it for two ponies only."
Twilight deflated at what she said. "I just thought it would be a lot of fun now that we have Naruto with us."
Cadence rubbed the top of her head soothingly without touching her horn.
"Its alright Twilight, you don't need to include me. It's your special ha-hoof-shake after all." Naruto almost said "hand" but manages to recover. 'Man, that was close.' Nopony seemed to pick up on his mistake except for Cadence.
'What was he going to say?' she thought. She looked at her cousin for a few more seconds before dropping it as it didn't seem to be of importance.
"So, I heard you came from the Crystal Empire. What's it like over there?" He questioned, trying to divert the attention away from him.
"Well you see Naruto, um may I call you Naruto?" She didn't want her adoptive aunt getting mad at her for disrespecting her son. Getting a nod, she continued. "I was a previous resident here, in Canterlot, before I move to the Crystal Empire as an ambassador of sorts to help the Crystal Ponies adjust to society."
She started telling him about the Crystal Empire and how it had a 1000-year curse that caused it to vanish, only reappearing recently. She told them about how it was once ruled by an evil pony by the name of King Sombra.
"So even here, there are bad people." Naruto whispered fearfully. His legs started trembling, Twilight and Cadence didn't notice as they were absorbed in their conversation, but the guards did and one of the Pegasus guards quickly flew away to get the Princess.
"But that is until Princess Celestia came and defeated the evil king and turned him into shadow before banishing him in the arctic north of Equestria."
Naruto stopped shaking, after hearing that his mother? defeat the evil pony. The word "mother" felt a little foreign to him than it was yesterday. He unconsciously started to smile, he didn't know it but he was slowly growing closer to thinking of Celestia as a mother.
"Well, now isn't this a wonderful scene." a benevolent voice said.
They turned their heads and saw Celestia gracefully gliding down towards them. Cadence and Twilight bowed, while Naruto just stood there. One reason of the reason he didn't bow was in shock. The other was he didn't know how to bow as a pony.
"Princess Celestia, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked kindly.
"I have two reasons for being here. One is to see if all of you are getting along. From the looks of it, you ponies were having a lot of fun." She said smiling, before turning to Cadence. "The second reason is for Cadence."
Cadence looked surprised at being called. "Me?"
"Yes, can I ask you give Naruto residence at the Crystal Empire while I attend to other duties away. I don't want him to stay locked up in the castle."
"Y-yes, of course! I would be honored to do it." Happy that she was doing something to help the adult princess for all the things she has done for her.
"Twilight you need to go too." She said to her student. "But keep up with your studies.
"Yay! I'll get to see the Crystal Empire!" Twilight cheered. "I will Princess Celestia."
Celestia gave Naruto a hug, which he reluctantly and awkwardly hugged her back. She sighed before letting go of him and flew to who knows where.
"Come along, Naruto. We need to head out early because it's a long way from here." They all started heading out.
Two green eyes with red irises watch them leave behind a tree, covering its entire form. "Soon, you will all soon fall." It whispered before dispersing in black smoke.
Naruto's left ear twitched and looked to a tree where he thought he heard the sound.
"Come on Naruto,we need to get going." Twilight shouted for him to hurry it up. Naruto took one last look at the tree before catching to Twilight.
Chapter End
-Clarifications-
Naruto's fear of adults: You should already know that he was treated badly by the adults in the Leaf. Other than the Old Man, Kurama has been the only one to befriend Naruto. Yesterday (Chapter 2), Naruto was ecstatic because another one was being nice to him, so that's why he kept calling Celestia mom in the previous chapters. The reason he went back to fearing adults was because of the crowd of ponies at the hospital. (Read Chapter 2, if you don't know what I'm talking about.)
Miscellaneous: I don't know if Cadence move in the Crystal Empire before or after Sombra, so I just did the former.
If I left something because I'm really tired when I wrote this. Please don't hesitate to tell me.
I also tried proof-reading it, I tried my best. If there's still problems with the grammar I will try to find a BETA.
That's all for now. Stay Frosty, no flames, and review if you want.
-jhasd12 out-
