Yeah so the favorite Review goes to RazorShuriken: "Yes...YES! MORE! YOUR PONY SUSTAINS ME!"
...Yeah, I don't know what it means either. It's stupid/funny though!
Here we go! Disclaimer away!
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and My Little Pony is a product of the amazing Hasbro Company. I earn no profit from this...though I probably could.
Live to Rise
4: Mare in the Moon, Pt 1
"You sure you'll be able to stay up for this, Scoot?" Naruto asked his sister as the little filly rode on his back towards the Town Square. Scootaloo scowled and sat up on his back.
"I'm gonna be fine!" the filly replied stubbornly replied before yawning. Naruto looked back at her smugly, getting a deeper scowl from the filly.
"I'm not tired," reiterated Scootaloo stubbornly, "I was just...practicing!"
"Really?" The blonde stallion asked with a arched brow, "And what were you practicing for, may I ask?"
"Uh..." "Yeah, that's what I thought," Naruto chuckled out when his sister was unable to come up with a good reply. The filly huffed and crossed her forelegs with a pout on her face. She brightened up when Big Macintosh slowly came up to Naruto's side, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle on his back.
"Hi Scootaloo!" her two friends greeted her, to which she eagerly responded. The fillies soon fell into a calm conversation, leaving the two stallions free to talk without eavesdroppers.
"So, this thing is to celebrate Princess Celestia's Sun rising, right?" Naruto asked his friend.
Big Mac nodded and shifted his sprig, "Eeyup."
"Ok...Then why did we stay up all night throwing a party at the library?" questioned the orange stallion. Big Mac hummed in thought; his friend brought up a good point. While the Summer Sun Celebration usually started at Dawn, why did most ponies insist on staying up all night? To tire themselves out for the afternoon? That's usually what happened at Sweet Apple Acres, anyway.
"I mean think about it," Naruto continued, breaking his friend from his thoughts, "We just had a party for some new Unicorn from Canterlot, right? Why didn't we call it a night like four, five hours ago, and then wake up now? I tried, and Pinkie freakin sicked this little foal on me."
To get his point across, he paused and slightly bucked, making Scootaloo cry out in surprise while she tried to hold on to his mane. The stallion returned into a full upright stance and looked over at the glowering filly. Naruto gave her a innocent smile, "Sorry, thought something crawled up my hind leg."
"Meanie..." complained the filly before she looked at her friends, "See what I have to deal with?"
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom giggled tiredly, both trying (and failing spectacularly mind you) to hide their own exhaustion. The three had been discussing their elder siblings and had been quietly arguing over whose was the worst. Sweetie Belle claimed it was Rarity due to her stuffiness; Applebloom claimed Applejack had the victory in the bag because she was stubborn at times and bossy at others; and Scootaloo said Naruto was the only reasonable choice (not in those words) because of his more mischievious side.
"Ah, you love me for it," Naruto dismissed his complaining sister before looking back at his friend, "So anyway, what was I saying?"
"Sumthin' 'bout why we shouldn't have ta stay up all night," Big Mac said before stifling a yawn of his own. The after-effects of his intoxication were wearing on him. Darn his prankster of a friend. And darn his intolerance for alcohol!
"Oh yeah..." Naruto said with a nod before he continued his rant, "So what's so important that we have to stay up all night long? Is there some sort of cake or something? Ugh, now I'm starting to sound like Pinkie Pie..."
"And that's a bad thing?" The sudden question had Naruto jump in shock, consequently jostling Scootaloo, before he rounded on the smirking pink pony.
"Dammit Pinkie, don't do that!" the rustic orange stallion hissed at the giggling mare. Scowling, Naruto then looked over his shoulder at his passenger, "You ok, Scoot?"
"Uh-huh..." replied a shaking filly, her forelegs pressed tightly against his shoulders in an effort to hold on. Naruto gave her an apologetic look before looking back at the party pony.
"And your reason for scaring us is...?" Naruto asked. Pinkie Pie giggled before throwing her left foreleg around his neck in a hug.
"Scare you? I was merely asking what's so wrong with acting like me?" Pinkie asked with a grin before pulling out a mock frown, "O-Or do you not like me?"
Naruto rolled his eyes and pulled himself out of the mare's embrace, "Not gonna work, Pink. Don't you have something to do for the Celebration?"
"Nope! Finished yesterday! And I was busy with Twilight Sparkle's party earlier so I couldn't do anything for Princess Celestia. But she's gonna love the cake I made! It's a vanilla swirl cake with orange, yellow and red sprinkles! Don't tell anypony, but I put an extra batch of sugar in the cake, that way we all wake up for the party! Hey, there's Twilight, come on!"
Before he could get a word in, Naruto was dragged away by the energetic pony. He looked back to see a giggling Scootaloo now seated with her friends on Macintosh's back. His own friend had an amused smirk that made the orange stallion's eye twitch.
So, Mac knew Pinkie was behind me all along, eh? This means WAR! Naruto's thoughts were cut off as he suddenly ran into the stage where Mayor Mare was going to make her speech. Dazed, Naruto backpedaled before falling on his butt, his head spinning from the impact.
"Oopsie!" Pinkie giggled out, though it sounded a bit distorted, "Sorry about that, Naruto! You ok?"
"W-W-Where's the leak, Ma'am?" Asked the dizzy stallion before he shook the confusion away, "Ugh, Pinkie don't ever do that again."
"Sorry about that," sheepishly apologized the pony before looking at the Unicorn next to her, "So anyway, where was I?"
"Are you sure you're ok?" Twilight asked Naruto, attempting to try and keep Pinkie Pie from going on another ramble.
"Hm? Oh yeah, I can take as many hits to the head as...uh...Anyway, the point is I've got a hard head," Naruto decided on for a response. The purple Unicorn gave him a scrutinizing gaze before looking at the stage when Mayor Mare started to speak. Naruto tuned the speech basically 'starting' the whole celebration, or so he assumed, and looked at the moon.
The image of the Alicorn mare within it flickered briefly before vanishing completely, and his blue eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. He scanned the crowd, searching for anyone else who may have noticed the incident. All he saw was Twilight, and a frown went across his features.
A Unicorn from Canterlot arrives to check on the preparations for this Celebration-thingy and the Mare in the Moon vanishes? Naruto mused silently before looking up at the balcony where Celestia was to raise the sun from when everypony gasped, only for Rarity to duck in and look around for her.
"This can't be good," Twilight muttered to herself. Naruto silently agreed with the mare, holding a smirk back as Pinkie tried to keep everypony calm and in good spirits when Rarity came back out, no sign of a royal Alicorn princess behind her. Naruto's hidden smirk became a deep scowl when he saw something start to appear behind Rarity.
"Well..." Naruto said, loud enough to get the others' attention, "Shit."
Before anypony could scold the stallion for his language, a large light navy blue cloud resembling the night sky swirled up and became a tall Alicorn, similar to Celestia, but much darker in color. Her mane was that of the cloud before her and the color of her pitch-black coat and wings reminded the orange stallion of an old childhood...acquaintance. Armor a lighter shade of her mane and tail adorned her chest, head and hooves, but it was the symbol that got Naruto's attention; a white crescent moon. Icy blue-green eyes with slitted pupils gazed over the crowd before they shut and the strange Alicorn stretched her wings out.
"Ah...it feels good to get out and stretch one's wings after a thousand year nap," joked the Alicorn to herself before addressing the crowd of stunned and horrified ponies, "Oh, my precious subjects! I've missed you...it's been far, far too long."
Naruto glanced over at where he last saw Big Mac, and eyed the fillies hiding behind his hind legs. His eyes narrowed and steam shot from his nostrils when he saw Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shaking. The stallion tensed and waited before he acted. He needed the right excuse to strike. For all he knew, this was part of the ceremony.
"What?" she asked in a regal, yet somewhat cruel, voice, "Has it been so long that my own subjects don't recognize me?"
"What'd you do with our princess?" Rainbow Dash asked demandingly, before trying to rush at the strange Alicorn. Applejack quickly stopped their friend by biting down on her tail. Pinkie Pie started to guess the stranger's name, only to be silenced when a large apple was shoved in her mouth.
"Am I not familiar to any of you? Has my imprisonment hindered your memories of the legacy of the crown?" The Alicorn asked as she hovered over a frightened Fluttershy before going to a petrified Rarity as she continued, "Do none of you know the legend? Has no pony seen the signs?"
"I did!" Twilight Sparkle announced, just before Naruto would rush the strange Alicorn. His tail brushed over his hind leg and a hidden marking glowed, unseen as every other pony focused on Twilight.
"I know who you are," Twilight continued, "You're the Mare in the Moon; Nightmare Moon!"
The gathered ponies gasped in fear, while Nightmare Moon smirked, "Well, well, well...Somepony remembers me...but do you know why I'm here?"
Twilight swallowed and slowly stepped back. Nightmare Moon opened her mouth to speak, when something flew past her head. Dismissing it, the tall Alicorn scanned the crowd before a yellow flash in her peripheral vision warned her of something appearing behind her.
"No! And I don't care!" Naruto snarled, causing Nightmare Moon's head to whip around and look at him. Just in time for a hoof to slam into her jaw. Nightmare Moon slid backwards, stopping her slide by opening her wings.
"Humph, bold little foal, aren't you?" The dark Alicorn muttered as she wiped her mouth with the side of her right foreleg. Naruto dropped to the ground as his tail went through the hoop at the end of his dagger. He was decked out in some sort of battle attire, where he retrieved it from, the watching ponies weren't sure, but it was the first shine of hope they had. A holster for something was stuck to his body by a blue strap that went around his midsection and over his left shoulder. Tape was wrapped around his hind legs that had three tube-like attachments on them.
"There ain't anything 'little' about me, 'Mare," growled out the rustic orange stallion. He shifted his shoulders slightly before bracing his forelegs out to his sides.
"Oh, how precious!" chortled Nightmare Moon with a smirk as she watched the stallion with interest, "You think you can best me in a jousting, peasant?"
"Jousting, no. A fight? Hell yes," Naruto replied with a scowl before tossing the dagger in his tail up and jumping with a side flip to the left. The blade was sheathed in the holster on his shoulder and the blonde stomped his hooves once again. Before they could charge at each other, Mayor Mare interrupted them.
"Seize her! She has information on the whereabouts of our Princess!" the Mayor ordered as several Pegasi guards flew into action. Naruto galloped towards Nightmare Moon as well. He earned a sneer from the Alicorn before her eyes shined a bright white.
"FOALS!" She exclaimed as a shield made from lightning shot out around her. Naruto and the Pegasi guards were sent flying back, the orange Earth pony being sent through the walls of the Town Hall.
"Naruto!" Rarity cried out in worry before jumping down through the hole and after the stallion.
"Hmm...Well, I hope you're all prepared to stay up tonight," Nightmare Moon said to the terrified ponies, "Because tonight marks the beginning of the Eternal Night!"
Her mane shot up and covered the slowly brightening sky. Ponies chattered worriedly as the Alicorn laughed evilly. She transformed into a large cloud and flew away into the renewed night sky, being chased by Rainbow Dash.
"Darn!" the Pegasus grunted when the cloud left her sight. She looked down and took notice of the purple Unicorn she slammed into on accident galloping back towards the library. Narrowing her eyes, Rainbow wondered, where's she off to?
Naruto groaned as he pushed away some of the rubble that had fallen on him. His right hoof went to his head and he rolled onto his other three legs. He suddenly let out a gasp and his left hoof wrapped around his stomach.
"Dammit!" Naruto exclaimed through clenched teeth before spitting out some blood, "Must've broken a rib. Gah, Equestria be Damned that hurts!"
"Naruto? Naruto!" The orange stallion grunted as he turned to look at the white Unicorn that was approaching him. Knowing that if he said anything, Rarity would overreact and blab to Nurse Redheart, who would somehow get in contact with his Grandmother...Well, it would in his mind. How, he doesn't know, but he was pretty sure it would happen.
"Oh my heavens," gasped the Unicorn as Naruto pushed himself up and held back a wince, "Naruto, are you all right?"
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine," dismissed the stallion with a familiar grin, "What happened after the light show?"
"Nightmare Moon escaped," Mayor Mare said as she and two of the Pegasi guards entered, the guards carrying their third teammate. His wing was busted and he wouldn't be flying anytime soon by the look of it. The Mayor trotted closer to the larger stallion, "Naruto, where...what happened in there?"
"A good question," Rarity muttered as her eyes slightly narrowed accusingly, "Where in Equestria did you get that...harness?"
"My godfather made it," mumbled out the stallion before shaking his head and addressing the three guards stumbling in, "Hey, you guys have anyone else with you?"
One of the guards looked up and shook his head, "No sir. We're a small bodyguard squad. Princess Celestia sent us ahead to check on her student, but when we had arrived there was a party..."
"And you were dragged into it," Naruto finished before sighing, "Crap. OW!"
Mayor Mare lowered her hoof from the post-smacking position as the orange stallion shielded his head from her, "You need to watch your mouth!"
"Not the time, Mayor M," replied the stallion before he saw Fluttershy glide in. Naruto walked to her right side and didn't look at her before he spoke, "Where's everypony?"
"Big Macintosh is taking the CMC to your house since it's closer," quietly answered the Pegasus mare, "Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash went after Twilight Sparkle, who was running towards the library."
"I have a feeling she knows more than she's letting on," Naruto mused to himself before looking at the guards, "You don't know me, and I don't know you, but in my hometown I have a rank of Lieutenant."
"Lieutenant, impressive for a stallion your age," one of the guards mused, "Where are you from, lad?"
Naruto shot them a grin as he tapped his headband with his right hoof, "Hidenleaf."
The guards tensed when they spotted the insignia and snapped to attention before the one that spoke before asked, "Orders, sir?"
"Call in back up, hunker down, and keep the peace," Naruto said as he trotted out of the Hall with Rarity and Fluttershy following him, "The ponies in this town are good to one another. I don't want them to do anything they might regret if they're scared."
"Yes, sir!" Two of the guards went out to start policing the streets while the last approached the Mayor and asked, "Ma'am. Do you have a way to contact Canterlot? Usually one of us would but with my wing in the shape it is in..."
"Not to worry, I know just the pony," Mayor M trailed off as she and the guard went further into the building.
"...So what are you, a spy? Huh? Is that what you are?" Was the first thing Naruto heard as he, Rarity and Fluttershy entered the library. The stallion sighed, repressing the urge to wince as the exhale strained his injured ribs, before he bit down on Rainbow Dash's tail and pulled her away.
"Ow! What was that for, Naruto? NARUTO!" the blue Pegasus repeated with a beaming smile before hugging him tightly, much to his injury's ire, "You're OK! Oh man, that was awesome! You did that teleport thing and socked Nightmare Moon a good one! You've got to teach me how to do that!"
Naruto chuckled and pushed the mare away, "Can't, Rain, you know that."
He barely repressed a very foalish scream when Pinkie Pie and Applejack slammed into him with a hug. Pinkie let go first and was shortly followed by a slightly blushing Applejack, and the former burst into a relieved spiel, "We were so worried! I mean, I knew you'd be fine because there was that time you accidently ran into a wagon and demolished it, but you just stood up and trotted off like it was nothing! But a brick wall is harder than wood. And then there was that time you fell into that pit I dug in the back of your house when I was trying to find some gold-" "That was you, I knew Scootaloo was too short to get in and out of that hole!" "Oops. Oh well, anyway, there was also that time you got caught in the stampede and only got a busted lip. I think you're invincible Naruto, maybe you're an immortal or something. Well, so far that's what it looks like. I mean, you haven't been set on fire yet like in that play we saw last year, or been stabbed...Hey, have you ever played chicken with a bull yet?"
"Pinkie," chuckled out the stallion as he put a hoof on her mouth, "Later, ok?"
The pink mare blinked innocently before smiling under his hoof and nodded vigorously. Naruto sighed in relief before looking at a wide-eyed Twilight. His gaze hardened and he asked, "What do you know about that mare?"
"Not much," Twilight answered after a moment, "I do know that the only way to stop her is with the Elements of Harmony. Whatever those are..."
Naruto's eyes widened, "You're kidding. Right? You at least know what they are, right?"
"No," Twilight admitted before sighing, "But I don't know where to begin looking. I lost my book that was written about them when I was younger and I don't know this library well enough yet. It could be anywhere-"
"Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide," Pinkie Pie said happily from where she stood near a bookcase. She was quickly shoved aside when Twilight appeared almost instantly in her former spot.
"How'd you find it so fast?" She asked the pink mare, the other ponies in the room looking at their party loving friend curiously as well.
Pinkie bounced across the room with a giggle before she sang, "It was under E!"
Everyone save Twilight chuckled at Pinkie's antics. Naruto, his smile falling, looked at the purple Unicorn and asked, "So what does it say?"
"According to this, the Elements of Harmony are six stones that represent each element: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth one isn't listed, and the book says the Elements were left by Princess Celestia in the old castle that resides in..." Twilight trailed off with a deep swallow. Curious, the others in the room approached and read over her shoulder and many faces paled. Naruto's eyes narrowed and a small scowl crossed his face.
"Everfree Forest," Naruto said as he and the six mares trotted up to the forest's entrance before muttering, "Great...This is just what my ribs need. I hate this forest."
"Everypony does," Rainbow Dash replied, having caught the last of his mutter. The stallion's blue eyes rolled and he looked at the Pegasus.
"Not like I do," he shot back with a glower. The Pegasus gave him a questioning look, which he promptly ignored. If he didn't have to answer her questions, then he wasn't about to.
"This place is scary," whimpered out Fluttershy. Naruto looked over at the pale yellow Pegasus.
"You know, I can handle this," he suggested, "I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt."
"My, how chivalrous of you," Rarity sighed out as she sidled up against him. Applejack's eyes narrowed and a bit of steam shot from her nostrils. Twilight, like Naruto in being unaware of the two mares' feelings, gave Applejack a confused glance whilst Pinky Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy inwardly groaned. The last thing they wanted was a fight in the scariest woods around.
"You should just let me do it," Twilight said, stepping forward. Applejack shook her head.
"No way," the farming mare said, "Ain't no way I'm lettin' either of ya go in there alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple!"
"Especially if there's candy apples in there," Pinkie said as the four other mares trotted ahead of her, Naruto and Twilight. Upon getting a weird look from the Unicorn, the party loving mare continued, "What? Those things are good!"
"Only you, Pink..." Chuckled out Naruto as he started after the five mares. He looked back to the confused purple Unicorn, "Well come on, Miss Canterlot-Unicorn. We let those mares get ahead of us and they'll run into some sort of trouble."
Twilight gave a nod and followed the rustic stallion into the woods. Naruto soon found his way to the front of the group, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
"So...why is this forest so feared?" Twilight, having only heard tales of the infamous Everfree Woods, asked, "I mean...there isn't anything true to those old Ponies' tales...right?"
Naruto snorted quietly to himself while Applejack answered, "This forest ain't natural. It doesn't work like the rest of Equestria..."
"Well, there were a few ponies that tried to study it," Rainbow Dash started as the group walked towards a cliff's edge. She suddenly stopped and rounded on the three in the back; Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy. Rainbow started creeping lowly up on them, "They say that those ponies came into the woods...but never. Came. OUT!"
"Puh-lease," Rarity scoffed after jumping along with Fluttershy and Twilight, "Rainbow Dash, your stories aren't funny. This is a serious question."
"Ok, then let's ask the only pony that's gone deep in the forest," the blue Pegasus said with a smirk as she looked at the lone stallion in the group, "What do you say...Naruto? Are the stories true?"
Naruto sighed before looking at her, "Rain, not now, ok-AAAAY!"
The five ponies incapable of flight suddenly dropped over the cliff, having stopped paying attention to where they trotted. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hurried to the screaming Ponies' aid, saving the laughing Pinkie pie and the screaming Rarity first. Applejack bit down onto a root as she passed in an effort to slow her fall. Twilight and Naruto continued to slide, the stallion grunting as his fall had dropped him on his ribs while Twilight continued to scream. The two of them slid until they nearly fell over the edge, both digging their hooves in deep to the earth to keep from falling to the ground.
Applejack, seeing this, carefully made her way to the struggling Twilight first. pushing her hooves down on Twilight's, she said, "Hang on, Twilight!"
"What other choice do I have?" Twilight asked as she strained to hold on, "Applejack, what should I do?"
Applejack paused, glancing upwards before looking back at Twilight, "Let go."
"Say what?" Twilight asked.
Naruto grunted as his hooves slid slightly before calling out, "Hey, as the other Pony dangling for his life: DO WHAT SHE SAYS!"
"You're crazy! Both of you!" Twilight shouted angrily.
"No we ain't," Applejack answered with a completely honest tone, "I swear to you, Twilight, you ain't gonna get hurt."
"Whatever you're gonna do," Naruto grit out as his hooves slowly slid, "Do it now!"
"Trust me," Applejack urged before glancing over at the other orange pony and back.
Twilight looked her fellow mare dead in the eye before taking a deep breath and nodding. Applejack nodded once before lifting her hooves and letting Twilight fall. The purple Unicorn screamed in fear as she fell before being caught by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
Applejack tried to carefully get to Naruto before he fell, but just as she got to him, his grip faltered and down he went. Looking over the edge, Applejack cried his name, "NARUTO!"
The others looked up and watched as the orange stallion fell. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy gasped before racing to him. Naruto looked below him and his eyes widened. He looked back to the approaching Pegasi and his tail brushed over a tube on his left hind leg. In a flash of light, a small dark four-pointed star appeared in his tail and he chucked it at the approaching Pegasi. They dodged the projectile but lost the opportunity to stop his fall.
"Naruto, you foal!" Rainbow Dash called as her friend vanished into the trees. Several breaking tree branches were heard and the mares looked on in horror at the area their friend was last seen.
Before they assumed the worst, Naruto suddenly cried out, "...I'm still alive!"
The six ponies sighed in relief. Patiently, the mares waited for the stallion to come out of the woods, but were disenchanted when he continued, "Gonna take a bit to get out of this tree, though. Go on without me, I'll catch up!"
"Are you nuts/No way!" was the general response. Naruto groaned.
"You want this night to last forever! Go stop Nightmare Moon, I'll be right behind you!" he shouted again, "...I promise!"
The five mares that knew the stallion swallowed their worry before they started to, begrudgingly, trot away. Twilight looked back in his direction once before following the others.
Naruto sighed in relief as he heard them slowly trot away before looking in front of him and scowled when several Timberwolves started to approach him. He didn't like lying to the mares, but when he fell, he knocked out a Ursa Major that was in the midst of defending her offspring from a pack of hungry Timberwolves, the wooden wolf creatures that inhabited the Everfree Woods.
Bracing himself and standing defensively in front of the unconscious Ursa Major and the terrified Ursa Minor, Naruto snarled, "Oh no you don't! I might have knocked the Major out, but your next meal isn't going to be on my conscious! You'll have to get past me to eat them!"
He charged forward as the wolves leapt in to attack.
AN: Cliffhanger (funny right?)! Well, expect my updates to be spontaneous and unexpected, because my college career has just begun. Now I know how a lot of my other favorite authors feel...
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