CHAPTER 2: SUMMER SUN CELEBRATION
Prince: I was just thinking that Kiactu would be an excellent boyfriend for each of the girls. He's suave (when he wants to be), he can transform into a handsome stallion (even though he looks like a baby fox now), he would drop everything to protect them, and he is actually pretty strong. So, I give you maybe the very first harem crossover pairing with the actual Elements of Harmony girls being in a harem together. I mean, what's the point of having a harem in the Pony-verse when you don't have the main female characters in it. And before I get any flames about Spike not being with Rarity, remember that Rarity isn't really thinking about Spike like that because Spike is a baby, not a full-grown dragon. Her version of a hero is a Prince Charming. Remember the Galloping Gala episode?
CHAPTER START
Once upon a time, in the magic land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who created harmony and reigned over all the land. To do this, the elder used her unicorn magic to raise the sun while youngest used her magic to raise the moon. Thus, the two sisters maintained peace for the entire kingdom and all their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day that her sister brought forth but shunned and slept in her beautiful night. One faithful day, the youngest refused to lower the moon and make way for the dawn. Her older sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in her heart would not allow her to listen and transformed her into a wicked mare of the night, Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would enshroud the land in eternal night and was banished by her older sister to live in the moon using magical properties known as the Elements of Harmony.
The elder sister took on the responsibility of raising the sun and the moon and to this day peace was maintained in Equestria ever since.
"Hm . . . Elements of Harmony," a young purple unicorn mare pondered to herself. "I know I've heard of them somewhere, but where?" She lifted the book before putting it back in her bag using her magic, which had a dark purple glow, and walked back to her home. On the way there, she was stopped by a group of mares. "There you are, Twilight!" the middle one pointed out. "Moon Dancer is having a little get-together at the West Castle Corner courtyard. You want to come?" She and her friends eagerly waited for the purple-mane's response.
"Oh, I'm sorry, girls," she said. "I got a . . . lot of studying to catch up on." The girls looked deflated as she walked past. "Does that pony do anything but study?" the first pony asked. "I think she's more interested in books than friends."
Twilight paid no attention to their banter, instead trying her best to figure out where she had heard of the Elements of Harmony from. She galloped past two ponies (one of whom tried to wave only to be ignored) before making it to a tall building with a winding staircase. Her speed didn't break, even when she smashed open the door and knocked her attendant, a purple lizard with green spines, off his feet.
"Spike!" she called out. "SPIKE!" Twilight then took notice of her crash victim, who tried his best to knock the bugs out of his head with the hit. "Quick! Find me an old copy of Predictions and Prophecies." She then noticed the smashed gift box on his tail. "What is that for?"
"It was a gift for Moon Dancer, but . . ." He held it up only for a disemboweled stuff bear to fall out.
"Oh, Spike," Twilight chastised. "You know we don't have time for these things!"
"But we're on break!" he yelled. Twilight ignored him before focusing her magic on a book high up on the shelf. "No," she said, taking more out and repeating the word before yelling to Spike, who had found the book on another shelf. Her magic then began to circle around it before pulling the book, and by extension Spike, off the shelf and onto the floor.
Twilight's aura then dropped the other books before laying the one in her aura on a stand not that far away. "Hm . . . Elements . . . Elements . . . E . . . E . . . Ah!" she said as she found the section she was looking for. "See: Mare in the Moon?"
"Mare in the Moon?" Spike asked. "Isn't that an old pony's tale?"
"Mare . . . Mare . . . Ah ha!" Twilight said as she found the section. "The Mare in the Moon. A tale of olden pony times of a pony who wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by the Elements of Harmony, it states that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape." Spike was trying his hardest to place back the books she had dropped. "Spike, do you know what this means?" she yelled, startling the boy as he was trying to balance the ladder before falling to the ground.
"No."
"Take note," Twilight said as he landed on her flank. She handed him a scroll and a quill before starting the letter.
My dearest Teacher,
My continuing studies of pony magic have led me to discover that we are on the precipice of disaster . . .
"Hold on," Spike ordered. "Precip – Preci . . ." He shrugged his shoulders at the mare.
"Threshold."
"Thres -?"
"Uh . . . Brink?" Spike just stared at her with a questioning gaze. Twilight grunted before telling him to write that something bad was going to happen. The dragon then began to right that down quickly.
For you see, the mythical mare in the moon is in fact Nightmare Moon and that she's about to break out of her prison and take revenge on Equestria by bringing eternal night. Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
"Great!" Spike said as he finished the letter.
"Now send it," Twilight ordered, only for Spike to pause up. "What?" He responded that she may be busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration. "And it's like . . . The day after tomorrow."
"That's just it! The day after tomorrow's the thousandth year of the Summer Sun Celebration," Twilight explained. "It's imperative that the princess is told right away!" Spike tried to write the word down, only for Twilight to yell in his face that it was important.
"Okay, okay," he said before taking a deep breath while holding the scroll in front of himself. Spike then blew on it, setting the paper on green flames that turned into a mist, carrying the ashes out the window. "There, it's on its way, but I wouldn't hold your breath."
"Oh, I'm not worried, Spike," Twilight told him. "The princess trusts me completely. In all my years that she's been my mentor, she never once doubted me." Spike then belched a letter out, showing that she had indeed responded back immediately, though it probably wasn't what Twilight wanted to hear.
My dearest most faithful student Twilight,
You know I value your diligence and that I trust you completely. But you must stop reading those dusty old books.
With that, Twilight's face showed a look of shock.
My dear Twilight, there are more to a young pony's life than studying so I'm sending you to supervise preparations for the Sun Celebration in this year's chosen town of Ponyville. And I have an even more special task for you to complete: Make some friends.
"Look on the bright side, Twilight," Spike told her. "The princess arranged for you to stay in the local library, along with a certain fox that she kept mentioning over and over again for some reason."
"Did it have a name?"
"No, she just kept repeating something about a stupid fox making her worry all these years," Spike explained. Twilight could hardly believe that her mentor, who was a good willed person, would call something stupid. "Are you sure you heard her right?" she asked Spike, who nodded before telling her he heard her call him stupid as clear as glass. Twilight then pushed it to the back of her mind before making a plan to rush through the preparations and head to the library.
After getting off the pegasi-drawn chariot, Twilight thanked the winged horses before walking away. "Maybe the ponies from Ponyville have something to say," Spike said as a pink pony with puffy pink hair came approaching the two. "Just try." She looked up at the pony before nervously greeting her.
"Um . . . Hi," she said. The pony then gasped before jumping into the air and running off, making the duo question her sanity. "Well, that was interesting alright." Twilight trotted off, leaving Spike to sigh as he followed behind.
"Summer Sun Celebration Official Overseer's Checklist," Spike read as he walked beside Twilight with a parchment in hand. "Number One: Banquet Preparations! Sweet Apple Acres." Once they entered the ranch, they saw Applejack racing towards the tree and bucking it.
"Well, better get started," Twilight grumbled before walking up to the Stetson-wearing mare. "Good evening, my name is Twilight Sparkle." She raised her hoof to shake it, to which Applejack did in a flurry. "Well, nice ta meet'cha," Applejack said, before letting go. "We here at Apple Acres sure do like making new friends."
"Friends?" Twilight asked. "Actually I . . ." Her hoof still shook from the speed until Spike caught it and chuckled, getting a glare from the purple-mane.
"Well, what can I do you for?"
"Well, I am here to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration," Twilight explained. "And I'm to believe that you are in charge of the food?" Applejack confirmed it before asking Twilight if she wanted to try some.
"As long as it doesn't take too long," Twilight tried to say, but Applejack had run off in the middle of the sentence. The blond pony rang a triangle before calling out "SOUP'S ON EVERYPONY!" Twilight and Spike were then trampled under by the crowd before being set at a table. As their eyes began to settle back into place, Applejack wanted to introduce the entire family.
"This here's Apple Fritter," Applejack introduced as a pony of a light brown color with green hair dropped off an apple variation that could count as her namesake. While naming out all of the different members of the Apple family, and watching as they left treats, she finally introduced the family members of the main house. "This is Big Macintosh . . ." The muscular crimson pony held up a treat as his name was called. ". . . Apple Bloom . . ." The small pony held a cake on her flank. "And the last family member is Granny Smith." This was said while placing an apple in her guest's mouth.
"Up and at 'em, Granny Smith. We got guests!" The elderly green pony woke up from her nap before walking to the gathering. "Huh . . . Wha?" she asked before repeating the phrase that AJ said not that long ago before adding on something incomprehensible. "Why, I'd say they're already part of the family."
Twilight spit out the apple that was lodged in her mouth at that statement before turning to Applejack. "Ah ha ha," she laughed nervously. "Well, I can see the food situation is handled." She smiled awkwardly before explaining that it was nearing time for her to go. "Aren't you going to stay for brunch?" the smallest pony of the group asked, staring up at the older one with doe eyes. Twilight looked around before noticing the depressed looks on each of the pony's faces before sighing.
"Fine."
The farm was lifted with cheer and Twilight left with an extended belly. Spike was checking off the list for food and went on to the next subject: Weather. "A pony named Rainbow Dash was supposed to clear the clouds," he told Twilight, who was trying her best to hold her food in. She looked up towards the sky. "Well, she isn't doing a very good job of it, is she?" Twilight responded before being rocketed into by a streak of blue.
Both Twilight and a cyan Pegasus mare were in a mud hole. The latter chuckled nervously before apologizing. Twilight took her face out of the mud before glaring at something out in the distance with a perturbed look. "Let me help you," the Pegasus said as she flew off. She brought back a raincloud before stomping on its top and letting the rain wash the mud off Twilight's coat.
The water flattened the unicorn's mane to her head and she looked up to the pony on the cloud. "Guess I used too much. How about this? My very own patented Rainblow Dry." The Pegasus picked up speed before flying around Twilight and causing a vortex to quickly dry her off, as well as fluff up her mane.
Once the Pegasus landed, she began to laugh uncontrollably at Twilight's mane. Spike soon joined in before rolling on the ground. "Lemme guess," Twilight said, obviously peeved as both her assistant and who she thought she was supposed to be looking for laughed at her mane. "You're Rainbow Dash." It caught the attention of the Pegasus and she flew to her feet.
"The one and only," she said before zipping into the air and asking Twilight if she'd heard of her.
"I heard that you were supposed to be keeping the sky clear." Twilight sighed before introducing herself and explaining that she was supposed to look over the celebration. Rainbow Dash flew away from the mare before resting on a cloud as a hammock. "Yeah yeah," she brushed off. "That'll be over in a snap. Just as soon as I'm finished practicing."
"Practicing?" Twilight asked. "Practicing for what?" Rainbow then replied that it was for the Wonderbolts, showing her audience a picture frame with a line of pegasi in formation looking up as their comrades flew over their heads. "They're going to be performing at the celebration tomorrow and I'm going to show them my stuff."
"The Wonderbolts?"
"Yep."
"The most talented flyers in all of Equestria?"
"That's them."
Twilight blew through her lips, making them vibrate in a superior sort of way. "They'd never accept a Pegasus who couldn't keep the sky clear for one measly day," she said.
"Watch this," Rainbow Dash challenged. "I can clear the sky in ten seconds flat!"
"Prove it."
A rainbow streak was left after the Pegasus mare jetted away, clearing the clouds in exactly ten second before bragging about it as soon as she landed. "What'd I say? Ten . . . Seconds . . . Flat." Twilight's face was locked in an expression of awe.
"You should see the look on your face," Rainbow laughed as she flew around the unicorn. "You're a laugh, Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to hang out with you some more." She then flew off as Spike commented on how cool she looked before messing with Twilight's new do. "Wait! It's kind of pretty once you get used to it." He was thoroughly ignored as they walked to the main hall.
"Next up is decorations," Spike said before glancing up from the list. ". . . Beautiful." The hall was covered in ribbons and bows. "Yes, they are quite beautiful indeed," Twilight said, though he wasn't talking about the decorations. He was talking about the unicorn mare who was decorating the place. Her coat was pristine white and matched her curly purple mane and tail. Three diamonds surrounded by sparkles adorned her flank.
Spike's irises were replaced with hearts before he tried his best to straighten his spines. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes before walking up to the other unicorn in the room before calling out to her in greeting. "Good morning," she said, only to be stopped as the other was quite busy. "Ah, yes," the white unicorn said. "Sparkle always does the trick, does it not? Why, Rarity, you are a talent." She then turned and got a good look at the situation with Twilight before screaming.
"Oh my stars, Darling! Whatever happened to your (incomprehensible)?"
"Oh, you mean my mane?" Twilight asked. "It's a long story. I'm just here to check up on the decorations and I'll be out of your hair."
"Out of my hair? What about yours?" Rarity then began to push Twilight, who was trying her best to fight back, outside of the building and to her home, which looked to be an exquisite boutique. Spike flew behind using his tail like a certain Sega fox character with his irises still in their heart-shaped form.
Inside the boutique, Rarity had Twilight try on different outfits and judged them before coming to a girdle decorated in gems. "Now, you were telling me where you were from, Darling," she instructed. A teary-eyed Twilight replied that she had been sent from Canterlot in a deep breath before sighing as Rarity let go. The pain from being ricocheted away from the force was a lot better than the pain of being compacted in a girdle.
Rarity was excited to learn that her new friend was from Canterlot and kept asking questions. A love-struck Spike learned on his back claws as he stared at Rarity, completely missing the conversation around him. "I am so envious! The glamour! The sophistication! I have always dreamed of living there!" the white unicorn said as her eyes sparkled. "I can't wait to hear it. We are going to be the best of friends, you and me." She then noticed the girdle. "EMERALD? What was I thinking? Let me get you some rubies."
"Quick! Before she decides to dye my coat another color!" Twilight yelled as she galloped out of the boutique. Spike was lost in dreamland and wouldn't respond until she got halfway across town from the psycho unicorn. "Isn't she just wonderful?" he asked.
"Focus, Casanova," Twilight told him. "What's next on the list?"
"Music. It's the last one." The sound of birds chirping in sync could be heard across the field as Twilight and Spike listened. They popped their heads out of the bushes to see a pink-haired Pegasus mare with a golden coat teaching a flock of birds with different species to sing. One of them, a blue jay, was offkey and she, though quietly, was able to single him out and get everyone to stop.
"Excuse me, sir," she said. "Um, no offense but your rhythm is a bit off." The blue jay smiled and nodded before she left the stage. As the Pegasus tried to get the choir back to their session, Twilight greeted her suddenly, scaring off the birds and startling her.
"Oh my," Twilight apologized. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten off your birds. I'm just here to check up on the music and it sounded beautiful." An awkward silence followed suit before the mare began to rub her fore-hoof with another. "So . . . What is your name?" Twilight asked.
"Fluttershy . . ." the mare responded before her voice lowered in volume. She began to draw in upon herself before looking at Twilight with one eye through her exceptionally long mane.
"Okay?" Twilight drawled only to get the same response. She then noticed that the birds had returned and was about to be on her way. Once Fluttershy's attention was on the baby dragon, she then ran to meet with the wyvern, knocking Twilight aside. "Oh! I've never seen a baby dragon before. It's so cute." Spike's head began to swell before he turned his attention to Twilight and smirked.
"Well well well," he said as he then crossed his arms.
"Oh my," Fluttershy said. "He talks. I didn't know dragons could talk. That's just so wonderfully incredible that I just don't know what to say." She began to hover in the air while Spike was surrounded in Twilight's magic. "Well in that case we'd better be going," Twilight offered as Spike was a bit dazed.
"Wait! What's his name?" Fluttershy asked as she sped up behind the two and walking right behind them.
"I'm Spike."
"Hi Spike. I'm Fluttershy," she introduced properly. "Wow! A talking dragon! What do dragons talk about?"
"Absolutely everything." Twilight's eyes grew big before she groaned and rolled her eyes, trying her best to not pay attention to the dragon's story.
"Well . . . I started out as a cute little purple and green egg . . ." Spike started. The conversation took them to the library as Spike was finishing up his story when Twilight abruptly stopped him. "I'm sorry, but this is where we're staying in Ponyville and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep," she cooed. When Spike tried to tell her he wasn't she bucked him off before commenting that he was so sleepy that he lost his balance.
Spike glared at her but was not expecting Fluttershy to swoop down and pick him up before cooing that she would take him to bed. As she flew into the house with Spike in tow, Twilight followed after before pushing Fluttershy out and slamming the door in her face.
Spike continued to glare at her before asking her, "Rude much?" Twilight apologized and told him that she had to convince the princess about Nightmare Moon's escape. "I just need to be alone but a bunch of crazy ponies keep stopping me about making friends all the time. Now where are the lights?"
They flicked on, showing a room full of ponies who yelled "SURPRISE!" making Twilight and Spike jump in shock. Twilight groaned before walking towards the snack bowl and trying her best to act like she wasn't in the partying mood. That was when the pink mare from before popped up.
"Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Wereyouwereyou?" she giggled.
"Very surprised," Twilight answered. "Libraries are supposed to be quiet." Pinkie giggled some more before asking her how parties were supposed to be quiet. "I mean duh," Pinkie said. "Boring! I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all like 'Hello?' and I was all like '(GASP)!' Remember? Because I had never saw you before and if I never saw you, that means that I don't know you. And if I didn't know that would be silly because I know everyone in Ponyville. So I decided to throw you this party and now you have lots and lots of friends!"
Twilight had gotten to the table and poured herself a drink out of a red bottle. She then stuck a straw into the drink and was sipping while Pinkie was going on and on about the party. The purple-coated mare then began to freak after Pinkie said something about friends before turning around, showing the four heads of the preparation (Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy) with the two Pegasi flying over their heads.
"Are you alright, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked before watching as Twilight's hair set on fire and the purple unicorn ran out of the room.
"Aw, she's so happy that she's crying!" Pinkie responded.
"No, that would be the hot sauce she just ingested," Kiactu, who had finally shown up for the party, explained. He used his tail to grab the bottle before showing it to them. "Why is there hot sauce here when nobody eats meat?" He only ate fish when there wasn't anything else as no one flipped out if he ate the fish. Pinkie Pie just tipped the bottle over onto a cupcake before eating it.
Kiactu just stared up at her with a half-lidded gaze while the others just looked at her questioningly. "What?" she asked. "It's good."
In the upstairs bedroom, Twilight tried to cover her ears from the sound when the door opened, showing Spike with a lamp over his head and Kiactu with a cone hat and matching noisemaker. He twirled the noisemaker around before blowing into the horn. "So I take it you're the overseer from the palace?" he asked.
"And you are . . .?" Twilight responded before Kiactu walked up to her. "Kiactu Maheem at your service. Talking fox extraordinaire." He gave a mock bow before facing her again. "Originally I was to guide you around Ponyville but you were in such a rush that I didn't even get a chance to meet you." He then turned his head towards the stars. "I'm guessing you were concerned about the moon too, am I correct?"
Twilight turned her attention to Kiactu. "What do you mean?" she asked. Kiactu sighed before jumping onto the nightstand beside her bed. "Celestia is letting on more that she knows," he answered. "While I lived at the palace, I also read the book that you are reading. I know tonight's the night of Nightmare Moon's fated return and that the stars are helping her to escape. Celestia does as well, but didn't want her subjects to worry, if you catch my drift." That was when they were interrupted by Spike, who had a lampshade over his head that was decorated in streamers.
"Hey, Twilight!" he yelled to get her attention. "Pinkie Pie's starting Pin the Tail on the Pony! Want to play?"
"NO!" she yelled, making Kiactu jump from the nightstand and land on the floor hurt. "Ow," he said, shaking the pain out before sitting up.
"All the ponies in this town are CRAZY!" Twilight continued. "Don't they know what time it is?" Kiactu replied that it was nearly time for the celebration, to which Spike added that everyone was supposed to be in the pavilion to watch Celestia raise the sun.
"I'll meet you two there," he said before leaping from the top of the stairs to the bottom and landing in a skid before running down the stairs. Spike took one last look at his boss and said, "You really should lighten up, Twilight. It's a party." Readjusting the shade so it wouldn't fall over his face, Spike went back down the stairs to party.
Twilight scoffed as her assistant disappeared. "You really should lighten up, Twilight. It's just a party," she said in a mock imitation of Spike's voice before scoffing. "And here I was trying to find out more about the Elements of Harmony and all of this friend-making has kept me from it." She turned her attention outside to the moon, whose shadow showed what looked like a unicorn head on its surface. "Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about everlasting night." Twilight used her magic to raise the book before her and watched as four stars began to close in on it before the shadow on the moon vanished, making her gasp.
Kiactu was outside in the Everfree Forest when he noticed that there was a purplish hue to the mask tonight. He could feel the malice in the air as the sounds of evil laughter could be heard around him. The fox growled as he stood his ground, the sounds growing closer until he felt a major presence behind him. Kiactu looked over his shoulders and tensed his muscles in an attack position, rapidly expanding to tower over the figure behind him as his growl lowered in tempo. His appearance grew more feral and out of its cuteness before what stood before his opponent was a silver-blond fox the size of a fully-grown stallion with nine black-tipped bushy waving tails and black fur in a streak from the tip of his ears to the bridge of his nose. His forepaws were now human-like in shape, though they still had claws.
Back at the pavilion, it was time for the celebration to begin. Pinkie Pie rushed up to Twilight before exclaiming about how excited she was. "I'veneverbeensoexcitedbeforeex ceptforthattimewhenyouwalked intothetownandIwaslike "(GASP)". Haveyoueverbeenthisexcited?" Twilight just stared ahead with an uninterested gaze. Fluttershy started up the bird choir before the mayor of Ponyville stepped up. "Fillies and gentlecolts, it is my great pleasure as mayor of Ponyville to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration." After the cheers from everyone in the audience was over, she then explained that in just a few moments, the town would witness the princess using her magic to raise the sun.
"And now, it is my great pleasure to introduce 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 everypony in all of Equestria . . ."
"Ready?" Fluttershy asked her birds, who began to puff their chests out in anticipation.
"Princess Celestia!"
The curtains opened to show that they were missing said princess, which made Twilight a little jumpy at the fact.
"Remain calm, everypony," the mayor told everybody. "There must be a reasonable explanation." Pinkie Pie jumped up and down in excitement at guessing what happened. "Maybe she's hiding?" the spunky pony asked. She looked on the ground. "She's gone," Rarity gasped, stepping out of the curtains.
"She's good," Pinkie responded before focusing on the balcony and screaming. There was the same purple fog that flowed in the Everfree Forest when Kiactu went to investigate. "Oh no," Twilight breathed to herself as she figured what it was. Or rather . . . who it was.
The fog then began to take a solid form before showing a black alicorn mare with dark blue armor. "Why, my beloved subjects," she said in an almost mocking tone. "It's been so long since I've seen your precious faces." Everyone shivered in fright, including Apple Bloom, who was hiding underneath the table along with two other fillies.
"What did you do with our princess?" Rainbow Dash asked, trying to fly up and fight the dark alicorn. But she couldn't because Applejack had her tail between her teeth and telling her to hold it. "Hold on, nelly," the apple farmer said.
"Why, am I not royal enough for you?" Nightmare Moon asked. "Don't you know who I am?" That got Pinkie Pie to start naming things such as Black Beauty, Queen Meanie, and others, only to get a cupcake shoved into her mouth. "Does my crown no longer count now that I've been imprisoned for over a thousand years?" the black alicorn asked, getting into Fluttershy's personal space. "Step away from her," a deep voice growled.
Kiactu appeared in his Kit form, all joking out of his system. He was holding an arm to his body and steadily limping from their little tussle outside. "You got the drop on me before," he said. "That will not happen a second time."
"Kiactu, are you hurt?" Rarity yelled from the top of the stairs. Kiactu grunted in agreement before growling at Nightmare Moon, who went back to smiling down at him. "Kiactu! What are you doing?" Applejack asked, letting go of Rainbow Dash as soon as the girl settled down.
"Probably one of the more stupid things in my life, though it wouldn't be the MOST." With that said, the fox kit turned back into his battle body from before. He dug his claws into the ground before running towards Nightmare Moon and crashing into her, moving her away from Fluttershy. "The only reason you managed to subdue me before was because I thought you wouldn't use something so cowardly as magic. Even the laziest of unicorns would put forth the effort to use their bodies more," he explained. "Of course, your magic's not powerful enough to keep me down for long. Honestly, I thought you would be more of a physical mare while Celestia was the magical one."
"Physical exhaustion is not my cup of tea, I'll admit, but that also means that magic is not yours!" Kiactu smirked before hopping over the starry follicles of hair that threatened to pierce his hide. He opened his mouth wide after exhaling and let out a stream of fire. It would have collided with Nightmare Moon, but she teleported out of the way, her hoof raised in the air before bringing it down, intent on crushing the foolish fox's skull.
She didn't get far as a tail wrapped around her hoof before dragging her into his line of sight and making him growl. "I can sense negative emotions," he said. "Yours is like a beacon to me. Why do you think I was on edge in the Everfree Forest? I knew I could deal with the manticores, giant snakes, giant birds of prey, and other animals by me as you could see, but yours took some getting used to." He tail-whipped her away from him before head-butting her body.
"We'll deal with you later," she said, standing up before cackling. "Remember this day, ponies, as it is the last day you will ever know. From this moment forth, the night . . . shall last . . . FOREVER!" The princess of darkness' hair grew to swirl around her as she laughed, creating thunderclouds before her that then made her vanish as the mayor told the guards to capture her. Kiactu reverted back to his kit form before looking towards all the people staring at him. "What?" he asked, his voice back to normal as he gave a passing glance towards all of the ponies staring at him. "I told you I wasn't your average fox."
He shook his fur before changing his form once more and taking off his left bangle. He let it drop to the ground before watching as it created another fox, this one a tad more blonde than the fox before it. The only difference was that instead of Kiactu's gray-gold eyes (or eye, as his right wasn't visible with his mane in its vision), this one had sky blue ones. "Geez, staying in Fullbring mode like that is exhausting," it said before yawning as its tail popped, waving back and forth. "Wait, why are we foxes? . . . And why are you in your battle form?"
"I didn't think I would need you, Naruto," Kiactu answered. "But I kinda do right now. I need you to protect these girls . . . Uh-hm . . . fillies while Twilight and I go find the castle in the woods." The purple unicorn was about to retort when she faced Kiactu's glare. In his kit form, the glare would've been cute, like a pout, but now . . . His stare was a bit unnerving. Naruto looked around before noticing the girls hiding underneath the table. Well . . . The girl ponies. This was a bit unsettling . . . a guy who used violence excessively left to look after three probably eight to thirteen-year-old fillies.
"Okay, fine," she sighed. The two ran (or in Twilight's case, galloped) out to the library before Kiactu began looking for the book to find the location. He began looking from shelf to shelf, glancing around for the book to be used while Twilight dumped dozens of them on the floor. "You know, even in the seriousness of the moment, I still want to tell you that you can't just put books on the floor like that," he said, not even paying attention to the mare. She had placed Spike in bed once they had gotten there.
She didn't even respond, still frantically looking in a book. "We still have to find something about the Elements of Harmony," Twilight said.
"And just what are the Elements of Harmony?" Rainbow Dash got into the girl's face. "And how did you know about Nightmare Moon? Are you a spy?" A fox tail wrapped around her frame to keep her subdued as its owner looked through more books. "Please calm down," he told her. "We'll explain everything when we actually get some more information. This isn't exactly easy to do as it is."
"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide," Pinkie Pie's voice picked up as the pink mare read the spine of a book. She was soon bowled over by Twilight, who asked how she found it. "It was under E," Pinkie answered in a singsong voice. Fluttershy flew around Kiactu, studying him in awe before he turned his attention on the Pegasus.
"What is it?" he asked, getting a little annoyed at being studied like a new species.
"Wow," she said. "I've seen you in town, but I never knew you could do the things you do." Fluttershy was honestly intrigued by his ability to speak. "I guess that is to be," he answered. "In my original dimension, horses weren't able to speak. Instead, they neighed and were kind of used as transportation, harvesting, and other things, like how they are today. Hell, in my dimension, foxes can't talk either and are hunted for sport, so I can't talk with how I am now."
"You're talking about dimensions like you know everything about them," Twilight responded, the Elements of Harmony temporarily put to the back of everyone's minds.
"I should," Kiactu answered. "Since I hop them from time to time." At everyone's confused look he sighed before tapping a claw on the ground. A seal array appeared underneath the six mares and the fox before glowing brightly, making the girls cover their eyes in the bright light. Once they opened them however, the larger-than-normal fox was gone, replaced by a bipedal creature in a mask. The creature readjusted said mask before talking in a warped voice of Kiactu's. "This . . . is my true form," it said. "I'm not exactly human." At everyone's questionable glances, Kiactu sighed as he knew what it meant.
"A bipedal creature with opposable thumbs, otherwise known as Homo sapiens," he explained. "They are omnivorous, which means they eat plants and meat, including some horses which I wouldn't even consider as it's more of a cultural and/or survival thing. There are different kinds of humans with different kinds of skin tones, ranging from the palest pink to the darkest brown. As you can see, humans do not have fur or wings much like you ponies." He pinched himself to show them as he lifted some of his skin, ignoring the pains it brought him.
"Females, as you can . . . ahem . . . clearly see, have what we call mammary glands that store fat and muscles called breasts, which are used to help nurse their young." He gestured to their bodies, which had also transformed once he applied the seal. The girls had different assortments of clothing. Twilight wore what you'd expect of normal girls of her personality to wear that consisted of a schoolgirl suit with a black button-up blazer, white blouse, black bowtie, and a plaid skirt. Rarity's human form wore an exquisite lavender-white evening gown with a lavender bow on her chest.
Applejack wore a pair of short shorts and a plaid lumberjack shirt tied up near its end, showing a flat stomach you'd expect of someone that worked out. Rainbow Dash wore an outfit like hers, but with a t-shirt with her Cutie Mark on its front. Fluttershy was dressed in a yellow nurse-like outfit with a nurse's hat to go along with it. Pinkie Pie . . . was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.
"Oh . . . This is so embarrassing," Fluttershy blushed, trying her best to keep the skirt from rising up. It was already pretty short enough to show most of her upper thighs. "Where are my wings?" Rainbow Dash asked, running around as she couldn't feel them on her back anymore. "I can't fly without my wings!"
"Humans don't fly," Kiactu dryly answered. "Blame Epimetheus for giving all the good protective features to other creatures." At all of the girl's questioning gazes, Kiactu waved them off. "Myths of the humans where they turn out to be true, like the Elements of Harmony. Until recently, you all thought they were myths, right?" At everyone's nods, Kiactu continued on. "Well then, like your myths, there are also myths in mine with gods, which here you would call alicorns, who created the earth or the other myths about the earth being a living creature." Kiactu shrugged. "It would take me forever to name all of them and I've grown bored of hearing how Zeus defeated his father Cronus by outsmarting him and making him drink mustard wine before freeing his other brother and sisters from the man's stomach."
"Mustard wine?" Applejack asked.
"Oh . . . It made him regurgitate them."
"I don't mean to interrupt your story, but we do need to worry about the wayward princess casting eternal night on everyone," Twilight said. "I'll listen to your rather intriguing stories when we get back from foiling her plans." Kiactu nodded before dispelling the seal. "Do you have a hint as to where each of them are?" he asked the unicorn.
"There's nothing in the books," she answered. "Just that there were six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty." With this, Kiactu studied each of the other mares before nodding. 'I have a feeling that I know who the five Spirits are,' he thought to himself. 'Though I have a feeling the sixth one is closer than they appear.'
Kiactu also had the feeling they were being watched and bowed as his muscles tensed before growling out in displeasure. His left eye, which was usually gray-gold, had now turned blood red as he sensed the negative intent left by their observer. His growling attracted the attention of the other six beings in the room turned their attention towards him.
"What is it?" Applejack asked, making Kiactu glance towards her and temporarily stop growling before turning his attention back to the window and starting back up. "I sense negative emotions outside," he said glaring at the window. "It's really strong, too. Almost like it wants to blanket me in sorrow, anger, hurt, and what feels like revenge." He shook it out of his system. "I think we had a guest watching us, but I can't feel her presence anymore."
"Right. We found where they are," Twilight replied. "They're in a castle in the . . ."
"Everfree Forest," Kiactu finished as they stared out into the woods. He knew that he would be back, just not so soon. It was actually kind of depressing really. The fact that he was in the forest not even a good day or so had something to do with his nerves. And that little trip had ended up with him battling the dark alicorn herself. "Well, this is the end of my journey," Kiactu said. "My body can only transform into this body at least three times a day what with the limiters on it. And then I could only use my bigger form at least once a week if I store up enough energy."
"Isn't this your second time?" Applejack asked, making Kiactu stiffen at the fact that he was found out. "Wait . . . No, you did battle Nightmare Moon before the celebration, so that would mean that before the celebration is once, at the celebration was twice, and after that . . ."
"He stayed the same ever since, so he has one more transformation before he gives out." When everyone turned their attention to the shy Pegasus who said that, she began to shrink away before apologizing. Kiactu brushed Fluttershy off before sighing. "Actually she's right. If something did happen to you girls, Big Mac would never let me live it down. Neither would Full, Lun or Sol." So he sucked it up and followed the girls.
"Whee!" Pinkie said in glee. "Let's go!" She was stopped by Kiactu's tail as Twilight explained that the forest was dangerous. "Look," she said. "I appreciate the offer, but this is really only something I can do."
"No can do, Sugarcube," Applejack told the unicorn. "We sure ain't letting any friend of ours go into that forest alone." Twilight twitched, though whether it was at the fact that she said friend or the fact that she said ain't was debatable, though it would more than likely be the first one. "We're sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple." The other mares agreed, trotting inside the forest.
"Especially if there's candy apple in here!" Pinkie Pie agreed. Twilight stared at the girl in disbelief. "What? Those things are GOOD!" Kiactu could only stop and stare at the pink mare as she trotted by before blinking and hoping that she was joking.
While the seven walked through the forest, Twilight asked if any of them had actually gone into the forest. "Ugh . . . Heavens no," Rarity answered. "Just look at it. It's so dreadful." Applejack also commented that people say it didn't work the same as Equestria. "It works plenty much the same everywhere," Kiactu answered. "Survival of the fittest: two things battle, only one of them live."
"Please tell me that's just one of your human sayings for nonsense," Rarity suggested, getting no reply before he did say something.
"I wish I could."
Rainbow Dash, in a spooky voice, also began to creepily walk through the darkness and tell a story of how nopony went through the forest and came back. Kiactu glanced towards the Pegasus mare and glared. "I came out of it alive," Kiactu said. "Horribly injured, but alive. And that was just because I had to fight Nightmare Moon." He rubbed the side of his stomach where a bruise could still be visible. The ground loosened up before falling apart, dropping each of the mares as Kiactu used his tail to anchor into the dirt before trying to hang onto Twilight. The unicorn slipped from his grasp and fell some more before he growled and released his tail from its hole.
He slid down the slope after her before moving his tail like a rotor to speed up, leaning his body forward in an aerodynamic shape. Obviously he didn't plan to go that fast and wound up going over the side of the cliff face. "KIACTU!" the mares yelled before the sounds of something breaking caused them to wince.
"Don't worry," he called up. "My tail broke my fall by grabbing onto a branch. Unfortunately that branch broke and I was careening to the bottom from branch to branch, but eventually I landed on the ground." Rather painfully I might add.
"Wow, though this cliff is really steep, it's actually pretty long to have been falling and listening to his story," Pinkie Pie said. She was caught by Rainbow Dash while Fluttershy had Rarity. Applejack caught a loose root but Twilight wasn't as lucky. She almost fell off the cliff much like Kiactu, but stopped at the last minute.
Applejack let go of the root before sliding down slowly to her. "Hold on, I'ma coming," she told Twilight.
"Applejack, what do I do?" she asked. Applejack looked up at the sky for a second before giving her answer. "Let go." Twilight looked bewildered at her response. "What? Are you crazy?"
Applejack repeated herself. "What I'm telling you is the honest truth: you'll be safe." Twilight looked into her eyes and noticed she was telling the truth before letting go and sliding over the edge screaming. The unicorn then felt that she was lying on the palm of a hand. It was as big as she and had five claws the length of her mane. Her eyes turned to follow the arm up to see a massive silver fox with a massive smile showing rows of sharp teeth with two long fangs instead of canines.
"Are you okay?" it asked in a familiar yet deeper voice, holding her up to eye level. She could see her reflection in one of its narrowed crimson eyes. "Y-Y-Yes," she answered, her knees shaking at the feeling of fear that ran through her body. The fox sighed before putting her on the ground and patting her head to show that it wasn't malicious.
She then noticed the massive russet red bangle on the right arm and the miscolored right eye. "Kiactu?" Kiactu used one of his massive claws to tap lightly on the side of his snout. "In case you're wondering, this expression means you got it right on the nose," he answered. Kiactu then turned his attention to the other mares. "Well, I guess this means that I won't be able to use my giant form any time else this week."
He bent over before lying on the ground, his ears twitching before hearing the sound of mist moving away and growling. His growls shook the earth a bit, gaining the attention of the mares. "What's wrong, Darling?" Rarity asked.
"That cliff was sturdier than that," he answered. "It was almost like it had been tampered with." Their eyes widened in realization of what he was saying. "Are you saying Nightmare Moon did this?" Twilight asked, getting his attention drawn back to her.
"I'm also saying that she saw us back at the treehouse," he answered. "I knew I wasn't kidding when I felt negative emotions. I just felt them a few seconds ago as well."
"Well, why didn't you sense them before the cliff broke?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Because I'm at my weakest in that form. I can't even sense if someone is mad." However, he was feeling rage at something now. It was a rage that wasn't pointed towards someone, but in itself was mad. A short walk through the forest then revealed what was the source: a giant lion with bat wings and a scorpion's tail. He could only come up with a few names for creatures with lion-like bodies: one of them also had an eagle's wings and a snake/viper for a tail, and the other was the exact representation of this creature. "A Manticore," Kiactu said. He'd have killed it, but Fluttershy would've gotten mad at him for killing an innocent creature, even if said creature could bite their heads off. Well, the mares' heads off as Kiactu would more than likely be able to pierce the creature with one of his tails before it even thought to attack.
While the others tried to fight it (he wouldn't because all he'd have to do is stomp on it and again, Fluttershy is a rather cute pony to antagonize), Fluttershy tried her best to get their attention. It wasn't until they began to charge (and hop . . . in Pinkie Pie's case) did she finally find the courage to yell and gain their attention. "WAIT!" The five all stopped suddenly, letting her do as she pleased.
As her audience sat back and watched, she boldly went up to it. Even as it raised its claw, she nuzzled the other, which it seemed to favor for some reason. "It's okay," she said, getting it to show her the claw. Fluttershy saw a peculiar black thorn sticking in its paw, being none the wiser while Kiactu glared as he knew there were no plants here that produced black thorns.
"Oh you poor, poor little baby," she called it.
". . . Little?" Rainbow asked, getting shushed by Kiactu as he focused on the girl solving the problem.
"Now this may hurt for just a second," she told him before biting the thorn and picking it out. The manticore roared as it picked her up, prompting the others to prepare to defend their friend. However, a giant paw closed over them in a cage. "Kiactu, what are you doing?" Twilight asked. "Can't you see that Fluttershy is . . .?"
"Not in danger," he told them. "Look." The girl was over there being licked by the giant lion-scorpion-bat thing. While the other five walked around it, Kiactu watched it put her down before turning its attention to him. Kiactu bowed his head in respect, getting the manticore to do the same before disappearing into the thicket.
Once everyone was gone, nobody noticed the thorn plucked from the creature rotate slightly before becoming a purple mist and flowing off to follow the girls.
While walking through the forest, Kiactu had turned back into his smaller form before noticing the eeriness of the forest. Though he didn't feel at all afraid, he had to turn towards his companions. They seemed to be a little bit more apprehensive, though Pinkie Pie seemed to drag behind for a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see purple mist merging with the trees and stopped suddenly as the forest grew darker than it was supposed to. The trees were outlined to show scary faces with sharp teeth.
While not scary at all to Kiactu, the girls were a different story. "I think I just stepped in something," Applejack said, not paying attention before hearing Fluttershy scream. "What? It's just mud." That was when she noticed the trees and jumped back to the group.
As the girls screamed, Kiactu covered his ears as they were starting to get sensitive to the sounds. Laughter could soon be heard over the screams as everyone turned their attention to Pinkie Pie. She was making faces at the trees, twisting her face in all sorts of funny ways. "Pinkie, what are you doing? Run!" Twilight yelled.
"Oh Silly, can't you see?" Pinkie asked before music could be heard. Kiactu's ears twitched to find where it was coming from but couldn't pick up the source at all.
"When I was just a filly and the sun was going down," she sung. Kiactu tried his best to block the sounds out while Twilight was questioning what she was doing. "Please tell me she's not . . ." the purple unicorn said, only for Rarity to tell her that she was.
"And the darkness and the shadows they would always make me frown. I'd hide under my pillow from what I'd think I'd saw, but Granny Pie said that wasn't how you dealt with them at all."
"Then what is?" Rainbow Dash asked. The music then began to pick up tempo.
"She said, 'Pinkie, you've gotta stand up tall (learn to face your fears). You'll see they can't hurt you, so laugh and make them disappear. Ha ha ha." The tree's face disappeared, showing an empty trunk and surprising Kiactu, who had put a pair of earphones in and was playing a Japanese pop song to get his mind off the song in the background (AN: Rain by Sid (don't own)). The trees were restored back to normal as the girls kept laughing.
"Let's keep going," Kiactu said, hoping to get through this forest before things started getting weirder than they were now. While the group of mares was still laughing, they came to a really rapid river. "How are we going to get across this?" Pinkie asked, the others looking over her shoulder at the problem. The sounds of male crying could be heard and Kiactu's ears twitched to the source. "It's coming over there," he pointed with his claw.
They cleared through the thicket to see a gigantic purple sea serpent as it cried, thrashing its tail in the water and creating the waves seen. He had a brownish orange mane that was slicked back and a one-sided moustache. "What a world!" he repeated over and over again.
"Um . . . Excuse me sir," Twilight called out. "What happened?" The serpent explained that a purple cloud of smoke just whisked right past him and tore off his moustache. "And now I look simply horrid!" he yelled, falling into the water and crying. The wave created splashed onto the mares, getting them wet and angry. Kiactu just acted like a dog and shook it off normally, not realizing that his fur would fluff out like a cloud.
"Not . . . a . . . word," he growled as he looked at the mares almost giggling at him. He then began grooming himself to get rid of the fur-cloud by licking it down. "The more you try to say you're not a fox, the more you actually seem like one," Applejack commented, getting a glare out of him.
"That's what all the fuss is about?" the earth pony asked, turning her attention to the serpent. "Of course it is! How could you be so insensitive?" Rarity yelled, gaining all of their attention before pointing out his qualities: "That excellently groomed mane, those lovely luminescent scales, his excellent manicure."
"I know, I know," the serpent said. "It's so true!"
Kiactu's tails wrapped tightly around their owner's hind legs to shield his butt from the view of the serpent. "Yeah, I'm keeping my rump from his gaze," he muttered to himself. The serpent's attitude was a really disturbing one.
"That was all horribly disfigured by your destroyed moustache!" Rarity yelled, getting an agreement from the sea serpent. "That is a horrible crime against fashion that I cannot allow to happen!" She tore a scale away from the serpent before holding it like she was going to cut something. Kiactu had to stop himself from thinking she was going to attack the sea serpent before watching as she cut off her own tail.
Using magic, Rarity grafted the fur onto the serpent's face, mismatching the other side of its moustache. "My moustache!" he yelled in happiness. "You fixed it!" Kiactu almost palmed his snout, though Rarity exclaimed that he looked smashing, prompting Twilight to edge her way up there. "Rarity, your tail!" she said.
"It's fine," Rarity insisted. "Short tails are in this season . . . and I'm sure it'll grow back." Rainbow Dash whispered to Kiactu that so would the moustache. "What I don't get . . . Is the fact that the tail is supposed to be a part of our body as well," Kiactu said. "That's how we move them." He demonstrated by rolling his tail up like a spring before pushing it out.
"I think a horse's tail is different from a fox," Applejack explained. Kiactu shrugged before watching as the serpent made a pass for them to get across the water. Eventually, they made it to the castle before noticing that the bridge was out. "I'll get it!" Rainbow Dash yelled, flying over the edge into the abyss.
Kiactu watched as the Pegasus made it to the other side before calling out that she had, only to hear voices call out her name. "Yes?" she asked, turning to the fog behind her. "We've been waiting for you," a female voice replied. "The fastest flyer in all of Equestria." Out of the fog stepped three pegasi: one female with two males. "Who's that?" Rainbow asked.
"You."
"Who, me? Oh yeah! Me!" the cyan Pegasus then flew into the air before remembering something. "You wouldn't mind telling the WonderBolts that because I've been trying to get into that group for a long time."
"No, Rainbow Dash," the other female said. "We want you to join us . . . the ShadowBolts!"
Kiactu was trying to use his acute hearing to hear what was going on before his ears flopped back in realization. "What is it?" Rarity asked, getting him to turn his attention to her. "She's under one of Nightmare Moon's traps," he answered. "She's been asked to join a group called the 'ShadowBolts'." The mares tried to get their friend's attention, only for the Pegasus mare's eyes to glow before the fog thickened.
Kiactu growled before grabbing for the rope before it was swallowed up by the fog. Running to the other side, he jumped through one of them, only for her to fly up over her. "Rainbow Dash," he called out. "Are you really going to leave the group for something as trivial as this? The WonderBolts also look for somepony who doesn't turn her back on comrades, not somepony that decides to join up with another group."
"How would you know this?" the Pegasus asked.
"Because . . . Before Twilight became Celestia's student, I lived in the palace with the princess. The ex-commander of the WonderBolts, Cloud Strife, was a stallion who valued camaraderie over everything else. I think the new captain Spitfire would say the same thing." Kiactu turned his attention back to the "ShadowBolts", his eyes waiting on them to say anything. "Now that I think about it, doesn't that look like a dark version of Spitfire?" Rainbow agreed before focusing more on the point. "How many times will I get the chance to join up with this group?" she asked. "But . . . If I have to choose between hanging with my friends and joining your group, I'd rather stay with them."
She turned her back on the others and walked to the bridge, tying it up. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the lead Pegasus growl before turning into a small bit of smoke. Her attendants did as well before they merged together and dissipated into the air. Kiactu saw it out of the corner of his eye and knew that it was Nightmare Moon trying her best to stop them. But for some reason, she didn't seem to be trying hard enough. She had tried to incapacitate him while they were fighting, not kill him, though the dozens of spikes towards his skin (and thank whatever god that ruled over this realm that she wasn't able to go through his hide) had tried.
Kiactu was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the girls in front of him before walking around. His ears twitched when they opened the door and he rushed off to catch up with them. They stood in awe as they walked inside, staring at the elements as they were on a pedestal. "C'mon Twilight," Applejack said, catching the unicorn's attention. "Isn't this what you've been looking for?"
"The Elements of Harmony!" Twilight exclaimed excitedly. "We've found them!" Kiactu was a little skeptical.
"There's no way that they're just up there without something serious happening," he voiced. "This just seems a little too easy. It reminds me of playing . . . really any video games of this year. As soon as you gain the magical artifact, the bad guy appears out of nowhere."
"Oh come on, Kiactu, that's just a lot of hooey," Applejack told him. "You don't think this is just some dumb luck that the Elements of Harmony are just here by mistake." Kiactu shook his head before watching as Rainbow and Fluttershy picked up the Elements before putting them in front of Twilight. "Maybe you're right, Applejack. Maybe I am getting a little paranoid."
"A little?" Rainbow asked. "If you were more paranoid, you'd be Fluttershy." Said Pegasus blushed before shying away and hiding behind Rarity as Kiactu turned his eyesight on her.
"Rainbow, that was a little mean," he huffed, turning his attention back to the Elements of Harmony before counting them. "One, two, three, four, five. Wait . . . That can't be right." He counted again, this time in another language. "Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco . . . Um, ichi, nii, san, yon, go . . . There's only five."
"The book said when the five elements are present, a spark will appear and the sixth will be revealed," Twilight answered. "I think I have an idea, so everyone stand back." She focused, her magic encasing her horn in purple magic while everyone but Kiactu left. The fox turned his head as he felt negative energy gather before growling as the Elements were drawn into a purple funnel cloud. Both Twilight and he jumped into the cloud as soon as the girls noticed something was wrong outside.
They rushed in to see the purple cloud disappear, along with the two in the room. "TWILIGHT!"
"OI! AM I NOT IMPORTANT TOO?"
"And Kiactu . . . I guess," Rainbow asked, rolling her eyes. They searched all over for the two before Rarity pointed out that in another part of a castle, light began to peek through the windows, illuminating the sky.
Both Twilight and Kiactu appeared in a flash of light, the former laying down while the latter was sitting upright. Twilight sat up suddenly when her vision cleared, displaying a certain alicorn laughing maniacally as the Elements of Harmony rotated around her. Kiactu growled before charging, Twilight still in shock. He jumped into the air after bunching his muscles before landing on her back. Digging his claws into Nightmare Moon's sides, he stayed on top of the alicorn before she bucked him off.
Once Kiactu was in the air, she used his hangtime to gore him with her horns, sticking him right in the chest in his right lung. He growled to himself before forcing himself off, coughing up blood on the floor of the ancient castle. He growled, his voice a lot deeper and more feral. He attacked her once more with his tail wrapping around her neck and yanking the alicorn away from the Elements. "Twilight, GO!" he yelled, gaining the attention of the unicorn before she snapped out of her funk.
She ran towards the Elements before snatching them up, trying her best to create a "spark". Just as she was about to make contact, Kiactu went flying past out a window. "Just one spark," she told herself, trying to forget that Kiactu was trying his hardest to keep her safe so she could concentrate. "Come on. Come on." However, as soon as the Elements sparked, they forced her back. She flew through the air before landing on her back and watched as they began sparking. Nightmare Moon was standing in the middle of them while smirking at her victory when she too noticed that they were lighting up.
"No!" she said, closing her eyes as she expected the sixth Element to appear and lock her back in the moon, only for the sparks to dim. Nightmare Moon laughed as she raised her front hoofs into the air and stomped the ground. The Elements shattered like glass, making Twilight stare in disbelief as all her hard work ran out the window.
"It's . . . Not over yet," Kiactu's voice growled before a larger shape barreled into Nightmare Moon and knocked her away from the pile. It revealed itself to be Kiactu, who growled down at the alicorn mare before her. She glared back into her adversary before drawing her horn back and stabbing it in his eye. Kiactu yelped before pulling back, one of his paws covering his eye as blood poured out of the wound.
One of his nine tails wrapped around the alicorn before throwing her away. Kiactu could smell the girls coming even though he couldn't see them through the blood. A sickening snap could be heard as he felt pressure on his foreleg. Nightmare Moon had broken it as could be seen by the awkward angle the leg took. Kiactu growled before going back to attack, albeit a bit weaker since she only took him down to three legs.
He was trying to ignore the voices in his head yelling at him to kill her and be over with it, but he could still sense Luna was in there somewhere. With one last revelation, Kiactu began to limp over to Nightmare Moon before the limp became an awkward sprint as his face contorted into pain. The sprint then became a full-blown run before he suddenly found himself lifted off the ground.
He could hear the mares' screams as they watched him fly through the air. His body had been pierced over and over again by Nightmare Moon's hair, which had hardened into makeshift pikes and spears that tore through his chest and stomach, projecting him through the air before returning back to tendrils of mist that exited his body and let him crash to the ground in a crater about twice his size. Kiactu's breath could be heard coming out hoarsely (no pun intended). He could tell that his body had been severely hurt and he would not be able to move.
A bright source of light began to take form on his wrists, encompassing the remaining bangle. It began to take another shape before transforming into gauntlets. The light then began to take over his entire form before completely covering him. He could hear the bone in his arm begin to straighten out and pop as it began to repair itself. His skin began to reknit itself, the scar tissue moving out of the way as new sinew began to take its place.
All the while in the background, the girls – though distraught by the "death" of their friend – were using the Elements of Harmony to take care of Nightmare Moon. And take care of her it did, transforming the once-evil pony back into the pony that let her anger take over, Luna.
Kiactu could hear Celestia as she arrived before telling the ponies that she thanked them for saving her sister. Though when she asked about Kiactu, the others looked down. In all of the excitement, they had forgotten about their friend and turned to see that he was glowing brightly, causing them all to cover their eyes. Just like that, the light died down. In Kiactu's place was a fox with golden armor that took the place of his fur. On each wrist was a golden gauntlet with a different colored gem: on his left was a strange one that was orange in its center and blue on its outer edge and on his right was a gem with an orange center and red edge.
The helmet of the fox folded away mechanically to show Kiactu's face, his damaged eye fully healed. "Yo," he said nonchalantly. "You girls were able to make the Elements help you. I'm glad." What he didn't prepare for was the bombardment of ponies against his armor, dragging him to the ground before laying on top of him.
"Don't ya ever do anything like that agin, ya hear me?"
"Darling, that was awful! I seriously thought she had killed you!"
That was just the first two of them. He was soon scolded by Celestia for doing something that stupid, but that wore off as he wasn't really listening. "If anything, I hate being scolded by brats such as you like I'm a little child," he scoffed before his eyes turned onto the newest girl in the bunch. "Hello, Luna," he greeted. "My name is Kiactu. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you when you aren't trying to sever my head with your hair."
"I-I guess it's good to meet you too," the alicorn said, feeling a little shy after "killing" the fox before her.
Kiactu stretched each of his tails before stretching his limbs. "It's amazing," he said. "I suddenly feel that I can run around the entire town. I guess when I was in that state, it loosened up some more of my power." He stretched his arm out, flinching the muscle as a spectral arm extended from the limb before grabbing the roof. He pulled himself up before looking down at them, his claws digging into the roof.
"Uh-huh," he said before moving around. "It's opened up some old pores. Though for some reason, I think I'm still only able to use three transformations of each, though." He let go before falling to the ground and using his new limbs to stop himself from impacting.
"You know what time it is?" Pinkie asked. "It's time to PARTY!"
Kiactu didn't know how, but the group then found themselves in Ponyville. He could only smile and watch as Twilight got more acquainted with the denizens before noticing Celestia walking up to him. "That was pretty stupid what you did," she told him. Kiactu could only sigh before blocking her out. "If I wanted to have someone a hundredth of my age scolds me, I'd ask," he said. "It's not like me to think clearly when in battle. If I did, then I'd have to balance it out by being lazy in life."
"But you are lazy in life," Celestia pointed out, getting a glare in response.
"Anyway, I just needed to find out what I could about Equestria," he went on. "There's only so much you can learn from staying in one place. Besides, I bet the soldiers are a lot happier that they can slack off to their hearts' content." She giggled at that before sighing. "So I guess this means that you're not coming back, are you?" At his nod, she smiled before studying where his eyes lay.
"Is Kiactu smitten with my student and her friends?" Celestia joked, getting a deadpan look from the fox before he turned and walked away. But not before giving her an answer.
"Yes . . . Very."
CHAPTER END
Prince: This is probably the longest I will go until we get to the three-part episodes, so they will not be getting this long. I threw in the explanations about humans because I always wanted to read a Naruto/MLP crossover fic where Naruto not only shows them he's human, but takes him through his point of view as a human as well. I hope you all liked the outfits I picked for them as I felt they reflected off their personality: Rarity with her elegancy, Rainbow Dash with her tomboyish personality, Fluttershy with her willingness to help others, Applejack's country upbringing, Pinkie's giggly but rather normal personality, and Twilight's studious ways.