*The moonlight's embrace*

*With fear as my companion*

*I give in to pain*

Chapter 4 – An Onna-bugeisha

=9:43 AM, Applejack's home)

(Sparkler's PoV)

Sparkler just finished helping clean all the dishes after Applejack kept her end of their bargain, making them all free breakfast in the morning. Little did Sparkler know that this meant waking up at six in the morning, to help her prepare. Something that Rainbow Dash complained about the entire time they helped.

"Why do we have to get up so early?" Rainbow Dash complained as she helped carry in a basket of apples while Applejack churned a fresh batter for pancakes.

"Because ah promised to make ya'll breakfast, and I'm ganna need all the help ah can get." She said with a smirk. "Don't see what ya'll are complainin about, this is an everyday thing for me!"

"Yea, but I'm normally sleeping in at this time still!" Rainbow Dash complained again as she put the apples down.

Sparkler didn't bother complaining, it wasn't going to help her get back to bed. She preferred helping out this way also, no magic involved to make breakfast, something she knew Applejack had in mind for doing things this way.

While they cleaned the dishes Applebloom and Dinky went off playing with their toys, the only thing super tech on the barn for miles around. Dinky's Midnight Luna toy also helped them out in the morning, in the form of helping to wake up Sparkler and Rainbow Dash. Needless to say Sparkler had to remind herself that the toy was Dinky's toy, and resist the urge to smash it.

Not that she could have actually harmed the toy even if she wanted to, what with all the fancy stuff her dad packed into the toy.

After they finished the dishes and everything else Applejack had to take care of that morning, they finally decided to take care of the important business of that day. The apple thief mystery mare and what they were going to do with her.

They walked out toward the barn where Applejack had put her last night along with all of her stuff. They opened the barn and slipped right in, and Sparkler immediately saw Applejack's work when it came to first aid. The mare was still asleep, despite having slept all night and all morning, lying on a pile of hay with a blanket under her for comfort. Applejack had to remove the mare's clothing so she could clean and dress the wound. The gash hadn't been too deep according to her, but it needed to be treated before it became infected. One thing Applejack commented on was how strong the mare looked.

"She looks like a tough customer from what her muscles look like." She said as they gathered around her while Applejack pulled out the mare's clothes. "These clothes are nothing like anything Ah've ever seen. Was thinkin of asking Rarity to check em for us to tell us what they are."

"She's definitely not from around here, I can tell from just looking at her." Sparkler said, pointing at the spear they saw her using last night. "That spear… definitely not anything that Celestia's guards use."

"And this instrument is nothing like anything I've seen!" Rainbow Dash said as she picked up the musical instrument. "I've been around Equestria lots of times, and I have never seen ANYTHING remotely close to this thing!"

"Which begs the question of who is she?" Sparkler said as they all looked at her again.

The mare, a pony with a dark brown mane and light grey coat, slept peacefully on the hay she had been placed, completely oblivious to the three of them. Her stomach however showed signs of malnutrition, as though she hadn't had a decent meal for many days, and her body was surviving on nothing but stored fat. She was very thin in the middle, but other than that she looked well built for a mare of her age. Sparkler couldn't help but notice one particular detail about her that they didn't notice the day before, she was very beautiful without the clothes she wore to hide her.

Sparkler looked at her rear legs, trying to see what her special talent was by way of her cutie mark, but there was none. "Applejack when you treated her did you see any kind of cutie mark on her?" Sparkler asked curiously.

"Nope, didn't see anything like that." She said as she pulled some apples out of a basket and planted them next to the mare for when she woke up. "Ah checked both sides of her too, just to make sure she wasn't hurt or anythin. There wasn't a cutie mark to be seen."

"So I'm guessing these marks on her face are her cutie mark?" Rainbow Dash said as she pointed to the mark on one side of the mare's face. "What kind of special talent is that, raising flowers by the moonlight? She looks more like a pony fit for guard duty at Celestia's palace!"

"Yea… everything about her is a mystery." Sparkler said as they stared at her.

They continued to watch her for several minutes before she started showing signs of waking up. She moaned a little as she slowly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to wake them up and adjust to the light. "Doko?" She whispered as she slowly woke up.

"Hey there, are ya feelin alright?" Applejack asked as she picked up the basket of apples and put it next to the mare.

"Watashi wa anata ga watashi ni hanashi, naze, watashi wa rikai dekinai ka wakaranai..." She said, shaking her head and holding it with one hoof. "Dono yō na..."

The mare looked at her hoof, than at her other hoof, before turning her head to look the rest of her body. Sparkler was wondering what she was looking for when she looked at them all staring at her, before she screamed and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around her as tightly as she could, covering all of her body but her head. "Anata wa watashi no fuku o kite naniwoshita yaban hito ka?" She shouted furiously at them.

"Whoa easy there, don't worry we're not going to hurt you!" Sparkler said, trying to sound reassuring, but her tone didn't seem to matter to the mare.

"Watashi no kimono kono shunkan o ataeru!" She said angrily, pointing with one hoof at her dress that Applejack had left lying among her belongings.

"I don't think she likes that we removed her dress." Rainbow Dash said as she glared at them.

"Just give her the dress; I think that's what she wants." Sparkler said quietly.

Applejack picked up the dress and handed it to the mare, clearly expecting her to start putting it on, but even after she got the dress back she was glaring at them. "Now what?" Applejack complained as she stared with those murderous eyes.

"Mawari no dengen o irete, miteinai!" The mare said, taking one hoof and making a spinning motion with it, clearly telling them to turn around.

"Privacy… she wants privacy for putting on a dress?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously.

They all turned around, looking at the barn door and not letting their curiosity get the better of them, even when they heard a sharp grunt of pain. "You alright there?" Sparkler asked, barely turning her head to see if the mare needed help.

"Mitehaikenai!" She yelled.

"Okay, okay, I'm not looking!"

After a few minutes they turned around and looked at the mare, now wearing her clothes and much more calm about them looking at her. "Are ya feelin better now?" Applejack asked.

The mare only looked at them for a moment before she finally spoke a word they understood. "Sorry." She said.

"It's alright, just tell us your name whoever you are." Sparkler said calmly.

The mare didn't respond to the question, only said that word again. "Sorry."

"It's cool; just tell us who you are." Rainbow Dash said.

Again the only word to come out of her mouth was, "Sorry."

"Somethin tellin me that's all she knows how to say." Applejack said. "At least what we can understand, everything else she says is about as clear to me as…"

*Creeeeeak*

They all turned to the door to see it creak open and watched as an empty bucket walked right in. They watched the bucket walk over to a corner of the room, flip itself around, and became still.

"Did any of you notice a bucket open the door and walk right in?" Applejack asked.

"Yep." Sparkler said.

"So I'm not the only pony who noticed a bucket walking?" Applejack asked.

"Nope, I saw it too." Rainbow Dash answered.

Sparkler took a chance to look outside the barn and saw Applebloom and Dinky running around outside, apparently looking for somepony, or something. Then she smiled and turned to the bucket. "You know Dinky is going to spot you instantly!"

(No she won't Sparkler, my disguise is perfect.) The bucket said.

"Your disguise is a bucket… a spotless bucket inside of Applejack's barn." Sparkler said with a smirk.

(Is there a problem with my disguise?) The bucket asked.

"No, unless you have a store's price tag on you." Sparkler giggled.

"Are you talking to a bucket Sparkler?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Wait let me guess, it's that Luna toy disguised as a bucket, right?"

While they all talked about the toy's disguise, the mare limped slowly over to her spear before the pain got too much for her. She stopped walking and grimaced in pain as she was forced to sit down. "Korera no ninja no noroi!" She said angrily as she rubbed her wounded hoof. "Dono yō ni watashi wa kono kizu to watashi no saiai o kensaku suru koto ga dekimasu?"

"Ah wish we could understand a word she was saying." Applejack said as they all looked back at her. "Really what in the name of Celestia is she talking about?"

(She is cursing the ninja who attacked her, and is asking how she can possibly search for her beloved with that wound.) The disguised Luna toy said instantly.

They all just turned to look at the bucket. "You understood what she said?" Sparkler asked.

(Of course, I am programmed with sixty four languages from ninety different species, with an additional two hundred and ninety seven dialects used across five planetary systems.) The bucket said. (The language she is using is known as Japanese, spoken on the planet Earth by the humans in the Terran system. The dialect is one of fifteen I am programmed with, including Spanish, Turkish, German, French, Russian, Polish…)

"Okay we get it, you're super toy, now translate what she's saying for us!" Rainbow shouted at the toy angrily.

It took the toy ten minutes before it could translate, stating that until it finished playing hide and seek with Dinky and Applebloom, it could not help them. Once that was done, and the mare got over the shock of seeing the toy for the first time just appearing in thin air, and learned that the toy could speak her language, they were finally able to start talking to her.

It was slow going at first, but eventually through using Dinky's toy as a translator, Sparkler, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were able to finally talk to the mare. "So what's your name, now that we can finally talk to you?" Sparkler asked.

"My name is Hanayo, Hanayo Kusaji." The mare said.

"Hanayo Kusaji, that's a strange name if ever I heard one." Rainbow Dash commented.

"Why were you on my family's apple farm?" Applejack asked.

"I did not realize that these lands were owned by your clan." Hanayo said. "I was under the impression that they were unclaimed. I only came here to collect a few apples and make an offering, before resuming my search for my beloved."

"Your search for your beloved, who's that?"

"My beloved's name is Aketoki, Aketoki Nimaji." She said. "I am searching for him so that we can join together in marriage. That is why I search so hard for him."

"That explains the somepony she was searching for." Sparkler commented to the others. "So what were you doing last night, with the bowl and the paper and apple?"

"That was not a bowl, its Aketoki's Kabuto, his helmet." She said. "The paper had his name on it, that I wrote, and the apple was my offering to the great divines in hopes that they would accept it and hear my plea. I was asking for help with finding my beloved… but it seems all my efforts got me was Hogeki's ninja finding me."

"Hogeki, ninja?" Sparkler asked in confusion.

"The ones who attacked us last night, they were Hogeki's ninja."Hanayo said. "He sent his ninja to do what he lacks the skill and the honor to do himself! He wants to claim me as his wife, by force if necessary. He sent those two to claim me, by any means required. Had you three not been there to intervene I fear where I would be right now… perhaps by Hogeki's side, being forced to call him husband…"

"Why don't ya just tell him to beat it?" Applejack asked. "Ah can tell that ya don't like the guy from the way you describing him, so why don't ya tell him leave ya alone?"

"Because even if I don't want it to be true, he has a legal claim to my body..." Hanayo said, glancing at her spear with a worried look in her eye. "By marriage rights, and by the legal rights of my clan, Hogeki Ninman is my legal husband if and when we perform the marriage ritual. If it weren't for the fact that I ran away with Aketoki before we could complete that ritual, I would right now be his wife and bearing his clan name of Ninman. If he finds me… and takes me with him before I can reunite with Aketoki… I will have no choice but to marry Hogeki…"

"Wait you're saying that even if you don't like this stallion, and you'd rather be with this Aketoki, you have no choice but to marry this guy?" Rainbow Dash said angrily. "What pony says you have to be with this guy?"

"My father… Yoritoku Kusaji, the head of my clan." She said sadly. "I am the last in my line for the Kusaji Clan, and as such carrying on the family bloodline falls to me. I must bear the offspring of my husband to carry on my family's lineage, it is my duty."

"Your saying you gata have this stallion's foals just because it's your duty?" Applejack said incredulously. "What kinda twisted logic is that?"

"It's how it is and if he captures me before I find Aketoki, that is how it will be… if he is allowed to have everything done his way." She said as she stood up and limped over to her spear. "But that is not how it will be, not as long as I call myself Onna-bugeisha!"

"Onna-bugeisha?" Sparkler asked.

(Onna-bugeisha, a class of female warriors based in Japan.) The toy translated. (They were trained from a young age in ancient Japan to protect their homes and honor of their clans during times of war. They are well known for their ferocity in protecting their homes, as well as their families, family honor is very important to an Onna-bugeisha.)

The mare picked up the spear, despite the pain she was suffering every time she moved that hoof, and looked at her reflection in the blade. "Hogeki has done nothing worthy of my love, the only reason he has any claim to me is because he is the heir to the Ninman Clan, a clan that serves as the police force for the Hojo throughout their territory." She whispered. "Hogeki may be samurai, but he did not serve in the Hojo's campaign, he stayed in Takasaki and policed merchants and peasants. My Aketoki fought for Hojo, fought for the town of Takasaki, fought for me! Only he is worthy of having me, and I will not allow any male but him to touch me."

She took the spear and pointed the blade at her neck, so close that she actually cut the skin and drew a small trail of blood. "Even if I have to kill myself, to make sure it stays that way!" She said, not even flinching at the fact that she cut herself.

There was an awkward silence as they all watched her put the spear back into the ground and wiped the wound with a strip of cloth. Her voice was so calm and so determined, that Sparkler didn't know how to respond.

"Well… now that we're all familiar with our guest… who's up for lunch?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yea, how about we just make lunch and we can keep talking later…" Sparkler said.

Applejack led them all to help make lunch while Hanayo stayed in the barn to recover from her injury. She was recovering quickly, and would soon be fully recovered at around dinner time. While Sparkler, Rainbow Dash and Applejack all went inside to work on lunch, Dinky and Applebloom stayed with Hanayo to talk to her and listen to her music, as well as snack on the apples they had left her.

An hour later they brought lunch out to the barnyard, and they brought it to the sound of Hanayo's musical instrument.

/watch?v=AK51LblcEOw

They walked into the barn to see Hanyo playing her instrument, with Dinky and Applebloom listening to her play. The tune was very sad as she played the song while staring at her lover's helmet. She didn't look up as she played her music when they entered.

Sparkler didn't need to know what the song was about; she could tell by the way she was staring at the helmet and by the sadness of the tune, what the song was about.

Yet as they all settled down to eat their meals with her, the tune gained life and became slightly more cheerful. She picked up the music's pace and started smiling as she continued to stare at the helmet.

They all just listened to the music before she finally stopped and put her instrument away to eat. "That was beautiful Hanayo." Sparkler said.

"Thank you Sparkler-San." She said with a smile as she clumsily used the spoon to eat her soup.

"What's that thing you played call?" Dinky asked curiously, using her magic to try and levitate it closer to her before Sparkler stopped her with her own magic.

"It is called a Koto, Dinky-San." She said. "It has been handed down through my family for four generations. My grandmother's mother was given it as a gift from her husband, and it's now passed into my possession."

"That's incredible that something so simple can be so beautiful." Applejack said. "Aint heard nothin like it before."

"Do you not have Kotos in your province?" She asked curiously, and looked surprised when they all shook their heads. "Why does your daimyo not allow music in your province?"

"Daimyo, what's a daimyo?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Your lord, the ruler of your province, does he forbid the practice of music?" She asked.

"If you're talkin bout the mayor, yea, but we just don't have that Koto thingy!" Applejack said.

Hanayo nodded her head, clearly not understanding what a 'mayor' was, but Sparkler guessed she realized that a mayor was whoever was in charge. They continued to eat their food for a few minutes before she raised a topic that was clearly on her mind for a while.

"Applejack-San, may I ask a personal question about you and your friends?" She asked.

"Ask away sugar!" Applejack answered cheerfully.

"Why do you… allow yourselves to be seen… naked?" She asked quietly.

"Naked, oh you mean the whole clothes thing?" Applejack answered. "Ah don't wear dresses unless ah have to, an believe me ah don't have to!"

"This is how we always look; we only wear clothes for formal occasions." Sparkler said.

"What about your husbands… and lovers… do you not want to keep yourselves concealed for only them to see what you look like?" She asked quietly.

"That's… a subject not for… filly ears…" Sparkler said nervously.

"Yea… what Sparks said… let's talk about somethin else!" Applejack said, catching on quickly.

"Well what would you like to talk about?" Hanayo asked, clearly not understanding what was wrong.

"Well what about your stalfriend, you know that Aketoki pony?" Sparkler asked. "What's he like?"

"He is a brave samurai, handsome and strong, and follows the traditions of his clan well." Hanayo said, and Sparkler noticed her smiling as she described him. "I still remember meeting him the first time when I was young. It was after the Nimaji Purge…"

/watch?v=fkHsJazkObw

"The Nimaji Purge?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Hanayo nodded as she closed her eyes before resuming her talking again. "For many generations, the Ninman and the Nimaji were bitter rivals, always finding opportunities to fight with each other over the most minor of problems. About twelve years ago when Aketoki was but six years old, their rivalry came to an end. The Ninman produced evidence that the Nimaji were secretly plotting to kill Lord Hojo, and this gave them sufficient cause to mount a full scale assault on the Nimaji clan as a whole."

"The night of the purge, the clan's house was assaulted by samurai loyal to the Ninman. A great fire erupted and almost the entire clan was killed." She said with a sad face. "I don't know if the evidence was true, or falsified just so the Ninman could kill their rivals, no one knew the truth but Fujiku Ninman. That didn't matter though, the deed was done, and all but one of the Nimaji were killed. That sole survivor was Aketoki Nimaji."

"His… entire family… killed…" Sparkler asked, wondering how any pony's entire family could be killed off, and why any pony would commit such an act.

Hanayo nodded sadly as she continued. "His entire clan, mother, father, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, all killed in the purge. None of them were spared, none but him. A Ronin hired by the Ninman found him during the purge, but didn't have the heart to kill a small boy cowering behind his dead parents. So while the rest of the house and his clan fought the Ninman, the Ronin took the boy and fled the house as it began to burn. The Ronin took Aketoki to my clan, the Kusaji, and asked us to shelter him until he was of age."

"My clan only found out the details of why Aketoki was brought to us the following morning, once it became clear that the entire Nimaji clan was dead." Hanayo said as she pulled the helmet closer to her. "Aketoki is the last surviving leader of the Nimaji Clan, the circumstantial evidence pointing to the Nimaji's plot to assassinate the Hojo was never actually investigated, but Lord Hojo closed the matter, he never gave an official reason why he did so. The Ninman eventually learned of Aketoki's survival, but Hojo decreed that the Ninman were not to harm the boy."

"That was how it was for several years, until all memory of the Nimaji/Ninman clan rivalry was but leaves in the wind, and the feud all but forgotten." She said as she looked in sadness at the helmet. "Years passed and Aketoki and I became good friends, even when we both began to train as Samurai and Onna-buegeisha."

"You both trained together with those fancy weapons?" Applejack asked.

"Yes, because we both apprenticed under the same master we were perfect sparring partners. Each day we trained together, perfecting our skills with the Katana and Naginata, learning the ways of balance and the art of discipline. We sparred against each other, constantly, one on one, always wanting to prove who the better was over the other. From those fights… our feelings for each other became apparent, and grew stronger as time went by."

"They fell in love by beating each other up?" Rainbow Dash asked quietly to Sparkler.

"She is a strange pony, no doubt about that now!" Sparkler agreed, while Hanayo continued to talk.

"We were friends since we first met, and even though our rivalry was strong when we were young, it bloomed into a love that is even stronger now." She said. "When I reached the age of maturity, and it was time for me to be married, I could think of none but Aketoki to become my husband. We were perfect for each other, he knew me better than any other, even my family, and I knew him better than any other!"

She looked up at them and pointed at her cutie marks on her face. "Do you know the story of my clan's symbol, which we all wear on our face?" She asked, to which they all shook their heads. "It is the Moon Flower which blooms only under the light of a full moon, where my clan's house was built at the request of our founder, Hando Kusaji. It was said that he fell in love with the Moon Flowers when he first saw them bloom for him, after a terrible battle that nearly caused him to commit Harakiri. The Flowers gave him the will to fight on, so he could protect their beauty for future generations to admire. My name is based on those flowers that he once saw."

She then took one hoof and drew a symbol in the dirt in front of them; it looked like a broken crescent moon, hanging over a lake with a tear drop dripping from the tip of upper section of the moon. "This is the Nimaji's Clan symbol, I know of its origin because my mother told me it before she passed away, a story only handed down through the females of my line." She said. "The Nimaji and Kusaji were once closely related, but after a terrible incident in which the head of the Nimaji, failed to protect the wife of Lord Kusaji, the Nimaji could never face the Kusaji again. It was said that the incident happened under the light of a crescent moon, in which assassins killed the wife of Lord Kusaji by the side of a lake, as she was getting water to cook rice."

"My mother told me it, should I ever find myself with a Nimaji." She said as she stared at them all. "She told me that the Nimaji always carry that sense of protecting the Kusaji, no matter what their enemies may be. It was their hope that one day, the Nimaji would be able to stand before a Kusaji, and ask for forgiveness for failing them all those generations ago. Their symbol is a reminder of that failure, and only until they believe they have redeemed themselves, will they allow themselves to change their clan's symbol."

"So you fell in love… with this Aketoki… knowing his clan's story?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes, you see in my eyes he has already redeemed himself." She said with a smile. "While we grew up, we often ventured out of my Clan's house, and snuck into the village late at night to play. We would often play pranks on the merchants; it was so much fun watching their little stands collapse from the side without them knowing what happened. One time however, we pushed one of our pranks too far, and it almost killed us."

"What happened?" Sparkler asked incredibly.

"While a merchant was away from his stand, I had gone under to pull some of the wagon's screws so it would collapse when he tried pulling it. The wagon was on a slope, and as I made my way down the slope to watch with Aketoki, the wagon started to roll on its own. It moved too fast for me to spot, by the time I turned to see, it was already on top of me. Aketoki pushed me out of the way at the last second, getting hit by the wagon instead. The wagon injured his body, and it took him months to recover."

Hanayo looked sad as she recalled the story for them. "He was blamed for injuring himself, and he took the blame to keep the fact that I was out with him a secret. He was beaten for a week as punishment, I would have suffered worse had the truth been known, but because he kept silent I was spared."

"That was when, my feelings for him developed…" She said with a loving smile. "However I could not marry him at the time I reached of age, you see despite our feelings he was still not worthy in the eyes of my father. So he went to gain that honor by fighting for Lord Hojo. I was so certain of our future that I did not worry about him when he left. I figured by the time he came back, and my father knew of the honor he had gain in Hojo's service, he would accept his proposal without hesitation. Together… we'd rebuild the Nimaji Clan… together…"

For a few minutes she held that pose, smiling lovingly at the helmet before she suddenly started breaking into tears. "What's wrong Miss Hanayo?" Applebloom asked.

"Yea, why are you crying?" Dinky asked.

"Because… I miss Aketoki… so much!" She said through the tears as she held the helmet closer to her. "I've been searching for three weeks… for any sign of him… and nothing. I'm worried for Aketoki… I'm worried that Hogeki found him before me. I'm afraid… that he's dead… and that I'll never see him again! This helmet is all I have left of Aketoki… it's the only hope I have left of seeing him again!"

They all looked at each other as Hanyo cried, unable to think of anything that might cheer her up. Sparkler understood that Hanayo was a strong mare, and was not one to just give in to her fear and tears, yet when it came to this Aketoki, she just broke down in sadness. Until Rainbow Dash suddenly came up with an idea.

"Hey wait a minute, what about Dinky's toy?" She said. "Can't it detect this Aketoki stallion?"

"Yea… can you do that?" Sparkler asked the toy."

The Luna toy looked at Sparkler before looking at Hanayo who was still crying. (I have already detected similar ponies to Hanyo Kusaji within a two hundred mile radius; however I cannot detect this Aketoki without a DNA sample to identify and separate him from the other signatures.) It said. (I require a DNA sample in order to make an accurate scan and location of this pony.)

"Alright, so Hanayo you said that helmet belongs to Aketoki correct and he wore it several times right?" Sparkler asked Hanayo.

"Yes, he wore it just before we were separated." She said once she had calmed down a bit and the toy resumed translating again.

"Would you be willing to let the toy look at it, just for a minute?" Sparkler asked.

Hanayo nodded and put the helmet down in front of the toy, allowing it to get closer and extend a hoof into the bowl of the helmet. (Activating DNA scanners, locating trace amounts of DNA.) The toy declared, and the tip of its hoof opened up, revealing a blue light bulb shining from the tip. (I have a confirmed trace amount of DNA belonging to two individual ponies found on the inside of this helmet. One trace amount belongs to Hanayo Kusaji, the second is unfamiliar, but clearly belongs to the previous owner based on the amount I have detected. I will now begin scanning for this pony.)

The toy backed away, closing the tip of its hoof before opening its back to extend a tiny, thin, metal rod into the air. (Activating scanners…now locking in on DNA signal… Isolating DNA… confirming DNA match… double checking scans for errors…) The toy said, then five minutes later, it put the metal rod it was using away, storing it back into its body before turning to look at Sparkler and the others. (DNA match confirmed, I have located Aketoki Kusaji, he is currently in the city of Canterlot. Scans indicate several unknown signals that are similar to both Aketoki and Hanayo's that are not recorded in my database. As such I cannot identify them accurately; however I can confirm that Aketoki is indeed, inside Canterlot Castle.)

"We found him!" Sparkler said eagerly. "Hanayo, we know where Aketoki is!"

"You know where he is, how is this possible?" Hanayo asked, her voice full of hope when the toy translated for them again.

"Let's just say this toy is very good at finding things!" Rainbow Dash responded. "We know where he is anyway; he's in Canterlot about three hours north from here!"

The instant the toy finished translating; Hanayo got up and limped over to her bag, emptying it of everything inside, which wasn't much. "What are you doing?" Applejack said, getting up and joining her as she broke the bag apart.

"I'm going to Canterlot!"She said, flinching every time she moved her injured hoof. "I must find Aketoki before Hogeki finds either of us first!"

"Whoa slow down there partner!" Applejack said as she started taking branches from the bag and throwing them away. "You're in no condition to go traveling for a few more hours!"

"I don't care if my injury causes me pain, pain is temporary, I'll just ugh…" She tried to say, but the instant she pulled one of the pieces up she overexerted herself and clutched her side in pain.

"Settle down there Hanayo, your injury is still recovering." Applejack said, taking her and pulling her back toward the hay where she had been resting earlier. "Now listen, just wait till after dinner and then you can go out and find your stalfriend. Till then just sit tight and let that cut get better okay?"

Applejack's forceful nature seemed to get through that determined attitude of Hanayo's, who looked like she didn't care if she was still recovering. Yet she nodded and simply sat back down, saying she woul listen to her.

Three hours later, right after they finished having dinner with Hanayo, she asked them all to leave her alone for a few minutes. Ten minutes after she asked them, she opened the door to the barn and walked out, looking very different than how she looked before. Along her back and sides were very heavy leather plates, the same kind that had made up the bag. Along each of her hooves were similar plates that were smaller and much more flexible. Adorning her head was the helmet that belonged to Aketoki, and in her hooves was her Naginata. She still carried her Koto on her back, but other than that she carried nothing else.

"Are ya sure you don't want company for the trip to Canterlot Miss Hanayo?" Applejack asked. "I'm sure RD would be more than willing to fly with you to Canterlot. By the time ya get there it'll probably be dark!"

"Yea, aren't you worried about another attack?" Sparkler asked. "What if those ninja guys attack you again?"

"I am grateful for your hospitality and the care you are showing for my safety." She said, giving Applejack a short bow. "However, trust me when I say I will be fine. The only reason they harmed me was because I was not wearing my armor. Now that I know they are after me, I believe I can protect myself better against them. Do not worry about following me, I will be fine, and I must go alone… it is not my way to ask for help. This is my task and I must do it alone."

"Well here's some apples for the journey, in case ya get hungry!" Applejack said, taking a small basket of apples and putting it on her back next to the Koto. "You stay safe now okay; if ya stick to the main road ya should reach Canterot in a few hours!"

"Thank you Applejack-San." She said again, giving her another bow. "The next time we meet, may it be at my wedding with Aketoki!"

"Make me your maid of honor!" Rainbow Dash said as she turned and left, starting to head toward Canterlot.

"I hope she'll be okay." Sparkler said.

"She's a tough mare, ah'm sure she'll be okay!" Applejack said as she grinned at them both. "Well since ya'll are still here, hows about you two help me start cleanin up the barn!"

"What!" Rainbow Dash and Sparkler said at the same time.

=Hogeki's Camp near Canterlot, half an hour after his first two ninja return=

(Hogeki's PoV)

Hogeki continued to pace back and forth, trying to get as much information out of his ninja who were spying on Aketoki inside the city. "Their ruler, can you describe that much at least?" He said frustrated at the lack of information they had been able to gleam.

"She stood about as tall as you, with a blue coat and blue eyes." The first ninja said. "She had wings, and a horn, and her hair was light blue with shades of purple. It flowed as though it were in the wind, even when none blew for it."

He nodded as his agents divulged that information. Ten minutes later he heard the sound of hooves approaching their camp, and turned to see his two other ninja enter the camp. They bowed respectfully before stating their reason for returning.

"We found her; she was located near an apple orchid south of our position!" The third ninja said.

"If you found where she was, than why did you not bring her here?" He said angrily.

"We met with resistance; a few of the locals caught us off guard and aided her in her fight with us!" The fourth one said. "We couldn't carry her with us without raising an alarm, or without leading them to us! But we made sure she won't be traveling until tomorrow afternoon at least."

He glared angrily at them before turning to face the city once again. "I'm not concerned about her traveling." He whispered, staring at the palace where Aketoki was being held. "I'm more interested in her somehow reaching Aketoki before we can kill him. My father and the rest of my clan killed off the Nimaji, leaving only Aketoki alive."

"I just want the pleasure of finishing them of… once and for all." He whispered as he imagined taking his katana and slicing off Aketoki's head with it. "Hanayo is my bride… not his!"