Chapter 10- Fluttershy
Me: Alright, this is where I introduce you all to Tid's summoning animal, and I think you'll like it.
Itachi: Just don't frighten poor Fluttershy too much, alright?
Me: Will do.
Itachi: Tid doesn't own the rights to Naruto Shippuden or My Little Pony: Frienship is Magic.
Me: Alright, let's get started.
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The next morning I woke up somewhat earlier than usual. The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon and the first beams of golden light were shining on the landscape. I threw the blanket off of my body and swung my legs over the side of my bed and quietly climbed out. My feet hit the cold wooden floor and I nearly recoiled. I stretched and grabbed my cloak, which I had washed yesterday before I had went to bed. I then exited my room and travelled down the hall where I would spend the next half-hour showering and preparing to do my ritual.
When that was all good and done, I made my way down the hall once more and to the bottom floor, where I decided to skip breakfast and just get my ritual over with. I walked outside and traveled down the path that I had established that led from our house to the Everfree forest. On this path, I looked to my left and found the pony that I wanted to spend that day with, Fluttershy. She was busy talking to a small group of multi-colored birds who seemed to actually listen to her. I stopped in my tracks and observed her for a little while, contemplating about inviting her to my ritual. I shrugged a few seconds later and started walking toward her. She noticed me out of the corner of her eye and she seemed to get a little frightened at my approach; seeming almost as if I were about to harm her.
"Are you okay Fluttershy?" I asked her. She looked at me, avoiding staring into my eyes.
"Y-yes, I'm fine." She said.
"Fluttershy, I promise I won't harm you," I said to her. I approached her once more and gently set my hand on her shoulder; her letting out a small eep! as I did so. "Look Fluttershy, I'm sorry if I scared you. Please, do forgive me." She gradually began to stop trembling and looked up at me, staring into my eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, that was rude of me." She apologized. I smiled at her, trying to reassure her that I wasn't upset with her.
"It's alright Fluttershy. I hope your bird friends aren't afraid of me as well." I said glancing toward where the birds were still sitting and watching us.
"Oh, they're fine; aren't you?" She asked them. They each made a motion that resembled nodding. My eyes widened with amazement. Now I've seen it all. I thought to myself.
"Well, that's good. Say, Fluttershy, how would you like to spend the day with me?" I asked her. She looked back over to me and blushed.
"S-sure," She replied; clearly embarrased. I chuckled.
"It's alright Fluttershy; I've been spending the day with the others as well, so you don't have to feel like I'm asking you out or anything like that." I said to her. She breathed a small sigh of relief. This caused me to burst out laughing, which surprised Fluttershy, but didn't scare her. She smiled slightly and lowered her head shyly.
"Oh this is going to be a great day, I can already tell." I said as I finished laughing. I looked down at Fluttershy and placed my hand on her head, rubbing her mane back and forth gently. When I lifted my hand she looked up at me.
"Ready to go, Fluttershy?" I asked her. She nodded and I motioned for her to follow me. She and I walked side-by-side toward the Everfree Forest, neither of us saying a word. Fluttershy looked around at the various animals that ran about and I watched her out of the corner of my eye, curious as to how she behaved. I hadn't spent much time with Fluttershy before, and I could tell that she was much more shy than the others. She spoke with a low voice and never really drew attention to herself; at least, that's what I had gathered so far. She looked forward as the grass surrounding the path began to turn a noticeable shade of green darker and continued to darken the closer we got to the edge of the forest. She looked up at me.
"W-we're going into there?" She asked nervously. She had began trembling again, though it wasn't as severe as before.
"Yes, but don't worry, I'll protect you." I said to her; looking at her and smiling. She looked up at me and stopped trembling. She didn't know what I was capable of, but she trusted me. She smiled and looked forward, no longer afraid of going into the forest.
We walked through the forest on a path that continued deeper into the forest until it eventually opened to the clearing where I had been doing my ritual for the past week or so. Ever since the first day, I had gotten increasingly adapted to the strange energy that this world had. It blended with my chakra and the two naturally bonded, no longer wanting to reject each other like they had done when I first did my ritual.
"Tid, may I ask you something?" Fluttershy asked when we were about halfway through the forest. I looked at her and she continued to face forward, looking at me from the corner of her eye.
"Of course, Fluttershy. What is it?" I asked her.
"Why do you do your ritual?" She asked. I remained silent for a few seconds, looking forward again.
"I can't tell you that; at least, not yet. However, I can tell you how I do my ritual, if you're interested." I replied.
"Okay, how?" She asked.
"Well, when I get to the clearing, I sit down in the center and cross my legs. Then, I put my hands in a formation like this," I said showing her the boar hand sign. She turned her head to put it into focus and nodded when she had seen it. "What that does, is it focuses my chakra around my body and allows me to keep certain balances in place." I explained.
"Oh, I don't really know what you are talking about, but I guess that makes sense." She said.
"Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough." I said to her. She nodded and we continued walking in silence.
Finally we entered the clearing, which shone as the only light in the dark forest. I walked to the middle, Fluttershy standing near the edge of the circle. I sat down, crossed my legs, and placed my hands in the boar sign again. I breathed a heavy sigh and closed my eyes, concentrating. After a short while I heard the sound of hooves on grass approaching me and felt Fluttershy's presence as she sat next to me. She sighed and laid on her back. I opened my left eye and looked at her from the corner of my eye. I could see her laying back with her left forearm covering her eyes and her right arm laying at her side.
"Say, Fluttershy," I said closing my eyes again.
"Hmm?" She muttered.
"We're going to be here for a little while, so why don't you tell me a little about your past?" I asked her. I could feel her sit up.
"Well," She considered. I opened my left eye and trained it on her, watching her movements.
Even though it was just the two of us, and she knew I wouldn't harm her, she sat unnecassarily far from me. Her body was slightly turned away from me, her right leg almost acting as if its purpose was to shield the left from my view.
"It's alright; if you don't want to tell me, that's fine." I reassured.
"Oh no, it's fine. I don't mind sharing my past with you, but I don't know where to start." She replied.
"I see, well start anywhere you like. Though, may I suggest a starting point?" I offered. She nodded.
"Why don't you tell me how you met the other five?"
"Oh, alright. Well, I met Rainbow Dash when I still lived in Cloudsdale," She began.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but where is Cloudsdale?" I asked curiously.
"It's up there," She replied as she lifted one hoof to point to the sky.
"Ah, I see. Well, I guess that doesn't really surprsie me. Anyway, I'm sorry for interrupting. Please, continue." I apologized. She nodded and continued her story.
"Even when I was just a little filly, I was still very shy; that's why my parents named me Fluttershy. Anyway, Rainbow was the only one to talk to me when we were in Flight School. She became my best friend, and I relied on her for support, just like she relied on me, too." Fluttershy explained. I nodded, urging her to go on.
"After a few years, Rainbow Dash helped me get my Cutie Mark by knocking me out of Cloudsdale,"
"Hold on, what?!" I exclaimed in astonishment.
"Oh, she didn't do it on purpose. You see, some bullies were picking on me, and she challenged them to a race in my honor. When she flew by me, I accidentally fell and landed on some bushes. When I opened my eyes, I saw a lot of adorable fuzzy animals surrounding me. I began to take care of these animals, and that's how I got my Cutie Mark." She explained.
"Ah, well that makes more sense." I breathed in relief.
As I continued to listen intently (interjecting only a few times to ask questions or give my opinions), she explained everything that had happened to her up until that point. She explained about a massive outbreak of tiny little creatures that ate whatever food they saw, about how she had met the others, and whatever else she could think of. She had a lot of passion when she told her stories, exploding with emotion whenever a new one was introduced. It gave me a feel for her personality, though I still didn't know why she was so shy all the time.
"Well, Fluttershy, I have something I may be able to show you, if you want." I offered as I finished my ritual and lay back on the ground, my arms resting under my head.
She looked at me with a look of slight confusion and excitement.
"Something to show me?" She asked. I nodded.
"However, I must warn you, it's your least favorite animal," I warned.
"A dragon?" She asked with a little more excitement than I was anticipating.
"Yes, a dragon. However, he's not just any dragon." I sat and crossed my legs, placing my hands on my knees.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"He's the god of all dragons, or at least, that's his name anyway." I replied.
"His name is God of All Dragons?" She asked with a tilted head.
"No, no, no, his name means god of all dragons. It's Ryujin." I explained.
"Oh I see, well, I don't know about that." She said looking at the ground.
"It's okay, I said if you want. I won't show you if you don't want me to." I comforted. She looked up at me and smiled.
"That's alright, I think I could handle it if you're here." She said to me. This came as a bit of a shock, and I guess it showed on my face because Fluttershy blushed and looked away. After a few seconds the shock subsided, and was replaced with a smile.
"Alright Fluttershy, if you insist, then I will show you my summoning animal." I said as I stood up. She looked up at me with anticipation and excitement.
"But not here, this is a nice area, and I don't want to ruin it." I said extending one hand to her and helping her to her hooves.
"Okay; but where should we go?" She inquired.
"Heh, you'll see." I teased with a slight grin on my face. She nodded and followed me out of the clearing.
We walked on for a few minutes, the black trees with their monochromatic leaves shielding the ground from all sunlight. I was surprised that anything at all could grow there; and it was a question that burned itself into my mind every single time I came in there to do my ritual. The walk was entirely in silence; save for the sound of feet and hooves trodding over fallen leaves, broken branches, and the soft, black grass. A few minutes later Fluttershy and I emerged from the forest and into the bright sunlight, which we were forced to shield our eyes from until we got used to it. I lead her along the outskirts of the forest and into a large field outside of the village.
"This should do just nicely," I grinned.
I glanced at Fluttershy and she nodded at me, telling me she was ready. I nodded back at her and looked forward once again. I raised my hand to my mouth and bit my thumb with as much force as I could. I managed to split the skin on my thumb and drew blood, much to Fluttershy's discomfort. I ran the blood down the palm of my left hand and performed the hand seals for the summoning jutsu. I then slammed my hand on the ground and there was a puff of smoke. I then felt myself lifted high into the air as I stood atop the dragon. The dragon's head rose from the cloud of smoke, revealing obsidian-black scales that encased his body, and blood-red spikes that jutted from strategic locations atop his head and along his spine, reaching all the way down to the tip of his tail. As the smoke dissipated, I looked down at Fluttershy, who appeared to be trembling, though I suspected it wasn't in fear of this creature. He was the size of a small mountain, and his limbs were preportionally large. His scales were a full meter thick, and hard enough to withstand a direct hit from a Bijuu Bomb from Kurama. His claws and teeth were each the size of a one-story building and were sharp enough to rip through solid steel. He is able to use any of the five chakra natures that he wants and can change his scales to negate any attack used on him. He was like a giant Yata Mirror with incredible offensive power.
"Well? What do you think, Fluttershy?" I called to her as I held my arms out beside me in a gesture of power. She didn't respond for a while, her mouth agape with awe at the grandeur of Ryujin. I could see her eyes eagerly scanning every inch of Ryujin, who stood as if he were a statue. I knelt down and placed my palm to his scales.
"Nice to see you again, my old friend." I said to him. It was at that moment that he began to move. He lifted one claw in front of him and held it in place with the palm facing toward the sky. I leapt into the air and landed in the center of his palm, bending my knees to soften my landing. I looked up at him and he grinned.
"Well, well. I never thought I'd see you again, Tid." He said.
"Heh, I know, it's been too long since I summoned you. But, there's been... er, a change of location." I replied.
"I've noticed. We're not in our universe, I take it?" He asked.
"That's right. Right now, we're in a dimension dominated by talking ponies." I replied.
"Talking ponies, you say? Well, it's not the strangest thing I've heard, and certainly not the strangest thing I've ever seen, either." He said to me as he closed his gigantic eyes.
"Actually, the reason I summoned you here, Ryujin, was so that I could show you to a new friend of mine."
"Eh? A new friend? Who might that be?" He inquired opening one eye and turning his head so that it was only a few feet away from me, his white pupil staring at me.
"She's down there," I replied pointing to the ground. He took his eye off of me and looked to where I was pointing.
Fluttershy waved up at the dragon god and freaked out when he reached for her. Instead of grabbing her, however, he simply lowered his claw to the ground, allowing her to climb on. She stood on the ground, hesitant for a few moments, looking at me for assurance. When I nodded, she smiled and climbed into his palm, where he proceeded to lift her high into the air. He placed both of his front claws together and allowed Fluttershy to join me on his right.
"It's nice to meet you, pony." He said to her.
"It's nice to meet you too, Ryujin." She replied. He nodded slightly at her.
"Ryujin, this is Fluttershy," I told him as I placed one hand on her shoulder.
"Fluttershy, eh? Well, I can't say I've heard a name like that before in my three-millenneum-long life."
"Don't worry, she's very kind with animals." I offered. He nodded slightly once more in appreciation of this.
"Oh yes, I care very much for animals." She said. He smiled; which is something he usually only did when he was having fun on the battlefield.
"Good! I'm glad to meet a pony such as you!" He said happily. She blushed and nodded once more.
"Well, it's about time I sent you back, Ryujin." I said to him.
"Right. Be sure to call on me whenever you're in trouble, Tid." He replied. I nodded.
"I'll be sure to do that. See you later, Ryujin." After I said that, he lowered his claws to the ground and allowed Fluttershy and I to climb off before I released the jutsu. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke and was gone. I turned my attention to Fluttershy, who was beaming.
"That was a lot of fun, thank you, Tid." She smiled.
"Yeah, he's really amazing. I formed a contract with him when I was fifteen years old, which was about four or five years ago." I replied.
"Really? That's incredible." She said with awe in her voice.
"Eh, it was luck that I was able to form a contract with him in the first place. But since then, we've been great friends." I said.
"Oh I see. Well, thank you for letting me see him."
"You're very welcome, Fluttershy. Now, how about I walk you home?" I asked her. She nodded in agreement and we began our walk back to her cottage.
As we walked home, I could tell she was feeling a lot better about herself than before. She walked with a certain swagger that I had not seen before; though it wasn't in arrogance. I could see her confidence had been boosted, and that she was considerably less afraid. I smiled, happy to see that such a change had taken place in a dear friend of mine.
"Say, Fluttershy," I began, breaking the silence.
"Yes?" She asked in response.
"Well, I couldn't help but notice that you seem a lot more confident than you were this morning. Is there any reason for that?" I inquired curiously. She looked up at me with a smile.
"Well, you helped me become less afraid, Tid. Especially when you showed me Ryujin. I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing a big dragon like that, but I knew everything was going to be okay, because you were there." She replied. I blushed a little.
"Are you serious?" I asked her. She nodded in confirmation. She looked ahead again; a smile still adorning her face.
"I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that just helps me to keep calm. It settles my nerves and my fear and makes me less afraid." She said. I stared at her in disbelief for a few minutes.
"Well, I'm proud that I'm the one that instills that confidence in you, Fluttershy. I hope to partner with you and the others in the future." I said to her.
"Partner?" She asked in confusion.
"Yes, I think I can help you all achieve some level of combat ability; though, I realize that may not be what you want to do." I replied.
"Oh I'd be glad to help you," She said with a smile on her face. I smiled back at her.
"Thank you," I said to her. She nodded. I looked forward and almost tripped over a small ledge that sat just beside her cottage.
"Well, here we are." I said as I regained my balance. She giggled and nodded.
"Thank you for walking me home, Tid." She said to me. I nodded back at her.
"It was my pleasure. Now, I'll be seeing you later." I replied.
"Okay. Good bye, Tid." She said waving. I waved back and leapt away from her cottage.
"Heh, Fluttershy's gonna be a powerful asset one day." I said to myself.
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Me: Well, that was a lot of action, wasn't it? No? Not really? Oh well. The chapter is done, and now we can continue on to the next one. See you all then!