Chapter 77- Special Permissions
Me: Alright, this is going to be the start of a new Arc in the plot; just to let you all know.
Tid: This is going to be a fun Arc.
Me: Yes, it certainly is. I don't own the rights to Naruto Shippuden or My Little Pony: Frienship is Magic.
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It was late at night in the Carousel Boutique. Rarity was asleep, having spent all of her energy in creating a new Akatsuki cloak for me to replace the one that was lost in the time jump. I stood in front of the window, watching the rain of that night fall on the glass and drip down in small streams. I was wearing the cloak that she had made for me, and it was much more comfortable than the one I had previously. I heard the door to her bedroom open and I turned to look over my shoulder at the source of the noise. A few seconds later, Opal jumped on the bed and curled up beside Rarity. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my attention back tot he outside world. Lightning flashed and illuminated the dark room for a brief second, my shadow stretching across the bed and onto the opposite wall. The storm didn't bother Rarity in the slightest; in fact, she had told me that she enjoyed the rain. She had said it was the most romantic of weather conditions. I smiled when I remembered our first storm while we were living under the same roof. She had curled up next to me on her bed and we sat and watched the rain outside contently.
I turned away from the window and walked as silently as I could across the room and over to her nightstand, where the ring I had bought for her sat next to her alarm clock. I gently reached out and wrapped my fingers around it, removing it from its place on the nightstand and placing it in my pocket. I glanced at Rarity to see if she had somehow noticed (which you never know with her), but she remained asleep. I backed up toward the door slowly and reached a hand out to catch the doorknob. Fortunately, the door was open already from when Opal entered the room and I was able to slip out without making any noise. I closed the door behind me as silently as I could and made my way downstairs. I reached into my pocket and pulled the ring out and glanced at it as I reached the bottom of the staircase.
"I'll have to hide this in aplace where she'll never find it," I whispered to myself.
I looked around and tried to find a place where I could hide it, but I knew if she was really looking for it, she'd be able to find it no matter where I hid it in this house. I didn't know how long I would have to hide it from her, but I did know that when I proposed to her again, I'd have to make the moment as special as possible. I ultimately decided that I would have to turn to a place outside of the Carousel Boutique if I wanted to keep the ring out of Rarity's possession long enough to find a time to propose to her. I walked through the living room and grabbed the doorknob, but I stopped in my tracks as I thought of something. I could hide the ring by sending it to another dimension and recall it by using a summoning seal. I grinned at the thought and immediately went to find a scroll. Luckily, since I had moved in with her, Rarity had gathered a surplus of scrolls and stored them all in a closet just outside of the kitchen. I opened the door and grabbed the first scroll that I had set my eyes on and immediately bit my thumb to draw blood. I unfurled the scroll and layed it on the ground, placing the ring in the very center of the scroll. I then drew a seal on the scroll and placed my hand in the center; causing a small puff of smoke to appear as the ring vanished. I then rolled up the scroll and hid it in my cloak.
I stood and walked back up the stairs. I entered Rarity's room and quietly shut the door behind me. I kneeled down and removed the scroll from my cloak and placed it under the bed so as to hide it from Rarity. I then took off my robe and hung it up in her closet before climbing into bed beside her. Opal had gotten up and left the bed some time while I was sealing away the ring, so it was just Rarity and I. I gently wrapped my arm around her and kissed the back of her neck before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.
The next morning I was woken up by the sound of Rarity searching frantically for something. I sat up and stretched, wiping the sleep from my eyes and watching her run about the room.
"Rarity, what's going on?" I asked her groggily.
"The ring you gave me; I can't find it!" She replied in a tone of panic. She went through her closet and pushed aside outfit after outfit and overturned boxes with her magic.
"I'm sure it'll turn up. Don't worry Rarity, I promise I'll find it for you." I said to her. When she heard me say that she immediately stopped what she was doing and looked at me.
"Really?" She asked. I nodded. She leapt onto the bed and threw her arms around me.
"Oh thank you!" She said. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her, embracing her hug.
"I love you, Rarity." I said to her.
"I love you too!" She replied. We embraced each other for a few minutes before I felt Rarity tense up.
"Rarity, what's wrong?" I asked her as I held her at arms length.
"You still have to meet my parents," She replied grimly.
"Okay? Is that a bad thing?" I asked. She didn't reply but sat silently on the bed.
"Rarity, is that a bad thing?" I asked her once more. She looked up at me.
"You don't understand," She said. "My parents aren't exactly... supportive of our relationship."
"What? Why not?" I asked.
"Well, my mother is happy with our relationship... it's my father that we have to worry about. You see, he doesn't like humans."
"How come?" I asked. She shook her head.
"I don't know. However, he has expressed that he doesn't want me to marry you, or even associate with you. He even forbade me from seeing Sweetie Belle!" She said with tears in her eyes. I pulled her into another hug.
"It's alright, Rarity. I'll make sure he and I come to an agreement; and I won't use force." I said to her. She sniffled and looked me in the eyes.
"Are you sure you can make him see reason?" She asked.
"Well I'm not sure about that, but I know I can convince him that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." I replied. She gave me a slight smile.
"Thank you," She said.
"No problem. What time are we supposed to meet them?" I asked.
"We're supposed to meet them for lunch," She replied.
"Oh I see, so we still have a few hours then." I said. She shook her head.
"Actually, it's an hour till noon," She corrected. I looked at her with surprise.
"What?!"
"Well, you did sleep in pretty late," She said. I swore and jumped out of the bed, nearly knocking Rarity off of the bed with me.
"Sorry," I called back to her as I quickly grabbed my cloak and a fresh change of clothes.
"Are you getting ready?" She asked.
"Yeah, I need a shower." I replied.
"I should be getting ready too," Rarity said as she watched me exit the room.
I quickly entered the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. I panted from how quickly everything happened as I felt my heart beat at a million miles an hour. Rarity and I had to be at her parents' house in just an hour, and I was far from prepared. What was I to do? I stood up straight and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to try and calm myself.
You won't accomplish anything if you're panicking. I thought to myself.
I sighed and took off my cloak, followed by the rest of my clothes before climbing into the shower. The water was nice and hot; just the way I liked it. It allowed me to wake up from my sleep. I slapped my face lightly with both hands a few times to quicken the process and then began to wash myself. When all of that was said and done, I shut off the water and climbed out. I opened the cupboard that sat just beneath the sink and drew out a towel that I used to dry myself. I then put my fresh clothes on and opened the door, releasing the steam that had accumulated in the room. Rarity opened the door to her room and looked at me with wide eyes.
"I do hope you plan to do something with your hair before we go to meet my parents," She said.
"Eh?" I asked as I reached a hand up to touch my hair. I realized that my hair was no longer hanging down to my shoulders as it usually did, but rather, was sticking up almost all over.
"You're right, I do need to do something with this," I replied. She nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll help you. Let me freshen up and I'll meet you downstairs, alright?" She said. I nodded, a little embarrassed that I needed Rarity to help me with my hair.
I made my way down the hallway and then down the stairs as I donned my Akatsuki cloak. I pulled the sleeves straight and buttoned the front (yes, the Akatsuki does use button-up cloaks). I then leaned against the wall that stood next to the front door and waited for Rarity to come down the stairs. A few minutes later the bathroom door opened and Rarity walked out. When I saw her, my jaw dropped. She was wearing her Akatsuki cloak and a pair of gorgeous emerald (or what appeared to be emerald) earrings. Her mane was done in its usual fashion, but it seemed to have a certain shine to it that I hadn't noticed before. Her entire body seemed to radiate a white light. She walked down the stairs slowly, adding to her beauty (for me at least).
"Impressed?" She asked when she saw my gaping jaw. I quickly forced my mouth shut and smiled at her.
"Yes, very impressed." I replied. She giggled.
"Now come here and let me fix your hair," She said as she pulled a brush from her cloak. I nodded and walked over to her, and she stood on the third or fourth stair and used her magic to gently pull the brush through my hair.
"This would've been much easier had you let me do it right after your shower," She said.
"Sorry, guess I'm not to that point yet," I apologized.
"Oh I'm not complaining, I'm just telling you. Besides, I'm not to that point yet either," She replied.
"Oh, okay."
When she had finished, she held up a small mirror and I took a look at her work. I smiled when I saw the results, relieved to have my hair back into its former style.
"Alright, now let's get going dear," She said. I nodded and walked over to the door, grabbing the knob and opening it for her. I stood aside and gestured for her to step through.
"Why thank you," She said with a smile and a cute little bow.
"No problem at all, m'lady." I replied and followed her out of the boutique.
We walked through Ponyville and Rarity walked closer to me than usual. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and we continued to walk like that for a while.
"Say, Rarity, what are your parents like, anyway?" I asked her out of curiousity.
"Well, my mother is very kind. She's always been supportive of me and Sweetie Belle. It's my father that you have to worry about. He's not quite as accepting as she is. He has a little trouble in understanding the feelings of others," She replied.
"Ah, I see. In that case, it looks like I'll just be having problems with your father then," I said. She nodded. I swore silently and we continued to walk until her parents house was in view.
"Well, we're here," Rarity said as we stood still and admired the home to my fiance's parents. I sighed.
"Let's just do this," I said disdainfully. She nodded and knocked on the door with one hoof.
A few seconds later the door was answered by a light-pink mare with a mane the same shade of purple as Rarity's. She wore a lovely dress and I guessed that was how she usually dressed.
"Oh hello! It's so nice to finally meet you!" She exclaimed as she extended a hoof to me. I carefully shook it and she welcomed us in.
"Oh Rarity, you never told me how handsome your fiance is!" Her mother said. Rarity blushed.
"Er, mother, would you please not talk about how handsome my fiance is?" Rarity asked as her ears drooped a little.
"What? You don't think your fiance is handsome?" Her mother asked.
"No, that's not it. It's just a little awkward hearing it come from my mother's mouth," Rarity replied.
"Oh yes, I understand how that could make you feel a little awkward my little diamond." Her mother replied. Rarity blushed even harder, turning a dark shade of red.
"Mother, please don't call me that in front of Tid," Rarity pleaded.
"She's right, Cookie," I heard a male voice call from the adjacent room.
Rarity, her mother, and I were standing in what appeared to be the living room of their home. The room in which the voice came from was the kitchen. Rarity's mother gave an exasperated sigh and trodded into the kitchen. I took that opportunity to look around the room. The floor was covered in a light-purple carpet that complimented the furniture. The walls were a brilliant white and were decorated with pictures of the entire family in what appeared to be a dark-oak wood. The furniture consisted of two chairs, one sitting along the wall furthest from us and the other sat next to a wooden side-table. Along another wall sat a large couch that looked as if it could seat three or four, which served as a connecter for the two chairs. The wall in which the couch sat on was on the right side of the room and had a large, single-pane glass window with blue drapes that was the same shade as Rarity's eyes.
"Tid, we should probably go and join them," Rarity said to me nervously.
I gave her a smile and nodded. She guided me into the kitchen where I saw a white stallion with a straw hat and a black mustache standing before his wife. They seemed to be arguing about something, but the argument stopped as soon as Rarity and I came into the room. Her father looked over her mother's shoulder and gave me a disapproving look.
"Well now, what do we have here?" He asked stepping around his wife and approaching me.
"Father, please," Rarity pleaded.
"Please, be quiet Rarity." He said; not taking his eyes from me. He stood before me and stared me dead in the eyes, though I had to look slightly down to stare into his eyes, as he was shorter than me.
"What makes you think you're qualified to date my daughter?" He asked me. His tone was not in the least bit friendly, which was the polar opposite of her mother's voice.
"Pardon?" I asked in response.
"Answering my question with another question, eh? Seems like you don't have a good answer," He said.
"The only thing that makes me "qualified" to date your daughter is the fact that she loves me," I retorted putting air-quotes around 'qualified'. I felt Rarity's hoof in my hand and I knew she was warning me about something.
"Is that so? Well, I think you're more of a hindrance to her health!" He said.
"A hindrance?"
"Yes, a hindrance! If I recall correctly, we attended my daughter's funeral!" He shouted placing one hoof to my chest.
"That was a long time ago, sir. I'll have you know that Rarity wasn't in any danger during the entire course of the war-"
"Bullshit! Anyone that's around you is in danger! Your house was blown up, was it not? While my daughter was inside, might I add!" He shouted.
"But, Rarity wasn't hurt in that explosion. I shielded her body with my own." I replied.
"Likely story," He said.
"Listen, sir, you're making it sound like I don't care what happens to your daughter whatsoever. If that were true, do you really think I would be here right now?" I asked. He didn't reply but turned away from me. I looked at Rarity who was almost sweating from nervousness.
"It's okay," I said to her as quietly as I could. She looked into my eyes and nodded. Rarity's mother stood awkwardly by the stove, contemplating what to do to calm the situation down.
"Er, let's eat, shall we?" Rarity's mother asked.
Rarity eagerly agreed and we all sat around the table. Rarity's mother carried several dishes from the counter to the table using her magic and placed them in perfectly even distances from the edge of the table. She used her magic to lift the lids from each platter simultaneously and a glorious smell filled the room. On the platters sat an assortment of fruits that each gave off their own perfume. In a pot was what appeared to be mushroom stew served with a basket of bread.
"Oh Tid, you'll just love my mother's cooking. It's absolutely to die for!" Rarity praised. I smiled at her.
"I can tell, it smells and looks delicious." I said to her.
"Cookie, are you sure you want to serve the human the same meal as us?"
"Oh come now, Hondo! Don't be rude! Tid is the love of our daughter's life, and soon to be her husband! If not for any other reason, put your hatred of humans aside for that!" Rarity's mother shouted. I recoiled at the sight of Rarity's mother raising her voice, and this seemed to come as a bit of a surprise to Rarity's father as well. I looked to Rarity and she gave me a shrug.
"I'm terribly sorry, darling," Rarity's mother said to me. "I don't like having to raise my voice. Please, do enjoy the meal." She invited me with a warm smile.
"Er, thank you," I replied with a simple nod.
I gave a glance to Rarity's father and saw that he was completely silent, looking down at his plate. Rarity's mother levitated a steaming bowl of the delicious smelling mushroom stew.
"There you are, darling," Rarity's mother said with another warm smile.
"Thank you, this looks very delicious Miss-"
"Crumbles," Mrs. Crumbles finished for me. I nodded.
I glanced to Rarity, who still appeared very nervous. She too had a bowl placed in front of her, but she wasn't eating.
"It's okay, Rarity. You should eat something, you need to keep a healthy diet." I said to her.
"Are you saying my daughter needs to watch her weight?" Rarity's father asked.
"Eh? No! I was merely saying it isn't healthy to skip meals!" I replied defensively. He said nothing in response but sat back in his chair, eyeing me suspiciously. When everyone was served, Mrs. Crumbles sat down in her own seat and heaved a large sigh.
"So, Tid, what is it that you do?" She asked as she poured herself a bowl of the mushroom stew.
"Well, I don't have a profession, per se-"
"So you don't have a job, great." Rarity's father interrupted.
"Hondo, please." Mrs. Crumbles scorned. She then looked back to me with a smile. "Please, continue."
"Right. Well, I should say, I don't have a profession in this world. In my home world, I was a shinobi that was hired to perform certain jobs. My pay was based on the level of success and the rank of the mission." I said.
"Hmm, I see. Well that's very intriguing. So, you don't have a job here, then?" She asked.
"No. This world has no need for hired warriors," I replied.
"Yes, that's unfortunate for you, isn't it?" Mrs. Crumbles asked with a pitying shake of her head.
"It's alright, though," Rarity inserted. "I make enough for both of us to live wealthily." Mrs. Crumbles nodded.
"Yes, I know honey. Now, Tid, how did you happen to fall in love with my precious little diamond?" I blushed a little.
"When I first laid eyes on her, I knew she was the most magnificent woman I had ever seen. She was incredibly beautiful, not to mention she had a radiant personality, and," I leaned in a little closer and pretended to shield my mouth from Rarity. "Just between you and me, I have a soft-spot for women with long hair." I finished in a slightly quieter tone. Mrs. Crumbles giggled.
"Well that's lovely," She said. I nodded and I glanced at Rarity, who had a face as red as a dying flame.
"I've never been so embarrassed in my life," Rarity moaned as she covered her face with her hooves. I couldn't help but chuckle a little. I then looked down at the bowl of mushroom stew, which had cooled considerably during our conversation. I picked up my spoon and dipped it into the bowl, lifting a small portion of it to my mouth. When the stew hit my tongue, my eyes widened from the taste. I quickly swallowed.
"I must say, Mrs. Crumbles, this stew is incredible!" I praised. She smiled.
"Why thank you! You're too kind!" She said. Rarity removed her hooves from her face and took a deep breath in, slowly letting it out to calm herself. She then picked up her spoon and began to eat her bowl of mushroom stew.
The rest of the meal went on in silence; the only sounds being heard were the clinking of the spoons on the sides of the bowls the occasional satsified "mmmm". When I had finished my bowl, I merely sat quietly with my hands folded in my lap until I felt something bump into my left leg. I glanced down and realized that it had been Rarity's hoof. I silently took it in my hand and tried to assure her that everything would be fine. I looked into her eyes and I could see how nervous she was. When her parents had finished eating, Mrs. Crumbles removed all of the dishes from the table and quietly ushered us into the living room. Rarity's father took a seat on the chair opposite the front door. Rarity and I took our seat on the couch and Mrs. Crumbles sat on the vacant chair.
"Well, before we let this go any further, I think you need to resolve your issues with our daughter's fiance, Hondo." Mrs. Crumbles said to her husband as she crossed one leg over the other. He crossed his arms.
"You know how I feel about humans, Cookie." He said.
"I know, but quite frankly, I don't care." Mrs. Crumbles replied simply. He seemed astonished by this statement.
"Cookie-"
"No, I've put up with your arrogance for many years, and I don't want to hear another word of it," Mrs. Crumbles interrupted.
"Mr. Hondo," I said turning my body to face him. "Please, I know you don't like my kind, but I'm not a threat to you or any of your family."
"What about the whole war that just took place? What about my daughter's funeral? Are you saying you played no part in both of those events?" He asked for the sake of clarity.
"No, that's not what I'm saying," I replied. "I'm saying that I am not intentionally bringing harm to your daughter, or anyone else in this world. I fought with all of my power to keep Rarity safe, and I will continue to fight with every fiber of my being to make sure that she stays alive and well." I replied. He said nothing after this; sitting with his arms still folded and a contemplative look on his face.
"Father," Rarity called out. He looked up at her.
"Rarity, do you really want to marry this man? Does he truly make you happy?" He asked her earnestly.
"Yes, he does. I've never been more happy than when I'm with him. He's kept me safe, and I love him with all of my heart." Rarity replied. For a few moments, the room was silent. Then, I saw tears welling up in her father's eyes. He quickly rose and pulled me into a hug.
"Welcome to the family!" He exclaimed. After a few seconds he released me and I stood with a dumbfounded expression, matching pretty much everyone else in the room, save for Mr. Hondo, who was crying with tears of joy.
"Cookie is right, I've been bitter for far too long! I'm glad my daughter could meet someone as fantastic as you!" He said.
"Er, thank you." I said. I turned to Rarity. "Should we go?" She stood to her hooves.
"Yes, we should." She replied nodding. She turned to her mother.
"Thank you mother, father, this was... interesting." She said. Mrs. Crumbles smiled.
"It was good to have the both of you! Do stop by again!" She said cheerily. Rarity and I nodded and we silently walked over to the door. Rarity opened it and took one last glance over her shoulder before we walked through it. Rarity shut the door behind us and let out a huge sigh of relief, collapsing in an overdramatized fashion into my arms.
"Are you alright?" I asked her. She nodded.
"I'm much too young for stress like this," She said. I smiled down at her. I then moved my left arm and picked her up, holding her in my arms like a child.
"Come on, my princess. Let's go home," I said to her. She nodded and I walked us home, carrying her the whole way.
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Me: Well, that was certainly interesting, wouldn't you say?
Rarity: Never. Again.
Me: What, you didn't enjoy it?
Rarity: You're kidding me, right? It was downright dreadful!
Me: Yeah, I suppose it could feel like that. Sorry.
Rarity: Like I said, never again.
Me: Oh trust me, you won't have to go through that ever again. Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you liked how the new Arc started! Stay tuned for more! See ya next time!