Hello, again.

Here's the end of Turtle Island, so expect the Exams back next chapter. As for this chapter, I'll say this: I have a better term for the Element of Magic than simple magic.

Perspective: Sun/Sakura

Don't own MLP or Naruto, by the way.

Eyes of Faith

XXPreviously on 'Maelstrom Elements'XX

Sun fidgeted in anxiety and frustration beside Jiraiya, who rest a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You really should try and calm down, Sun."

"Sorry, and don't start with the idea that I don't trust Sakura." Sun responded, looking at the man, "I just don't trust Blossom to not do anything."

It had been about a day since they had arrived on Turtle Island (though it was more just the night), and they were currently at the officially training ground on said island. Sakura was meditating underneath a waterfall, while Sun and Jiraiya were standing on the lake shore opposite her.

A few minutes later, though, Sun asked a genuine question. "Shouldn't, uh, something happen by now?"

"Not necessarily." Jiraiya responded after a moment of thought. "Do bear in mind, the Biju aren't the most known subject, and dealing with someone like Blood Blossom even more so. This is relatively uncharted territory, let alone unheard of."

Just then, they heard a giggle that set both of them on edge and got Sakura's attention. "I was actually just waiting for the real opponent to show up."

They found Blossom perched on a rock off to the side, wearing an exact copy of Sakura's outfit.

Said girl immediately moved to fight, only for Blossom to point back at the waterfall. "Like I said, I'm not the one you'll be fighting."

A figure walked clean out of the waterfall, one which made all of their eyes widen as they instantly recognized the person, though Jiraiya noted something distinctly off in both appearance and voice when said person spoke.

"Hello, daughter."

XXXXX

Sakura especially was wide-eyed and shaky as she stared in blatant shock at the sight before her.

The...being...looked similar to her, yet not. Pale pink hair with absolutely no body to it, eyes that were a completely eerie green, beige straps wrapped around the feet, and a similarly colored dress-like gown covering the body.

On a random side note, Sun did have the stray thought about how Sakura would look with a proper designed version of the gown on.

'She' giggled as 'she' tilted her head. "It's been a while."

"I-it...can't be..." Sakura gasped, taking a step back as 'she' stepped forward.

"Can't it? After all, I'm always just a thought away within you." 'She' pulled a bloodied kunai from...somewhere...that got all of them to start. "But I guess I should thank you, Jiraiya, and Kumo. Now I have the chance to finish what was started that night."

Sun started shaking, eliciting Jiraiya moving the boy behind him. In the meantime, however, it spurned Sakura into action. "N-not if I have anything to say about it!"

Taking out her own kunai, she charged at her 'double,' who deflected the attack with a laugh before doing her own attack.

Jiraiya looked on as the battle commenced, a suspicious look on his face. Just what was the connection between Fumihiro and Sakura's opponent? It couldn't be simply the man in a new body.

Sun, in the meantime, was struggling to refocus from the sudden flux of memories. This time was a little too much for him to easily work through.

Finally, Blossom looked on imperiously, arms crossed and waiting.

Sakura, though clearly upset, was shaken. She had no real idea just what to think except for 'Fight.' And her skill set wasn't the best it could've been, so she didn't have all that many options to work with.

To make matters worse, her opponent seemed to be just enough better to make everything seemingly useless.

No weapon broke through.

No hit landed.

And nothing from the environment made it to 'her.'

Just wh- "Guh!" Sakura cried out as 'she' suddenly land a punch to her gut that sent the pinkette flying.

'She' let loose a chuckle. "Pitiful, daughter. You never could stand against me, let alone disobey me."

"Disobey you?!" Sakura gasped out. "I should've never trusted you!"

"And yet you still do, deep in your heart." 'She' taunted, moving closer as Sakura worked herself to a standing position. "You're still the same as you always were."

Sakura lashed out with a cry, but Jiraiya was starting to figure it out. This isn't actually him, isn't it?

A few more moments of focus later told the man everything. "So that's how it is."

"Huh?" Sun asked, distracted.

"This isn't Fumihiro." Jiraiya explained, "Sakura still blames herself for her part in what happened to Naruto."

"W-what? But I-"

"It isn't that easy, Sunset. Whenever something like that happens, even with being forgiven, you not likely to forgive yourself." Jiraiya cut him off with a somber look, "Unless she figures it out, Sakura will lose."

"Indeed," Blossom added, walking over, "and it is something she has to figure out herself."

Unfortunately, it didn't do anything to help calm Sun down. If anything, it made him more tense, especially as the fight went on.

Sakura lunged, 'she' punched her in the face.

Sakura jumped, 'she' dodged.

Sakura kicked, 'she' threw her.

And all the while a dark smile remained on 'her' face.

It was when he noticed 'her' hand twitching around the kunai in a familiar way, Sun couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry."

Blood Blossom was the first to realize was he was about to do, but was too late to stop him. "WAIT-!"

Jiraiya and Sakura only figured it out by way of Sun falling backwards from a vertical slash, courtesy of 'Sakura.'

'She' chuckled a bit darkly. "Looks like he's faking again. Since when does-"

KA-BAM!

'She' was cut off by Sakura's fist finally landing on her face, sending 'her' flying into the waterfall.

"Sunset!" She quickly diverted her attention to the boy, helping him up and healing him. "What were you thinking?!"

"I don't think he entirely was." Blossom answered for him as Jiraiya took the boy back. "But getting answers is going to have to wait. Here she comes again."

This time, however, 'she' wasn't smiling. If anything, 'she' was growling. "Why are you so concerned about him when he doesn't care about you?"

"'Doesn't care?!' He wouldn't have gotten in the way if he didn't care!" Sakura shouted.

"STOP LYING T-!" This time, Blossom cut her off with a cluster of feathers.

"Hypocritical of you to call Sakura a liar about Sunset when you're lying about yourself and Fumihiro." the demonic version of Sakura said, getting the original's attention.

"'She's' lying?"

Blossom sighed. "Think about it, Sakura. You're here to fight your darkness, but I'm not the darkness you thought. So..."

Sakura's eyes widened a few moments before looking at their opponent. "I...still blame myself?"

"Too be precise, a part of you wonders what it would be like if you did listen to the man instead of see the truth. Would you be strong? Would you be alone?...Would Naruto still be alive?"

Sakura couldn't help but understand where Blossom was coming from with that, particularly that last question. Even to that day, she couldn't help but look back with shame and guilt, kept hidden from Sun.

But never from Blossom.

However, instead of thinking about it, Sakura focused. "You can smack some sense into me later. Sun's hurt, and this brat is responsible. Even if I might not have the best faith in myself, I do have faith in Sun, and I can't let him down again."

Blossom shrugged a bit at that, though she did take note about the girl's eyes. Haven't quite figured it out completely, but you're on your way.

'She,' in the meantime, was starting to snarl. "Faith? In a demon?"

"He's not a mirror." Blossom quipped as Sakura attacked, this time a lot faster than before.

'She' recoiled and barely managed to block, now forced entirely on the defensive, which only got worse when Blossom joined in. "How are you suddenly so strong?!"

"Like you would ever understand, as long as you believe in Fumihiro." Blossom responded first, follow by Sakura's "Or maybe you've just become weak!"

However, neither quite expected, upon coincidental timing, for a suddenly flash of light and 'her' crying out in raging denial.

XXXXX

When Sun woke up, he winced from phantom pain and a disappointed voice. "You were asking for that, brat."

"Yeah, I get you." He responded to Jiraiya, only to remember about Sakura. "What happened to Sakura?! Is she alright?!"

"I can answer that, Jiraiya."

Sun's eyes widened as the man moved out of the way, only to blush.

Pink hair with ruby red highlights, emerald eyes with dark crimson slits for pupils, rose red sleeveless crop top with matching sash hanging to her right knee and tied on her left side, black form-fitting bell end pants and corset over her top, white arm warmers, and forest green female combat boots. All of it framed a body that just screamed 'Beautiful' to him.

"S-s-sakura?"

Sakura walked over, sat down beside him, and flicked him in the forehead with enough force to make sure it hurt.

"Ngh!" He instinctively raised his hand to hold his head.

"That's for meddling." She told him.

He looked at her, then down. "I'm sorry, but when I noticed what she was about to do, I couldn't just...I..."

A few moments later, she hugged him. "Thanks anyways, Sparkle Sunset, because you helped Blossom and I figure out what had to be done."

"You're welcome, but...how, exactly?"

She kissed him before answering. "We saw through your eyes."

[Quest for Camelot – Through Your Eyes]

She caressed his cheek. "Look at the sky. Tell me, what do you see?"

The pair gently touched foreheads and close their eyes. "Just close your eyes and describe it to me. The heavens are sparkling with starlight tonight."

The reopened their eyes. "That's what I see through your eyes."

Jiraiya slowly snuck out of the room with a light blush on his face as Sun began. "I see the heavens, each time that you smile. I hear your heartbeat just go on for miles."

The remnants of pain within Sun disappeared, and both noticed. "And suddenly I know my life is worthwhile. That's what I see through your eyes."

Sakura helped him up as they started singing together. "That's what I see through your eyes."

Outside the room, they found the early night sky and Jiraiya and the Kumo team looking towards them from partway down a hallway. "Here in the night, we see the sun. Here in the dark, our two hearts are one. It's out of our hands. We can't stop what we have begun."

They started walking away from the group. "And love just took me by surprise, looking through your eyes."

A few moments later, they found the pair in a training ground, the respective training dummies enhanced by Sun. "I see a life I wish could last forever."

Acting as one, they dodged the dummies with ease. "I see a world we're meant to see together."

They clasped hands, unleashing a wave that stopped the dummies. "And it is so much more than I remember."

Sakura sang the next line alone. "More than I remember."

While Sun sang right after. "More than I have known."

The pair then finally noticed the people watching, just as Karui grounded Jiraiya with a kick. "Here in the night, we see the sun. Here in the dark, our two hearts are one."

Sakura silently giggled at the comical look on the old man's face, which implied electricity having been added to the hit. "It's out of our hands. We can't stop what we have begun."

"And love just took me by surprise, looking through your eyes." They all glanced towards the horizon as the sun suddenly started coming up, covering the land with a beautiful sunrise that got Sakura to lean into Sun. "Looking through your eyes."

[Song End]

After a few moments of silence, Sakura said "It was faith that was the answer, Sun. Your faith in me, even when I had trouble finding faith in myself."

"Glad I could help with at least something." Sun returned, only to look at her. "Though you might want to think of something to explain the change of clothes to Rare."

"He'll probably take it further first chance he gets." Sakura refuted.

Samui couldn't help but cut in at that. "Your concerned about clothes? I want to know just how you sped up the night like that?"

Sun and Sakura could only shrug as Karui launched another strike Jiraiya in the background.

XXXXX

Just then, three purple-haired designers suddenly stopped what they were doing and stared upwards in confusion annoyance, with each thinking the same thinking. Why do I suddenly feel like I've just been both insulted and complimented at the same time?

At the same time, a pair of pink-skinned females couldn't help but feel a sense of love, while a golden-skinned girl with fiery hair couldn't hold back a tear as a sense of longing overwhelmed her. But all three thought the same when it was over.

Just what was that?

I know this might not be quite what some of you had expected, but the idea I had wasn't about the fight itself. Rather, it's about affirming the bond between them for good (more or less). The bit at the end was more for kicks (and not just the two Jiraiya suffered from).

As for the whole thing with faith, that's largely what I see as the Element of Magic: Faith, Trust, things like that. Basically, in the G4 pilot, Twilight Sparkle trusted the others in their key moments. In other words, she had faith in the others! You can easily have laughter, adventure, honesty, generosity, and kindness with strangers or by yourself, but what makes friendship special is believing in each other (something which strangers somewhat lack).

Blood Blossom is still there, by the way, just more as a inner voice like canon Inner Sakura.

Until next time. Please let me know what you think.