Canterlot Castle – Throne Room
Luna paced back and forth, her wings twitching in agitation as she struggled to calm herself. Celestia, seated on her throne, watched her sister with a mixture of concern and patience.
"Luna, you need to breathe," Celestia urged gently. "I understand you are shaken, but exhausting yourself like this won't help."
Luna whirled around, her teal eyes blazing with frustration. "Sister, thou dost not understand! We have never seen dreams like Twilight's before! Nay... we are not even certain it was a dream! It felt real—too real!"
Celestia frowned, unable to dismiss her sister's concerns. When she had gone to check on her student, she had found Twilight trembling, her eyes red and puffy from crying. But what disturbed her the most was the look in Twilight's eyes—pure, unfiltered terror.
The elder alicorn sighed, rubbing her temple with a hoof. "I do not doubt you, Luna, but I am unsure what course of action to take. I shall consult the archives and see if there are any recorded instances of such visions."
Luna stopped pacing and looked at her sister thoughtfully. After a moment, she took a deep breath and spoke, "Sister... we have an idea. The Chunin Exams are in but a few days. Naruto is expected to participate, is he not?"
Celestia nodded, listening intently.
Luna continued, her voice more confident now. "Then let us bring him here. If anyone can aid us, it is him. We shall perform a reverse summoning to bring him directly to Equestria."
Celestia considered this for a moment before nodding. "Very well. If he is already involved in these strange occurrences, then perhaps he will be able to provide insight."
Lighting her horn with golden magic, Celestia formed the necessary hand signs with her magic, weaving the complex chakra patterns into existence. A pulse of energy spread through the room as she completed the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
A loud BOOM echoed through the throne room as a thick cloud of smoke exploded outward, momentarily obscuring everything. As it cleared, Celestia and Luna's eyes widened at what they saw.
Naruto was sprawled on the marble floor, wearing his simple pajamas, his golden hair messy from sleep. But what really caught their attention was Fu, who was comfortably curled up on top of him, drooling onto his chest without a care in the world.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then Celestia, unable to help herself, lifted a hoof to her mouth and chuckled softly. "Oh my..." she murmured, amusement dancing in her magenta eyes.
Luna, on the other hoof, coughed into her hoof awkwardly, trying to suppress a blush. "Ahem... We did not account for this outcome."
Naruto groaned, blinking blearily as he tried to process what had just happened. "Wha...?" His tired, half-lidded blue eyes slowly adjusted to his surroundings, taking in the ornate marble walls, stained glass windows, and the two very amused princesses standing before him.
Then it clicked.
"...Oh, come on!" he groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
Celestia giggled at Naruto's predicament, clearly enjoying his flustered state. Naruto, deadpanning at her, let out a sigh before reaching over to poke Fu's cheek.
"Mmm..." Fu mumbled, her face scrunching slightly before she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked groggily, taking in her surroundings—only to find herself staring at two very regal alicorns. Her gaze slowly drifted down to Naruto, then back up to Celestia and Luna. She processed the situation for a moment before casually saying,
"I don't know what this looks like, but it's not that."
Luna's small smile suggested she thought otherwise, her mind already jumping to conclusions. "Oh my," she mused, clearly amused by the situation.
Celestia giggled again, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I didn't realize you and Fu were in a relationship, Naruto."
Both Naruto and Fu instantly turned red, scrambling up from the floor in embarrassment. Naruto waved his hands defensively. "W-We aren't together together! She just... always sneaks into my bed for some reason."
Luna raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "Oh my," she repeated, a teasing lilt in her voice.
Naruto groaned, his blush deepening. "She just likes to cuddle, okay?!"
Fu, completely unbothered by the teasing, simply smiled innocently and nodded. "He's warm. Makes me feel happy."
The two alicorns blinked, unsure how to feel about Fu's sheer wholesomeness. Celestia found herself momentarily stunned—Fu's sincerity, her innocent smile, and the pure affection in her words were almost too precious to handle.
However, her amusement quickly faded when her eyes caught something that sent a chill down her spine.
Naruto's neck.
There, faint but unmistakable, were the dark, bruised imprints of fingers—the clear sign of someone having strangled him.
Celestia's breath hitched as she stepped closer, her expression shifting into one of deep concern. "Naruto... are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.
Naruto blinked at her sudden shift in tone. "Huh?" He reached up to touch his neck, his fingers tracing over the marks. His brows furrowed. "Oh... this. It's nothing. I was just dreaming. Someone was strangling me."
Fu's face immediately darkened, her normally cheerful expression shifting into something close to fear. "Y-Yeah," she muttered, her voice uneasy. "I saw him struggling. It was like... he was actually losing air. I didn't know what was happening. I tried waking him up, but it took a while."
Luna, who had been enjoying the teasing moments earlier, suddenly went still. Her entire body stiffened, her eyes widening in shock. Slowly, she turned toward Naruto, her gaze intense.
"These... people in your dream," she asked carefully. "Did they wear purple armor with gold trim? Did their sigil bear an hourglass?"
Naruto froze.
His breath caught in his throat as he stared at Luna in shock. "How... how do you know that?"
Luna's lips pressed into a thin line before she let out a slow breath. "Because," she said gravely, "Twilight saw the same thing in her dream."
Naruto's eyes widened further, his heartbeat quickening. "I... I need to see her. Now."
Luna nodded. "I will take you to her." She turned toward the doors, already motioning for him to follow. As she stepped forward, she suddenly paused, glancing at Celestia. "Oh, and sister... while I take Naruto to Twilight, you can have a discussion with Fu... about her lineage."
Fu blinked in confusion. "My what now?" she asked, tilting her head.
Celestia's own eyes widened as she turned to Luna in shock. "Luna, wait—"
"Byyyyyyyyeeeeeeeee," Luna sang as she quickly exited the throne room, slamming the door shut behind her.
A tense silence filled the room.
Celestia, still staring at the door, muttered under her breath, "you coward..."
Fu, still clueless, turned back to Celestia, her confusion evident. "Uhhh... what's going on?"
Celestia let out a long, weary sigh before looking at Fu with a hint of guilt in her expression. "Sit down, Fu," she said softly. "There's... something important you need to know."
Golden Oak Library, Ponyville
The night air was cool as Luna soared gracefully through the skies, her deep blue wings spread wide, shimmering slightly under the moonlight. Naruto sat on her back, his legs dangling slightly, the wind tousling his blond hair. After a few minutes of silence, he glanced down at Luna's sleek, ethereal mane flowing like a river of starlight.
"Hey, uh... is this disrespectful?" Naruto asked, shifting awkwardly. "Riding on you like this, I mean."
Luna chuckled softly, her voice as smooth as the night breeze. "Normally, yes, it would be considered disrespectful for a royal to be used as a steed. But given the situation—and any matter of great importance—it is an exception I am willing to make."
Naruto nodded, relaxing slightly. Then his face grew serious. "About the dream... can you explain it to me? What's going on?"
Luna's eyes darkened slightly, her gaze fixed ahead. "As the Princess of the Night, I govern the moon, but I also hold dominion over dreams. I serve as a watcher of the dream realm, ensuring ponies rest peacefully. I can enter and observe dreams, guiding them away from nightmares." She paused briefly, her tone growing somber. "But when I entered Twilight's dream... it felt different. It wasn't just a nightmare. It was as if she was forced into it, like something had dragged her into a prison of her own mind. Before I could pull her out, I felt... weak."
She hesitated, her voice lowering. "I felt sadness, hopelessness, and—"
"Despair," Naruto finished quietly, his gaze distant.
Luna's sharp teal eyes flicked to him, narrowing slightly. She could see it in his eyes—the same feeling. And then there were the bruises on his neck, the undeniable mark of something real affecting him in the physical world.
She didn't say it aloud, but her mind raced back to her teachings with Star Swirl the Bearded. There was an old, half-forgotten theory—a dangerous one—about the separation of the body and soul, where one's spirit could take on a corporeal form even within the dream realm. But that was just a theory... wasn't it? How could something from a dream leave physical marks on Naruto's neck? There was a piece of the puzzle she couldn't quite fit.
Before she could dwell further, they arrived at the Golden Oak Library. Luna descended gracefully, her hooves touching the ground with barely a sound. Naruto hopped off her back, stretching slightly before walking up to the door and knocking firmly.
"Twilight? You there?" Naruto called out.
After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing a small purple and green dragon with sleepy eyes—Spike.
Naruto tilted his head. "Uh... who are you?"
Spike yawned, rubbing his eyes. "I'm Spike. Twilight's assistant. Who are you?"
"I'm Naruto," he replied. "I came to check on Twilight. I heard she's... not doing so well."
Spike sighed heavily, stepping aside to let them in. "Yeah... ever since she had that nightmare, she's been panicked and scared. I've never seen her like this."
Naruto exchanged a quick glance with Luna before stepping inside. The library was cozy, filled with towering bookshelves, scrolls, and the faint scent of old parchment. Spike led them up the wooden stairs to Twilight's bedroom.
It was Naruto's first time there, and he couldn't help but glance around at the overwhelming number of books neatly organized around the room. But his focus quickly shifted to the bed, where he saw a quivering lump under the blanket, shaking slightly.
Naruto's expression softened. He walked quietly over to the bed, crouching down beside it.
"Twilight?" he called gently.
The shaking stopped. Slowly, a pair of teary, confused purple eyes peeked out from under the covers. When Twilight saw Naruto, her expression shifted from confusion to surprise. Her eyes were still red from crying, her face puffy with exhaustion.
Naruto gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Hey. It's okay. I'm here."
Twilight's eyes welled up again. "I... I had a terrible nightmare," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Naruto reached out gently, patting her head. "I know," he said softly. "I've seen them too. The ones with the armored monsters."
Twilight's body went rigid. "W-What? How... how do you know that?"
Without a word, Naruto pulled his collar down slightly, revealing the bruises on his neck. "Same thing happened to me," he whispered.
Twilight's eyes widened in horror as she scrambled out of bed, her wings twitching nervously. "Are you okay?! Does it hurt?!" she asked frantically, inspecting the marks.
Naruto chuckled softly, patting her head again to calm her down. This time, her face flushed a bright shade of red, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed. Luna, standing by the doorway, chuckled quietly to herself, amused by Twilight's sudden flustered reaction.
Twilight eventually composed herself. "But... how is this possible? How can a dream hurt you like that?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. All I remember is that someone saw me in the dream... and they started strangling me. Before it ended, though, they mentioned something about the multiverse."
At that word, both Twilight and Luna's eyes snapped to attention.
"The... multiverse?" Twilight echoed, her curiosity piqued despite her fear.
Naruto blinked. "Yeah. What is that?"
Twilight opened her mouth to explain, but Luna raised a hoof, cutting her off.
"I will explain," Luna said softly, stepping forward. "Because I have seen it."
Naruto and Twilight listened intently as Luna continued.
"The multiverse is a theory—a reality beyond just our own. It speaks of countless worlds existing simultaneously, layered upon one another like pages in an endless book. Each one different, shaped by unique choices, events, and even different versions of us." She glanced at Twilight. "I have glimpsed it once, but my sister... she has traveled through it many times with Star Swirl. It is vast, dangerous, and not meant to be tampered with lightly."
Naruto frowned slightly. "So... you're saying these things in our dreams... they could be from another universe?"
Luna nodded gravely. "Yes. And if they can reach us even through dreams... then something far more dangerous is at play."
Luna continued her explanation, her voice carrying the weight of ancient wisdom. "The multiverse is an infinite expanse of parallel realities, each differing by the smallest choices or the grandest events. Some worlds may mirror our own with slight changes, while others are beyond comprehension. They coexist, separated by fragile barriers... and when those barriers weaken—"
CRASH!
A loud, chaotic noise echoed from outside, cutting Luna off mid-sentence. The unmistakable sound of glass shattering was followed by frantic shouting.
"RUN, MORTY! RUN!" a gruff voice yelled in sheer panic.
Naruto, Twilight, and Luna immediately rushed to the window, peering out with wide eyes.
What they saw was pure chaos.
Fluttershy, the timid, soft-spoken pegasus known for her gentle demeanor, was in full pursuit of two fleeing ponies. But this wasn't the shy Fluttershy they knew—her face was twisted with pure, unfiltered rage, her wings flared out like jagged blades, and her eyes burned with the fury of someone ready to kill.
She was chasing two ponies frantically sprinting away. One was a yellow mare, panicking as if her life depended on it. The other was a light blue mare wearing a disheveled lab coat, her cutie mark depicting a beaker filled with some suspicious green substance.
The blue mare, panting heavily, fumbled with her lab coat as she ran. "Morty! Hold them off—no, WAIT, DON'T HOLD THEM OFF—JUST RUN!"
Without missing a beat, she pulled out a strange, hoof-sized device from her pocket, its blinking lights and whirring gears looking dangerously unstable. She aimed it beside a group of fillies peacefully painting near the street.
BZZZZZZZ—WHOOSH!
A green portal burst open, crackling with eerie energy.
As they dove toward the portal, the blue mare shouted over her shoulder with sheer exasperation:
"THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M DOING ONE OF THESE STUPID CROSSOVER BULL—"
Before he could finish, a terrified Morty screamed, "I'M GONNA DIEEEEE!" and jumped headfirst into the portal.
The blue mare—clearly Rick in pony form—paused for a split second, glaring at the two innocent fillies. One of them was casually holding a cupcake.
Without a word, Rick snatched the cupcake, fiddled with his lab coat, and somehow transformed his hoof into a makeshift cannon.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Is... is his hoof a cannon now?"
Luna remained stone-faced, unamused.
With zero hesitation, Rick loaded the cupcake into the cannon, aimed at the raging Fluttershy, and fired with pinpoint accuracy.
THWACK!
The cupcake splattered directly across Fluttershy's face, stopping her mid-flight. She froze, confused, then furiously tried to wipe the frosting from her eyes.
Rick, smug as ever, quipped, "And away we go!" before casually stepping through the portal, which snapped shut behind him with a fizz.
Still blinded by the cupcake, Fluttershy flailed about—until she crashed headfirst into Sugarcube Corner.
BOOM!
A massive explosion of cake mix, frosting, and sprinkles erupted from the bakery, covering everything in a sugary mess. When the dust—and frosting—settled, Fluttershy was embedded in a giant, partially-baked cake, her body twitching slightly, cupcake crumbs still stuck to her mane.
Inside the bakery, Pinkie Pie stood frozen, holding a bowl of frosting. Her face was expressionless as she stared at the chaos. Slowly, methodically, she dipped her hoof into the frosting and drew a smiley face on Fluttershy's twitching flank.
Back in the library, Naruto, Twilight, and Luna stood in stunned silence, still processing what they'd just witnessed.
After a long, awkward pause, Luna raised a hoof with a completely deadpan expression.
"And that..." she said flatly, pointing outside, "is exactly why I despise the multiverse."
Naruto blinked. "Yeah... fair point."
Twilight just nodded slowly, still wide-eyed. "Agreed."
To be continued... wubba lubba dub