Equestrian Heroes

0

Naruto x ?

0

Story Start

0

Naruto found himself playing babysitter with Sweetie Bell as Rarity was swamped with work. Naruto had no complaints as he loved looking after Sweetie Belle.

"Hey big bro!" That sweet little smile made one of his own tug at his mouth. "Are you helping Rarity with her work today?"

"Well actually Sweetie Belle Naruto will be looking after you for a bit while I work," Rarity told her. "See? That's fun, isn't it?"

"But I wanted to spend some time with you!" Sweetie insisted. "No offense big bro."

"None taken," he said lightly.

While Sweetie Belle loved spending time with Naruto it felt like she and Rarity never did anything anymore.

"Oh we will, dear, we will," she placated, "but I need to spend some time in my creative zone, as it were. We'll do something after, but until then, Naruto will look after you."

Sweetie didn't seem too enthusiastic. "I'm not a foal Rarity, I can look after myself."

"Sweetie, you burnt and then liquefied toast," pointed out her sister.

Sweetie's ability to cook always did defy all logic.

"It's not my fault. I thought setting ten would make your toast nice and crispy."

"Regardless Sweetie, I'm sure you'd rather spend some time with Naruto than trying to do something on your own."

"Okay," she sighed. "Better than nothing I guess."

"Marvelous. Now, I need to return to my creation station. The two of you have fun now." Rarity stalked off back upstairs without another word.

Now he was left alone with the filly, who looked after her sister with a look of disappointment.

"Don't worry little bell, Rare will find time for you soon. Why don't we do something to pass the time?"

Sweetie Belle approached him with a bright smile. "Thanks big bro. So, how have you been?"

Sweetie was never an intentional trouble maker. It seemed that trouble seemed to find her whenever she was trying to do something. "Good, I've been adjusting to the changes. My element has always been an ingrained part of my character so nothing in that front has changed. Though on one hand things in the countryside has quieted down quite a bit." It was sad and one would say reasonably cynical that the only decent thing that Discord's release brought was the mass murder of thousands upon thousands of criminals.

They had been completely drained of their magic leaving lifeless husks. So this meant that many of the troops deployed in the countryside were finally being recalled back with small assortment of guards being stashed at major cities with patrols being tripled of what they would have been in peace time with added routes. Even a few of the condemned had been counted among the numbers, but that did not mean they could rest easy.

Vanity and her associates were still out there, but it was only a matter of time until they were caught. "What about you and the crusaders?"

"The others and I are still trying to earn ours, but we're going to keep at it. Pretty soon, we're bound to discover our special talents."

"You girls should really put more thought in what you'll enjoy instead of trying random things." He suggested. Last time he spoke to Bloom the crusaders were going for professional swimmer marks.

Despite their little back and forth he could tell she was distracted. "Come on Belle, talk to me."

"It's just… I really wanted to spend some time with her and have some fun for the week, but everything I've tried just blew up in my house."

"Like how?"

"Well first I tried making her breakfast in bed as a surprise, but I just ended up burning it. I tried putting some garnish on eggs, but I broke up breaking the table and some plates. I tried washing her clothes for her, but I ruined her favorite sweater trying." She hung her head lower. "So far, everything I've tried has just been a failure, like getting my cutie mark."

"Well Sweetie instead of trying what is typical nice things to do for somepony why don't you try making her something nice that you're good at? I'm sure Rare will appreciate such a gesture."

She perked up a little at his words. "I know what I can do I can draw something." She then looked up at him."Can you help me?"

"Well, I'm not artist, but I can see what I can do."

For the life of the blond he couldn't believe that being an artist was not Sweetie Belle's calling in life. The fact at her age she could skillfully use colored pencils to make such lovely art at the rate she did was astounding. Hours passed as the image came together.

The fact she chose to do an image of her and Rarity was adorable . "Hm, it needs something more…"

This filly's ability to draw was making the blond consider recruiting her to help draw his seals. "Sweetie I cannot think of a way you can improve this. It's nice the way it is."

"But I don't want it to just be nice. I want it to be…to be…" She seemed to struggle with a word until she found one. "…marvelous." His lips twitched as he suppressed the urge to laugh. Marvelous was a very Rarity word to use.

"You go ahead and think about it. I'll be right back." All that Sweet Tea they drank had went directly to his bladder. Naruto had just finished washing up when he heard Rarity shriek."Oh no! Did you use these gems?!"

Naruto quickly dried his hands and made his way downstairs.

"Well, yes, but I know you'll have more in your work room..." Sweetie no longer looked proud and was now cowered before Rarity.

"But-but these are extremely rare baby blue sapphires!" she shrieked. "I need them for an outfit for an extremely important client!"

Shit. Those sapphires had been one of the many gifts sent to them for saving Equestria.

Lapis Lazuli was not indigenous to this area. Finding them usually involved traveling to areas where there were volcanoes. Often as a result of water flow moving them from where they were formed.

"Oh. Sorry…"

Naruto soothingly called out to her. "Rare calm down, she didn't know. She just wanted to…"

"And you!" She rounded on him now. "I thought you were keeping an eye on her. How could you let her do this?!"

"Rare, calm down." He knew while she had a right to be upset he didn't want her to say or do something she would regret later. "I went to use the bathroom. I was sure she would be fine on her own. It was a mistake and besides didn't I tell you should have moved those things somewhere instead of leaving the chest unlocked and out on the open?

Rarity stared at him, open-eyed and mouthed, clearly trying her best to think of an appropriate response. Eventually, she seemed to simmer down, sigh and back away from him.

"A fair point I suppose, but you could have used one of your clones to keep an eye on her."

The comment perturbed him a bit. "She's your little sister Rare not a prisoner. It's just one of those unfortunate things that happen."

"I suppose it would be unfair of me to be mad at you Beloved. I apologize for snapping at you." Realizing she had no real reason to be mad at the blond before turning back to her sister. "Sweetie Belle, what am I going to do with you?"

That looked to be a question with many answers. Sweetie Belle so innocent and sweet completely missed the intent behind Rarity's statement."Oh! We could paint together, we could ride bikes, play chess, sing a song, catch frogs, pillow fight-"

"That's not what I meant!" Sweetie fell silent again. "Now I have to find a way to replace these gems."

"I'll go with you and help!" she volunteered.

"No!" The very idea seemed to terrify her. But she realized how loudly she'd said that and attempted to rectify her mistake. "No thank you. You can help by picking up these papers and stacking them, neatly. Put the pens and pencils back exactly where you found them, and please find something to do that doesn't create a large mess for me to clean up!"

The slammed door that followed made the two of them winch. Great, now Rarity was in a mood.

"Geez Louise, can't I do anything right?" Sweetie muttered, clearing up the papers.

"Don't fret over it too much Sweetie. She won't stay mad at you too long. You're way too adorable."

She offered him another bright smile. "Thanks for helping me big bro. That was fun while it lasted."

Naruto sighed. He was hoping, praying that maybe the others got off scott free, but there was a possibility that Discord's interference may have made it for the Bearers to give in to their vices.

It was true Sweetie had exacerbated her sister in the past with her antics Rarity was usually a bit more tolerant than she had shown today. She had even overlooked the gesture her sister tried for her.

He then remembered something. He also had some of those same sapphires. Some were sent to him by the famous jewelry company Azure & Co.

"I'll be right back okay." He told her as he shot out of the boutique. Hopefully what he had left would be enough to placate Rarity. He would have to talk her into putting her work on hold just a little bit. The time you have with your family was precious. Her little sister idolized her and she didn't realize how much of an effect she had on her little sister.

Scooping up the bag. He returned in time to hear raised voices coming from inside. He followed them, fearing the worst, to Rarity's work room and soon could hear it very clearly.

"Oh, I'm the one who's ruining your life?!" Rarity was yelling. "Really?! Have you looked around this place? I'm the one who'd be better off with no sister!"

"Well it looks like we finally agree on something. Neither of us needs a sister!" Sweetie shot back.

"Deal!"

"Deal! Goodbye, un-sister!" He heard the sound of hooves and jumped back behind the door as the filly stormed out, tears glistening down her cheeks.

Naruto gradually stepped into the light of the door and watched her go, shocked at what he had just heard. He knew that friends, and even sisters, could have their quarrels, but to disown each other completely seemed a great step too far.

"Rare? Why!?"

She turned to him, the guilt evident on her face. "I…It was in the heat of the moment."

"Don't give me that! She's your little sister!" He angrily snapped at her causing her to take a step back. "How could you?"

She turned away from him. Unable to finds the words to answer as she caught the sight of something. On the ground was Sweetie's picture. As if entrenched Rarity went over and picked it up.

"Its…its beautiful." She commented.

"It is," He spoke, his tone gentler. "Sweetie is quite the artist isn't she?"

Rarity began to get choked up. Sweetie Belle had make this for her? She made a horrible mistake. She needed to find her sister and apologize.

Naruto was glad that Rarity had come back to her senses.

When Sweetie Belle showed up AJ was expecting the filly to tell her to add her and Rarity to the list of contestants for the Sisterhooves Social. An event where sisters teamed up and competed in a serious events for good natured fun and even some prizes.

. "What's wrong, Sweetie Belle?"

"Nothing…" She replied in a dejected tone as she rubbed her hoof on the stack of hay.

"It sure don't sound like nothing."

Applebloom rushed over to Sweetie Belle in an excited manner. "Well, what'd she say about the Sisterhooves Social?"

"She didn't want to do it… she told me it was uncouth." She answered dejected

"'Uncouth'? She said the Sisterhooves Social was 'uncouth'?" Applejack asked, irritably.

Applebloom had dove into the bucket of apples and chewed on them. She popped her head out of the bucket as she continued to consume apples. "Yeah! Uncouth?" She threw the one she had in her hand in her mouth and ate it, releasing a loud belch afterwards. "Wait. What's uncouth?" She asked, spraying out pieces of apple which seemed to ironically counterattack or answer her question.

"It's not just the Social. She thinks I'm uncouth." Sweetie Belle added.

"Honey, Rarity thinks everything's uncouth." Applejack assured her with a roll of her eye at the mare's way of thinking.

Applebloom walked over to Applejack, continuing to drool and slobber noisily as her mouth was full with apples. "What's uncouth?"

"It means uncivil. Y'know, bad mannered?" Applejack answered. Applebloom released another loud belch and grinned. "Exactly!" Applejack replied cheerfully. "Sweetie Belle, just give Rarity some time. She'll come around. Sisters always do." She explained as both Applebloom and Applejack stood together.

"Not sisters like Rarity." Sweetie Belle responded, angrily.

"Come on, now. Applebloom and I got some chores to finish up on. Maybe you can help!"

"You sure you want me to help? I just mess everything up!"

"Oh, come on, that's just stinkin' thinkin'. Watch!" Applejack walked over to a tree, which contained dropped apples below it. She walked over to a bruised apple and bent over to pick it up. She picked it up carefully and threw it over to Applebloom who had pulled out a bucket and placed it on her head. They both giggled and laughed as they continued on with their game. "Good catch there, Apple Bloom! Whoo!"

"This is a chore?" Sweetie Belle asked as they tossed and caught a few more apples.

"Since we can't sell the bruised apples, we gotta collect them all for the pigs to eat." Applejack answered as she kicked another apple which landed inside the bucket.

Applebloom placed the bucket down and hopped in the air to bounce another apple with her flank and have it go inside the bucket. "It's a lot of work, so we make a game of it. Wanna try?"

"Um, okay!" Sweetie Belle accepted, leading Applejack to kick an apple towards Sweetie Belle. However, the apple landed on her horn instead. "Ow." She expressed and began rubbing her head with her hoof.

"You're right, it is hard work."

"That's why we do it..." Applebloom began.

"Together!" They both stated in unison.

"Hmph, Rarity never wants to do chores together." She expressed, returning that irritated look she had before.

"In that case, why don't y'all help us with some other stuff around the farm? It's a lot of fun!"

"Okay!"

Applejack walked us over to a large cylinder bucket. She placed several groups of grapes inside and called out to Applebloom. "Applebloom! You're up!"

Applebloom raced over to the job, bouncing happily until she caught up with Applejack and jumped into the bucket. After, she began pounding her hooves on top of the grapes. On the bottom, Applejack turned on the faucet which began leaking juice into a jar. "You're... making... grape juice?" Sweetie Belle asked as she observed the juice pour into the jar. "Rarity would call the fashion police on me if I got grape juice anywhere near her precious outfits!"

"Well that's silly!" Applebloom exclaimed from the bucket. She dove into the grapes, splashing a bucketful of grape juice on Applejack.

"Applebloom!" Applejack replied in an irritated tone.

"Please, Applejack, she didn't mean..."

Applejack ran over to the bucket and dove straight towards Applebloom, who was standing on the edge. She playfully tackled Applebloom inside as she began giggling "How d'you like them grapes, y'little whippersnapper!" Applejack joked as she rubbed the juice on Applebloom.

Sweetie Belle's face grew a bright grin. She liked the kind of fun Applejack had with her sister.

After they finished with the grape juice, they herded the sheep back into their pen.

"Wow. It's as if they were just one pony." Sweetie Belle commented as we saw them cheer and slap hooves.

"Way to corral some critters, sis!" Applejack praised.

"You coulda just asked." One of the sheep expressed, but had the gate to the pen shut in front of her by Applejack.

Applejack and Applebloom wiped their faces clean with a towel. Applejack turned to her smiled. "Now that we have all our chores done, what do you say we all have a nice camp-out?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Applebloom bounced joyfully. "That's a great idea!"

Applejack had set up a green tent somewhere in her orchards. Even if they weren't really in the forest, it still gave that same feeling as apple trees surrounded them. Applejack made a fire and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. She placed one each on three.

Naruto and Rarity had been all over town searching for possible places Sweetie could have gone. Rarity growing more panicked and worried by the second. Finally they began searching Sweet Apple Acres.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cried in relief upon seeing her sister. "Oh, we have been running all over the place looking for you. I-"

Sweetie, however, wasn't exactly head over heels to see her. "Oh hello, un-sister. What are you doing here? Got more not-messes for me to not-clean up?"

Rarity was clearly stung, but she persisted. "Oh Sweetie Belle, I want to apologize. I am not better off without a sister."

"I'm not better off without a sister either," Sweetie Belle replied. "Spending the day with Applejack and Applebloom made me realize that.

"Oh, Sweetie, you don't know how happy I am to hear-"

"Which is why I'm adopting Applejack as my big sister!" she announced happily, dashing over to Applejack and wrapped her arms around her causing Applejack and Applebloom to react in shock as well.

Rarity was shocked at this. "What?!"

"What?!" Naruto echoed Rarity.

"Or maybe she should be your sister, so she could teach you what a good sister is supposed to be!" she yelled to Rarity.

"But I don't need lessons on being a good sister, I- I promise!" insisted Rarity desperately "Listen! I'll show you how to cook my favorite quiche! Or-or, I'll show you the proper way to beautify your mane. Won't that be fun? Hm?"

Sweetie wasn't convinced. "You want me to go home with you, so we can do what you wanna do?"

Rarity had realized her mistake too late. "I…I didn't mean…."

"Just forget it!" She stormed into the door.

"Well, that apology went swimmingly," Rarity remarked in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're trying to be a good sister, and apologizing is a step in the right direction, but you have to do much more than that…You've got to understand that Sweetie Belle only wants to spend time with you. She doesn't want to hurt you. She only wants to feel like you love and appreciate her. You have to admit you were being a bit selfish today."

"Selfish?" she repeated. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

"Everything in regards to what happened today you've been focusing on how it affects you." He then quickly continued cutting her off. "Let me guess you're going to point out the things 'you' did right?" He asked as Rarity paused, indicating that he was right. "Don't you think you could have spent a bit more time showing some appreciation for the nice things she was doing for you?"

Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it and closed her mouth.

"She looks up to you. Your age gaps are so large you had already moves away before she could spend any real time with you forming memories and when she stays over your usually so busy. Its like half the time you're a stranger to her instead of her big sister."

It really sunk in just how distant her relationship with Sweetie Belle had gotten. Had she really let her work dictate her focus that much?

"Naruto is right." Applejack added. "Bein' sisters is like... apple pie. You can have amazin' apples, and you can have a wonderfully crispy crust, but only together you can have a perfect apple pie."

Rarity pulled back and thought about it. "...but apart, all we are just a pile of mush and some crumbly dry mess..." Rarity gasped and stood proudly. "I know what I need to do! I just hope it isn't too late!"

The Sisterhooves social had went off without a hitch. So far Sweetie Belle and Applejack had been doing rather well. It was now time for the great race.

"Is this thing on?" Granny Smith announced. She accidently rotated the megaphone backwards and placed her ear towards the front. "I don't think this thing is on." She told Big Macintosh who was standing near her. "Hello!" She shouted weakly into the front of the megaphone. Big Macintosh came over to her and began whispering to her, pointing at the megaphone. "What is the- e- oh. You have to say so. Confangled modern doohickeys." She raised her hand from her rocking chair and smacked the megaphone, causing it to twirl until it switched to the right position. "Now, the event you've all been waiting fer! The Sister Soci- The Socialhoof- Oh, dabnabbit, you know, the big race! We have five teams this year fer the event! So y'all head on up to the finish line, y'hear?" Applejack, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle, headed to the starting line. Among the contestants were Amethyst and Dinky not to mention Golden Harvest and little Noi who was recovering quite nicely for her ordeal all that time ago.

"Eh? The start line!" Granny Smith corrected. "That what I said…"

"That's us!" Sweetie Belle whispered excitedly.

"And may the best sisters win!" Granny Smith announced as she continued rocking on her chair. "On your marks... get set..." As the other sisters readied themselves, Granny Smith moved too far on her rocking chair and accidentally poked her eye with the megaphone. "Gooooo!"

They immediately started off in a running the course. Then that's when they came to the mud pit where Applejack seemed to be lagging behind.

After a moment of waiting, the mud covered mare got up and continued racing with Sweetie Belle.

They were now side by side, racing for first place. At the last gate, the two pairs both took a leap in hopes that they landed past the finish line. They created a large dust cloud, and had to wait until it disappeared. When it did, it revealed neither team had made it.

The successful sisters to win the race were Applejack and Applebloom who flashed through the finish line and were walking proudly after the referee gave them a ribbon. They walked back towards Rarity and Sweetie Belle.

"Ooh, so close! You almost won!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"Wait if that's Applejack then who is…" The mystery mare wiped the mud from her face. "Rarity? B-But how? When?"

"We switched places in the mud hole." Applejack explained with this grin.

"So... we did the whole race... together?" Sweetie Belle asked Rarity.

"That we did, little sister. Well, except for the start line." Rarity answered.

"But you finished together!" Applebloom added.

"You mean... you were all in on it?" She turned to the assembled group whole nodded. "You did this for me?"

"Us. I did it for us." Rarity replied. Sweetie Belle smiled and hugged Rarity, causing us to feel very much relieved to see the scene. "You see? We are apple pie!"

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle questioned, confused.

"Uh…" Rarity chuckled nervously. "I'll explain later. For now, I think we deserve a celebration!"

"Yeah!" Applejack, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle cheered while Naruto simply grinned.

"Where?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"The spa, of course." Rarity responded almost quickly, causing the girls to fall to the floor laughing whilst Naruto shook his head.

"Oh, Rarity."

"No, I, I, I am quite serious." She replied with utter seriousness.

---

Luna wasn't sure why her sister asked her to her chambers, all she knew was that it involved a letter sent by one of the Elements. She knew of the reports her sister had her student doing which now extended to the elements, but what could be in this report that Celestia believed she would find interesting?

"Dear Princess Celestia, having a sister is just about the bestest thing in..." Luna furrowed her brow. "Bestest?"

"Spike has always been a rather dedicated if not very focused scribe. He stays true to the speaker's mentality and nature." She explained.

Luna cleared her throat. "...just about the bestest thing in the world. But it sure isn't the easiest." She stopped to let out a small chuckle. "She speaks the truth. Especially when thy sister eats the last piece of cake."

Celestia playfully swatted Luna. "Just keep reading."

"I'm reading!" Luna said, flicking her sister back in turn with her wing before resuming her reading.. "...But mostly, it's about having fun together. Even if it means getting your hooves a little bit dirty, a lot dirty, a little bit dirty, a LOT dirty, a little bit dirty, a lot—a medium amount of dirty, not too little, not too much, just right. Your faithful subjects, Sweetie Belle and Rarity." She set the scroll down, fighting back her giggles. "It appears we share common ground with Lady Rarity and her sister."

"Indeed, and I look forward to learn more about their development." The two sisters clank their glass of freshly poured Moonshine Luna brought as they began to reminiscence about their own youth.

Next Chapter: The Quartet's Triumph! Estimated time remaining: 35 Hours, 53 Minutes