Has been edited as regards to the new seasonal content that has come out.

Equestrian Heroes

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Naruto x ?

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Story Start

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Nothing but quiet permeated the room and that made Naruto all the more nervous. On one side he sat on the couch and on the other side in her rocking chair sat Granny Smith.

"So ya wish to get involved with courtship with mah granddaughter?"

Naruto tried to read the ancient mare's mood but found her to have an excellent poker face.

"I may be finding myself in a herd situation Granny and if that's the case, I'm more than willing to give Applejack a fair chance."

"Well, sonny consider ya self-blessed. Yer a sweet boy and ya've done right by the princesses, Ponyville, and the Apples." She paused and took a gulp of the Cider she had placed on the table. "Ah have no problems with you young'un, never gave me any reason to doubt ya before, but if ya plan on getting with Applejack ah expect lots of great grand-children before it's mah time. And Ah also know that Applejack'll want to be a mother someday. So ah would say no less than a dozen."

If Naruto had been drinking something he was sure he would have been choking on it. "N-Now Granny Smith a dozen is a bit much don't you think?"

The old mare sighed and grumbled. "Oh ahright, as suppose ah can accept ten."

"T-Ten?"

"Come now, a strappn' young'un like ya should be able to handle that many. Why ah remember back in the day where the cream of the crop could populate a small town."

Applejack strolled in, having taken a break from Applebucking. "Hey there, how's the conversation going?" Despite how she was trying to play it off Applejack was absolutely nervous.

"Just telling the young'un here ah'm expecting lots of grandbabies from you two."

Applejack, alarmed, her cheeks burned red as she let out an awkward squawk. "By Celestia granny we just tryin' to figure out if we're compatible. Ain't nothing set yet."

"Come now child I'm getting' on in years. Fulfill your grandmother's fondest desire. "

Applejack sighed and looked up at Naruto who was pleading with her with his eyes. "Hey Naruto, want to help me in the fields for a bit?"

"Yes," he replied all but jumping up. "Nice seeing you Granny, I'm going to help Applejack with some bucking."

"Ahright, you two enjoy yourselves out there." Granny Smith called after them with a cackle.

Once they were out of the farmhouse Naruto began speaking to her. "There's something you need to know AJ."

A look of concern flashed across Applejack's face. "Ah hope it isn't anything too serious."

"Well," for a few seconds he trailed off before finally speaking. "Rarity and Fluttershy dropped a revelation of sorts on me yesterday. They wish to court me and form a herd if everything turns out well."

"Ah see," Applejack seemed to go quiet and ponder the situation. "Ah have no problems with herdin' mahslef ah'm just tryin' to wrap my head around who ya expect me to be herd mates with. Ah have no beef with Fluttershy and while Rarity and ah have moved past our differences it's going to take me time to get accustomed to the idea. Either way, two herd mates isn't that bad."Naruto cleared his throat. "About that." He added as a sheepish sort of nervous grin formed on the blond's face as an accusatory and excusatory look formed on the apple farmer.

"Who else?" She asked.

"Pinkie Pie."

Applejack raised one eyebrow. "Ya don't do nothin' half way do ya?" she shook her head. "Whatever, just do that Kagbuyin thingy and help me with the harvest." At least the mares he picked were going to make things interesting. At the very least thanks to the use of Naruto's doppelgangers harvest time was down by over five hundred percent which was going to save the apples an immense amount of time. Normally Applejack would only be able to sell some apples for a few short hours during the season, most of her schedule taken up by having to harvest the apples, but now handling other duties along the farm and selling could take a greater priority this fall.

Sure enough, nearly eighty percent of the farm's crops had been harvested. The daily chores had been taken care of and all the animals were attended to.

Applejack insisted on taking Naruto into town for a late lunch for all his help on the farm. The two of them were happily enjoying their sandwiches under the shade of one the park's trees. Just sitting there and enjoying each other's company.

It was odd yet also rather relaxing. "I'm sorry AJ, but this doesn't feel weird to you at all?" He suddenly wondered.

"What feels weird?"

"I don't know this. I mean, you just wanted to express dating me so casually and easily. I guess…I don't know I guess I was expecting something a bit more." Considering all the fanfare around all the romantic relationships Naruto had witnessed or incidents he experienced it wasn't hard to see how Applejack's honest and blunt interest threw him off.

Applejack let out a sigh. "Ah came on too strong didn't I?"

"No, no, not at all." He hastily responded, wanting to avoid making Applejack take the blame for what was his own hastily strung together thoughts. "I guess I had this sort of idea that all relationships or when ponies expressed their interest in each other there's a bit more build up."

"Build up?" Her eyebrow quirked in confusion. "If one pony likes another why dance around it? Just tell'em ya like'em and if they like each other they date. Why go make a big ol' fuss about it?"

Naruto closed his mouth to answer and promptly closed it. Applejack was right. Not like every romance or relationship needed to be this big grand spectacle or romantic odyssey. If two people or ponies like each other, they could simply agree to the date, no reason to make it into an uncomfortable situation for others. "I'm sorry AJ, I guess your sudden confession kind of threw me off. I mean with some of the other mares I think back and I remember having moments, but with you, you were always just a good friend I hung out with."

"Plenty of relations can develop from a strong friendship. There don't need to be for any of those fru fru romantic semantics all the time. Like ah said you're dependable, strong, and practically a member of the family already. Not to mention ah think you're kind of cute so ah thought, what the hay, might as well see where things go." She finished with a shrug.

Applejack's attitude towards the whole thing put a smile on his face. The whole thing was calming and relaxing.

After they finished their lunch the two of them began making their way back to the farm when, sure enough, they caught sight of Twilight in a ditch. "Uh, Twilight why are ya hangin' out in a ditch?" Applejack called out to her

"Because Pinkie Pie predicted it!" Spike replied as he and Twilight peeked up from the ditch. There was a look of confusion shared between Applejack and Naruto.

"Honestly, Spike, she did not. Two coincidences in a row like this may be unlikely, but it's still easier to believe than twitchy tails that predict the future." Twilight swished her own tail at the proper moment to make the point.

Suddenly, the two ponies managed to voice an unnerved gasp and neigh at the same time. "Twitchy tail?"

"Pinkie sense! Hit the deck!" Naruto cried out as he dove behind a tree. He soon found himself tackled by Applejack to hide under the same tree. "Hey get your own hiding spot."

"Don't worry, it's safe. The prediction already came true."

Twilight climbed out of the ditch as Applejack and Naruto emerged from behind the tree. "Oh, wait. Don't tell me you two believe in this stuff too."

"I know it doesn't make much sense, but those of us who have been in Ponyville a while have learned over time that if Pinkie's a-twitchin', you better listen."

Right on cue, Pinkie showed up. This time, though, her ears were doing the mambo. "My ears are flopping, my ears are flopping!"

Spike recoiled in terror with a cry. "What does that mean?"

Pinkie turned to face Twilight. "I'll start a bath for you."

"Huh?" She then laughed as Spike, Naruto and Applejack backed up.

"A bath? By the minute this thing keeps getting more ridiculous!"

The fact that she actually finished this bit of criticism did not stop her from being splattered by mud.

Thankfully the Cakes were kind enough to allow Twilight to trudge through their shop to go up to Pinkie's room to use her bath. Despite it all Twilight insisted, if not outright demanded, she explain this Pinkie Sense of hers.

"So basically, it works like this." Pinkie explained her Sense as she set the bottle by the sink. "I get different little niggly feelings and they mean different things." She proceeded to demonstrate. "Like when my back is itchy, it means it's my lucky day. And when my knee gets pinchy, that means something scary's about to happen."

"Is your knee pinchy now?" Twilight asked.

Pinkie flexed the joint. "No, but my shoulder's achy. That means there's an alligator in the tub."

Twilight, however, freaked out so badly that she leaped out of the tub grabbing the towel on the sink to cloth herself. "How come your knee didn't get pinchy?" she asked as Pinkie took the little reptile out of the bath. "That isn't just scary, it's downright dangerous!"

"No, it's not, silly!" Pinkie said. "This is my pet alligator Gummy." Gummy opened its mouth, exposing toothless gums. "He's got no teeth!" He then jumped and nipped her ankle. "See?" Neither this nip, nor the ones that followed to her mane and tail, had any ill effects, and she even giggled as he plied his gums on her.

"Okay, okay. I get it." Twilight begrudgingly grumbled.

Applejack had to leave and get back to the farm, to which Naruto promise he would catch up with her later. Something was telling him that Twilight might need his help.