Equestrian Heroes

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Naruto x ?

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Story Start

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Deep within Everfree Forest laid many abnormal geographical features. These features included unknown plants, bodies of waters and a system of caves. One cave in particular had precipitous slopes, of up to 150 meters in height as if it was a wall that formed over times. The massive rocks, stood suspended as if someone had just put them there, dominated the place. Inside their small cracks, thyme, oregano, astivides and other plants try to live with remarkable patience and persistence.

The length of the cave was unknown and the surface meter of the cave easily covered the thousands. The opening upon further inspection could be theorized on having been created by slow erosion from the natural elements. Traveling further within the cave its exterior was filled with beautiful marble banding and several large streams. More than dozen of minerals could be defied within the cave.

Within the confines of the cave several figures moved. A billowy figure of darkness was cloaked within a dark pocket of the cave. It was struggling in the grip of the shadowy creature.

"Ignorant beast. Your kind seems to live only to feast, incapable of following the simplest of orders." The shade hurled the hairy creature against the wall. "Your eyesight must be lacking simple creature as the creature you brought me is not a Unicorn."

Flame colored eyes flickered to life in the darkness. They floated in the air, the body it attached to floating in the darkness. "The Bugaboos aren't known for their intelligence master. Allow me to search for a new target. I will find you a Unicorn with enough magic to restore your power."

"See to it you don't fail me Vatrik." The shade spoke as the flame colored eyes disappeared into the darkness. The shade then turned its attention back to the Bugaboo. "Dispose of the pony without devouring it. A failure such as yours doesn't deserve any sort of reward."

The creature of darkness arrived to the town of Ponyville. Street lights illuminated the paths as ponies strolled along the streets. The creature began slinking from shadow to shadow as it began watching ponies watch by.

It had begun looking for one particular pony. A few days ago he had witnessed a great deal of magic practiced by one of the town's inhabitants. It had witnessed when the Bugaboo tried to lure the unicorn mare it had encountered the other night but the nosy creature had drawn other inhabitants of the forest and it had to abandon its plan.

The shadow walking being began slinking from shadow to shadow. Luckily for him, no citizens notice his movements. He took off into an alleyway, secretly on the hunt.

Upon hearing voices, he stopped there and slowly peeked around. "No sight of anything strange?" he overheard the two ponies talking. One was concealed behind a food kiosk still open for nighttime sales.

"No…I'll be taking flight again." It took note of the visible pony who responded. It was a Pegasus with a dark note. With scrutinizing eyes, the shade inspected the body of the mare.

Another dark coat pony, a Unicorn but not the one from the descriptions of he heard.

"Then let's circle around and meet back again in at 1100 hours." With a flap, the Pegasus pony took off.

The town seemed to be on guard. He needed to be quick. He continued slinking through the shadows when a magical aura leaving the town caught his attention. He followed it, seeing a violet Unicorn heading to the meadows. She indeed matched the descriptions of the rumors he had heard about a magically talented unicorn.

The Unicorn unaware of the creature stalking her levitated a telescope along with a few graphs, charts, and other supplies. With that in mind the creature decided to wait and scope out any more potential unicorns for his master before snatching up the unicorn.

Another day had past the members of the Night Guard seemed no closer to solving the mystery of the disappearing foals. The Sun was beginning its slow descent. The hues of orange and yellow cast an overcast in the skies.

"No no no…not this either." Nightwing stood at the side as Bright Star popped from one stand to the other. He watched the excitable unicorn seemed to study trinket from trinket as she made insensible statements. "It has to be perfect."

"What are you up to now Bright Star?" Nightwing asked, looking up from his book as the Unicorn bounced from stall to stall. Apparently last night's incident did not put a damper on her mood. A census showed that besides the already missing foals every child in Ponyville was accounted for.

"Looking for the perfect present."

"Present for what?"

"To suggest to the captain of course." She answered and sent Nightwing a look that suggested that he was stupid for having to ask.

Nightwing sighed, realizing this was probably yet another insane idea by Bright Star. "We should be patiently waiting for tonight's assignment. Not running around like some excitable tourist." He derided the Unicorn.

"B-But it's important for the captain to make impression when he woos to Princess Luna." She said as the Pegasus raised an eyebrow.

"What nonsense has you've gotten in your head?"

"You're so clueless to romance Nightwing." She said rather dismissively as Nightwing's lips tensed. "The Regal Princess and her captain. Can't you see the romantic potential in it? Did you even witness the conference?" she turned to see the look on the pegasus's face. "Oh come on, don't give me that look. Haven't you seen the two of them together? You're telling me you didn't pick up that there is something there?"

"We are members of the Night Guard. It is our duty to serve Princess Luna and protect the ponies of Equestria from any threats not to gossip about love lives." He really wished the Unicorn was a bit more serious. "Besides, Princess Luna like her sister Princess Celestia is an Alicorn. It isn't practical in the long run to begin a relationship that could only end in heartbreak. After all I assure you our princess has more important manners than to quickly jump into some romance and quite frankly its silly that you're even invested in this." He had heard about rumors what happened during the ceremony and was a pony who needed facts before forming an opinion of a situation.

"For such a big brain I thought you of all ponies know that the heart wants what the heart wants."

"I for a fact know a fair bit about love from a practical stance. Love is the union of two ponies who respect each other. A fair and stable relationship composed of communication, money, and of the same class. Not some fairy tale story."

"You are so unromantic. Who would complement the captain if not the Princess?" She questioned him.

"Twilight Sparkle I suppose." He answered with a shrug.

"Princess Celestia's student?" Bright Star's interest piqued up. There was hardly a pony that lived in Canterlot that hadn't at least heard of Twilight Sparkle.

"He has spoken fondly of her on more than one occasion while training us. From what I know her intelligence has been an aid in the concepts he has been working on not t mention her knowledge on magic he has included in our training regime. That is not something two ponies could come up with without spending a lot of time together. The captain seems on fairly good terms with all the element bearers and the nature of their relationship can be ascertained as platonic. There is the only one that has potential to bloom into something more or at least it's the most sensible if you look at it logically." Since both of them heralded from communities which were monogamous neither had considered the idea of a herding type relationship. It was a subject rarely brought up.

The unicorn stamped her hoof. "Love isn't like some book you read. Where's the passion in what's safe? Where's the excitement? The romance."

"That type of excitement is for silly little foals who don't want to put work into a relationship." The Pegasus remarked as he upturned his nose.

Bright Star flared her nostrils and bared her teeth. "Oh yeah. I bet you a load of bits you're wrong."

"Oh?" Nightwing closed his book and placed it in the saddle. "Make it more interesting. A wager. If I'm right and the captain ends up courting Twilight Sparkle you spend the next two weeks in other silence unless spoken two or given in reports not to mention you also have to show some decorum of a pony of your station." This was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

For a moment Bright Star looked fearful. Being silent? For two wholes weeks? She loved talking to other ponies she practically lived to talk. Though seeing the smug look on Nightwing's face made her want to the knock it off.

At that moment something caught Nightwing's eye as he glanced away from her. Bright Star's eyes followed and a smug look formed on Bright Star's face. It appears Nightwing's attention had fallen upon the passing Element of Generosity.

"O-Oh yeah and if I win you have to put down those old dusty book of yours for a month and you have to ask out the Element of Generosity." Nightwing was thankful for the darkness of his coat.

"What are you on all of a sudden?" he sputtered, his face heating up as Raven returned a smug look of her own.

Neither of the two of course knew the nature of Naruto's romantic life. One because he didn't discuss it and want it out there. Two he wanted to be a good example for his squad so he asked the mares while on duty that they tried to keep everything professional. While Rarity and Pinkie weren't happy with this, they both understood. There was simply too much to be going on without more of Naruto's love light being drawn into the spot light after the Luna debacle with bigger issues going on.

"I~saw~the~way ~you ~were ~looking ~at~ her~ just~ now." Bright Star smugly sung hopping with each word as Nightwing shot her a scathing glance.

"I was merely admiring the condition of Miss Rarity's coat. It was just unusual to see someone so high class within…" he paused, looking for the right word to describe ponyville. "…this quaint looking town."

"The skirt clung to those flanks of hers riiiggghhttttt?" she teased as Nightwing let out something akin of a growl.

"Nightwing! Bright Star!" the two of them were jarred out of their thoughts. At the far side of the road was their captain.

"Captain!"

"Captain Naruto!"

"To my side the two of you. We have a lead." Naruto remarked as the two ponies quickly joined his side. Naruto led them to the hospital, having received notice from a police pony. A filly had been brought in by the name of Noi. She had been found on the verge of death by Zecora deep within the forest.

"She's rather shaken up." Dr. Saddlebag, a Russet colored Stallion and dark mane answered. His cutie mark noted by the Emblem he wore on his shirt.

Naruto approached the little filly, getting down on a knee so he wouldn't intimidate her with his tall stature, "It's alright. You're safe now. Can you tell me your name sweetie?"

"N-Noi," she stammered as she slightly shaked. "My name is N-Noi."

"Can you tell me what's happened, Noi?" Naruto gently asked her.

"I-I don't want to talk about it," she quietly mumbled, still trembling.

"Please. I need to know what happened," Naruto insisted. "There's some creature out there hurting little fillies like yourself. I need to know what attacked you."

"It…its was..." She shuddered again, but seemed to gather her courage. "…it was a Bugaboo."

The room had grown entirely silent while Noi talked. The last confirmed sighting of a Bugbear was about two centuries ago. Noi had no idea where she was taken beyond some dark cave. She heard two other voices but didn't see them and all she could remember that wanted them wanted unicorns.

The terrified filly curled up on the bed, shuddering. "No! I don't want to think about it anymore! Don't make me think about it anymore!"

Naruto sighed and raised himself and turned to his two soldiers. "Nightwing, I need you to fly down to the Everfree Forest and get Zecora's statement. See if there wasn't a detail she may have forgotten. Bright Star, I need you to go speak with the mayor about organizing a public announcement. If this group is after unicorns then we need to be on high alert. As for me I'll be at the library researching any information on these Bugaboos I can find. You have your orders."

With their orders in mind both soldiers left to perform their duty.

Next Chapter: Hunting Down the Bugaboo Estimated time remaining: 42 Hours, 15 Minutes