Sasuke's Equestrian Adventure

Sasuke woke up with a relaxed yawn. He had a particularly good night, definitely better than the last few ones he had.

Last night Briar told him that the amount of hatred he collected was almost enough, a couple more extractions and his Malignants would be ready. He was relieved that he soon would be capable of returning home, and that he wouldn’t need to undergo these treatments anymore. Though he was feeling sorry about not being able to learn more about the powers showed by the six ponies, and probably disappointing Itachi, he decided to still go ahead. In his thoughts every minute that he spent in Equestria was delaying his revenge on the leaf village.

He got up before Twilight and went to the kitchen to prepare his own tomato salad.

As she got up and arrived at the kitchen she saw him, quietly eating and seemingly enjoying it.

“Oh hello, Sasuke.” She smiled.

“Hello there, Twilight, how was your night?” Sasuke asked.

“It was good, what about yours?” Twilight got her breakfast.

“Likewise, even better than the last ones I had,” Sasuke answered

“Oh I’m glad to hear so.” Twilight took a seat and started to eat her breakfast too.

The two ate silently for a while, until Sasuke thought about something to ask Twilight.

“Hey…” He got her attention. “There is something I want to ask you about the creatures of this world.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“Well what do you know about the Malignants?” he asked.

“Malignants? Oh yes, they are plant-like monsters who can be fueled by negative emotions. Why do you ask?” she asked.

“Hmm well, in case some Malignants attacked this place, do you think you could handle them?” Sasuke had an evasive look on his face.

“Oh… good question. I guess it would be a matter of how much negative emotion they fed on, since their power is proportional to that,” she explained

“Say, worst case scenario?” Sasuke asked.

“Well… I’d rather not imagine it, an overpowered Malignant could cause incredible damage, let alone multiple of them. It would be an Equestria scale disaster.” Twilight made Sasuke flinch.

“But… what about your friendship power? You told me you managed to beat that Tirek with that, and he was extremely powerful.”

“In that case we had the power of the tree of harmony with us, I suppose we could use it in such a scenario too, though Equestria could still suffer great damage,” she finished.

“Oh… I see.” Sasuke looked down at his meal.

“Why this curiosity about these specific creatures?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing in particular, Fluttershy happened to tell me about them yesterday when I was at her cottage,” he lied.

“Ah. Alright I see.” She returned to enjoy her meal.

“Well… I’d want to get some more bits for lunch and dinner, I’ll go see if any of your friends have work for me, alright?” He stood up from his seat.

“Alright Sasuke, see ya when you come back.” Twilight waved her hoof at him before he got out of the kitchen.

Sasuke left the castle, heading for Fluttershy’s cottage first. It had gone so well yesterday that he figured out it was the best choice.

While he walked he thought about what Twilight had said regarding the Malignants. He convinced himself that Twilight was probably wrong about what she said before, that she was overestimating the danger. Little thoughts to help himself feel better about what he was doing.

After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage and knocked at the door.

“Fluttershy? It’s me Sasuke, you there?” He knocked multiple times.

“I’m here, hello Sasuke,” she greeted him.

“Well I’m in need of bits again, would you happen to have something I can do today? Maybe I can even put some of the stuff you taught me about yesterday into practice.”

“Oh… I wish i could say yes, but today my pets and I are taking the day off. We are having a combing club if you want to join us,” she told him.

“I think I’ll pass, what about Applejack?” Sasuke asked.

“Oh yeah, she might need some help,” Fluttershy answered.

“Alright, thanks,” Sasuke left and headed for Sweet Apple acres.

After crossing town again he arrived there, and found Applejack bucking some apple trees in the orchard.

“Hello Applejack.” Sasuke approached her.

“Oh hey there partner, what’s up?” She stopped bucking and went to greet him.

“Well I was wondering if you had some work for me, you know something to do for some bits,” he answered.

“Ah sorry, sugarcube, but Ah’m fine for now,” she answered.

“Oh… I see, would it be because of what I had your sister and her friends doing some days ago?” Sasuke asked.

“Ah no. Ya already paid for that, and she told me about what you did for them when they were being bullied. I was very happy to hear that,” Applejack answered.

Sasuke smiled.

“Anyways, Ah really don’t have any jobs for you, yah can try at Rarity’s. Ah heard that she got a pretty juicy deal from Canterlot,” she informed him.

Sasuke frowned a little. He imagined it would have consisted of something either princessy, girly or pompous.

“Alright then, see ya.” Sasuke headed off again.

Once he arrived at the Carousel Boutique he initially hesitated, as he didn’t want anything to do with making a stupid dress, probably for some girly pony. But in the end he figured that it would be worth it if he was going to paid.

He knocked at the door a few times.

“Here I am.” Rarity galloped to the door. “Oh hello Sasuke, what brings you here?”

“Well I’d need some money again, and I was wondering if you needed help with anything,” he answered.

“Oh, as a matter of fact I’d require some help with my latest order, please do come in.” She invited him inside.

“Well what are you doing now anyway? A dress for some prissy pony?” He walked inside.

“Actually I'm working on new armors for the royal guards. They must be a perfect balance of visually appealing and functionally appropriate,” she answered.

“Armors? You do these too?” Sasuke was quite surprised and intrigued by this.

“Why of course, I do any kinds of clothing,” she answered.

She quickly got his curiosity.

“Hmm can I… see them?” Sasuke asked.

“Right this way.” She led him to her workshop where the first models of the new armors were being assembled.

The designs looked quite similar to the one of the ordinary armors, only more sleek and solid looking.

Sasuke examined them one by one, repeatedly walking around them.

However, he stopped looking and focused on each one of them as he started to use the Sharingan.

“What is it? Is there some flaw I've overlooked?” Rarity asked, wondering why his expression changed and why he was staring at the armors so intensely.

“Actually there are quite lot of minor structural flaws, and some major.” He could see small cracks and imperfections in the joints.

“Oh dear, where?” Rarity looked a bit worried.

“Well, here and here are the major ones.” He started to point to some weak joints, or to small cracks that could have become a problem in battle.

“I shall make adjustments straight away!” She levitated some tools to her, and started to fix some of the flaws Sasuke pointed at.

“Right there, you see?” Sasuke said.

“Yes I do...” She said fixing a slightly damaged joint.

“Good, then we can work on the minor ones and then pass to the next armor.” Sasuke pointed at another one, this time a weak joint for the leg pieces.

“Oh thank you, Sasuke, I don't know what would have happened without your insight!” She thanked him without taking her eyes off her work.

“Well I don't know what threats you ponies face here, but after a few powerful hits it would have got pretty messy...” He imagined what would have happened if that armor failed during something like a battle or a fight. “Let’s keep it going.” He passed to the next armor.

One after another, Sasuke checked out all the armors while Rarity corrected all the flaws they had. In the end they were slightly changed, but in perfect conditions and damage proof.

“Well, the armors are done now,” Sasuke said after Rarity finished the last one.

“My my, that was fast.” Rarity smiled.

“Eh, it was nothing, the design was pretty easy to fix. Now your guards can stand against anything this world can throw at them.” He turned to her.

“Thank you Sasuke! You must let me give you something in return for your work!” She thanked him.

“You are welcome, now if you just gave me some bits I’d be on my way,” he answered.

“Bits? Bits will never be enough for what you did today, I must make you a new outfit!” She took a measure tape.

“Oh no… you aren't going to make me some frilly dress, are you?” Sasuke had a worried look on his face.

“Oh not at all darling! In fact, I would like to make you a new outfit that is entirely up to you! Just guide me along and I will follow your directions,” she answered.

“Really? Well okay then, go ahead with the measurements,” he answered, staying still.

After taking all the measurements, Rarity started to draw the design of the dress, following to the letter Sasuke’s instructions.

Once the design was ready, she started to stitch together pieces of a light and comfortable black fabric, until they formed a black kimono with the Uchiha crest on the back of it.

“Wow... this looks great, the symbol of my clan also is very well stitched,” he said, putting it on as soon as Rarity presented it to him.

“Oh darling, you are quite a gentlecolt underneath it all,” she complimented him for his newfound gentle manners.

“Yeah… I guess, gotta go now.” He noticed that it was late afternoon and that the sun was starting to set.

“Enjoy the rest of your day, also here are some bits as an extra!” She gave him a bag of bits, which he took.

“Yeah… I… I will.” He headed out of the boutique.

“Welcome back, Sasuke,” Twilight welcomed him back in the castle. “Oh my, did Rarity make that for you?” She pointed at Sasuke’s kimono.

“Oh yeah she did, pretty fine eh?” He smiled holding the kimono in a hoof.

“I knew she was good, but I didn't think she'd be able to create something you'd agree to wear,” Twilight remarked.

“Me neither, but I guess I was wrong after all.” Sasuke smiled.

“I must say, I'm very proud of how far you've come.” Twilight complimented him for his latest developments.

“Oh… well thanks. I guess that I just needed to adjust to the new place,” he answered her.

Then something hit him.

“Does this mean I can leave?” He asked with a bit of excitement in his voice.

“Oh… well…” Twilight hesitated for a moment “I don't know if the time is quite right yet. Why don't you let me sleep on it?”

Sasuke’s expression turned from excited to disappointed.

“Fine then,” He grumbled. But don't get too comfortable… he thought.

“Um alright then.” Twilight felt sorry for having to disappoint him, however she knew that his reformation wasn’t complete yet.

As the moon was once again up in the sky Sasuke sneaked out of the castle, and directed himself to the grove, for what he hoped to be the last meeting with Briar.

He waited in the grove for a good amount of time, until the portal to the greenhouse laboratory reopened and Briar came out of it.

“You have returned, good.” He grinned evilly.

“This better be the last time… your hatred extracting treatment is unbearable.” He looked at him straight in the eyes.

Briar just pointed at Sasuke, and let the Malignants enclose him. The plants started to absorb the hatred he had in him, though for some reason, Briar felt that the flow was less strong.

“Your hate... it's weaker. Don't tell me you're letting these fool ponies and their talks of ‘fwiendship’ get to you!”

“Are you insinuating that I'm weak?” Sasuke angrily shot back.

“I think you may need a little pick-me-up, that's all.” His horn emitted a beam that struck Sasuke in the head. The spell caused his most painful memories to rearise in his mind, like his clan's death, his brother's death by his hands, and his discovery of the truth behind it all.

Sasuke clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut before reopening them, showing an expression of pure hatred.

“Good...” Briar smiled, feeling the flow of hatred increasing, and seeing the plants growing even faster.

In that moment, however, six more ponies arrived inside the grove. They were the six heroes of Equestria rallied by Twilight after she felt the powerful magic surge coming from the forest.

“Stop right there!” Rainbow Dash barked.

“Stop right there!” Briar greeted them.

“What are you doing to Sasuke!?” Twilight demanded to know. “And what are these horrifying monsters?” She indicated the malignants.

“You like my horticulture? I credit good fertilizer and a healthy daily dose of hate. Now, let's show these fillies what hate can do!” Briar raised his hoof causing more portals to appear around ponyville, releasing seeds around the town.

The seeds quickly sprouted generating dark vines that started to attack ponies and attach to their heads.

The poor ponies screamed in terror as they tried in vain to take them off, but they were just too strong. Once they were completely attached to their victims the ponies’s eyes became pitch black and they started to move towards the Everfree Forest.

“Now my dears... FIGHT!” Briar commanded the ponies.

“Heads up, girls!” Twilight lit her horn and got in attack position.

“Get ready to taste the rainbow!” Rainbow Dash rubbed her hooves together.

“Be careful! They're still innocent citizens!” Fluttershy warned her.

Rainbow Dash nodded and started to hit the ponies’s legs, causing them to falter.

“I'll use an incapacitating spell!” Twilight started to shoot beams of light from her horn that immobilized the ponies that were advancing.

“Sorry to hit ya, sugar cube.” Applejack slammed her hoof in the muzzle of a pony knocking him out.

The battle raged and the mane six did their best to block the mind controlled ponies.

Rainbow Dash managed to trip several ponies allowing also Applejack to tie them up with a lasso.

“Some down! A lot more to go!” Applejack saw more mind controlled ponies joining the fight.

“Anybody wants a party?” Pinkie Pie raised her hoof as the ponies started to close in on her. “Yes? THIS CALLS FOR A PARTY CANNON BARRAGE!” She promptly pulled a cannon out thin air and repeatedly shot enormous quantities of confettis on the ponies, disorienting them and also knocking out the closest to her.

Even Fluttershy started to help by staring down the ponies around her.

“These vines look horrible.” Rarity fought some ponies off. “Not even my talent could make them look better”.

In that moment more ponies started to flood the grove and to close in on the six.

“They just keep coming!” Twilight raised a shield around herself and her friends.

“We can't possibly fight off all of them,” Rarity added.

“We should focus on saving Sasuke,” Fluttershy pointed at him.

Sasuke was next to Briar, but all encased in the vines, though that didn’t stop him from hearing and watching what was happening.

“They keep trying to help me... but why? I've been betraying them and they still want to be friends? I don't understand...” He couldn’t realize why they still wanted to help him.

“You are right! That unicorn is using him as a power source! If we cut him off everything should stop!” Twilight exclaimed

“On it partner!” Applejack dashed for him, however as soon as she left the shield vines started to attack her, and one snared her head.

“APPLEJACK!!” Rarity run to help her friend. “How persistent it is!”

As she tried to remove the vines from her friend’s head, another vine snared her horn. Before they knew it their eyes turned black.

“Applejack, Rarity! No!” Twilight and the others ran to help them.

Sasuke’s expression started to change from quizzical to horrified as more vines sprouted around the remaining four ponies, trapping them and filling their minds with hate.

“Yes, yes, YES! THIS is TRULY the most powerful magic of all!” Briar exclaimed triumphantly raising his hooves in victory.

Sasuke started to realize that Briar was going to do more than just rule Equestria, he was going to brainwash all the ponies in it. That wasn’t only wrong, it was sick… If he let that happen he wouldn’t have been any better of the ones that led to the Uchiha’s clan genocide.

“This… this has to stop!” He tried to stop the flow of hatred coming from his body.

“Oh it won't be that easy!” Briar cast the memory spell on Sasuke again, trying to have him succumb to his hate again.

“I… no...” The memories of his clan being destroyed took over again, but suddenly something started to change.

Sasuke started to focus his mind on the happy memories, of the adventures he had with Naruto and Sakura when they were still together, and all the other good times he had before he discovered the truth about his clan.

“...it won't be easy for you either.” Sasuke’s eyes started to lose their blackness, and as they did so a tiny spark appeared in his pupils.

Briar frowned as he felt the flow of energy being cut off but that was only the beginning.

“Hatred might be powerful, but I know by experience that there are stronger powers than it. Powers that I should have embraced long ago!” Sasuke said as the spark grew and started to travel through the vines.

“Oh no…” Briar’s eyes widened. “No... no... NO!” He tried to stop Sasuke using offensive spells but none was effective.

The vines started to sprout blue buds, which bloomed and started to scatter sparkling pollen which was inhaled by the ponies, turning their eyes back to normal.

“It seems you were right, Twilight, friendship is more powerful than hatred.” Sasuke looked at the six ponies who tried to help them as the pollen returned them to how they were before.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” Briar screamed as the pollen engulfed him, causing his dark coat to shine. Afterwards the shine faded away leaving behind a normal unicorn.

“Sasuke... you saved us.” Twilight standed up and looked at him.

“I had to... It was my fault this was happening.” Sasuke turned to her, meeting the other ponies’s shocked sights. Pinkie Pie particularly started to tear up before starting to bawl.

“Thank you Sasuke, you saved our flanks from these demon weeds,” Applejack complimented him.

“Yes, we can't thank you enough,” Fluttershy added.

Twilight smiled.

“But… I did ‘cause this… Briar offered me a quicker way home if I helped him...” he confessed, feeling guilty about the fact that it was also partially his fault if Briar almost took over.

“We're still proud of you for making the right choice, Sasuke.” Twilight forgave him as well as the others. “And we promise to help get you back home.”

“Thank you...” Sasuke smiled a little knowing that he earned the ponies’s forgiveness.

In that moment Briar started to gain back consciousness.

“What… happened?” he asked struggling to stand up as the mane six as well as Sasuke quickly surrounded him.

“Don't you remember partner?” Applejack asked.

“You were the psycho who tried to destroy Equestria with zombie plants!” Pinkie Pie told him.

“Do you know what you almost did?” Twilight came closer to him.

“Oh my... I greatly apologize for all that I have done. You see I was working on a solution to help crops grow faster, but I accidentally caused a horrible lab accident and my magic combined with the solution to create... what I became” Briar’s memories started to fall back in place.

“Wait a minute… I remember you, you are Briar Malice. I saw one of your articles.” Twilight remembered him.

“It must have been a truly awful accident partner,” Applejack tried to get him on his hooves.

“We better take him to the hospital… now,” Twilight suggested.

After some days of therapy at Ponyville’s hospital, Briar was completely healed and filled in about everything that happened while he was infected by the hate. What surprised him the most was hearing about the return of Princess Luna and about Twilight becoming the princess of friendship after defeating Tirek.

From that night Sasuke tried to spend more time with each of the six ponies, also meeting some of the townsfolk who seemed to see him as some sort of hero. He finally grasped the true power of friendship and changed his way of behaving too, and he didn’t have any hurry in going back to his world.

One day he, along with his new friends, were invited to Canterlot to celebrate the defeat of the Malignants. In the invite it was also said that there was a special surprise for Sasuke.

Once in Canterlot Sasuke was lead by Celestia in the main hall of the royal palace, on which windows the most important happenings in Equestria were immortalized.

Celestia lead him in front of a covered window and then she proceeded to unveil it.

The window depicted Sasuke and the six ponies fighting against the plant horde, with Sasuke at the front of the group.

“Wow… It… it looks great.” Sasuke exclaimed in wonder observing the beautiful work of glass art.

Later that afternoon there was the celebration in their honor, and as it finished by the evening Sasuke was escorted by his new friends to a clearing in the palace’s garden.

“Just a hop, skip, and a jump more Sasuke and we'll be there!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully said.

“Something tells me that this will be a great surprise if Pinkie is so excited,” Sasuke said. “Thank you so much for all this, girls, thank you so much for not giving up on me. If the surprise is what I think it is, I feel I’ll miss this world.”

“We'll miss you too partner.” Applejack put a hoof over his shoulder.

“If we've learned anything from you, it's that anypony can be redeemed by accepting friendship.” Twilight smiled at him.

In that moment they reached the clearing.

“Now close your eyes and wait, we have a surprise for you,” Fluttershy asked Sasuke gently.

Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed happily.

In that moment Itachi appeared, illuminated by Luna’s moon.

“Hello little brother,” he whispered.

“This voice… ” Sasuke started to open his eyes. “Itachi...” He recognized his brother’s expression.

Itachi smiled at him, happy that he recognized him in his pony form. Sasuke just stared at him a moment before running to him embracing him with his hooves, crying.

The ponies and Celestia observed the scene smiling warmly, happy that he met his brother again after so much time.

“Big brother,” He whispered between a sob and the other.

“The girls have told me about your progress Sasuke, you are clearly not the same pers– er pony you used to be. I couldn't be prouder to call you my brother” He complimented him, rubbing his brother’s back with his hooves.

“And I thank you for having me pass through this… if you didn't I'd probably still be consumed by hatred now.” Sasuke sobbed as he spoke, embracing his brother even more.

“It takes a very special power to break a curse established through generations. You have found that power brother, and now… you are ready,” Itachi said.

“Ready?” he asked.

“To return home and apply what you've learned about friendship to your own life. You left behind many who miss you dearly Sasuke,” Itachi answered, upsetting Sasuke a little.

“...I...I can't go yet, I didn't imagine you were still alive in this world! And I just learned about the true power of friends, how do you expect me to leave just now?” he objected.

“You are ready, Sasuke, I know you are. Mend your broken friendships, reach out to those you once pushed away, erase the mistakes of your past with good actions in the present which will affect the future. You've always been a quick learner little brother, I have complete faith that you can handle this” Itachi encouraged him.

“Why don't you come with me?” Sasuke questioned him.

“I can't, I'm afraid my time in that world has been up for a long time now. And besides...” Luna flew nearby him “...I have a new life here. A life of peace and true happiness.” Luna and him nuzzled each other.

“I understand... I shall try to earn mine too then.” Sasuke smiled at him with confidence.

Itachi smiled back at him and then turned to Twilight. “Twilight, if you would be so kind...”

The alicorn nodded and her horn glowed, causing a portal to appear in the middle of the clearing.

“Goodbye my friends, and thank you one more time for showing that there was another way.” He approached it, while the ponies shouted their goodbyes.

“Take care little brother, take care.” Itachi looked at him cross the portal.

Sasuke then disappeared in it, and the portal closed.

THE END.