A Zebra in a Ramen Shop?

[Ryu Hime]

If someone would enter they would notice that there was something strange going on in the local ramen shop; it was a costumer who walks on all fours and a whose footsteps clopped against the wooden floor. Black and white strike covered her form for she was a zebra and a small one at that; she was the size of a pony. She stands at a table with a bowl in front of her. The bowl contained no meat or noodles, but a clear transparent liquid. A glass of water would be difficult for her so naturally she ordered a bowl. Her words were poetic; always in a form of a haiku. People were looking at her strangely for being an animal that could talk. The only cases of that are those who belonged to contracts, but who summoned her? Didn’t contract animals need to be summoned by a shinobi? That and many more questions moved through the air in quiet whispers.

 

[Okada Kaji]

It was a serendipitous afternoon at the hidden stone village. Today, Jomei spent the early afternoon hours checking out manuals from the academy's library. He drummed up quite an appetite in the process, and came along to the ramen bar for lunch on the way back to the dormitory. He had settled here for about a half hour, and even cracked a book open. Life was good, and his ramen came with extra pork belly. As Jomei enjoyed the aromas and sucked up the endless bowl of noodles, the ambiance of the ramen kitchen seemed broken. There was little conversation as the kitchen crew worked. A couple of regulars enjoyed their food and chatted. Everything was checking out a-ok. But then Jomei noticed the special guest: the elephant in the room, the bull in the china shop, the pony in the ramen bar!

"Ahem" Jomei coughed once. He looked to the kitchen crew as they buzzed about behind the bar. They moved with such a pace that there was little surprise that they didn't notice or care about the obviously equine company. He was hesitant to make his observation public, and locked eyes onto the horse for a moment. He whispered "are you real?"

WC199​

 

[Ryu Hime]

</B>

What’s real and what’s fake,
Is up to the observer,
Do you think I’m real?​

<i></i>

This animal’s name was Shikora and she had a very spiritual way of looking at things. She believe what may be real to one person may not be real to another. She believes she is real, but would not force beliefs on another. Some people believe in gods while others do not. Who is right or wrong does not matter. A person’s reality is relative to the individual; if a person believes it exists, then it does exist for that person. However such way of thinking is likely beyond a normal students understanding. A child’s world is rather small and would have likely preferred a more direct answer; an answer in fact rather than opinion. So Shikora answers with another Haiku

<B>I respond to you.
I even speak your language.
Is that not enough?​

<i></i>

Though this response leans towards the answer of yes, it is still up to him to decide what the final verdict is. He must decide for himself what it means for something to be real.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei reacted with silence, if only to buy him precious seconds as he contemplated his response. His question had already been answered, but he had to search deep to muster a reply. "Good enough for me" he replied with a smile. Jomei then pushed his entree away (after dwindling it down to an empty bowl), and turned his attention to the unique and well-spoken company to his left. "Heh, I sure don't wax poetic with four-legged intellectuals everyday."

Though Jomei's knowledge of non-human ninja was very limited, he knew their contract rules. His new friend wasn't bound to any regular contract. Jomei was half way into transforming into a giant tarantula... He considered the possibility that Shikora could have been human once, but dismissed the idea as tomfoolery.

She was a marvelous creature, and caused every cog in Jomei's mind to spin with wonder. He found questions only minds like his could muster. But rather than reaching for a microscope to place Shikora under, he'd have to do his research the old fashioned way and get to know her. "I'm Jomei" he said while raising five hands to wave one by one, and picked up his glass of hot tea with the sixth. A small snicker hit the air from afar, cued by his actions. The other guests may have whispered, but the pony wasn't the only subject they had to talk about. An afternoon with Gasu had freed Jomei from the paranoia that small minds could cause, and he continued to entertain his acquaintance as if they were alone. Let them gawk and whisper things they couldn't say in the open.

"How's the water?" he asked sarcastically. Further inspection of her person revealed a notable lack of attire, or a means to pay for a meal. "Are you hungry? It must be hard eating anything on the menu here..." But what do horses eat? He had to think back to his farmhand days for a moment, and memories surfaced. "I'm sure they have apples if that's more of your speed."

WC341​

 

[Ryu Hime]

Shikora smiles as the boy accepts her existence; it is unfortunate that some never do. She would enjoy talking to him, but it is unlikely he will find out the truth behind her being. Regardless they have much to learn from each other for when one gets to know a person, the person tends to get to know the one. Shikora raises an eyebrow at the Jomei’s display. It was quite obvious he belonged to.

A Hachiaishi?
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
I’m Shikora.​

If there is one thing Shikora realized about Jomei , it is that he is quite the observant one. Not only did he notice the lack of food on her table, but allow the lack of apparent means to pay for anything. This thus begs the question; why is she here. Why would a Zebra come to a store that sells Ramen? The answer is not everything is as it appears. She swats her tail on the table and in makes an odd jiggle as it hits the wooden surface. She presses her muzzle into her tail and with her teeth pulls out a string. When she removes her tail and small bag of yen is revealed. Obviously due to a lack of clothes she had to find other means to carry money.

I am a teacher.
Pay may be a little small,
But it is enough.
Apples true I do eat,
But that is not why I’m here.
Broadening my tastes​

As she finishes her water, she waves a hoof in the air to get a waiters attention. A man promptly comes over to the table and asks what she desires. Shikora orders in her usual manor. One must wonder how she always gets the right number of syllables so effortlessly.

Waiter another bowl.
I also want some ramen;
Chicken if in stock.​

 

[Okada Kaji]

Shikora made interesting company for Jomei, and never ceased to intrigue him. He had so many questions, and wanted to ask away, but he didn't want to be rude. It brought him satisfaction to watch her place another order. The kitchen staff even complied with little discrimination. Gasu should have been here to see this; he would've felt average around such a rare creature. Sitting besides Shikora, Jomei felt normal again.

"Oh you're a teacher" Jomei reacted with mild surprise. Indeed, Jomei was figuring out just how much more there was to Shikora than what meets the eye. Her small sack of yen was impressive when compared to Jomei's controlled income. And though he watched her method for revealing her hidden gold, Jomei barely knew of the ninja art of puppetry. He continued their regularly scheduled programming, and left what he saw alone for the moment. "I'm a student at the academy", go figure. "My graduate exam is tomorrow, though." He cheesed a smile at her, hoping she'd still carry a conversation with him. Of course she would. "I'm pretty excited, I guess. A friend told me some stuff that's making me a little nervous about it." He wasn't just nervous, it terrified him. "Do you teach at the ninja academy, or somewhere else, sensei?" Believing her, Jomei showed her the proper respect and addressed her by her appropriate title.

WC230​

 

[Ryu Hime]

Academy yes
Meditation one oh one
The art of resting
​

So many shinobi do not realize the benefits to resting. They believe such actions are a waste of time or too much the risk. Sometime ago there was a tournament for students. Some of those participants could have won if they bothered to rest to restore their health. Jomei mentions about being nervous about an oncoming exam. Perhaps a private lesson is or order. Meditation could also help calm his mind so that he wouldn’t be afraid.

Within your body
Eight pools interconnected
Swirling energy
Flows from one pool to the next
But life is messy
Things fall into the water
This we must tend to
Close your eyes, take a deep breath
Let your troubles go
Let the stream wash them away
Calm mind, calm spirit​

The eight pools mentioned in her poem are the eight gates and the steam one’s chakra system. Shikora is like a wise guru. She follows the belief that that each gate serves a purpose and can be block by a specific kind emotional mark. From what it seems Jomei’s first gate has been block. The first gate deals with survival and is blocked by fear.

 

[Okada Kaji]

The words she spoke were like a mantra. Poetry in motion, becoming instruction meant to calm Jomei before the storm ahead. But, he couldn't indulge it, at least not tonight. Shikora meant well, but found a disconnect with her new friend. Jomei's attention slipped and for a brief moment, he sat there as if he were there alone.

"Uff" he peeped once he snapped back to reality. He hardly listened but tuned back into Shikora soon enough to follow some of her instructions. He shut his eyes and rested both hands on the counter's edge. His fingers were fluttery and tapped in a rhythm. This nervousness wasn't Jomei's standard reaction to first-world problems. Jomei was sitting on something huge, something too serious for an academy student to handle, let alone be aware of. He felt as if a masked man would come to silence him at any moment; a side effect of an illusion used on him earlier that day.

"Shikora, may I ask you a question?"

He flipped open one of his notebooks and set it on the counter, still kept to himself. "Well it's not a question, it's more like I need to hear something from you. I need to know- you said you're a teacher..." he paused hesitantly, "Do you love your students?"

Jomei was coming to notice that cruelty was trending in his village, and hoped that it was just a phase. Could it be the ushering of a new era in the stone, like Gasu warned? He did not expect Shikora to have the real answers he needed, but maybe this being had the right frame of mind to restore Jomei's faith.

WC277​

 

[Ryu Hime]

Shikora’s head jolted back and she stared at the boy. She was trying to process the boy’s question. It was a strange question to be asked to her for there seemed to be only one answer any teacher could say. What made this boy question his trust with his teachers? Did he had a bad experience in a class or was this the influence of some other student? Shikora doesn’t recall Jomei being mentioned as a problem student from the other teachers, so she doubted the first option. It was just recently Jomei mentioned about being nervous about the genin exam. Shikora does recall hearing about on student that failed the exam twice. Could this boy have been talking to him? Misery loves company and it looks like Jomei was taken as a companion.

I lost your meaning
What teacher hates their students?
It doth not make sense
What would cause you to ask this?
Has one mistreat you?
True they sometimes can be harsh
But they do mean well
Is this what caused you to fear?
My child fear not
The exam will be difficult
But not out of hate.
Trust in my words to be true​

 

[Okada Kaji]

Flipping through the pages of his notebook, Jomei landed on a hand-drawn illustration of the male human form. He scribbled the illustration with lightly smeared pencil. Several injuries matched Gasu's medical report, down to the location and damage type. Jomei's afternoon in the village's memory bank yielded hours of obsessive research. Not only education about his own origin, but measures he'd have to take to solve a crime. He slide the notebook across the table, and slipped into Shikora's personal space, tapping on the page as he did so.

"It wasn't me, but a friend. Here is a breakdown of an attack on a Ryujin student last week..." He erased an arm below the elbow with notes depicting the jutsu used in the attack. The chest was also shaded black, resembling the third degree burns suffered. "The attacker meant to permanently disable Gasu, and left him to bleed out. This was an anbu exam beyond foul play, and I have a feeling..."

Jomei rested a finger next to the depiction of Gasu's head. A red marker was used to color in the eyes. With her knowledge, Shikora would know exactly what Jomei hinted at. Jomei wouldn't dare speak the word in the open. Cursed sharigan. "He showed me his memory of the attack from his perspective, and I'm positive that this was planned to be a homicide."

Jomei set his notebook aside and looked to Shikora. What would she have to say about the crimes committed by a trusted instructor like herself?

WC250​

 

[Ryu Hime]

Shikora shudders at the name of Anbu. Such a group goes way too far to get what they desire. They are willing to pay high costs for guaranteed power. Shikora is not surprised in the least that this student ended up so injured. However she doubts that there was a plan to murder this kid; no that’s just what an Anbu exam is like. They like to push a person to their limits just to see how strong they are. These are the reasons she will never join the Anbu.

Anbu demand much
Not all survive their exam
Ends justify means
Best of the best they do want
I do not approve​

Shikora did indeed know what Jomei was hinting at for she knows of the sharnigan. Shikora changes to a blood crimson red and three tomoe begins to form and spins in her eye. Indeed she had quite intimate knowledge of that doujutsu. More tomoe appeared and they change into and form into an intricate design as it becomes a Mangekyou Sharingan.

Eyes of crimson red
Blessed with an ability
Beyond that of man
My Overlord has these eyes
And so does her herd​

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei didn't learn to fear the accursed eyes. He examined her pupils as they mutated, spinning like pinwheels with a soft glow like a dying campfire. He already experienced their potential terror, and it only made him more curious. It was then that Shikora added an interesting detail, and triggered Jomei's intuition. Her riddles were becoming maddening and cryptic to the analytic mind. He was getting caught up within a nest of vipers, sliding deeper into a society of deadly ninja who held little regard for human life.

"Tomorrow, I am going to ask Kamaru for permission to investigate the ANBU exam records. The attack had his mask donned, but I already have his jutsu narrowed down, and the location where they scrapped. Gasu said he was going to flee the village, but I don't think he's going to go far."

Jomei set down the notebook and slid back into his seat. Their next dishes were coming, hot off the wok, and provided a break from the intensity of a thickening plot. Steam swirled out of his mug as he raised it to sip hot tea, and returned his attention to the unique company aside him. "The research I found at the library had some skewed information about you, your eyes" he admitted. In fact, the school books offered as many lies as it did truths. But the books did not explain the curse of the God's Eye, as Gasu so boldly called them. I was under the impression that the sharingan were rare among the Ryujin clan... and not once did the research refer to them as God's Eyes."

WC209​

 

[Ryu Hime]

Answers I have none
My overlord may have some
I’ll take you to her
She’s currently in Village
Please do not resist​

Shikora casts a t Tsukiyomi jutsu on Jomei, thus transporting his consciousness to another place in the world of thought and dreams. If Jomei did not resist he would find himself in a quaint little village, however instead of people there were ponies walking around everywhere. It was a village of equines with not a human soul around but him. Shikora was nowhere to be seen; it was a one person trip. Quite a few ponies looked at him and whispered to one another in hush tones. It was not often they got visitors and especially not human ones. One little filly trots right up to him while balancing a bucket full of freshly picked apples on her head. The filly asks Jomei if he would like to buy some apple. However, before he could answer, another equine steps onto the scene. It was Gen Ryu the Overlord. Ryu has a quite unusual equine form. Ryu’s character was not a normal horse; she was a Night-mare to be exact. Her figure was that of a tall dark mare with a jagged horn on her forehead and insect like wings on her back. It was a frightening form but Ryu found it to be quite elegant. She held her head high as she walks like some sort of monarch. “Welcome to my village. Please excuse the residents gawking for it is not often we get a visitor; At least not after the previous overlord cursed this village.” Jomei may have been sent here to ask about the sharingan, but there seems to be much bigger mysteries to be solved. Like where is this place and how did he get here?

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei was still deciphering Shikora's last haiku when she challenged him with a powerful gaze. He gave in, but not as willfully as she requested. Though the illusion was set quickly, Jomei's body fought the attack despite his mind accepting her request. He seized up into an upright position with an electric bolt running up his backside. All six of his arms curled into his chest like an insect laying dead on it's back, and he face held an empty, jaw-dropped expression. The sensation of drifting into her spell felt similar to his last experience. Shikora's illusion gave him a sensation of wholeness as he began to take shape in the center of an unfamiliar township. Welcome to Equestria.

Jomei was still full of nausea from the Journey as Shikora's fabled master made an appearance, and greeted him directly. She towered over his meager human form. As you know, Jomei is already rather short for a boy his age. "Ok, now I've seen everything" he mumbled in awe. He neglected having an intelligent conversation in favor of just gawking back for a moment. You had to see this to believe it. This was no village he had ever heard of, and one horse had become a whole community of emancipated ponies. Not a single sign of pale human flesh.

"And there's a blue horse with a rainbow mane, sitting on a cloud." His attention was widespread, and he took a stroll around Ryu as he finished sorting out this temporary reality. "And you can all talk..." his verdict on the experience was still clouded. "AWESOME!" Well, there you go. It seemed as if his questions would have to wait, as it was time to experience the tale of Gen Ryu and land of Equestria.​

 

[Ryu Hime]

Ryu gives a small sighs. She gets this question every time and it getting a bit tiresome. She just did not know why people are surprised about that little fact. Of course they can take this is a village of the Horse contract; contract animals talk. She would swear the humans of this village are idiots if it was not for the Kazekage asking the same question at the All Hallow’s eve festival. Obviously humans in general are idiots. “Yes, they can talk and before you ask, the reason you likely never heard of this village or its contract is because it does not exist in the real world at least not anymore. The previous overlord cursed this place by banishing the village and all its inhabitants to the world of dreams. As a night mare I am capable of entering and exiting this place freely.” Jomei would quickly note that there was no equine of the same species around. Thus she is the only one here that can enter and leave; everyone else was trapped. The only ones that were not trapped in the world of dreams were the ones not in the village at the time of it banishment. The only way to fix this little dilemma would be to break the curse.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei slapped a hand upon his face and mashed it, wiping the dust from his eyes with his palm and thumb's knuckle. This land was not somewhere in Mariushi, or his realm. She mentioned a land of dreams with little regard for inter-dimensional warping. He stopped to think like a lagging computer as she spoke, always attentive yet distracted by small details at every chance.

He scanned the scene, taking in the environment which seemed cartoonish. He knelt down and stripped a handful of grass out of the ground, examining the ecology and arrangement of this realm. He only intended on a temporary stay, and questions about releasing Shikora's jutsu lingered. However, Jomei hadn't grown tired of ponyville quite yet. He took much greater interest in the peculiarity of their banishment.

He stroked his chin and pondered again: it seemed as though there was more to learn about the sharingan today after all. Though he was young, Jomei was putting two and two together. But what good could a human do in this case? "Well, I'm Jomei... I was sent here from the Hidden Stone village by Shikora. You must be her Master." He knew he'd regret what he'd say next. "I think I'm here to help, if possible."

 

[Ryu Hime]

“Indeed.” She was well aware of where he is from and who send him. She is sure he can help, but in it what way? As he will soon find out there are multiple things he could do that could be considered help depending on your point of view. Ryu looks to the sky as the sun was on it decent. “Let us talk in some place more appropriate. Please follow me.” Ryu would then turn, walk away and if he follows her he would get a nice view of the village. The place had some quite interesting designs for houses. For example the bakery looked like a ginger bread house and the library was a tree. The one store they past was interesting for it seems to only sale two items; sofas and quills, which is an unusual combination. But for the most part it was like a normal village but with equine instead of humans. However as the sun continues o go down and the shadow grow, the villagers begin to go back into there homes. One could hear the fear in the pace of their footsteps. Obviously there was more to be concerned about than just the curse. A howl could be heard in a distance, “We sure hurry along; it’s not safe during the dark.” Soon the came upon a great crystalline castle and the gaurds quickly opened the doors for them to enter.

 

[Okada Kaji]

And so the Night Mare and her new human ally made a hurried journey as dusk crept towards nightfall. A remarkable super-structure built on the peak of the kingdom shimmered as the sun sank into the horizon. It shinned like a beacon to guide them home as nightfall flooded this dreamed up land. The architecture of Ponyville was breath-taking from their simplest homes to their royal castle. However this view was sullied by nightfall and the strange shift in the atmosphere that followed. Gen Ryu suggested that it was not safe outside after dark; but that was an understatement. Jomei was able to see the differences for himself.

"Nice place" he admitted while following Gen Ryu into the crystalline fortress. The exterior's beauty paled in comparison to the interior's decor. Jomei stopped to unclasp his boots at the castle's entrance, acting according to his own traditions. "One sec" he said softly in the doorway. Stallions standing sentry refuted his efforts though, and forced him through the door without another second to waste. They were serious about the night terrors... and the boots stayed on.

"Your majesty" the magnificence of his surroundings changed Jomei's perception of Gen Ryu. "You said the previous overlord banished this land... How? I've never heard of anything like this before. Can there be a jutsu this powerful?" As he spoke, Jomei approached a cabinet and picked up the candelabra that sat upon it. The weight of the metal in his hand felt real, as did the mild heat of each little flame. "Are we really in a land of dreams, Lady Ryu?"

 

[Ryu Hime]

“Yes your body is still in the place that it once was and only a fraction of the time you experienced actually passed.” Back in the real world Shikora was explaining to the owner that everything is all right and that the boy is just simply tired and convinces him to let the boy sleep. Within the dreaming however JOmei was walking down a hall and could her voices. When Ryu opens the doors to the throne room the voices were connected to faces. The room is not what one would expect for it was not just one throne. There were six of equal size and one miniature throne all arranged in a circle. All of them were filled; all but Ryu’s. The smaller on sat adjacent to Ryu’s empty throne. Each throne was filled by a different species of horse.

Beasts on our doorsteps
We must build our defenses
If we hope to live​

The one that spoke in such a poetic way was an elder male Zebra in shamanistic attire. Obviously such speech was common amongst the Zebra race. He looked to be the oldest of the bunch and had a raspy voice. However with great age comes great wisdom.

Next to him was a mare with both wing on her back and a horn spouting form her forehead. She dressed quite elegantly. She had a different solution to the Zebra ‘s problem, “No the breaking of the curse should be our primary goal. Once it is broken we don’t have to worry about these beasts.”

Next was another mare but a regular pony and did not think highly to the alicorn. She agrees with the elder zebra. “Easy for you to say. We can’t hide in the clouds like you.”

A hoof stomps down with a resounding bang. There in the next throne was a Pegasus stallion in complete armor. If one were to guess he would be the captain of the guard. “Bah, you are all being cowards. We should be pressing our attack and claiming new territory.”

“I agree, there is much we can learn here. With time moving faster in this world we better ourselves more quickly. Perhaps rather than a curse we should view it as a blessing.” The Unicorn is a bit surprised that she agrees with such a brute as the Pegasus, but she holds the pursuit of knowledge to be a righteous goal.

Sitting in the tiny throne was a Night mare like Ryu, but this one was just a foal. Upon seeing Ryu the filly jumps out of her seat and gallops over to Ryu, “Mommy, mommy you’ve returned.” Her words quickly explained the remarkable resemblance she had to Ryu. Ryu lowers her head and ever so lovingly nuzzles the small child.

[MFT]

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei stood by in silence as a council of gathering equines corralled to discuss a plan of action. The council debated various options, but Jomei merely observed, gathering knowledge and understanding. He was having quite a day, indeed. Deep within this state of dreaming, Jomei was in the thick of a city-state trying to survive nightfall. They knew terrors that came without fail every night once the sun fell. It was no way to live. He observed as Gen nuzzled the cheek of her filly, and recognized the polarity they shared with his own realm. He felt the duty to help his own people permeate further into this equine land. If he had power within this dream, he'd use it to aid them, but this situation was seeming a bit out of range for the arach-ninja.

Amidst the swarm of arguing, Jomei listened long enough and gathered their concerns to take them into consideration. What should they do? Jomei was still too young to talk among the politicians and didn't bother to interject, or ask questions. "Wow, are they always like this your Majesty? All of this fighting?" As he spoke up to the Queen of sorts, the debating of the council surrounding them didn't seem to be observing them.
"If this many smart people, ponies, gather like this every night and can't find a solution to the curse... Why am I here? What's going on?"