//------------------------------//
// A Brand New Year 
// Story: Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox 
// by Rakoon1 
//------------------------------//

	With the end of summer arriving, a new year at the Three Great Fairies Preparatory Academy was also coming. This was one of the most anticipated moments for Star, how he would return to the Enchanted Forest and be with his friends again.

He, Melody and Purple Smoke boarded the carriage, with Timber accompanying them. The timberwolf started to go with his owner to the academy, but lived in the forest around the academy, going to visit Star in his spare time. Heartbeat no longer accompanied him to the academy, although this was because she was forced by Golden Paladin, as he had other things for her to do.

For Star, returning to the academy was a relief after what happened when he entered the second phase of his transformation as a Jinchuriki. Despite knowing that wasn't his fault, that at that moment, he wasn't aware of what he was doing, Star couldn't help but feel bad for himself for having attacked his father seriously. This feeling of guilt came up whenever he saw the scar on his chest.

The carriage get out from the Light Kingdom at the previous day before the first day of school and advanced in the direction of the Enchanted Forest. Soon, Star got to feel that familiar sensation of crossing the border between the Pony World and the Enchanted Forest and then the young prince was able to enjoy the landscape of beautiful trees that realm had to give.

Finally, the academy came up in his field of vision and, not far away, he could see Leafgreen. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the academy and Star, Timber and the two Generals left the carriage.

"Well, Prince Star Knight, we're going inside" Melody said.

"Yeah, see you at the reception for the new students" Purple Smoke said.

And the two moved away.

Star looked around, trying to see if he could find his three best friends, while he greeted students who passed by him and greeted him.

"It seems that they have not arrived yet, Timber" Star said to his timberwolf.

Timber barked, agreeing.

"If you want, you can go now to the forest. Later I’ll go to the usual place after the reception with the others, okay?"

But Timber seemed not to want to leave its owner alone.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" Star assured him.

Then the timberwolf began heading into the woods.

After searching for a few minutes, Star found his first friend.

"Bramble!"

"Hello, Star" the young deer greeted, whose antlers were getting bigger. "How was your vacation?"

"It was… good" Star said hesitantly. "But I'll tell you when we're with Jona and Gunter."

"Then ya're in luck, ‘cause yer old friend Jonagold has arriv’d," Jonagold’s voice said, while he approached.

"Jona, I'm glad you're here" Star said. "I bet you had a vacation filled with work on the farm."

"Ya bet well" Jonagold said. "But work on tha farm is a great way tah pass tha time, besides that, Ah could help mah family."

At that moment, Moonlight, who used to accompany Jonagold on trip to the academy, approached and said:

"Hello, Star..."

"Hello, Moonlight" Star greeted. "I hope you had a nice vacation."

"Well, it was nice" she said shyly.

And, having said that, she moved away.

"Well, it seems she remains a filly of few words" Star said.

Bramble and Jonagold looked at each other, still not believing that Star had not noticed the reason for Moonlight’s behavior.

"Hi, guys" a voice greeted.

And Gunter approached his three friends, landing in front of them.

"I hope you had a good vacation, because mine was great!" he exclaimed with a smile.

"For your enjoyment, it seems that it was okay" Bramble noted.

"Are you kidding?" Gunter asked. "During these three months, I was able to travel with my great-uncle Guto. You can't believe to where we travelled. I had a great time. In addition, I was able to be away from you-know-who."

"At least you could refer to me by my name, Gunter" a female voice said. "It's rude to call somepony you-know-who."

Gunter rolled his eyes and turned around, facing a female griffon with pale, light grayish amber fur with dark stripes, grayish gamboge wing feathers, dark grayish scarlet head feathers and moderate orange eyes. Her name was Galena and she was the youngest daughter of a griffon king of a griffon kingdom in the Enchanted Forest called Aeropolis, which stood in the mountainous region of the realm.

Galena was at the same year as Moonlight, being also her best friend and roommate. She and Gunter, since the day they met, began to bicker each other, as all that was due to little rivalry between the griffons of Aeropolis and the griffons of Griffonstone.

"You know, Galena, I was perfectly happy because of the great vacation I had until you showed up" Gunter said.

"And you think I like to come across with your face?" Galena asked rhetorically. "It's bad enough to have to be in the same school as the prince of the arrogant griffons. Good thing we are not in the same year."

And, having said that, she moved away.

"Oh, she always gets on my nerves!" Gunter exclaimed.

"Ah don't know, Ah think ya make a lovely couple" Jonagold replied, cynically.

"You say that one more time, Jona, and I promise my claws will make a visit to your bed" Gunter threatened.

"Wow, you're pretty sensitive when it comes to Galena" Star noted.

"If you had to endure her jokes about your own kingdom, you'd also be sensitive" Gunter said. "She thinks, just because the griffons of the Enchanted Forest never had a story of greed and selfishness, they are better than us, the griffons of the Pony World."

Galena was meeting with Moonlight who, having seen her confrontation with Gunter, asked:

"You had to be so mean with Gunter?"

"Moonlight, he started it" Galena defended herself. "He and all that arrogance of his… It annoys me."

"It's not because you like him a little of it?" Moonlight asked.

"Moonlight, honey, I love you" Galena said. "You're my best friend. But I advise you not to repeat that."

"Okay, sorry" Moonlight said.

"Besides, if we're going to talk about loving someone, then we should be focusing on you" Galena said, with a sleek look.

"What are you talking about?" Moonlight asked, starting to blush immensely and acting clumsily.

"I'm talking about the young and handsome alicorn prince studying in our school" Galena said. "Come on, Moonlight, when will you confess your feelings for Star?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds, Galena. You know I get the shakes and I stammer when I'm near him."

"Yes, and I don't understand why. You know each other since you were little and your mothers are best friends. Believe me, my dear, if you don't hurry, you will lose Star definitely. I don't know if you noticed, but he is one of the most wanted among the fillies of the academy."

"You know what, we better put our things in the dormitory" Moonlight said, trying to change the subject. "I don't want to lose the reception."

"Why?" Galena asked. "We had already seen it three time, including ours. We're not missing much."

But Moonlight still advanced to within and Galena sighed and followed her.

After the reception of the new students, all the students began to enjoy the rest of the day before the start of classes next day. Although most wanted to go visit Leafgreen, Star and his friends went into the forest, where they met with Timber, since Star wanted to tell his friends what had happened during the summer.

"Wait, you've lost control and you hurt your dad?" Gunter asked, after Star had told them everything. "Wow, that's what I call a vacation."

But the looks of Jonagold and Bramble made him to say:

"Sorry, Star."

"It's okay, Gunter" Star replied, while he petted his timberwolf. "You're right. It was a really an intense summer."

"Are ya okay, Star?" Jonagold asked. "Ah mean, after what happen’d, Ah guess it still affects ya."

"A little, yes" Star replied. "This is not something you can forget from one moment to the other, especially having to face my father's scar. But now I'm a lot better. After all, I recover quickly."

There was a pause and then a little concerned Bramble asked:

"But aren’t you afraid that happens again? I mean, Nine-tails is not to be trifled with. He is very powerful and extremely clever. If you try to control more energy than you can..."

"Don't worry, Bramble" Star said. "All of you. I'm going to be able to control Nine-Tails’ power, you can be sure of that."

But Star’s friends didn't seem so confident about it.

"Besides, I don't have any other option" Star continued. "It can’t take too long for the villains of the Lord of Chaos begin to collect the Tailed Beasts."

"Do you think they’ll start soon?" Jonagold asked.

"I know they already tried" Star replied. "A few days ago, I heard my parents talking about an incident that happened in the Golden Desert. Adagio tried to capture Chief Strongpaw’s One-Tail."

"Really?" the other three asked.

"Yes, fortunately, thanks to Golden Paladin and the others, her plan failed" Star said. "But if she tried to capture One-Tail, it just means it's time for them to capture the Tailed Beasts. Although probably they will leave Nine-tails for last, I can't waste time. I need to control his power, if I want to beat any villain the Lord of Chaos sends to capture me."

In the Golden Desert, Medusa was watching a prisoner that she had captured by Rothbart’s request. He was a pony-panther. He was bound and gagged and Medusa was watched him with a wicked smile, something that was leaving the pony-panther extremely uncomfortable.

"You know, I'm thinking the best position for you, when I turn you into stone" Medusa said to her prisoner. "Will you look better on your knees begging for mercy, or in a position more... elaborated?"

The gorgon’s words made the pony-panther swallowing. Despite all the courage he was trying to gather, he couldn't help but fear Medusa, mainly because of her petrifying power.

"Looks like you're having fun with our guest, Medusa" a voice said.

Rothbart appeared, carrying a pair of saddlebags.

"What can I say, you were gone for too long and I started getting bored" she said. "But where have you been? I already captured this pony-panther for a good time. It's rude to keep a lady waiting, you know?"

"I was dealing with my strategy to defeat the One-Tail’s Jinchuriki" Rothbart said. "I can't fail on his capture like Adagio did."

"Don't say" Adagio said. "And tell me, what's your brilliant strategy?"

Rothbart took a hoof to one of the saddlebags and pulled from it…

"Clay?" Adagio asked, while she watched what Rothbart had pulled from the saddlebag. "You're going to defeat a Jinchuriki with clay?"

"Don't underestimate my abilities, Medusa" Rothbart said, while he put the clay back in the saddlebag. "As you can imagine, this is not ordinary clay. I have a plan to defeat the Jinchuriki and it is a very efficient plan I outlined after analyzing his abilities. The only thing missing is access to the pony-panther village. After the last attack, their leader have been restricted to the village and this is where our friend enters."

He turned to the pony-panther and said to him:

"You must think I'm going to torture you until you tell me how to get in your village. But the point is that I know how to get in. Since I heard that your dear leader was the Jinchuriki of One-Tail, I have been working on a spell that will allow me to get in your village, even with the protection of your oasis. The only thing I need is the blood of somepony who has been in it... and that somepony… is you."

Raising a hoof, Rothbart turned it into one of his talons and then scratched the pony-panther’s face, making the talon getting soaked with his blood. After getting enough blood, Rothbart moved away and said to Medusa:

"Do whatever you want with him."

She didn't wait a second, proceeding to turn the pony-panther into stone.

"Very well, I already have everything I need" Rothbart said, while he looked at his talon full blood. "It's time to capture a Jinchuriki."