In Light Kingdom, Twilight and Blue, in the throne room, had just received not very good news Golden Paladin about Star. Spike was there too.
"Are you sure of what you're saying, Golden?" Twilight asked.
"Absolutely, princess” Golden Paladin replied. "Prince Star Knight is not reacting well to Moonlight’s current situation. It's not that he showed it actively, but in recent days he has been very lethargic and the enthusiasm for the trainings also faded. Of course, in the current state we are, I don't dare to submit him to the training with the Nine-Tails’ energy."
"Poor guy, he must be really depressed" Spike said. "That doesn't sound like the Star we know."
"You're right, Spike" Blue said. "Losing Moonlight to the Chaos right in front of him was a great blow. If only there was a way to cheer him up, maybe a trip to clear his ideas."
That made Twilight have an idea.
"Wait, I already know how we can cheer Star up" she said.
"How?" Blue and Spike asked at the same time.
"You’ll see" Twilight said. "But first... Spike, I need to send a letter."
"I'm ready when you’re ready" he replied, taking a parchment and a quill.
Star returned to the Light Kingdom to spend the weekend with Timber at his side. When he got into the castle, he found his parents waiting for him, smiling.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Star asked. "It seems like I've never come home on weekends."
"We have a surprise for you" Twilight said.
"What kind of surprise?" Star asked, with an arched eyebrow.
"Us!" a voice he knew fairly well answered.
It was Gleaming Shield, his cousin, accompanied by her father, Shining Armor, both with saddlebags prepared.
"Gleaming?" Star asked. "Uncle Shining Armor? What are you doing here?"
"Well, your mother and I knew that you were a little discouraged since… Well, you know" Blue said.
"Then I remembered that your uncle Shining and Gleaming were planning to go camping this weekend" Twilight said.
"What do you say, Star?" Shining asked. "Do you want to come camping with your old uncle?"
"I don't know" Star said, while petting Timber’s head. “I'm not really in the mood to camp."
"Come on, Star!" Gleaming Shield asked. "My brother was to come with us, but he got sick. If you don't come with us, it will not be fun."
Twilight approached Star and said:
"I know, my dear, camping can be something that is not on the top of the things you want to do right now, but at least do this for the ponies you love so much."
His mother’s words made Star think about his decision. Although he didn't really have any desire to go camping, he just couldn't refuse an invitation like that. In addition to that, it could be a good opportunity to try to calm his mind from all his worries.
So, it didn’t take long for Star to prepare his saddlebags and go with his uncle and cousin camping. Timber wanted to go with him, but Star managed to convince him to stay, because he knew that his sisters would be really sad for not to see him.
The three campers boarded the Light Express that led them to Manehatten, from where they went to Neighagra Falls. The waterfalls were a fantastic environment to set up camp. It seemed that Star was really enjoying being camping with Shining and Gleaming Shield, especially when Shining began telling stories by the fire. But the part that he loved the most was stargazing, because it was something that brought him tranquility. He managed to find a few constellations and he even saw a shooting star.
When the time came to return home, Star, Shining and Gleaming walked by the path towards Manehatten.
"You were right" Star said. "I was really needing this."
"Thank your mother for having remembered that we were going to camp" Shining replied.
"You need to come more often with us, Star" Gleaming Shield said. "We see each other so few times, mainly because you're studying in the Enchanted Forest."
"Well, I also have had other concerns" Star said.
"Yes, I know..." Gleaming Shield said. “You know, I know... about your condition as… Jinchuriki."
That made Star staring at her, surprised.
"I was the one who told her, Star" Shining said.
"Uncle…" Star said.
"I know the Light Kingdom keeps everything about Nine-Tails in secret, but I think the family overlaps the secrecy" Shining Armor said. "That and Gleaming Shield kept questioning me and your aunt about what was going on with you."
"It all started in your eleventh birthday when those villains attacked Canterlot" Gleaming Shield explained. "And, well, curiosity was growing until I couldn't take it anymore."
"I just hope you don't think I'm a freak" Star said.
"Star, you are my cousin and I love you" Gleaming Shield said. "And you're not a monster, you only have one inside you."
Star smiled and said:
"Thank you, Gleaming. You are such a good cousin and friend."
Shining was happy to see how the bond between his daughter and his nephew was strong.
They then reached a bridge they were supposed to cross but when they were crossing, a voice said:
"Well, but just look who they are."
And, on the other side of the bridge, were Ulysses and Grogar.
"What a coincidence finding a Jinchuriki here" Ulysses continued.
Seeing the two villains, Shining adopted a defensive position, ready to strike if they attacked Star or Gleaming.
"What are you doing here?" Shining Armor asked.
"What?" Ulysses asked. “Can't we just take a walk?"
"Believe us it wasn't our intention to meet you here" Grogar said.
"But I'm glad that happened" Ulysses said, making electricity pass through his body. "Now I can finally capture a Jinchuriki and rub it on Adagio’s arrogant face. She thinks just because she got an assistant she is better than the others."
Hearing Ulysses talking about Moonlight like that made Star’s anger begin to rise. Reacting intuitively, Star jumped on top of his uncle, using the wings, and put himself on the front in an attack position.
"No!" Gleaming Shield said placing herself at his side.
She was surprised when he saw that his eyes had become red.
"Star, take it easy" Shining Armor said. "Don't do anything rash."
"You know, kid, we have a score to settle" Ulysses said to Star. "You're going to pay for what you did to me."
"This is not the right time for your revenge, Ulysses" Grogar said. "After all, we have before us two alicorns, one being the Jinchuriki of Nine-tails, and a captain of the Royal Guard that was the reason of you fall."
"Don't remind me of that" Ulysses said. "Just thinking about that… But now, I can have my revenge, while having some fun while doing it."
Star grinned the teeth, revealing his fangs. The marks on his face also appeared, as well as the claws, with which he scratched one of the wooden boards of the bridge.
“Give Moonlight back” he said, in a lower tone, while his coat bristled. “Give her back.”
A strange feeling was felt by Shining and Gleaming who looked to Star. The red energy belonging to Nine-Tails started to appear, surrounding Star and forming part of the coat.
“So all that rage is because of Adagio’s new sister” Grogar observed. “She really chose someone closed to Prince Star Knight.”
“As if she would come back to you” Ulysses said to Star. “Do you really think a villain would just come to your side. And yes, that’s what she is now: a villain, just like us.”
“Shut up, parrot face!” exclaimed Gleaming, seeing that Star was starting to lose control. “You don’t understand how he really feels! You just understand what the Lord of Chaos tells you!”
“Gleaming Shield, stop!” Shining Armor. “Don’t provoke Ulysses. He is more dangerous when you insult him.”
“You should listen your daddy” Ulysses said to the young alicorn princess. “He knows what he’s talking about. But you know, if your dear cousin wants his marefriend so badly, he just have to come and get her. That is if he thinks he’s up to it.”
Star’s patient reached its limit and, with the great speed that Nine-Tails’ energy was giving him, went against Ulysses, cracking the wooden board he was standing, preparing to give him a blow with a claw of red energy. Star punched him and threw him many hooves, making him hit against the trees of the other side of the bridge, breaking them for a long distance. One of the suspension ropes was severed, as well part of the handrail of the same side. His tail was already covered by the red energy.
The force of that attack made the bridge to shake, what made Gleaming Shield to hold as much as she could. The power released by Star really scared Gleaming Shield, mainly the way how he was covered by the red energy. Star turned his eyes to Grogar. The way he was looking, so coldly and so mercilessly, Gleaming could see that was not the Star she knew.
Seeing that, Shining realized he had to do something. He couldn’t let Star get more tails or else it would happen what happened at the Great Light Cannyon with Golden Paladin and Blue. He remembered what the General of Peace said to him before he, Gleaming and Star departed from the Light Kingdom.
Before Star arrived from the academy…
Golden Paladin addressed to Shining:
“Prince Shining Armor, as you know, Prince Star Knight is not at his best… mood”
“Sure, after what happened to Moonlight…” Shining said.
“And, because of that, I fear that his current control over Nine-Tails’ energy cannot be enough. If, during this trip of yours, he comes across with something that may drive him to his limits, he may release the Nine-Tails’ energy. If that happens, it is up to you to stop that getting worse.”
“And how will I do that?” Shining asked. “I don’t have any sealing spell. And even if I did, I highly doubt it would be strong enough to contain Nine-Tails’ energy.”
Golden Paladin then made a ball of light appear and that ball addressed to Shining and, when it hit him, simply disappeared.
“Now, you can use my sealing spell” Golden Paladin said. “But, be aware that you can only use it once, so use it well.”
The present…
If Shining used now the sealing spell, probably either Grogar or Ulysses would interfere.
“Impressive” Grogar said. “You really have progressed as Jinchuriki, Prince Star Knight. The power of Nine-Tails gets stronger and stronger.”
Listening that, Gleaming Shield wondered how powerful Star really was when using Nine-Tails’ energy.
In that moment, movement was heard coming from the forest at the other side of the bridge that made Star turn his head. Ulysses appeared, with some bruises and with electricity passing through his body. He approached the bridge and said to Star.
“You’re really starting to act as a Jinchuriki” Ulysses said mockingly. “Aren’t you, boy?”
That really let Star affected. Ulysses continued:
“If I hadn’t covered my body with my electricity, I would be much worse.”
“It’s a shame that didn’t happen” Shining Armor said. “In that way, there would be a villain less to worry about.”
Ulysses dropped a chuckle and said, while getting on the bridge:
“You and your big mouth, Shining Armor. You’re so annoying with all that heroic appearance you have. Tell me, do you really need to act as a hero?”
“I just do what I think it’s right” Shining Armor said.
“What’s right and what’s wrong is highly relative” Grogar said. “What is wrong to you, to us may be right.”
“That’s just a way to justify your evil needs” Shining Armor said. “The truth is, independently of the perspective, there is one fact that cannot be denied: the Lord of Chaos con only do evil. And if I have to choose between light or darkness, then I choose light, where I can be who I really am.”
Grogar smiled and said:´
“I have to say, I really have a linking for you, Prince Shining Armor. Actually, we are very alike… well, not in the obvious way, of course. However, we both do whatever is needed to do what we think it’s right and to satisfy our superiors.”
“You can compare me the times you want, Grogar, but I believed that I am not like you” Shining said.
But that didn’t take the smile off Grogar’s face, who replied:
“The line between good and evil can be very flexible. Take Pandora as a great exemple. She was had a pure heart full of goodness, but when she disobeyed the Lord of Order’s orders and opened the box, not only she released our master’s darkness, but she herself was filled with darkness and corrupted, only to be purified again.”
“And your dear friend Moonlight is another great exemple” Ulysses said. “I heard she ised to be very shy and weak and miserable, but when Adagio ended with her… Well, have to say, she can at least do something really well. She really is a great new toy for our master.”
And he laughed.
“You don’t know her…” Star said, feeling his rage rising.
That same rage grew up so greatly and so fast that the second and the third tails appeared at the same time.
“Moonlight doesn’t belong to your stupid master!” Star exclaimed, with the energy surrounding him starting to boil immensely.
The rage and hate Star was feeling it was something he had never felt before. His body was burning like it was in fire and it felt like he was supporting a lot of weigh. The strength at his hooves was such that the wood under them cracked and Star was breathing dark red energy.
“Don’t talk about Moonlight… as if you owned her!” Star exclaimed. “Especially in front of me… YOUR ROTTING BASTARD!
Inside of him, Nine-Tails was behind the bars of his prison, sleeping. Feeling Star’s rage and hate rising up, he opened his eyes slowly and rose up, growing.
The amount of energy was such that released strong shock waves, while it spiraled in the air. Protecting himself from the force generated, Shining said:
“Oh no…”
Gleaming Shield started to get scared with such a sigh. She had never seen such strong energy before. It was so strong that it threated to uproot the nearby trees.
Star stared to Ulysses who stared him back. The intensity of the look was such that there was a moment when Ulysses found himself starring Nine-Tails himself. The Tailed Beast was like bubbling. He stared Ulysses for a moment and then he roared with such intensity that the griffon and dodged the stared, returning to the real world, where the energy abate the place where Star was and the nearby part of the handrail was broken. After this, the energy stabilized.
Shining was starting to get very worried. Star already had three tails and he was close to get the fourth. If what Blue told him about the fourth tail was really as bad as he made it be, then it wouldn’t until Star go berserk. Gleaming Shield, in her turn, was shaking by seeing all that. She never thought Star had all that in him. That energy was too terrifying and she knew nopony could control it.
“Interesting…” Ulysses said.
Listening Ulysses saying that, Grogar realized he would do something idiot, like trying to face Star alone. He couldn’t let him do that, so he tried to access his magic to make him and Ulysses get out of there. However, as if sensing his intentions, Star turned to him and fired a blast of white energy that hit Grogar and threw him to the side that Star and his uncle and cousin came and against the trees. In the between, he hit Gleaming Shield who was thrown down.
“Gleaming!” Shining exclaimed.
That also exploded with the bridge. It started to crumble, with Gleaming’s unconscious body starting to go to the edge. Star jumped to the other side, where Ulysses was, but that was being tarred apart and it didn’t last for it to fall. Ulysses took flight going above the ground level. But a hand made of red energy appeared and tried to grab him, but he was able to dodge. However, that hand attached itself to a tree trunk and pulled, revealing to be Star coming up. Ulysses then flied to the forest and Star followed him, flying too.
Shining Armor hasted to go to his daughter. He grabbed her and then used his magic to create a barrier that was able to secure the part of the bridge where they were, much to his relief.
Ulysses and Star continued their fight, with the latter attacking and the former dodging as much as he could. His attacks were so strong that he practically created a great hole. Ulysses landed in the branch of a tree, where he looked to Star, who appeared in the dust, on the ground.
“Is that all you got?” Ulysses asked.
Star continued to look at him, growing.
“Even with the power of a Jinchuriki, is that all you can do?” Ulysses asked. “For what know, the others are much better than that and they are preys that I can catch easily.”
Hearing all those provocations, Star’s anger reached the limit that he could tolerate, feeling his body in pain and with the fourth tail starting to be formed. The pain was such that Star fell on one of his forelegs. His eyes were completely red and his breathing was heavy.
Inside his mind, Star found himself in the dark, with his hooves in the water. He asked, while looking around:
“What is this place? Where am I?”
It was then that he heard a growl and, after that, he saw somepony walking at some distance. It was…
“Moonlight…” Star said.
And she then walked through the darkness and disappeared.
“Moonlight, wait!” Star exclaimed.
He started to run to follow her, but it was then that the water started to increase and speeding up in a way that didn’t last until submerge Star. Even with all the water, Star still tried to reach Moonlight, but she only got away. The young prince stopped, closing his eyes and feeling all his frustration and guilt, while he started to sink.
All the things he was feeling at that moment were things he couldn’t tolerate, but the worse part was that he couldn’t do anything to stop it, he wasn’t powerful enough. If only he could go back… If only we wasn’t too weak… If only he was stronger… He would do whatever it took to bring her back. He couldn’t let their friendship… and their love to end like that. He wouldn’t let their bond to be broken. He wouldn’t allow it.
And then, Star was in front of Nine-Tails’ cage, where it was, with his eyes glowing. Star knew he couldn’t trust him, but he was too tired and need help to get stronger. He was desperate for power. Star advanced to the bars and passed through them to the inside of the cage. There, Nine-Tails extended his front paws and then he closed them over Star.
With Nine-Tails dominating Star completely, the Jinchuriki started to get in the second phase, with his own coat beginning to be removed slowly, bit by bit, and leaving in its place a layer of intense red energy that looked like blood, and being then vaporized by the intensity of the energy. The Jinchuriki was then flooded by black smoke that engulfed him like a cocoon. Seeing that, Ulysses wondered what was happening now.
Back at the bridge, Shining was trying to wake his daughter.
“Gleaming… Gleaming, wake up.”
She then started to open her eyes.
“Are you all right?” Shining asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine” Gleaming Shield answered, while holding herself.
She felt then a slight pain at the back of her head.
“Are you sure?” Shining Armor asked.
“Yes, dad, I’m sure” Gleaming Shield replied.
It was then that she noted all the destruction caused by Star.
“What happened here?” Gleaming Shield asked.
“It was Star” Shining answered.
Grogar, sitting where he end after being thrown, was healing himself with his magic.
“I can see why the Lord of Order decided to put Nine-Tails in that child” he said, while tolerating his pain. “He is well suited to prompt all that power to a level that Heartbeat never could, despite everything. I feel sorry for the villain who will try to catch him.”
After knowing it was her cousin who caused all that, Gleaming Shield asked:
“Where is him?”
“He’s on the other side already” Shining Armor answered. “He was after Ulysses.”
Back at the place where Star was fighting Ulysses, the cocoon of smoke condensed, releasing a threat of smoke that was spotted from the bridge.
“What is that smoke?” Gleaming Shield.
Shining was having a bad feeling about that. Did that smoke mean what he was thinking?
At that moment the cocoon exploded with a force that was able to take down the trees nearby, with the scrambles crossing the forest until the bridge. Shining created another shield to protect himself and Gleaming from those scrambles.
Ulysses, who took flight after the cocoon exploded, said, while hoovering:
“The things that colt can do… I must admit, he reached my interest.”
When the dust settled down, Star appeared, now with his second phase form, just like when turned at the Great Light Cannyon, looking like a Nine-Tails in miniature but with four tails, covered by the layer of blood-red energy. He roared with his sharp teeth.
His roar was enough to be heard at the bridge and, with that, Shining was able to get what had just happened.
“The fourth tail must have emerged…” he said. “Damn it.”
Gleaming Shield was confused with what her father said. What did he meant with fourth tail?
Ulysses landed, looking to Star who looked back, growling. The griffon chuckled and lifted one of his talons and then hit it on the ground, making electricity go against Star. He stood over his hind legs and then it the ground with one of his forelegs, causing an explosion whose shock wave was felt even at the bridge, where Shining and Gleaming had to protect themselves. When that shock waved ended, Gleaming Shield asked:
“That was Star’s attack?”
“Yes… Yes, it was” Shining answered.
At the fight, Star raised his forelegs again and hit the ground that started to crack. Ulysses wondered about what he was during when he saw the ground around him cracking. This made him take flight, in time of dodging two great hands with sharp claws. From one the arms, another appeared, opening the clawed hand and making it pursue Ulysses. During the flight, the griffon started dodging the attack attempts.
“Dad, is there something you’re not telling me about Star?” Gleaming Shield asked. “Please, tell me what is happening with him.”
Shining hesitated in doing so. Knowing that Star was a Jinchuriki was one think, but knowing what was really happening was another think completely different. He knew how much Gleaming was worried about her cousin, but he couldn’t put her anymore anxious as she was at that moment.
“Don’t worry, dear, I have something that the General of Peace gave me for situations like these one” he answered. “But I only have one try and it has to be accurate. But with Ulysses fighting Star… I don’t know.”
Ulysses continued to dodge the clawed hand, but then he turned it and, creating a spear of lightning, he threw to it and then bound it to the ground. After this, using all his speed, he approached Star and gave him a punch on the face, throwing him. But, at that moment, energy came from Star, adopting his form that raised the clawed to Ulysses.
Acting as fast as he could, Ulysses conjured his electric armor at the moment that the small replica attacked him, throwing to the other side. Ulysses hit the ground and saw he had a profound wound at his abdomen. Star regain his standing, while his copy returned to the inside of his body. Ulysses standed up, using one of his talons to use electricity to accelerate the coagulation.
At the bridge, Shining and Gleaming were looking to the place where the fight between Star and Ulysses was occurring when they heard steps and Grogar’s voice said:
“You’re probably wondering what’s happening there, aren’t you?”
They turned and saw Grogar coming out of the forest with his major wounds healed.
“Grogar…” Shining said.
“You don’t have to worry about me” Grogar said, stopping. “I don’t have any reason to harm you.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Shining asked. “And making Leaf Mane attack us with plants was not to harm us?”
“All we wanted was to test Prince Star Knight’s skills as Jinchuriki at that time” Grogar said. “Like I said, all I want is to do the Lord of Chaos’ will without doing unnecessary deeds. Why do you think I was paired with that thunderstorm cloud with feathers? Although Ulysses can be resourceful, he is very impulsive and spiteful.”
“Yeah, I kind of noticed that already” Shining replied cynically.
“But the truth is I am really concern about him” Grogar said. “After all, I know the potential of Prince Star Knight.”
Back to the place where Star and Ulysses were fighting, the two faced each other, probably waiting for the other’s next move. It was then that Star raised over his hind legs again and, from his body, he released a great amount of what appeared to be bubble, some blue and others red. Ulysses became apprehensive with what was happening.
Star approached the ends of his four tails, while roaring, and the bubbles approached over his mouth, starting to form a major dark sphere. Seeing that, Ulysses realized that would mean trouble for him. The sphere started to be compressed until it had the size to get inside Star’s mouth, something that released a force that crushed the ground beneath Star himself. Because of that, Ulysses decided to retreat a few hooves with a flap of his wings.
The Jinchuriki then opened his jaw at its maximum and put the sphere inside of his mouth, swallowing it after that. Star vibrated for a moment and then put himself facing Ulysses, who still didn’t know what Star was planning. It was then that Star’s body expanded and smoke started to get out from his mouth. That made Ulysses realizes what he was going to do.
Recurring to all the electricity he had, he prepared to stomp his talons at the moment that Star expelled what was expanding his body in the form of an explosion blast that was against Ulysses. The griffon stomped his talons and created three great barriers of electricity. The blast reached the barriers and exploded. That explosion was seen by the ones at the bridge. At the scene, after the dust settled down, it could see that Star, with that explosion, sank the area even more. Ulysses was lying on the floor with some bruises due to the force of the explosion.
“What on the world just happened?” Gleaming Shield asked, after seeing that explosion.
Grogar knew what happened. They just saw Ulysses’ most effective electric defense being destroyed in a blink of an eye.
At the scene of the battle, the ground started to tremble and then a spear of lightning came from the ground and hit Star on the chest, raising him and throwing. Ulysses raised up rapidly and flapped his wings, revealing being producing the electric spear with one talons, having introduced it under the ground to catch Star off guard. He pulled Star through the forest until the bridge, pinning him against one of the sides of the cliff. The ones who were at the bridge protected themselves from the shock wave.
When the dust settled down, Star appeared and Gleaming Shield became shocked with his appearance, but what was more amazing was that he was grabbing Ulysses’ electric spear as it was nothing and that it couldn’t penetrate the red layer.
“He is closer of becoming the Nine-Tails than never before” Grogar observed.
Listening that, Gleaming couldn’t help but finding her worries about Star reaching their extreme.
“Star…” she said, not wanting to believe that creature was her beloved cousin.
Ulysses tried his best to penetrate even more, with his force pulling Star even more to the side of the cliff.
“Star!” exclaimed Gleaming Shield.
Shining now could see what Blue had seen. Star really looked like a small version of Nine-Tails.
Star then grabbed the electric spear and simply waved it away. Grogar reacted quickly by jumping over it and Shining embraced her daughter and teleport themselves to the same side as Grogar. Ulysses was forced to cease the spear and, due to the tiredness he was feeling, he descended down to the place where he fought Star to recover his strength.
The Jinchuriki roared, with his roar being listened for great distances.
“It’s impressive and he could go so far just to bring his marefriend back” Grogar said.
Gleaming Shield looked to her cousin, with an excruciating pain in her chest. She always knew he was strong, but she never imagined what he passed through to be like that. Now she understood the pain he felt and it was terrible.
“Now the colt is gone and only the monster remains” Grogar continued. “What a pity.”
Gleaming Shield’s eyes were filled with tears, while she heard Star’s grunts. She could see he, at that moment, was suffering… crying. Her tears started washing her face and, without standing any longer, she started running in the direction of Star.
“Gleaming, come back!” her father shouted. “You have to stay away from him!”
But his daughter ignored him and continued running. She passed through Grogar, who was a little impressed by the little filly’s courage.
“Star!” Gleaming Shield exclamed, while approaching her cousin. “Star, stop! It’s okay, I can help you rescue Moonlight! I beg you to stop this right now! Star, please, stop now!”
She tripped, but was able to stand still. That made Star to turn to her. Sensing Star would attack Gleaming, Shining realized he had to act now and so he prepared Golden Paladin’s sealing spell. As he predicted, Star shook one of his tails and hit Gleaming Shield on her shoulder, making her give a scream of pain and fell on the ground.
“Damn!” Shining cursed, as he was not able to complete the spell in time of defend Gleaming Shield.
And golden chains appeared from the ground and started to bind Star and his tails, stopping them from attacking Gleaming Shield again. While doing the spell, Shining started to feel the difficulty in using the spell and keeping it long enough to complete the task. He could feel Star fighting the sealing spell, what just made things even more difficult. Gleaming Shield was lying on the ground, trembling with a wound on her shoulder bleeding. Although he was concern about his daughter state, Shining was relief the wound was not very serious.
Grogar, looking to Gleaming Shield, was impressed with her actions. Despite being the Lord of Chaos’ servant and all the ones who served the Lord of Order were his enemies, he couldn’t help that thinking it was a shame for such pretty filly princess to endure such pain. He started to approach Gleaming Shield. Seeing that, Shining used the power he still had to create a barrier around Grogar, preventing him from advancing. The ram looked at Shining who told him:
“Don’t you dare.”
“You misunderstand” Grogar said. “I don’t have any intention of hurting any of you right now. In fact, it is quite the opposite.”
“What do you mean?” Shining ask.
Making his bell ring once, Grogar made his magic pass through Shining’s barrier, much to the latter’s surprise, and surrounding Gleaming Shield’s injury. It could be seen that it was healing slowly.
“I know that Prince Star Knight really cares about his family and friends” Grogar said. “If he can get like that just because of a filly he has a crush on, I can’t imaging how far he could get if anything happened to you. After all, we want to capture the Tailed Beasts and we can’t do that if their Jinchuriki are too strong, can we?”
Gleaming Shield started to open her eyes and saw her cousin roaring, trying to release himself from the chains. Grogar continued to heal Gleaming Shield, but he saw her wounds were taking too long to heal. At that moment, he received a telepathic message from the Lord of Chaos saying:
“We’ll seal the Two-Tails. Return at once. This is top priority.”
Not having any other option, Grogar said:
“This is all I can do for her. Right now, I have some other things to do.”
And, having said that, he was surrounded by darkness and disappeared, making the barrier created by Shining to break. While this happened, Star started to get freed from the chains and Shining was forced to advance, stopping at the edge of his daughter, and focus harder on the spell. This made more chains to appear and bind Star. Gleaming Shield, recovering her senses completly, raised her head and sat.
The Jinchuriki started to roar in pain and then his claws were retracted and the red layer started to retreat, revealing the burns that it caused on his coat. The red layer retreated from Star’s face, revealing him contorting the face and with his eyes closed, while moaning in pain.
At the place where the fight between Star and Ulysses happened, the latter was lying on the floor, trying to recover his energy. It was then that he felt it returning to him quickly. He opened his eyes and saw Grogar healing him.
“What are you doing?” he asked him.
“Although you don’t deserve this because of your insistence in fighting Prince Star Knight, you need to have your strength back” Grogar said, finishing the healing spell while Ulysses got up. “Our master called us. Chrysalis captured the Two-Tails and he wants us to reunite to seal it.”
“Nice timing…” Ulysses said. “What about Nine-Tails?”
“Forget him” Grogar. “We have much more important things to do. Furthermore, I doubt you would be able to beat him.”
“Hey!”
“Don’t start with your ego again” Ulysses said. “We have to go.”
And so the two disappeared.
Meanwhile, Shining continued to seal the energy that Star was releasing, using everything he had to get the sealing spell even stronger. The red layer start to disappear and then the young alicorn prince was finally released from the energy. While that happening, Gleaming Shield noticed the burns and wounds he had all over his body. When it was all over, the chains disappeared and Star fell on the ground, unconscious.
“It’s finally over” Shining said, relieved and panting.
Listening that, Gleaming Shield rushed to get to her cousin. Once she did that, she put him with his back on the ground and start to use a healing spell she found in one book at the library of the Crystal Castle. The thing was she was very good with that kind spells, being one of her specialties, as her alicorn power allowed her to do much more than a unicorn.
Shining approached, observing her daughter curing Star. The wounds and burns started to heal, but not as fast as she expected. For that, she started to increase the intensity of her spell, but, at that moment, she felt a pain on her shoulder, the place where Star hit her, that Gleaming Shield struggled to ignore. With this, Star’s wounds started to heal quickly until all the body was practically unharmed. At that moment, Star started to open his eyes.
“Star!” Gleaming Shield said, with a smile.
He raised up, feeling his head so heavy. Star then looked around and asked, confused:
“What the… What just happened? Why am I here? I remember going after Ulysses and then… What did I do after that? Gleaming, you’re hurted! What happened to you?!”
“Oh… nothing special, actually” Gleaming said, drying her eyes as fast as she could.
Shining knew Gleaming was trying to prevent Star from knowing what he really did, but the unicorn prince knew it was only a matter of time for him to know everything.
“Let’s go home” Shining said. “There is another way to cross over the cliff. It is for the best if we get to the Light Kingdom as fast as we can.”
And so they start to walk away.
At the edge of Equestria, Grogar and Ulysses appeared in a forest, walking until a desolate part with a stone mountain with a great skull at the highest point.
“Where are we?” Ulysses asked.
“This territory belonged to Arimaspi” Grogar explained. “As so, it also belongs to the Lord of Chaos. Come, they are waiting for us.”
And they get in a cave and walked through it until they arrived to a chamber where Chrysalis, Adagio, Moonlight and Oogie Boogie were waiting. Lying on the ground was Gigi, who was unconscious.
“Finally you’re here” Adagio said. “We were waiting for ages.”
“What happened to you?” Chrysalis asked to Ulysses. “You look awful.”
“It’s not of your business, bug queen” he replied.
“He lost another battle against Prince Star Knight” Grogar replied.
“Grogar!”
“I see, it seems you still don’t have the skills to defeat one little colt” Adagio said.
“Yes, you’re a shame for all of us, Ulysses” Moonlight said.
“Hey, keep it low, newbie” Ulysses replied to her. “You don’t know nothing about any of us.”
“It seems we get here on time to watch the show” a voice said.
The villains turned and saw Medusa and Rothbart, who were using a cape and a hood, entering in the chamber.
“See, Rothbart, I told you we should get here as fast as we could” Medusa continued.
“Hey, Rothbart, why the new look?” Oogie Boogie ask.
“It is not of your concern” Rothbart replied coldly.
“Ok…” Oogie Boogie said.
At that moment, the Lord of Chaos appeared and said:
“Very well, I can see everypony's here. Let’s begin the extraction.”