//------------------------------// // Ch.14 - Kitsune in Training // Story: Tails of Sacrifice // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Tails of Sacrifice - Chapter 14 - Kitsune in Training Lily narrowed her eyes, looking intensely at the charging gem. Her legs bent, ready for a high jump. Fully focused, she ignored the approaching rocky ponies, as well as the hammer slamming into her face. Now, a quickly swung hammer making contact with one's muzzle would no doubt be considered quite painful to most stallions, earth pony or not. Yet to Lily, it was an inconvenience at best, not even making her flinch. If she had been struck two or three years after receiving Kyuubi's blessing, she would lay on her back, unconscious, with stars circling her head. Two years later, it would leave a big bruise on her little nose. However, after years of crashing into trees, bursting through walls, and striking against falling boulders, a mere hammer-strike was foal’s play. Lily ignored the following punches, waiting for the discharge of power. After countless fights with Twilight, she could tell when a charged spell would be ready, and that moment has finally come. With her mighty strength, she pushed one hostile creature into the others to drive them all away. With them safe from the line of fire, she jumped, evading the beam of magic that was now piercing the solid ground. Lily's pupils shrank, and her ears dropped in shock. The massive, enhanced gem turned slightly upward, changing the beam's trajectory. It was actively aiming at her! Out of reflex, Lily focused Earth Magic in her hooves, summoning rocky armor while covering her face. It wasn’t enough.  She screamed in pain, feeling indescribably uncomfortable heat overtake her entire body through her rocky protection. Two seconds later, she felt her back sliding roughly against the harsh surface of the moon, causing her to scream even louder. One second passed, then three, then ten, the pain felt as if she were under a waterfall of pure magma. Even though she no longer felt the heated beam push her deeper into the ground, the burning sensation remained. Gritting her teeth, Lily pushed herself to sit, struggling to open one eye, then another. She slowly recognized that she was three meters deep in the ground, surrounded by liquid melted stone. A puddle of actual lava covered her up to her chest, lighting her surroundings. Her light-providing helmet melted too.  Not for the first time, she was grateful for Kyuubi’s blessing that let her endlessly develop her unique body. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, she jumped, using low gravity to her advantage. She shook herself in mid-air, getting melted rock away from her scorched fur. Her self-discipline prevented her from jumping or rolling from the heat. As she looked ahead, she noticed that the destructive gemstone returned to its previous position while the rocky creatures resumed construction of the unfinished wall. Limping slightly and covered in burns, Lily approached again with caution. One charged shot from that defensive tower quickly melted her rocky armor, pushing even her durability to its limits. She didn’t want to take chances. "Why d-did you attack m-me!? T-That was h-harsh." As the rocky creatures kept ignoring her, Lily stretched her forehoof over the unfinished wall. The golems turned to her in an instant, grabbing their tools and rocks, ready for battle. The massive gem started aiming at her once more. Lily withdrew her burned foreleg, and as soon as she did, the golems resumed their work, while the large gem returned to its previous stance. She stretched hoof again over the little wall, the workers and defensive tower started up again. She withdrew it, calming them down. After a few more tests, Lily sat and tapped her burned chin. "So you can't speak and just attack whoever crosses your territory. Interesting. What did Kyuubi and Nightmare do this time?" She turned around and walked away, not ready to challenge the heated beam of the defensive tower. Not yet, anyway. She glanced over her shoulder at the hole left by the destructive attack and gulped, still feeling burns on her fur. In the darkness of this site of the moon, only the towers illuminated her surroundings. With her helmet gone, she needed to find lanterns leading the way. Then she’d find Nightmare and Kyuubi. One thing she was sure of, she was going to take many steps on her burned legs. You do realize that it would be so much easier if I reduced my age. "We do, mighty Kyuubi. Yet, thou cannot tire thyself for the tiniest of activity. Thou needs to challenge thy keen, artistic eye." The kitsune whimpered as she lay next to an unfinished building. Its walls were made of bricks while the interior was empty, waiting for decorations. The roof was still missing, allowing the massive kitsune to look inside.  Rich infrastructure surrounded Kyuubi and her royal companion: Houses of stone, bricks, and even wood, each two to four floors tall. An unfinished part of the city had roads covered in dirt, while other streets were flat-polished stone.  The unfinished city was slowly growing to the size of the old capital of Equestria, with a colossal transparent blue dome separating it from the rest of the moon.  From the top of the Royal Castle sprung a hundred meters tall tower with multiple gems radiating with power, the epicenter of the magical dome. A few smaller towers were at the edges of the city for additional support. Kyuubi looked to the side at the princess hovering next to her head. The alicorn crossed hooves, while her stare remained judgemental as she raised an eyebrow. Two large ears drooped backward in response, with great big blue eyes widening slightly to give the banished royal her patented puppy look. Unfortunately, it was not effective at all. Do I have to? Summoning paint takes time, and we aren't ready to mass-produce it with our available resources.  "We shall spare no effort, nor magic, for thee. Thou have no excuses." Conceding defeat, Kyuubi looked down at a few buckets of paint in different colors: Yellow, blue, green, red, white, and black. Well, buckets for an average pony. Calling them little bottle caps was more accurate from her perspective. Her steady growth was what made this exercise necessary, despite her protests. "Tail first." Kyuubi bit her bottom lip, slowly moving her first tail. She carefully sank the tip into the cap with white liquid, staining her snowy-white fur. "Now your claw." Kyuubi nodded, extending one of her claws from her paw. Now that she thought about it, she rarely made use of them. After all, she was a peaceful predator. If anything, she felt fear of hurting somecreature with her teeth. For this reason, she kept her teeth and claws in check. With yellow paint on one claw, she looked at the alicorn for further guidance. "Now use levitation. Thy magic must be more flexible." Kyuubi nodded, levitating over a brush made of a log and her fur. She sank it into the red substance. She quickly wrapped her levitation around the cap with paint, keeping it from falling over. "And finally, thy teeth." Kyuubi opened her mouth, then closed it with wide eyes, flummoxed. Wait. What!? Luna, what do you mean my teeth?! There’s no way I’m putting paint near my mouth! The alicorn giggled, then laughed. "We merely jest. Thou has nothing to fear."  The kitsune chuckled as well, albeit nervously. How about instead of training my decorating skills, we focus on teaching you modern ponish? A cheeky smile appeared on her face. For starters, “we” don't pronounce ourselves in the plural. "Oh, shush. Less talking, more painting." Snickering from her minor victory, Kyuubi nodded before stretching her neck over the building, lowering it as much as she could. Her tongue stuck out in concentration as she set to work. With the careful movement of her tail, she painted the wall in a lovely white. Unfortunately, the pair, or rather the trio, had not developed tapestry production yet. Paint on a brick wall had to do for now. With the movement of her claw, she added yellow stripes, careful not to scratch the wall.  Luna nodded in approval. With Kyuubi’s girth slowly but surely expanding, trials such as these were a great way of having the kitsune retain her characteristic gentleness. Eyes temporarily wandering, Luna spots a familiar figure. "It seems we have company. We shall take our leave." Kyuubi raised her head and looked to the alicorn in protest, but before she could say a word, Luna was gone, replaced by a familiar, taller posture of Nightmare Moon. "And she's gone. It was good while it lasted. A satisfying twelve minutes." Nightmare looked back towards a nearby street and smiled lightly. "It appears your dear protege has graced us with her presence. I would lie if I said I didn't miss her a little."  Lily? She’s back? The dark alicorn pointed with her hoof. "She may lack respect, but her resolve is admirable. Her presence makes our time on the moon a bit more lively." Kyuubi intensely scanned the street in search of her minuscule student. The last time she saw her was during a race on the dark side of the moon, and with her recent growth spurt, noticing her had become even harder. Lily! Lily! Can you hear me? She bent her legs and lowered her head, noticing the tiny earth pony waving at her. As she felt a surge of emotions, the kitsune levitated Lily over to her face. She licked her enthusiastically, with Lily giggling in response. Oddly enough, instead of the usual delicious Earth Pony magic flavor, the magic-eating kitsune tasted burnt fur. Concerned, Kyuubi closed her mouth and levitated her student up, examining her. Despite cleaning Lily with her tongue, the earth pony still seemed covered by many burns. You look as if you swam in lava. What happened? "It's a long story, one that you prooobably won't like." Lily drawls sheepishly. Kyuubi’s smile remained. Oh, Lily. I always like hearing your stories. Even those involving very harsh training. I am long past the ‘mommy kitsune’ phase. I know you can endure any hardship. Kyuubi pointedly ignored Nightmare Moon’s disbelieving snort. Nightmare and Luna had both been on the receiving end of Kyuubi’s maternal affections, needing to remind the giant fox-like creature they were far older than her despite their smaller sizes. Past the ‘mommy Kitsune’ phase, indeed. Lily tapped her hooves together and blushed. "B-Before I tell you what happened. I have some questions." Kyuubi raised her paw, placing her precious Lily on it. Her third tail and forepaw flashed with a silver aura, healing the powerful monk.  Oh, I can imagine what they are. In fact, I already have the answers. "What?" Kyuubi poked her student with the tip of her claw, gifting her cheeks with two yellow stains.  My height has reached seven meters and sixty centimeters.  My weight is around twenty-five tons.  I managed to lift eighteen tons a week ago, my new personal record. Noticing how her student opened her mouth to speak, she sealed that adorable little muzzle with the tip of her fluffy paw.  And yes, you can try to lift me, but good luck trying that without further boosting your strength with your magic. She giggled, humoring her student. If this continues, we’ll need to replace wrestling with arm-wrestling. Meaning, you'll wrestle just my paw instead of me. She withdrew her forepaw, watching the face of her student for a reaction. After a moment of silence, Lily spoke up, "Thanks for that, but erm, that wasn’t what I was gonna ask.” Seeing Kyuubi’s expression drop in surprise, she pressed on. “Can you tell me about that growing, beam-shooting fortress on the dark side of the moon? Pretty please." It took a moment for Kyuubi's brain to comprehend what she just heard. She opened her mouth and gasped, sending a gust of wind that forced her student to hold onto her paw. "Oh, ho, ho. It seems our rebellious Lily got herself blasted by a defensive tower. And she's alive. Most impressive." Kyuubi's face became pale, more so than usual. She wanted to come up with an answer, to say something, but couldn't. She just numbly watched as Nightmare Moon landed on her raised forearm, balancing herself with her wings spread out as she stood before the filly-sized mare on top of Kyuubi's paw. The alicorn placed a hoof on Lily's shoulder. "My little warrior. Each of those massive towers is almost powerful enough to break my strongest barriers. Almost." "Really!?" Lily shouted, leaping in excitement. Kyuubi's eyes opened widely with anything BUT excitement.  The massive kitsune didn’t know this specific bit of information. A combined attack from Lily, Rosey, and so many of her Templar Knights couldn't even scratch it. Without Zecora's powder or her teeth, Nightmare's barrier was nearly impenetrable. And Nightmare was a bit rusty during their first battle.  If this beam was capable of almost breaking her barrier when she was in her prime, Kyuubi could only imagine what it did to poor Lily. "It does have a very long charging and recharging time, though. Furthermore, it will not attack you unless it considers you as a threat." Nightmare looked to the side, staring into the large eyes of the kitsune. "My dear Kyuubi. It seems your precious student isn't good at keeping promises. I told you we should tell her, but nooo..." Kyuubi sighed, her ears dropped. But if she knows, she'll want to-- "Want to what?" Kyuubi pouted with disapproval as Nightmare grinned unrepentantly. The dark alicorn then smugly turns back to address Lily. Kyuubi could tell what the alicorn was thinking, and she didn't like it. Lily sat comfortably on her mentor's third tail, sinking even deeper into the fluff than three years ago. She wasn't sitting at the tip, though, as it was more white than usual. Her mouth was agape, her chin hurting from gasping so much. Her eyes looked as if they were trying to escape her head. "Demons, an army of golems, an endlessly growing fortress. All this time, I had it under my very nose?" Lily said, staring at Nightmare Moon by her side. "And you didn't tell me?" "It was your mentor's request." Lily turned to the side, holding forelegs curled under her chest. She stared at the mentor with betrayal in her teary eyes. "Kyuubi. How could you~?"  The enormous kitsune whimpered with her ears drooped, yet she refused to look away. Please don't make it sound worse than it is. I know you, Lily. I know you would love to infiltrate it and face all its challenges, but this is why I wanted to keep it a secret, to keep you safe. "But I’m strong. Also, didn't Nightmare order the golems not to kill? I would have been fine." That was a long time ago. There is no telling if the demons went rogue and made the fortress far more dangerous.  "If that's why you're afraid, we could go in there together. You will heal me with your magic and fight by my side." Lily... I am not a fighter. I find no enjoyment in the thrill of battle and facing hardship. Well, maybe except for that Cuddle-Off with dear Flutterbold. Kyuubi blushed from the memory, hiding it behind one of her giant paws. I knew I would need to tell you eventually. I knew you would infiltrate that place sooner or later. I wanted to delay it. Lily stood on her rear hooves and placed forehooves on her sides, narrowing her eyes. "Well, that time came today, and so I insist that we go in together and face some challenges as a team." She poked at her chest. "I know you're not a fighter, but you may one day need to help somepony in danger. This exercise will make you stronger, more used to such danger, and improve our teamwork." I guess... "Come on, Kyuubi! Don't you want to get stronger?"  No. “Really?” Lily gave her mentor an intense stare. “Are you sure about that?” My growing size already makes me stronger. Kyuubi glanced away. And I have a few decades to grow before the banishment ends. “And you truly believe you’ll be able to help others without the need to reduce your size? That being big will not hinder you?” To this, Kyuubi had no rebuttal. “Besides, size can’t replace experience. You may become a big and slow target. Not to mention, remain fragile. Your enemies will simply have more to attack.” Without hesitation, Lily leaped towards her mentor's muzzle, now holding onto it. Only her head peeked from behind the large nose. "So many times, you admitted you felt as if you were made of paper. That despite being so big, you still feel fragile. Don't you want to get rid of this feeling? Don't you want to return to Equestria as a mighty kitsune with full confidence in yourself?" Well, having confidence would feel great, yes. But I am not sure I can force myself to be aggressive. It’s not my thing. It goes against what I stand for. "Enough!" Lily flinched, grabbing her mentor's cheek in order not to fall off. She climbed back up, sitting on Kyuubi's muzzle. Noticing fear in her mentor's eyes, she looked at angered Nightmare Moon. "Hey, don't yell like that! You scared Kyuubi." "That's the problem." Lily tilted her head to the side, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?" Nightmare took a deep breath, reducing her distance from the kitsune’s head. "I will get straight to the point. Kyuubi is too peaceful, and it’s holding her back." She pointed firmly at the spot between Kyuubi's large eyes. "The smaller the kitsune's population, the more powerful remaining ones can become. She is the last member of her species, making her the most powerful of them all." "And your point is...?" Lily asked, trying to find the reason behind Nightmare's angered glare.  "My point is, she should be a mighty being. She should be on par with the might of an alicorn. At first, I thought that it would come with age, but now I see that more is holding her back."  The alicorn took a quick breath before continuing with growing anger, "She is a predator who would gain great power by eating magical creatures. Yet, she refuses to hunt. She fights her instincts and refuses to sharpen her hunting skills. She goes against her nature." "And what's wrong with that? Would you prefer if she started eating ponies? The Princess would have no choice but to lock her away. Not to mention all the guilt she Kyuubi would feel," Lily explained, using wind magic to walk up to Nightmare's face. Her mentor didn't handle Nightmare's anger well, so Lily needed to step in. The alicorn pressed her muzzle against Lily’s nose, her wings keeping her in mid-air. "I'm not saying that. Her resolve to resist hunting ponies for their magic is admirable. I encourage it." She withdrew her muzzle and calmed her tone. "What I’m trying to say is that she should be ready and capable to hunt those who wish to use powerful magic against Equestria. She should train her hunting skills even if she doesn't wish to use them. It will make her strong." "Hunt threats? Do you mean yourself? You were willing to hurt anyone who would get in the way of your revenge." Lily was still obstinate on the subject, not particularly liking where Nightmare Moon was leading the topic of Kyuubi’s temperament. The alicorn opened her mouth, then closed it. She gritted her teeth and groaned. "You won this one, brave Lily." Do you still seek revenge? Kyuubi whimpered, getting the attention of both ponies. "To be honest, I am not sure anymore. I want Celestia to burn for what she has done to us. But after knowing about Ninetails and where the path of revenge leads, I am not sure it is worth it."  R-Really...? Nightmare nodded. "Let me put it this way. I want to punish Celestia, but I know she is important to you, and I would hate to upset you. Thus, I want to leave this decision to Luna. She will have the final say in this. Is this fair enough for you?" Kyuubi nodded, moving her large head up and down as quickly as she could. They still had decades before their return to Equestria, and she was sure if Nightmare was changing her mind, she could convince Luna to do the same before then. Kyuubi’s muzzle steadily pulled into a great grin as she realized what this meant. Her Last Resort was succeeding! Lily couldn't help herself but smile upon seeing Kyuubi's toothy smile. "That aside, if we are to work together once we return to Equestria, I want you, mighty Kyuubi, to unleash your full potential. I will not stand for an ally that holds back." Kyuubi started moving to object before stopping, slowly lowering herself to sit for the next several seconds. Eventually, she made a sign that was a mixture of a whimper and a sigh. As much as I hate the idea of fighting, I will work hard to prove myself worthy of being your ally, Your Highness. Lead us to battle, and I shall follow. Lily leaped in mid-air due to wind magic, landing on her mentor's giant head, which was even more spacious than before. In the end, her mentor needed proper motivation. "Perfect. But first, we should arm you." Arm me? Don't you mean yourself? Lily walked forward and looked into her mentor's eye from an upside-down position. "Nope. I don't use armor and weapons. They wouldn't be of much use due to my size. As for Nightmare Moon, she has her armor. Maybe we can craft an enhanced halberd for her." "What a splendid idea. It would be a shame not to put our crafting training into use. But to be honest, I am more in favor of a long scythe." The alicorn released a sinister chuckle, creating a scythe from black miasma before skillfully swinging it. Lily climbed down, standing on her rear hooves on her mentor's muzzle while pointing at her. "What I am most interested in is arming you. I mean, all you have is that cute bowtie from Twilight and Rarity. Now you're strong enough to carry armor for protection." Wouldn't that slow me down? "Maybe a little, but considering your size, you won't be evading blows anyway." Lily held forehooves on her cheeks, squealing in excitement as her head burst with ideas. "Picture this! You can enhance your body thanks to Zecora's teachings. Then add a thin magical armor you learned in school. Add a gigantic armor atop that. And you can heal yourself with holy magic." Kyuubi gasped in shock at such an idea.  "Instead of being fragile, you'll become unstoppable. It’ll be awesome!"  Nightmare Moon looked at Kyuubi with a grin as she murmured, "That fool Celestia made you soft. I will personally fix her mistake. Seeing her reaction to an armored, mighty Kyuubi will be most satisfying." “Please don’t ruin the moment.” Lily deadpanned quietly before continuing, "Enough talking. Let's get to crafting. We have demons to slay!" Mighty Kyuubi stood tall on her armored feet. Her head towered seven meters above the ground. Five tons of steel covered her up to her neck. The only unarmored part was her muzzle and belly. Due to the haste of the preparations and Lily's limited patience, most of her armor lacked magical enhancement. Unlike the hardened armor and shields of Knight Templars, Kyuubi's armor was much more vulnerable. It made up for it with pure size, though. The exception was in the form of enhanced plates of steel protecting her five fragile tails. She and her friends spared no preparations to cover her weak points. Due to low gravity, Kyuubi walked effortlessly, not bothered at all by her heavy armor. Atop her armored head, she felt the excited stomping of her precious student, while a mighty alicorn hovered next to her head. She crushed the old ruins with her armored paws, making her way towards the monolithic fortress. As she got closer and closer, an odd feeling overcame her, a weird sensation of strength and confidence. In the past, she felt like the weakest one, surpassed by powerhouses like Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle. Furthermore, Kyuubi also felt far more fragile than her tiny student or even one of her two oldest friends, Rosey. Now, however, she felt like the main force of this particular assault. She felt like the flagship of a fleet on the sea. The kitsune knew Nightmare Moon greatly surpassed her in raw power. She knew her student had more experience and agility. Yet, Kyuubi felt strong in her own unique way. She wasn't sure how much she would contribute in the end but was determined to do her best. Moreover, there was something she wanted to prove to herself. She wanted to prove that she was no longer her fragile old self. She wanted to learn if her student and friends no longer needed to put themselves at risk to shield her from harm. In the end, she didn't want to be purely a healer. She desired to shield them from harm.