Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox

by Rakoon1

The Secret of the General of Chaos' Ability

The Demonic Statue was roaring very loudly, while the General of Chaos was still focusing his magic.

“That statue…” Shining said. “Has being acting weird since swallowed those objects.”

But Star was more focused in what he had sensed inside those objects.

“Wait, that was…” Star said, with an astonished face.

“Don’t tell me…” Blue started.

“Watch closely and surround yourselves completely” the General of Chaos said. “The return of Ten-Tails and the beginning of the end of the world!”

And the statue took on hand to its head, while continuing to roar.

“So that’s it” Blue said. “That statue where you collected the tailed beasts was Ten-Tails’ actual body.”

But that elevated one question. The reason why he declared war was to capture Hawthorn and Star in order to get Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails to revive Ten-Tails, but they didn’t have their energy yet. That caused Blue to wonder if he was bluffing.

He turned to Star and told him:

“My son, don’t be careless. Approaching him is deadly.”

Gyuki, having heard about the General of Chaos said, asked telepathically to Hawthorn in an awkward way:

“Have we given him… an octopus arm… filled with energy?”

“We may have been in trouble at that time, but I think this time we messed things up” Hawthorn replied, turning then directly to the others. “He got a bit of Eight-Tails’ energy when they tried to capture us. We used it to escape, but now that is backfiring.”

“An octopus arm, hein?” Blue said.

“So that’s how he got Eight-Tails’ energy” Shining said. “I can’t believe that a piece is enough.”

“Star Knight, you felt it too, didn’t you?” Kurama asked to his jinchuriki in their plane. “That urn and gourd contained my energy.”

“Yes” Star replied, not liking how the situation was turning over.

“Let me take over, Star” Kurama asked. “I’ll explain. About Ten-Tails too. You’ll listen from here.”

“Kurama…” Star said, surprised for hearing the nine-tailed fox saying that. “You know about Ten-Tails?”

“Yeah, of course” he replied.

And so Star allowed Kurama to take over, making his eyes turn red with split pupils and three whisker-like marks appear on each cheek.

“Listen up, all of you” Kurama said, getting everyone’s attention.

“That voice…” Shining said.

“Star traded places with Nine-Tails” Hawthorn explained. “Just relax, he’s going to take explain everything. He and Star are now real friends.”

“Yeah, well, he better hurry up” Blue said. “It’s really upsetting listening him through my son everything he did to him.”

“I and Star already resolved our differences” Kurama told him. “I don’t care what you may think. Now, listen carefully because what I have to say is important. Yes, it’s only needed just a portion of a tailed beast. That statue already have a piece of Eight-Tails and my energy in it.”

“So Nine-Tails too…” Shining said.

“The urn and gourd the General of Chaos summoned in front of the statue are two of the Sacred Tools of Thicket” Kurama continued. “They possess powerful sealing spells created by the deer of Thicket when they started to try to capture tailed beasts for them. They can seal anything. Once you’re inside, you cannot get out. So, sealed inside the urn was Gavin and Garth is sealed inside the gourd. My suspect his that they were brought back with the Reincarnation Curse, used on the war and then sealed away. Even with the curse undone, those tools prevented their souls from leaving.”

“But what does that have to do with the Nine-Tails energy?” Blue asked.

“There was a time, long ago, before I was sealed inside Heartbeat, the brothers challenged me to a battle in order to capture me to Aeropolis” Kurama continued. “I simply devoured them. However, they survived and fed on me from the inside and, in doing so, they absorbed my energy.”

“So Gavin and Garth both possess the Nine-Tails’ energy” Shining understood. “And, according to HQ, the General of Chaos took the urn and the gourd from Prince Arcing Thunder’s First Unit. That was to have an insurance policy to revive Ten-Tails.”

“He really planned everything…” Blue commented.

“But since they’re just fragments of Eight-Tails and my energy, who knows what form the revived Ten-Tails will take” Kurama ended explaining.

“We must act now before the Ten-Tails is brought back to life” Shining said, charging his horn.

“Shining Armor, you should be more careful with overconfidence” the General of Chaos said. “Believe me, I know pretty well how it is to give a step longer than your legs.”

“And why don’t you tell us who you are so we can verify that statement?” Blue replied.

“That coming from the one who likes to hide his personal secrets from everyone else” the General replied.

Blue was affected by those words, but then Kurama said, giving a few steps:

“Shining Armor… like you said, if we’re going to take a move, now is our chance. The Lord of Order used to say that Ten-Tails’ full revival would signify the end of this world. And, having in count that the Lord of Chaos has many realms under his domain, the fall of the main realms of this reality, will be the end of the Lord of Order’s domain here.”

“So is Ten-Tails really that terrible?” Star asked to Kurama in their plane. “I got that he has ten tails, but how powerful is he anyway?”

“He’s the aggregation of all tailed beasts energy, from One-Tail until me” the fox answered. “He was the first threat to the Pony Reality, before the Lord of Chaos’ invasion. Like me, he also has many names in many places. He can drink oceans, split open the earth, hoist up montains… Simply putting it, he has all the power of the nine tailed beasts. Honestly, I couldn’t take him on all by myself and hope to win.”

That explanation really put the two unicorns who were listen really nervous, but then Kurama said:

“But, if he only has a piece of Eight-Tails and me, who have more energy over the nine, it may be worth the try.”

“You’re all mistaken” the General said. “I don’t need Ten-Tails to be revived to full capacity.”

Saying that, he caused discomfort to his enemies.

“My aim goal is the Eternal Nightmare Curse!” the General exclaimed. “I’ll put all the population of both Pony World and Enchanted Forest under the Lord of Order’s dominion under a single illusion, a single world that belongs only to the Lord of Chaos. One perfect world without war or ill feelings. Only within a single collective consciousness where individuality has been put aside can truth be found! The world no longer needs hope, a future or famous heroes involved in light. Even if incomplete, once Ten-Tails is revived, the Eternal Nightmare Curse can be achieve and reality will come to an end. And all that will exist will be a single unending dream that will last for all eternity!”

Hearing that, Star couldn’t hold it anymore and said to his tailed beast:

“Kurama, switch back!”

He did so and Star’s eyes returned to be glaucous and the marks on his cheeks disappeared. After doing so, he told to the General:

“Look, as jinchuriki, my life wasn’t as perfect as the others may think. The lack of trust the others had on me could have put me on a dark path. But I had my mother, my father, all the other Generals… Kids love to look up to their heroes, they are the light the illuminates their path. That’s why I can lend forward without hesitation. And I will become somepony that will help others find their way. That’s my dream and I won’t give up on it, did you understand?!”

There was a silent and then Blue said, with a smile:

“Even if you live a long life, your dreams will have to come to an end at some point.”

“Yeah, dreams must be fulfilled” Shining agreed.

“Dreams are the bridge that drive us to our future” Hawthorn said. “Even I have a dream to find the perfect doe that can understand and that beautiful…”

“Hey, although you have guts, Hawthorn, I don’t think it’s time to share that with everyone around” Gyuki told him.

Kurama couldn’t be more impressed with the words Star had just used. But they didn’t impressed the General of Chaos who continued to say:

“Individuality makes you lose sight of the truth. My words as just a humble servant of the true Lord are words guided by the truth of the world.”

Feeling his rage coming up, Star involved himself with Nine-Tails’ energy and advanced a full speed, while creating a Spiraling Sphere and taking off, preparing to hit the Demonic Statue. At that moment, the General of Chaos appeared in front of him, having taken flight as well, and used a magic shield to block the young prince’s attack. That caused a little explosion that forced Star to retreat.

“I guess getting off that helmet will have to come first” he said after landing.

The General also landed and told:

“You will not touch the statue!”

It was then that the Demonic Statue started to have its body changing, with spiky protrusions growing out of its back in a shape reminiscent of a conch shell. What appeared to be blood started to get out of its orbits.

Although he had failed the first try, Star wouldn’t give up that easily. He created a clone and then Blue said:

“Star, you know his abilities, right? Your window of opportunity is the instant he tries to teleport you. That’s when he’s solid. If you attack him normally, he’ll just pass right through it.”

“So it’s like aiming for a counterattack” Shining continued. “Diversionary tactics are a must. Create an opening through continuous close combat! Avoid using big moves!”

“Thanks, but I already know that” Star said. “That’s why I created a clone.”

And they started to advance.

“Lord Hawthorn, please, raise me up high” Blue asked to Hawthorn.

Meanwhile, Star was advancing, while he and his clone created with an energy arm a Spiraling Sphere with Tailed Beast Bomb energy. Shining also decided to help, charging his horn and making a light sword.

“Up you go!” Hawthorn exclaimed, while launching Blue up high.

The General of Chaos, seeing both Stars coming on his way trading places as fast as they could, tried to decided which one was the real one. The one that didn’t have the attack tried to attack him physically, but he passed through him, while the other prepared a new attack.

“This one?” the General asked, using his shield on the one that passed through him, only for him to disappear. “I guess not.”

He turned to the real one who launched an energy arm with the Spiraling Sphere. But the attack, like the other, passed through him. And then the General took flight and extended his hoof in order to touch Star. But when he was a few inches away, Shining appeared and used his light blade, trying to trespass his head. As the light blade passed through the head, the General’s hoof passed through Star’s head. Shining smile before that, as it was well timed.

After the General of Chaos passed through the Star completely, Shining engaged in a fight with the former. The General used a barrier to defend Shining’s attacks. In once, he allowed Shining to pass through to try to attack him, but the unicorn’s reflexes allowed him to keep attacking, forcing the dark alicorn to retreat. He then attacked Shining with a magical beam that the latter defended with a shield. After that, Shining advanced toward him to attack.

“I’ll deal…” the General of Chaos said, while Shining attacked him on the head, extending his hoof toward him. “…with you first.”

White the light sword approached the end of the head, the hoof approached him. When the light sword passed through him, the General prepared to attack Shining. He was about to touch him, when Shining made a quick move with the hooves to allow his light sword to pass though him again, the General passed through him completely. The General of Chaos casted a magical beam to Shining’s back, but the latter was able to defend it.

Star smiled before that move and took that opportunity to prepare to launch an energy arm with the Spiraling Sphere. Meanwhile, his father was in the middle of the air, while charging his horn. Star launched the energy arm with the Spiraling Sphere, while Blue prepared to execute the disappearance spell to take off the statue’s head. When he started to execute, the head started to be sucked to an invisible black hole.

Noticing what Blue was doing, the General dodged Star’s attack and charged his horn. At that moment, Blue’s spell just stopped, leaving the statue untouched, before the General of Balance’s shock.

“So naïve…” the General commented, while landed.

Blue landed on Hawthorn, while parting. He didn’t know what just happened. That spell should have worked…

Star’s energy arm followed the General of Chaos and an explosion happened. When the smoke cleared, the General had disappeared.

“He vanished?” Hawthorn asked.

The young alicorn prince focused, trying to sense the General of Chaos’ evil intensions. At that moment, the latter started to appear beneath Star, trying to catch him, what forced the jinchuriki to escape and start to dodge all the attacks that followed.

“Star!” Shining exclaimed, advancing to go help his nephew.

But there was a problem: the rocks that were in the air due to the statue’s roar were being a great obstacle to him, mainly when he didn’t have wings. Blue, in his turn, charged his horn with light nature and said:

“Lord Hawthor…”

“Got it” he replied.

The General of Chaos used his ability to pass through objectives to make Star remain at the defensive and, when the latter didn’t expect, he conjured an energy rope that he used to trap Star. After that, advanced to him.

But the Eight-Tails threw Blue who, with the help of the penetrating power of the light nature, started to break through the rocks in the way. Seeing that, Shining couldn’t help but be impressed with his brother-in-law for his ingenious move. Noticing he wouldn’t get there before the General touch his son, Blue throw a shot of light nature to the General of Chaos. That hit the head and started to pass through it, what caused him to start pass through Star. When the attack passed through him, the General of Chaos hold on his place, while Star retreat with a flap of wings. Realizing what the General would do, Blue exclaimed to his son:

“Star, keep going! I’ll take care of my attack.”

And the General of Chaos, using his magic, redirected Blue’s attack to Star, while the latter launched an energy arm. Using the disappearance spell, Blue caused his attack to vanish, while the General advanced and passed through the energy arm to get to Star. Passing through him, he landed on a rock, while Star and Blue landed on another.

“He’s really strong” Star said, while Shining teleported to there. “I can’t lend my attacks on him.”

“You’re all right?” Shining asked to Blue and Star.

“Yes, but not even that attack is good enough” Blue replied.

“What can we do, dad?” Star asked.

“I don’t know” Blue replied. “Do you have any idea, Shining?”

He nodded.

But, at that moment, the General of Chaos started to turn to them and a slight fissure appeared on his helmet at the place that covered the cheek. Everyone noticed that and became astonished by that. But that moment was interrupted by the rock where they were standing on falling, what forced them to jump to the ground.

“But what just happened?” Star asked.

The General of Chaos also landed.

“Did you all see that?” Blue asked.

“Yeah, there’s a crack on his helmet” Shining said.

“But how did that happened?” Star asked, while the energy that covered him disappeared.

“Could it be that the last attack hit him before he passed through?” Shining asked.

“No, I don’t think so” Shining replied. “To be honest, I don’t think Star’s attack landed.”

“So what could have happened?” Star asked.

Blue tried to remind what happened during that moment. By the look of the crack, it seemed to have been made by something sharp. It was then that he got it.

At that moment, however, the General of Chaos’ horn started to be charged with magic, as he noticed Hawthorn about to attack the Demonic Statue.

“Gotcha!” he exclaimed, while preparing to punch.

“Don’t underestimate!” the General of Chaos exclaimed. “Demonic Flame Barrier!”

And so, a cylindrical red barrier appeared, enveloping the statue. When Hawthorn punched it, his fisted started to burn with a fire of the same color as the barrier. That caused Hawthorn to get back while suffering from the pain caused by the flames.

“Are you okay, Lord Hawthorn? Gyuki?”

“Do I look okay?” Hawthorn replied, while waving his hand to put out to the fire.

“Now that he erected a barrier, we have no choice but to take down the General of Chaos” Shining said.

“That was my plan right from the beginning, uncle Shining” Star said.

Meanwhile, Blue was connecting the dots that would allow him to unveil the secret behind the General of Chaos ability. He remembered how his disappearance spell didn’t work, when he casted perfectly. That led him to conclude that was the General of Chaos’ doing. But how did he manage to do that. Then he remember the attack he made disappear and the crack on the General of Chaos’ helmet. That means… But he couldn’t just theorize. He needed to confirm it.

“Shining, Star, Lord Hawthorn, there’s something I want to test” he said. “Please, lend me a hoof.”

The General of Chaos noticed how they were planning something. He wondered what.

Blue, Shining and Star jumped to Hawthorn’s hand and the blue unicorn said:

“Let’s do it.”

“Right” Star replied, while Shining nodded.

And so Hawthorn threw them in the General of Chaos’ direction, with Star covering himself with the Nine-Tails’ energy. Blue and Star then got out of Shining’s way, who casted a beam against the rock that was in front of them that shattered in many pieces that went against the General. However, they just passed through him.

“Impressive destructive power…” he said.

Shining then advanced to attack him, but just passed through him, but then continued to attacks with the light sword, but he only passed through him. He then blocked an attack and then said:

“You underestimate me, captain. I can read every physical move is used against me. If you don’t mind, I’ll keep this…”

And his eye shone and started to absorb the magic of the light sword. That made Shining smile. Because nopony could handle two complicated spells at once, he would remain solid while making the light sword disappear. At that moment, Star appeared from behind Shining with a Spiraling Sphere.

“Don’t you see that is futile?” the General asked, while making the light sword disappear.

Star as about to hit him when the General ended making the spell disappear and then, with his hoof extended, started to pass through the Spiraling Sphere. When there wasn’t any part of his body passing through it, Blue used the disappearance spell to make the Spiraling Sphere disappear, what caused the General to pass through Star. After he did, an explosion happened on the General’s shoulder, what threw him violently against the ground.

“It worked like you said, dad” Star said, while he and Shining positioned themselves beside Blue. “I don’t know why, but I finally lend an attack.”

Lying on the ground, the General said:

“I see… It wasn’t Star who undid the Spiraling Sphere. It was you who used the Disappearance Spell to send it away, Prince Blue Sword…”

“Just like I suspected” Blue said. “I and the other Generals though that the spell you used to pass through objects and the one you used on Ulysses and Adagio at the summit were very different spells, but no. It derives from one single spell.”

While the General of Chaos started to get up, Shining asked:

“Are you sure it’s just one?”

“I used all the information Golden Paladin and Mirror Coat gathered and, using what could observe, it’s the only explanation” Blue said.

“Can you explain it to us quickly?” Shining asked, while Star made the Nine-Tails’ energy disappear. “Knowing how it works can make this fight a lot easier.”

“It’s very simple, actually” Blue replied. “I guess that’s the reason why we couldn’t find a solution. The spell that he uses to pull things in and the one he uses to pass through objects derived both from the disappearance spell.”

That caused some confusion to Star and Shining and the latter asked:

“What do you mean? How did you determined that?”

“Well, let me explain in order” Blue said. “First, that crack on his masks was caused by my earlier attack with light nature. There’s no doubt about it. And I can tell, from the look on his shoulder that was caused by Star’s Spiraling Sphere just now. What those things have in common is that they both involve areas of his body that were overlapping and in contact with Star’s body while he was slipping through it. Also, there’s one more thing that they have in common and that is the both of them were targeted by my disappearance spell. There’s a rule that says that nothing can’t just disappear, but transported to another place. And with all this I can conclude that he uses the space where things transported by the disappearance spell go.”

“But I can that be?” Shining asked. “How can a spell that allows him to pass through solid objects be connected to the disappearance spell?”

“I can ask the same question” Hawthorn replied, approaching. “The deer can only do elemental manipulation and sealing spells, but we even know that some like that is uncommon.”

“Yeah, dad, how can that be?” Star asked.

“Because the theory that he can slip through objects was wrong” Blue replied. “Although it looks like out attacks slip right through him, in fact, only the part of his body that wouldn’t be in contact with yours was transported to the space where everything that disappears go. In other words, the left side of his helmet that your attack slipped through was simply transported to there and no longer existed in this plane, at least materially. And then, almost simultaneously, I made that attack of mine disappear. Just as his momentum carried him forward, when he extended his hoof toward you, Star, to grab you, my attack finished entering the same space as him and scored his helmet.”

“Like how it happened with my Spiraling Sphere?” Star asked.

“Yes” Blue replied.

“So that’s what happened” Star said.

Blue turned to the General of Chaos and said:

“I can see that the Lord of Chaos gave you control over the Nothingness Realm. I have to say, it is very impressive.”

“Well, my master is very ingenious regarding how to use any capacity to his advantage” the General replied. “But I didn’t expect someone like you would realize how it worked. It’s clear that, like you underestimated me, I did the same with, Prince Blue Sword. But I have to say that I can’t wait to make this world appear just like the Nothingness Realm. After all, what can the current world has to give but a reality that keeps cruelly moving ahead? You already saw what the world craved by the Lord of Order’s balance has to give. It’s nothing but a world full of ungranted wishes. I and my master shall create a world where pathetic heroes try to their best to protect something that will eventually perish.”

That caused Star to advance and then said:

“Are you still saying the same thing? I told you I won’t quit and that’s something I will carry on. I have a lot of dreams to turn real and it’s not somepony like you that will stop me. I have been entrusted with way too much by way too many.”

“That’s my boy…” Blue said, while Shining smile, along with Hawthorn and Kurama.

But the General of Chaos scorned and then said:

“Entrusted… But, Star Knight, what if you were to lose everything it was entrusted to you? I wonder what everyone would think… If fail with the things you have been entrusted with, I wonder what you’ll think about yourself as well… If postpone dealing with problems and cover it with the word hope, all that awaits you is an empty reality, both the entrusted and the ones who did the entrusting. All in vain…”

Kurama was getting annoyed by all that talk. The memory of the Lord of Order’s words to Star Knight appeared in his mind and then he looked to Star, saying then:

“Star, switch with me. There’s something I want to say to him.”

Star wondered what could that be, so he smiled and give the control to Kurama who then said to the General:

“Sorry, but your words don’t apply to this colt.”

“That’s Nine-Tails…” Shining said.

“The Lord of Order entrusted him with me” Kurama continued. “Not only Star befriended me, but he’s completely mastered my power as well.”

That caused Star look at his tailed beast, surprised for hearing Kurama say something like that. But the fox just turned his look from him with a smile.

“The Lord of Order ordered me to be sealed inside Star as a force to take you down” Kurama continued, while he made Star get in his newest form a second time.

Star smiled, now completely convinced of Kurama’s friendship toward him.

“Now, go, Star Knight! You will not fail.”

And Star took to control back, while he got into the newest form completely, and said:

“Yeah!”

And he started to advance to face again the General of Chaos.