Tough Skin’s declaration that Star needed to die to become one with nature really affected Star, who asked to his toad:
“You must be joking, right? How dying can make me become one with nature?”
“Tough, why did you tell him that?” Leaf Mane. “Don’t make such weird analogies.”
“Yeah, but…” the toad started.
“Now, now, just relax” Leaf Mane said to Star. “You’re not actually going to die, Prince Star Knight.”
“So what then?”
“Just wait and listen until the end” Leaf Mane said. “I’ll explain it step by step. To become able to absorb natural energy means gaining ability to sense it around you, to draw it to you and to put it into yourself. In addition, by learning to how to become one with nature, you also gain full control on natural energy entering and leaving your body. Pratically speaking, what this means in terms of your training… You don’t have to move.”
“Just that?” Star asked. “All I have to do is not moving?”
“It seems you’re not getting it” Tough Skin said, with his arms crossed.
“I’m serious, Prince Star Knight” Leaf Mane said, while approaching the fountain that was there. “You must stand still. For animals, including ponies, the way to appreciate and learn natural energy is to stop all the movements and synchronize themselves with the flow of nature. However, the hardest thing an animal can do is to be absolutely still.”
“When I was training with both my father and Golden Paladin, I learn how to battle and how to use spells offensively” Star said. “Everything to control my own energy. But not moving? I never had a reason to do that before. But if I have to do that to control natural energy, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
“It’s impossible to do it right away. Like Golden Paladin said, this training will take some time and that’s partly because you need to become completely still.”
“Then let’s stop talking and do this already.”
“You must not take this lightly” Leaf Mane advised. “The enemy we are dealing with is the Lord of Chaos himself. He possesses powers that none of us, except the Lord of Order, can even imagine. With that impatience of yours, you will not defeat him.”
“I know that” Star said. “He’s after the Tailed Beats and soon or late he’ll come after me. So I don’t have any time to waste. Not just for me, but also for my loved ones.”
Leaf Mane could see the determination in his eyes and that really impressed. Now she could really understand the faith Golden Paladin had in him. That made her smile and said:
“Well, I guess it’s just luck for you, but there’s a better way. A short-cut.”
“There is, really?” Star asked. “What?”
And she pointed to her back saying:
“This waterfall behind me. It’s the secret toad oil of Animarium.”
“What is it used for?” Star asked.
“Come here and hold me your hoof” Leaf Mane asked.
Star Knight did so, approaching the fountain, while Leaf Mane took some of the oil with her hoof. Star extended his hoof to Leaf Mane and she started to apply the oil on his foreleg, while saying:
“This is far more than just an ordinary oil. It has the property of attracting natural energy. This will help advance your training.”
“Wow, that’s useful” Star said.
“Whenever you rub this oil on your body, natural energy will be able to enter into that spot and then gradually, as you learn to feel it, you’ll gain the ability to sense natural energy” Leaf Mane said, while continuing to apply the oil. “Since your just beginning, this is a tool to help you grasp the concept. In time, you won’t need to use the oil at all to sense natural energy. However, there is a risk.”
And she finished applying the oil and the meaning of her last words come into reality when Star saw that his hoof had turned partly into a toad leg and he could sense that half of his face was like the one of a toad, with his eye turning yellow in color with a horizontal pupil and orange pigmentation around it.
“If someone that cannot control the natural energy uses the oil, he or she starts to turn into a toad” Leaf Mane said.
Seeing that, Star hasted to the fountain and watched his reflection and that really started to freak him out.
“But what is this?! No, I can’t turn into a toad! I don’t want to be a toad! I don’t…”
But he didn’t finished, as Leaf Mane hit him with wood staff on the head, as Tough Skin took his hand to his head, seeing the way Star was reacting.
“Hey, what’s that for?!” Star asked to Leaf Mane.
It was then that he saw that the hoof that was starting to turn into a toad leg had returned to normal. He went to see his reflection and saw that his face was normal too.
“I’m back to normal” Star said.
“Of course you are” Leaf Mane said. “Do you really thought I would let Princess Twilight’s son turn into a toad? I would get in so much trouble because of that and not just with her. It’s all about balance. You’re used to use your own energy in our spells, so you already have a balance when it comes to the components when it comes to that. But now you must add natural energy into the mix and find that balance is extremely difficult.
“About balance?” Star asked.
“Yes, if you take too little, you won’t be able to use it” Leaf Mane explained. “But, if you take too much, natural energy will overwhelm you and turn you into a toad. Of course if you take a little too much, the transformation can be reverted. But stay with it during a certain about of time and you’ll never be able to turn into a pony again. You’ll be trapped, forced to be a toad forever and ever, Prince Star Knight.”
That made him swallow dry. Leaf Mane was right to say that training would be harder than any training he did with Golden Paladin.
“What I meant about you dying, is that you might stop being a pony entirely” Tough Skin said.
“And once you turn into a toad, you progress further to a permanently being one with nature” Leaf Mane. “The students that trained into this path and were unsuccessful turned into those stone statues.”
And she pointed to every single toad statues that were there.
“All of them?” Star asked, looking to them.
“Well, don’t be afraid” Leaf Mane replied, with the staff she used to beat Star levitating by her side. “I’ll be right by your side. And this staff is a tool that can beat natural energy right out of your body. So if I start to see you turning into a toad, I just have to beat you with this staff to revert the process. I have to be honest with you. Nopony that I have trained to control natural energy has ever succeeded to master this ability completely. They all acquired some toad features. I know that your determination brought you here, but I still have to ask: what will you do?”
Star thought for a few seconds. That training was at another level than the ones he was subjected before, where there was a risk of him turning into a toad, even with Leaf Mane there to help him. But he couldn’t get cold hooves, not when he had a chance of doing it.
“I’ll do it” Star declared. “I don’t give up and I won’t start now.”
And so the training began. While Star put himself in a meditation position, Leaf Mane applied toad oil on him. This led for natural energy starting to get in Star and he started to try to find a balance between it and his own energy. While that, Tough Skin was resting there.
The orange pigmentation appeared around Star’s eyes, showing he was going in a good way, but it was then that his body started to change, swelling, while some toad features appeared. Leaf Mane saw that and hit Star with the staff, making him moan in pain and massage the spot the General of Nature hit him.
“At this range I’ll be bruised in the outside and bleeding in the inside” Star said.
“Don’t tell me you’re quitting already” Leaf Mane said.
It was then that Star got an idea.
“Wait, I have a better idea for the training we can try” he said.
“And what’s that?” Leaf Mane asked.
“The same trick I used when Golden Paladin helped me create the Spiraling Star Spell” Star said. “I can use my clones. They can exponentially increase my progress and learning all this.”
“You do have a point” Leaf Mane agreed. “All the experiences that a clone have revert back to the original. But remember, if any single one of the clones completely changes into a toad during this, it’s all over for you, Prince Star Knight.”
“Yeah, I already know that” Star said.
“Very well, but four is the limit” Leaf Mane said. “If there is more, I may not be able to keep up.”
“So it’s settle then” Star said.
And so he summoned three clones and they started to do the training, with Leaf Mane overseeing it and making sure none of them turned into a toad, hitting them. Tough Skin, hearing all the commotion, opened his eyes and saw how Leaf Mane hit both the original Star and his clones, making the latter ones disappear when they were hit.
“You know, this is starting to get boring” Leaf Mane said, after a while. “If you don’t try harder, you won’t be successful.”
“It’s a bit difficult doing it when you are constantly hitting me” Star said, massaging all his bruised and sour spots. “I never though sensing the natural energy would be this difficult and painful.”
“Only with perseverance you can show your true strength” Leaf Mane said.
“Yeah, but I think I’ll need more than just that to get this” Star said.
“Your wrong about that” the General of Nature said. “Learning to control natural energy is not for everypony. Let’s just said that, if you didn’t have already a great amount of energy inside of you, I wouldn’t have the work to teach you this. If you didn’t have that energy, the natural energy would simply take over and transform you immediately.”
“Is that true?” Star asked.
“Yes, I already trained some who were foolish to think they could learn to control natural energy without having the necessary requirements and they were all transformed when they just started training” Leaf Mane asked. “But even if you have the basis, it is up to you to not give up. Only with that though is that how somepony can learn to control natural energy.”
That speech of her made Star recover his perseverance and continue the training with his clones. It took most of the day and a lot of hitting from Leaf Mane, but, eventually, Star started to feel it. The natural energy was starting to become visible for him and the proof was the orange pigmentation about one of his eyes and it becoming just like the one of a toad.
“I can see it!” he exclaimed, rising up. “Yes!”
While Star was celebrating his deed, Leaf Mane smiled, seeing how he was starting to sense natural energy.
“Hey, Leaf Mane, I’m starting to get a little bit hungry” Tough Skin said.
“Yes, me too” she said. “Hey, Star, what about take a break and get something to eat?”
“Okay, but I’m coming with you” Star said. “If I go with Tough, he may try to make eat some of his food.”
“You can say all you want, but I’m sure you’d love if you tried a vermin or a caterpillar” Tough Skin said. “I bet you’d stop eating that pony food you like.”
“Yeah, but, I don’t know if you have noticed, but I’m still a pony and I eat pony food” Star said.
That made Leaf Mane drop a laugh and say:
“Come on, let’s stop fighting and get something to eat.”
After the break, Leaf Mane said to Star:
“Well, now that you were able to rest and eat, I want you to try to lift one of the stone frogs. But first, try to lift one only with your natural strength. Don’t use magic, that would be cheating.”
Star approached one of the biggest statues and then, after preparing himself, tried to lift it. However, he couldn’t do it. It was too heavy.
“Okay, that’s enough” Leaf Mane said.
And Star stopped, trying then to catch his breath.
“Now, let’s add some natural energy” Leaf Mane said.
“Okay…” Star said, going to the fountain and putting one of his hooves in the oil.
After that, he tried to gather natural energy and find the balance between it and his own energy. He could sense the natural energy coming to him and, after balancing it with his own energy, Star opened his eyes, who adopted the same color and shape of a toad with orange pigmentation around them. However, Star still couldn’t control the natural energy completely, as he still had some toad features.
“Good” Leaf Mane said. “Now try to lift the statue again.”
Star nodded with his head and then proceeded to try to lift the statue. He was still finding that very difficult. But it was then that he started to take it from the ground, something that impressed Tough Skin.
“That’s it, Prince Star Knight!” Leaf Mane exclaimed.
It was then that Star was able to lift the statue over his head.
“Nicely done, Star!” Tough Skin said.
Leaf Mane was also as much impressed as Tough Skin, as Star Knight was learning in a much faster way than any other of her previous students.
“I did it!” Star exclaimed, very happily.
But that moment of distraction led him to lose balance and drop the statue. Fortunately, Leaf Mane used her magic to stop it and put it where it was.
After a while training with the oil, Star was able to finally control the natural energy without gaining any other toad features beyond the eyes. While he was meditating under the waterfall of the statue that was in the fountain, Leaf Mane told him:
“Not bad, my prince. You were able to master toad oil assistance control. Now you must learn to control natural energy without using any toad oil whatsoever.”
It was then that Star gave a big jump that took him from the fountain, landing on of the big statues. He would never achieve such feet without the use of his wings, but the natural energy gave him the boost he needed.
“I can feel the power flowing in me” he said. “And after all the training, I’m tired at all.”
“That’s because the more you use your own energy, the faster you get exhausted” Leaf Mane explained from the ground. “With this, you’re continuing taking natural nature into you from the outside. You won’t get tired and you’ll recover and heal quicker too.”
“Really?” Star asked, amazed.
Of course that what Leaf Mane told him was true, but she knew that if mixed some of Nine-Tails’ power, his recovery would be remarkably faster.
Meanwhile, Star started to think in another think. If what Leaf Mane was true, then he could use natural energy to execute any spell he wanted, including…
“I wonder if I can maybe do that too…” he said to himself.
But Leaf Mane heard what he said and asked:
“Do what?”
Star hastened to say:
“Oh, nothing… I was just thinking at loud.”
“Never mind” Leaf Mane said. “Okay, Star, let’s end the training for today. We already made great advances. Try to rest a bit. I know that your body doesn’t need it, but your mind do.”
“Okay, Leaf Mane” Star said.
Meanwhile, in the villains' hideout, the Lord of Chaos had them gathered once again to seal Eight-Tails. They were all already positioned in their respective places at the Demonic Statue.
"Finally we will seal Eight-Tails" Chrysalis said. "After this, we only need Nine-Tails and that means we have to go after the son of that odious perfect little princess."
"Yes, but don't forget that it's all because of me" Ulysses said. "I'm the one who managed to defeat Eight-Tails."
"We know!" the other villains exclaimed, annoyed.
"Will you stop repeating the same thing?" Adagio asked. "We have more important things to think about. By the way, where is our dear General?"
"I told him to leave the extraction process with us" the Lord of Chaos said. "He will be the one who will capture Prince Star Knight and, for that, he needs to prepare himself properly. But now, less talk and more sealing. I want Eight-Tails inside the statue as fast as possible."
And all the villains focused and activated the Demonic Statue, whose gag fell and freed the dragon tentacles that proceeded to surround and lift Hawthorn. The statue then began to absorb Eight-Tails’ energy.
"I just hope the General doesn't capture Nine-tails while we're extracting Eight-Tails" Chrysalis said. "Only one extraction is capable of letting me immensely weakened."
"I agree with Chrysalis" Oogie Boogie said. "And while we recover our strength, the Generals of Order can try to take advantage of this moment to rescue their beloved prince."
"Don't worry about that" the Lord of Chaos said. "He knows exactly the right moment to attack. Now, I want all of you focused on the task that you have now."
It was at that moment that something unexpected happened. Hawthorn's body was surrounded by a reddish glow that, when disappeared, turned him into a tentacle, much to the surprise of everyone. The statue drop the tentacle that fell to the ground.
“It appears you have blundered, Ulysses” Chrysalis said.
"I don't understand ..." Ulysses said, confused by what had just happened. "How...?"
Oogie Boogie started to laugh, saying:
“It’s an octopus leg!”
“It’s not funny” Grogar said to evil spirit.
“Sorry, but if you had a little of sense of humor, you’d find this very funny” Oogie Boogie.
However, if there was someone who wasn't finding funny the situation at all was the Lord of Chaos who turned to Ulysses and asked with rage in his voice:
"What does this mean, Ulysses?!"
"My Lord, I swear I didn't know..." he began.
"Of course you didn't know and that's why I'm currently thinking of the most devious punishments to afflict you right now!" the Lord of Chaos exclaimed.
With fear growing rapidly inside of him, Ulysses took flight to get out and escape the fury of the Lord of Chaos. But this was a futile attempt, as the Lord of Chaos made a gesture and Ulysses was caught in midair and then shot hard against the ground. The Lord of Chaos levitated from his place on the statue to the ground, approaching Ulysses, who looked terrified.
"You know, there are two cruel ways of killing that stand out among all the others" the Lord of Chaos said to Ulysses. "One of them is destroying the star seed what erases the individual’s existence altogether, turning you into a black stone statue. The other one is doing this!"
And he went through Ulysses’ chest magically with his hand and, when he pulled it out, it was holding the griffon’s heart that was beating, while emitted a reddish glow with black shades, representing the darkness that had settled there.
"The Queen of Hearts is not the only one to know how to do this" the Lord of Chaos said. "Actually, I taught her. But she was so fond of removing hearts to others that she became famous for it. And now, Ulysses, you will feel the pain of having your heart being crushed by my own hand."
He started to crush Ulysses’ heart and this made him feel an immense pain in his chest. The other villains watched that scene in their places, but then...
"Please, my lord, stop" Adagio’s voice said.
All were surprised when Adagio descended from the Demonic Statue and asked to the Lord of Chaos:
"Please, spare his life."
"Adagio, I must say I'm surprised" the Lord of Chaos said. "I thought you hated Ulysses. Why would do something like this for him?"
"It is not for him, but for you, my lord" she replied. "You've already lost too many servants. That was the reason that led him to create the General of Chaos. Losing more a servant will just make it more difficult to fulfill your plans. And you can't deny that Ulysses is powerful enough to help you."
There was a pause in which all eyes were placed on the Lord of Chaos. He finally replied:
"I guess you have a point."
And he released Ulysses’ heart that Adagio caught. The Lord of Chaos turned to the griffon and told him:
"You should thank Adagio. She just saved your life, which is quite an achievement, since mercy is not in my nature."
And he walked away and so Chrysalis get down from the statue along with the other villains and asked to the Lord of Chaos:
"My lord, do you want me to send my drones to find Hawthorn?"
"That won't be necessary" he replied. "Now that we are so close to achieving our goal, it will not be this little mishap that will prevent my plan from following its course. In addition it would be stupid to wander brazenly though Thicket now that the king must already know about his brother's capture. For now, stay alert and wait further orders."
And, having said this, he disappeared, taking the Demonic Statue with him.
"Well, this was clearly a great waste of my time" Oogie Boogie said. "I'm going back to the Dream World. It's almost time to create some nightmares."
And, having said that, he disappeared. Grogar and Chrysalis also headed to the exit, leaving Ulysses and Adagio alone.
"Why did you do that?" Ulysses asked to Adagio, who approached him with his heart.
"I've already said why" Adagio replied.
"Please, as if I believed in what you said to the Lord of Chaos" Ulysses said. "I can tell when you lie, Adagio, especially now that you don't have your dear little sister. Don't tell me you have a crush on me. Well, no wonder, due to my great look and..."
But he did not finish because Adagio put Ulysses’ heart back inside his chest, which led him to moan in pain due to the process. It looked like she had caused more pain than necessary on purpose.
"You should learn to control your bragging" she said. "Your ego already put your life in danger once today. I bet you don’t want it to put it in danger twice."
And, having said that, she also headed to the exit.