//------------------------------// // Paradox // Story: Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// At the battle against King Alder, the guards had thrown their weapons at him, but they failed, with their weapons hitting the sand at the ground. “Where are you aiming to?” Aspen asked, appearing with a great speed, similar to his son Aspen, making the aura disappear. “What can we do?” a guard asked. “You’re just too fast for our attacks. “I’ll say it again” Alder said. “I use light nature. And when I armor myself with light nature, my speed and defensive power can get pass the limits that my body normally puts on them. So, unless you attack with wind nature, you’ll never be able to stop me.” “But even with wind nature, we can’t land a blow” the griffon that led the unit to battle King Alder said. “No, wait a second… Wind unit, attack formation C.” And a bunch of griffons appeared and put themselves in formation. “Let’s go!” “Instead of doing it quietly, she announces exactly how they’re going to attack” Alder observed. “Now, attack!” And they all flapped their wings while focusing their energy and created a great typhoon against King Alder. “A wide-raged attack designed to overtake my speed…” he said. “Splendid move…” He was hit and pushed away by the sharp winds. “Yes!” the griffon said, turning then to the sealing core. “Now, quicly! Seal him!” Two members of the sealing core advanced, but an explosion at the sand caused them to be thrown to the ground. When the dust settled down, they were able to see King Alder standing up with cuts made by the attacks on his body that started to heal. “It doesn’t matter how many times we attack” a guard said. “It does any effect.” “We haven’t inflicted any damage” another said. The griffon started to think the best way to attack next, when a deer with greenish fur and with a eyepatch covering his missing eye advanced, putting himself in front of the griffon, and then Alder, seeing him, asked: “Is that you, Oak?” “Yes, my king” he replied, directing his words then to the griffon and the rest of the unit. “King Alder was not blessed with speed and power, but also an extraordinary physical resilience. Even long-distance wind nature attacks, the only ones that can reach him, cannot affect him. We need a more powerful wind nature user.” “Well, I’m not an half bad wind nature user myself, you know” the griffon replied. “So how did he actually died, anyway?” “King Alder and a group of our warriors went to a hostile kingdom in order to get a peace treaty” Oak told. “But they betrayed us, having an army of ten thousand waiting for us. In order to let our own to escape, King Alder faced them all by himself. It is said that he lasted for three days and three nights to give to his comrades enough time to escape.” That really intimidated the griffon, just thinking how much powerful King Alder should be to do all that. “This damn control that the Lord of Chaos has on me is forcing me to take this more seriously” Gentle Light said on her corner in the villains’ hideout. “Now that Chief Sandstorm has been sealed, I am being compelled to not allow any more mistake. For that reason, I must take control over King Alder.” And so, Alder’s consciousness was repressed and his eyes turned white. “Honestly, there’s not any wind nature user in this unit that is stronger than me” the griffon said. “Yes, there is!” Star said, as he landed in front of the all unit. Everyone was shocked to see him and then Star took flight while exclaiming: “And that would be me!” He raised a hoof and, with the help of two energy arms, he started to create a Spiraling Star. Such wind power got all the ones who were seeing to gasp in amazement. As Star was against the sun, Alder couldn’t see properly. Extending one of the energy arms, he threw it. Alder dodge it, having accessed to the lightning aura, with the Spiraling Star only cutting some of the tips of his antlers that regenerated quickly. “No, it’s still not good enough!” Oak exclaimed. “Not with his cloak of lightning.” “Yeah, I know” Star Knight, remembering that King Aspen used the same type of attack. But then he made the energy arm threw the Spiraling Star against Alder’s back. Noticing that, Alder gave a jump and passed over it. But then Star landed and, with a hoof, he secured the Spiraling Star and, with the speed of Nine-Tails’ energy, he was able to get close and prepared to hit Alder directly. He threw it and hit the former deer king, throwing back several hooves, before the Spiraling Star explode and create its vortex of wind. The power was such that all the other members of the unit had to protect themselves. “Sealing unit, hurry up!” the griffon exclaimed. “Move in!” And the two members of the sealing unit advanced and threw their sealing cloth, that started to involve King Alder that was lying on the sand. For a moment, they all thought it was over, but then Alder opened his eyes and then he proceeded to cut the cloth that was involving him, much to everyone’s shock. And he raised up and then positioned himself, cloaking himself with the lightning aura. “My king… you’re so strong that, frankly, it’s frightening” Oak said, advancing after that. Alder’s body regenerated and Star couldn’t believe that the Spiraling Star didn’t work. Oak arrived to his side and told him: “King Alder’s eyes changed a moment ago. It appears that he has been completely taken over.” He then rose up his hoof and, seeing that, he said: “Wait, is that…?” He turned to the rest of the unit and told them: “All of you, move away from King Alder! And earth nature users get a wall immediately!” And guards from Stonult advanced and started to get up a mud wall. “Come, Prince Star Knight!” he exclaimed. And when Alder started to advance, Star Knight and Oak went both the other side of the wall. After they arrived, Oak said: “Rubber Wall Spell!” And then an enormous torrent of lava with a rubbery consistency came from the ground and started to cover the mud wall. Alder started to penetrate the mud wall with the hoof. “But why?” Star asked to Oak. “Because of King Alder’s most powerful attack” Oak replied. “The Piercing Stab. “It pulls light nature energy into his hooves, allowing to use its piercing ability just perfectly.” It was then that King Alder’s Piercing Stab reached the rubber wall that started to extend and containing as much as it could. “Everyone, get away as fast as you can right now!” Oak exclaimed to the unit. “No way!” a guard said. “Now that we know where he is, we can get him now!” Others agreed with them and then the female griffon said: “No, listen to that deer!” With them ignoring her warnings, the guards that wanting to advance, started to do so. Before that, Oak grabbed Star and, with a big jump, went away. Charging the hoof with more energy, King Alder was able to pass through the rubber wall and shock with the guards, causing a great explosion. Oak landed with Star at the top of closest rock formation and the former: “Those fools…” All of them suffered from all the lightning and then King Alder turned to where Oak and Star were. “He went to the next level of his attack” Oak noticed, seeing that the hoof was more charged. “But what kind of attack is that?” Star asked. “It’s way too strong! He took down dozens by himself in an instant.” “The more he charges his hoof with light nature, the stronger is the attack” Oak explained to Star. “It’s King Alder’s invincible spear. And he can handle it, because the light nature also makes his body impenetrable. It’s his ultimate shield.” “But is he even a normal deer?” Star asked. “They say that he is the only being to have gone head to head with a tailed beast and get unharmed” Oak told. The young alicorn couldn’t believe that someone would be able to accomplish something like that. King Alder was really powerful. Listening that, Star wondered if they would be able to take him down. It was then that, while observing him, he noticed something. Seeing Star making his thinking face, Oak asked: “What is it?” “If he is impenetrable, then what’s that?” Star asked. “What do you mean?” “I’m talking about that scar.” Star pointed to Alder chest where his big scar was. “How did he get that?” the young alicorn asked. “He didn’t even flinched against my Spiraling Star.” “Oh, that…” Oak said. “He was wounded when he stopped Eight-Tails, who was on a rampage. King Alder fought him by himself to protect Thicket.” “You mean Eight-Tails hurt him?” Star asked him. “King Alder said that it was the most shameful moment in his life” Oak told. “But other than saying that, he never spoke about it at all. Not even King Aspen knows the details.” That was really frustrating, knowing that King Alder had a weakness, but not knowing what it was. “Okay, I know that ordinary attacks don’t work on them” Star said. “But, if he got injured by fighting the Eight-Tails, and Eight-Tails’ strongest move is… Let me try it!” And, with the help of two energy arms, he started to do the Tailed Beast Bomb incorporated on his Spiraling Sphere. The unit had surrounded King Alder and was watching carefully, waiting for the right moment to attack or to retreat in case he attacked. Meanwhile, Star was making his Spiraling Sphere and, seeing him adding the same type of energy used on the Tailed Beast Bomb, Oak wondered if he was doing a Tailed Beast Bomb, something that was impossible for a jinchuriki to do when not in tailed beast form. The young colt was putting all of his focus on that attack, but, when he gathered the energy and formed a sphere, Star couldn’t handle it and, at the moment Alder attacked the nearest guards, the sphere exploded and was undone. However, with that, Nine-Tails’ energy disappear and Star’s front hooves were burnt. “Damn it!” he exclaimed. “I still can’t do it yet!” Noticing that he energy that surrounded him disappeared, Oak concluded he wouldn’t be able to do it again. But that didn’t stop Star from finding another solution. “I’m sorry, but I need to contact Lord Hawthorn and the Eight-Tails” he said to Oak. “But how can I get in contact with them?” “You have to go to a member of the communication unit and let them contact Diamond Glow so she can connect you to Lord Hawthorn” Oak explained. “Then I have to find one” Star said. “You’re in luck” Oak replied. “Because I belong to the communication unit.” “Great!” Star exclaimed. “Prince Star Knight, watch out!” the griffon exclaimed. And the rock formation where they were standing started to collapse and, while they were starting to fall, King Alder jumped to attack Star, preparing to use his horns. Reacting to that, Oak used his lava nature to involve Star with rubbery lava that get out of his mouth. When his horns hit it, the rubber ball was tossed away and Alder followed it. After that, Oak contacted Diamond Glow. “You’re Oak from Thicket” she said. “What do you need?” “Prince Star Knight needs to talk with Lord Hawthorn and Eight-Tails” he told her. “Can you arrange that as quick as possible? Lord Alder is still chasing a dummy rubber ball I made.” The truth was that Star was with him, with a rubber rope around his torso and hold by Oak. He had tricked King Alder by creating the rubber ball and giving the idea that Star was there when he had taking him out. Star had to recognized that he had quick thinking. Landing on a falling piece of stone, Star said: “Thanks for that. Now I can talk with Eight-Tails for a little while.” After piece where they are crushed on the ground, Oak told to Star: “King Alder probably will be able to catch on with that ball right away, so you may not have too much time to converse.” “Right” he replied. And, with Oak’s help, he was able to connect with Diamond Glow. “My prince, let me guess this straight” she told him. “You want to talk with Lord Hawthorn and Eight-Tails? But aren’t you with them? You’re suppose working together.” “Not right now, we’re not” he replied. “Besides… Well, never mind. Please, just make me come in contact with them. I don’t have any time to waste.” King Alder was able to reach the rubber ball and, with his Piercing Stab, he cut the ball. Elsewhere, Hawthorn was sharpening his horns on a tree, as he was having a great itch on them. In his mind, Eight-Tails told him: “Star Knight has gone on the head. Hurry up with that. It’s taking forever!” “Hey, unlike Star’s horn, mine can cause me a lot of itch” Hawthorn replied. “Do you think I enjoy sharpening them like this?” It was then that he felt someone getting in his mind and Star said: “Lord Hawthorn, it’s me, Star Knight. There’s something I want to ask Eight-Tails directly. Can you switch and put him on for me?” “Just let me finish what I’m doing” Hawthorn replied. “This itch is driving me crazy!” But Eight-Tails forced the switch and told to Star Knight: “I switch places, Star. What’s going on? You seem to be in a hurry.” “Eight-Tails, you battled King Alder before, right?” Star asked. “Yes, a long time ago” the tailed beast replied. “He was really strong that he could take the blows. Once, he chopped off one of my tails with his move, the Piercing Stab at its full power.” “So how did you cause him that scar on his chest?” Star asked. “Uh… With my Tailed Beast Bomb… I think… Maybe… Or maybe not… We both collapsed forward, completely pushing against each other. I don’t remember much about it.” Listening to that, Star thought about what could have happened, using all the information he had. It was then that he had an epiphany. King Alder cut the rubber ball and saw that it was empty. Before that, King Alder started to go to where Star was. Star was standing still, considering the idea he had about what really happened. His Sage Mode was activated, with the orange pigmentation appearing around his eyes, creating then another clone. “King Alder is heading here now” Star said to Oak. “I can sense him. You and the others just stay out of the way. There’s something I want to try out.” He turned to him with his frog eyes and then Oak replied: “I understand.” I didn’t take long for King Alder to approach with his immense speed. Star and the clone he made started to make a Spiraling Sphere. Oak went to the unit and told them: “Everyone, stay out of this fight! And, sealing core, stand by.” They nodded with the head. Alder advanced towards Star with his full-powered Piercing Stab. Star did the same with the Spiraling Sphere ready and having himself aware of any danger with his Sage Mode. When he was inches away from Alder’s hoof, he used his training with Tough Skin to dodge and then hit the former deer king’s foreleg with the Spiraling Sphere, what caused the hoof piercing his chest, in the precise place where the scar was. Everyone got shocked before that. Star fell on the ground, while King Alder stood still, with his hoof piercing his chest. His all body cracked, releasing the dust and ash characteristic of the reincarnated beings. “It worked, just like I thought it would!” Star exclaimed. Seeing that, Oak realized what happened. That was how King Alder got that scar. The sealing core acted quickly and involved King Alder with their sealing cloth, sealing him. Everyone celebrated their victory. Oak approached Star and told him: “That was quite a move.” “Well, when I talked with Eight-Tails, he told me that back when he fought King Alder, both of them fell forward, ready to attack” Star told. “I just figured that he must have gotten his scar by stabbing himself on the chest with his own move. That’s why he was so embarrassed about.” “A warrior with an invincible spear and an impenetrable shield… It certainly poses a paradox. This certainly shows that King Alder’s spear was more powerful.” Star nodded and then he said: “But I guess the one with the best shield is Chief Strongpaw. I wonder how he and King Hard Stone are doing…”