After Son Goku told he could help Star get out, the latter said:
“Please, you just have to tell me how to stop you before it’s too late.”
“First, just one thing” Son Goku said, making Star become attentive. “I don’t trust jinchuriki ponies or of any kind in principle, especially the ones with fools like you that want to be friends with tailed beasts. In other words, don’t assume that, even if you set me free from these chains, I’ll automatically become your ally.”
At his cage, Kurama was listening to that and he said:
“That’s the kind of response that I expected.”
And he remembered again all the ones that tried to enslave or imprison him.
“Even though you have no true strength of your own, you force your ideals on me to restrain me” Kurama said, referring to Star.
He then remembered the fatidic day he was sealed inside Star Knight. When Golden Paladin came to take him from Tartarus, he knew that he would be sealed again inside a jinchuriki. As the only one who could hold him at the time was Heartbeat, Kurama also knew that he could easily make her upset enough to be able to get free, like he have done before. But what he didn’t know was that existed somepony else that could hold him, what caught him by surprise. He couldn’t believe he was foolish to believe they would make the same mistake again…
“He has been doing that ever since we met… fourteen years ago…”
Fourteen years ago…
After the sealing, Kurama wake up, finding himself in his cage.
“Where am I” he asked.
He then listened the sound of a baby crying. He then realized, saying:
“I must be inside this kid… And it looks like Golden Paladin used his damn seal… So, the General of Peace plans to let this brat use my power. Even if half of my existence is sealed away, he underestimates me. Me, the Nine-Tails… Not even my former jinchuriki, the General of Affection was able to keep me in check. Compare to that, this seal is nothing. Even so, it will take a while to break. But, if I keep letting energy sip from the cracks, it will eventually weaken.”
He then laid down and continued:
“Very well, it’s not fun, but it must be done so I can escape this prison. I will let this brat get some of my power.”
Years later, Kurama observed how Star grew up, getting bigger and stronger, not only in body, but also in mind and magic. Seeing how talented he was, Kurama was a little worried by that.
“Damn, if he continues to get better at his own faculties, he won’t need to use my power and, if he doesn’t use it, the seal won’t weaken.”
When Pandora invaded the Light Kingdom, Kurama noticed how he was able to detect her so easily.
“So, he can detect evil…” he said. “Beyond that, he can find a way to manipulate them. Impressive, I must say… Even if it is a rough ability, he can make it stronger. But that doesn’t help. If only he got into a deep emotional trauma or at least let his rage consume him…”
The first steps of his plan happened when Star used his energy to fight the chimera that attacked Bramble.
“Finally!” Kurama exclaimed. “My energy is gathering and taking the form of a fox. From now, the key to unlock my power is when his life is in danger or when he is under an emotional stress. But using my power unconsciously isn’t enough. I need him to be consciously aware of my presence and to use my power more regularly.”
That opportunity came when Golden Paladin started training Star to be able to control his energy, but faced the problem of having the residues of the magic Heartbeat used to contain Star in the way. What he resolved by making Star believe he had his life in danger. That caused jinchuriki and tailed beast to meet and the latter give some of his energy to the former. After that, he said:
“What a fool… He acts as my power is his own. But, at least now, he can clearly sense my presence and, as a result, he’ll use my power even more.”
And he chuckled.
When he got to know about the coming of Chief Strongpaw and Star saw him, Kurama said:
“This presence… Yes, that pony-panther must be the jinchuriki of the One-Tail. And that dark aura coming from one of his bodyguards…”
He laughed and said:
“Something tells me everything is about to get interesting…”
He was right, as Shukaku, the One-Tail, threatened the Light Kingdom.
Then, it came the time where he faced Ulysses at his birthday party, while his parents and uncle were trapped. The villain griffon had given him a lot of damages and all that caused Star to be involved by the Demon Fox Cloak.
“That’s it…” Kurama said. “Keep using my power… The more you rely on my power and get energy from me, the weaker the seal will continue to become.”
After the time he was able to subdue him, making him get into the four-tails state and attack Blue, Nine-Tails said:
“The brat as become quite powerful after the last years of training. But that also means I’ll be able to influence him more than I could before…”
That was truth, as he was able to use his anger and sorrow for seeing the one he loved turning into a villain by Adagio Dazzle to make Star use his energy.
“With that Moonlight under the Lord of Chaos’ influence, it will be even easier for me to get into him” Kurama said. “This can only mean the seal is getting weaker. Just a little while longer… If I can draw out even greater hatred from this kid, I can overwhelm him with my power, just like it happened before, and finally destroy the seal. Just a little longer now…”
That opportunity was granted to him when Star, Gleaming and Shining met with Grogar and Ulysses. All the taunts the griffon made to him caused him to rapidly go to the three-tails state.
“He’s directing so much hatred at him” Kurama said, while Star was even more involved in the tailed beast’s energy. “Do you hate him? Do you want him to disappear? In that case, come here and I’ll give you power!”
And so he made Star get into the four-tails state, causing all the destruction that followed that, including hurting Gleaming Shield. That caused Star to start avoiding using Kurama’s energy and rejecting his offers.
But none of those events couldn’t be compared to when the General of Chaos invaded the Light Kingdom and hurt Moonlight severely. That was what caused Star to almost break the seal, only to be frustrated by his creator the Lord of Order. When he recreated the seal, Kurama was able to feel that and then he said, while grinning his teeth:
“I never expected to be sealed again, much less by my own father. But I still have a chance.”
He was right as, after the General of Chaos declaring war to the Alliance, Golden Paladin gave the key of the seal to Star. He laughed and said:
“To think he’s just bringing the key right to me… Now, if I take control over that kid’s mind, I can break out any time I want.”
The time for Star to face Nine-Tails arrived. He didn’t expected that Star would be able to pass over his true self, but that didn’t put any obstacle to his objective, even with him having Eight-Tails’ help. The battle between the two of them was intense, but, in the end, Star won, taking some of his energy and imprisoning him again behind the cage.
After Star moved away and the chains that hold him disappeared, Kurama said:
“Damn it! How could this have happened to me again?!”
He tried to get up, but he noticed it was harder now.
“He took a lot of power from me… And he’s just… He’s just…”
But he couldn’t find words to describe Star.
“Just what is he anyway?” he ended up saying.
After that, came the talk they had while Star and Hawthorn were heading to the battlefield. When Star pinned him against the ground, he told him those words that kept being sounded in his head…
In the present…
Son Goku said to Star:
“Look, we, tailed beast, can’t really trust you. If you want me to…”
“Oh, it’s okay…” Star said. “I think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do, anyway.”
Listening that and noticing his smile, Kurama said:
“Star Knight, I have watched you all these years, seen what you have done… You should already know. It doesn’t really matter what you try to tell to a tailed beast. Your true feelings won’t be transmitted to us.”
After listening Son Goku’s instructions, Star said:
“All right, I know what to do now. Well, I better get going.”
Then, Son Goku fell something and said:
“Hurry! It seems the General of Chaos was able to find your location!”
Outside, Hawthorn was still trying to force Son Goku to throw up Star.
“I have to get Star loose!” he exclaimed.
Looking to Son Goku, the General of Chaos said:
“So there you are… I’ll just pull you in, Four-Tails and all.”
And he charged his horn. A chain came up from the black rod, getting around Son Goku’s neck and then started to extend to his horn.
“Not good…” Hawthorn said. “Come on, Star! You have to get out of there!”
The General of Chaos started to pull the chain. When Son Goku tried to resist, Star woke up, finding himself inside the tailed beast’s mouth. He stood up and then said:
“I have to get out of here!”
Positioning himself at the opening of the mouth, Star covered himself with Kurama’s energy and then extended energy arms and started to open it. But, for more strength he used, he just couldn’t open the mouth. When the exhaustion invaded him, Star let go the energy.
“It won’t budge at all” he said. “This just won’t work.”
The young alicorn started to think in the best way to get out. If he couldn’t use physical strength, then he had to use something to forced him open the mouth. It was then that an idea came to him. And then he executed his multiplication spell.
Outside, Son Goku’s cheeks expanded, as if he was trying to keep something in, but he couldn’t, what caught everyone’s attention. And he started to barf a great amount of Star’s clones that disappeared when hitting the ground.
“Well, I have to say that kid is really smart” Hawthorn said.
After all those clones, only one remained. He stood up and said:
“Okay, I made it out. All right, now…”
And he tried to analyze Son Goku’s body, searching for the black rod, remembering what the latter told him…
Moments ago…
“Listen up, look carefully around the base of my neck” Son Goku told. “There’s a rod sticking out right there. The energy chain that restrains me come from it. They’re chains originated from the Demonic Statue.”
“But it’s not on your chest?” Star asked. “That’s where the jinchuriki I saw had it.”
“It’s because we expand in size” Son Goku explained. “When we undergo the tailed beast transformation, the rod goes to the base of our necks. Since we’re bigger, it can become harder to find too. Find that rod and pull it out. That will stop the energy chains from forming.”
The present…
Star continued to look for the rod and, while he was doing that, the General asked:
“You just don’t know how to give up, do you?”
The young prince didn’t stop looking and then said:
“Come on, where is it?”
When the chain started to fade away, Star looked to where it disappeared the last and then he saw the rod’s location.
“I found it!” he exclaimed. “There it is!”
Moments ago…
“All of my other restrains shall disappear with the energy chain as well” Son Goku told. “But it won’t be easy. Remember, I’m being controlled, so I will attack you.”
“Yeah, I now that” Star said. “I figured things could get rough, but you have to bear with me.”
“Just don’t get overboard and kill me, all right?” Son Goku asked.
In the present…
When the chain disappeared completely, Son Goku tried to smash Star with a fist, but he dodge and then took flight, going to his neck. He then saw the tailed beast trying to catch him, but, using Nine-Tails’ energy and creating energy arms he was able to prevent Son Goku’s hand from closing over him. However, the latter’s strength was too much for Star to get rid of it that easily and he wouldn’t be able to be in that mode for much longer.
Having no other alternative, he launched an energy arm to the base of his neck, grabbing a tuft of fur and let himself be pulled to there. Arriving there, he used his magic to grab the rod and prepared to pull it.
“Do it, Star!” Hawthorn incentivated.
He started to pull it, but it didn’t budge for a moment, until it did it slightly. Noticing what he was doing, the General of Chaos realized what he was doing and then said:
“Ah, don’t even think about it, Star.”
And then chains came out and chained him.
“This will not be easy” the General continued.
“This power…” Star said, while doing his best to continuing pulling.
“Those rods bind all they touch” the General said. “They are even stronger than the ones I used on those five before.”
But Star didn’t give up and continued pulling, even though those chains tried to prevent him from doing it.
“Star!” Hawthorn called.
While battling Gina, Shining said to Blue:
“Blue, Star is in real trouble!”
That caused Blue to look. He was right, but, in their current condition, they couldn’t go and help him. And the General of Chaos made chains bind Star even more, although that didn’t stop him from continuing pulling.
Kurama was sensing what was happening out there, but he didn’t move. Maybe because Star already knew about that defense that the rod had…
Moments ago…
“They have a strong enough binding force to restrain even us tailed beasts” Son Goku explained. “So how are you going to move it?”
In the present…
“It is over… Prince Star Knight” the General of Chaos said, focusing his spell.
And the chains got thicker and hold Star even more.
Kurama, meanwhile, said, with a smile:
“In the end, it’s always the same.”
And he thought about all the way Star walked in life, from the crying baby he once was, passing through the promising child full of potential and dreams, and ending into the young stallion he was now, full of determination and with his eyes fixed on the objective. And he did all that despite all the burden he got on his back, most of it caused by him. But even so, after all the pain he caused, after trying to drown him in hate, Star still wanted to save him from his own hate. Even more, he wanted to help the tailed beasts.
“Star Knight, if you are absolutely and truly serious about doing something for us tailed beasts… just do what you’ve always done” Nine-Tails replied.
The truth was that Star had let a clone inside Son Goku’s mouth to gather natural energy. When he was done, the pigmentation and the toad eyes appeared.
“All right” he said.
The clone then advanced to the esophagus, descending while flapping his wings. He started to exam the place where the rod was and his real self was pulling. After localizing the place with his Sage Mode, he prepared a hoof, determined to push the rod out from the inside.
“Keep doing what you’ve being doing and prove yourself through your actions, Star Knight” Nine-Tails said. “That’s who you are.”
“All right, Frog Kata!”
And he made a slap with the hoof while using natural energy. The vibrations created had such power that they pulled the rod, while the original Star was pulling it. With all that, the original Star eventually managed to take it out.
“I got it!” Star exclaimed, while falling back.
That caused Kurama to raise his head with a smile and then say:
“That’s right. That’s the Star I know.”