//------------------------------//
// The Ties That Bind 
// Story: Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox 
// by Rakoon1 
//------------------------------//

The Alliance was ready to attack, with the pegasi, like the Wonderbolts, and some griffons aiming to Hepheus and the ones with magic skills and dragons aiming to Grogar.

Hepheus then smiled. He knew what they were doing. They were aiming to him and Grogar as they were the ones who were leading the war and controlling the Ten-Tails. Getting rid of the head of the enemy was one of the most efficient and basic tactics. He had to give that to them, but to reach them, they needed to pass through Ten-Tails and that wouldn’t be that easy.

When Star and the others threw their attacks, Ten-Tails’ tails got loose and wave. But they looked different, becoming extendable and ending in humanoid hands. The force caused was such that threw everyone to the ground. The tails hold to the ground and rose up Ten-Tails along with Hepheus and Grogar. To their shock, Ten-Tails was now different than before.

He now took on the shape of an emaciated humanoid with elongated limbs and a twisting neck. He now possessed visible legs, which he used along with his right arm to stand, as his left arm was missing from the elbow down. The beast's head was altered greatly, as his eye remained on the front of his head, he grew a single ear on the right side, and his mouth, which now contained straight teeth and bore a grin, moved to the left side, with a single triangular nostril appearing above it. Several horns formed on various parts on his head: two above each side of his face, two beneath his eye, and another below his ear. The shell continued over his back.

Star couldn’t believe that happened. Beyond that, he could feel that his shoulder had dislocated.

At HQ, the bubble had become distorted again, creating what appeared to be a satellite. The ones present couldn’t believe something like that was happening. That could only mean one thing…

“So we weren’t able to immobilize Ten-Tails” White Light realized, being in front of Diamond Glow. “He only stopped moving on his own in order to transform.”

“So how can we stop him, then?” Diamond Glow asked. “We can’t target those two.”

At the battle, Shining said:

“We have to find a way to stop that thing.”

“You’re right” Blue agreed. “Otherwise, it will be the end to all of us.”

Rising up, Applejack said:

“Damn, that think sure is strong.”

“Eeyup” Big Mac agreed.

“Don’t just freak out!” Obsidian Blade told them. “Prepare yourselves for the next attack! We’ll get a plan from HQ.”

At HQ, White Light tried to think in an idea to immobilize Ten-Tails, because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to after the ones who were manipulating it. But how would they do it. He doubted that a simple immobilization spell would work out, as the effect would be nothing compared to the enormous quantity of energy expended. It was at that moment, that he had an idea and turned to Diamond Glow, saying:

“Diamond Glow, link me up with Shining Armor!”

“Roger” she replied.

And she did so, linking White Light to Shining.

“Shining Armor, it’s me” White Light said. “I want to confirm something about the intel about the last battle sequence.”

Ten-Tails then positioned himself over his legs, twitching the neck a little. Because of that, the two villains felt losing the control slightly.

“It’s going to begin be more difficult to control the Ten-Tails” Hepheus said, while summoning more wild energy that he shared with Grogar. “We need to use more wild energy to enhance our bond. We should take this opportunity to check out the Ten-Tails power, while it is in this current state. First, we should…”

“Yes…” Grogar said. “We need to show them… that they can resist to our master!”

And so Ten-Tails started to prepare a Tailed Beast Bomb that took a conical form. Seeing that, Shining told to White Light:

“Captain White Light, I need to go for now.”

“What is it?” White Light asked.

But he didn’t have to get the answer, as he could also feeling the imminence of the power Ten-Tails was using, what was being showed at the satellite of the bubble.

“Captain White Light!” Boreal Blizzard called.

Shining Armor knew the disappearance spell wouldn’t be enough, so he turned to Obsidian Blade that was near him and told him:

“Just place it out with earth nature.”

“Got you!” Obsidian Blade exclaimed.

And he used his magic, what cause the ground over one of Ten-Tails’ feel to up, what caused the tailed beast to lose its balance and firing the Tailed Beast Bomb wrongly. Shortly after, a great explosion happened at some distance away. Seeing that, Shining commented:

“He was able to fire it that far away? It’s much greater than the other tailed beasts.”

After Ten-Tails regained the balance, Hepheus said:

“It’s shaking. Its control isn’t perfect yet.”

“The next one…” Grogar said.

And Ten-Tails prepared another Tailed Beast Bomb and he launched it again. But, doing it, caused the tailed beast to fall back. The attack this time fell on the sea. Ten-Tails launched a third one that hit and destroyed a village nearby. Luna, who was able to use her magic to see what happened, said:

“Unbelievable… It was destroyed just like that…”

Some screams made her turn around and she saw that Ten-Tails started to move, putting himself over his knees with the one arm to hold himself. He prepared another attack.

At HQ, Boreal Blizzard said:

“It’s been acting weird. It seems to be aiming randomly.”

“But that only show us it can reach anything it wants” White Light commented.

“So everypony that we evacuated can become a target” Diamond Glow replied.

“The reason for this war is so our warriors at the battlefield can protect everyone else” White Light said. “But those two want to remove that reason…”

Ten-Tails over his eye in all directions and, when he fixed it, he prepared another Tailed Beast Bomb and fired it. Seen that, Luna noticed where that attack went to.

“But that went in direction of…” she said.

Sensing the attack, Boreal Blizzard’s face endured.

“This…” he said, trying to think of words to tell what he knew that was going to happen. “This is…”

“What is it, Boreal Blizzard?” Diamond Glow asked.

There was a pause and then he said:

“Please, react to this calmly.”

But White Light didn’t know him to finish what he was saying. He looked up and said:

“Right here, uh…”

“Captain, what now?” Diamond Glow asked.

“Just keep doing what we must to” he answered. “I have a plan to stop Ten-Tails. Our final act… Put me in contact to everyone in the battlefield.”

At the front line, all the ones who were there became static and Shining, Blue, Dark Knight, Silverweed, Lightning Bolt, along with other guards from Canterlot, had rigid looks, with some contorting their faces in anger and pain.

And the Tailed Beast Bomb that Ten-Tails fired reached its destiny and exploded. It was so powerful that was visible at the distance.

“Finally we got it” Hepheus said. “Now we smashed the Alliance’s brains. Simple basic strategy… I hope you’re not too upset, Grogar. I know that your protégé was there.”

“He was Star Shield’s protégé” Grogar replied coldly. “I’m no longer that pony.”

Blue turned to Shining, who admired Captain White Light as he was the one that inspired him to become a royal guard and nominated him captain, and said:

“Shining…”

“We’re in the middle of the war” he replied. “So don’t waste any words on me… Or on anyone of our comrades. We have to do what we have to do… just like captain said.”

Star, noticing the explosion, asked:

“But what just happened?”

Thunder Night appeared beside him and said:

“You’re the key to our success, Star.”

“I don’t mean that!” Star exclaimed. “I mean what happened to Captain White Light and all the others!”

But he didn’t have any time to answer, as Ten-Tails started to wave his tails and sweep everyone in the way, what forced them to dodge. Landing beside Thunder Night, Luna told him:

“Thunder Night, let’s do it together!”

“Yes, princess!” he replied.

And when Ten-Tails’ tail approached to them, they used a force of darkness nature to push it back.

“Amazing…” Star exclaimed before.

“Don’t just stand there spacing out, Star Knight” Luna replied. “This is a battlefield and we’re in the middle of a war. Ponies die, but, if we’re going to lose this war, everyone will die.”

Understanding her words, Star made a more serious look and said:

“Of course. I know that.”

“Remember this, Star, we must not let Captain White Light and the others die in vain” Thunder Night said. “Your power is crucial for the plan. So hang in there until we’re able to execute it.”

Twilight landed beside him and said:

“He’s right, son. We must protect you.”

“Mom…” Star said.

“We’ll do our best to protect this world!” Luna exclaimed.

Before that, Hepheus said, while Ten-Tails twitched the neck to normal:

“I was to take them down before they started to make the speeches, but… it is difficult to control the Nine-Tails well. I suppose this have to do until the next transformation. But after that, I believe only a jinchuriki will be able to control it. If I am going to become the jinchuriki, then I’ll need the tranquility to do so.”

“But that is something you’ll not have as long you have these flies interrupting” Grogar said. “The reason why you didn’t used the Tailed Beast Bomb on them was because it would get us, right?”

“Well, that’s very well observed, coming from a former captain of the Royal Guard” Hepheus commented. 

“What’s going to be our next move now?” Grogar asked.

“I know that you don’t like to cause unnecessary damages” Hepheus said. “But having in count who we’re up against, I don’t see any other choice. For that, I’ll use this wood nature spell…”

And then he made Ten-Tails rose his tails, while Hepheus exclaimed:

“Cutting Springs Spell!”

And, from Ten-Tails’ tails, he started to shoot wood spikes from the hands at the tails against the enemy. They tried to do their best to dodge, but some were hit. Ponies, deer and griffons… all having casualties that were pierced by the spikes. Not even dragons, who possessed powerful scales, couldn’t defend themselves, as the spikes were able to pierce them as well. However, they weren’t immune to fire, so Spike and the other dragons took advantage of that to protect as many as possible.

Obsidian Blade knew he could slow Ten-Tails down with his specialty, like he did before with the Demonic Statue, but he would need time to prepare it. Using their strength, Applejack and Big Mac got up a piece of the cracked ground to create a shield to him.

Thunder Night was using his darkness nature to defend himself, but he wouldn’t be able to dodge them all. It was then that a Spiraling Star passed through him and, when exploded, eradicated the spikes nearby.

“Thanks, uncle Thunder Night” Star replied, who was in Sage Mode and had made two clones to help him make two more Spiraling Stars. “I was able to activate Sage Mode. I can’t keep relying on the grown-ups.”

And he advanced and threw the Spiraling Stars at two more tails. 

“And here are two more!” Star exclaimed.

And the two other clones advanced, each one with a Spiraling Star, and threw them, disappearing after. But all that exhausted Star, who ended up kneeling, while his Sage Mode disappeared. A Spike came to him, but Twilight teleported to his side and created a shield that dodged that spike. 

From one side, a tailed was approaching, sweeping everything around. But Luna went to the front and, using her power, push the tail away. But spikes were thrown by a finger.

“Damn it!” Luna exclaimed, turning around. “Be careful!”

Twilight put herself in front of Star to protect him with her own body. But before any of them could hit them, Thunder Night put himself in the way and was hit in the back, for everyone’s shock, and fell on the ground.

At the medical camp, Fluttershy was flying while holding a bowl with medical herbs when, suddenly, a tightness in the heart made her drop the bowl. Cherry, noticing that, approached her and asked:

“Are you okay, Fluttershy?”

“I…” she started, not knowing what to say. “I don’t know… Cherry, I feel weird, as if something bad had happened.”

At the battle, Obsidian Blade was able to complete the spell and made the Ten-Tails become trapped, like how it happened with the Demonic Statue, trapping his tails and preventing him from firing more spikes, what allowed the others to advance and attack.

However, Star went to Thunder Night, holding him up, while blood covered his coat.

“Thunder Night!” he exclaimed. “Get the medical team!”

Twilight hurried to try to take out the spikes to heal him, but the spike seemed to absorb her magic.

“No…” Twilight said, who couldn’t believe that was happening.

“I think… I’m done” Thunder Night said, with blood coming out of his mouth.

“Uncle Thunder Night…” Star said.

“Don’t say anything like that…” Twilight said, with tears starting to cover her eyes.

But he nodded his head and continued:

“Star Knight, please… take care of Moonlight. She loves you very much and I know you love her too. Twilight… please… say to Fluttershy that… I love her very much… her and our children…”

Although it was hard to her, Twilight nodded and answered:

“I will.”

That made a smile appear on Thunder Night’s face.

“No… Please… You can’t die here…” Star said, with tears on his eyes. “You have your family… Aunt Fluttershy… Moonlight and Dark Cloud…”

“Even though… I’m not going to see my children grow up… I know they’re going to be fine” Thunder Night said. “And Fluttershy… I know she’s going to be fine. I’m glad that I met her. She saved me from living a life in darkness. She give me the life I thought I would never have…”

There was a pause and Thunder Night continued:

“Star, you already did something that I couldn’t do. You brought Moonlight back… and that’s something I’ll always be thankful for… even in death…”

Hepheus, noticing what was happening, asked to Star:

“Didn’t you say you would let your comrades die? Star Knight!”

That caused a distraction to Star that made him let Thunder Night who started to fall to the ground. But Star was able to hold him, only to see that his body was now lifeless. At that moment, he remembered his words from before.

“You said you wouldn’t let any of your comrades die no matter what” Hepheus continued. “Those were your words. Now, look around you and tried to say those words again.

And Star looked around, seeing all the ones that had been killed by Ten-Tails, fighting in order to protect him and moved by his determination. All that made the young prince to become static, not knowing what to think and forgetting the will that was running through him. Seeing that he wasn’t saying nothing, Hepheus shouted:

“I said try to say those words again! As the bodies of your comrades get colder on your arms… take in their deaths!”

Everyone was quite listening that. Grogar looked to Hepheus. So that was the reason why he executed that spell… to break Star’s fighting will.

“Thunder Night…” Shining said.

“Star…” Blue said, worrying about what his son was feeling at that moment.

“This will just keep happening” Hepheus continued. “And all of your pretty words and ideals will become lies. This is the result of ideals and hope. This is reality. Star Knight, what there is for you in this reality? Soon, the Lord of Chaos will have control over this world and have your mother’s star seed’s light and your father will fall just like the other Generals. If you continue to stand against us, you’ll continue to lose your friends, one by one. This shall become a world where no one who acknowledges you will exist! The only thing that waits you is… your worst nightmare, which you know very well… Solitude!”

All those words hit on Star like sticks and stones. Although normally he would just ignore them, with his state of spirit completely broken at that moment, those sticks and stones were capable of breaking his bones. And Star lowed his head.

Grogar couldn’t believe what Hepheus just did. He hit right on Star’s weak point and very hardly. Although he was completely devoted to his master, there was a fragment inside himself that made him feel sorry for his great-grandson. But that was necessary. With all that, Star would fall shortly which would break the will of the Alliance.

“So why keep living in reality?” Hepheus said, while extending his hoof to Star. “Now, come join us… Star Knight.”

But right after, Twilight slapped Star’s face with her hoof, leaving it there, like a gentle touch, and making Star look at her. There was a huge silence and Blue, seeing that, hopped that Twilight could help their son recover his fighting spirit.

“You heard what Thunder Night told you” she said. “He put on your hoofs Moonlight’s safety. He trusted in you because he knew that you loved her and you would do everything to protect her and what you’re thinking right now is not the best way to honor his final wish. You hold more than one life, do you understand? Your words and the conviction behind them are not lies. Thunder Night had them in his heart and lived out until the end. It isn’t just you… it’s all of us. We all have those words and feeling in our hearts, the things that bind us together… and make us like one united family. If we were all to give up and just discharge all those words and feelings, Thunder Night’s act would be for nothing and that’s when your comrades truly die because they won’t be your comrades anymore. That’s what I feel. So, please… stand up together with me… Star, my son, because your light it’s the one that will lead us to a new future.”

Those words coming from mom had a lot of power. Each word had a great amount of love, concern… and hope. At that moment, Star was able to notice that her mother was even more illuminated, even for a light pony.

“She’s right about you having more than one life with you!” Kurama exclaimed to his jinchuriki in their plane, while gathering his energy. “Don’t forget about me either!”

“I know that” Star replied him. “My bonds are serious. I’d never abandon my comrades! But… the truth is… Thunder Night…”

“Stop whining and complaining!” Kurama ordered with his hard voice. “I’ll beat you up and take over your body for good, this time! Damn it, did you forget that your mother and your father did their best to protect you?! They defended you from Perfect Scale and then they allowed one of their enemies, me, to be sealed inside you because the Lord of Order entrusted you with this world! Your life was already linked to others right from the time you’re just a baby!”

As the time advanced, Grogar noticed that Hepheus was waiting to see how Star would respond. It was then that Hepheus got tired of waiting and exclaimed:

“Enough of this!”

And Ten-Tails got involved with his tails.

“Slow down!” Grogar exclaimed. “You’re going to harm us and the Ten-Tails!”

“I don’t care!” Hepheux replied. “The Ten-Tails’ husk is hard!”

And the tailed beast prepared a Tailed Beast Bomb and the guards started to panic, as they knew they were going to be hit. But then, with Rainbow Dash and Soarin helping him, Hawthorn advanced toward Ten-Tails.

“Here I go!” he exclaimed.

And he threw himself against the ten-tailed tailed beast, turning into his tailed beast mode and starting a Tailed Beast Bomb of his own. He shocked with Ten-Tails’, disrupting it and putting his head inside the titanic tailed beast.

“Take this!” Hawthorn exclaimed, firing the Tailed Beast Bomb.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then Ten-Tails’ body expanded because of the explosion and then he deflated and then Hawthorn fell from the sky, hitting the ground with strength.

“Lord, Hawthon!” some deer exclaimed, going to the place where he was.

Hawthon, in the Tailed Beast Mode, had lost the other front horn and was really hurt, but he said:

“You don’t need to worry. Protecting as much lives as I can is the one thing I can do now.”

After hearing what both his mother and Kurama told him, Star took his hoof to Twilight’s, knowing they were right: he had a connection to many others, the ones who died to protect him. He couldn’t let their deaths be in vain. And he stood up, while holding his mother’s hoof.

“Mom… thank you” he said. “It’s all thanks to you standing by much side. Uncle Thunder Night… thank you too.”

Twilight smiled. That was the Star she knew. And then she felt something warm coming from Star and he covered with Kurama’s energy, the one he used to Tailed Beast Mode, but Twilight was covered by Nine-Tails’ energy coat.

“Mom… let’s do this!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah!” she replied.

But Twilight then noticed the energy and, look to her hoof, saw that the energy around took the form of claws. Hepheus and Grogar couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Everyone on the battlefield noticed that.

“Nice work transforming and transferring my energy, Star” Kurama told Star in their plane.

“I got the hang of it now” he said. “So help me out, Kurama.”

Kurama couldn’t help but think that White Light had been able to analyze extension ability largely. He then said to Star:

“Sorry for the delay. You can use a small number of clones now.”

“Great!” Star exclaimed.

Feeling the energy that was given to her, Twilight could feel the power it had. She couldn’t believe how Star was able to control something like that.

Using his magic, Star created three clones and they all scattered. Arriving to Blue’s side, he extended his hoof to the clone of his son.

“Come on, champ, your late” he said.

“Sorry, dad” he replied. “Here!”

Star touched his father’s hoof and the same energy cloak surrounding Twilight appeared on him.

“Uncle Shining!” Star called.

And he did the same with him and others, giving them Kurama’s energy that took the form of the fox cloak. Feeling that, Shining noticed it was a lot stronger than last time. So that was why Captain White Light wanted to asked him if the reason to be able to use the disappearance spell and its inverse to send Eight-Tails and bring him back was because he received Nine-Tails’ energy. He wanted to know the difference between using magic with and without that energy for what Shining replied that the power with it was three times superior than without. Having thinking to do that, was a brilliant idea coming from his mentor. That only made him realize that White Light could still have taught him a lot of things.

All the other Star’s clones did the same, giving to all ponies, thestrals, griffons, deer and dragons a fragment of Kurama’s energy. It didn’t take long for the majority to have it.

“That brat…” Hepheus said. 

“He’s giving them parts of Nine-Tails’ energy” Grogar observed.

Not wanting to lose any more time, Hepheus made Ten-Tails extend a tail and go attack Twilight. But she, using the energy that was given to her, fired a magic beam that was able to repel the tail and made it hit the stone that was holding the tailed beast.

“Looks like Princess Twilight got stronger after receiving Nine-Tails’ energy” Grogar said.

“Well, then, how about this!” Hepheus exclaimed.

And three more tails advanced to attack, but then three big dragons were able to stop them, thanks to the strength that Kurama’s energy gave them.

Taking advantage of that, Silverweed and other unicorns of the Canterlot guard went to start to execute the plan that Captain White Light entrusted them.

“Don’t mock me!” Hepheus exclaimed.

And spikes started to get out of the tails. Acting quickly, the unicorns used the immobilization spell, while Hepheus was caught by Silverweed’s telepathy spell, what allowed the spikes to be thrown without harming the dragons that were holding them. Then Spike, Ember and Flambeau turned them all into ash.

“We won’t let anyone getting harm by these by accident” Spike said.

Star noticed the enemy was fast, but he was glad that he had companions like those to help him.

The unicorn tried their best to hold the beast, but Ten-Tails was difficult to hold, even with Kurama’s energy. But they eventually were able to hold him tightly, what allowed Silverweed to stop using the telepathy spell.

“Star Knight!” Hepheus called, making the original Star look up. “You want to know one thing? It was those bonds that caused me to become what I am now. You should know that bonds can be a powerful curse too.”

“But we are warriors” Star said. “A warrior is someone that endure. The ones who died are the ones that don’t make us forget and are the scars of the pain of losing them that prove that they existed… inside here.”

And he touched his chest at the place where the heart was and then continued:

“Friends that you create inside a dream so you can’t get hurt aren’t real and that means you’re just erasing your real friends. Whatever is a curse or not, I want to keep the real friendship!”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile, full of pride of her son. Looking at him, she remembered the times she also said something like that to the enemies that she faced in the past.

While the clones started to finish, Kurama told Star:

“Almost done…”

Looking to Star so focused in transferring energy to the others, Kurama couldn’t help but making a slight smile. Everything happened just like the Lord of Order predicted. As Star inherited his mother’s status as alicorn and had been with him for years as jinchuriki, he was able to get matured enough to sense and transmute his energy to be compatible with others and give it to them, so Star could serve as medium to allow Kurama to give his energy. In his opinion, Star had already surpassed his own parents and even Heartbeat as jinchuriki.

As everyone in the Alliance got Kurama’s energy, Grogar looked to Hepheus, waiting to know what would be his response. And then the General of Chaos charged his horn and Ten-Tails got even more power that started to defy the immobilization spell the unicorns had cast on him. And six tails started to advance. But Hawthorn prepared his next attack.

“Tailed Beast Bomb!”

But he wasn’t alone. Many more launched their attacks that hit the tails. Although the attacks slowed them, the tails continued their way and buried themselves, creating a kind of cage to the ones that were inside. But that didn’t stop Star from creating Spiraling Star and, together with others, cut down the tails that were in the way and advanced against their enemy. For a moment, Star felt his shoulder being dislocated, but his mother appeared flying beside him and started to heal him, what caused them to trade a smile, and, with two attacks, Star was able to cut down the villains’ connection to the Ten-Tails. Everyone got over the tailed beast, ending up dropping him down, forcing Hepheus and Grogar to land, along with the rest of the Alliance, who landed before them with Star on the front saying:

“I’m not like you guys! I will never sever my bonds or having them cut off either!”

Back at the Light Kingdom, more precisely the castle, Purple Smoke and Melody were observing their fellow General who continued inconscious.

“They continue the same…” Purple Smoke said.

“The spell must eventually were off, but I know the General of Chaos must have done that in a way so we didn’t interfere” Melody said.

“But we got better earlier” Purple Smoke said. “But that was because Moonlight, Sweetie Belle and Radiant Hope’s true talent for music bloomed. I just wanted they got better fast.”

And they then felt a pulse of energy that revitalized the kingdom’s defenses.

“Did you feel that?” Melody asked to Purple Smoke who nodded.

At that moment, Heartbeat opened her eyes and sit up.

“Heartbeat?” the two Generals asked.

They approached her and Melody asked:

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine, actually. Very, very fine.”

“But how did you…” Purple Smoke started.

“It would appear that somepony just made a great decision in their resolution that allowed me to get the energy to break the spell on me” Heartbeat replied. “Now, I think it’s time to join the war.”

“What?!” Purple Smoke asked. “But we have orders to stay and protect the Light Kingdom.”

“Well, you have” Heartbeat said. “But I don’t. I need to go the front line. But, first, there’s one thing I need to do first.”