//------------------------------// // Grandfather VS Grandson // Story: Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// The regents were recovering from their fight against Tirek. After they recovered a great part of it, Aspen said: “It is time to join the front line.” “Yes, we have to help the others against the General of Chaos” Celestia said. “It will be more difficult than you think” a voice told. They all turned and saw… “Heartbeat?” Celestia asked, while she and the other regents got happy to see the General of Affection. “Yes, it’s me” she replied. “So not only Purple Smoke and Melody recovered, but you too” Ingrid said. “But they didn’t say anything” Mystic Heart commented. “I just recovered moments ago” Heartbeat said. “And I will join the fight as well. Sorry for the delay, but I had to made a quick stop.” “I’m just glad that you will join us” Hard Stone replied. “The help of the great General of Affection will come in handy in a time like this.” “What do you mean that battling the General of Chaos will be more difficult?” Strongpaw asked. “Even that he hasn’t captured Eight and Nine-Tails yet, he still managed to awake Ten-Tails” Heartbeat revealed. “What?!” all the regents exclaimed. “That’s terrible!” Hard Stone exclaimed. “That’s the reason why we must act” Heartbeat said. “I’ll go ahead with Princess Celestia and Queen Ingrid. The rest must come as fast as you can.” They nodded, but then Heartbeat said to Celestia: “Before that, I have to tell you one thing, princess.” “What is it?” she asked. “The General of Chaos’ identity is already known” Heartbeat proclaimed. “Really?” she asked. “That’s great! Who is he?” “He’s… Hepheus” Heartbeat replied. Celestia, hearing that, became paralyzed. She couldn’t believe that the stallion that she fell in love with after Day Glow was her enemy. The first thing she felt was denial, but then realized that Heartbeat wouldn’t say that unless she was certain. After that, Celestia took deep breaths and tried to calm herself down, as she knew it couldn’t be helped. She had to accept it. “Sister…” Ingrid said. “I’m fine” Celestia replied, turning to Heartbeat. “You can take us there.” Heartbeat nodded. After hearing Star’s affirmation that he wouldn’t let his bond to be cut, Grogar replied: “You shouldn’t have severed our link to the Ten-Tails.” And the tailed beast roared and prepared to attack with a feast. “Now disappear!” Hepheus replied. Along with the shockwave of Ten-Tails’ attack, Hepheus launched a torrent of fire and Grogar used his bell to cast powerful waves. The ground under them started to crack and Star flapped his wings and intensify the energy around the others, so the ones who couldn’t fly would be protected. And when the attack hit them, their defenses created by Kurama’s energy protected them all. When the attacks stopped, everyone was untouched. But that didn’t stop the two villains from continuing to attack. Hepheus launched magic beams, while Grogar launched blades stored in the Nothingness Realm. But Star didn’t give up, making the cloaks to create tails that they used to dodge the attacks. Twilight could see that it was Star’s energy cloaks that had been protecting them from harm, what caused her to worry about her son’s safety. In fact, Star started to get tired from all the effort he used to protect everyone. When the dust cleared, Grogar and Hepheus had disappeared. “They’re gone…” Star observed. “But where did they go?” Blue asked. “Is it possible that they escaped?” Hawthorn asked. “That’s impossible!” Gyuki exclaimed. “Find him!” “Star, above you!” Shining replied. And Grogar appeared from the Nothingness Realm above Star, ready to attack with his horns. But the young jinchuriki was able to dodge. “Star, you’re only fighting in the defense now, protecting everyone” Grogar observed. “Is there any meaning for what you’re doing?” “Are you okay, Star Knight?” Kurama asked to his jinchuriki. “It’s too much for you to control the energy I gave you all at once. You’re going to were out in no time. Plus, it looks like the Ten-Tails is charging energy. Be careful.” There was a pause and then Grogar observed: “You’re going weaker.” “I guess you don’t understand, since you gave up your own light” Star replied with a smile, while starting to run against him. “The truth is that I’m really glad to have everyone here by my side! Just seeing them all gives me strength!” Everyone advanced with him and attacked Grogar together. When they were about to lend a blow, Grogar teleported to the Nothingness Realm. “He ran off?” Applejack asked. Grogar reappeared on a level above and said: “If the pain of your comrades’ deaths is part of your bonds, then there’s no need to protect them.” “What the hell are you quibbling?!” Star asked. “That’s the exact thing I hate about you villains! That’s not what I’m talking about either! I say that I can’t take any amount of pain that involves my comrades! It means I don’t want to give them up! It may seem selfish of me, but still it’s more painful for me to not have my comrades in here! Get it?” Those words cause everyone present to smile, as their own moral got even stronger. Hepheus, meanwhile, was on a higher point, looking to the horizon. He could feel that something wasn’t right. The balance had tilted to the Order’s side a bit. The General of Chaos didn’t know what caused that, but it was something that he didn’t like on bit. On the other hoof, he could feel that Celestia was still there. She and the others must have defeated Tirek and that couldn’t make him happier. He would have the chance to fight and defeat the one that was the reason why he suffered for centuries in the Lord of Chaos’ dungeon. Ten-Tails roared, while trying to get freed from the rocks that were holding him. Obsidian Blade, who was doing his best to hold his spell with his daughter, was starting a lot of trouble to keep Ten-Tails in. “Dad, it’s collapsing!” Quartz Blitz exclaimed. “I can’t hold it back any longer!” Obsidian Blade said. And Ten-Tails got free, crushing the stone and roaring, while his missing limb grew. The roar was so loud that the ponies had to bring their hooves to their ears. “Damn it!” Obsidian Blade exclaimed. “And I was thinking my spell got stronger with Prince Star Knight’s energy!” “But there’s no other spell that can stop it any better!” Quartz Blitz said. While Star was trying to stand that screech, Kurama told him in their plane: “Bad news, Star. Ten-Tails is planning a Cataclysm.” “What are you talking about?” Star asked. “What’s that?” “Stop wasting time!” Kurama replied. “All the land will be ripped apart!” Ten-Tails continue to roar with his intense screech and Grogar said: “Because you severed the link between Ten-Tails and me and Hepheus, it can’t be controlled now. But I think it is time for it to find its jinchuriki.” And a great quantity of energy surrounded Ten-Tails, what then created storming clouds above and powerful winds. Noticing that, Hepheus surrounded himself with dark magic and said: “Now the real fun… begins.” Shining and Blue were together and the latter said: “We have to make Ten-Tails disappear.” “We have to do the disappearance spell” Shining said. But, before anyone of them could use a disappearance spell, Grogar appeared and said: “I won’t let you do that.” And he rang his bell that interfered with the two unicorns magic. “And now, no one, except for me, will be able to use the disappearance cell.” “You…” Blue said, preparing to attack. But, with another ring of the bell, Grogar created a forced that pushed back Blue. “Dad!” Star exclaimed nearby. Grogar turned then to Shining and said: “You come with me.” And, having said that, Grogar pulled himself and Shining to the Nothingness Realm, while the energy cloak disappeared on the latter. “Uncle Shining!” Star called. “Don’t worry about him, Star” Blue said, while getting up. “He can take care of himself.” “Here it comes!” Kurama exclaimed. “The Cataclysm!” And a great shockwave happened, so strong that cause all the ground around to be ravaged, while lightning got out of the storming clouds around and strong tornados were made. It didn’t take long for a great flood to join the chaos that was happening. Ten-Tails was at the epicenter of all that cataclysm, roaring. When everything calmed down and the water of the flood was drained by all the cracks on the ground, Hepheus appeared, still protected by the darkness around him. “That should have cleaned most of them out” he said. He looked down to the soldiers, who were trying to get up, still with their energy cloak. But, to his surprise, they were still well, all thanks to Kurama’s energy Star gave them. But Star had got many injuries, with blood coming out of his wounded shoulder and the side of his head. With a smile, he asked: “Is that all that you got?” He looked to the Ten-Tails and, through the young prince, the other tailed beasts did the same due to the energy that both gave to Star. It was then that Ten-Tails joined his hands and his spikes grew even bigger, along with his husk. As Star got weakened for having protected everyone, he kneeled and the energy cloak that surrounded everyone disappeared. “Nice try acting tuff, but you’re at your limit” Hepheus told him. “You gave me something to look forward to, but I think it is time for you meet your end.” But, at that moment, Applejack, Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Cloud Chaser, Shadw Claw, Spike and many others put themselves in front of Star led by Luna. “Everyone, let’s join our forces and fight as one” Luna said. And everyone cheered her words. “Princess Luna…” Star said. His mother appeared beside him and started to use the healing spell on him, while saying: “It’s time for you to recover.” Star smiled for seeing all of them wanting to protect him. He could feel the fellowship that they were transmitting. “Such futile display…” Hepheus replied. Grogar and Shining reappeared at the Nothingness Realm. When they arrived, Shining took opportunity from the moment of weakeness of Grogar after pulling them into that realm to attack him with a light blade. However, at the last moment, he stopped. Attacking his grandfather, even if he was now his enemy, was too much for him. Grogar smiled and commented: “I can see that you still have doubts in your heart. You had many chances to kill me if you wanted to. It’s amazing how somepony as loyal as you to the Lord of Order would have compaction to a villain like me in the middle of such important battle like this one. Are you feeling that I can still be saved? That I can still become the Star Shield everypony knew? Hoping that I have a change of heart?” A pause and then Shining asked: “Grandpa, why don’t you stop this? Since I learned you were the Captain of Canterlot Royal Guard, my dream was to become like you. I looked up to you, to the legacy you left. And now, not only me, but your grandson as well is trying to make sure that everything you worked hard isn’t in vain. I could see that you looked a little uneasy by the way the General of Chaos attacked us. I know that the grandfather I always heard about is still inside you. I’m certain that you can understand Star’s feelings. You can still go back to the pony you were.” But then Grogar started to laugh in an evil way. “It’s because I understand Star’s mind that I didn’t try to stop Hepheus, even knowing the collateral damages his moves create. I am helping the Lord of Chaos to give everything he and all the others desire, in exchange of the control of this reality. Ever since I became the Lord of Chaos’ servent, I learn the truth about his brother’s creation.” And he passed through Shining’s blade, making it pass through the chest, what caused discomfort to Shining, and he continued: “No matter what words you say, to me this reality causes nothing but pain, giving then a false promise of hope.” Shining took out his light blade from Grogar’s body, fading it then. But Grogar didn’t finished the spell that allowed him to pass through, revealing a hole on his chest. The ram continued: “It was that what made me realize that this world deserves a new Lord that will lead everyone to a new dawn.” “But don’t you remember what Star said?” Shining asked, putting his hoof over his chest. “That is more painful not to have real friends inside one’s heart? I know the old you would resonate with that. I still believe that the current you can as well!” “Look at me!” Grogar shouted. “I have been serving the Lord of Chaos for centuries. At this moment, there’s nothing at my heart, like this hole in my chest. I have nothing to believe unless my master’s orders. You, on the other hoof, along with our family, didn’t do anything but to suffer, not only because of my death, but also fighting the Lord of Chaos. But you don’t need to suffer anymore. You and all the others can escape everything, live without the fear of battling the Lord of Chaos. You can wish for whatever you want. Anything is possible inside this curse.” “No…” Shining said. “If our lives is full of pain and misery is because of the one you serve. For us to be completely happy, then the threat of the Lord of Chaos must be eradicated for good. Do you think that illusions can feel the hole in your heart? Don’t erase the memories of the real ones who loved you, because that hole on your heart won’t get away!” Out there, Ten-Tails started to open the mouth, expanding it. It was then that something looking like a bulb started to get out. “It’s transforming again…” Hawthorn, who had returned to his deer form, observed. “No, it’s just reverting to his original form” Gyuki told. “That was only his attack form. However, it’s just one stage away from his final transformation.” As the bulb opened, everyone looked terrified, not knowing what to expect. “Star is still recovering and Nine-Tails is infusion energy” Gyuki said to Hawthorn. “It’s all up to us now, Hawthorn.” “I heart that” he replied. “We’ll show to everyone all our might.” “List, Hawthorn, if we let him go under his final transformation, we lose” Gyuki warned. “We have to stop that from happening… right now.” And the bulb opened to reveal some kind of flower, starting to create a big Tailed Beast Bomb. Seeing that, Hepheus observed: “Ten-Tails is not holding back. It must have gotten impatient after seeing the other tailed beasts inside Star Knight. The fun is just about to begin, but it would appear that I’ll have to move soon.” Ten-Tails continued to increase the Tailed Beast Bomb’s size. “Wow, it’s only getting bigger!” Cloud Chase exclaimed. “Eeyup…” Big Mac said. “Is that meant for Star?” Applejack asked. “But how are can we deal with that without Star’s energy?” Soarin asked. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but… I don’t know” Rainbow Dash said. “Me neither…” Shadow Claw added. Twilight, while healing Star, could feel what the others were feeling at that moment and she understood, but she couldn’t let the moral Star struggled to keep up going down, so she said: “We have to remain strong. We can’t waver after coming this far. My son is putting is all into doing what it has to be done. The words Star just said… made it clear. He consider us all his comrades from the bottom of his heart!” That caused everyone to whisperer between themselves, but then the certain invaded their minds. Twilight continued: “I’m going to fully heal Star. We much each do what we can. If we’re going to die anyway, we must as well go fighting… to the very best of our abilities.” A pause and then Luna said: “Well said, Twilight Sparkle. You can count with me.” “And me” Spike added. “I’m always with my friends until the end.” Blue also wanted to do what he could to help Star and then he got an idea. He teleported to the side of Silverweed and told him: “Silverweed, I need you to connect me with somepony.” “You have a plan?” he asked. “Shining is not the only one with big ideas” Blue said. “My son and my wife are doing their best and I must do the same.” Where Obsidian Blade and Quartz Blitz were, the latter said: “There must be something we can do, right, dad?” “But I’m low in energy” he replied. It was then that Blue, with Silverweed’s help, connected telepathically with Obsidian Blade: “Captain Obsidian Blade, please, hear me out.” “Prince Blue Sword…” Obsidian Blade said. “I need you to teach me how to use a spell to conjure an earth wall that even the ones who don’t have earth nature or don’t use magic can do” Blue said. “One that anyone could perform would be too weak” Obsidian Blade replied. “It would be better to…” “No, it’s crucial that everyone is able to reproduce it” Blue told. “If the enemy has quality, we got quantity.” “But those walls will be blow away immediately” Obsidian Blade said. “Then we just have to keep building more” Blue replied. “They will act as shield. W’'re going to slow that with many walls, rather than stop it with one powerful wall. I also wanted your best warriors of Stonult to build a super wall.” “I see…” Obsidian Blade said with a smile. “Your idea may indeed be worth the try. All right, this is all it works.” “Before that…” Blue said, connecting then to Hawthorn. “Lord Hawthorn, while everyone else is building barriers, I want you to hit that thing with many Tailed Beast Bombs and shift its trajectory upwards.” He then turned to Silverweed and told him: “Silverweed, now I need to connect me with everyone on the battlefield. Can you do it?” “I may not be at the same level as Diamong Glow, but that doesn’t matter” he replied. “I’m going to do it.” And he started to do so. At the Nothingness Realm, Grogar asked to Shining: “What is your issue in a world of illusions? Reality is cruel. This hole will just getting bigger. Things don’t go the way you want. The help not always arrives in time. Just like it was with me. Don’t you agree, grandson? How would you seal this hole when there’s light and darkness fighting against each other and taking down anyone caught in the crossfire?” There was a great pause and then Shining said: “I may not be as noble and knowledgeable as my sister, but I learned a thing or two.” He then remembered everything he saw his sisters and her friends passed through and the lessons they learned, and then said: “The hole in one’s heart gets filled by the ones around you. But they won’t flock to someone who abandoned and gave up on the world just because things didn’t went the way they want to or because he stopped fighting for their own will. That won’t do anything to fill the hole on your heart. And no one don’t help those who run away and do nothing. As long as you don’t give up, there will always be salvation.” Outside, through Silverweed, Blue transmitted to everyone how to do an earth barrier. “No matter what you say or do…” Grogar said, smiling. “…it’s over.” And Ten-Tails fired the Tailed Beast Bomb, while everyone created earth barriers “Here it comes, Hawthorn!” Gyuki exclaimed. “Right!” Hawthorn replied. And they turned into their tailed beast form, starting to fire multiple Tailed Beast Bombs to Ten-Tails’, but it continued. “Its power is off the charts!” Gyuki exclaimed, moving. Ten-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb started to pass through the barriers like they were nothing. It would appear it was more powerful than they thought. But then it passed the last barrier and, when everyone thought they would be hit, Gyuki and Hawthorn tried to prevent its advance. “Tedious whitewashing…” Grogar said. “True happiness can only be achieve when you abandon the light and ridding yourself of the memories of the ones you love.” “In the lights of the Order, the ones who abandon their friends are scum, but the ones who don’t cherish their friends are even worse scum than that” Shining replied. When Hawthorn thought they wouldn’t be able to hold it, the Tailed Beast Bomb just vanished. That let everyone confused. Shining charged his horn, creating a light sword, and said: “I won’t abandon what I know about the old you… even if the current you who is repudiating it.” After Ten-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb disappeared, Heartbeat appeared in front of Star and asked: “Am I too late?” “No way” Star replied to her, smiling. “You got here right on time, Heartbeat.”