//------------------------------// // The General of Balance's True Power // Story: Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// After hearing what Blue said, Hepheus smiled and said: “You may be a General, but you’re nothing more than a mere copy of the original General of Balance. And even him wouldn’t have the power to defeat me.” “Don’t you dare to compare me with Perfect Scales” Blue said. “Prince Shining Armor, are you okay?” Heartbeat asked, as she and Strongpaw approached. “Yeah, thanks to Blue” Shining replied. “I don’t mean that” Heartbeat said. “I’m talking about the Spiraling Sphere from earlier. I noticed that it hit you.” “You don’t have to worry about that” Shining told. “I used the disappearance spell on it.” “I’m glad for that” Heartbeat said. “But it looks now we’re low in options to deal with Hepheus. I can used my emotional magic on him, but taking out the Nine-Tails in me left me very weak. I can’t barely use my empathy.” “Well, then it’s my turn” Blue said, advancing. “My magic can nullify his supreme nature. Beyond that, close combat is one of my specialties. Also, I learned a few tricks as General.” And, using his magic, he was involved by a strong pulse of magic. That sudden released of power surprised Hepheus. “That Blue, always so exaggerated” Heartbeat said. “He’s opening the limits of his power as General.” “I see…” Hepheus said, looking to Blue. “You’re trying to access to your true power as General. But you insult me with anything less than that.” It was then that Blue appeared before Hepheus with a great speed and started to try to hit him. The General of Chaos, caught by surprised, was barely able to dodge. “Amazing…” Strongpaw said. “I didn’t now Prince Blue Sword still had this much energy.” “Heartbeat, what is that you talked now?” Shining asked. “What do you mean by opening the limits?” “The Generals of Order normally only have part of their power that is restrained by our star seeds” Heartbeat said. “That’s because that much power can have negative effects on it. At least, the light goes out and, at the worse scenario, the star seed breaks. And you know what happens when the star seed breaks.” Shining knew what she was referring. Losing the light meant to turn into a lifeless black stone, as the light that gives life wouldn’t have anything to be contained, but breaking a star seed would meant to cease to exist. “You mean Blue…” Shining started. “As long he doesn’t cross the point of no return, he will be fine” Heartbeat said. “He won’t be able to move for weeks, but fine.” “And when do we know he crosses that point?” Shining asked. “Believe me, you will know” Heartbeat ensured him. And then Blue charged his horn with such quantity of energy and roared: “Take this!” And a great explosion happened at the roots of the Divine Tree. The power was such that threw Blue against the floor, while Hepheus was sent back. The latter used his wings to stop and then he threw one of his spheres. Heartbeat was quick to react and used her swift nature to bring Blue back. “I got you” she said. “Thanks, Heartbeat…” he replied. After they arrived to the others’ side, Heartbeat said: “You should be careful when you suppress your star seeds’ limits like that. You know what that does to us.” “Are you all right, Blue?” Shining asked. “Yes, I am” he answered. “Only my right foreleg and a few ribs are hurt.” Hepheus took flight, looking to his enemies, and Shining said: “He’s really strong.” “Wait, Shining…” Blue said. “I know I can do this. It’s true that everything we wish for will not come to be, but things that we must do must always begin with a wish. My son is the proof of that. And if he was ready to sacrifice himself for everyone, then I’m willing to do the same for him.” Listening to that, Shining knew what he was thinking. “Don’t tell me… you’re going to…” he started. “It’s time… to cross the point of no return” Blue replied. “Blue, you can’t!” Heartbeat exclaimed. “If you do that…” “I know” Blue said. “Perfect Scale almost crushed my star seed once. But I know what I’m doing. Even if my star seed breaks, the Lord of Order will choose a new General of Balance, knowing the last one did everything he could protect his Creation. It’s all I can do for him… and everyone else, including Star.” There was a silence, where Shining looked to his best friend that was like a brother to him. He could see the determination on his eyes and how in peace he was with his decision. Without having anypony else stopping him, Blue advanced, while being involved by the strong aura from before, starting to become even more intense, as he took down the last limit that his star seed imposed on him. Hepheus noticed that, as Blue’s star seed immerged and made the aura around him, that had a dark blue appearance, turned red-like-blood and it surrounded all his body. “I can’t believe is going to do it…” Heartbeat said. “No, Blue…” Noticing the red aura and the appearance of Blue’s star seed, Hepheus realized Blue had crossed the point of no return. He never thought he would see a General do anything like that. It was then that, with just one jump, Blue appeared before Hepheus with a tremendous speed and then lent a blow on him. The General of Chaos defended it, but the power that Blue was using was such that Hepheus didn’t know how long he would endure that. It was then that Hepheus was thrown away against the ground, landing with a great shock. “That’s what happens when we take out all the limits that our star seeds impose to us” Heartbeat explained. “Our bodies are filled with an immense energy that allows us to go through the limits any other normally has. However, it’s just a temporally boost that ends in a moment, causing then the star seed to become so weak that starts to crack and then breaks.” Blue prepared for another blow, but then a crack appeared on his star seed, what caused him pain, as he could feel his body like it was burning. But he endured it… He had to endure it. Hepheus was lying in a great hole created by the shock of his fall, face up. “An attack that bombards with blows of punched air…” he said. “Impressive… I’ve never seen anything like it…” And then a protrusion on the protrusion covering his forehead broke. Hepheus rose up, knowing that he couldn’t be hit by much more blows like that one, or else everything could end to him. While waiting to see what happened to Hepheus, Shining asked: “Did he do it?” And Hepheus took flight, starting to advance to Blue. “It’s rare for a villain to fight a General that is willing to go as far as you” the General of Chaos said. “Because of that, I accept your challenge. I’ll play with you.” It was then that, like if climbing invisible chairs, Blue started to advance towards Hepheus. “He’s coming against me by kicking air!” he exclaimed. After seeing that, Heartbeat said: “We must help Blue.” “What about those black spheres?” Strongpaw asked. “I had been observing them and, although the power they have, they need to make contact to work” Heartbeat said. “Beyond that, there’s a limit distance where he can send them. Any further than that, and he’ll lose control over them. Since they actually exist and can be seen with the eye, the disappearance spell can work on them, making them go away and prevent Hepheus from controlling them.” “To be honest, I don’t know if I can use the disappearance spell that much” Shining replied. “I’ll have to get pretty close to target it accurately.” Heartbeat turned to Strongpaw and told him: “Chief Strongpaw, can you prepare some sand?” “You want me to transport Prince Shining Armor with my sand, right?” he asked. “But my sand isn’t fast enough to avoid his attacks.” “Don’t worry” Heartbeat replied to him. “That’s where I come in.” With them now near the ground, Blue started to run around Hepheus with an increasing speed. Hepheus prepared for any attack and, when Blue prepared to give him a punch, Hepheus said: “He’s fast!” And tried to use the black matter to create a shield, but although he protected him from the shockwave, he soon noticed Blue behind him and giving another punch, whose shockwave hit Hepheus on the face with the power of a punch ten thousand time superior to a normal one. Blue attacked him two more times, trapping Hepheus in the shock wave and preventing him from moving. When Blue came to a fifth blow, Hepheus involved himself with the black matter, while firing at him the remaining spheres. It was then that Heartbeat appeared in front of Blue and, after focusing on them, she and the spheres teleported away. It was at that moment that Shining appeared behind Hepheus on the sand that Strongpaw used to elevate him. Using the disappearance spell, he created a hole on his cocoon that allowed Blue to lend a blow on Hepheus, breaking through the black matter. That last blow was so strong that Hepheus moaned in pain and spit blood, while hitting the ground and being dragged a great distance. The dust started to clear, revealing Blue on the ground, panting and looking to where Hepheus had been thrown. When the dust there cleared, Hepheus appeared lying on the ground. Much to Blue’s surprise, he started to get up with a smile and then cleared the blood he had at the corners of his mouth. “You’re the first since a long time to make me feel this excited!” Hepheus exclaimed to Blue. “Can you still dance? Do you have any more blows? Give me more fun!” Blue couldn’t believe that Hepheus was still able to get up after all that.