Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox

by Rakoon1

Star Shield

After the appearance of the dark armor, it didn’t take long for Star to make Kurama’s avatar’s full body appear and all of his body be covered by the dark armor, including all the nine tails. At Kurama’s forehead, there was a crystal of energy where Star was, and, at one of his front paws, he was holding a blade made of darkness nature.

Seeing that, Grogar noticed he had to be more careful. He then took flight and, with one hoof, he formed with the black matter a spiraling sword and, with the other hoof, he formed a big shield.

“Nothing you try now will change anything” Grogar replied. “Look above you. What do you see at the top? The moon… The time to get into the eternal dream draws near. It will finally be time for the dreams of the moon to completely bury this disgusting world of shades!”

A pause and then he continued:

“I will vanquish all of you. It doesn’t matter how much you resist. It’s useless. The power of Ten-Tails and the Lord of Chaos will stop you.”

While he talked, Star prepared to attack. But it needed to be a certain blow. He couldn’t miss it. Kurama then started to wave his tails, all of them creating a Spiraling Sphere, each.

“And I will use this sword to destroy this all world!” Grogar exclaimed.

And Kurama roared and then, for Grogar’s shock, nine figures jump into the crater. It was Blue, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Applejack, Cloud Chase, Big Mac, Shadow Claw, Spike and Hawthorn, who had been called by Star through the link existed with the energy he had shared with them. Each one got inside one tail, right in front of the Spiraling Sphere with the same brilliant energy that formed Kurama’s avatar involving them.

“I’ll give you a Spiraling Sphere to each of you” Star said with his mind. “Use them to pass through and wreck his shield.”

Everyone was openmouthed, while extending their limbs to the Spiraling Sphere. They then started to push them and got out of the tails, heading towards Grogar with them. Twilight, who was with Luna focusing on the healing, cheered mentally for them. Together, they hit Grogar’s shield, starting to push forward.

With that, Star and Kurama waved the blade and started to penetrate the shield, while the others landed and the energy that surrounded them disappeared only to be replaced by the red energy cloak. Grogar then used the spiraling sword to attack also, with the two blades about to be touched and the two adversaries looking at each other.

The two blades shocked, but Star’s started to break through Grogar’s until the young alicorn passed the ram, while making a blow on the left side of his abdomen, much for Grogar’s shock. It was then that nine great white masses of energy erupted, with them taking the shape of the heads of the nine tailed beasts whose energy was inside him. They were roaring, while trying to escape the prison that was holding them.

At Kurama’s plane, the fox said to his jinchuriki:

“Just like we thought, their energy reacted to the energy they gave you earlier. So, we can oull out the tailed beasts’ energy in one shot.”

“That’s right!” Star replied.

But Kurama knew that wouldn’t have worked if the tailed beasts didn’t have liked him and shared their energy with him. That only made him conclude that Star was really special.

“Let’s do it now!” Star exclaimed.

And Kurama’s energy tails took the same shape of the white masses of energy that headed and shocked with the latter. Seven of the tails connected immediately, but two not.

“You know what to do now, right, Star?!” Kurama exclaimed. “Tug-o-war! Just pull the tailed beasts’ energy right off him!”

“Got it!” Star replied.

He tried to used his two other tails to get the other two, but they deflected. He couldn’t get Shukaku and Gyuki.

“Damn, we can’t grab One and Eight-Tails, since we don’t have their energy” Kurama said.

At that moment, Strongpaw appeared, flying over his sand, and extended his hoof, while saying:

“Originally, One-Tail was linked to me. I can get him.”

“Chief Strongpaw!” Star exclaimed with a smile.

And he launched a torrent of sand that grabbed Shukaku’s energy. It was time for Strongpaw to reclaim what was taken from him and compensate everyone for having allow the extraction of the tailed beasts from their respective tailed beasts to begin.

Hawthorn then approached, while saying:

“And you can give Eight-Tails with me!”

And he threw tentacles to grab Gyuki’s energy.

“Nice work, Lord Hawthorn!” Star said.

“Let’s do this, Hawthorn!” Gyuki cried. “Don’t lose!”

Kurama laughed, as now they couldn’t lose.

They all started to pull and Grogar, seeing that, couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Extract them!” Kurama directed. “If you do that, the only power he will have left is Ten-Tails’ husk and the tree’s bulb won’t bloom.”

Grogar started to fight back, pulling the tailed beasts’ energy to him. Meanwhile, the bulb was closed to get fully bloomed, but it was then that it stopped. The same happened with the wooden dragons.

“They all stopped” Ember said.

“Silverweed!” Twilight called.

“Yes” he replied, while preparing to execute his telepathic spell.

“Blue, what happened?” Twilight asked, contacting her husband.

“We’re close, but we need help” Blue said.

After telling her the situation, Twilight said:

“Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

And she then directed Silverweed to contact everyone on the battlefield. The princess told them:

“Everyone, remember when I told you that even a small power can be helpful? Well, now, it’s the time. Your power will change the course of this world. Listen closely.”

Star, Strongpaw and Hawthorn continued to pull out the tailed beasts’ energy. It was then that, while doing that, Star started to see glimpses of memories that weren’t his. In them was a stallion that looked like his uncle Shining, but he knew it wasn’t him, as he was with a mare that he quickly recognized as being his great-grandmother Starlight. But it wasn’t just her, but also memories that included his grandfather Night Light and his great-uncle Shooting Star. They were happy memories, full of love and light. But it wasn’t just happy memories, but also the memories when Star Shield was captured by Chrysalis and her changelings and then corrupted by the Lord of Chaos, beginning then his dark path. Tears started to cover Star’s eyes as he saw all those memories belonging to his great-grandfather.

“Your energy is connected to his” Kurama explained him. “His feelings will flow into you, but don’t get distracted.”

“Don’t underestimate me!” Grogar shouted. “My power is much more superior to yours!”

And, with a sudden powerful pull, Grogar gained advantage. At that moment, Blue and the other seven landed on Kurama’s tails and, using the energy cloak they have, grabbed them.

“Star, you’re the one that asked us to lend a hoof, so we’re helping out until the very end!” Rainbow Dash said.

“Guys…” Star said with a smile.

“And that isn’t all” Blue told to his son.

And, just like they did, all the members of the Alliance get inside the crater to help, much to Grogar’s shock. Heartbeat, who covered herself with Kurama’s energy, told:

“All right, everyone, grab on to my energy!”

And she casted an energy arm that grabbed one of Kurama’s tails and then created multiple energy ropes that they all grabbed.

“On my mark, everyone pull together hard!” Star said. “Now, pull!”

On a mental plane created when their energies came in contact, Grogar was looking to Star, when suddenly the images of everyone that were helping him started to appear behind him. They were all there for him, while Grogar was all alone. It was then that, while looking to Star, he couldn’t notice but see his former self in him. When the images of the Alliance disappeared, leaving the two of them alone, Star told him:

“When you became Grogar, you discarded Star Shield, but you didn’t forget his memories.”

“No, stop it!” Grogar exclaimed. “Don’t step into my toughts!”

Star smiled and then continued:

“And the truth is that you don’t won’t to lose them because they are the only link you have to the ones you love. With the power that you have, you could have erase all those memories, but you didn’t.”

“It doesn’t matter what you say” Grogar replied. “Even if I kept the memories, I threw away my past and my naïve self. Don’t say…”

“Tell me that you are not able to see this” Star said. “You can hide behind that façade, but it’s pointless. You are my grandfather’s father, my mother and my uncle’s grandfather… and my great-grandfather, a great warrior who had the same determination as me to protect the ones he loves.”

“What is all this?” Grogar asked. “Just tell me! What is it that you want from me!”

“I want you to remind you that you’re Star Shield!”

A pause and then Grogar said:

“Star Shield? What meaning exists in that name? Or in its existence for that matter? I merged with Ten-Tails and I transcended. I’m no longer what I used to be. I shall lead everyone into the next phase and carry on the wishes of the Lord of Chaos. I am his most loyal servant!”

“Wrong!” Star replied. “You’re Star Shield! When our energies touched earlier, I saw into your past. We have the same family. We shared love for the same ponies. And I inherited the same principles that you used to possess… the same ones. Beyond that, we both know the feeling of losing the bonds with the ones we love. That’s why you said to me all those things. You always wanted to protect everyone you love and everything you believe… I mean, if you’re just like me.”

While Star said that, Grogar thought back to his old life. He remember when he met Starlight and how happy they were together, along with their sons.

“But look at you now” Star continued. “You made all the ones you loved your enemy and spelled nonsense that it is for the world’s sake, when really you’re only doing it for yourself! Not to one pony, not even the ones precious to you.”

That made Grogar to look to Star who then said:

“You used to be a warrior who everyone respected, but now you’re the opposite! It’s because of we’re similar that…”

“No!” Grogar interrupted. “It’s because we’re alike that I wanted to see you to despair about this world. Or maybe because I wanted to feel myself again to be sure that the path that I’m walking through is not a mistake.”

He started to walk, while he talked:

“When I was fighting against you, you made me recall who I used to be. You made me recall Star Shield. That’s why I wanted to test you. To see you when you fall into despair and reject your feelings and past.”

“It’s because we’re family and alike that you really annoy me!” Star said. “You’re just abandoning everything and running away!”

“No” Grogar replied, with his back at Star. “What I’m doing is no different from a benign ruler’s actions. More, in fact. Because I can truly bring peace.”

Hearing the way how he said, Star asked:

“Are you… serious, right now? You… really believe that?”

Grogar didn’t reply, thinking about the promise he did once to Starlight, that he would make sure that their sons would grow up in a safe world. But that promise turned out to become undone when he turned Grogar and started to help the Lord of Chaos instead. Looking to Star and turning to him, he replied:

“Yes, I do. That’s how I feel. There’s no need to voluntarily walk a rugged path whose destination isn’t even cleared, when you can step over comrades’ corpses. Anyone would choose a shortcut to fix the outcome. That is what the ones who seek world peace must do to obtain it.”

Feeling frustration and irritation about those words, Star said:

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. What I want to know isn’t the shortcut or the easy path, but how I navigate the rugged one.”

“Would you still say that if both paths led to the same place?” Grogar asked.

“But how, in the beginning, can you tell each one is the rugged path?” Star asked, while starting to move to Grogar. “I mean, you really don’t knows until somepony starts walking down it. A great leader is the one who walks ahead everypony else and endure their own pain. That’s why a leader never walks over their comrades’ corpses. There’s no shortcut to become a true leader and no way off to the ones who become one. Am I correct?”

That caused Grogar to thought back in his life. He remembered how he became a royal guard and then captain, his families, his friends, including his protégé, White Light. After that, he looked to Star, looking to him with his eyes that seemed to look more than they seemed to be looking at. He then looked down to his hoof, recalling the touch of Starlight’s mane, Night Light’s hug and when he carried Shooting Star, what cause sadness to invade his heart.

“Grogar… Great-grandpa… you said you discarded your feelings about your comrades, but when you became Ten-Tails’ jinchuriki and you were about to be taken over by it, didn’t you try back then to surpass Ten-Tails because you didn’t want that? The reason why you fought against Ten-Tails and could manipulate him was because you stood firm and didn’t throw away the past. You just couldn’t discard all the memories of our family that you have, could you?”

He continued to walk around him, while saying:

“That’s why you were able to stay as Grogar, even after you became Ten-Tails’ jinchuriki. Am I wrong?”

A pause and then Star told:

“But dragging everyone else into your path and continue to walk it with them just cannot be allowed. I’m bringing you back as Star Shield, a hero and a Captain to Canterlot Royal Guard and you’re going to respond for your sins. You tried to run away from everything. I would want to hear what great-grandma Starlight would say if she saw you like this. Don’t act tough and hide your wounds. You know that I’ll be always watching, because you’re no one else but you.”

Star then extended his hoof to him and said:

“Stop running. Come join us… Great-grandpa Star Shield!”

Before that, Grogar hesitated, but then his instinct made him start to extend his hoof to Star’s. But when he was about to grab it, he instead grabbed Star’s neck.

“I’ll never go walk to your side, Star” Grogar said. “I have no regrets with my path.”

“Remember…” Star said. “I said I saw… everything.”

That caused Grogar to become uncomfortable.

“That’s right” Star continued. “So… stop clamming to be what you are not!”

And he gave a punch to Grogar that made him let him go. The ram was pushed back, but was able to remain standing. But when he looked at Star, he instead saw himself, back when he was Star Shield.

“The one our family loved isn’t the current you” Star Shield said. “It’s Star Shield.”

Those words really affected Grogar. He was like in a crossroad, where one of the path would led him to the family he once loved, the real one, where his former self belonged to and seemed to not notice his presence, while the other would lead him to the one that would be created by the Eternal Nightmare Curse. That one seemed just so off, so fake. They wanted him to come to them. But then, a pony immerged from the other path. It was Star Shield who told him, while extending his hoof:

“That’s right, your own family won’t even turn to look at the current you. The one they love is Star Shield. So give it up already. I am… Star Shield!”

And he advanced and grabbed Grogar’s hoof. Back to the plane, Star was grabbing Grogar’s hoof and told him:

“Now, come over!”

He noticed that the image of everyone had reappeared.

“Don’t you dare to underestimate…”

And he pulled him. At the real world, everyone was pulling with all the strength they had. For more he could try, Grogar just couldn’t compete with all that. Star completed

“…EVERYONE’S POWER!”

And all the white masse was taken from him, throwing him back.

“They’re all out!” Star exclaimed.

Everyone fell on the ground, but happy for being able to do it. While Star absorbed Kurama’s energy that was inside Grogar and Hawthorn absorbed Gyuki’s taking his form, the other white masses took the form and size of the other seven tailed beasts and they all returned, landing then. Grogar, while the scales he had fell off, fell and hit the ground on his back.

Kurama’s avatar and the dark armor dissipated and Star landed on the floor, trying to catch his breath, while looking to the place where Grogar landed. He was, in his turn, looking to the red moon, that was waiting for the curse to be activated. He remembered everything he just said and what Shining told him that turned out to be true, as Star showed him. He looked to his hoof, obscuring the moon with him, and the feelings he had repressed when he started to serve the Lord of Chaos started to come around.

At the place where Star and the tailed beasts were, Son Goku turned to the young colt and told him:

“It looks like you kept your promise, Star Knight. I have to say I’m really impressed that you rescued us.”

Star smiled and then saluted him, saying:

“Hey, Son! Sure thing!”

Gyuki smiled before that and Chomei said:

“We were lucky.”

“He did it” Saiken added.

“Yes, excellent” Kokuo told.

“You’re right” Matatabi agreed.

“I’m glad” Isobu replied.

Shukaku turned to where his brethren were looking and saw Star.

“Isn’t he that kid?”

He remembered Star when he took over Strongpaw and went into a rampage at the Light Kingdom. That colt was the reason why he was defeated.

Star then looked to Grogar and started to fly at his direction. It was then that happened a flash and Shining reappeared above Grogar, with his horn surrounded by his magical aura.

“Uncle Shining…” Star said, stopping in the midair.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Star” Shining said. “But I’m his grandchild as well and it’s up to me to deal with him.”

He prepared to attack, but Star said:

“Uncle Shining, no! He’s not…”

But, before he could do anything, Blue teleported to his side and grabbed his shoulder.

“Dad…” Star said.

“It’s enough, Shining” Blue told to his best friend.

When they saw that Grogar was weakened, everyone wanted to go and finished him off, but Twilight exclaimed:

“No, wait!”

She knew that something must have happened to Grogar while Star was trying to pull out the tailed beasts’ energy. Shining could do a terrible mistake if he did what he was thinking in doing at that moment, so that was something that had to be dealt by Blue, the one that had always been by Shining’s side after he discovered about their grandfather being a captain of the Royal Guard and made him his model.

“What are you doing, Blue?” Shining asked. “You know I have to do this.”

“Believe me when I say that you don’t want to do it” Blue said, turning then to Grogar.

Heartbeat appeared next to Blue and said to Grogar:

“When we were at the tug-o-war, I could hear your talk with Star and I allowed Blue to hear as well.”

“It looks like my son lectured you quite a bit” Blue said to Grogar, turning then to Shining. “Something that he seemed to have inherited from his mother. And besides I think that job should have been you to do, Shining. You are the one who always admired your grandfather. Isn’t that right, Star?”

Star nodded and then Heartbeat said:

“Star, you should go help your mother and the Alliance. Go stop Hepheus. I and your dad can deal with this.”

“Yes, of course!” Star replied, flying then away.

While he was getting away, Blue told Shining:

“You remember, don’t you? You were about Star’s age when you found out your grandfather was once captain. That made you feel so full of pride and made you set your objective to be just like him. I also remember all the stories you told me and that your grandmother told you. She wouldn’t want you to do this.”

The mentioning of his grandmother made Shining realize that he really wouldn’t be able to face her, knowing what he did to the one that once was her husband, and made his magical aura to disappear.

“Your grandmother… your father and your uncle… they were my sole light and hope in my life” Grogar said to Shining. “When the Lord of Chaos turned me into Grogar, he took away that, the all world as I saw it changed. It became a black hell with no hope. And when the Lord of Chaos came up with his plan to use the Ten-Tails to submerge everyone in an eternal dream with the Eternal Nightmare Curse, I knew that was my opportunity to get what I lost and I decided to help him. But I was so involved in my own darkness that I couldn’t see the error on my actions, even with the remaining light I still had, because there was nothing to see.”

“I also passed through moments where I couldn’t see anything neither” Shining said, making Grogar look at him. “Without doubt, your path is one of many and it may not be wrong either. There were moments when I thought this world was a hell too, with all the darkness and evil that existed. But then… I found the light around me coming from all the ones I loved. And know, I can see what the future has for us.”

“And that future you see is your nephew, hein?” Grogar asked. “How can you be sure that his path won’t fail?”

Shining rose up and replied:

“Actually, he may as well fail too.”

“So what’s the difference between us?” Grogar asked. “Why go so far for him?”

“Because I can attest that he won’t fail as much as you” Shining replied.

“How?!”

“Because when he starts to trip and tumble on his path, I’ll help him, just like the others.”

Looking to his grandson after he said that, Grogar asked:

“Why? Why would you help him? He may be your nephew, but… he’s just a child.”

Shining looked up, while Star, on Sage Mode, flew to the top of the Divine Tree and started to look for Hepheus.

“Because he never gives up on his objectives. Whatever he decides to do, he does everything that he can to do it. That’s the kind of pony he is.

Star then was able to find the General of Chaos.

“I found him!” he exclaimed.

“And the way he forges ahead draws others towards him” Shining continued. “He makes you want to reach out when he’s about to stumble. And the greater the support behind you, the closer you can get to your goal. That’s the difference.”

After hearing that, Grogar looked to the moon that was now being covered by passing clouds, causing the battlefield to become darker. But a light immerged at the top of the Divine Tree, coming from Star who was executing a big Spiraling Sphere with two clones.

“Bigger!” Star directed to his clones. “We’ll go with something even bigger!”

“Is such thing possible in this pitch-black hell?” Grogar asked to Shining.

“I’m sure you could have seen it too… if you had tried” Shining said. “After all, you and I are pretty alike as well. If comrades gather around you, hope can take physical form and become visible. That’s what I believe.”

As Star created a bigger Spiraling Star, a great light came up to shine in that darkened battlefield.