Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox

by Rakoon1

The Fall of the General of Chaos

After teleporting with Hepheus’ black spheres, Heartbeat ended up instinctively at the Light Kingdom, waking up at the middle of the street. She had passd out after using too much energy.

“Wow, that’s something that doesn’t happen to me many times” she said.

It was then that she noticed what was happening at the Light Kingdom. Plants had come out and had wrapped everypony and animal in the kingdom.

“What the…” she said. “What happened here?”

“Can’t you tell?” a voice asked.

And she then saw Purple Smoke and Melody appearing.

“It is very obvious” the General of Talent continued.

“What?” Heartbeat asked.

Melody pointed to the sky and Heartbeat saw the moon reflecting Ten-Tails’ eye, illuminating everything like a sun.

“Don’t tell me…” Heartbeat said.

“Yes, the Eternal Nightmare Curse had been enacted” Melody confirmed. “We only escaped because we’re Generals of Order. Golden Paladin and the others were also not affected, although they still remain out of action.”

“Is every one like these?” Heartbeat asked.

“You’re clearly still affected by the massive loss of energy, dear little sister, but yes they are” Purple Smoke replied. “Don’t forget this curse affects both the Pony World and the Enchanted Forest and every one in there. Even the villains at Tartarus were affected. The plants just trapped the prison and then got the villains.”

“We tried to release everyone already, but… the curse will just trap them again” Melody said. “Maybe you can use your empathic magic to do it.”

“I don’t know…” Heartbeat said. “I mean, I know I’m very impressive and powerful…”

“And nearly as humble as I am” Purple Smoke whispered to Melody who laughed.

“I heard that, you know” Heartbeat said. “But never mind that now. The point is that if I connect with any of them, I may be affected by extension. I believe the only way to undo this is defeating the caster.”

“Then we just have to hope Prince Star Knight and the others are able to put an end on all of this” Melody said.

While the curse was still on, Twilight said, while guarded by Star and Blue’s combined magic:

“We have to go help the others. We cannot let them be…”

“That cannot be, mom” Star replied to her. “At least for now.”

“Star is right, Twily” Blue said. “While there’s light out there, we can’t put a hoof out of here, or the curse will affect us.”

Observing the dome from the outside, Petal Sprout said:

“I can’t believe that even with the curse activated, we still have to worry about those four. Well, it’s nothing that cannot be dealt with. Nevertheless, we won. The curse is activated and there’s nothing they can do about it. And everyone is inside their own dreams now!”

He was right, at that moment, everyone were experiment what they thought it was their perfect life: Rainbow Dash was dreaming about becoming the fastest flyer in all Pony Reality; Applejack was living a fantasy of having Sweet Apple Acres recognized as being the best apple producer; Spike was living the perfect life alongside Sweetie Belle, where he was not the Dragon King but Ember; Princess Ingrid had been able to bring spring and summer to Oldenmark again, making everypony there full of joy; Princess Luna was watching for everypony’s dreams, while seeing how much happiness she brought to them and how they appreciated her work; even Princess Celestia was living in her own utopia, alongside Hepheus, who was no longer the General of Chaos.

“If we can’t get out right now, then when?” Shining asked.

“It looks like this curse runs on moonlight” Twilight observed.

“Yes, and it will gradually wane” Star continued. “But, as long as there’s light, it’s useless.”

After a few moments had passed, the light started to fade away, while the moon turned reappeared red. Hepheus looked around to everyone imprisoned inside the Eternal Nightmare Curse and then turned to the magical dome, saying:

“All that’s left… is them.”

And so Star and Blue deactivated the dome and Petal Sprout, seeing that, commented:

“So it really didn’t let the light through…”

“Finally…” Blue said.

“But it looks like the curse didn’t affect Petal Sprout” Star observed, noticing the artificial pony nearby.

“Heartbeat once explained me that Petal Sprout doesn’t really have any kind of emotion, so he can’t be trapped in a dream as he can’t dream” Twilight explained.

“Star, do you have any idea about how to break this curse?” Shining asked to his nephew.

“I don’t know exactly” Star replied. “But I suspect that, since the curse was activated using the tailed beasts’ power, then we may need them to end it.”

“Which means that first we’ll have to defeat Hepheus” Twilight concluded.

“I won’t let that happen” Petal Sprout replied. “All that’s left to do is to get rid of you guys.”

At that moment, Hepheus landed next to him and said:

“Which I, the savior of the world, will do.”

“Hepheus…” Star said, while summoning his black spheres.

“That eye on his forehead…” Twilight noticed.

“Be careful” Star warned. “I can feel that we are surrounded by four shadows in all directions.”

“I won’t allow you to do anything further” Hepheus declared. “I just ended with the light of Lord of Order in this world. I have freed all the races from their suffering, pain and futility.”

“But all this is just a lie!” Star exclaimed, enraged by Hepheus’ words.

“But, Star, you’re the one who’s interfering with everyone’s happiness” Hepheus replied. “Just look at this world now. All fighting between Order and Chaos had ended. The curse also affected all the villains, so you don’t have to worry about them… no one have. I have rectified the Lord of Order’s creation.”

“What do you mean with that?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, I’m surprised that you’re asking that had already been replied” Hepheus replied. “Have you forgotten that everything bad that happened to this world was not my master’s fault but yours’. The Lord of Order was not able to control the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest and that led them to take the Heart of the Forest from the Divine Tree, what led to the creation of the tailed beasts and the beginning of the war between the kingdoms. All that brought the Lord of Chaos here. There was a time where both Lords were contempt with the balance they both created, but it was the Lord of Order’s obsession with this reality that caused the Lord of Chaos to do all that he did. Because of that, the eternal fight between the two continued in this reality. Although I admitted we triggered this war.”

“And because of that, many died!” Twilight exclaimed.

“I did made a proposition to peacefully hand over the tailed beasts” Hepheus remembered. “Right now, everyone is inside the Divine Tree, dreaming about their own idyllic dreams. They are in their own ideal worlds.”

“Is this your idea of peaceful world?” Blue asked. “You’re just deceiving everyone.”

“I just want to show you that the light of the Lord of Order is not always the answer” Hepheus replied. “There are times when the darkness is needed to do what the light can’t. Just know this… It’s all over.”

It was then that, before everypony’s shock, Petal Sprout pierced Hepheus’ chest.

“You’re wrong, Hepheus” he said. “You’re not the savior… Nor is this the end of things…”

Hepheus couldn’t believe that he couldn’t move. Even though that blow hadn’t affect him physically, he didn’t understand how could Petal Sprout, one of the weakest villains, could do anything like that to him.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked.

“How can you consider yourself the savior, when you, like the rest of us, were free from the Lord of Chaos’ manipulation? My dear Hepheus, you have also lived in an illusion given to you by our master.”

“Petal Sprout…” Hepheus said, while continuing to try to move. “What are you saying? I am the General of Chaos… the Lord of Chaos’ supreme-commander… You should be serving me.”

“Wrong again” he replied, in a childish way. “I only serve the Lord of Chaos.”

“But what’s going on?” Blue asked, while watching what was going on.

“They’re having a falling out at this stage in the game?” Shining asked.

“No… I don’t think it’s that” Star said, who had a bad feeling about all that.

Something started to happen. The plants started to absorb the energy of everyone imprisoned by them and being transported to where Hepheus was. His body started to get a lot of pain, while white veins coming from Petal Sprout appeared across his body. At that moment, Star ceased to feel his shadows.

“What an abnormal quantity of energy…” Blue commented.

“All of Hepheus’ shadows that were surrounding us have disappeared” Star said. “Something is about to happen.”

Suddenly, torrents of energy emerged, cracking the ground under them. All that energy was absorbed by Hepheus, while Petal Sprout laughed. The others were able to land safely.

“Is he absorbing all the energy that is coming from the ground?” Shining asked.

“Where is all this thick potent energy coming from?” Twilight asked.

“It’s probably from everyone trapped in the Eternal Nightmare Curse” Blue said.

While Hepheus’ body absorbed the energy, more pain was inflicted to the General of Chaos, while his body started to get distorted, turning into a spherical

“It’s amazing…” Star said. “All this energy… is even bigger than Ten-Tails’.”

“We have to stop this now before they move” Blue said.

And he summoned his light blade, while Star created a black rod, and they both advanced to attack Hepheus and Petal Sprout. However, tendrils erupted from the white veins and grabbed them.

“Star! Blue!” Twilight called.

“You’re like two moths into the flame…” Petal Sprout commented. “I’m going to absorb all the energy out of the two of you right now.”

Twilight prepared to advanced, but Shining prevented her from going saying:

“Don’t, Twily!”

“But they are my husband and my son who are your best friend and nephew!” she replied.

“I know that, but action without a plan is meaningless” the white unicorn replied.

Star tried to get loose, but he couldn’t.

“Dad, we have to do something! He’ll drain everyone else’s energy before ours and they’re all going to die!”

“Yes, I know” Blue said.

“Don’t worry, no one is going to die” Petal Sprout, who was over Hepheus distorted body. “After all, there are other realms in this reality to conquer, not to mention that the Lord of Order’s followers will try everything to stop us. With the villains here now under the curse, we’re going to need an army. This curse will keep everyone alive and preserve them, so the Lord of Chaos can turn them into his soldiers.”

“What do you mean with that?” Blue asked.

“You really are denser than the other Generals” Petal Sprout commented, while starting to leave Star Shield’s body. “Why do you think we’re using wood nature to do all this? It is the main ingredient to create an artificial life like me.”

Listening to that, everypony became openmouthed.

“Don’t tell me he wants to…” Shining started.

“He will convert them all into copies of me” Petal Sprout replied.

“No, that can’t be…” Star said.

“What are you saying, Petal Sprout?” Hepheus asked. “I should be the one to rule over the conquered world, the one to bring eternal peace to the Pony Reality.”

“And what do you base that on?” Petal Sprout asked.

“I am the General of Chaos…” Hepheus answered. “I have the Lord of Chaos’ magic running inside me, like the power of the Lord of Order runs in his Generals.”

“My dear Hepheus, and why do you think the Lord of Chaos wanted someone like you?” Petal Sprout asked. “Why did he bother to take you out of that dungeon and turn you into alicorn with his power? That was so you could be compatible with him.”

“Compatible?” Hepheus repeated. “For what?”

“So the Lord of Chaos can act without having to fear his brother to interfere” Petal Sprout replied, while started to cover Hepheus’ body. “He created this curse to amass enormous amount of life energy that was created by his brother from the individuals enslaved by it with one purpose: to rule over all Pony Reality freely! And just like any servant of his… you were just a pawn that he manipulated with twisted truths and sweet words.”

At that moment, Hepheus’ body swelled up.

“What’s happening?!” Star asked.

“His body can’t tolerate the amount of energy he absorbed!” Blue replied. “I can feel his body getting to its limit… At this rate, he’s going to explode!

“Why…” Hepheus asked, while Petal Sprout had almost covered him completely. “Why did this happen…? Celestia… I’m so sorry…”

And he was completely absorbed and then Petal Sprout started to get molded, while a dark energy surrounded him.

“He’s shrinking…” Shining repaired.

He then noticed on her sister look that was full of fear.

“What is it, Twily?” he asked.

“No… it can’t be…” Twilight said. “Not him…”

“Who are you talking about?” Shining asked.

His answer came when Petal Sprout’s body was completely molded, while Star Shield’s body fell on the ground. Now, before them, was the Lord of Chaos, who possessed that new body, with the Ten-Tails eye being located at the front of his conical hat. The tendrils holding Star and Blue retreated to him, but they were hold in midair by the master of all destruction’s power. He chuckled and then said:

“Finally, I can do whatever I want now… And not even my brother will be able to stop me!”