Star Knight and the Nine-Tailed Fox

by Rakoon1

The Remorseful Villains

Pandora and Scorpan were walking around a lake when Pandora said:

“We’ve been walking for quite a while, ever since the sun began to rise. It has to be time for has to fight then.”

“But the question is who will we fight against” Scorpan said.

They continued to advance but it was then that Pandora felt something familiar approaching.

“No way…” she said.

“Are they close?” Scorpan asked.

“Something feels familiar…” she replied. “Nostalgic…”

And it was then that Star Knight and Hawthorn appeared before them, whit the former landing, seeing Pandora and Scorpan.

“Pandora…?” Star asked. “Is that you?”

“You know these ones, Star Knight?” Hawthorn asked.

“Only that filly” Star replied. “She’s Pandora, one of the Lord of Chaos’ villains that once invaded the Light Kingdom, when I was eight. I was able to stop her and reform her thanks to my gift. It was at that moment that I got my Cutie Mark.”

“Wait, you’re Star Knight?” Pandora asked, looking surprise. “I can’t believe it… You’ve really grown up.”

“So that’s the prince I have heard about” Scorpan said.

“Yes, and he sure is a box full of surprises” Pandora said. “I couldn’t have imagined that a little colt like him would be able to make me return to the light.”

“I never thought I would see you again, Pandora” Star said. “At least, not like this.”

“Me too” she replied. “But even though it has been years for you, it has been just a few moments to me.”

Pandora noted the energy surrounding Star and then said:

“You look different.”

“You mean this?” Star asked, looking to his hooves. “This is because I’m in control of Nine-Tails’ energy.”

“Impressive…” Pandora said with a smile. “I couldn’t expect less.”

“That’s quite a feat, having in count that Nine-Tails is said to be untamable” Scorpan said.

“Hey, but I have to say that, if he’s in control it’s thanks to me” Hawthorn said. “After all, I am the teacher.”

“You sure know how to take credit, even when it is not all yours…” Star commented to Hawthorn.

“But Nine-Tails is like the embodiment of hate” Scorpan said. “Have you really been able to overcome hate?”

“Sure did, but only thanks to Lord Hawthorn who oriented me at the Waterfall of True, along with all the love of my family, friends and everyone else” Star replied.

“I see…” Pandora said. “I’m very happy for you.”

Gentle Light, through the Reincarnation Curse, was able to realize what she had felt before.

“So, it seems I found you first, Prince Star Knight. Perhaps, I can use this situation in my favor. I just have to play my pieces well and take advantage of the little prince’s skills. I may have told the General of Chaos how the Reincarnation Curse, but I didn’t tell everything about it.”

And she chuckled and charged her horn with magic.

Pandora and Scorpan felt her commanding to attack them. Star was also able to feel that. The little unicorn charged her horn and launched a big fireball to the two jinchuriki. Hawthor reacted by taking Shark Skin and cutting the fireball that was divided in two, while burning the bandages that covered it. That made the sentient sword to hit Hawthorn with the tip of its handle.

“Yeah, yeah, I know that fire nature is not your favorite” Hawthorn told it. “Sorry about that.”

“That was an intense attack” Star said.

“Star Knight, don’t forget that they are being controlled” Hawthorn remembered.

With his great speed, Scorpan took flight very high quick and prepared to make a dive.

“Be careful!” Pandora exclaimed.

“We know” Star said, taking also fight.

And he blocked Scorpan’s attack. The started to fight between each other and then the gargoyle said:

“I believe we didn’t have time to introduce ourselves. My name is Scorpan and, like Pandora, I’m also a former servant of the Lord of Chaos. I may say that turning good was what get me killed.”

“It’s good to meet you, Scorpan” Star Knight replied, while dodging and countering his attacks.

Hawthorn joined the fight, using Shark Skin, what forced Scorpan return to Pandora’s side.

“You’re not the young colt I met” Pandora said, with a smile. “Just for fun, let’s see how much you can do.”

And charging her horn with dark magic, she casted a powerful dark beam. Seeing that, Star enacted his shield. He could see how powerful Pandora was. But, in the end, he was able to defend it completely.

“Very nice” Pandora complimented.

But then Scorpan raised one of his hands, while saying:

“Oh no…”

And Star felt a force pulling him. It was similar to the power the General of Chaos had and that he sealed inside Pandora’s box. It would appear he was not the only one having that power. Then, Scorpan made a great boulder get out of the lake and made it and Star get in collision course. Fortunately, Star was quick to make an energy arm that penetrated the boulder and made it crack, while throwing him against the ground and using his wings to stop in the air.

“That was nicely dodge, Prince Star Knight” Scorpan said.

“Thanks” Star replied. “I already faced that trick with the General of Chaos. I know how to deal with it.”

Pandora then felt what she was about to do now.

“Prepare yourselves, this is going to be huge” she warned.

With her magic, she casted a summoning spell and two great gytrash.

“Oh no, not those things again!” Star exclaimed.

With a great spped, Scorpan went behind Hawthorn and told him:

“I’m behind you.”

“I got you” Hawthorn replied, swinging his sword to make Scorpan retreat.

The gargoyle then punched the ground and then made stone shards been thrown against the deer, but the latter was able to defend with his horns. It was then that one of Eight-Tails’ tentacles erupted from the ground, as Hawthorn had made it go underground before, grabbing Scorpan.

“I told you that I got you” Hawthorn told him.

While Star was dodging the attacks of the gytrash, counter-attacking later, Hawthorn was making the tentacle descend while approaching. But, suddenly, Scorpan disappeared and Hawthorn replied:

“An illusion spell…”

Scorpan reappeared from behind the tentacle and told him:

“Pandora may be fighting Prince Star Knight, but it doesn’t mean she can’t help me with you. Beware with her magic.”

And he then advanced to attack Hawthorn, getting at his edge, ready to give him a punch. But, at that moment, in his mind, Eight-Tails hit him at the head and told him:

“Hey, wake up, Hawthorn!”

And that made him wake up and realize that the real attack was coming from up. Reacting, he swung Shark Scale and hit Scorpan, who opened his wings and retreated to a safe place. Dropping the sword, Hawthorn started a close combat with Scorpan, using his horns.

Star used a Spiraling Star on one of the gytrash, while Pandora observed at the top of the head of the other. But, even with his strongest spell, he couldn’t defeat it.

“Damn, this thing is hard to destroy!” the young alicorn said.

“These are two of the strongest gytrash in Discord” Pandora said. “You’ll need to knock me out.”

And then she felt the curse ordering her to cast an illusion spell on Star. Pandora did so, having to look on Star’s eyes. It was then that she felt the same sensation she did when she was reform. It was the power Star had on his eyes, reminding her of who she was. But the most amazing thing was that she started to feel the control of the curse over her weakening until it was reduced to nothing.

Gentle Light felt that and a smile appeared on her face.

“One down, one to go” she said.

Pandora, regaining the control over her body, made the gytrash where she was to attack… Scorpan, separating him from Hawthorn.

“What the…” Hawthorn said.

“What happened?” Scorpan said, turning to Pandora. “Why did you attacked me?”

Pandora didn’t replied, as she opted to undo the summoning spell, and the two gytrash disappeared, but not before making the one where she was to cast a bluish fireball that hit Scorpan and threw him against the ground. When both her and Star landed, the latter asked:

“How…?”

“Relax, I’m no longer under the control of the Reincarnation Curse” Pandora replied. “I suspect that Gentle Light took advantage of your presence to finally be able to free herself by making you release me from her control.”

“I don’t understand” Star replied. “How can that be?”

“Your gift, remember?” Pandora replied. “You have the power to make anyone to remember their true self. With that, I was able to get out of the control of the curse, like when you turned me good.”

“I see…”

Hawthorn approached and asked:

“What are you talking about?”

“Long ago, I invaded the Light Kingdom to open my box and get all the darkness that was there” Pandora told. “But Star used his gift to make me remember the time before I became corrupted by the Lord of Chaos and my deep desire to be good again. It was how I was able to be reformed. It was that power that was able to disrupt the control of the Reincarnated Curse enacted by the General of Death.”

“Wait, you said that she took advantage of that to release you” Star Knight said. “Why would she do that?”

“She’s a General of Order and, as such, she doesn’t tolerate working with for the Lord of Chaos and his villains” Pandora said. “But, even under his control, she can be very subversive.”

“Wow, she makes remember of Heartbeat” Star said.

“You’re not too far from the truth” Pandora replied.

At that moment, Scorpan used his repulsive power to repel the flames on him and then his body started to regenerate, with his mind being subjugated completely. When they turned to Scorpan, he had already disappeared.

“Where did he go?” Star asked.

And then he felt being pushed away. Star tried to use his wings to slow down, but then he saw Scorpan appearing above, ready to attack him. But Hawthorn, at his second phase transformation, hit him and then started another close fight. However, when he got in contact for very long, the deer lost the energy coat, with it being absorbed by the gargoyle.

“You’re absorbing my energy?!” he asked.

But Scorpan then just threw him with the repulsive spell. Hawthorn was able to land on his hooves and Star landed before him and asked:

“Are you okay, Lord Hawthorn?”

“Yes, but that really caught me off guard” he replied.

Pandora teleported to their side and said:

“We have to be very careful. Scorpan used to be a powerful entity follower to the Lord of Chaos. He and his brother Tirek used to be the most feared necromancers between the villains that operated in the Pony World and the Enchanted Forest.”

“We have to stop him and maybe I can use my power to release him from the Reincarnation Curse” Star Knight said.

“But how are we going to do that when he has that attractive and repulsive power?” Hawthorn asked.

“Well, believe or not, there’s a weakness to any magic” Pandora said. “Even the Reincarnation Curse has a weak point, like we could see before.”

“Yes, I know what that is to those spells” he replied. “There’s a minimal time interval between each time he use those spells. It’s only five seconds, so we have to chronometry this very well.”

Scorpan advanced towards them and Star flight against him, with the two shocking into a battle of strength. Pandora then advanced and launched a powerful beam. Noticing that, Scorpan repelled that attack with the repelling spell. Taking advantage of that, Hawthorn appeared, having been hidden by Pandora’s illusion spells, and, with his horns, he caught Scorpan and pinned him against the ground. Acting quickly, Star casted a spell to prevent the gargoyle from doing magic.

“You have to do it now, Star” Pandora said.

Turning Scorpan’s face to him, Star, recalling the last time he used consciously his power, did the same with him. Like Pandora, Scorpan experienced the same thing as her and his eyes returned to have the consciousness.

“You can release me now” he said. “I’m free from the curse.”

They did so and Scorpan stretched his members and then said:

“Finally I can move at my will!”

“And now what?” Hawthorn asked. “What can we do now?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t keep using my eyes do to what I just did” Star said. “It needs a lot of focus, something that I can’t do in the middle of a battle by myself.”

“Maybe you don’t have to” Pandora said. “I and Scorpan can stop the Reincarnation Curse. We just have to release Gentle Light.”

“But I can help you with that” Star said. “I can create more clones and…”

But right after he created a clone, he lost the Nine-Tails’ energy that surrounded him.

“Looks like you have already used all the Nine-Tails’ energy you had” Hawthorn said. “You can’t use more clones, Star.”

“Don’t try to do everything by yourself” Pandora said. “It’s one of your worst qualities.”

“We have the best chance to do this” Scorpan said.

“Yes, but…” Star started while the clone disappeared and fatigue invaded his body.

“You’re very strong, but you’re not seeing what is more important” Pandora said. “I know what you have done and I have to tell you that’s the reason why everypony stopped to fear and hate you. You showed them that you understood them and you fought for their assistance. But, if forget everypony else because you have power, you’ll become arrogant and egocentric and eventually you’ll become just like the villains you fight.”

Those words made Star remain silent.

“Don’t take it all by yourself” Pandora continued. “Because, if you do, you’ll certainly fail. That’s the main reason why both the Lord of Order and Lord of Chaos have followers. Don’t forget, becoming a ruler, like your mother, is not only having others acknowledging you, but also be already acknowledged. Never forget your friends.”

Star then remembered the friends he had at the academy, mainly Moonlight, and that have been always by his side, the ones that were right now fighting for him and even the Generals of Order.

“She’s right, Star” Hawthorn said. “You can’t do this all by yourself. After all, I sworn I would protect you.”

After a moment, Star said:

“You’re right. For a moment, I forgot about that.”

Pandora smiled and then said:

“Now that’s Star Knight I remember. Lord Hawthorn, please, protect him.”

“But of course” he replied.

She nodded to him and then, after a last smile, she climbed to Scorpan’s back and then he took flight.

Sensing the two released reincarnated beings advancing to find her, Gentle Light smiled and said:

“Finally I will have the chance to release myself from the control of the Lord of Chaos and his disgusting General. They will learn that they can’t mess with the General of Death.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Have you ever considered making a Tv Tropes page for this series? I haven't actually read it yet but it sounds like it should have one!