• Published 25th Apr 2020
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Tails of Innocence - CommanderX5



Half a century before Nightmare Moon’s return, a three-tailed fox is teleported to another continent, away from those who wish her harm. Will she find acceptance and help Celestia save her sister? Or will her instincts get better of her?

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Chapter 9 - …Fall of Kyuubi

Tails of Innocence

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Chapter 9
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… Fall of Kyuubi


Sunset didn’t dare to blink until a loose drop of sweat slid down her right eyebrow as it was essential to maintain her concentration. Her horn was surrounded by a shrinking flame-like aura as she struggled to freeze the levitated water in front of her.

Next to her stood a massive kitsune whose shadow enveloped her side and back. Her majestic tails were surrounded by silvery magic while one was in hoof’s reach, tempting the unicorn with its softness and begging to be hugged.

Today’s lesson took place in the garden. Both students were surrounded by a field of flowers as if painted in red and blue with a few trees and curious birds observing their performance.

The sun shone strongly from above with very few clouds to block its rays. The alicorn who commanded it towered authoritatively on a small rocky path in between two fields of flowers. Her glance was peaceful and calm, but also judging their progress.

Mere months after the incident with the Elemental Spirits, the princess focused her scarce lessons on elemental magic, going from Sunset’s favorite fire and peaceful wind, to forces of extreme cold and water.

Sunset groaned in annoyance as her block of ice was just a third of the size of Kyuubi’s. Their mentor kept summoning a continuous stream of water at a slow pace, waiting for them to freeze it.

“What’s wrong with me? I didn’t struggle anywhere as much with fire magic. Even wind was easier to get used to,” Sunset said to herself, thinking back to the tower of fire she summoned a month ago from atop of a mountain. It was a trip to a more secluded location to train fire magic where she impressed her mighty mentor, but now she was humiliating herself instead.

“Grow faster you stupid ice!” Sunset shouted, unleashing her frustration with repetitive stomping. With a rush of adrenaline and gritted teeth, she doubled her efforts, doubled the aura around her horn… and then doubled down as she collapsed, leaving her far behind Kyuubi’s score who now looked down at her with concern on her face. What Sunset found most frustrating though was lack of exhaustion on her friend.

Are you hurt? Kyuubi asked as she lowered herself. Let me help.

Sunset saw a large paw heading towards her forehead. Using what was left of her magic, she pushed the paw away with her telekinesis, refusing Kyuubi’s healing assistance. She had her pride and could continue without the aid of a fellow student.

“I believe it is about time for a break. Please take it easy,” Celestia said as she landed in front of her students, wind from her wings cooling the unicorn’s face.

“Break? Beak! I don’t need a break. I can still…”She failed to finish as her attempt to stand ended with dropping to her knees, one eye closed, and another barely open.

Celestia placed a caring wing on Sunset’s back. “I know you can. You have been trying to break your limits on many occasions and I admire your resolve.” The princess levitated over a bottle of water before looking to the side, her attention on nearby gardens. She summoned over a few while lilies, encouraging her students to sniff them. Kyuubi was more than eager to enjoy the beauty and the smell of the gifted flowers.

“However, there is nothing wrong with taking it slow as long as you reach your goal in the end. You may even miss little wonders while hastily chasing the big ones.”

I agree! Kyuubi gestured at a specific spot next to a tree while levitating over a mix of flowers, forming some sort of bouquet. To think this spot filled with flowers once served as a little pillow back when I first met you, Princess. They look so minuscule now, yet bring back so many memories.

Celestia smiled, looking at the same spot fondly.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Easy for you to say. You can afford to slack off. Your results are greater than mine even without trying.” She pointed accusingly. “Stop going easy on me already. I don’t want your pity.”

Going easy on you? You make it sound like a competition.

“For me, it is a competition! I will work hard to surpass you! I only wish you stopped underestimating me. It’s so annoying!”

“I do not mind your rivalry…” Celestia started as she withdrew her wing from the unicorn.

Rivalry? Kyuubi tilted her head to the side. I don’t get it.

Sunset frowned. So she wasn’t even good enough to be considered a rival? Or was this large fox just that clueless about what competition meant? Surely, no one could be that clueless!

Celestia continued, “However, you should not be so hard on yourself. I can already tell that you have an affinity for fire magic, so it is not surprising that you struggle with ice and water.”

“And what about Kyuubi? She doesn’t have a tail for elemental magic, yet she’s still doing far better than me.”

“Age and experience. Be patient, my student. You will catch up to her, just give it time,” Celestia said with an encouraging tone.

Kyuubi showed a wide prideful grin. Do you want to know my secret? I just mix holy magic into it and my results improve immensely.

Celestia nodded, patting the paw of the large fox. “I must say I love your creativity: Purifying wind, holy water, cleansing frost, all those spells are so intriguing,” she spoke in an enthusiastic tone, dropping her usual regal way of speech. “You are the first po…creature that can summon ice that’s not even cold.” She giggled with a clad hoof raised in front of her face. “To be honest, I can hardly wait to see your approach to electricity.”

Sunset looked to the side and up at her rival with signs of envy. Patience was never her strong suit, but she had a strong resolve. She was going to surpass Kyuubi with perseverance and hard work. Kyuubi could go around her shortcomings, but Sunset didn’t have to. She was going to surpass her rival her way and become the top student. She was going to prove herself to the princess… no, not just to her, but also to Kyuubi. She was going to surpass this kitsune, showing the might of unicorns and making sure her friend didn’t look down at her ever again.


25 Years before Nightmare Moon’s Return


Sunset held her head raised in pride as she looked at the massive boulder she had managed to levitate. She glanced to the side at the much bigger boulder and the massive kitsune. While her rival still surpassed her, she started seeing small shortcomings in terms of Kyuubi's stamina and magical reserves.

It became more and more clear that the kitsune could no longer effortlessly win against her and the gap in raw power and mana pool was shrinking. She may have lost another battle, but it was only a matter of time before she won this war.

Wow, Sunset, your progress is astonishing. You truly show what hard work and solid training can accomplish.

Sunset leaped up onto Kyuubi’s muzzle, hanging onto it with the help of her forelegs. “But of course. After all, I am not lazy like some-fox I know.”

I… I am not. I just can’t… nevermind.

“See, you can’t even find any excuses anymore. You may have had an easy life under the princess’s wing as her only student, but now that you have a worthy rival, you need to start pulling your weight.” She climbed further up, poking Kyuubi in a spot between her eyes. “At this rate, you’ll do nothing but disappoint our mentor. Not to mention that it won’t be satisfying to surpass you if you’re not even trying. So do me a favor and start acting like a student of the princess should!”

Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. But I am not your rival… She mentally sighed. Fine… How about this; I will resume my training routines in the barracks. Will this satisfy you?

“Now you’re talking!” Sunset said as she backflipped, landing on the red carpet in front of her large friend. She walked towards her mentor’s bedchamber with a satisfied grin.


“You call this a shield? Let me show what a real shield looks like,“ Sunset said as she charged magic into her horn, standing in the middle of an obstacle course in the barracks as she joined the kitsune on her training routine. After aura grew to the size of her head, she unleashed her spell, surrounding herself with a burning orb. Flames danced around the bubble which surrounded her body. “Cool, isn't it.“

It looks cool, but how is it better than a regular barrier? Kyuubi asked as she knelt, taking a closer look at the flaming orb. It seems like it costs more magic to maintain as well.

“Not for me. Fire magic barely cost me any mana.“ Sunset made an opening in the flaming orb, jumping through it while performing a somersault in mid-air. The large kitsune clapped her paws in applause. Sunset raised her head arrogantly. “Not only does this version of a shield spell have the same durability as a regular shield, but it will also burn any creature who hits it directly. It will melt ice attacks with ease and absorb fire spells.“

Wow, really. You have to teach me! It may not be as cost-effective for me as it is for you, but maybe if I mix it with sacred flames I can get better results.

Sunset crossed her arms. “And why should I share the results of my hard work with a rival? I will never surpass you as Celestia's student if I share my secrets like that.“ She opened one eye, then another, as a pair of large pleading eyes now stared at her intensively. Drooping ears and a sad face were added to the mix. Despite her rival being slightly bigger than the princess herself, surpassing Sunset in terms of size a few times over, there was still so much childish innocence radiating from the oversized fox.

The unicorn lowered her forehooves and sighed. “Fiiiineee...“ She approached and boop lowered Kyuubi's nose. “But I expect you to teach me something cool soon.“

We have a deal, Kyubi responded, showing a toothy smile. I must say, your affinity for fire magic is really strong. Ever since that foalnaping incident...

“Miss Sunset,“ somepony interrupted.

“What!“ the unicorn asked loudly as she turned around, shooting the sergeant an annoyed glare.

The officer narrowed his eyes, returning the glare with his own. “Miss Kyuubi arranged today's training routine for herself in advance. I agreed to let you join, but you have been distracting her.“

“Distracting! I can train her way better than some low ranking officer with such underwhelming magic. If anything, you are distracting us.“

The unicorn stomped. “Watch your tone, kid! You may not be under my command, but you are in the barracks where I was tasked with helping her highness’ student practice how to defend herself. You may be her student as well, but you have no authority here.“

“No authority! Just you wait. Once I become more powerful and impress the princess, she will give me authority over scrubs like you. How would you like to be yelled at for a change and do a hundred pushups within a two-minute time limit?!“

Both filly and the officer glared at each other, their teeth gritted and their tails raised.

Sunset, please calm yourself. It is very impolite to be disrespectful towards….

“Be quiet. I will show no respect to somepony who has a strong tongue but a weak mind! He may be a grown-up, but his magic is far weaker than mine. I am the princess’ student! He should be the one showing me proper respect!“

Kyuubi sat and raised her forepaws, holding them together apologetically. I am truly sorry for my friend's behavior. She is still young and doesn't know any better. I wish to accept punishment in her stead.

“Hey, I am not that young! And stop speaking for me!“

The officer looked up at the kitsune and nodded. “It is nice to know that at least one of her highness’ students has proper manners and knows how to show respect. I will play along… for now.“ He turned around, walking away while murmuring to himself. “Sunset, heh. A brat like her would certainly benefit from discipline.“

Sunset stomped repeatedly. The moment she felt a paw touch her side, she turned around and pushed the kitsune away with her telekinesis. Kyuubi landed on her back and yelped in pain. Sunset bit her bottom lip and calmed down. “I'm sorry!“ She ran over and helped her stand with her levitation. Big or not, Kyuubi was fragile, and she needed to keep her temper in check around her.


Kyuubi looked at her friend, staring into those little eyes filled with worry and regret. She didn't have the heart to tell this to Sunset, but she sensed the effect of the broken fire spirit affecting the filly more and more. Aside from great affinity to fire spells, her way of speech became sharper and she now had a short fuse, ready to unleash anger for the slightest of reasons.

However, Sunset, who saw her as a rival to overcome, someone to compete for the princess’s approval, also still saw her as a friend. While Sunset didn't hesitate to yell at others, she always remained calm around her.

She considered telling Sunset about how a fragment of a destroyed spirit was affecting her mind, maybe even offering healing assistance. Still… there was a risk that healing her would take away her affinity for fire magic and greatly weaken Sunset's raw power. Would her friend ever forgive her for that? For now, it was best to keep an eye on the filly and help her remain calm. After all, they were going to be students for many years to come so she had plenty of time to aid her. There was no rush.


24 Years before Nightmare Moon’s Return


“Kyuubi, we need to talk!” Sunset said, staring up at her large friend as her very look made the large creature curl due to intimidation. "Now!"

Ab-b-b-bout what? Did I do something that displeases you?

“It is not about what you did, but rather what you didn’t!”

It didn’t take long before both unicorn and the kitsune walked through the secret passage leading into an abandoned mine, a location the two used for games like 'hide and seek' or for simple exploration. While Kyuubi wasn’t too eager to keep it a secret, Sunset had still managed to convince her otherwise.

This time however the tunnels filled with bright gems became an essential location for their big conversation.

Sunset sat atop a large titled silvery crystal, keeping herself at a height of Kyuubi’s muzzle who looked back at her with utmost worry.

The dead silence lasted for nearly a minute, adding anxiety into kitsune’s innocent mind. Finally, the unicorn decided to speak, “I’ll be honest, I’m really worried about your future.”

Wait… what? Kyuubi raised her head, staring back in confusion.

Sunset stood on her rear legs and pointed at her friend. “I admit, at first I was fixated on surpassing you, and as time passed, I was hoping our rivalry would encourage you to work harder, but to be honest, not much has changed.” She waved her forelegs in aggravation before lowering herself to four hooves, still balanced atop the large crystal. “I don’t think your magic reserves even dropped under half! And you call yourself a student of the princess!”

Sunset sighed, taking a few calming breaths as her outburst scared her larger friend. In fact, for such a big creature, Kyuubi was too easy to frighten, something worth working on. “Listen. We both possess powerful magic and great potential, but they need to be nurtured.”

She held forehoof on her chest. “I work diligently and my magic improves at a fast rate by the day. I am on the way to become a famous and mighty mage. It hurts seeing how you barely make any progress. I can’t stand seeing how you waste your potential.”

Kyuubi nodded in understanding, no longer intimidated. She smiled, clearly touched by Sunset’s concern. Thank you, it means a lot to me that you care about me. And trust me, I would train my magic a lot harder if I could, but if I do… I’ll… She gritted her teeth and looked to the side. Seconds passed as she refused to continue.

“Why do you always cut short? What’s keeping you from unleashing your full potential?”

Kyuubi raised forepaws onto her blushing face, covering it. It’s… embarrassing. Let’s just say there’s an important reason why I avoid overworking myself.

Sunset stomped. “Well… if you’re not going to share this secret then I don’t care. But you’d better know this. For the sake of your talents and future, I will force you to push your limits. You may not like it, but I am doing it for your sake.”

Kyuubi gulped as pupils in her eyes shrank. She knew her friend well enough so seeing the determination on Sunset’s face filled her with a sense of dread.


But it hurts... I… I can't…

“Of course you can!“ Sunset encouraged her as she levitated a few large boulders, feeling a few percents of their weight pressing against her body. Next to her stood Kyuubi, levitating a similar weight as her second tail was surrounded by a large silvery aura. “You have been falling behind way too much. You will never make much progress by playing it safe. You must push your limits.“

But I can't… I can't...

“Not with that attitude! Don’t say you can’t, say you can! You must stop being so lazy and cowardly, you must grab the bull by its horns! We are her highness’ students, we are meant for great things. I can't allow you to slack off and fall behind. I am doing this for the sake of your future.“

Drops of sweat fell down Kyuubi's face, her teeth grit, and her eyes closed. The aura around her tail grew weaker with each passing moment.

Sunset ignored her struggle as she looked up at her struggling friend. If things continued this way, she would become so much mightier and more powerful than the large kitsune, leaving her in the dirt, and it didn't feel right. When she pushed herself to her limits, exhausting her magical reserves to become stronger, Kyuubi played it safe.

Her friend was lazy and she wouldn't allow it. To help Kyuubi develop and keep up with her, she needed to force that large, fluffy, lazy fox to push her limits, and she was going to do it whenever Kyuubi liked it or not.

I… I’ve had enough… I need a break.

Sunset groaned in annoyance. “No, you don't. You can do better, but you can't give up!“ She levitated one of her boulders over Kyuubi and warned. “Catch!“

Stop it!

Sunset sent a quick scanning spell, examining her friend's reserves before adding another boulder for Kyuubi to levitate. “Why should I? You still have reserves of a third of your magic left. I know you're not used to going under half, but you have to make the first step.“

N...no… you don't understand...

The moment Kyuubi lowered one boulder onto the ground, Sunset levitated another one, placing it on the kitsune's back. Of course, she wouldn't dare to endanger her friend's life so she placed weights with the utmost caution, but she couldn't allow her to take a break just yet. A bit of hardship and struggle was what her friend needed to improve.


Kyuubi felt as if her tails were heating up more and more as she soon felt a burning sensation in them. Her body started aching even though it was her magic that she used rather than her muscles.

She forced her eyes open, looking at Sunset with pleading eyes, but the young pony seemed too determined to go through with it. To make matters worse, she started seeing a strong aura of magic radiating from her friend, as well as smelling a very appetizing smell and her surroundings looked as if viewed through red glass. Atop that she heard the noise of her heartbeat in her ears. ‘Sunset, you MUST stop this at once!’

“You still have one-fifth of your magical reserves left. Hang in there a little longer!“ Sunset encouraged Kyuubi, though her words did nothing but anger her more.

How long had it been since she felt such frustration towards anyone? Still, it was partially her fault for not telling Sunset the importance of keeping her magic reserves high, something she was now paying for.

I… I can't. I need to keep my reserves… high… or else, she struggled to explain, to tell Sunset why she shouldn't train this hard, but had no strength to do so. With her magic being more and more scarce and all the weight she was forced to levitate, she couldn't concentrate on communication. All she could do was to endure it.

“Fifteen percent… only a little more!“

Kyuubi dropped to her knees, feeling intense pain in her chest and tails. It was no longer simple exhaustion but as if her entire body was being stabbed with needles and torn apart from the inside. Her heartbeat started slowing down while breathing became harder with each passing second.

“Ten percent, you can do this!“

Kyuubi started growling as her surroundings became redder, her attention now fully focused on her prey. Her inner instincts didn't just tell her to hunt, but to fight for her very survival. Her body kept sending her messages that she was… dying… and that there was only one way to save her own life.

Suddenly, she felt a large rush of adrenaline and magic, as if her body redirected everything it had left for one particular purpose. Kill or be killed. Feeling as if her insides were about to shut down, she pushed all boulders aside with great force, breaking through Sunset's levitation. She ran forward in rage and then jumped as her vision turned black.

Seconds passed by as Kyuubi opened her eyes, hearing a loud painful scream. She felt as if something meaty and crunchy was inside her spacious mouth, tasting more delicious than everything she had ever eaten before. Her eyes became wide the moment her vision sharpened as she saw Sunset lying in a pool of blood, her left foreleg missing as more blood emerged from the wound.

To make matters worse, part of her still saw her friend as prey, her smell so appetizing, and her aura of magic demanding to be devoured.

Another weird thing she noticed was that Sunset seemed a bit smaller than before, or could she be the one who grew?

She shook her head and focused magic into her third tail, ignoring the aching in her chest. She ran forward on her shaking paws and touched Sunsets injury, sending all the healing magic she could muster. Slowly but steady, filly's foreleg grew back as she finally ended her ongoing scream.

As if she wasn't overwhelmed with guilt already, the hate she saw when Sunset looked at her broke her heart into pieces.

A beam of magic shot in her direction, pushing her into the air while leaving a bleeding injury in her chest. Kyuubi fell onto her back, taking several seconds to push herself to stand and additional seconds to close the injury on her chest, yet nothing hurt more than seeing a battle-ready Sunset staring back with crying eyes.

Her own eyes started producing tears as she fully realized what she had done. She turned around and concentrated, using another portion of her shrinking reserves to open a magical gate. She jumped, not carrying where she was going to end up as long as it was as far away from here as possible. After what she did, there was no place for her among the innocent ponies. All there was left for her was to run.