Equestria's Star Warriorby castroedgar316ChaptersPrologueUnexpected GuestsA Rowdy RumblePrologueOutside of the atmosphere of the star-shaped planet Equus, a yellow star-shaped spaceship had suddenly appeared after exiting lightspeed. The pilot of the ship looked at the planet below, happy that he had found it again after all of this time. "Planet Equus, possibly the most peaceful planet I've ever been to." The pilot said, "I just hope that she is still there like she said she would." With that the pilot begins to press a few buttons before his ship began to descend into the planet. In the garden of canterlot castle, we now see Princess Celestia along with her pupil Twilight Sparkle and her dragon assistant Spike getting some fresh air after a long day of studying. "After a long day of work, some fresh air sure does relieve some of the day's stress." Spike said. "I agree." Princess Celestia spoke up, "Whenever I'm done with a day of my royal duties, like step outside for a while enjoy some tea." Almost as if by cue, a waddle dee with a plate full of tea cups with a pitcher of tea walked up. "Thank you." Princess Celestia said before asking, "If you can be so kind, can you bring us some snacks as well?" The waddle dee nodded before walking off with it's new task. "I've got to admit, I'm still getting used to seeing waddle dees work in the castle now despite already seeing a few arrive when King DeDeDe makes a visit." Twilight spoke up. "Well King DeDeDe did give us a few of his own waddle dees when he found out that we didn't have any working in the castle." Spike reminded Twilight, "He also said if we liked their services, simply find some waddle dees that are currently wondering aimlessly and take them to the castle, he did say waddle dees will work for anyone as long as they are fed." "I still find it a bit weird how they will do just about anything you ask them without question." Twilight said before noticing something in the sky, "What's that?" Following Twilight's gaze, Princess Celestia and Spike saw something yellow moving through the sky. As they watched however, they saw that the object was getting closer, and was headed straight towards them. Princess Celestia was about to attempt to grab the object but noticed that the object began to slow down on it's own until it stopped a few feet above them before descending to the ground in front of them. Once the object landed, the trio saw that the object was what appeared to be a star-shaped spaceship. Before the trio could investigate it, the ship let out a hiss before the hatch on top slowly lifted, with steam pouring out in the process. Amoung the steam, the trio saw a figure climb out of the ship before landing in front of them. The figure was the same height of Spike and it's body was pink and appeared to be almost completely round (with the exclusion of it's feet, which were red, and it's arms). It wore a golden star-shaped mask that allowed only it's pure green eyes to be visible. It also had wore an aqua and white cape along with aqua and gold colored shoulder plates, it also had golden plates on it's feet. The trio simply stared at amazement. Twilight never thought in her life she would meet a creature from another planet, Spike was amazed by the creature's appearance, and Princess Celestia was in shock and disbelief of what she was seeing. "It's great to see you again after all of this time Celestia." The creature said in a voice that indicated that the creature was a male while also showing his experience. After regaining her composure, Princess Celestia replied, "It is good to see you again as well, old friend." "Wait, you actually know him princess?" Twilight asked. After noticing Twilight and Spike, the creature asked, "Who are the ones beside you Celestia?" "Right, introductions." Princess Celestia said before turning towards Twilight and saying, "This is my my star pupil, Twilight Sparkle. The dragon is her assistant, Spike." "Twilight and Spike huh? Those are easy names to remember." The creature said, "Being that you made introductions, I suppose I should make one myself as well. You can may call me, Star Knight. "Well, I suppose it's nice to meet you Star Knight." Twilight said as she offered her hoof. "It's nice to meet you as well, Twilight." Star Knight said, accepting Twilight's hoof. "If you don't mind me asking, is Star Knight your real name?" Spike asked. "No, but for now I would prefer to keep my real name to myself until grow to trust you to the point where I know that everything you do if for the greater good." Star Knight responded. "I, guess that makes sense?" Twilight said in a uncertain tone. "If you want a better explanation for my explanation, just about every star warrior does this to show that they truly trust someone." Star Knight said. "Wait, YOU are a star warrior!?!" Twilight asked in shock. Star Knight chuckled before responding, "I see you have heard of us." "Who wouldn't?" Spike asked, "Star warriors are the the greatest warriors of all time. Although a good amount of them were lost hundreds of years ago." "If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to survive in battle?" Twilight asked. "I didn't battle, I was only a baby at the time so I was sent away in hopes that I grow into a true warrior, which you can clearly see." Star Knight responded. "Wow, where were you sent?" Twilight asked. "I believe it's best if we save that for another time." Princess Celestia spoke up, "For now, being that you may have been a long journey back to equestria, would like join us for a quick snack." "That would be nice, thank you." Star Knight responded. Almost immediately after he said that, three waddle dees walked up with the refreshments Princess Celestia requested earlier (one with the tea, and the other two with a large plate of cupcakes, pies, and other snacks). "I see you now have some waddle dees working in your new castle." Star Knight said as the waddle dees place the snacks on a nearby table. "They were a gift from the current ruler of Dream Land." Princess Celestia said, "But enough of that, let's eat." Soon enough, the four began to enjoy the snacks the waddle dees brought them. As they ate, Twilight and Spike noticed that whenever Star Knight was about to eat something/drink his tea, he would move his mask upwards just enough so that only his mouth was visible before consuming the snack and putting the mask back down. When Spike asked why he didn't just take off his mask, Star Knight responded by saying that it was similar to how he would refuse to give them his real name, they had to gain enough trust before he could reveal his face to them. Once they were finished with the snacks, Twilight decided to approach Star Knight's ship in hopes of seeing how it works, but before she could get close, Star Knight jumped in front of her, blocking her path. "I think it's best if you don't touch something you are not familiar with." Star Knight said. "Sorry, I guess my curiosity got the best of me." Twilight apologized. "I forgive you." Star Knight responded before turning towards his ship, "But I suppose I should move this so that it isn't in anyone's way." Before Twilight could ask what he meant by that, the ship began to glow yellow before shrinking until it was small enough to fit into her hoof. Star Knight then approached the shrunken ship began picking it up and tucking it into his cape. "Woah! How did you do that?" Spike asked as he and Princess Celestia walked up beside Twilight. "I turned my ship into pure energy before condensing it into a size that would make it easier to take with me." Star Knight responded. "Interesting." Twilight said. "What's going on over here?" A voice called out. After turning towards the voice, the group saw one of the castle's guards who had white fur, and with a blue mane, tail, and eyes. "Shining!" Twilight exclaimed happily before running towards the guard. "Twilight!" The guard exclaimed before he and said mare hugged each other, "It's been a while. Who's the little guy with the star-shaped mask? "Allow me to explain." Princess Celestia spoke up, "Captain, this is Star Knight, a star warrior who is also an old friend of mine. Star Knight, this is Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard." "It's an honor to meet you." Star Knight said as he extended his hand to Shining Armor. "I should be saying that to you, it isn't everyday that someone gets the chance to meet a star warrior." Shining Armor replied before asking, "Speaking of which, there isn't some sort of trouble here, is there." "No, I came on my own terms." Star Knight responded, "I wanted to live the rest of my days in peace while protecting others when it's necessary." "If that's the case, why not become a royal guard?" Shining Armor suggested, "Not too much happens in equestria and if something were to happen, you'd get the chance to protect others." After thinking about it for a moment, Star Knight responded, "I'll do it. What do I need to do to prove myself worthy of such a task?" "Considering all the experience you have as a star warrior, I'm sure that you're already worthy." Shining Armor replied, "But if you can beat me in a duel, I'll make you an honorary royal guard, deal?" "Deal." Star Knight said without hesitation, "When do we duel and where?" "In half an hour in the training area, I'll see you then." Shining Armor replied before walking off. "Hold on, can't Princess Celestia just make Star Knight a royal guard without the need of some sort of test?" Spike asked. "I could actually, but I would like to see how much experience he has gained since our time apart." Princess Celestia replied. "And it would be an honor to do so Celestia." Star Knight said, "Now could you three please guide me to the training area Captain Armor spoke of? I am not familiar with this castle." "Sure, and if you want, after you become an honorary member of the royal guard I could give you a tour of the castle." Spike said. "I would like that very much, thank you." Star Knight said. "Then let's get going!" Spike exclaimed before leading Star Knight to the training area. As they followed closely behind, Twilight noticed that Princess Celestia had an expression that appeared to be a mix of deep thought and concern. "Is everything alright princess?" Twilight asked. Having been taken out of her thoughts, Princess Celestia replied, "I'm fine Twilight, nothing you need to concern yourself with." Listening to her mentor's words, Twilight turns her gaze back to Star Knight and Spike, unaware that Princess Celestia had the same expression on her face again. 'Although he said he came on his own terms, a star warrior's ship almost always arrives to a planet that is a target of monsters or any type of evil.' Princess Celestia thought to herself, 'Meaning there is a good chance that something will be coming to threaten the planet. Whatever it is, despite having Star Knight at our side again, we must be ready for anything.' Unexpected GuestsSeveral minutes later after the tour around the castle, we now find the group in the training area with Star Knight and Shining Armor in the center, wield wooden training swords. "This is going to be so cool, I just know it!" Spike exclaimed as he, Twilight, and Princess Celestia watched from the sidelines. "Hopefully they don't end up hurting each other." Twilight said. "I'm sure they're going to be fine Twilight." Princess Celestia assured, "They both have lots of experience in combat, I'm sure they'll know when to stop." "I'm ready when you are, Star Knight!" Shining Armor called. "I was ready the moment we we got our weapons." Star Knight called back, "And since you're captain, I insist that you have the first move." "If you say so!" Shining Armor said before charging towards Star Knight, with is sword in his magic's grasp. Instead of getting ready to counter, Star Knight just stood there, watching Shining Armor get closer and closer. "What's he doing!" Spike exclaimed, "He's going to be hit if he doesn't move!" "Patience Spike." Princess Celestia said, "Knowing Star Knight, he's waiting for just the right moment." Once Shining Armor was right in front of Star Knight, he swung his sword at him, but at the last second, the star warrior swung his sword, causing both weapons to clash for a moment before Shining's was knocked out of his grip and onto the sidelines. Before the royal captain could even react, he found that Star Knight was holding his sword against his neck. "Do you yield?" Star Knight asked. After processing what the star warrior said for a moment, Shining Armor replied, "I guess I don't exactly have a choice." Upon hearing Shining Armor's response, Star Knight dropped his sword to the ground. "Well Star Knight, you won fair-and-square, and as captain of the royal guard, I hereby proclaim you as an honorary royal guard!" Shining Armor said "Thank you captain, I'm honored." Star Knight said before taking a quick bow. "Wow, that was amazing Star Knight!" Spike exclaimed as he, Twilight, and Princess Celestia walked up to the duo. "I'm personally surprised that you beat my brother so easily." Twilight said. "Now that I think about it, it actually looked like you were counting on me to charge at you like I did." Shining Armor said. "A good knight knows that an opponent is much easier to deal with if they don't have a weapon." Star Knight said, "Which is why if one were to fight someone with a weapon, try to disarming them as quickly as possible." "I see." Shining Armor said, "Well, I'll be sure keep that I mind next time. As for now I need to check if all the other guards are at their posts and aren't joking around." With that, Shining Armor made his way out of the training area. "Well Star Knight, now that you're officially part of the royal guard now, what do you want to do first?" Spike asked. "That's something I'll let Celestia decide." Star Knight replied. Before Princess Celestia continued respond, one of the royal guards burst inside the training area. "Princess Celestia!" The guard called, "King DeDeDe has made a surprise visit, and he's brought some guests along!" "DeDeDe does tend to show up without warning." Princess Celestia said to herself before telling the guard, "Please have King DeDeDe and his guests wait in the throne room and tell them that we'll join them shortly." "Yes princess." The guard said before leaving. "Who is this 'King DeDeDe' you speak of, Celestia?" Star Knight asked. "He's the current ruler of dream land." Princess Celestia responded, "While he can act a bit selfish at times, he's overall a good leader and a great ally." "I suppose you want to greet King DeDeDe and his guests by yourself, princess?" Twilight asked. "Actually, I think it would be best if you three were to come with me." Princess Celestia responded, "I'm sure since the king may have brought some of his subjects, I could bring some of mine. I'd also like to introduce him to my newest knight." With that said, the group begin to make their way to the throne room. A few minutes later, the group arrives in the throne room, only to be greeted by a large penguin dressed in a red robe and fancy shirt. "It's about time you showed up, Celestia!" The penguin said. "Forgive me for making you and your guests wait, DeDeDe." Princess Celestia apologized, "But I must ask, what is the meaning of this unexpected visit?" "I had actually been planning this for a couple of weeks now." The penguin now know as King DeDeDe explained, "And just yesterday I sent one of my waddle dees with a letter saying so." Immediately after he said that, a waddle dee walked into the throne room before handing Princess Celestia a letter. Upon opening it, Princess Celestia found that it was the letter King DeDeDe just spoke about. "I guess your waddle dee was stalled." Princess Celestia said, "I just received the letter you sent yesterday." King DeDeDe groaned before turning to the large snail and said, "Escargoon, remind me to not have a waddle dee deliver any of my letters ever again." "Yes sire." The snail now know as Escargoon said. "Care to introduce us to your subjects?" Princess Celestia asked. "Sure, why not." King DeDeDe responded, "As you just heard, the snail here is my right hand man, Escargoon." "A great to meet you." Escargoon said before taking a quick bow. "The two who in the full-body armor are Sword Knight, and Blade Knight." King DeDeDe said, gesturing towards the duo. "It's an honor to meet you." Both Sword Knight and Blade Knight said in unison. Sword Knight wore a suit of aqua green armor. The helmet revealed a dark hole where their eyes would be but something was keeping them hidden. The helmet had four open ridges along the side and large shoulder pauldrons. He also had a two pronged sword sheathed to his hip. Blade Knight on the other hand, wore a tiny suit of light green armor with a long helmet which covered most of his face except for a pink section that looked like a chin. The helmet was adorned with several red tassels and his shoulders with large pauldrons decorated with crescent moons along with the same gloves Sword Knight wore.. His sword had a sheathed straight sword on his silver buckled belt. "And last but certainly not least, this is my best knight, Meta Knight." King DeDeDe said gesturing the one behind behind Sword Knight and Blade Knight. "A pleasure to make your acquaintce." Meta Knight said (in a deep Spanish tone), stepping forward before taking a bow. Meta Knight appeared to be the same species as Star Knight along with wearing similar attire. Meta Knight had a blue body and wore a silver mask that was completely round, which only allowed his completely yellow eyes to be seen. His cape was the same as Star Knight's, but was dark purple with golden trimmings. Whatever else he had on was concealed by his cape (which he had around most of his body). "It my pleasure to meet you all as well." Princess Celestia said, "Now I would like you to meet some of my subjects." Princess Celestia then gestured towards Twilight before saying, "This is my star pupil, Twilight Sparkle." "A pleasure to meet you all." Twilight said. "The young dragon is her assistant, Spike." Princess Celestia continued, gesturing towards Spike. "Nice to meet you." Spike said. "And this a very old friend of mine, along with being my newest knight, Star Knight." Princess Celestia said, gesturing towards Star Knight. "An honor to meet you all." Star Knight said. Upon noticing Star Knight, King DeDeDe and his looked guests at him with different emotions. King DeDeDe seemed amazed, Escargoon, Sword Knight and Blade Knight were shocked, and Meta Knight (which everyone couldn't tell because of his mask) was interested. "He looks like a recolored version of Meta Knight." Escargoon said, before quickly adding, "Only his mask if different." King DeDeDe let out a laugh before saying, "I see that you liked Meta Knight's appearance so much, that you hired someone who looks a lot like him!" "Actually your highness, I barely arrived in this planet an hour ago." Star Knight said, "Plus I joined out of the goodness of my heart, not because I was told to." "'Barely arrived in this planet?'" Meta Knight asked, "You wouldn't happen to be a star warrior, would you?" "I am, actually." Star Knight responded, "Just like you." "Wait a second!" King DeDeDe exclaimed, "You're actually a star warrior, Meta Knight!?! Why didn't you tell me." "You never asked." Meta Knight responded simply. "Are all star warriors the same species as you and Star Knight?" Spike asked Meta Knight. "No, star warriors consisted of many spices and anyone would be considered one if they decided to join us." Meta Knight responded before turning towards Star Knight and asking, "Although I would like to know how you knew that I was one." "I was going to ask you the same thing." Star Knight countered, "But to answer your question, managed to find a computer that had the names of all known star warriors, with the name 'Meta Knight' being among them." "A reasonable answer." Meta Knight said, "And as for how I knew, I recall there being a young star warrior who was sent away for both safety reasons and in hopes that he would return as an excellent fighter who would protect the galaxy long after the end of the war. That, and you're the only star warrior who I recall who is naturally pink." "...I guess that makes sense." Star Knight said. "Wow, if what Meta Knight said is true, then he's definitely older than Star Knight." Spike said whispered to Twilight, "Although we don't know how old Star Knight is, we do know that he met Princess Celestia hundreds of years ago." "How do you figure that last part?" Twilight whispered back. "Being how we haven't heard about Star Knight until he arrived earlier today, and how there isn't anything in the castle that mentions him, not even a book about him, and I know that's true since you've read just about every book in the castle library." "Hey! It's not my fault that books are interesting!" Twilight argued, earning a snicker from Spike. "Although you look experienced, I would like to test your abilities." Meta Knight said. "How so?" Star Knight asked. "I was considering that we duel." Meta Knight said, "I want to see how much you've learned for the last thousand years, and a duel will help me rate your skills. It would also be an honor to duel with another star warrior again." After thinking about it for a moment, Star Knight said, "If you desire a duel, then I accept! I personally desired a challenge for quite the while now." "Then it's settled." Meta Knight said before turning towards Princess Celestia, "Is there anywhere we could duel in your castle." "I suppose the training area for my guards could be a good place-" Princess Celestia began. "It would be perfect." Meta Knight said before turning towards Star Knight, "I don't suppose you know how to get there, do you?" "I was actually there a few minutes ago." Star Knight responded, "Follow me, I'll lead you there." "Don't think you two are going alone!" King DeDeDe exclaimed, "I want to watch the two of you duking it out with each other! Watching a brawl between two star knights isn't something one sees everyday!" "I'm with King DeDeDe." Escargoon said, "Something like this could happen a once in a lifetime, and I wouldn't want to miss it!" "If you all want to watch, that's fine by me." Star Knight said before turning towards Meta Knight, "How about you?" "I don't mind either." Meta Knight responded, "As long as no one intervenes with our duel." "Then it's settled." Princess Celestia spoke up, "If you all could follow me, I'll lead you to the training area." "Lead the the way then." King DeDeDe said before he and everyone else followed Princess Celestia out of the throne room. As everyone exited, Meta Knight kept his eyes on Star Knight. 'It was foretold that this star warrior would be the mightiest of them all and would be the one to purge the universe of darkness.' Meta Knight thought to himself, 'Wether it's true or not, I must see if is capable of such a task, and if he is willing to make sacrifices when the time is right. But for now, our duel should allow me to recognize his fighting style in case the next time we battle isn't a duel.' A Rowdy RumbleAfter a few minutes, the group arrived in the training area where the two star warriors planned to duel. "Now that we're here, need to know the rules of the duel." Star Knight said, "What weapons will we use, how will a winner be chosen, and should we hold back on our power?" "No holding back." Meta Knight said almost immediately, "We will use our swords, and the whoever disarms the other, is the victor." "That's reasonable." Star Knight said as he and Meta Knight entered the ring and got into position. "Be sure to give me your all." Star Knight said before pulling out his sword (The blade was curved and the hilt was star shaped, making the entire sword resemble a shooting star). "I was about to tell you the same thing." Meta Knight said back as he removed his cape from around his body (revealing that he wore gloves similar to Sword and Blade Knights', gauntlets above the gloves, and purple plated boots) before pulling out his own sword (The blade was gold in color and had four tines). "Gentlemen, are you ready?" Princess Celestia asked from the sidelines, earning a nod from both knights, "Then you may begin!" Instead of rushing towards each other like everyone thought, the two knights simply stayed still, staring at each other in the eyes. "Hey what's the big idea!?" Escargoon called out to the two knights, "You two are supposed to have a duel, not a staring contest!" "They're not having a staring contest, they're both waiting to see who will make the first move." Sword Knight spoke up. "Meta Knight taught me and Sword Knight that the best way to beat an opponent is to learn how they fight." Blade Knight added, "And the best way to do that is to let your opponent have the first move." "Whatever the reason, those two better get to it, we don't have all day!" King DeDeDe said, not taking his eyes off the duo. While it was had to spot, Princess Celestia noticed that King DeDeDe had seemed a bit tence ever since the two knights drew out their swords. She also noticed how he would at times glance towards Star Knight at times as well. While she was curious about this, she decided to question him about it later. Back on the ring, the two knights continued to stare at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. For a while longer, the group waited for the two knights to make their move (some of them becoming bored/impatient as they waited). Glancing around the training area, Spike noticed a leaf that was being blown by the wind make it's way into the ring. The leaf continued to move through the air for a moment before it finally fell to the ground. Almost immediately after the leaf touched the ground, the two knights leaped towards each other, catching the group off guard. Once they were close to each other, the two knights swept their swords towards each other, causing the blades to create a spark of light when they clashed. The two knights fought for dominance for a moment before pushing each other away. Not allowing the other to have a chance to breathe, the two knights charged at each other again, clashing their swords again as they passed each other. This was repeated several times so quickly that everyone in the sidelines were barely keeping up with the two knights. "Whoa!" Spike said in awe, "So cool!" "I find it amazing how those two could move so fast." Twilight said before thinking to herself, 'Despite the fact that they're so small and wearing armor.' "The two of them are star warriors after all." Sword Knight reminded Twilight, "It's expected of them to be incredible in battle, no matter the circumstances." Unknown to everyone else, King DeDeDe would let out small winces every time the dueling knights' swords clashed and caused a spark of light, which in turn caused him to look more intensely at the two knights (more specifically Star Knight) with a small glare in his eyes. After a few more moments of dancing around each other, the two knights clashed swords and fought for dominance yet again, this time they were right by the sidelines. As the two knights struggled against each other, King DeDeDe suddenly jumped into the air, holding his hammer behind his head as he did so. Noticing that the king was about to slam his hammer onto them, the two knights jumped back, just barely avoiding being flattened. Everyone stared at King DeDeDe in shock as he lifted his hammer (glaring at Star Knight as he did so), having been taken completely off guard by this sudden attack. "DeDeDe, what is the meaning of this?!" Princess Celestia demanded. Instead of answering, King DeDeDe let out a loud roar, which caused a barrier to form around the ring, blocking Meta Knight (who had jumped out of the ring in order to avoid DeDeDe's attack) and the onlookers out. "What's this?" Spike asked as he approached the barrier, only to be pushed back when he touched it. "The ring was enchanted to form a barrier around it's edges whenever someone or something dangerous enters it." Princess Celestia explained, "And the barrier can only be disabled once the enchantment decides that the threat is neutralized." Hearing this made Star Knight tence a little. "King DeDeDe, I do not know what you are planning, but I suggest that you stand down, otherwise, I'll be forced to use force!" Star Knight warned. Taking Star Knight's words as a challenge, King DeDeDe let out another roar before charging towards the star warrior, holding his hammer behind his head as he did so. Ruler of Dream Land, King DeDeDe Seeing that he had to take the ruler of dream land down, Star Knight got into a battle stance, before he seemingly began to charge up an attack. Once King DeDeDe was close enough, he tried to smash Star Knight into the ground with his hammer, but the star warrior dodged out of the way before spinning his body around with his sword out, catching the king and causing him to twirled around for a moment before being sent flying a few feet away. After recovering from the attack, King DeDeDe jumped into the air before landing onto the group with enough force to create a shockwave (which Star Knight avoided by jumping high enough to allow the shockwave to pass underneath him), before repeating this several more times. After DeDeDe stopped, Star Knight spotted what appeared to be a large star that appeared after the king stopped his onslaught of shockwaves. Wasting no time, Star Knight ran towards the star before stopping in front of it and pulled his mask upwards enough so that only his mouth could be seen. Opening his mouth, a vortex of air came out and sucked in the star, causing Star Knight's body to bloat up once he closed his mouth, confusing everyone. Taking this opportunity, Star Knight spat out the star towards King DeDeDe (pulling his mask back down after doing so), turning the star into a projectile that hit the king right in the face, causing him to stagger back in pain. Growling in anger, King DeDeDe opened his mouth which in turned created a much larger vortex of air that threatend to suck Star Knight in. Not wanting to find out what will happen if he were to be pulled into the kings mouth, Star Knight ran away from King DeDeDe, slowly being pulled closer as tim passed. Fortunately, King DeDeDe gave up trying to suck Star Knight in and closed his mouth before jumping towards Star Knight with his hammer behind his head yet again. Deciding that he should end this, Star Knight poured some power into his sword before firing a beam of energy at King DeDeDe, knocking the ruler of dream land out of the air and knocking his hammer out of the ring. (Stop music) King DeDeDe proceeded to bounce off the ground a few times before finally stopping, his body sprawled on the ground. "It's over." Twilight said a hint of relief in her voice. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Meta Knight said, "The barrier is still active, which means the battle isn't over yet." After immediately after Meta Knight said that, dark energy began to pulse out of King DeDeDe before he began to float upwards into the air, his limbs hanging limp as this happened. "W-What's going on?" Spike asked uneasily as he and the others (sans Star Knight and Meta Knight) suddenly felt a sense of dread in the air. Spike's quickly was quickly answered when King DeDeDe was moved upwards, before his stomach suddenly opened like a mouth full of sharp teeth, revealing a large sphere of dark energy that had one large eye. "What in the word is that thing!?!?" Escargoon exclaimed loudly. "Dark Matter." Meta Knight replied simply, "An evil force that wants to engulf the entire universe in darkness. It was one of the main treats that the star warriors fought in the great war hundreds of years ago." "If that, thing, is so dangerous, why is it here and why is it inside King DeDeDe?" Spike asked. "More than likely, it's here to eliminate Star Knight and me, being that we're quite possibly the last remaining star warriors in the galaxy." Meta Knight responded, causing everyone else (sans Star Knight) to grow worried expressions on their faces. Ignoring the conversation, Star Knight glared at the Dark Matter as it glared at him back. "Dark Matter scum!" Star Knight angrily said to the Dark Matter, "How dare you reside on this planet!" In response to Star Knight's yell, the Dark Matter closed King DeDeDe's mouth before allowing the king to drop to the floor with a hard thud as he landed on his feet. The possessed King DeDeDe let out a roar before raising his right arm up, causing a sphere of dark energy to form above his hand. After charging for a moment, the sphere changed into a large axe that the possessed king grabbed before taking a few swings to show that he was ready to continue fighting. Axe wielding, Possessed DeDeDe Accepting the challenge, Star Knight charged towards the possessed King DeDeDe, having his sword to his ready as he did so. To everyone's surprise, the possessed King DeDeDe spun to his right, gracefully dodging Star Knight's attack and retaliated with an upwards swing with his axe, knocking the star warrior into the air. The possessed King DeDeDe then jumped into the air and hit Star Knight with another nasty swing from his axe, causing the star warrior to crash into the ground, before being knocked back even more when the possessed King DeDeDe landed and created a shockwave. "Uh no!" Spike exclaimed, "Star Knight is losing!" "Don't loose faith yet, Spike." Princess Celestia said, "From what I could remember when I first met Star Knight, it'll take a lot more than that to take his out. Proving Princess Celestia's point, Star Knight stood back up, looking as if he hadn't taken a lot of damage. 'It seems the Dark Matter has given King DeDeDe moreagility than he normally does.' Star Knight thought to himself, 'Looks like I'll have to take this seriously.' With that in mind, Star Knight reached into his cape before pulling out a vial full a red liquid with a label that had the image of a star with a fire inside it. Lifting him mask so that only his mouth was visible, Star Knight threw the vial into his car before swallowing it. Before anyone could question why Star Knight did that, a gold band appeared from underneath his mask wrapped around what would be his forehead before connecting at the back of his head, causing a large roar of fire burst out of his head, which for some reason everyone thought it resembled a hat. Once that was done, Star Knight lifted his sword towards his "hat", causing the flame to spread onto the blade, turning the star warrior's curved sword into a sword made of flames. "...What just happened?" Escargoon asked, confused about Star Knight's transformation. "That's Star Knight's copy ability." Princess Celestia spoke up, "Should he swallow anything that has unique properties, he could copy those properties and use them in combat." "That must mean whatever was inside that vial must have been super spicy if he got an ability from it." Spike said. Back in the ring, the possessed King DeDeDe charged towards Star Knight before lunging at him, attempting to bodyslam the star warrior. Star Knight responded by jumping back (barely avoiding the attack by doing so), before lifting his mask enough so that only his mouth was visible and began to breath fire onto possessed King DeDeDe, causing the possessed king to scream in pain before rolling away from the flames. After getting away from the flames and getting back on his feet, the possessed King DeDeDe began charging energy into his axe before swinging in Star Knight's direction, causing beams to be flung at the star warrior, who responded to this by charging energy into his sword and sent beams of him own at the possessed king (that were also on fire). When the two beams collided, Star Knight's beam cut right through possessed King DeDeDe's beam and struck the possessed king in the chest, knocking him off his feet in the process. While possessed King DeDeDe was able to get back up, he was barely able to do so and was having trouble standing straight. Deciding to finish him, Star Knight charged towards possessed King DeDeDe before suddenly being engulfed in flames and shot towards the possessed king's face. (Stop music) Upon contact, the possessed King DeDeDe was again knocked off his feet and was sent flying towards the barrier (his axe being knocked out of his grip and in the process), before bouncing off and landing face first into the ground. The possessed King DeDeDe tried to push himself back up but was too weak to do so and simply fell down again, his body becoming limp. With the king down, dark energy began to leave his body and began to build up above him (the axe also became dark energy and was absorbed) until the Dark Matter appeared. The Dark Matter glared at Star Knight before charging towards him. The Dark Matter suddenly stopped in it's tracks, it's eye widened as if in surprise. Confused, the onlookers looked towards Star Knight, only to see that the star warrior now had his sword above his head, looking as if he had taken a swipe. Looking back at the Dark Matter, the group was surprised to see it spilt evenly from the middle before disappearing in a dark fog. "It's over." Star Knight said as she sheathed his sword. Suddenly, Star Knight jumped up and down, shuffling around and spinning like a ball before unsheathing his sword and jumped into the air, raising the sword up in victory. Shortly afterwards, the barrier around the ring deactivated, leaving the onlookers speechless. "...What. The heck. Was that?!" Escargoon asksd with a lot of confusion in his voice. Princess Celestia giggled before responding, "That's Star Knight's victory dance. Whenever he defeats a powerful enemy, he usually does that dance afterwards. Although I'm still surprised that you still do it now." "It's as the saying goes, it's a force of habit." Star Knight responded before sheathing his sword again. With that done, Star Knight's "hat" flew off his head, resembling the the symbol on the vile he swallowed, and bounced on the ground for a moment before disappearing. "What was that all about?" Spike asked. "Since I no longer needed my fire abilities, I discarded it." Star Knight responded as he approached the group. "But what if you end up needing it again?" Spike asked. "Don't worry Spike, I have a lot more viles at my disposal." Star Knight said, "And as I'm sure Celestia has already told you, I have different ways to get abilities." Just then, the group heard groaning coming from the ring. Looking towards the source, everyone saw King DeDeDe roll onto his back before sitting upright. "Uhh, why does it feel like I was hit in the head by a meteor?" King DeDeDe asked as he clutched his head. "Sire, you don't remember anything?" Escargoon asked. "All I remember was watching the duel, after that, my memory became blurry." King DeDeDe responded as Sword Knight and Blade Knight helped him to his feet, "What happened anyway?" "It would appear there are a few questions that require answers." Star Knight said, "Before we begin however, perhaps it would be best if we went somewhere more comfortable." After everyone voiced their agreements, they exited the training area and made their way back to the throne room. "...and that was when you regained consciousness." Princess Celestia said, having finished explaining what happened to King DeDeDe. "Uh, all the information is too much to take in at once." King DeDeDe said, "And what makes it worse is that my head still hurts from the beating I apparently received from Star Knight." "And I apologize about that, it was for your own good." Star Knight spoke up before saying, "Though I must ask, do you recall encountering the Dark Matter, or anything that fits the description we gave you?" King DeDeDe thought about it for a moment before responding, "Know that I think about it, I remember the night before I sent the letter to Celestia, I decided to get myself a midnight snack. Just as I was making my way back to my room after helping myself with a sandwich that was in my castle's fridge, I remember seeing this dark cloud from the corner of my eye. Before I could do anything, everything went dark. The next day, I woke up back in my bed and just dismissed the experience as a dream, though I did feel a bit different since." "Tell me, were you planning on sending the letter, or did the thought suddenly appear on your mind?" Star Knight asked. "I was writing the letter that night, but became too sleepy to finish it, so I decided to finish it the following morning." King DeDeDe responded. Thinking about this information for a moment, Star Knight said, "While this is only speculation, it would seem that the Dark Matter wanted to come here." "Why would it want to come here." Twilight asked. "So that it could possess Celestia." Star Knight responded, "You all saw how powerful King DeDeDe became once the Dark Matter gave him access to it's energy, just imagine how powerful it would become if Princess Celestia was under it's control." Hearing this made everyone feel uneasy. "W-What would happen if more Dark Matter showed up?" Spike asked. "That would be highly unlikely." Meta Knight spoke up, "Most of the Dark Matter had been eradicated during the great war. Even if did duplicate since the war, it would be spread too far apart for a large mass of it to come here." "That's a relief." Twilight said. "That doesn't mean we should put our guard down." Star Knight said, "Who knows what fate could bring. All we could do now is be ready for anything." "Well I think we should worry about all of this later." King DeDeDe spoke up, "I for one had enough excitement for today and would like to spend the remaining time of my visit by relaxing." While everyone stared at King DeDeDe for suddenly change the subject, they couldn't help but agree with him. "Very well, let's make our way to the garden." Princess Celestia said, prompting everyone to follow her as she made her way out of the throne room. Later that night after King DeDeDe and his subjects left, we find Princess Celestia and Star Knight standing outside one of the castle's guest rooms. "There was no need to do this, Celestia." Star Knight said, "I could of summoned my ship and slept inside it." "Of course I do." Princess Celestia said, "You're my friend, it would be wrong if I didn't give you your own room." Opening the door, the duo saw that the room had a medium-sized bed with a cabinet next to it. The room also had a a set of glass doors that led to a balcony. "I apologize that there isn't much inside." Princess Celestia said as the duo entered the room, "If I had the time, I would of had more furniture added in." "No need to apologize." Star Knight said, "I did just arrive today, there is no way could of done so much on such short notice." Princess Celestia giggled before saying, "I suppose you're right." Just then, a letter appeared in front of Princess Celestia before falling to the ground. "A letter from Twilight, at this hour?" Princess Celestia said to herself before grabbing the letter with her magic and reading it's contents, "...This should be interesting." "What is it?" Star Knight asked. Instead of answering, Princess Celestia summoned a piece of parchment and a quill before writing something onto the parchment and teleported it away. "It appears that I have an assignment for you already." Princess Celestia said. "Oh, what would that be?" Star Knight asked. "I still can't believe Princess Celestia is making me do this." Twilight grumbled to herself. "I'm sure you realize she did this for your own good." Star Knight said. "I'm certain Nightmare Moon is a bigger problem than me needing to make friends." Twilight said. Currently, Star Knight, Twilight, and Spike were on a chariot, making their way to a town called ponyville. Twilight and Spike were asked to check the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration that was going to be held there while Star Knight was asked to be their personal escort until the event was over. "Come on Twilight, you need to learn to relax every now and then, why not focus on the Summer Sun Celebration for now?" Spike suggested. "Alright, I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can, then I'll get to library to find proof of Nightmare Moon's return." Twilight said. "Then will you find some friends?" Spike asked. "While I will do my royal duty, the fate of equestria doesn't rest on me making friends." Twilight responded. "It would be best if you settle this later." Star Knight said once he saw ponyville come into view, "We've arrived."
PrologueOutside of the atmosphere of the star-shaped planet Equus, a yellow star-shaped spaceship had suddenly appeared after exiting lightspeed. The pilot of the ship looked at the planet below, happy that he had found it again after all of this time. "Planet Equus, possibly the most peaceful planet I've ever been to." The pilot said, "I just hope that she is still there like she said she would." With that the pilot begins to press a few buttons before his ship began to descend into the planet. In the garden of canterlot castle, we now see Princess Celestia along with her pupil Twilight Sparkle and her dragon assistant Spike getting some fresh air after a long day of studying. "After a long day of work, some fresh air sure does relieve some of the day's stress." Spike said. "I agree." Princess Celestia spoke up, "Whenever I'm done with a day of my royal duties, like step outside for a while enjoy some tea." Almost as if by cue, a waddle dee with a plate full of tea cups with a pitcher of tea walked up. "Thank you." Princess Celestia said before asking, "If you can be so kind, can you bring us some snacks as well?" The waddle dee nodded before walking off with it's new task. "I've got to admit, I'm still getting used to seeing waddle dees work in the castle now despite already seeing a few arrive when King DeDeDe makes a visit." Twilight spoke up. "Well King DeDeDe did give us a few of his own waddle dees when he found out that we didn't have any working in the castle." Spike reminded Twilight, "He also said if we liked their services, simply find some waddle dees that are currently wondering aimlessly and take them to the castle, he did say waddle dees will work for anyone as long as they are fed." "I still find it a bit weird how they will do just about anything you ask them without question." Twilight said before noticing something in the sky, "What's that?" Following Twilight's gaze, Princess Celestia and Spike saw something yellow moving through the sky. As they watched however, they saw that the object was getting closer, and was headed straight towards them. Princess Celestia was about to attempt to grab the object but noticed that the object began to slow down on it's own until it stopped a few feet above them before descending to the ground in front of them. Once the object landed, the trio saw that the object was what appeared to be a star-shaped spaceship. Before the trio could investigate it, the ship let out a hiss before the hatch on top slowly lifted, with steam pouring out in the process. Amoung the steam, the trio saw a figure climb out of the ship before landing in front of them. The figure was the same height of Spike and it's body was pink and appeared to be almost completely round (with the exclusion of it's feet, which were red, and it's arms). It wore a golden star-shaped mask that allowed only it's pure green eyes to be visible. It also had wore an aqua and white cape along with aqua and gold colored shoulder plates, it also had golden plates on it's feet. The trio simply stared at amazement. Twilight never thought in her life she would meet a creature from another planet, Spike was amazed by the creature's appearance, and Princess Celestia was in shock and disbelief of what she was seeing. "It's great to see you again after all of this time Celestia." The creature said in a voice that indicated that the creature was a male while also showing his experience. After regaining her composure, Princess Celestia replied, "It is good to see you again as well, old friend." "Wait, you actually know him princess?" Twilight asked. After noticing Twilight and Spike, the creature asked, "Who are the ones beside you Celestia?" "Right, introductions." Princess Celestia said before turning towards Twilight and saying, "This is my my star pupil, Twilight Sparkle. The dragon is her assistant, Spike." "Twilight and Spike huh? Those are easy names to remember." The creature said, "Being that you made introductions, I suppose I should make one myself as well. You can may call me, Star Knight. "Well, I suppose it's nice to meet you Star Knight." Twilight said as she offered her hoof. "It's nice to meet you as well, Twilight." Star Knight said, accepting Twilight's hoof. "If you don't mind me asking, is Star Knight your real name?" Spike asked. "No, but for now I would prefer to keep my real name to myself until grow to trust you to the point where I know that everything you do if for the greater good." Star Knight responded. "I, guess that makes sense?" Twilight said in a uncertain tone. "If you want a better explanation for my explanation, just about every star warrior does this to show that they truly trust someone." Star Knight said. "Wait, YOU are a star warrior!?!" Twilight asked in shock. Star Knight chuckled before responding, "I see you have heard of us." "Who wouldn't?" Spike asked, "Star warriors are the the greatest warriors of all time. Although a good amount of them were lost hundreds of years ago." "If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to survive in battle?" Twilight asked. "I didn't battle, I was only a baby at the time so I was sent away in hopes that I grow into a true warrior, which you can clearly see." Star Knight responded. "Wow, where were you sent?" Twilight asked. "I believe it's best if we save that for another time." Princess Celestia spoke up, "For now, being that you may have been a long journey back to equestria, would like join us for a quick snack." "That would be nice, thank you." Star Knight responded. Almost immediately after he said that, three waddle dees walked up with the refreshments Princess Celestia requested earlier (one with the tea, and the other two with a large plate of cupcakes, pies, and other snacks). "I see you now have some waddle dees working in your new castle." Star Knight said as the waddle dees place the snacks on a nearby table. "They were a gift from the current ruler of Dream Land." Princess Celestia said, "But enough of that, let's eat." Soon enough, the four began to enjoy the snacks the waddle dees brought them. As they ate, Twilight and Spike noticed that whenever Star Knight was about to eat something/drink his tea, he would move his mask upwards just enough so that only his mouth was visible before consuming the snack and putting the mask back down. When Spike asked why he didn't just take off his mask, Star Knight responded by saying that it was similar to how he would refuse to give them his real name, they had to gain enough trust before he could reveal his face to them. Once they were finished with the snacks, Twilight decided to approach Star Knight's ship in hopes of seeing how it works, but before she could get close, Star Knight jumped in front of her, blocking her path. "I think it's best if you don't touch something you are not familiar with." Star Knight said. "Sorry, I guess my curiosity got the best of me." Twilight apologized. "I forgive you." Star Knight responded before turning towards his ship, "But I suppose I should move this so that it isn't in anyone's way." Before Twilight could ask what he meant by that, the ship began to glow yellow before shrinking until it was small enough to fit into her hoof. Star Knight then approached the shrunken ship began picking it up and tucking it into his cape. "Woah! How did you do that?" Spike asked as he and Princess Celestia walked up beside Twilight. "I turned my ship into pure energy before condensing it into a size that would make it easier to take with me." Star Knight responded. "Interesting." Twilight said. "What's going on over here?" A voice called out. After turning towards the voice, the group saw one of the castle's guards who had white fur, and with a blue mane, tail, and eyes. "Shining!" Twilight exclaimed happily before running towards the guard. "Twilight!" The guard exclaimed before he and said mare hugged each other, "It's been a while. Who's the little guy with the star-shaped mask? "Allow me to explain." Princess Celestia spoke up, "Captain, this is Star Knight, a star warrior who is also an old friend of mine. Star Knight, this is Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard." "It's an honor to meet you." Star Knight said as he extended his hand to Shining Armor. "I should be saying that to you, it isn't everyday that someone gets the chance to meet a star warrior." Shining Armor replied before asking, "Speaking of which, there isn't some sort of trouble here, is there." "No, I came on my own terms." Star Knight responded, "I wanted to live the rest of my days in peace while protecting others when it's necessary." "If that's the case, why not become a royal guard?" Shining Armor suggested, "Not too much happens in equestria and if something were to happen, you'd get the chance to protect others." After thinking about it for a moment, Star Knight responded, "I'll do it. What do I need to do to prove myself worthy of such a task?" "Considering all the experience you have as a star warrior, I'm sure that you're already worthy." Shining Armor replied, "But if you can beat me in a duel, I'll make you an honorary royal guard, deal?" "Deal." Star Knight said without hesitation, "When do we duel and where?" "In half an hour in the training area, I'll see you then." Shining Armor replied before walking off. "Hold on, can't Princess Celestia just make Star Knight a royal guard without the need of some sort of test?" Spike asked. "I could actually, but I would like to see how much experience he has gained since our time apart." Princess Celestia replied. "And it would be an honor to do so Celestia." Star Knight said, "Now could you three please guide me to the training area Captain Armor spoke of? I am not familiar with this castle." "Sure, and if you want, after you become an honorary member of the royal guard I could give you a tour of the castle." Spike said. "I would like that very much, thank you." Star Knight said. "Then let's get going!" Spike exclaimed before leading Star Knight to the training area. As they followed closely behind, Twilight noticed that Princess Celestia had an expression that appeared to be a mix of deep thought and concern. "Is everything alright princess?" Twilight asked. Having been taken out of her thoughts, Princess Celestia replied, "I'm fine Twilight, nothing you need to concern yourself with." Listening to her mentor's words, Twilight turns her gaze back to Star Knight and Spike, unaware that Princess Celestia had the same expression on her face again. 'Although he said he came on his own terms, a star warrior's ship almost always arrives to a planet that is a target of monsters or any type of evil.' Princess Celestia thought to herself, 'Meaning there is a good chance that something will be coming to threaten the planet. Whatever it is, despite having Star Knight at our side again, we must be ready for anything.'
Unexpected GuestsSeveral minutes later after the tour around the castle, we now find the group in the training area with Star Knight and Shining Armor in the center, wield wooden training swords. "This is going to be so cool, I just know it!" Spike exclaimed as he, Twilight, and Princess Celestia watched from the sidelines. "Hopefully they don't end up hurting each other." Twilight said. "I'm sure they're going to be fine Twilight." Princess Celestia assured, "They both have lots of experience in combat, I'm sure they'll know when to stop." "I'm ready when you are, Star Knight!" Shining Armor called. "I was ready the moment we we got our weapons." Star Knight called back, "And since you're captain, I insist that you have the first move." "If you say so!" Shining Armor said before charging towards Star Knight, with is sword in his magic's grasp. Instead of getting ready to counter, Star Knight just stood there, watching Shining Armor get closer and closer. "What's he doing!" Spike exclaimed, "He's going to be hit if he doesn't move!" "Patience Spike." Princess Celestia said, "Knowing Star Knight, he's waiting for just the right moment." Once Shining Armor was right in front of Star Knight, he swung his sword at him, but at the last second, the star warrior swung his sword, causing both weapons to clash for a moment before Shining's was knocked out of his grip and onto the sidelines. Before the royal captain could even react, he found that Star Knight was holding his sword against his neck. "Do you yield?" Star Knight asked. After processing what the star warrior said for a moment, Shining Armor replied, "I guess I don't exactly have a choice." Upon hearing Shining Armor's response, Star Knight dropped his sword to the ground. "Well Star Knight, you won fair-and-square, and as captain of the royal guard, I hereby proclaim you as an honorary royal guard!" Shining Armor said "Thank you captain, I'm honored." Star Knight said before taking a quick bow. "Wow, that was amazing Star Knight!" Spike exclaimed as he, Twilight, and Princess Celestia walked up to the duo. "I'm personally surprised that you beat my brother so easily." Twilight said. "Now that I think about it, it actually looked like you were counting on me to charge at you like I did." Shining Armor said. "A good knight knows that an opponent is much easier to deal with if they don't have a weapon." Star Knight said, "Which is why if one were to fight someone with a weapon, try to disarming them as quickly as possible." "I see." Shining Armor said, "Well, I'll be sure keep that I mind next time. As for now I need to check if all the other guards are at their posts and aren't joking around." With that, Shining Armor made his way out of the training area. "Well Star Knight, now that you're officially part of the royal guard now, what do you want to do first?" Spike asked. "That's something I'll let Celestia decide." Star Knight replied. Before Princess Celestia continued respond, one of the royal guards burst inside the training area. "Princess Celestia!" The guard called, "King DeDeDe has made a surprise visit, and he's brought some guests along!" "DeDeDe does tend to show up without warning." Princess Celestia said to herself before telling the guard, "Please have King DeDeDe and his guests wait in the throne room and tell them that we'll join them shortly." "Yes princess." The guard said before leaving. "Who is this 'King DeDeDe' you speak of, Celestia?" Star Knight asked. "He's the current ruler of dream land." Princess Celestia responded, "While he can act a bit selfish at times, he's overall a good leader and a great ally." "I suppose you want to greet King DeDeDe and his guests by yourself, princess?" Twilight asked. "Actually, I think it would be best if you three were to come with me." Princess Celestia responded, "I'm sure since the king may have brought some of his subjects, I could bring some of mine. I'd also like to introduce him to my newest knight." With that said, the group begin to make their way to the throne room. A few minutes later, the group arrives in the throne room, only to be greeted by a large penguin dressed in a red robe and fancy shirt. "It's about time you showed up, Celestia!" The penguin said. "Forgive me for making you and your guests wait, DeDeDe." Princess Celestia apologized, "But I must ask, what is the meaning of this unexpected visit?" "I had actually been planning this for a couple of weeks now." The penguin now know as King DeDeDe explained, "And just yesterday I sent one of my waddle dees with a letter saying so." Immediately after he said that, a waddle dee walked into the throne room before handing Princess Celestia a letter. Upon opening it, Princess Celestia found that it was the letter King DeDeDe just spoke about. "I guess your waddle dee was stalled." Princess Celestia said, "I just received the letter you sent yesterday." King DeDeDe groaned before turning to the large snail and said, "Escargoon, remind me to not have a waddle dee deliver any of my letters ever again." "Yes sire." The snail now know as Escargoon said. "Care to introduce us to your subjects?" Princess Celestia asked. "Sure, why not." King DeDeDe responded, "As you just heard, the snail here is my right hand man, Escargoon." "A great to meet you." Escargoon said before taking a quick bow. "The two who in the full-body armor are Sword Knight, and Blade Knight." King DeDeDe said, gesturing towards the duo. "It's an honor to meet you." Both Sword Knight and Blade Knight said in unison. Sword Knight wore a suit of aqua green armor. The helmet revealed a dark hole where their eyes would be but something was keeping them hidden. The helmet had four open ridges along the side and large shoulder pauldrons. He also had a two pronged sword sheathed to his hip. Blade Knight on the other hand, wore a tiny suit of light green armor with a long helmet which covered most of his face except for a pink section that looked like a chin. The helmet was adorned with several red tassels and his shoulders with large pauldrons decorated with crescent moons along with the same gloves Sword Knight wore.. His sword had a sheathed straight sword on his silver buckled belt. "And last but certainly not least, this is my best knight, Meta Knight." King DeDeDe said gesturing the one behind behind Sword Knight and Blade Knight. "A pleasure to make your acquaintce." Meta Knight said (in a deep Spanish tone), stepping forward before taking a bow. Meta Knight appeared to be the same species as Star Knight along with wearing similar attire. Meta Knight had a blue body and wore a silver mask that was completely round, which only allowed his completely yellow eyes to be seen. His cape was the same as Star Knight's, but was dark purple with golden trimmings. Whatever else he had on was concealed by his cape (which he had around most of his body). "It my pleasure to meet you all as well." Princess Celestia said, "Now I would like you to meet some of my subjects." Princess Celestia then gestured towards Twilight before saying, "This is my star pupil, Twilight Sparkle." "A pleasure to meet you all." Twilight said. "The young dragon is her assistant, Spike." Princess Celestia continued, gesturing towards Spike. "Nice to meet you." Spike said. "And this a very old friend of mine, along with being my newest knight, Star Knight." Princess Celestia said, gesturing towards Star Knight. "An honor to meet you all." Star Knight said. Upon noticing Star Knight, King DeDeDe and his looked guests at him with different emotions. King DeDeDe seemed amazed, Escargoon, Sword Knight and Blade Knight were shocked, and Meta Knight (which everyone couldn't tell because of his mask) was interested. "He looks like a recolored version of Meta Knight." Escargoon said, before quickly adding, "Only his mask if different." King DeDeDe let out a laugh before saying, "I see that you liked Meta Knight's appearance so much, that you hired someone who looks a lot like him!" "Actually your highness, I barely arrived in this planet an hour ago." Star Knight said, "Plus I joined out of the goodness of my heart, not because I was told to." "'Barely arrived in this planet?'" Meta Knight asked, "You wouldn't happen to be a star warrior, would you?" "I am, actually." Star Knight responded, "Just like you." "Wait a second!" King DeDeDe exclaimed, "You're actually a star warrior, Meta Knight!?! Why didn't you tell me." "You never asked." Meta Knight responded simply. "Are all star warriors the same species as you and Star Knight?" Spike asked Meta Knight. "No, star warriors consisted of many spices and anyone would be considered one if they decided to join us." Meta Knight responded before turning towards Star Knight and asking, "Although I would like to know how you knew that I was one." "I was going to ask you the same thing." Star Knight countered, "But to answer your question, managed to find a computer that had the names of all known star warriors, with the name 'Meta Knight' being among them." "A reasonable answer." Meta Knight said, "And as for how I knew, I recall there being a young star warrior who was sent away for both safety reasons and in hopes that he would return as an excellent fighter who would protect the galaxy long after the end of the war. That, and you're the only star warrior who I recall who is naturally pink." "...I guess that makes sense." Star Knight said. "Wow, if what Meta Knight said is true, then he's definitely older than Star Knight." Spike said whispered to Twilight, "Although we don't know how old Star Knight is, we do know that he met Princess Celestia hundreds of years ago." "How do you figure that last part?" Twilight whispered back. "Being how we haven't heard about Star Knight until he arrived earlier today, and how there isn't anything in the castle that mentions him, not even a book about him, and I know that's true since you've read just about every book in the castle library." "Hey! It's not my fault that books are interesting!" Twilight argued, earning a snicker from Spike. "Although you look experienced, I would like to test your abilities." Meta Knight said. "How so?" Star Knight asked. "I was considering that we duel." Meta Knight said, "I want to see how much you've learned for the last thousand years, and a duel will help me rate your skills. It would also be an honor to duel with another star warrior again." After thinking about it for a moment, Star Knight said, "If you desire a duel, then I accept! I personally desired a challenge for quite the while now." "Then it's settled." Meta Knight said before turning towards Princess Celestia, "Is there anywhere we could duel in your castle." "I suppose the training area for my guards could be a good place-" Princess Celestia began. "It would be perfect." Meta Knight said before turning towards Star Knight, "I don't suppose you know how to get there, do you?" "I was actually there a few minutes ago." Star Knight responded, "Follow me, I'll lead you there." "Don't think you two are going alone!" King DeDeDe exclaimed, "I want to watch the two of you duking it out with each other! Watching a brawl between two star knights isn't something one sees everyday!" "I'm with King DeDeDe." Escargoon said, "Something like this could happen a once in a lifetime, and I wouldn't want to miss it!" "If you all want to watch, that's fine by me." Star Knight said before turning towards Meta Knight, "How about you?" "I don't mind either." Meta Knight responded, "As long as no one intervenes with our duel." "Then it's settled." Princess Celestia spoke up, "If you all could follow me, I'll lead you to the training area." "Lead the the way then." King DeDeDe said before he and everyone else followed Princess Celestia out of the throne room. As everyone exited, Meta Knight kept his eyes on Star Knight. 'It was foretold that this star warrior would be the mightiest of them all and would be the one to purge the universe of darkness.' Meta Knight thought to himself, 'Wether it's true or not, I must see if is capable of such a task, and if he is willing to make sacrifices when the time is right. But for now, our duel should allow me to recognize his fighting style in case the next time we battle isn't a duel.'
A Rowdy RumbleAfter a few minutes, the group arrived in the training area where the two star warriors planned to duel. "Now that we're here, need to know the rules of the duel." Star Knight said, "What weapons will we use, how will a winner be chosen, and should we hold back on our power?" "No holding back." Meta Knight said almost immediately, "We will use our swords, and the whoever disarms the other, is the victor." "That's reasonable." Star Knight said as he and Meta Knight entered the ring and got into position. "Be sure to give me your all." Star Knight said before pulling out his sword (The blade was curved and the hilt was star shaped, making the entire sword resemble a shooting star). "I was about to tell you the same thing." Meta Knight said back as he removed his cape from around his body (revealing that he wore gloves similar to Sword and Blade Knights', gauntlets above the gloves, and purple plated boots) before pulling out his own sword (The blade was gold in color and had four tines). "Gentlemen, are you ready?" Princess Celestia asked from the sidelines, earning a nod from both knights, "Then you may begin!" Instead of rushing towards each other like everyone thought, the two knights simply stayed still, staring at each other in the eyes. "Hey what's the big idea!?" Escargoon called out to the two knights, "You two are supposed to have a duel, not a staring contest!" "They're not having a staring contest, they're both waiting to see who will make the first move." Sword Knight spoke up. "Meta Knight taught me and Sword Knight that the best way to beat an opponent is to learn how they fight." Blade Knight added, "And the best way to do that is to let your opponent have the first move." "Whatever the reason, those two better get to it, we don't have all day!" King DeDeDe said, not taking his eyes off the duo. While it was had to spot, Princess Celestia noticed that King DeDeDe had seemed a bit tence ever since the two knights drew out their swords. She also noticed how he would at times glance towards Star Knight at times as well. While she was curious about this, she decided to question him about it later. Back on the ring, the two knights continued to stare at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. For a while longer, the group waited for the two knights to make their move (some of them becoming bored/impatient as they waited). Glancing around the training area, Spike noticed a leaf that was being blown by the wind make it's way into the ring. The leaf continued to move through the air for a moment before it finally fell to the ground. Almost immediately after the leaf touched the ground, the two knights leaped towards each other, catching the group off guard. Once they were close to each other, the two knights swept their swords towards each other, causing the blades to create a spark of light when they clashed. The two knights fought for dominance for a moment before pushing each other away. Not allowing the other to have a chance to breathe, the two knights charged at each other again, clashing their swords again as they passed each other. This was repeated several times so quickly that everyone in the sidelines were barely keeping up with the two knights. "Whoa!" Spike said in awe, "So cool!" "I find it amazing how those two could move so fast." Twilight said before thinking to herself, 'Despite the fact that they're so small and wearing armor.' "The two of them are star warriors after all." Sword Knight reminded Twilight, "It's expected of them to be incredible in battle, no matter the circumstances." Unknown to everyone else, King DeDeDe would let out small winces every time the dueling knights' swords clashed and caused a spark of light, which in turn caused him to look more intensely at the two knights (more specifically Star Knight) with a small glare in his eyes. After a few more moments of dancing around each other, the two knights clashed swords and fought for dominance yet again, this time they were right by the sidelines. As the two knights struggled against each other, King DeDeDe suddenly jumped into the air, holding his hammer behind his head as he did so. Noticing that the king was about to slam his hammer onto them, the two knights jumped back, just barely avoiding being flattened. Everyone stared at King DeDeDe in shock as he lifted his hammer (glaring at Star Knight as he did so), having been taken completely off guard by this sudden attack. "DeDeDe, what is the meaning of this?!" Princess Celestia demanded. Instead of answering, King DeDeDe let out a loud roar, which caused a barrier to form around the ring, blocking Meta Knight (who had jumped out of the ring in order to avoid DeDeDe's attack) and the onlookers out. "What's this?" Spike asked as he approached the barrier, only to be pushed back when he touched it. "The ring was enchanted to form a barrier around it's edges whenever someone or something dangerous enters it." Princess Celestia explained, "And the barrier can only be disabled once the enchantment decides that the threat is neutralized." Hearing this made Star Knight tence a little. "King DeDeDe, I do not know what you are planning, but I suggest that you stand down, otherwise, I'll be forced to use force!" Star Knight warned. Taking Star Knight's words as a challenge, King DeDeDe let out another roar before charging towards the star warrior, holding his hammer behind his head as he did so. Ruler of Dream Land, King DeDeDe Seeing that he had to take the ruler of dream land down, Star Knight got into a battle stance, before he seemingly began to charge up an attack. Once King DeDeDe was close enough, he tried to smash Star Knight into the ground with his hammer, but the star warrior dodged out of the way before spinning his body around with his sword out, catching the king and causing him to twirled around for a moment before being sent flying a few feet away. After recovering from the attack, King DeDeDe jumped into the air before landing onto the group with enough force to create a shockwave (which Star Knight avoided by jumping high enough to allow the shockwave to pass underneath him), before repeating this several more times. After DeDeDe stopped, Star Knight spotted what appeared to be a large star that appeared after the king stopped his onslaught of shockwaves. Wasting no time, Star Knight ran towards the star before stopping in front of it and pulled his mask upwards enough so that only his mouth could be seen. Opening his mouth, a vortex of air came out and sucked in the star, causing Star Knight's body to bloat up once he closed his mouth, confusing everyone. Taking this opportunity, Star Knight spat out the star towards King DeDeDe (pulling his mask back down after doing so), turning the star into a projectile that hit the king right in the face, causing him to stagger back in pain. Growling in anger, King DeDeDe opened his mouth which in turned created a much larger vortex of air that threatend to suck Star Knight in. Not wanting to find out what will happen if he were to be pulled into the kings mouth, Star Knight ran away from King DeDeDe, slowly being pulled closer as tim passed. Fortunately, King DeDeDe gave up trying to suck Star Knight in and closed his mouth before jumping towards Star Knight with his hammer behind his head yet again. Deciding that he should end this, Star Knight poured some power into his sword before firing a beam of energy at King DeDeDe, knocking the ruler of dream land out of the air and knocking his hammer out of the ring. (Stop music) King DeDeDe proceeded to bounce off the ground a few times before finally stopping, his body sprawled on the ground. "It's over." Twilight said a hint of relief in her voice. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Meta Knight said, "The barrier is still active, which means the battle isn't over yet." After immediately after Meta Knight said that, dark energy began to pulse out of King DeDeDe before he began to float upwards into the air, his limbs hanging limp as this happened. "W-What's going on?" Spike asked uneasily as he and the others (sans Star Knight and Meta Knight) suddenly felt a sense of dread in the air. Spike's quickly was quickly answered when King DeDeDe was moved upwards, before his stomach suddenly opened like a mouth full of sharp teeth, revealing a large sphere of dark energy that had one large eye. "What in the word is that thing!?!?" Escargoon exclaimed loudly. "Dark Matter." Meta Knight replied simply, "An evil force that wants to engulf the entire universe in darkness. It was one of the main treats that the star warriors fought in the great war hundreds of years ago." "If that, thing, is so dangerous, why is it here and why is it inside King DeDeDe?" Spike asked. "More than likely, it's here to eliminate Star Knight and me, being that we're quite possibly the last remaining star warriors in the galaxy." Meta Knight responded, causing everyone else (sans Star Knight) to grow worried expressions on their faces. Ignoring the conversation, Star Knight glared at the Dark Matter as it glared at him back. "Dark Matter scum!" Star Knight angrily said to the Dark Matter, "How dare you reside on this planet!" In response to Star Knight's yell, the Dark Matter closed King DeDeDe's mouth before allowing the king to drop to the floor with a hard thud as he landed on his feet. The possessed King DeDeDe let out a roar before raising his right arm up, causing a sphere of dark energy to form above his hand. After charging for a moment, the sphere changed into a large axe that the possessed king grabbed before taking a few swings to show that he was ready to continue fighting. Axe wielding, Possessed DeDeDe Accepting the challenge, Star Knight charged towards the possessed King DeDeDe, having his sword to his ready as he did so. To everyone's surprise, the possessed King DeDeDe spun to his right, gracefully dodging Star Knight's attack and retaliated with an upwards swing with his axe, knocking the star warrior into the air. The possessed King DeDeDe then jumped into the air and hit Star Knight with another nasty swing from his axe, causing the star warrior to crash into the ground, before being knocked back even more when the possessed King DeDeDe landed and created a shockwave. "Uh no!" Spike exclaimed, "Star Knight is losing!" "Don't loose faith yet, Spike." Princess Celestia said, "From what I could remember when I first met Star Knight, it'll take a lot more than that to take his out. Proving Princess Celestia's point, Star Knight stood back up, looking as if he hadn't taken a lot of damage. 'It seems the Dark Matter has given King DeDeDe moreagility than he normally does.' Star Knight thought to himself, 'Looks like I'll have to take this seriously.' With that in mind, Star Knight reached into his cape before pulling out a vial full a red liquid with a label that had the image of a star with a fire inside it. Lifting him mask so that only his mouth was visible, Star Knight threw the vial into his car before swallowing it. Before anyone could question why Star Knight did that, a gold band appeared from underneath his mask wrapped around what would be his forehead before connecting at the back of his head, causing a large roar of fire burst out of his head, which for some reason everyone thought it resembled a hat. Once that was done, Star Knight lifted his sword towards his "hat", causing the flame to spread onto the blade, turning the star warrior's curved sword into a sword made of flames. "...What just happened?" Escargoon asked, confused about Star Knight's transformation. "That's Star Knight's copy ability." Princess Celestia spoke up, "Should he swallow anything that has unique properties, he could copy those properties and use them in combat." "That must mean whatever was inside that vial must have been super spicy if he got an ability from it." Spike said. Back in the ring, the possessed King DeDeDe charged towards Star Knight before lunging at him, attempting to bodyslam the star warrior. Star Knight responded by jumping back (barely avoiding the attack by doing so), before lifting his mask enough so that only his mouth was visible and began to breath fire onto possessed King DeDeDe, causing the possessed king to scream in pain before rolling away from the flames. After getting away from the flames and getting back on his feet, the possessed King DeDeDe began charging energy into his axe before swinging in Star Knight's direction, causing beams to be flung at the star warrior, who responded to this by charging energy into his sword and sent beams of him own at the possessed king (that were also on fire). When the two beams collided, Star Knight's beam cut right through possessed King DeDeDe's beam and struck the possessed king in the chest, knocking him off his feet in the process. While possessed King DeDeDe was able to get back up, he was barely able to do so and was having trouble standing straight. Deciding to finish him, Star Knight charged towards possessed King DeDeDe before suddenly being engulfed in flames and shot towards the possessed king's face. (Stop music) Upon contact, the possessed King DeDeDe was again knocked off his feet and was sent flying towards the barrier (his axe being knocked out of his grip and in the process), before bouncing off and landing face first into the ground. The possessed King DeDeDe tried to push himself back up but was too weak to do so and simply fell down again, his body becoming limp. With the king down, dark energy began to leave his body and began to build up above him (the axe also became dark energy and was absorbed) until the Dark Matter appeared. The Dark Matter glared at Star Knight before charging towards him. The Dark Matter suddenly stopped in it's tracks, it's eye widened as if in surprise. Confused, the onlookers looked towards Star Knight, only to see that the star warrior now had his sword above his head, looking as if he had taken a swipe. Looking back at the Dark Matter, the group was surprised to see it spilt evenly from the middle before disappearing in a dark fog. "It's over." Star Knight said as she sheathed his sword. Suddenly, Star Knight jumped up and down, shuffling around and spinning like a ball before unsheathing his sword and jumped into the air, raising the sword up in victory. Shortly afterwards, the barrier around the ring deactivated, leaving the onlookers speechless. "...What. The heck. Was that?!" Escargoon asksd with a lot of confusion in his voice. Princess Celestia giggled before responding, "That's Star Knight's victory dance. Whenever he defeats a powerful enemy, he usually does that dance afterwards. Although I'm still surprised that you still do it now." "It's as the saying goes, it's a force of habit." Star Knight responded before sheathing his sword again. With that done, Star Knight's "hat" flew off his head, resembling the the symbol on the vile he swallowed, and bounced on the ground for a moment before disappearing. "What was that all about?" Spike asked. "Since I no longer needed my fire abilities, I discarded it." Star Knight responded as he approached the group. "But what if you end up needing it again?" Spike asked. "Don't worry Spike, I have a lot more viles at my disposal." Star Knight said, "And as I'm sure Celestia has already told you, I have different ways to get abilities." Just then, the group heard groaning coming from the ring. Looking towards the source, everyone saw King DeDeDe roll onto his back before sitting upright. "Uhh, why does it feel like I was hit in the head by a meteor?" King DeDeDe asked as he clutched his head. "Sire, you don't remember anything?" Escargoon asked. "All I remember was watching the duel, after that, my memory became blurry." King DeDeDe responded as Sword Knight and Blade Knight helped him to his feet, "What happened anyway?" "It would appear there are a few questions that require answers." Star Knight said, "Before we begin however, perhaps it would be best if we went somewhere more comfortable." After everyone voiced their agreements, they exited the training area and made their way back to the throne room. "...and that was when you regained consciousness." Princess Celestia said, having finished explaining what happened to King DeDeDe. "Uh, all the information is too much to take in at once." King DeDeDe said, "And what makes it worse is that my head still hurts from the beating I apparently received from Star Knight." "And I apologize about that, it was for your own good." Star Knight spoke up before saying, "Though I must ask, do you recall encountering the Dark Matter, or anything that fits the description we gave you?" King DeDeDe thought about it for a moment before responding, "Know that I think about it, I remember the night before I sent the letter to Celestia, I decided to get myself a midnight snack. Just as I was making my way back to my room after helping myself with a sandwich that was in my castle's fridge, I remember seeing this dark cloud from the corner of my eye. Before I could do anything, everything went dark. The next day, I woke up back in my bed and just dismissed the experience as a dream, though I did feel a bit different since." "Tell me, were you planning on sending the letter, or did the thought suddenly appear on your mind?" Star Knight asked. "I was writing the letter that night, but became too sleepy to finish it, so I decided to finish it the following morning." King DeDeDe responded. Thinking about this information for a moment, Star Knight said, "While this is only speculation, it would seem that the Dark Matter wanted to come here." "Why would it want to come here." Twilight asked. "So that it could possess Celestia." Star Knight responded, "You all saw how powerful King DeDeDe became once the Dark Matter gave him access to it's energy, just imagine how powerful it would become if Princess Celestia was under it's control." Hearing this made everyone feel uneasy. "W-What would happen if more Dark Matter showed up?" Spike asked. "That would be highly unlikely." Meta Knight spoke up, "Most of the Dark Matter had been eradicated during the great war. Even if did duplicate since the war, it would be spread too far apart for a large mass of it to come here." "That's a relief." Twilight said. "That doesn't mean we should put our guard down." Star Knight said, "Who knows what fate could bring. All we could do now is be ready for anything." "Well I think we should worry about all of this later." King DeDeDe spoke up, "I for one had enough excitement for today and would like to spend the remaining time of my visit by relaxing." While everyone stared at King DeDeDe for suddenly change the subject, they couldn't help but agree with him. "Very well, let's make our way to the garden." Princess Celestia said, prompting everyone to follow her as she made her way out of the throne room. Later that night after King DeDeDe and his subjects left, we find Princess Celestia and Star Knight standing outside one of the castle's guest rooms. "There was no need to do this, Celestia." Star Knight said, "I could of summoned my ship and slept inside it." "Of course I do." Princess Celestia said, "You're my friend, it would be wrong if I didn't give you your own room." Opening the door, the duo saw that the room had a medium-sized bed with a cabinet next to it. The room also had a a set of glass doors that led to a balcony. "I apologize that there isn't much inside." Princess Celestia said as the duo entered the room, "If I had the time, I would of had more furniture added in." "No need to apologize." Star Knight said, "I did just arrive today, there is no way could of done so much on such short notice." Princess Celestia giggled before saying, "I suppose you're right." Just then, a letter appeared in front of Princess Celestia before falling to the ground. "A letter from Twilight, at this hour?" Princess Celestia said to herself before grabbing the letter with her magic and reading it's contents, "...This should be interesting." "What is it?" Star Knight asked. Instead of answering, Princess Celestia summoned a piece of parchment and a quill before writing something onto the parchment and teleported it away. "It appears that I have an assignment for you already." Princess Celestia said. "Oh, what would that be?" Star Knight asked. "I still can't believe Princess Celestia is making me do this." Twilight grumbled to herself. "I'm sure you realize she did this for your own good." Star Knight said. "I'm certain Nightmare Moon is a bigger problem than me needing to make friends." Twilight said. Currently, Star Knight, Twilight, and Spike were on a chariot, making their way to a town called ponyville. Twilight and Spike were asked to check the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration that was going to be held there while Star Knight was asked to be their personal escort until the event was over. "Come on Twilight, you need to learn to relax every now and then, why not focus on the Summer Sun Celebration for now?" Spike suggested. "Alright, I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can, then I'll get to library to find proof of Nightmare Moon's return." Twilight said. "Then will you find some friends?" Spike asked. "While I will do my royal duty, the fate of equestria doesn't rest on me making friends." Twilight responded. "It would be best if you settle this later." Star Knight said once he saw ponyville come into view, "We've arrived."
