“It’s not fair,” Big Boss muttered breathlessly, his voice quivering with obvious fear.

Keldeo quirked an eyebrow, “I'm sorry, what did you say?”

“It’s not fair!” he said again, this time more loudly, “You are supposed to fight honourably, not crush and humiliate your opponent so one-sidedly. You're supposed to be a Hero, yet you fight with no mercy, no pity, no second thought. You are a pony, a unicorn; and yet you fight like a savage. No, a savage would be too kind. You are a monster; one with sentience and can fight as though it is second nature! How can something like you exist in my story?!”

Keldeo frowned incredulously. “Are you serious right now? I mean, seriously?” his tone was flat and bemused, “You of all people would question my existence? Have you seen yourself lately?”

Big Boss growled, “I am a villain; I kill therefore I am! Nothing in my actions contradicts my character. You on the other paw are a living contradiction! No hero fights like you do, and you don’t act like an anti-hero. Not even the princesses fight with that cruelty!”

“Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

The dog froze at that statement.

“I was under the impression that you wanted me to go all out,” Keldeo continued, “And now that I did not only did I have your tail handed to you, you are crying to me that I didn’t fight fairly? If anyone is contradicting themselves it’s you. Wasn’t that what you wanted for your story; to be beaten senseless by a worthy enemy?”

Big Boss’ mouth frothed in fury as he shouted, “I wanted to fight a Hero! I needed to fight a Hero! And you, unicorn, are not a hero! Neither were you a worthy opponent!”

“That’s not true,” Ocellus stepped forward, “He saved Sandbar from your underling despite how we would react to his methods. He saved Gallus from your strike despite not even knowing him. He saved everypony here by beating you despite how everypony else thinks of him. By every definition, he is a Hero.”

Her friends (those who witnessed Keldeo’s actions in the cells at least) and most others were taken aback by her sudden shift of perspective, Keldeo especially.

Her words hung in the air over Big Boss as he visibly slumped, his back leaning on a crystal stalagmite pillar. “Finish me then, Hero,” he muttered acidly, “Finish me and begin a new chapter to your tale.”

“No.”

All ears perked up at that one word. All eyes turned in surprise as Keldeo inched forward to the fallen villain.

“I beg your pardon?” Big Boss sputtered in disbelief, mirroring many others in the room.

“No,” Keldeo answered, “I’m not going to kill you.”

“You can’t be serious,” called out a voice, “He’s a monster! He’s too dangerous to live!”

“I am not an executioner,” Keldeo elaborated, “He is disarmed and helpless. I won’t kill a helpless creature, even someone as vile and disgusting as him without just cause.”

Big Boss chuckled humourlessly, “Oi, oi, oi. You can’t just leave me here hanging. Do you honestly want to leave me alive after everything I did? After what you did?”

Keldeo’s eyes narrowed. “I killed one of your goons to stop him from murdering another innocent. A split-second decision, one I don't take pleasure in. You on the other hand… you get the picture.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Big Boss roared in frustration, “You’re that kind of warrior?! The type that beats an opponent within an inch of their life and then spares them because you can't bring yourself to finish them off unless necessary?! Out of what?! Pity? Mercy? You're nothing but a coward!”

A hoof suddenly cracked the crystal pillar he was leaning on. The dog barely kept his posture as he watched Keldeo lean in with a stern glare.

“It’s not pity or mercy that's keeping you alive. It's Justice,” he said softly, holding back his barely contained rage, “I need you alive to face the consequences of your actions, to answer for your crimes against the people of this world. Starting with answering the big question; who do you work for?”

Big Boss blinked. He then grinned and cackled before spitting at Keldeo. “You want me alive to answer to Equestria?! Screw that! I'd sooner cut my other arm and eat it before subjecting myself to the judgment of those soft-willed, plush fleshed, pastry-faced, pastel pony Princesses! Retired or otherwise!

“You might as well end me here because judgment from them will guarantee my return in the distant future. And I will not be a recurring villain for their novelty to serve as a punching bag. I am a clear and ever-present threat! My cruelty causes more nightmares than Nightmare Moon herself, and I have committed more slaughter in these lands not seen since the time of Grogar!”

Keldeo rolled his eyes, “Oh knock off the act and get off your delusions of grandeur. It's a lot better than dying an anticlimactic death. Who knows, maybe with good behaviour they'll let you off with parole or something.”

Just then, several Royal Guards poured into the cavern chamber. Cheers were heard amongst the prisoners as they were herded to the exit, a few remaining were either being treated for immediate injuries or for questioning. As for Big Boss’ goons, they were rallied, chained, and herded behind the rest of the freed prisoners.

Thoughts swirled above him as two guards approached to apprehend Big Boss, and a grim smile formed on him.

“Oh I doubt so,” he chuckled as he sat up and pulled a scroll from his coat pocket with his remaining paw.

The Guards approaching him stopped in their tracks and paced away, growing dread clear in their expressions as they readied their weapons.

Unaware of the threat, Keldeo stepped closer to Big Boss as he eyed the scroll with incredulity. “What are you trying to pull this time?”

Big Boss sneered as he unfurled the scroll, “Being imprisoned in Tartarus, turned to stone or even banished to the sun or moon is not what I planned for in my tale. And as I said before, if I can't have my story told as I desire then I shall simply make do with the next best thing; going down with the ship.”

Colour drained from every face that recognized the runic symbol on the scroll.

“A Glyph of Warding?!” cried Gallus.

The villainous dog grinned manically, “Riddle me this, boy: A monster pulls out a scroll that happens to be the detonator for all the explosives in the room. With a single word, it will collapse this entire chamber. Rocks fall, everyone dies. What do you do?”

“There's more than one answer to that riddle,” responded Keldeo cautiously, “Although, do you really want to do that? I mean, it would be kinda lame that you'd die like a Magikarp out of water. I thought you'd want to go out with a blaze of glory, not be buried in a cave under some mountain.”

Big Boss winced, “I admit, not a way I'd rather go.” Then a sinister grin formed, “But considering the alternatives, this is one of the better endings I could pick in this situation. I choose this as my Game Over.”

Suddenly a roar of explosions shook the cavern as debris poured down from the ceiling. Then the walls around them began to collapse.

“Everypony, make for the exit!” screamed Flash Magnus as he was led away by two guards.

Despite the order, Keldeo charged towards the maniacal dog in an attempt to grab him. Big Boss in turn side stepped away as the ceiling collapsed above them.

“Big Boss!” Keldeo shouted in desperation, “It doesn’t have to end like this! Just surrender!”

“Oh but it does, Legend,” he retorted whilst limply clutching the stump that was his right arm. Despite the pain, he smiled maniacally, “For you see, I've just had an epiphany. I am not the final foe you shall face in this tale. I realize now that I am but a stepping stone to an even greater story. And despite how much I would love to see this new tale unravel, this is where I make my exit.

“But know this, Legend, you and your friends will not see the last of me yet. Be it in this life or the next, I will return to see the end of this story! You can count on that!” he cackled as the debris continued to fall around him.

Keldeo attempted another retrieval of him when he was stopped by a chitin hoof.

“We have to go, Keldeo!” shouted Ocellus.

“I can't leave him here!” the Pokemon countered, “he must answer to justice!”

“You can’t save him!” Ocellus pulled him towards the exit, “He'll just get you killed! And there will be no justice in that!”

Keldeo looked her in the eyes at that, then turned back to the collapsed rubble where a still cackling Big Boss was heard. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head and followed his newfound friends out to the exit.

The eerie laughter still echoed in the halls as they escaped the collapsing caverns until it abruptly ceased. The silenced cackle becoming more deafening than the roaring devastation of the caves.

Keldeo stared blankly at the scene before him; ponies in Royal Guard armour running back and forth among the freed abducted, said abducted ponies and other creatures sprawled across an open field next to the palace on top of a mountain, field kitchens, and medical tents were pitched around them with lines waiting for either their meal or treatment and several spectators ranging from concerned citizens to opportunistic reporters trying to find out what was going on.

And there he was, sitting in his lonesome, holding a cup of water with his two hooves, processing it all.

‘This has been a long day,’ he thought as he took a sip from his cup.

“Hey, mind if we joined you?”

Keldeo turned to see Gallus and the rest of his friends who were in various states of injury and/or shock from the whole fiasco. Gallus had a few bandages around him from cuts and bruises, Sandbar had one wrapped around his neck from his close encounter in the cells, and Silverstream had an ice pack on her cheek. And while the rest of them were no worse for wear, they all had blankets over each of them.

“Not at all,” offered Keldeo, “Knock yourselves out.”

As the six of them sat around him, Gallus spoke out, “Listen, on behalf of my friends and I, I'd like to thank you for saving us and everyone else trapped in the caves.”

Keldeo nodded with a smile, “Hey, don't sweat it. It was just the right thing to do. If anything, I should be thanking you and your friends.”

“Thank us? For what?” asked Sandbar.

“For starters, saving me when you found me unconscious,” answered Keldeo, “For two, giving me a chance when I took drastic measures.”

“Speaking of, where did you learn to fight like that?” Silverstream asked nervously, clearly intimidated from what she saw and heard of him.

“I'm not quite sure actually,” said Keldeo, “Can't tell if it is muscle memory or instinct. I wouldn't know, amnesia and all that.”

“So you actually don't remember anything?” asked Sandbar.

Keldeo screwed his muzzle in thought. “Not exactly,” he finally answered, “I remember what I am, my name, and pretty much most of the creatures in my world. Heck, I remember seeing my God, Lord Arceus once. I just can't seem to remember faces, events and circumstances, names, certain places, and a lot more that I can't even describe.”

He paused for a second until a thought came to him. “Although, I have been getting small flashes of memories whenever I see or hear things that kind of act like a trigger,” he added with a shrug.

“Wait, you're from another world?” Silverstream gawked with a gleam in her eye.

“Oh yeah, that's right. You guys weren't exactly up to date,” said Smolder, “Basically, this guy is some crazy powerful alien from another world. He calls himself a Pokemon, he's not a pony and he can't use magic.”

“Could have fooled me,” said Gallus, “How else could he have pulled those crazy moves with water that came out of him?”

A wry smile formed on the Pokemon. “Oh boy, guess I'll have to start from the top.”

Several minutes passed as they exchanged what had happened after they separated earlier that day. From Keldeo’s show of power outside of the hospital to Silverstream's attempt to distract Big Boss, gasping in awe, laughing, and crying all the while.

It was then when the conversation took a turn when Keldeo asked, “So, what's the deal with this Spirit of Harmony? Is she a usual phenomenon, some sort of avatar, or something else entirely?”

“It’s hard to say,” answered Ocellus, “We don't really know much about the Spirit of Harmony other than it's from the Tree of Harmony, which created the Elements of Harmony.”

Keldeo blinked. “That's… a lot of Harmony. So is it like your source of power or something?”

Ocellus placed a hoof on her chin as she thought of an answer. “Sort of,” she finally replied, “The Spirit of Harmony is infused with the six elements that empower its powerful harmonic magic.”

Keldeo blinked. Then tilted his head in confusion, “Yeah, no. Sorry, you lost me there. What are these elements you are talking about?”

“Honesty. Loyalty. Generosity. Kindness. Laughter. And the spark that binds them together; Magic.”

All turned to the voice that interjected, and immediately all ponies (and other creatures) bowed before the being before them. All except Keldeo who stood almost gawking at the creature before him.

She looked familiar yet vastly different from the entity they met earlier in the train. For one, she was taller; just shy of his height by a horn. For another, there was a slight flow about her purple mane, like a river in slow motion. Finally, she was regaled with a crown, a chest piece, and horseshoes that covered her hooves, all made of gold, silver, and other metals and adorned by vibrant jewelry. Surrounding her was a contingent of Royal Guards, whilst next to her was none other than Starlight Glimmer.

“Rise my Little Ponies. Don't worry about me being here. Just focus on getting yourselves looked after while we get to work,” she said calmly, addressing the crowd. Keldeo couldn’t help but think that her voice sounded much younger than she looked.

This pony… No, this princess then approached him and offered a grateful smile.

“You are Keldeo the Pokemon, I presume?” she asked, to which he could only nod in response. “I am Twilight Sparkle, ruler of Equestria, Bearer of the Element of Magic, and Princess of Friendship,” she introduced herself before continuing, “On behalf of Equestria, I offer you my gratitude for the rescue and protection of my subjects, along with other abducted citizens of our allies.”

“I… was merely answering the call to help others, your grace,” replied Keldeo in an almost rehearsed eloquence with a deep bow.

Smolder raised an eyebrow, “Where did this come from?”

Keldeo blinked. “Is that not how you speak to royalty?”

The others laughed good naturedly. “A thousand years ago maybe, but this is Princess Twilight you're talking to. Going too formal isn't her style,” said Gallus, “Besides, she's technically still the Head of the School of Friendship, so technically for us we're still her students.”

“Speaking of,” added Princess Twilight, “I've just had a visit from an unusual guest shortly after I was informed of the situation. One that I am sure you six are all familiar with.”

The students’ eyes widened. “Y-you mean…,” spluttered Silverstream.

The Princess nodded, “I don't know why it took my form in front of me but I digress. It wants a meeting with all of you and it asks that I be present for said meeting.” She turns to Keldeo, “And when I mean all of you that includes you Keldeo.”

“Me? What would it want from me? I'm a stranger to this world,” protested Keldeo, not hiding the surprise in his tone.

“That is for all of us to find out, and I for one will not miss such an opportunity to see the Spirit of Harmony in action,” grinned Twilight with a small manic gleam visible in her eyes. “Think of all the knowledge gained from our meeting alone, it could be enough to fill a corner of the Library!” she squealed excitedly before turning to Starlight, “Which reminds me, I'll need you to come with us. As Headmare of the school, you'll need to be there and I need somepony to take notes for me.”

Starlight blinked, “I thought I was going regardless, but why am I taking notes for you? Couldn't Spike do that?”

“He would have if he wasn't entertaining the ambassadors from the newly discovered continent of Elvaan,” answered Twilight with a grimace, “Those two were at each other's throats until Spike intervened.”

“You mean the Fey Ponies? They’re not from the same Kingdom?”

“Two kingdoms in one continent and a five-hundred-year-old feud between them. It's a long story,” sighed Twilight.

Starlight nodded in understanding, “Good call to leave them to Spike then. This meeting with the spirit should be a welcome distraction.”

Twilight smiled, barely holding her excitement, “Without a doubt.”

“So when is this meeting?” asked Keldeo.

“Oh, it will be tomorrow, right before the ceremony,” answered Twilight.

“What ceremony?” asked Yona.

“Why, for your heroic deeds of course,” Twilight again answered, “Rescuing at least a hundred Equestrian and allied citizens is merit enough to award you all for heroism. Not to mention raiding a group of potential threats to Equestria.”

“But Princess, half of us were the ones being rescued. Why include the rest of us? No offense,” addressed Sandbar, looking to his friends sheepishly from that last statement.

“And from what I have heard, you all acted admirably despite the circumstances you found yourselves in,” replied the alicorn, “Though it may seem inconsequential, each of your actions contributed and resulted in the rescue of our ponies.”

She leaned in closer to her students, “Take pride in that. While many (including myself) would have said that what you all did was reckless, you all did the right thing.” She turned to Keldeo with a reassuring smile, “All of you.”

With no further opposing arguments, everypony and Keldeo followed Twilight as she led the way. However, Smolder suddenly felt a tug on her tail, causing her to stop in her tracks. She quickly turned around to see that it was Ocellus, who was holding onto Smolder's scaly tail. Smolder was curious about what was on Ocellus's mind.

"Do you think I made the right choice by not mentioning what Keldeo did in the cavern to Twilight?" Ocellus asked as she released her friend's tail. Smolder understood exactly what Ocellus was referring to; it was impossible to forget the horrific experience.

"I honestly don't know. But why didn't you tell Twilight about it and have us stay quiet?" Smolder asked.

"Because he's our friend. I know others have heard about what Keldeo did in the cavern, and they might speak about what happened below, but..." Ocellus paused for a moment.

"But, what?"

After a brief moment of silence, Ocellus spoke to Smolder. "Because we owe him our lives. We would have died. All of us...he saved us. Maybe the method was… intense… but his heart was in the right place."

Author's Note

Happy New Year Lads and Lassies!

Sorry this took so long but don't you worry, next chapter is already on the works. (It will also be a shorter one, I hope).

As always, let me know what you guys think, and once again specially thank you to MechaSonicFanArtist for editing this chapter.

I'll see you all next time.