//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine: Fairness of the Blade (Part 1) // Story: A Sword In Equestria // by Joe Toon //------------------------------// Sandbar was amazed by the incredible sight in front of him. Despite the day's trauma, which would undoubtedly leave a lasting mark, everything was forgotten as he gazed upon a scene reminiscent of Princess Twilight Sparkle's ascension and her battle with Tirek, albeit on a smaller scale but just as thrilling. Keldeo. This unicorn... No, this self-proclaimed legend faced the monstrous figure that haunted him, and suddenly, he was engulfed in a dazzling light, transforming into what could only be described as an embodiment of vengeance. For Sandbar, it was like witnessing one of the Power Ponies come to life. After his inspiring transformation, what followed lifted his spirits to new heights, as well as those of every enslaved creature who witnessed it. “... I AM A SWORD OF JUSTICE!” he heard Keldeo declare. So struck with awe was he that he didn’t hear Big Boss’ retort.  The battle began. The two lunged at each other aggressively, their blades clashing and sparking on impact. They both jumped back five feet, surprised at the force of their initial clash. Circling each other, they carefully studied their opponent's weapons, while the onlookers backed away to give them space for their duel. “You seem surprised, boy,” Big Boss said as he kept circling. "You look like you were expecting more from our first bout." Keldeo snorted, “Yeah. I’ll admit, you caught me off guard there. I thought I could cut that sword of yours in half. I’m going to take a hard guess that that isn’t steel, is it?” "Big Boss chuckled, "Hah! Good guess. An artist like me wouldn't settle for cheap iron." He waved his sword, revealing the shimmering gleam of the blade. "No, what I have here is mithril; pure silver. Light as a feather but hard as dragon scale. Not even the alicorn of the sun can break it without considerable effort. It will take more than your magical blade from your horn to even make a dent in it!" Keldeo leaped forward with a swift thrust of his sword, but his opponent skillfully parried the attack. In a swift response, Big Boss countered with a riposte, narrowly missing Keldeo's neck. As Keldeo evaded the strike, he spun his hind legs, aiming for a powerful kick that the villain narrowly avoided by swiftly stepping backwards. "I must admit," chuckled Big Boss as he regained his composure after narrowly avoiding an attack, "you seem well acquainted with fighting against opponents who walk on two legs." "Well, what can I say?" Keldeo stood tall and adjusted his posture as he spoke, "Where I come from, many of my opponents fight on two legs. In fact, there are some with four arms, eight legs, six wings, three heads, or no arms, legs, or wings at all." As he stepped forward, Keldeo exchanged three strikes with Big Boss, each one skillfully parried. The dog looked at him in confusion and said, "I'm sorry, what? What kind of creature doesn't have an arm, leg, or wings?" He attacked twice, but Keldeo managed to avoid and block the strikes. “Oh, the kind that slithers, the kind that levitates, the kind that swims, and the kind that just rolls with it,” the Pokemon replied nonchalantly. Keldeo suddenly stopped in thought, “Although, I still don’t know how the Digletts and Dugtrios do it. Whoa-!” Keldeo was shaken from his thoughts as he blocked another swing. “Rather bold of you to ponder on trivial matters while you're fighting for your life!” Big Boss taunted as he thrust his blade to Keldeo’s centre, a tone of irritation leaking out.  Keldeo skipped to his right, deftly dodging the thrust. "Yeah, sorry," he offered a faux apology, his calm tone contrasting the situation, "I kinda lost most of my memories so I'm still sorting myself out." Big Boss raised an eyebrow as he deftly blocked a slash from Keldeo. "You appear surprisingly composed given the circumstances," he observed, slashing a feint that was promptly countered. “I would have thought you'd be a drivelling mess with your situation.” “Oh, it's simple really,” said Keldeo, “I'm just following my gut instincts.” Big Boss strode back, dodging a downward cut from Keldeo. “Is it also in your instinct to play with your prey?” he sneered with a grin. Keldeo stopped, his placid smile forming into a cautious scowl. “Judging from that reaction I'd say I struck a nerve,” Big Boss’ grin grew wider, “I know you are holding back your true strength, boy. This little dance we're having speaks otherwise, which means you are either holding back or you had a lucky shot when you chopped off poor Bob's head; and I know for a fact he wouldn't be killed off so easily without some skill or strength.” He advanced, pointing his sword directly at Keldeo. "We are warriors, masters of the art of combat! There's no need to hold back ourselves in this battle."  "Oh, I'm not holding back," a smirk returning on Keldeo's face, "I'm just giving an appropriate response. After all, why play an Ace when a Two will do?" Big Boss’ expression shifted from surprise to amusement as he burst into laughter. "Do you really think you can underestimate me? Big Bad Boss the Butcher? You're either incredibly arrogant or completely clueless if you think you can hold back against me!" "Not really, I'm just giving you the treatment you deserve," shrugged Keldeo. "Why should I take you seriously when you treat the act of killing like it's an Arceus damned sport? Not to mention treating the lives of others far beneath you as your playthings. Kind of lame, don't you think? A warrior should strive to challenge opponents far stronger than themselves, otherwise, they'll always be third-rate gutless wonders who scream like spoiled brats when the tables turn on them. “Bottom line is, why should I take you seriously when you yourself aren't taking this seriously?” Big Boss stood silent for a moment. “Such a pity,” he scowled, slowly shaking his head in disappointment, “You are an arrogant and naive fool. I slew monsters the likes of which you've probably never seen before. I've killed an Ursa Major and its pups with my bare fangs. I have trophies of Manticore heads mounted on a wall. I eat Hydras and Krakens for breakfast, literally. I've made omelettes from Dragon eggs after selling their mother's corpse to Scale Hunters! I am as monstrous as I am cruel; a peerless predator who hunts his prey with his own teeth, paws, and sword. I've faced challenges the likes of you soft, weak-willed ponies could never even begin to dream of in your worst nightmares. Underestimate me at your own peril.” The room fell into an eerie silence. Sandbar turned to see Smolder grinding her teeth in baleful outrage, while the rest of his friends shared the same look of dismay, horror, and anger. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and no one expected what would happen next. A chilling sound cut through the silence – Keldeo's laughter. It sounded forced, humourless, and unnervingly melodic, like a bellowing howl devoid of volume or mirth. “I'm sorry, pardon me,” he sighed dryly, his laughter ending abruptly, “but that has got to be the biggest load of Grimmer Sludge I've ever heard. At least, as far as I could remember. I just couldn't help myself but laugh ‘cause it felt like the only appropriate thing to do after hearing that shtick.” “Excuse me?” Big Boss snarled in disbelief.  “No, I don't think I will,” retorted Keldeo, his tone suddenly darkened, “You talk too much and boast even more. And I know for a fact two reasons why anyone would brag about something so sick: Either they're bluffing to make themselves look more threatening than they are, or they are just trying to compensate for their insecurities. You don't sound like the former, so I'm guessing you're the latter. Kinda like a tool bragging to his tool friends about their highly exaggerated body count.” Laughter and snickers echoed through the cavern. Even Sandbar couldn't stifle his amusement and let out a single chuckle. “You are by no stretch of imagination a warrior, let alone an artist. You're just a punk,” Keldeo continued as he began to circle him once more, “And just to bring home the point, allow me to let you in on two things: First, a warrior doesn't brag of his skills and achievements to his enemy. He simply shows what he's capable of by beating the snot out of them.  “Second, I really wasn't underestimating you. I was probing how you fight; your techniques, your stances, your habits. And I have to say, I’m not impressed. Heck, I bet something small like a Pichu could even beat you easily. So yeah, it's hard for me to take somebody like you seriously.” He paused to observe Big Boss, who was almost snarling with rage.  Normal Type: Leer. Big Boss' fury dissipated in an instant as he locked eyes with Keldeo, feeling the intensity of its gaze. His demeanour stance softened into a more guarded posture almost involuntarily. “That said, now that I know just how much of a blood-hungry freak you are… I suppose I could humour you.”  The air suddenly turned cold as everyone felt a shiver from that statement. The non-pony creature's tone was like ice as he took one step forward, droplets of water suddenly forming around him from the moisture of the cold cave, levitating around him. Water Type: Chilling Water Sandbar’s jaws dropped. As did his friends. As did the prisoners. As did Big Boss’ boys. As did Big Boss himself.  “You have three minutes to last against my attacks. Try not to disappoint me,” he said as he drizzled his foe with the freezing droplets of water, and charged.  The day has certainly been full of surprises for Big Boss. The monotony of abducting slaves, tormenting said slaves, and shipping the goods for months has been torturously boring for a storyteller such as himself. For months he has been goading those pathetic ponies and other creatures unlucky enough to be caught in their raids to take up arms and offer a challenge. This day, however, for better or for worse has somehow both ruined and fulfilled his desire for his tale of woe. Before, he was betting on an uprising led by a champion of the masses. He thought he found a promising hero from the young griffon, but alas he was but a member of six. To add to that matter, his planned tale of the uprising ended up being scrapped after hearing about a rescue team and causing such a ruckus. Then he found Bob headless and presumed it was one of the six who did him in and was all for a showdown. Alas, too excited he was that he had forgotten the change of plot and demanded a duel instead of a spectacular exit. This nearsightedness nearly cost him his Great Game as he was this close to ending his hero to his villainy.  And to top that all off, once again his story has to make drastic changes as this so-called “Legend” disrupts his Epic Tale. Admittedly, however, he saw in him the perfect protagonist for his story. He had all the skills, all the wit, all the makings of a Hero right down to his infuriating attitude.  In truth, he didn't mind the slander coming out of this unicorn’s mouth. If anything, he was grateful for an opponent to match his wit. One he was willing to play along. It is all for dramatic flair, he thought. He didn’t mind being toyed with. After all, it is natural for the strong to put down the weak, and he could tell that this so-called Pokemon, Keldeo was strong, possibly even stronger than himself. It is all for suspense, he thought. And he most certainly didn’t mind dying for the sake of his story. After all, an artist is only ever known after they pass away, dying for what they do best. It is all for the Great Game, he thought.  At least that’s what he thought before his pride was called into question. He was a warrior; a brute. A cold-blooded killer! And this creature dared reduce him to a schoolyard bully?! Oh, he would rue the day he belittled the name of Big Boss, he thought. And he would have if it weren’t for the sheer power and brute strength this unicorn was dishing out. Fighting Type: Secret Sword Big Boss sprang from his position, narrowly evading Keldeo’s charge. The fiery blade of the Pokémon's horn barely grazed the dog’s feathered hat as he ducked and rolled with agility. Seizing the opportunity, he tried to counterattack Keldeo’s exposed back but had to swiftly dodge a kick from its hind legs. Fighting Type: Double Kick Keldeo’s buck smashed into a thick crystalline stalactite, shattering it to pieces with a loud crash. “Did he just break that crystal like it was nothing?” he thought, “I know a pony’s buck isn’t something to sneeze at, but even a muscle-headed earth pony would be hard-pressed to break those things without at least-” Normal Type: Cut His mind was abruptly pulled away from his surroundings as he swiftly dodged another attack from Keldeo's razor-sharp horn. This time, however, the force of the blow sheared off the delicate feathers adorning his hat, scattering them like snowflakes in the wind. Water Type: Bubblebeam Big Boss barely had time to catch his breath before he was bombarded with heavy bubbles of water, bursting out of the unicorn's forehoof like a liquid shotgun. The situation was getting more absurd by the second. “Oi, oi, oi! How in bloody Tartarus could you cast that kind of spell here?” panted the belligerent villain as he staggered up, drenched and in pain from the last attack, “Hydromancy through one’s hooves is bizarre enough, but within this mountain’s caverns are walls and veins of Arcanite. You ought to be driven mad from magical overload or at the very least suffer manaburns from magical feedback!” “Lesson One: Don’t let the enemy know your strengths if you can help it,” said Keldeo almost mockingly as he straightened his stance, “But to humour you, let's just say that… 'I don't use magic.'” “You lie!” Big Boss lunged at Keldeo, swinging his sword vertically downwards to the Pokemon’s centre. He screamed as his opponent parried his blow effortlessly, “No power other than magic could such a feat be done!” “Yet how else can I do this?” Normal Type: Double Team. Clones, or more accurately, copies of Keldeo suddenly appeared surrounding the two of them.  Big Boss was left speechless as his jaw dropped in awed shock. Before he could even process the sight before him, an army of duplicates propelled towards him at an alarming speed, propelled by jets of water from their hind legs. Water Type: Aqua Jet Big Boss found himself mentally preparing for several potential blows, but before he could react, he was caught off guard by quick and precise tackles from unexpected angles, further disorienting him. He's making a fool out of me! He isn't just a brute, he's fast as a Pegasus too?! Panic began to settle in as he processed how to counter this unicorn. Then he noticed that the copies attacked and moved as one, and an idea came to mind.  Water Type: Aqua Jet Keldeo and his shadow copies charged once more to tackle Big Boss, only to be suddenly grappled by his mane at the moment of impact. “Got you,” he sneered and to everyone's horror, Big Boss drew out his pistol and pressed the barrel onto Keldeo’s neck. “Choke on this, Legend!”  Gasps and cries of anguish were heard from the helpless onlookers as the pistol fired point-blank at the Pokemon’s neck. Immediately afterward, his copies vanished. Big Boss cackled in delight as he released his grip on Keldeo, who stumbled from the shot.  His laughter stopped as he felt something drop from his pistol's barrel and clattered on the stone ground, revealing the dented bullet.  Silence deafened the chamber save for the bullet bouncing carelessly on the floor as all eyes gawked awe-struck at the object. They raised their gaze towards Keldeo who seemed unharmed and unfazed from the shot he took.  “H-h-how? HOW!?” Big Boss screamed hysterically, almost stumbling from disbelief at what he just witnessed, “That shot was strong enough to pierce through dragon scale and hot enough to burn the innards of a hydra! How in Tartarus could you just shrug it off like it was nothing?!” “Lesson two,” declared Keldeo as he brushed off the gunpowder from his coat, “never let the enemy know your weaknesses. But for the sake of everyone's sanity let's just say that I have resistance to anything metal and fire-like attacks, which I think includes your gun and your sword.” “Th-that's… That's impossible!” “Let’s agree to disagree.” No longer maintaining any of his usual bravado or combat experience, Big Boss threw all caution to the wind and charged wildly like an enraged animal, screaming toward his foe. His swings from his sword were just as wild; almost rabid and senseless as he overshot and tumbled in most of his attempts to cut down this infuriating unicorn. Every parry and block fuelled his hatred. Every dodge which resulted in him falling and losing his balance further infuriated him.  He struggled to stay on his feet after narrowly dodging a powerful blow, when suddenly, two words pierced the air, sending a shiver down Big Boss's spine.  “My turn.” Fighting Type: Close Combat Big Boss suddenly found himself pounded with a barrage of blows as Keldeo stood upright on his hind legs like a biped and proceeded to punch him with his forehooves. Each blow was agony, like a hundred bucks to the face and torso from an earth pony. When the barrage ended he was barely standing as he was covered with bruises on his face, arms, and any visible parts on his torso from his torn-up black coat. His mouth was bleeding from shattered teeth. All the while one thought kept repeating in his mind; This isn't a battle. This is a one-sided slaughter.  “Your move.” He cringed when he heard those words. As much pain as he was in he would not dare to look weak in front of this… abomination. His job was on the line. His pride was on the line. His story… His Great Game, they were all on the line.  With one last act to salvage whatever plans, schemes, and dignity he had left, Big Boss lunged forward, thrusting his blade into Keldeo’s chest. He didn’t even bother to look up to see if he hit his mark. He felt his sword hit, but it felt shallow, barely even piercing the skin of his coat. “Lesson three: Know when to quit while you’re still ahead.” Fighting Type: Secret Sword Big Boss felt a sharp sting from his sword-wielding arm and then nothing. He looked up to see his right arm sliced off from the elbow. He screamed, fell on his knees, and clutched the stump of his lost arm with his remaining paw. He slowly looked up to the Pokemon who loomed ominously like an avatar of vengeance before him.  “Yield.”