As Keldeo reached the summit, he reflected on what he was going to do.

The idea was simple enough, they help Calyrex, Calyrex helps them. They help Calyrex return to his original power, Calyrex helps Keldeo reawaken his Secret Sword. With his power restored, they were going to return to his world, regroup in Paradise, and take down Kyurem, once and for all.

It took a minute for Keldeo and Calyrex to take their eyes off the Crown Shrine. Calyrex had explained that this was once the hall to a mighty king, him. Now it was nothing but a dilapidated courtyard that, according to Calyrex, Spectrier called home. Nevertheless, the plan was set in motion, Keldeo placed the carrot not too far away from what they assumed to Spectrier's bed, then he and Calyrex would lay and wait, the Reins of Unity in hand ready to rein in Spectrier.

"I kinda figured he'd beat us here…" Keldeo mused, they spent the whole time climbing the mountain tailing Spectrier, it was a surprise to not see him here yet.

"The fighting below most likely scared him, taking longer routes to avoid suspicion while we took the more direct route." Calyrex whispered back. Keldeo opened and closed his mouth, but before he could say anything, the sight of the purple horse was enough to silence the both of them. The way it walked confirmed what Calyrex said, head low, slow, careful movement, this thing was cautious after everything else that happened. Of course Calyrex would know, he spent who knows how long as its master.

Spectrier stopped in its track though, Keldeo and Calyrex went still, the horse began to sniff the air. At first Keldeo thought that maybe he could sniff them out, and it would cause him to attack, but he breathed a sigh of relief to see Spectrier spin to where they had placed the carrot. The horse sighed, moving closer to the carrot and beginning to eat. Keldeo and Calyrex shared a knowing look, and the Calyrex leapt from their hiding spot, landing on Spectrier's back.

Spectrier bucked and whinnied, desperate to throw Calyrex off. Keldeo remembered how he called his steed an arrogant pokemon, but a powerful one, it was going to take a lot to prove to Spectrier that it was worthy to lead again. But that was what the Reins of Unity were for.

Keldeo had to shield his eyes, a brilliant white light shined bright from Calyrex's bulb, traveling up through the reins. He closed his eyes as it suddenly gleamed in a dazzling white. He looked back as the dust settled. The previous wildness of Spectrier was gone, now standing there still and at attention with Calyrex on top, a long, flowing green and white cape now flowing behind him. The reins firmly in Spectrier's maw, Calyrex reached forward and stroked the side of Spectrier's head, something it responded to warmly.

Keldeo cautiously stepped out from their hiding spot "...He warmed up fast."

"Spectrier always remembered what it was like when we rode as one. It was like slipping into an old glove for him…and myself, I suppose." Calyrex nodded, he and Spectrier approaching now, towering over Keldeo.

"Alright, so a deal is a deal, right?" Keldeo began, cutting right to the chase "We all helped you get your steed back. Now you fix my horn and we can go home?" Keldeo said, leading. Ever since Calyrex brushed off his comment about fixing his horn a few hours ago it wasn't sitting right with him. What if this was a trap? What if Kyurem had possessed Calyrex from the start and played along until he was more powerful, then he could kill them all?

"You think so lowly of me to be possessed by the anomaly?" Calyrex chuckled, Keldeo gasped and averted his gaze. Could he read minds now? "With Spectrier and I's heart and mind as one. Such a possession is impossible now."

Keldeo still stood there stiff, ready for something to go wrong at any given moment "You didn't answer my question though…"

Now Calyrex fell silent, eventually turning to look back at Keldeo "To answer your questions in order: No." Keldeo jaw dropped, nearly taking a step forward in protest "No I will not help you…I will help you find that within yourself.

Keldeo backed away with a sigh, that was…better…he figured "Okay…how do you propose to help me?"

"To remind you of why you travel, why you went on this journey to begin with." Calyrex paced around Keldeo now. It made Keldeo feel uncomfortable, but he offered to play along for now, praying the others would get here in time assuming something went wrong "Tell me, what sparked this journey?"

Keldeo looked ahead, taking a deep breath. He couldn't lose his head here "It was because Kyurem attacked us…killed my friends."

"Ah, so petty revenge is your motivation." Calyrex prodded.

"It's not petty!" Keldeo snapped back, growling as he faced forward again, cursing under his breath at his outburst.

"So naturally revenge is your source of power, it would be no trouble to bring forth the sword, thinking about what you intend to do Kyurem once you reach him."

Keldeo realized what he was doing now, these provocations, it was a test, alongside a way to help realize what motivated him in the first place. He thought back to when he first watched the swordsmen die, a brutal fight from Kyurem, no glory, just quick and painful. That initial moment was what sparked his Resolute Form in the first place. But as he concentrated at the feeling of loss and rage from that moment, he looked up at his horn, nothing happened.

"So revenge is not your source of power." Calyrex spoke, as if he had already known the answer "Perhaps something else…" Calyrex said, Keldeo looked at him, waiting for the next step "When did your Resolute Form appear next?"

Keldeo looked away from him for a moment, thinking "...I was in denial that my friends were dead. And so Kyurem made me a deal, he'd give me the power, and I had to kill…" Keldeo swallowed, just thinking about that moment made his eyes well up with tears. He blinked them away "He made me think they were still alive…in the medallion, and that we could be together again."

"So vengeance then?" Calyrex asked "You wished to avenge your fallen friends. Much more nobler than revenge, to be sure. That must be your source of power then."

Keldeo closed his eyes, thinking of that feeling. The feeling of destroying Kyurem not for him, but for them. They'd be proud, right? That he did it, defeated Kyurem, mastered his new power, and avenged their deaths. That moment brought about his Resolute Form coming for the second time. And as he thought back to that moment, trying his best to summon the sword, still nothing came.

"So not revenge, and not vengeance…-?" Calyrex mused.

"Can I take a small break between here and your point?" Keldeo sighed. He could see what Calyrex was getting at, there was something else that could motivate him, but dredging up all these memories was making him feel sick now. Surely Calyrex was getting to that at some point, right?

"Indeed. I see your friends and their smart mouths are rubbing off on you." Calyrex nodded, suppressing a smile "The others told me about what led you to coming to the Crown Tundra. A fight with Kyurem in a wormhole that nearly cost you all your lives. You used your sword one last time before the battle ended to protect them…" Calyrex said, intentionally pausing, looking down at Keldeo again "Perhaps in coming here you think maybe you failed to protect them?"

Keldeo blinked, looking up and ahead in realization. That's what Calyrex was getting at, that's what motivated him to keep using the sword. It wasn't only revenge against Kyurem. It wasn't even only avenging his fallen friends.

"...My desire to protect my friends…" Keldeo said, as if he knew the answer all along, recalling his pledge he made to them. Until they could all return to the lives they left behind, he pledged to fight.

"You believed so hard that you had failed in that with your broken horn, of course you cannot use your sword…" Calyrex nodded "But you did save them that day. If you hadn't brought them here. They would have died in transit, and if you had returned to the human world, Kyurem would have followed you there and finished you."

Keldeo stared ahead, lost in thought. He did save them that day, didn't he? It was messy, it hurt them all, and it cost them time, but he did save them, much better than the alternative. He was able to protect them. His thoughts turned to the pokemon of Paradise, and how he had hoped to return and protect them from Kyurem. That's what this was all about, revenge was a part of it, sure. Avenging his fallen friends was nice too, but protecting them, all of them. That's what this was all about.

Keldeo's eyes went wide as a small orange spark fell in front of his muzzle. He concentrated on that feeling, of protecting them, he was going to set everything right with his friends. The sparks grew larger and larger, he could feel the energy forming in the broken horn. He closed his eyes now, recalling those he knew, and those he knew now, and finally he could feel it, the burst of powerful orange energy emanating from his horn. He opened his eyes finally and smiled. The same orange blade that was his Secret Sword had returned to him.

"Now you see, this is what motivated you from the start. To protect others, and ensure that what happens to you does not happen to another." Calyrex smiled warmly.

Keldeo admired his newly returned sword for a moment longer before turning to Calyrex"You're a wise king." Keldeo managed a small smirk, to which Calyrex nodded. This was great, his sword was back and working, even with a broken horn. All that was left was to regroup with the others and get ready to travel to Paradise, for real this time. As if on cue, he could see the others, his friends, climbing the stairs to see him and Calyrex. They were excited to see Calyrex had succeeded in getting his steed back, but they were beyond excited to see Keldeo with his sword. Keldeo looked in the back of the crowd and Cody lagging behind, odd, usually he was at the front. All the same, as Cody was catching his breath, he looked up at Keldeo, his eyes welling in excitement as he smiled goofily. Keldeo smiled just as silly right back at him.

"Now that we are all here…" Calyrex smiled, turning his gaze to Keldeo "My wisdom comes at a price, swordsmen. And I expect to be paid." his smile gone in an instant, Spectrier slamming a hoof down for emphasis. The excited smiles of the others gone. Keldeo turned to face Calyrex in bewilderment, but then it clicked what this was, this was just another test.

"Don't bother!" Keldeo called out, he could hear the others preparing to fight. Cody, Terry and Vera grabbing their medallions. Quinn and Amanda grabbing their pokeballs. But they already proved themselves here in the Galar region.

Now it was Keldeo's turn.

Keldeo was happy to have his Secret Sword back, but he knew deep down this wasn't going to help much in the fight. Calyrex was part psychic, and Spectrier was part ghost; even if he could land an attack against them, it wouldn't do much damage. Nevertheless, as Keldeo and Calyrex circled each, Keldeo contemplated just what he and Spectrier could do. Spectrier was a tough opponent to start, and he never got a chance to see what Calyrex could do proper.

That's when he saw it, the dark purple blobs of energy that formed behind them, growing larger and larger in size. Keldeo thought Calyrex was just sizing him up, but he was preparing an attack too. Keldeo enveloped himself in water and ran as the astral barrage launched at him. He could feel the explosions grazing his back, but he was never hit.

Keldeo took a sharp turn, b-lining for Calyrex, a solid hit, coupled with the hydro pump he had been charging this whole time struck Calyrex, sending him skidding back. Calyrex had to adjust himself on his horse, looking back at Keldeo with a determined smile.

"Good, Keldeo. Very good." Spectrier stomped his hoof as Calyrex spoke "I feel guilty that you cannot use your sword for this fight. It would be a fitting way to celebrate its return."

"I'll make due." Keldeo sighed, it was going to be tricky all the same. Most of his attacks could connect with Calyrex. Aqua Jet was too weak to do real damage, namely just escape. Hydro Pump would take too long to charge. Secret Sword was out, and that just left…-!

Keldeo didn't have time to finish the thought, another barrage of purple blobs spread around him like landmines. He jumped straight up, dodging the explosion, only to see a green ball of energy lobbed his way too. Calyrex knew he was going to jump, and hit him dead on. Sending him falling backwards into a pile of snow. Calyrex charged forward, his eyes glowing a faint pinkish purple that caused Keldeo to be dragged out of the pile of snow, hooves scrapping the earth as more purple blobs formed around Spectrier. There was no dodging these attacks

Keldeo could see what he was doing. Calyrex knew he had reservations with his last move, a vile reminder of his past: Ice Beam. He put him in a position where he had no other choice but to use it and stop the attack. He knew deep down Calyrex was right, but he still couldn't shake the feelings. Kyurem used it to kill his friends. He used to nearly kill his own.

So if it could be used to hurt, who said it couldn't be used to defend, just like his Secret Sword?

Keldeo inhaled, letting cold air collect in his maw before letting it loose in a thin beam that nearly hit Calyrex. He had to stop his psychic attack in order to dash out of the way, the beam striking the purple blobs that formed behind them, causing them all to explode.

Calyrex had no time to stop as Keldeo launched another beam of ice at his feet, making a quick block of ice that prevented him from running. Another quick shot, another block of ice on the other side. Calyrex nodded and smiled, looking at Keldeo. Keldeo was breathing heavily in turn, he knew that they both sustained heavy damage from the fight. Keldeo knew Calyrex wasn't going all out either, this wasn't a fight to the death, it was a fight to dredge up his feelings. His past, his present, so he could be ready in the future.

Keldeo's eyes turned to it as soon as he saw it, in the pause Calyrex was charging up another energy ball, the biggest one yet.

Keldeo nodded, time to bring it all together.

Calyrex flicked his paw, launching the energy ball. Keldeo concentrated, enveloping himself in water and summoning his Sacred Sword, running forward to meet the ball head on. However, Keldeo jumped, slicing the ball in half with a front flip. Still running, another ice beam came out, shooting at the dark purple balls that Calyrex had charged during the distraction. He bobbed and weaved out of the way of the ice blocks Calyrex threw at him with psychic, cutting them with his sword for good measure. The sword vanished, and a beam of ice launched towards Calyrex's feet, trapping him in his place. A quick spin and the sword was out again, stopping inches before Spectrier's neck. A gasp came from Calyrex, and all the others who had been watching the whole time. Keldeo knew the attack would never be able to connect with them, but it wasn't about defeating Calyrex, it was about sending a message. That he was ready to move on.

Calyrex laughed, a deep hearty laugh that surprised everyone "You got me fair and square. I surrender." a click of the reins, and Spectrier calmed down, shaking his head as Calyrex pet his side. Keldeo sighed, sheathing his sword, unprepared for the assault from behind. Cody and the rest of them dogpiled him, throwing cheer and praise his way for the fight, and for getting his sword back.

Keldeo couldn't help but to laugh along with them.

It was almost time to go. The others had gone down to grab their things from Amanda's cabin while Keldeo, Cody and Calyrex stayed at the top of the mountain.

"I cannot thank you enough for your aid, Swordsmen." Calyrex said "If it hadn't been for you. I most assuredly would have faded into obscurity, and Spectrier would be terrorizing Crown Tundra."

"That goes double for you." Cody smiled back.

"Without you would be stuck here while our Kyurem destroyed our homes." Keldeo leaned into Cody, earning another head pat from him.

"Yes…" Calyrex looked over, noticing the return of Terry, Vera, Quinn, and Amanda "It is clear to me that you all learned something invaluable here."

"I'll say…" Cody rolled his shoulders "We were only here for like…two days but it felt like months." he chuckled, even Keldeo managed a snort of a laugh.

"So you know what we're doing…" Keldeo said "But what about you? What are you going to do now that you're back at full power?"

"Simple. With my power restored. I can continue my role as the Crown Tundra's defenders, and you have inspired me to perhaps expand my horizons. Serve as a defender for all of Galar as well, alongside the Heroes of Many Battles."

"Well, that just leaves one person unanswered for…" Keldeo muttered, his gaze turning to Amanda, the human trainer who stuck her neck out for them when they fell here in the first place. In the beginning she was nothing but a trainer that just wanted powerful pokemon, but twice she proved herself to be more than that. Keldeo approached, sure to start talking when Quinn and Genesect were nearby.

"Amanda…" Keldeo began, Genesect seeing what was happening and sure to get her attention "What are you going to do now?"

Amanda turned away from Quinn in surprise, returning to that usual smirk of hers "Oh what? Want me to join your merry little band?" The long pause, followed by the unchanging expression on Keldeo was her answer. Her smile faded and she sighed "...It had crossed my mind, honestly. It felt nice…being a part of a friend group again." Amanda looked between everyone, it seems like they all wanted to hear her answer now. She blushed at the sudden attention "Er, you guys make me wanna try it again…but I can't, not right now."

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, seemingly the most upset of them all.

Amanda hoisted Kubfu onto her shoulder "Kubfu and I have some unfinished business. Help him grow stronger…and bury the past for me." she chuckled at the corniness of it all "Once that's all done. We'll come back."

"And how do you plan to do that? Last I checked you don't have any pokemon that can travel dimensions?" Cody had to ask.

"Not yet anyways." Amanda said, pulling out another black and yellow pokeball. She held it in an outstretched hand, aimed at Calyrex "If you'll let me." she inhaled slowly, then let it out "I finish my business, I let you go. That's the deal."

Everyone grew still. There was Amanda, trying to get another pokemon under her belt. But it was different this time. She didn't force Calyrex, she gave him a choice.

"And how do we know you won't just take him for yourself after the fact." Terry asked, only for two shots to his rib from Vera and Quinn.

"No, he's right." Amanda put the ball down, smirking "Quinn told me how you all took a pledge whenever you got wrapped up in this." she put her free hand up "I see the benefit of having friends and keeping them together. If it means keeping the friends you made safe and picking them up when they're down. Then I pledge to fight too. Happy now?" she said sarcastically, but she had hoped at this point they knew her well enough. There was all heart in her pledge, she really wanted this…needed this really. They were strangers to her, and yet all of them, especially Quinn, helped her out of herself, and made her remember her love for friends, and pokemon.

It was Calyrex who stepped forward, looking down at Amanda for a moment before bowing with a smile. Amanda returned it, delicately pressing the ball to his head, watching him fade to red, and shoot inside the ball. Amanda blinked with eyes wide, a part of her thought it would take more convincing, but if the one at stake here was the one trusting her, she knew better than to betray that trust now. She blinked away her surprise and smirked back at the group "Well there you have it." The look on their faces were clear to her, they saw right through her cocky facade, but they were happy for her all the same.

"So it's settled." Keldeo nodded "We'll move on ahead to Paradise. You take care of whatever it is you need to. And we'll regroup there. Calyrex told me he already knew how to get there, so it shouldn't be too much trouble for you two." Keldeo turned away, stopping when he noticed, Quinn approached Amanda, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll be seeing you soon." Quinn said with a nod. It surprised everyone to see Amanda turn it into a hug that squeezed him close. He grew stiff, clearly not expecting that.

"Need me to get you two a room?" Terry asked.

"Oh you're one to talk!" Cody glared back, a collective laughter from the group. Keldeo stepped forward, concentrating once more on his home, Paradise, and the power in his sword. The broken sword flashed orange, a slender blade growing forth. His mind set on his destination, he slashed the air once again, and a tear appeared, a wormhole small enough for all them formed up now, a clear image of the world Keldeo knew on the other side.

"Let's get going now!" Keldeo smiled, watching his friends grab everything they needed and running through. Amanda let out Calyrex and they waved them goodbye alongside Kubfu. It wasn't a goodbye forever, just a goodbye for now. Keldeo nodded back with a smile, leaping through and joining his friends in the wormhole.

It was time to go home…for real this time.

ACT III: END

Author's Note: I cannot apologize enough for the massive gaps in content for this act. I typically run on a system where I will take months to write the next act, and then upload them on a weekly basis once an act is ready to be published. So much happened in my life at the time this act began that such a thing was thrown off for me. Rest assured, the next act, the last act, will return to this format.

Until then, see ya 'round!