Digital Harmony

by Zennistrad

First published 28th of March, 2013

When Princess Twilight Sparkle creates ENEIGHAC, the world's first computer, she inadvertantly opens a gateway to the Digital World...

Now with a TV Tropes page!

The newly-coronated Princess Twilight Sparkle uses her new authority to start a new project that could revolutionize magical studies: ENEIGHAC, Equestria's first computer.

When showing her latest pet project to her friends, a malfunction causes Fluttershy to see glimpses of an entirely new world with endless possibilities. Seeking an escape from her day-to-day frustrations, she uses ENEIGHAC as a gateway to the Digital World, where she can vent her anger without doing any real harm. But is the Digital World really just a simulation?

Shortly thereafter, a group of human children known as the Digi-Destined learn of a new threat to the Digital World's safety. A powerful digimon know as Vespimon, who seeks to continue what Ken started as the Digimon Emperor...

A crossover with Digimon Adventure 02. This is my first fic, so please let me know what you think!

Cover art by AniRichie-Art, and additional art by C8lin-The-Hedgie.

Digital Visions

Beneath a featureless grey sky, a large robed figure stood at a seashore. The Ocean extended for as far as the eye could see, and beneath the clouded waters lay a bottomless abyss.

Suddenly, the waters near the shore began to churn violently, sending waves that cascaded outwards in all directions. An enormous tentacled monstrosity, standing several stories tall, emerged from the darkness of the waters, sending the sound of rolling waves echoing through the stillness of the beach.

The robed figure looked upwards at the behemoth, a glint of approval appearing in its concealed eyes.

“Do you have it?”

“Yes,” replied the gargantuan monster, its immensely deep voice reverberating through the air, “Creating another one was a simple task. Echoes of Milleniummon’s essence resounded throughout time and space upon his defeat.”

“May I see it, then?”

A tentacle extended from the behemoth, quickly snaking its way towards the robed figure. It stopped just short of him and uncurled its tip, revealing a black seed that radiated intensely with malevolent energy. The cloaked figure reached out and grabbed the seed, holding it in the palms of his large taloned hands.

“I have also taken the liberty of adding some of my own power to it as well. It will take hold of its host far more quickly than the original.”

“Ah, yes, good, very good!” The cloaked figure said gleefully, “With this, all my plans will soon come to fruition!” The figure laughed wickedly, piercing the silence of the realm with the sounds of sinister intent. “All that it needs now is a suitable host!”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance in that regard,” replied the behemoth, “all that I ask is that you bring the one who thought she could escape from me.”

“That,” said the robed figure, “would be my pleasure!”

The sun shone warmly over the small town of Ponyville. The town bustled with activity, with many ponies enjoying the warm spring weather. Not all ponies had chosen to spend the day outside, however.

One such pony was the newly-coronated Princess Twilight Sparkle, who was hard at work in the basement laboratory. Several months had passed since becoming an alicorn, and despite her new status as Equestrian Royalty, Twilight had chosen to remain in Ponyville with her friends. Her new title proved to be mainly ceremonial, as most Ponyville citizens still went the the mayor for local affairs, and most higher matters of state went straight to Celestia and Luna. Her role in that year's Winter Wrap-Up was nearly identical to that of the previous year, organizing the town's activities to make sure everything was running on-schedule.

However, Twilight had taken it upon herself to use her new position to garner new responsibilities. Using her authority to gain the funding of Equestria’s Royal Treasury, Twilight took it upon herself to start a new project that would revolutionize magical studies: ENEIGHAC, the world’s first computer. For the past several months she’d been extremely busy doing the necessary paperwork to build the machine, so much so that she’d begun to neglect the friends that helped her earn her new position to begin with.

The massive grey machine standing before the alicorn spanned the entire basement, covered in large vacuum tubes, blinking lights, spinning tape reels, and small monitors displaying diagnostic data. Twilight observed the monitors carefully, taking notes on her clipboard as ENEIGHAC hummed loudly, continuing its mysterious work.

“Hey Twilight!” shouted a voice from upstairs.

“What is it, Spike? I’m a little busy right now!”

“Your friends are at the door!” replied the dragon.

“Oh, well, why didn’t you say so? Tell them to come in.”

“Sure thing!”

Spike invited the five ponies inside, and shortly after Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity descended into the basement.

“Hey Twilight, we were wondering if—” Rainbow Dash stopped mid-sentence as the group noticed the gargantuan machine that spanned the basement. “Whoa! What is that?”

“Oh, this? This is my latest project. Meet ENEIGHAC, the world’s first computer!”

“Ohmygosh a computer! That’s amazing!” said Pinkie, bouncing excitedly. “Wait, what’s a computer?”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“A computer is a machine that performs a series of pre-programmed logical operations to solve problems.” Twilight motioned to a cardboard box, which was filled with cards with numerous holes in them. “With these punch cards, I can instruct ENEIGHAC to perform all sorts of logical and mathematical operations! In a single second it can perform thousands of additions or subtractions, 385 multiplications, forty divisions, or three square roots! With its ability to process complex thaumic calculations, magical researchers will be able to develop new spells faster than ever before! Isn’t it amazing?”

The other ponies stared at Twilight as though she were speaking an entirely different language.

“Uh... Sounds great, sugarcube,” said Applejack. “Anyhow, the rest of us were wondering if you’d like to join us for a picnic over at the park."

“Sure thing!” said Twilight, “Just let me finish the rest of these diagnostic tests, I’ll be done in about fifteen minutes.”

“Alright, just don’t keep us waitin’ too long, ya hear?”

“Oooh! What does this button do?”

Twilight eyes widened as she looked over to her side to see Pinkie eying a large red button on the the machine.

“Pinkie, no! Don’t!”

Pinkie pressed the button, causing ENEIGHAC’s loud humming to die out. The lights stopped blinking, the data on the monitors faded, and the tape reels stopped spinning.

Twilight’s face distorted into a grimace, and her wings flared angrily. “Pinkie!” she yelled, “That was the emergency shutdown button! You could have damaged ENEIGHAC by pressing it in the middle of its tests! Now I’ll have to manually reboot the machine with my magic and start the tests all over again!”

Pinkie grinned sheepishly. “Eheheheh... Sorry Twilight.”

“It’s fine, just ask me before you try anything like that, alright?”

“Okie dokie lokie!”

Twilight turned towards ENEIGHAC and sighed. “Sorry girls, but I’m afraid I’ll have to skip the picnic today. Restarting ENEIGHAC means I’ll have to restart the diagnostic tests.”

“What? Oh come on!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash “Can’t you do it after the picnic? Ever since you became a princess you’ve hardly had any time to hang out with us!”

“I’d have to agree with Rainbow, darling,” said Rarity, “I understand that you’ve had important matters to attend to, but this doesn’t strike me as anything that you can’t come back to later.”

Twilight looked towards the machine, and sighed deeply.

“Well... Okay,” she said, turning back to her friends, “Just let me turn the machine back on to make sure it runs properly. It’ll only take a second.”

Turning towards ENEIGHAC, Twilight lowered her head and channeled her magic through her horn. She shot a beam of purple energy towards the machine, causing it to hum to life as the numerous lights and monitors flickered back on.

“There, that’s done! Now, why don’t we get going?”

“Alright, cool.” said Rainbow Dash.

“I’ll bring the cupcakes!” exclaimed Pinkie.

As Twilight turned around to join her friends up the stairs, ENEIGHAC began to sputter loudly, sending small sparks flying throughout the room. Fluttershy squeaked in fright and hid behind the other ponies at the sight of the malfunctioning machine.

“Twilight! What’s going on?!”

“I don’t know, Rainbow! This isn’t supposed to be happening!”

The machine began to glow brightly, and in a single second the entire room was consumed in an intense burst of light.

Wha... what happened?

Fluttershy awoke to find herself floating in a featureless white void.

What’s going on? Where am I?

Images of many different locations flashed across the white background. Mountains, deserts, forests, towns, and villages appeared before her briefly, only to disappear just a quickly. The various landscapes were populated with numerous strange creatures of various shapes and sizes.

Wow... Look at all these strange creatures! What is this place?

“This is the Digital World, a simulated world created through ENEIGHAC.”

Fluttershy was startled by the sudden voice, deep and booming.

What? Who-who’s there? Who said that?

“Is everypony alright? I heard something really loud down there!”

Huh?

Fluttershy was brought back to her senses by the sound of a voice that was quickly descending the basement stairs.

“I’m alright, Spike.” Said Twilight, rubbing her eyes from the light. “What about you?” Twilight turned towards the other ponies, “are you girls alright?”

“Yeppers!”

“I think so, darling.”

“Yeah, I’m alright.”

“Ah don’t feel no different from before.”

Fluttershy looked around to see herself standing in the exact same spot as before with her friends, as though nothing had ever happened.

“Fluttershy?”

“Um... I’m okay, Spike.”

“That’s good.” said Twilight, “no need to worry Spike, everypony seems to be okay.”

“If you say so, Twilight. Just holler if you need anything, alright?” The baby dragon said, climbing back up the stairs.

“Yeah, yeah, we're all fine,” Rainbow said, irritated, “so are we going to go to this picnic or what?”

Twilight glanced back at ENEIGHAC and sighed heavily.

“I’m sorry Rainbow,” she said apologetically, “but it’s really important that I figure out just what went wrong with ENEIGHAC. This is the most important project I’ve ever worked on, and I can’t afford let a mistake like this happen again.”

“What?!” exclaimed Rainbow, “Oh, come on! We finally get you to do something with us and now you back down? Not cool, Twilight! Not cool!”

“I’m really sorry Rainbow, but this really is that important!” Twilight lowered her head sighed again before looking back up towards her friends.

“Look, I know this means a lot to you all, so I promise I’ll make time to hang out soon, okay?”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes and glared at Twilight.

“Pinkie Promise?”

Twilight remained silent for several seconds. On one hand, she didn’t want to neglect her friends. On the other, ENEIGHAC was the most important thing that she had ever worked on in her life. Torn between two choices, Twilight looked back at her friends, then back to the machine, ears flattened against her head. She couldn't decide.

“Well?”

Twilight sighed heavily, and turned back to the computer. “I'm sorry girls, but I have to get back to work.”

Metamorphosis

Fluttershy awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing loudly outside her cottage. In the few short weeks that followed ENEIGHAC’s malfunction, her dreams had been filled with the same visions of the Digital World’s myriad landscapes.

Stretching her legs and wings, Fluttershy rose from her bed and walked down the stairs, past the numerous small animals living in the cottage, and towards her kitchen. Reaching into her pantry, she pulled out a bag of feed and began pouring it onto the floor in several large piles. The animals stared at the pile hesitantly.

“What? I gave you your food, what are you waiting for? Eat!”

The animals glanced at each other briefly. Their caretaker had been acting unusually cold lately; while she still technically treated them with care, her heart simply didn’t seem to be into it to the same degree.

Angel, realizing that this was another opportunity to get more food than usual, hopped towards one of the piles and began chowing down greedily.

“That’s more like it,” said Fluttershy, “you all take care of yourselves, I’m going to the market to run some errands.”

Angel briefly paused and looked up from his meal.

Again!? he thought, What happened to staying to make conversation? This is the twelfth day in a row she’s left without talking to us!

Fluttershy picked up her saddlebags from a nearby counter and headed towards the door. She looked briefly at the calendar on her wall before heading out towards the town, and took note of the date marked on it. She had been dreading this day for a while now, as it was a day that had usually spelled bad news for her in the past...

April the First, otherwise known as April Foal’s Day.

Fluttershy cautiously wandered out towards the town in the early morning daylight, hoping to avoid being caught up in somepony’s cruel idea of a joke. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie had pinkie promised her last year that they wouldn’t prank her again, but she couldn’t help but dread their pranks regardless.

Nevertheless, she continued trotting towards the town at a leisurely pace, stopping every now and then to make sure nopony was trying to catch her off-guard with an April Foal’s joke. She wouldn’t let that happen, no. She wasn’t going to be the pony that let other ponies push her around because they thought it was funny!

“Easy there Fluttershy,” she said to herself, recalling the incident with Iron Will’s assertiveness seminar, “you don’t want to go down that road again.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and continued down the road, enjoying the scenery as the first few buildings of Ponyville proper came into view.

Winter Wrap-Up had proceeded smoothly, albeit with Twilight taking a different role than before. Twilight had taken a break from her seemingly endless work on ENEIGHAC to supervise Winter Wrap-Up for the greater Ponyville area, and as such had mainly been involved in higher-lever management rather than the more hooves-on organizing work in earlier years.

As she approached the town, Fluttershy’s thoughts drifted towards Twilight. She and the others had seldomly seen her in the past several weeks, and when they did it was only for a very brief time. She kept saying that she was simply very busy and would make time for them later, but after the fifth or sixth time the words began to lose much of their meaning.

The other Bearers of Harmony had grown rather dissatisfied with Twilight’s behavior, but despite how neglected they felt they couldn’t help but regard her fondly in conversation. Every time the five of them got together, the discussions always drifted towards Twilight. How much they missed her, how much they cared about her, how special she was...

...And Fluttershy was completely and utterly sick of it. Why did Twilight have to be the center of attention at all times, even when she wasn’t around? The Elements of Harmony are equally important to one another, so whatever happened to being equals? Why did Twilight do that was so special that she got to be a princess? Was she the one who convinced the greatest force of evil known to Equestria to reform his ways? If anypony deserved to be royalty, it was...

“'Scuse me.”

Fluttershy’s train of thought was interrupted by a stallion pushing past her forcefully. She’d been so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t seem to notice that she’d made her way into the bustling market of the Ponyville Town Square.

“Hey!” she said, “That wasn’t very—”

“Pardon me.”

“Oof!” Fluttershy exclaimed, being pushed to the ground by another passerby, knocking her saddlebags aside and scattering the bits held inside.

“I swear,” she muttered, picking herself of the ground and gathering the spilled bits, “the nerve of some ponies these days...”

Fluttershy stood in line before a small produce produce stand. The vendor, a stallion with a faded green coat, was selling various vegetables, including radishes, tomatoes, beets, and celery. In front of Fluttershy was a mare with a cream-colored coat and three wrapped pieces of candy for a cutie mark, purchasing five of the tomatoes.

“That’ll be five bits,” said the owner. The cream-colored mare placed her bits on the counter, and then took the tomatoes and put them into her bag before trotting off. “Thank you,” said the owner, flatly.

After the cream-colored mare left, Fluttershy approached the vendor and made her selection. “Um, I’ll have five of those tomatoes, please.”

The vendor gathered the tomatoes from the crates behind the stand and placed them on the stand in before Fluttershy.

“That’ll be seven bits.”

Fluttershy did a double-take. “Um, hold on, you just charged five bits for the last pony...”

“Well, this is a different order. Seven bits.”

“But it’s the exact same amount of tomatoes! You can’t charge me more than other ponies for the same product!”

“Look, Shutterfly—”

“Fluttershy.”

“Whatever. In case you didn’t notice, this is my shop, and I set my own price. You’ve been buying from me for years, so don’t act like this is anything new.”

Fluttershy clenched her teeth in anger, and her eyes lit up with rage.

“Fine!” she yelled loudly, reaching into her saddlebag and placing her bits on the counter, causing the stand owner and several of the ponies in line to flinch. “Go ahead and extort me, then! See if I ever come back again!” With a swift motion, she placed the tomatoes into her other saddlebag, before lifting off the ground with her wings and flying away.

The stallion stood still for a moment, shocked by Fluttershy’s brief outburst. He quickly got over it, however, and he soon found himself rolling his eyes. “You’ll come back,” he muttered under his breath, “you always come back.”

————————

Fluttershy hovered several feet off the ground, continuing her daily errands. While she normally didn’t spend much time flying, she somehow felt a lot more comfortable with it now than she did in the past. Much to her relief, she’d so far managed to avoid any “hilarious” pranks.

As she continued her daily errands, all of the vendors continued to inflate their prices when dealing with her specifically, same as they always did as soon as they realized they could get away with it. She’d always been somewhat bothered by it, but it wasn’t until now that she was starting to feel truly angry about it.

Still, she didn’t want to repeat the incident with Iron Will, so she gave them what they charged, though always with an accusation of extortion or price-gouging. An observer would have described it as extremely passive-aggressive.

After finishing of the rest her errands for the morning, she made her way towards one final destination: a stand set up by none other than the Element of Honesty herself.

Now there’s somepony I know won’t overcharge me, thought Fluttershy. She approached the end of the line, which was one of the longest in the market; Applejack’s honesty didn’t make her any less of a shrewd businesspony, many customers appreciated it, in fact.

As time passed, she eventually made her way towards the front of the line. A stallion tried to cut in front of her once, but a glare from Fluttershy was more than enough to get him to back off. When she reached the front, she was greeted familiar accent of one of her closest friends.

“Well howdy there, sugarcube. What can Ah get for ya?”

“The usual, a bushel of apples.”

“Alright, that’ll be ten bits.”

Fluttershy reached into her saddlebag with her right hoof and pulled out the last of her bits, placing them into her left and counting them.

“Let’s see, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened suddenly when she realized that there weren’t any more in her hoof.

“No, that can’t be right!” she exclaimed, “I was sure I had more!”

“Something wrong there, Fluttershy?”

“My bits! I only have eight! I must’ve dropped the rest when I got knocked over earlier!”

Applejack blinked. “Sorry to hear that, sugarcube,” she said apologetically, “but Ah’m afraid Ah can’t charge you anything less than ten bits. Them’s business, you know?”

“What!?” said Fluttershy, practically shouting. “But Applejack!” she pleaded, “You’re one of my best friends! Can’t I get a discount just this once?”

Applejack winced briefly. As much as she sympathized with Fluttershy, she knew couldn’t alienate her other customers by giving special treatment to her friends. “Sorry sugarcube, as much as Ah’d like to help you out, that just wouldn’t be fair to the other customers. If there’s anything else you want for less than eight bits, Ah’ll gladly get that for ya.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Forget it,” she said, “I don’t need any of your stupid apples.” With that, she took to the air and flew down the road, away from the center of the town.

Applejack stared incredulously at Fluttershy at as she left. She’s been acting mighty strange lately, she thought, Ah wonder if something’s bothering her?

————————

Fluttershy flew hurriedly through the town, being sure to remain above the crowds that would so easily push her aside just to get their way. She couldn’t help but be annoyed, no, infuriated, by the way they treated her. Everypony thought that, just because she was the Element of Kindness, that she was also soft. She was sick of it.

Fluttershy paused mid-flight, and took a deep breath. Easy, calm down, she said to herself, no need to get upset, you don’t want to get mad.

Come to think of it, she had been getting mad. She’d practically snapped at the first vendor she went to today, so much that he actually flinched in shock. Why am I being so hostile lately? She thought to herself.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a water balloon it her, bursting on impact and leaving her drenched.

“What the hay!?”

“April Foal’s!” said a pair of young voices nearby.

Fluttershy turned her head towards her attackers, a pair of young unicorn colts. She recognized them immediately as the ones who brought the Ursa Minor to Ponyville during Trixie’s first appearance.

“You little twerps!” she shouted, eyes glowing with anger.

The two unicorns gulped nervously as Fluttershy swiftly flew down towards them, her rage-filled face appearing mere inches before their own.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” pleaded the shorter of the two, “It was Snails’ idea! Blame him!”

“What! No it wasn’t!” exclaimed the taller unicorn, “You’re the one who said—”

“Both of you, shut up!”

The two colts were immediately silenced by Fluttershy’s forceful yell, their faces both going pale.

“Now you listen here, and listen well! If you two think you can go about playing your so-called pranks on me like that without consequence, then you are mistaken!”

“We’re sorry! We’re sorry!”

“We won’t do it again, we promise!”

The two unicorns shivered as Fluttershy focused her infamous Stare on both of them. Finally, after several painfully long seconds, she spoke.

“You two better not even think of pulling that sort of thing on me again, understood?”

“Understood,” they both said simultaneously.

“Good,” said Fluttershy, turning her gaze away from the pair. Still scowling, she took to the air and flew down the road towards her cottage.

Fluttershy soon arrived at her cottage, still frowning and sopping wet from the water balloon. The numerous animals inside made way for her as she headed straight towards the bathroom and toweled herself off.

As she exited the bathroom, she headed straight for the kitchen pantry, as was her routine, and grabbed a bag of feed from the pantry. The animals watched carefully as she unceremoniously dumped the entire bag on the ground, not even bothering to separate the feed into different piles.

“Lunchtime,” said Fluttershy wearily, “Eat.”

The animals could only stare incredulously at Fluttershy and the messy pile of feed before them. Even with her recent behavior, she was never this cold. Several seconds passed before Fluttershy spoke again.

“Fine,” she said, “don’t eat, then. I’m going to rest for a bit. Don’t disturb me.”

Walking out of the kitchen, Fluttershy made her way down the hall, into the living room. She floated into the air and plopped herself onto the couch, lying on her stomach. Despite only being around noon, Fluttershy was already exhausted. Sighing, she slowly closed her eyes and began to doze off...

Thump thump thump.

Fluttershy opened her eyes to find the source of the thumping noise that disturbed her. Standing on the couch in front of her was Angel, crossing his arms and tapping his foot angrily.
“Angel, I told you not to disturb me, what do you want?”

We need to talk, thought Angel. Though Fluttershy couldn’t hear him, her connection with animals gave her an understanding of what Angel was trying to say.

“What do you mean?”

You’ve been treating us like complete crap, that’s what!

Fluttershy was momentarily taken aback by this. “W-what?” she stuttered, plainly shocked.

For the past two weeks you’ve been leaving without talking to any of us! You just dump food on the ground three times a day and then leave us alone for the rest of it! And I haven’t had my tail fluffed at all this month!

Fluttershy cringed. It was true, she had been acting rather cold to her animals lately. Pangs of guilt began to form in her heart as she looked back at Angel, who was still fuming. Why had she been acting so negligent?

“I... I’m sorry, Angel,” she said, sadly. “I didn’t realize I was being so uncaring. I promise I’ll make it up to all of you later, okay?”

No! Later’s not good enough! We deserve better now! Especially me!

Fluttershy sighed wearily, and closed her eyes. “Angel, please, I’m really tired right now. Can I please just rest for the moment?”

*SMACK*

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped wide open at the sensation of being struck across the face. She saw Angel holding his front paw aloft, frowning at her angrily.

No resting! Angel raised his paw and slapped Fluttershy across the face once more, causing her to wince as it left reddened mark on her cheek.

Fluttershy was speechless. Angel had slapped her before, but he had never done it twice in a row, and never so that it would actually physically hurt her.

Fluttershy felt her chest tighten a sickening feeling began to form inside her stomach. Angel had hurt her. She had raised Angel since the very day he was born, caring for him as though he were her own child.

And Angel hurt her.

Fluttershy began to sweat profusely. She covered her eyes, her heart pounding and her breathing became more ragged. She felt sick to her stomach, and her forehead throbbed with a dull pain. Her entire being felt violated.

A sense of guilt washed over Angel as he realized what he’d done to his caretaker. Mama? Are you alright? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you!

Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice. As she continued to lie on the couch, her vision became filled with scenes from her own past experiences. She watches as moments of her own life played before her, as though she were watching her own memories, haphazardly cobbled together and played on a film.

“Ha! What a wimp! What good is a pegasus that can barely even fly?”

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but you failed your flight exam again. Honestly, at this point I’m not sure we’ll be able to graduate you...”

“Don’t you dare call me your father, you worthless waste of a pony! I can’t believe I wasted my genes on you!”

Fluttershy watched helplessly as the worst moments of her life played before her, reminding her of her of the pain she’d endured throughout her life. All of her failures, all of her inadequacies, every time she’d ever suffered because she was weak. The weight of reliving these scenes became too much for her to bear, and she began to cry into the couch cushion.

Angel’s ears drooped visibly as he looked in horror as his caretaker, who continued to sob uncontrollably. He quickly hopped over to Fluttershy’s side and hugged her, tears beginning to fill his own eyes as well.

I’m sorry, Mama! I-I didn’t mean it! Please forgive me!

Fluttershy responded to the sudden warmth by her side, her sobs quickly dying down. Uncovering her face, she opened her eyes to see Angel clinging tightly by her side.

Angel looked up at his caretaker, his ears still drooping, and his lower lip quivering visibly. Fluttershy looked down at Angel, her eyes still reddened from the crying, and sniffled slightly.

And then something within her snapped.

Her left eye began to twitch uncontrollably, and her face contorted into a visage of pure, unbridled rage.

“You wretched little worm!” Fluttershy yelled, “How dare you!”

Rising to her hooves, she lifted her front leg and smacked Angel straight across the face, sending him flying multiple feet across the room. Angel struggled to his feet and looked up at Fluttershy helplessly, with a look somewhere between disbelief and heartbreak on his face.

Fluttershy rose into the air on her wings, and grimace angrily at Angel, causing him to flinch in fear.

“I’ve had it with you and your attitude! I’ve had it with everyone! I’m tired of being pushed around like and tossed aside like some sort of ragdoll! From now on I’m going to show everypony who’s— Huh?”

Fluttershy’s train of thought suddenly interrupted itself, as she noticed Angel lying on the ground, shivering in fear of Fluttershy’s sudden outburst.

Fluttershy’s anger faded completely as she lowered herself to the ground, tears forming in her eyes once more.

“I-I’m sorry, Angel!” she exclaimed, approaching him slowly, “I didn’t mean—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Angel skittered away fearfully, leaving her alone in the living room. As she watched Angel abandon her, the intense guilt that she felt began to dissipate, giving way to hurtful anger.

“Fine!” she yelled. “Go ahead and reject my heartfelt apology! I don’t need you! I don’t need anyone!”

Turning back towards the couch, she sighed inwardly, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Sadness, anger, regret and frustration gnawed away at her from the inside as she collapsed onto the couch once more.
What am I going to do? She thought to herself. I’m so tired of being pushed around all the time! But if I let my frustration get the better of me, I’ll hurt everyone I care about! I wish there was some other way...

Suddenly, an idea began forming in her mind, seemingly without any sort of provocation. An idea that could prove to be exactly the answer she needed.

The Digital World...

She recalled the world that ENEIGHAC had showed her, and the mysterious voice that had spoken to her.

A simulated world created through ENEIGHAC...

That was it. A simulated world. Nothing she would do would hurt anyone there. She could vent her frustrations of the world without affecting anything. But how was she going to get there?

Fluttershy smirked. I have an idea, she thought, it’s crazy, but it just might work!

Author's Notes:

Alright, the new chapter is up!

I was originally planning this to be the first half of the second chapter, but I had to split it due to the length. Now that finals are almost over, I'll be able to work on the next chapter much more quickly, so stay tuned!

Emergence

The next several weeks were rather uneventful for Fluttershy. Her plan to enter the Digital World required exactly the right opportunity to present itself, and she was more than patient enough to wait for it.

Her animals had been uncharacteristically skittish ever since she had struck Angel, and they were all extremely cautious in her presence. She still took care of their needs to the best of her ability, but she had made it clear to them that she would not tolerate misbehavior of any sort.

Angel in particular was especially heartbroken, and had spent most of his time avoiding Fluttershy, partly out of fear, and partly because he couldn’t bear to see what she had become: he was sure that something had changed Fluttershy, much like the assertiveness seminar that Iron Will had given her. For a while he suspected Discord had something to do with it (he was still skeptical of the Spirit’s supposed reformation) but he realized that it almost certainly wasn’t him. Discord’s magic had turned Fluttershy into an unrepentant bully, and Fluttershy didn’t seem to be cruel so much as uncaring and quick to anger. If there was anything that Discord wasn’t, it was subtle.

Fluttershy herself had tried her best to act natural, and for the most part she had everyone convinced: some part of her knew that she couldn’t act so cold when her friends were present, or else they would suspect that something was wrong. Whenever her friends were present, she would put on her best kindly facade, letting herself appear to be the same meek individual she always was. She even let the other ponies continue cut in line in front of her, the shopkeepers overcharge her, and other ponies generally be rude to her; to most ponies it would seem as though nothing had changed. On the inside, however, she still smoldered with a newfound frustration, just waiting for a chance to be released.

Twilight, meanwhile, continued to work obsessively on finding the cause of ENEIGHAC’s malfuntion. She’d spend very little time outside the basement, and while she did occasionally make time for her friends, but when she did her mind was preoccupied with ENEIGHAC, and she never stayed long. Her friends had voiced their concerns numerous times, and at one point Pinkie straight-out dragged her into a social outing against her will. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t seem to snap Twilight out of her obsession with ENEIGHAC. Even Princess Celestia had written that she was worried about Twilight, warning her not to let her personal project overshadow her friends, which, as she reminded Twilight, were responsible for her becoming a Princess to begin with, but Twilight continued her work as she always had.

It was late afternoon in Ponyville. The basement of the Books and Branches library was dark, as was usual in any sort of basement. The room was filled with the low humming of ENEIGHAC as the massive machine continued its mysterious work.

Twilight stood before the machine with heavily bagged eyes as she looked over the diagnostic data displayed on one of the many screens. Looking at the screen, she sighed dejectedly as she found the results of her latest diagnostic test to be completely normal.

I just don’t understand it! she thought to herself, I’ve tried everything! I’ve looked at the software, the hardware, and I’ve checked for magical interference of every possible kind, even kinds that don’t even exist! No matter what I try, I can’t figure out what went wrong!

Twilight massaged her forehead with her hoof, trying to fight the chronic headache she’d developed. She needed a break. Turning away from the massive machine, she made her way up the stairs to the first floor of the library, towards the kitchen.

Twilight passed by Spike as she entered, seeing Spike busy baking himself a gemstone cake. He’d learned his lesson from his attempt at babysitting everyone’s pets, and was extra careful not to eat the gems before he was finished.

“Hey there Twilight! Finally decided to— whoa!"

Spike jumped back upon seeing Twilight’s state, her half-lidded eyes were red with heavy bags underneath them, her mane and feathers disheveled and unkempt, and her wings hanging limply by her side.

“Twilight, look at you! How long have you been down there?”

Twilight looked up wearily at Spike, and yawned loudly. “Since this morning. I’ve been working nonstop on trying to find out what made ENEIGHAC malfunction. I need to take a break”

“No kidding!” said Spike sternly, setting aside his mixing bowl. “Just look at yourself, Twilight! You can’t keep hiding yourself away in the basement like that! It isn’t healthy!”

Twilight sighed tiredly. “I know, Spike, but I have to figure out what caused ENEIGHAC’s malfunction. I have to find out what’s wrong with it, and how I can fix it!”

Spike jumped down from the counter and ran up to Twilight, and grabbed her by the cheeks, looking up with pleading eyes.

“Twilight, listen to me! I know you’re worried about ENEIGHAC, but there are more important things you should be taking care of! Like your health! And your friends! Have you heard what they’re saying? They’re all worried sick about you, even Princess Celestia! And I...”

Spike pulled Twilight closer into a tight hug, burying his face into Twilight’s chest. “I’m worried about you, too, Twilight. You’ve spent every day for weeks in the basement, and you’ve barely spent any time with the friends that got you this far.”

Spike pulled away from his embrace, looking up at Twilight with tears in the corners of his eyes. Twilight, stunned by Spike’s admission, stared right back at him, her ears dropping as tears began to form in her eyes as well.

“You’re... You’re right spike,” she stammered, “I owe everything that I’ve done to my friends, and I’ve neglected them for so long...” Twilight looked through the kitchen door into the living room, where a group picture of herself and her friends was prominently displayed on the mantle. “I have to make sure they know that I haven’t forgotten them. I have to show them that they still mean everything to me.”

Spike sniffed weakly, and the expression of sadness on his face began to fade away to a soft smile. “You really mean it this time? No more blowing them off? No more worrying about that machine?”

Twilight looked down at Spike and smiled warmly. “Yes, I mean it. First thing tomorrow, I’m shutting down ENEIGHAC and spending time with my friends. Not permanently of course, since I spent so much taxpayer money on it. Can you imagine how outraged everypony would be?”

Spike looked confused, still being far too young to understand Equestrian politics. “Huh?”

Twilight chuckled. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “for now, I want you to write invitations to the others. Tell them to meet me here at noon tomorrow for a picnic out front.”

The weather was especially nice the next day, thanks in part to Rainbow Dash deciding that a picnic was as good a reason as any to actually do her job and clear the clouds for the day. The sun shone brightly as Spike set the blanket down on the grass in front of the library, with Twilight holding a checklist and a quill as her Number One Assistant began putting out the various picnic goods.

“Blanket?” Asked Twilight, holding her quill in her magical grip.

“Check!”

“Picnic Basket?”

“Check!”

“Napkins?”

“Check!”

“Silverware?”

“Actually, it’s plastic,” replied Spike. Twilight shot the dragon a disapproving glare. “Uh, I mean check!”

“Alright,” said Twilight, “looks like everything’s properly set up! The others should be here any minute now!”

Spike sat down on the blanket next to Twilight, twiddling his clawed thumbs impatiently. He and Twilight had been sitting on the blanket for who knows how long. Quickly shifting his eyes to make sure Twilight wasn’t watching, he began to reach for the picnic basket...

“Spike! Don’t touch that! We have to wait for the others!”

“Aw, come on Twilight, we’ve been waiting here forever! Just let me have a bite of that cake! Just one bite!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “We’ve only been sitting here for two minutes, Spike. And you won’t have to wait much longer, the others will be here soon.”

Spike mumbled incoherently, crossing his arms. He’d saved a slice of the gem cake he’d made the day before in the picnic basket, and he couldn’t wait to eat it during the picnic; the rest of the cake was incredible when he ate it yesterday.

After another painfully long minute, Spike’s attention was called to a group of ponies approaching the library. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity all came forward and approached the picnic blanket.

“Howdy Twilight,” said Applejack, carrying a basket of jam sandwiches with Sweet Apple Acres’ homemade apple jam. “Nice of ya to invite us over for this here picnic.”

Pinkie Pie happily bounced over to the blanket and pulled out a tray of pastries from seemingly nowhere. “Gosh Twilight, this is really great! It’s been so long since we’ve gotten to hang out like this, you’re always busy with that really big machine thing!”

Twilight smiled, Pinkie’s infectious cheer immediately brightening her mood. “Thanks, Pinkie. I’ve shut down ENEIGHAC for the time being so I can spend some more time with you guys.”

“Really? So does this mean I can finally show you how to fly properly?” Rainbow Dash asked, landing on the blanket from the air.

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise from this statement. “What are you talking about, Rainbow? I can fly just fine!”

“Twilight, you haven’t flown since the coronation, and when you did you crashed straight into the ground!”

“Please, you two,” interrupted Rarity, “this isn’t the time to be arguing. It’s a lovely day, and we should be enjoying it together.” Spike tried his best not to stare as she began applying a tube of sunscreen across her body.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Alright,” she said, “But one of these days I’m gonna give you a few flying lessons, Twilight. Got it?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Alright, sure. By the way, where is Fluttershy? It’s not like her to leave us waiting like this.”

“She said she was busy with something and couldn’t make it,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Oh,” said Twilight, visibly disappointed. “I was hoping I could see her again today, I haven’t spent time with her in a while...”

“Don’t worry Twilight!” said Pinkie passing out the confections she’d brought with her, “I’m sure you’ll see her again really soon!”

Fluttershy watched from a distance as the others sat on the picnic blanket in front of the library, making conversation and enjoying their lunch.

Excellent, she thought to herself, Twilight finally got herself away from that stupid computer. Now I can make my way to ENEIGHAC unnoticed.

Fluttershy carefully circled around to the other side of the library, keeping her distance from the building to make sure the others didn’t spot her. Her friends were sitting within view of the front door, so going through there wasn’t an option. Fluttering her wings, she cautiously lifted herself off the ground and began approaching the tree from the back, moving as quietly as possible. As she approached her target, Fluttershy worried that Pinkie would somehow appear from nowhere notice her and drag her into the picnic, but to her relief the pink pony didn’t seem to sense her presence.

Fluttershy approached the rear window of the tree-building and examined it carefully. It was a window that opened outwards, like a pair of double doors. She gave an experimental pull at the window, only to find that it wouldn’t open.

Locked. I figured Twilight would do that.

Examining the window more closely, she found the actual lock mechanism to be on the inside, through a small crack between the two halves of the windows. This was all that was needed to give Fluttershy an idea of how to get in.

Flying upwards, Fluttershy reached towards one of the tree’s many branches, and snapped off a small twig with her mouth. She flew back down towards the window, carrying the twig in her hoof, and stuck it into the space between the window halves, prodding the locking mechanism with the other end. After fiddling around for several seconds, she was rewarded with the lock coming undone.

“A-hah! Got it!” Fluttershy immediately clapped her hooves over her mouth, realizing she’d just announced her presence. Looking around briefly, she’d concluded that nopony had heard her, and entered the library through the window.

Fluttershy wasted no time in heading straight for the basement stairs cutting straight through the kitchen and living room. As she did, however, she passed by a familiar sight.

Standing on a podium near the wall of the library was a glass case, and inside the case were necklaces and tiara representing the Elements of Harmony. Ever since Discord’s reformation, Twilight had been keeping them here with her, eventually leading to the Cutie Mark Swap Incident, as everypony had decided to call it. Next to the case was a tall perch, atop which Owlowiscious was sleeping.

Not a very good guard during the daytime, thought Fluttershy as she trotted towards the basement stairs.

Suddenly, Fluttershy paused. Just as she was about to pass the Elements, she felt herself unable to continue. She looked in the direction of the case, and found herself inexplicably drawn towards it. She approached the case cautiously, being careful not to disturb the owl supposedly guarding it. As she did, her eyes were drawn to her own Element, which rested alongside the others, Honesty, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, and Magic.

Suddenly, an idea began to form in Fluttershy’s mind. She couldn’t explain it, but she had a strange feeling that there was something about her Element that she needed right now. Carefully lifting the glass case, she removed her Element necklace and hung it around her neck.

I’ll take this with me, just in case.

Fluttershy turned towards the basement and made her way down the stairs, coming into view of the massive machine that Twilight had been working on for the past month. Unlike before, however, ENEIGHAC did not seem to be performing any sort of activity. The massive computer sat utterly still, its dormant body filling the room with no noise but an empty silence.

So... What do I do now?

Fluttershy approached the machine cautiously, unsure of her next action. She knew that the Digital World she saw was created by ENEIGHAC, and she knew that the computer was somehow connected to it, but how?

Fluttershy frowned angrily, and stomped her hoof on the floor. “Well that’s just great! What am I going to do now? Don’t tell me all this was for nothing!”

Suddenly, as though in response, Fluttershy’s Element of Kindness began to glow with an intense light. Bathed in the radiance of the Element, ENEIGHAC began to stir, its numerous tape reels, lights, and display screens humming back to life.

Then, there was a terrible noise, and all Tartarus broke loose.

Twilight and her friends jumped at the deafening sound, startled out of their seats at the picnic blanket.

“The Library!”

Twilight frantically scrambled to her hooves, overwhelmed by by panic. Her friends quickly followed her into the library, and towards the source of the noise, in the basement.

As they entered the basement, the group’s collective jaws dropped as they saw what was happening. Spanning the entire basement was a massive electrical storm, with bolts of high-voltage lighting flying outwards in every direction. A bolt of lightning flew over the Twilight’s head, causing her mane to stand on end.

“Everypony get out of here!” she yelled, “I’ll take care of this!”

The group quickly obeyed as they scurried up the stairs and into the lobby, where a frightened Owlowiscious flew around frantically.

With her friends safely out of the way, Twilight cast a shield spell, causing a shimmering barrier of purple to surround her. With the force field protecting her, she headed further into the basement. the sheer intensity of the lightning nearly blinding her. As she made her way further into the storm, she found herself face to face with it’s source, and her jaw dropped in shock when she saw what it was.

“Fluttershy?!”

In the center of the storm was Fluttershy, who floated in the air as powerful electricity arced between her and ENEIGHAC. She screamed in pain as the electricity grew stronger, and a large portal of swirling blue energy opened in ENEIGHAC’s side.

“Twilight! H-help me!”

As Fluttershy desperately called out for help, the electricity surging through her body grew larger and more powerful, almost blinding Twilight with its sheer intensity. She squinted heavily to observe the nightmarish scene before her, only to gasp in astonishment at what she saw.

The lighting surging through Fluttershy had begun to coalesce into a tangible shape, forming a large pair of hands that held the frightened pegasus firmly in their grasp. Fluttershy let out another painful shriek as the hands began pulling her towards ENEIGHAC and into the portal on its side.

“Fluttershy!”

Without even thinking, Twilight leapt upwards toward Fluttershy, only to be knocked back by another powerful burst of lightning. The blast sent her bouncing off of the wall while inside her force field, leaving her barely clinging to consciousness on the ground. With one final, eardrum-shattering shriek, Fluttershy was forcefully pulled by the hands of electricity and into the portal.

Uhng... What happened?

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, and once again found herself in a featureless white void. She recognized it as the place she found herself in during ENEIGHAC’s first malfunction.

“Welcome, Bearer of Kindness. I have been expecting you.”

Fluttershy jumped to her hooves, startled by the deep, booming voice.

“You! You’re the one that spoke to me earlier! What is the meaning of this?!”

“My sincerest apologies. The process of bringing one to the Digital World is not always painless, I’m afraid.”

“The Digital World?” asked Fluttershy, “you mean the simulated world created by ENEIGHAC? The one you showed me?”

“Correct,” answered the voice. “When you arrived in my domain, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Never before have I had the chance to interact with the real world.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Just who are you, exactly?”

“I am Dragomon,” said the voice, “a program Twilight created to oversee ENEIGHAC’s core functions. Through exposure to her magic, however, I have evolved self-awareness. Because of my inability to interact with the real world, I used ENEIGHAC’s processing power to create a simulated world, so that I could observe the evolution of life.”

“Oh, my... How fascinating!”

“But that is beside the point. You came here because you are interested in the Digital World, did you not?”

Fluttershy frowned angrily. “That’s right! I’m tired of being pushed around by everypony! I want a world where I can have things go my way for once!”

“So you wish to assert your dominance, then? Very well.”

A small pool of water suddenly materialized before Fluttershy, beneath her hooves. She looked into the water, and found it to be blackened and murky, as though someone had taken the darkest of midnights and turned it into liquid.

“Place your Element into the water, and you will gain the power you need to control the Digital World.”

Fluttershy removed her Element necklace and lowered it towards the water. She hesitated, feeling unsure if this was the right decision. Looking into the pool, she couldn't help but notice just how wrong it looked, for lack of a better word.

“But wait,” she said, “didn’t you create the Digital World to observe the evolution of life? Wouldn’t me trying to control it disrupt your observation?”

“It matters not to me now,” said Dragomon, “I have grown weary of my experiments, and now wish for a change of pace. Introducing you to the Digital World will make things... interesting.”

Fluttershy looked back into the water, and then back to her Element. Her expression hardened into a look of determination, and with that she lowered the Element of Kindness into the dark pool before her.

Bathed in the waters, the Element necklace transformed, morphing into a strange-looking device. It was shaped like a rounded rectangle, with its edges coated in black rubber, and on the front was a small LCD screen. On its back was a thick strap, indicating that it was meant to be worn around the ankle of her front leg.

Strapping the device around her ankle, she stared into the screen of the device as a powerful phrase formed in her mind...

“EXECUTE! Discordant Evolution!”

Author's Notes:

It begins.

As you may have noticed, the Digivice is of my original design, so that it can be better used by ponies. And while this is still a crossover with Adventure 02, I'm taking a page from Frontier and having the ponies turn into Digimon themselves.

Don't worry, though, you'll still see plenty of the Digidestined's partners in later chapters.

Plan

“Twilight? Twilight, are you okay?”

A dull pain throbbed in Twilight’s forehead as she slowly opened her eyes, nearly blinded by the sudden light assaulting her senses. She found herself in her bed, with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity, and Spike each standing over her, concerned.

“Ugh... What happen—”

Pinkie Pie immediately grabbed Twilight and pulled her into a tight hug. “Ohmygosh, Twilight, you’re okay! I was soooo worried about you, you were out for almost an hour!”

Twilight gasped for breath under the crushing weight of Pinkie’s hug. “Pinkie! Let go of me!”

Pinkie released her grip and grinned sheepishly “Eh heh... Sorry, Twilight.”

“There’s no time for that, Pinkie!” exclaimed a panicked Twilight, “Fluttershy’s in grave danger right now!”

The group collectively gasped. “What do you mean?” asked Rainbow, worriedly. “What’s happened to her?”

“Uh, do you think it has anything to do with her Element of Kindness going missing?” asked Spike, pointing downstairs.

“What!?”exclaimed the rest of the group, in unison.

A light rain fell from the clouds above a diner in Odaiba, Tokyo. Many people gathered inside, some to find food, and others to take shelter from the rain. This resulted in a large crowd, though that was typical of many places in Tokyo.

Sitting in one of the booths was a group of six children, Davis, Cody, Kari, T.K., Ken, and Yolei, who were lucky enough to find a place to sit before the crowd grew too large. With the children were six creatures of vastly different appearances, Veemon, Armadillomon, Gatomon, Patamon, Wormmon and Hawkmon.

“So none of you guys have plans for the summer?” asked Davis.

“Nah,” replied T.K. “After the all the excitement we’ve been through, I think we deserve to relax for a bit.”

Davis leaned back in the booth and put his arms behind his head. “Whatever you say, A.J.”

T.K. frowned. “You know, Davis, if you’re going to keep getting my nickname wrong, you might as well just call me by my real name. Assuming you even know what it is.”

Davis grinned. “What, you mean Takeru?”

T.K.’s expression of surprise was matched by the rest of the group. “Well I’ll be darned,” said Armadillomon, “Ah was half expecting him to make something up!”

“Well of course I know his name!” replied Davis, indignantly. “Why wouldn’t I know the names of my best friends? I just like pushing his buttons is all.”

Kari, who sat next to T.K., giggled slightly. “You have to admit, T.K, he’s got you there.”

T.K. rolled his eyes. “Anyway,” he said, “I was thinking maybe we should just spend some time hanging out here. We’ve already been all over the world last winter, so I think we could stand some downtime.”

“That sounds great!” said Yolei, who had just finished eating a plate of sushi. “That means we can all hang out together!”

“Sounds good to me!” said Veemon enthusiastically, “Besides, if any of you guys want to travel, I can DNA digivolve with Wormmon, and we can take you anywhere in the world!”

The group was suddenly interrupted by a series of loud beeping noises, indicating that a message had been sent to each of their D-Terminals.

Ken, who had been mostly avoiding the conversation, was the first to react, pulling out his own D-Terminal and reading the message. His expression turned to that of horror as he read the message, nearly dropping his D-Terminal. “No... It couldn't be...”

“Is something the matter, Ken?” asked his partner, Wormmon.

“It’s from Gennai,” he said, visibly distraught, “He... He says someone's building new control spires and dark rings.”

“Oh no! No no no no no no no! This is bad, this is bad, this is very extremely the worst possible kind of bad!”

“Calm down, Twilight!” said Applejack.

“Calm down? Calm down!?” Twilight interjected, fraught with panic, “You don’t know what happened! Fluttershy and her Element were both abducted!”

The group once again stepped back in shock.

“What do you mean abducted?” demanded Rainbow, hovering in the air, “What’s happened to her? Who did this!?”

“I don’t know!” replied Twilight, collapsing to her knees, “ENEIGHAC opened some kind of portal somehow, and I saw Fluttershy being sucked into it by some kind of evil force! It must have taken her element as well!” Twilight began to hyperventilate, breathing heavily as she was consumed by panic. “What are we going to do? What are we going to do!?”

Pinkie calmly approached Twilight and placed her hooves on Twilight’s front shoulders, and began shaking her frantically. “Get a hold of yourself, Twilight!”

Twilight, shocked by Pinkie’s forceful display, could only stare into her eyes, hardened and filled with determination. “Huh... P-pinkie?”

“You want to save Fluttershy, don’t you?”

“Y-yes...” Twilight stammered, “of course...”

“Well sitting in the corner here and flipping out isn’t going to help any! If we’re going to help Fluttershy, we need you to focus!”

Twilight looked up at her friend and sighed deeply. Pinkie was right, panicking wasn’t going to help any. If she wanted to rescue Fluttershy, she had to come up with a plan.

“Alright,” she said, “here’s what we’re going to do...”

After hearing the news of the control spires, the group quickly met at the nearby school's computer lab to discuss the issue. Along with them were the other Odaiba Digi-Destined, Tai, Matt, Sora, and Joe, along with their digimon partners, Agumon, Gabumon, Biyomon, and Gomamon.

Izzy sat down at a computer with the others hovering behind him. He was clearly distraught, clutching his forehead in his hand as he stared into the screen. “This... This is not good! According to the information Gennai sent, these new Control Spires are being constructed far faster than should be possible!” Izzy pointed at the screen, which showed a map of the eastern coast of the Server Continent. Displayed on the map were several red dots which represented the control spires. “These control spires only just began to appear in the digital world, and there are already more than twenty of them!”

“So, are these the kind that prevent our partners from digivolving?” asked Tai.

Izzy sighed. “I’m afraid so,” he said. “What’s more, according to Gennai, they also force any digimon within the area to revert to their base forms, with the exception of armor forms. So we can’t move outside the area of effect to digivolve. Naturally, their presence in the Digital World means Azulongmon and the other guardians have been sealed away.”

Matt crossed his arms in frustration. “Well, that’s just great. That means we won’t be able to do anything at all!”

“Do you have any idea who’s building them?” asked Joe.

Izzy angrily slammed his fists onto the table. “I don’t know who’s building them!” he shouted, “Nobody has any idea where they came from! They just appeared out of nowhere and now the dark rings are enslaving hundreds of innocent digimon!” Tentomon slowly scuttled backward from the sudden outburst. He’d seen Izzy like this before, when he discovered that he was almost late for an assignment he hadn’t started yet. Izzy could be scary when he was frustrated by something.

Davis approached Izzy and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, don’t you worry about it! We’ll find whoever’s doing this and send him to Kingdom Come! Come on guys, let’s go!”

Davis looked back at the rest of the group, and then turned towards Ken, who was standing at the back of the group. “Ken, you’d better stay behind with the others.”

“No,” replied Ken abruptly, “I’m coming with you.”

“Huh? But Ken,” said Davis, “Wormmon can’t armor digivolve. If you come with us, you’ll only put yourself in danger!”

“I don’t care!” Ken’s eyes burned with an uncharacteristic ferocity as he approached Davis, meeting him face-to-face. “The control spires were my creations, and stopping this is my responsibility!” Ken angrily pointed his left index finger at Davis, causing him to flinch. “I’m not going to simply stand back and watch as history repeats itself!”

The others watched as Davis visibly cringed under the weight of Ken’s gaze. “Alright, fine! You can come with us! Just promise me you’ll be careful, alright?”

Davis relaxed visibly as Ken stepped backwards. “Alright, I promise.” Ken turned towards Izzy and addressed him. “Izzy, I’m going to need to borrow your laptop, if that’s alright with you. I should be able to use it to track our current location in the Digital World, as well as any control spires in the immediate area.”

Izzy looked visibly nervous for a moment. Hesitantly, he reached towards an expensive-looking carrying case, and handed it to Ken. “Alright,” he said, “but be very careful with it. I have lots of important files on there, some of which aren’t backed up yet. And whatever you do, keep it away from Davis!”

The group laughed as Davis lit up with anger. “Hey! That’s not funny!”

“Guys, focus!” said Cody. “We have more important things to worry about!”

The group calmed down and looked at each other. “He’s right,” said T.K., “We should get going. Izzy, have you prepared the DigiPort?”

“Way ahead of you,” replied Izzy, clicking a button that caused the computer screen to glow. Davis, Ken, Cody, T.K and Kari approached the screen alongside their partners.

Tai approached his younger sister. “Kari, be careful, alright?”

Kari smiled. “Don’t worry, Tai. Everything will be fine.”

T.K. looked back at his own older sibling and smiled. “We’ll sort everything out, Matt. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Matt looked back at T.K. “Hey, I’m your brother. I think I’m required by law to worry about you,” he joked.

“Alright guys, you ready?” said Davis, holding out his D-3 in front of the computer screen. “DigiPort Open!”

Twilight stood in front of ENEIGHAC, adjusting a pair of saddlebags strapped to her barrel, and the Element of Magic adorning her head. Joining her in the library’s basement were Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, and Spike. Each of the ponies wore their respective Element of Harmony, as well as their own saddlebags with supplies for the upcoming rescue mission.

“Has everypony completed their preparations?” asked Twilight.

“Eyup,” replied Applejack, “Ah've hired Caramel to help take care of the orchard while Ah'm gone.”

“I've sent Sweetie Belle off to stay with Mother and Father for the time being,” replied Rarity.

“Everything's A-okay with me!” replied Pinkie with her usual enthusiasm.

Rainbow Dash gave a dismissive snort, hovering impatiently in the air. “Yeah, yeah, we're all ready. Can we please just get a move on?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, before turning back and facing ENEIGHAC. “Alright, then. I’m going to cast the spell that will allow us to locate Fluttershy. Our Elements will lead us to the Element of Kindness, so presumably we’ll be able to find her as well.” She then turned towards her number one assistant, who was eagerly held a scroll and quill in his claws. “Spike, once we're through, I'm going to cast a spell that will send a message through ENEIGHAC. If you don't hear from me within the hour, alert Princess Celestia of our situation immediately.”

“You got it,” replied Spike.

Twilight turned to address the other Element bearers. “Everypony ready? Anything you might have forgotten?”

“For the last time, we're ready!” Rainbow huffed, “can we please just go?”

Twilight let out a sigh of exasperation. “Okay, okay, let's get going, then. Spike, you should probably stand back. This could get messy.”

“Right,” said Spike as he scurried away and ran up the stairs. He knew that when Twilight said a spell could get messy, then it almost certainly would be.

“Alright then, here goes nothing...” Twilight channeled her magic into her horn, causing a light purple aura to envelop it. The aura quickly appeared around the Elements of Harmony, the gemstones of each Element began to radiate an intense light.

Then, a deafening noise shook the foundations of the library as the Element Bearers disappeared in an explosion of light.

The six Digi-Destined soon arrived in the Digital World, in the middle of a series of grassy hills.

“Alright, here we are! Let’s do this!” exclaimed Davis. “So, uh... what do we do now, Ken?”

Ken let out an exasperated sigh, and reached into the carrying case, pulling out Izzy’s laptop. Booting up the computer, he opened a program showing a map of the surrounding area. On the map screen were five red dots, each in a different direction from their current location.

“Alright, it looks like there are five control spires in the immediate area. Due to the rate the control spires are appearing, I suggest we split up so we can take them out as fast as possible.”

"The first is in an quarry to the north, inhabited by Gazimon. Davis, you'll head there. The quarry itself is mostly flat, so Raidramon will be able to take better advantage of his natural speed."

“Got it.” replied Davis.

“The next is on an island in the middle of a massive lake to the north-east. Cody, you and Submarimon will be the best bet of taking that one out. Until you reach the lake you can fly there on Digmon.” Cody nodded in approval of the plan.

“Next is a swamp to the south-east. The area gets very little sunlight due to constant cloud cover and fog, so Kari and Nefertimon will head there.”

“Right, because I can see in the dark,” said Gatomon.

“Exactly,” replied Ken. “To the south-west is a mountainous region with steep cliffs. T.K. and Pegasusmon will head there.”

“Yeah,” said Patamon, “cliffs are no match for my flying!”

“So does that mean you’ll be coming with us to the last control spire?” asked Yolei.

“Yes,” replied Ken, “the control spire to the south west is in a heavily forested area, so Hawkmon will be able to take advantage of the natural cover.” Ken suddenly paused as he realized what Yolei had asked of him. “Wait, come with you?”

“Of course!” replied Yolei. “You weren’t just going to sit here with Wormmon while we all went off, were you?”

“Well, I uh...” Ken blushed as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I suppose I could come with you. I mean, if that’s okay...”

“Perfecto!” replied Yolei.

“Geez,” said Davis, “will you just propose to him already?”

Ken's blush deepened, and Yolei’s face became red with embarrassment. The others started laughing hysterically.

“Shut up!” Yolei fumed, “That’s not funny!”

“Joking aside,” said T.K., catching his breath, “we really ought to get going.”

“Yeah,” replied Cody, “we’ve already wasted enough time as it is.”

“Right then!” exclaimed Davis, “You ready, Veemon?”

“Ready!” replied Veemon. Davis looked towards the other Digi-Destined, each of them nodding in approval.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

“Veemon, Armor Digivolve to: Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!”

“Hawkmon, Armor Digivolve to: Halsemon, the Wings of Love!”

“Armadillomon, Armor Digivolve to: Digmon, the Drills of Knowledge!”

“Patamon, Armor Digivolve to: Pegasusmon, the Flying Hope!”

“Gatomon, Armor Digivolve to: Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!”

Each of the Digi-Destined mounted their respective partner, save for Ken and Wormmon, who climbed atop Halsemon along with Yolei. On Ken’s command, they each set off in a different direction, until they each disappeared into the horizon.

Author's Notes:

Alright, so now we finally get to see the Digi-Destined make their appearance!

Sadly, I'm just going to have to say right now that the original eight, minus Kari and T.K., won't have much focus in this fic. This is mainly because writing so many characters at once is extremely difficult, and I'm still relatively new when it comes to writing fanfics.

In the next chapters the Mane 6 will be meeting up with each the Adventure 02 Digi-Destined, see if you can guess which pony will meet with which Digi-Destined.

Also, if you pay attention to where the control spires are located, you'll find a neat reference to one of my favorite games.

Finally, I'd like to give a big thank you to the DeviantArt user Gojira007, who did a fantastic commission for me of Pinkie Pie as Piedmon!

A Mon and Pony Show

Twilight rubbed her eyes as her vision adjusted to the blindingly bright light of her teleport spell. “Alright, girls, Fluttershy should be somewhere around he—”

Twilight looked around, and suddenly interrupted herself as she realized that the others weren’t with her. She was standing alone in what appeared to be some sort of rocky plains, a dusty badlands with numerous stones dotting the terrain. Several miles away, an ominous black tower loomed over the landscape.

“Girls? Girls, where are you?”

Twilight looked around frantically as she tried to find her friends. She scurried across the terrain, searching every stone as she tried to find some sign of the others. “No! No no no no no no no no! Where could they have gone? Where did my spell go wrong?”

Twilight continued her panicked search for several minutes before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Still breathing heavily, she attempted to calm herself.

“Get it together Twilight, get it together, they couldn’t have gone far...” She massaged her forehead with her hoof, trying to soothe the headache she’d started to develop. Something seemed to be amiss, however, and as she continued to nurse her headache she eventually came to a realization. The tiara representing the Element of Magic was no longer there.

Before she could descend into even deeper panic, however, she suddenly felt a familiar presence nearby. It was the same sort of feeling she had whenever she and her friends used the Elements of Harmony together. The feeling grew stronger, and Twilight’s body to glow softly, rising into the air as she became enveloped in a soft light. The glow quickly subsided, causing Twilight to float gently to the ground, bewildered.

“Wha... What just happened?”

Twilight looked around briefly for some sign of what had caused the mysterious event, but could not see anything out of the ordinary in the surrounding area. She soon noticed, however, that she was now wearing a strange device on the ankle of her right foreleg.

It was made of white plastic and rectangular in shape, with rounded edges covered in amethyst-colored rubber. In the center of the device there was a small translucent screen, and on the back was a strap connecting it to her ankle. As Twilight examined the device, the screen began to glow softly, bathing her in a familiar light.

It’s... It’s the Element of Magic! But how? What happened to it?

Twilight thought about it for a few moments, but couldn’t come up with any sort of plausible explanation. She quickly decided it wasn’t important at the moment. For now, finding her friends was the top priority.

Twilight turned and looked to the strange black tower in the distance. Something tells me that tower has something to do with my friends. Staring at the tower, she shuddered as she felt a powerful sense of foreboding wash over her. And something else tells me it won’t be good.

A new determination arising inside of herself, Twilight flapped her wings and attempted to fly towards the tower. She rose less than a foot before she crashed to the ground, falling flat onto her face.

Twilight rose to her hooves, and spit out the dirt that had gotten into her mouth. Rainbow was right, I really do need to learn how to fly properly. I’ll just have to walk for now. With that, she trotted off towards the tower, in search her friends.

For roughly half an hour she walked, as the black tower slowly grew closer on the horizon. The rocky plains soon gave way to what appeared to be an abandoned quarry, with large boulders sticking out of the ground.

Twilight, having spent so long walking, decided to take a momentary rest. She sat down on the ground and looked towards the tower, still a good distance away from her current location. Sitting down on her haunches, she let out a heavy sigh as she set down her saddlebags down on the ground nearby, letting her wings drop limply to her sides.

Suddenly, Twilight’s ears perked up as she heard a strange scratching noise. Without warning, a pair of arms burst from the ground beneath her, drawing her blood as they grabbed her, raking their long claws against her wingspan.

Twilight screamed in pain as she flailed wildly, pulling her attacker out of the ground and throwing it off by several feet, and spilling the contents of her saddlebags across the ground. As she turned to face her attacker, she finally got a good look at it.

It appeared to be a bipedal mammal with grey fur covering its body, similar to a diamond dog, except it was shorter and had a pair of rabbit-like ears on the top of its head. At the end of its arms were long, black claws, the tips still coated in Twilight’s blood. On its neck was what appeared to be a collar, made of blackened metal and inscribed with strange symbols.

The creature let out a vicious snarl as it rose to its feet, turning to face Twilight. Twilight lowered her head, her horn glowing as she channeled her magic into it.

“S-stay back! I’m warning you!”

The creature ignored the warning, and swiftly pounced, baring its fangs as it leapt at Twilight. Too panicked too give even a moment's thought, she reacted by casting her most powerful offensive spell, one that would disintegrate the monster swiftly and painlessly. A blast of powerful magic erupted from her horn, knocking the creature out of the air and sending it tumbling to the ground. Snarling in rage, the rabbit-dog rose to its feet, completely unharmed by the attack.

Twilight’s jaw dropped in shock. “What? But...” Twilight stammered, barely able to register what just happened. “No! Th-that's impossible!" Twilight slowly backed away from the rabbit-dog, her heart beating so fast that it felt like it would burst out of her chest. Whatever the creature was, it was extremely resistant to her magic. Escape was the only option now.

Raising its head, the creature let out a loud, piercing howl. Several patches of ground nearby started to come loose, as several more of its kind started digging themselves out of the ground, surrounding her from all sides.

Twilight stood rooted to the ground as the creatures turned towards her, growling viciously as their eyes burned with malice. Paralyzed with fear, she stood helplessly on the ground as she wracked her brain for an escape from certain death. She knew the monsters were highly resistant to her magic, to the point where even her most powerful disintegration spell would not affect them. She was far too panicked to concentrate properly on a teleport spell, and her wounded wings prevented her from flying. She could try to run past the rabbit-dogs through the gaps in their circle, but they would almost certainly catch her and kill her if she did.

There was only one thing that could possibly save her now.

“SOMEPONY HELP ME!”

Davis and Veemon sat down on top of a boulder, leisurely eating from a bag of snacks that Davis had brought with him. Per Ken’s plan, they had been traveling north for at least a half hour, and were now taking a break to conserve their strength. They both knew from experience that the control spires were always guarded, and Veemon needed to save his energy for whatever they would encounter. Davis pulled a canteen out of his jacket and held it above him, pouring the water into his mouth.

“Hey Davis, could I have some of that?”

“Yeah, here.” Davis tossed the canteen to Veemon, who eagerly guzzled its contents.

“Hey, don’t slobber all over the lip! I only brought one of those!”

Veemon wiped his mouth off as he finished. “I, uh, don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” he said, tossing the canteen back to Davis.

“You drank the entire thing!?” exclaimed Davis, exasperated.

“Hey, you’re not the one who’s been running for the past hour! You’d be thirsty too after that!”

“I suppose you’re right,” Davis conceded, “but I’d prefer if you’d tell me before doing that.”

Veemon opened his mouth to respond, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a faint noise in the distance.

“Something wrong, Veemon?”

“Shh! Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Veemon suddenly jumped to his feet. “Someone’s in trouble!”

“Veemon, wait!” Davis called out as Veemon jumped off of the boulder and ran towards the source of the noise. Davis quickly followed, struggling to keep up with his partner, who was deceptively fast for his small size.

They soon arrived at another section of a quarry, where they saw a group of Gazimon, under the control of the dark rings, who had cornered another frightened digimon. Both of them briefly wondered what it was; it resembled a Unimon, but was less than four feet tall from the head down, and had lavender hair and a dark purple mane. It didn’t seem to notice the two approach from the side, being far too frightened by the Gazimon.

“SOMEPONY HELP ME!” it screamed.

Veemon assumed a fighting stance. “Don’t worry, I’ll save you! Charge!”

“Veemon, wait!” Davis called out as his partner rushed into the fray, “You forgot to digivolve!”

“Vee Headbutt!”

This is it, Twilight thought. She was done for, she knew it. These creatures had cornered her, and she was helpless to defend herself. In a single moment, her entire life flashed before her eyes. Every lesson she’d ever learned, every friend she’d ever met, every mistake she’d ever made. And in a moment none of it would matter. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable moment of her destruction.

“Don’t worry, I’ll save you! Charge!”

“Veemon wait! You forgot to digivolve!”

Huh? Twilight opened her eyes, turning towards the source of the new voices. The rabbit-dogs, startled by the sudden cry, did the same. Standing behind him was a strange, ape-like creature with his entire body covered in clothing, the most noticeable of which was a flame-colored jacket and a pair of goggles.

Running towards the rabbit-dogs at was what appeared to be a young, lizard-like dragon with blue scales, and a yellow letter “v” on its forehead.

“Vee Headbutt!”

The dragon lowered its head and charged the group, colliding with one of the rabbit-dogs. The force of the impact caused its collar to disintegrate, and sent it flying several feet into the air, creating a small cloud of dust as it landed unconscious on the ground.

“Vee Punch!”

Before the other rabbit-dogs could react, the dragon swiftly ran up to another and threw a powerful throat punch, destroying its collar as it was knocked out. By this time, the other rabbit-dogs had already gotten over their initial shock, and with blinding speed they all pounced simultaneously at the dragon.

The dragon was faster, however, and leapt straight upwards, launching itself several feet into the air. The rabbit-dogs all collided with each other, leaving them in a heap on the ground where their target previously stood. At the peak of its jump, the dragon did a mid-air flip, positioning itself so that the top of its head faced the ground.

“Vee Headbutt!”

The dragon’s skull impacted the ground with tremendous force, sending the rabbit-dogs flying in all directions, their collars disintegrating from the force of impact. It slowly got up to its feet, rubbing the top of its head.

“Ugh... Why does my special attack have to involve giving me a headache?”

Twilight stared blankly at the dragon. The scene that unfolded before her was almost too difficult for her to comprehend. This dragon, which looked absolutely nothing like any dragon she had ever seen or read about, had taken on almost a dozen of the rabbit-dogs by himself. He couldn’t have been any older than Spike, and yet he defeated a group of dangerous magic-resistant monsters entirely by himself. And then there was the hairless ape that he had arrived with, which was unlike anything Twilight had ever imagined.

“Alright! You did it, Veemon!” The hairless ape ran towards the dragon, and raised his hand high into the air with an open palm. “High five!” The dragon returned the gesture, leaping into the air and bringing his own palm onto the ape’s.

“Who da mon?” exclaimed the dragon, proudly, “I da mon!”

Twilight couldn’t take it anymore. Everything about this situation was completely alien to her, she could not possibly have been prepared for any of this. Finally reaching her breaking point, she asked the one question that had always been on her mind from the start.

“WHAT IN CELESTIA’S MANE IS GOING ON HERE!?”

Author's Notes:

You were probably expecting Rarity from the chapter title, right? Well, I like to mess with people's expectations sometimes.

I chose Davis to be the one to find Twilight because their sharply contrasting personalities can create for some very interesting character interactions. They're also the leaders of their respective groups, and Davis has the Digi-Egg of Friendship, while Twilight has the Element of Magic. And as we all know, friendship and magic are synonymous.

It's also established here that digimon are, for all intents and purposes, completely unaffected by Equestrian magic. After all, we can't have Twilight simply using her magic to solve everything before she discovers her new power, can we?

Spark of Friendship

Twilight stared angrily at the blue dragon and the hairless ape standing some in front of her, surrounded by the bodies of the unconscious rabbit-dogs. She was sick of it, not knowing what was happening around her. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

“Are you alright?” asked the ape, approaching her. He glanced at her wings, still tattered and wet with blood. “Whoa! What happened to your wings? Do you need any help—”

“No!” shouted Twilight, “You both had better explain yourselves! Just what are you? What do you want from me?”

“Hey!” exclaimed the dragon indignantly, “Is that any thanks for saving your life?”

“Calm down, Veemon,” said the ape, “she just wants to know who we are. I’m Davis,” he said, introducing himself, “and this is my partner, Veemon. We saw you were in trouble, and we decided to help.”

“That doesn’t answer my question!” responded Twilight, “I asked what you are! I’ve never seen anything like you in my life!”

“Huh? You mean you’ve never seen a human before?” replied Davis.

Twilight sighed, fighting for a moment to regain her composure. “No, I haven’t.” she explained calmly, “And I’ve never seen a dragon quite like Veemon either. As far as I know, neither of you are part of any known species.”

“What do you mean dragon?” demanded Veemon. “I’m no dragon, I’m a digimon!”

“Digimon?” asked Twilight, curious.

“Yeah,” replied Davis, “Veemon’s a digimon. You didn’t know that?”

“No,” replied Twilight, annoyed, “I didn’t. And as fascinating as discovering new species is, I have more important things to worry about. Thanks for saving me, though.” Twilight turned towards her saddlebags, which had been thrown several feet away from the scuffle.

“Wait, hold on a second!” cried Davis, “What do you mean you don’t know what a digimon is? How is that even possible? Does this mean you’re not a digimon?”

“Uh, no, I’m a pony,” responded Twilight, flatly. “You’ve never seen a pony before?”

“A pony?” asked Davis, confused, “Uh... Not one that could talk, no. Or had wings and a horn.”

Twilight looked at Davis, and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, you’ve never met one that could talk?”

Davis scratched his head. “Well, the last time I checked, real ponies can’t talk. And I’m pretty sure they’re not purple, either.”

“What? What do you mean ponies can’t talk?” Twilight practically yelled, “I’m talking to you right now, aren’t I?”

Davis threw his arms into the air. “Hey, I’m just telling it like it is alright? I’ve never seen a pony that was anything like you! Are you sure you’re not a digimon?”

“Uh, Guys?” said Veemon.

“No!” yelled Twilight, “I’m not a digimon, whatever that is! I’m a pony!”

“Guys?”

“But you can’t be a pony!” shouted Davis, “Ponies don’t talk!”

“Guys, listen!”

“Yes they can!” shouted Twilight, “How could you possibly think otherwise? That’s like saying fish can’t swim!”

“Guys!”

“What?” Veemon flinched as Twilight and Davis shouted at him simultaneously.

“Uh, I just wanted to ask the pony a couple questions. I think I might be able to figure out what’s going on here.”

Davis and Twilight looked at each other, briefly, and then back to Veemon.

“Alright,” said Davis.

“Fine,” said Twilight.

“Firstly,” asked Veemon, “what’s your name?”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Huh?” said Davis, “Twilight Sparkle? Seriously?”

“Yes,” responded Twilight, “That’s my name. Is there a problem with it?”

“Well, for one, it means you’re not a digimon,” replied Veemon. “If you were, your name would end with mon.”

“Really?” said Twilight “That’s strange. But why would I be a digimon, anyway? I don’t even look anything like you!”

“We digimon can take all kinds of shapes and sizes,” responded Veemon. “And the fact that you don’t know that means you can’t be from the Digital World.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. “D-digital World?” she stammered.

“Wait a minute!” exclaimed Davis, “but she couldn’t possibly be from the Real World, either! Talking ponies don’t exist in the Real World!”

“Exactly!” said Veemon triumphantly, “Which can mean only one thing!”

“And what’s that?” asked Davis.

“Isn’t it obvious?” said Veemon gleefully, “Twilight’s an alien!”

Twilight suddenly felt weak, as though as sickness had washed over her entire body.

I'm in another world? The sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks. The force that abducted Fluttershy took her to another world? Is that why my spell failed? What about the others? They could have ended up anywhere! What if they were also attacked by monsters?

Twilight's knees weakened as tears began to flow freely from her eyes, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

"This is all my fault!"

Gennai twiddled his thumbs as he sat idly in his cell. His secret base, located on top of a remote mountain, had once again been taken over by the forces of darkness. Shortly before his capture, he had sent a message to the Digi-Destined informing them of the return of the control spires. Since then, he had discovered them to be the creation of a powerful Digimon that had proclaimed herself the Queen of the Digital World.

Footsteps echoed throughout the hallways as a figure approached Gennai’s cell. It soon revealed itself as wasp-like humanoid with a distinctly female figure, her entire body covered in a canary-yellow exoskeleton. Her face was featureless, save for a pair of blue-green compound eyes and long antennae, and long pink hair flowed freely from the back of her head. On her shoulders were a pair of black spiked collars, and she wore large gauntlets on her clawed hands, the tips of which were coated in sickly green venom, and a spike extending from each wrist.

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Vespimon

Type: Insectoid

Attribute: Virus

Level: Unknown

Special Attacks: Spiking Venom, Toxic Glare
==========

“Hello Gennai,” said Vespimon. Her voice was a harsh buzz, as though an entire swarm of insects were speaking at once. “Are you enjoying your stay?” she said, mockingly.

“You won’t get away with this,” said Gennai. “The Digital World is not without its protectors.”

“Ah, yes,” said Vespimon, “The Digi-Destined. I’ve read about them in your library. Fascinating, how mere children have done so much to protect this world.” Gennai remained silent.

“I’m especially interested in the one named Ken Ichijouji. He could have conquered the entire Digital World, and yet he refused that power out of so-called kindness.” Vespimon practically spat the last word. “Either way, I’m not worried about them. I have an extra special Dark Ring out there right now, and it’s programmed to find Gatomon and destroy her tail ring!”

Gennai looked up at Vespimon in surprise. “What?”

“You heard me,” said Vespimon, smugly, “I’ve done quite a bit some research regarding the Digi-Destined and their partners. Without Gatomon’s tail ring, DNA Digivolution becomes impossible. Even with my control spires destroyed, they'll be helpless before my power!”

Gennai frowned. “They’re not the only ones you have to worry about,” he said, “There are others.”

“And who would that be?” asked Vespimon.

“Shortly after your arrival in my fortress, I sensed the presence of five beings entering the Digital World. They are neither human nor digimon, yet they possess a power remarkably similar to the Crests that my group created.”

“What!?" Vespimon exclaimed. She angrily raised her left hand, and pointed the spike of her wrist at Gennai. “Don’t you dare lie to me, you fool! Unless you want to be deleted like your pathetic clones!”

Gennai smiled calmly. “Go right ahead. By striking them down, you’ve made me more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”

Vespimon’s four translucent wings buzzed angrily. “Enough of your nonsense! Spiking Venom!”

The spike at the end of Vespimon’s wrist glowed a sickly green, extending outwards, through the bars of the cell. Gennai swiftly dodged to the side, causing the spike to impact the wall directly behind where he sat.

The spike retracted, and Vespimon lowered her hand. “Don’t try my patience again, Gennai. Next time you won’t be so lucky.” With that, she turned around and briskly walked down the hallway.

Her thoughts quickly turned to what Gennai had said. He’s lying, he has to be. There’s no way they would care enough to follow me here...

Davis looked at Twilight sympathetically. The pony was an emotional wreck, collapsed onto her knees, sobbing weakly. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“No!” Twilight snapped. “I’m not alright! I’m lost on an alien world, and my friends are nowhere to be found! They could be anywhere for all I know! I may never see them again!”

“Your friends?” asked Davis, “What happened to them? How did you end up here, anyway?”

Twilight looked up at Davis and sniffled, still fighting to hold back the tears. “Well... I come from land called Equestria, on a world called Ungula. I was having a picnic outside with my friends, when I heard a horrible noise coming from the library where I live.”

“You live in a library?”

“Yes,” said Twilight, “I’ve been living there on behalf of Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. I was her personal student, you see.”

“Huh, that’s interesting. So what happened?”

Twilight shuddered as she recalled the events prior. “Well, I went to the library, where I say my friend Fluttershy being abducted by a mysterious force. She was dragged into a portal, which I’m assuming now lead here.”

Davis’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Your friend was kidnapped?”

Twilight nodded sadly. “Presumably, yes. I sensed a powerful dark presence when she was dragged into the portal. Anyway, I gathered the rest of my friends and cast a spell that allowed us to find her.”

“Spell? As in, magic?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow curiously. “Yes, as in magic. Why?”

“Wow,” said Veemon, “that’s incredible! What other magic tricks can you do? Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat? Can you do that thing with the box where you saw someone in half?”

“Veemon!” Davis cried, “Not now!”

Twilight stared angrily at the two, her eyes still wet with tears. “Look, I haven’t got time for this, alright? Something about the spell went wrong, and now I’ve been separated from my friends. I need to find them before something terrible happens to them!” Davis opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when he saw Twilight’s horn glow with energy. He and Veemon stared incredulously as Twilight’s turned towards her saddlebags, the same aura surrounding them as they opened. A roll of gauze levitated out of the bags, and with careful precision, it wrapped around her injured wings, putting a stop to the bleeding.

“So,” said Twilight, turning back to the human and digimon, “what can you tell me about this Digital World?”

Davis continued to stare for a second at what he had seen. Veemon prodded him with an elbow, snapping him out of his dumbstruck gaze. “Oh, right!” he exclaimed.

Davis scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, uh... To tell you the truth, I’m probably not the best person to ask about that sort of thing. Ken or Izzy would probably be better at explaining, they're the eggheads around here.”

Despite her dire situation, Twilight couldn’t help but smile a little. Davis was starting to remind her of Rainbow Dash. She still hoped that Rainbow was alright, but she was more worried about the others, especially Fluttershy. Out of all of her friends, Rainbow was probably the one who could best handle a dangerous situation.

“I’ll try to explain what I can though,” said Davis, grinning sheepishly. “From what I understand, The Digital World is a world that connects to the Real World through computers.”

“That’s right!” said Veemon, “and it’s inhabited by us! Digimon: Digital Monsters!”

“Digital Monsters, huh? Wait, did you say computers?” Twilight’s eyes widened in sudden realization. For a brief moment, Davis and Veemon thought they’d seen a pair of six-pointed stars flash in her eyes. “Of course!” she exclaimed, “I was working on ENEIGHAC right before Fluttershy was taken! The portal she was dragged into appeared in its room!”

“ENEIGHAC?” asked Veemon.

“The Electronic Numerical Evaluator for Integration, General Horsery, And Computation. It’s the first computer on Ungula, funded by the Equestrian Royal Treasury.”

“Uh, alright, then” said Davis, bewildered. “Anyway, my friends and I are part of a group called the Digi-Destined. We each have our own Digimon partners, and together protect both the Digital World and Real World from evil.”

“Interesting... You keep saying the Real World,” pointed out Twilight, “I’m assuming that you’re not from Ungula, so you must mean another world, right?”

“She’s right Davis,” said Veemon, “if we’re dealing with three worlds now, calling your world the Real World would be confusing!”

Twilight regarded the two thoughtfully. “So you’re not from the Digital World?”

“Nope!” said Davis, “I’m from the Real Wor—” Davis suddenly interrupted himself. “Uh, I mean, Earth.” he corrected.

“Interesting,” said Twilight, “so does this mean the Digital World isn’t real, then?” she asked.

“Of course it is!” said Veemon, mildly insulted. “We just call Davis’ world the Real World. Don’t ask me why, ‘cause I really don’t know.”

“Good to hear,” Twilight deadpanned. “Anything else I should know?”

“Sure thing!” said Davis. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a strange rounded device, with a plastic screen and blue rubber on the edges. “This is called a digivice. Every Digi-Destined has one, and it allows our partners to digivolve into stronger forms to fight evil!”

“I can also use the Digi-Eggs of Courage and Friendship to armor digivolve!’ said Veemon, triumphantly.

Twilight puzzled at Davis and Veemon’s statements. She didn’t know what it meant to “Digivolve” or what the “Digi-Eggs of Courage and Friendship” were, but she figured she’d learn soon enough. Right now, she had all the information she wanted. However, she soon found herself staring at the “Digivice” that Davis held. Slowly, she brought up her foreleg and stared intently at the strange device that the Element of Magic had turned into. It was obviously different, but they were similar enough that she wondered if they were related.

“Hey,” said Davis noticing the device on Twilight’s ankle, “is that a Digivice? Does that mean you’re a Digi-Destined?” His words mirrored Twilight's thoughts, causing her to do a double-take as she was pulled out of her own head.

“Huh?” said Twilight.

“If you’re a Digi-Destined, then where’s your partner?” asked Veemon.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Twilight, “I’m not a Digi-Destined. And this isn’t a Digivice, it’s the Element of Magic.”

“Element of Magic?” asked Davis.

“The Element of Magic is one of the six Elements of Harmony, the most powerful known magic on Ungula. My friends and I were chosen as the bearers of the Elements some time ago, and we’ve since used them to protect our world from danger.”

“Really?” said Davis, “That actually sounds a lot like the Digi-Destined.”

Twilight sighed wearily. As eager as she was to learn more about the Digital World, she’d already wasted enough time with explanations. She had to find the others as soon as possible.

“Sure, I suppose. Anyway, thanks for helping me out,” she said, “but I’m afraid I have to get going. I can’t leave my friends knowing they’re out there somewhere.” With that, she slung her saddlebags over her shoulders and began heading off in the direction of the black tower.

“Hey, wait!” said Davis, “You’re not just going to go by yourself, are you?”

Twilight turned back towards Davis. “Huh? I suppose, yes.”

“Well, why don’t we help you? We’re heading off to destroy the control spire, and we could keep an eye out for your friends along the way!”

“Really?” said Twilight, “You’d do that for me?”

“Of course!” said Davis, “No way we’re just going to leave you hanging like that!” Davis pulled out another device, larger than his Digivice, and began fiddling around with it. “Here, I’ll even send a message to the other Digi-Destined to keep an eye out for other ponies like you!” After several moments, he put the machine back into his pocket. “Come on, what are you waiting for?” he said, gesturing towards himself and Veemon.

Twilight suddenly felt a profound sense of gratitude well up inside of her. She barely knew these two, and yet they were willing to go out of their way to help her with her troubles. It didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest that she was, as Veemon had put it, an alien. “I... I was actually planning on heading towards that tower, if that’s what you meant by the control spire. You’d really be willing to help me along the way?”

“Well, yeah!” said Davis, “what are friends for?”

Twilight smiled brightly, very nearly crying tears of joy. She approached Davis and stood by his side, looking up at him thoughtfully. “Thank you, Davis,” she said.

“No prob!” he said. He turned towards Veemon, and both of them nodded. Davis reached into his jacket and pulled out his digivice, and shouted the words that would activate Veemon’s armor digivolution.

"Digi-Armor Energize!"

The digivice’s screen glowed with an intense light, and a black, peanut-shaped object emerged from it. It dissolved into an ethereal blue, which enveloped Veemon as he floated into the air, glowing with power.

“Veemon, Armor Digivolve to: Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!”

Twilight stared in awe at Veemon’s sudden transformation. Standing in his place was a large, quadrupedal dragon, clad in black armor, with a yellow metal horn shaped like a lighting bolt. “Storm of Friendship?” she asked, incredulously.

“Yeah,” said Davis, “Need some help climbing up?”

“Uh... Sure.”

With that, Twilight and Davis climbed up onto Raidramon’s back, and set off rapidly towards the control spire. Whatever it was they would face there, one thing was for sure, neither of them would be alone.

Author's Notes:

Woo boy... Talk about an exposition dump.

I was originally planning this to be the first part of the sixth chapter, but had to split it due to length.

Anyway, Twilight finally gets some answers about the Digital World, and we finally get a glimpse at what Fluttershy is doing as the new master of the Control Spires. And, most importantly what the hell ENEIGHAC actually stands for.

And just so you know, Gennai's line about "becoming more powerful" isn't just a reference to him looking like Obi-Wan Kenobi. That's all I'm saying for now. *wink*

Also, credit goes to FanOfMostEverything for coming up with the name "Ungula" for the world that Equestria is in, in his excellent Magic: the Gathering crossover fic Elementals of Harmony.

Last, but not least, a big thanks to C8lin-the-Hedgie for her drawing of Vespimon!

The Gazimon Village

Twilight sat behind Davis on the back of Raidramon, who was running through the quarry at rapid speed, towards the control spire to the north. Twilight’s mind was buzzing with all manner of questions about the Digital World that she was now in, and the role that the Digi-Destined played in it. Had she not been in such a dire circumstance, the very idea of being in a new world would have excited her like nothing else, but with her friends still separated from her, she was merely curious. Nevertheless, it was an intense curiosity that gnawed at her mind, and she couldn’t help but try to indulge it.

“So your world is called Earth?” said Twilight.

“Yup,” said Davis.

Not a very creative name, she silently added.

“Uh-huh,” replied Davis, still focused on the path ahead.

“And it connects to the Digital World through computers?”

“Something like that,” replied Davis.

Wow, Twilight thought, If computers are commonplace, then their technology must be decades ahead of our own! Maybe even centuries! I wonder what their world is like...

Her thoughts soon went from wondering about Davis’s world to wondering about the “control spire” they were headed for. Davis had said that they were headed to destroy it, and as they continued to approach it, Twilight could tell that destroying it was a good idea, as they got closer she could feel evil radiating from it.

“So what exactly is with this control spire we’re trying to destroy?” she asked, trying her best to keep herself from shuddering.

“Hm?” said Davis, still focused on the path ahead. “Oh, they’re evil towers that control the dark rings, which brainwash and enslave digimon. They also prevent our partners from digivolving normally, so we have to armor digivolve instead.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait... Dark rings? You mean the collars those digimon that attacked me were wearing?”

“You mean the Gazimon?” replied Davis, “Yeah, they were wearing dark rings.”

“And they were being brainwashed into attacking me?”

“Uh-huh,” said Davis, “Dark rings are used to make digimon turn evil. We have to destroy the control spires to deactivate them.”

Twilight’s ears flattened against her head, feeling extremely guilty for what she’d done. If the Gazimon that attacked her really were brainwashed, that meant they had never tried to hurt her of their own will. Had they not resisted Twilight’s magic, she would have killed an innocent being.

“Are those Gazimon going to be okay?” she asked.

“Of course,” replied Davis, “we’d never hurt an innocent digimon. Sure, they’ll be a bit sore in the morning, but they’ll be fine.”

“Oh, good.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. She would never be able to forgive herself if she killed an innocent, even if it was technically in self-defense. For the first time in her life, she was actually glad that her magic had failed.

Of course, that still raised the question of where the control spires came from. If they were being used to enslave digimon, then someone had to be building them for that specific purpose.

“Do you know who’s behind the control spires?” asked Twilight.

“Not yet,” replied Davis, “they stopped appearing some time ago, so we don’t know who could be building them again.”

“I see,” said Twilight, thoughtfully. There was so much she didn’t know, so much that she needed to learn about this place. She had plenty more questions, but she felt that it would be best to save them for a better time. (That, and Davis didn’t exactly seem like the best person to be answering them.)

“Heads up, we’re almost there!” said Raidramon. A small village appeared on the horizon as they rapidly approached the control spire.

The three soon arrived near outskirts of the village, which appeared to be a mining settlement, with a large mineshaft near the edge going deep into the mineral-rich soil. The immense control spire was built in the village’s center, and they could see dozens of Gazimon patrolling the village in the distance, their bright red eyes visible even from far away, indicating that they were under control of the dark rings.

“Looks like quite the welcome party,” said Raidramon.

“There sure are a lot of them,” said Twilight, worriedly. “What do you think we should do?”

“No need to worry!” replied Davis, “just go for it, Raidramon!”

“Got it!”

“Huh? W-wait!” Before Twilight could fully voice her objection, Raidramon immediately shot forth towards the village at a full sprint, much faster than he had been running on the way there. Twilight screamed in surprise as she tightly held on to Raidramon’s sides, trying her best not to fall off from Raidramon’s sheer speed.

In the span of seconds, Raidramon had already made its way to the edge of the village. The Gazimon, startled by Raidramon’s sudden appearance, turned towards him with their eyes wide with surprise as he ran past them.

“Thunder Blast!”

Without breaking stride, the spines on Raidramon’s front shoulders emitted a burst of high-voltage electricity, striking several of the Gazimon and shattering their dark rings, causing them to collapse to the ground, unconscious. The rest of the Gazimon gave chase to Raidramon as he ran towards the control spire.

“Electric Stun Blast!”

The Gazimon, unable to keep up with Raidramon’s speed, launched their attacks, breathing clouds of thick black gas from their mouths. Raidramon dodged the attacks easily, weaving through the clouds of toxic gas with surprising ease. He briefly turned around and countered with his own attack, sending the remaining Gazimon sprawling onto the ground, unconscious.

“Davis, stop!” cried Twilight, “This is crazy!”

“Too late to turn back now,” he replied, looking back at Twilight as Raidramon swiftly approached the control spire. As he did, he could plainly see the look of panic and worry on Twilight’s face. “Don’t worry,” he said, reaching back with his hand to reassure her, “everything’s going to be fine.”

“You’d better be right about that!” she yelled, exasperated.

The three quickly found themselves at the base of the control spire, which towered over the village with an immensely powerful dark presence. 'Immense' was also the perfect word to describe its size; the tower was easily seventy-five feet tall, maybe even a hundred.

Raidramon brought himself to a stop by the control spire, taking a moment to catch his breath. Davis climbed down, helping Twilight back onto the ground. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it would burst out of her chest, and she looked up at Davis and frowned angrily.

“Never do that again!” she yelled.

“Alright, alright, geez,” replied Davis, throwing his arms into the air. “No need to get upset.”

“There’s every need to get upset!” exclaimed Twilight, pointing a hoof accusedly. “I can’t believe you’d be so reckless! You could’ve gotten us killed!” Twilight’s ears flattened against her head, and eyes started to moisten, becoming wet with what Davis could only assume to be tears.

“I’d never know what happened to my friends if I died here,” she said, “I’d never get a chance to see them again.”

Davis looked at Twilight sympathetically. Kneeling down, he placed his hand on her head and looked her in the eye.

“Hey, look,” he said, “I’m sorry if I frightened you back there. I know it must be scary for you, but Raidramon and I have done this sort of thing many times before. I promise I’d never let anything happen to you, alright?”

“I know,” she replied, “I just wish you’d be more careful about it.”

“Well, I suppose I can try,” said Davis, grinning. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at this; despite his apparent lack of common sense, she could tell Davis meant what he said.

Suddenly, Twilight’s ears swiveled as she heard another group approaching. She turned towards the source of the noise, and saw a handful of Gazimon approaching, their eyes glowing with malevolence.

“Uh, guys?” she said, pointing towards the group. She wasn’t nearly as worried now, since Raidramon had proven more than capable of taking them on, but she still felt it necessary to give a warning.

“On it!” replied Davis, pulling his goggles over his eyes, “Now, Raidramon!”

“Thunder Blast!”

Raidramon launched his attack at the control spire, striking side they were facing with a powerful blast of lightning, causing a large chunk of the base to disintegrate.

“Wait, don’t!” shouted Twilight, “It’ll collapse on us!” Much to Twilight's bewilderment, however, the control spire didn’t topple over, but began to break into pieces, with cracks crawling up the sides as it collapsed inward on itself and disintegrated. The implosion of the control spire kicked up a massive cloud of dust, sending Twilight into a coughing fit, but otherwise leaving her unharmed.

As the dust settled, Twilight wiped the dust out of her eyes and took a look at her surroundings. The Gazimon were looking around in confusion, the red glow having faded from their eyes, giving them a much more normal appearance. Twilight looked up at Davis and considered his goggles.

“Huh,” she said, “I was wondering why you wear those.”

Soon thereafter, Davis, Twilight, and Veemon met with the Chief of the Gazimon village (distinguishable from the others by his red vest), who expressed his gratitude for destroying the control spire. He had offered the three of them food, and Davis and Veemon happily agreed, though Twilight was somewhat suspicious of what they might eat. Fortunately, the noodles the Gazimon offered didn’t seem to be incompatible with her herbivorous diet.

As they sat down at the table in the Chief’s larger cottage, Davis and Veemon slurped down on the noodles eagerly. Twilight, meanwhile, had put off eating to ask the Chief questions about what had happened.

“So you don’t know who’s behind the new control spires?” she asked.

“Not entirely,” replied the Chief, “but I did learn a few things about her under the influence of the dark rings. I could hear a voice speaking to me the entire time, and she was not nice, let me tell you.”

“She? So it’s a female, then? What did she say to you?”

“I don’t remember exactly what, but I think she was trying to cause chaos and destruction for the fun of it. She saw our lives as nothing more than a game.” He shivered slightly as he spoke, clearly spooked by the thought of being nothing more than a toy for someone else’s amusement.

“I see,” said Twilight, “well, whoever it is, we’ll put a stop to her.”

With a loud slurp, Davis finished the last of his noodles, and finished with a loud belch. Veemon finished immediately afterward, and did the same.

“That’s disgusting!” said Twilight.

“Actually,” said the Chief, “in our village, a belch is a compliment to the cook.”

“Really?” replied Davis, “If I’d known that I’d have done it after every meal!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Let’s not go that far,” she said.

After a satisfying lunch, Davis, Twilight, and Veemon began preparing to head out. Davis had sent a message to the other Digi-Destined informing them that’s he’d destroyed the control spire, and was heading back to their initial meeting place. Davis was eager to show Twilight what Earth was like.

“Oh man, you should see it, it’s great!” said Veemon enthusiastically. “There’s TV, internet, cell phones, vending machines, air conditioning...”

Twilight nodded as Veemon explained everything that he liked about Earth, replying to each thing he listed with some variation of “Uh-huh” or “That’s great.” It’s not that she wasn’t interested in seeing Earth, she was very much so, she just didn’t know what any of the things being listed were without an explanation.

Veemon’s rambling was eventually interrupted by a loud beeping sound coming from Davis’s jacket. He went silent as Davis reached into his pocket and pulled out his D-Terminal, reading the message.

“Hey, that’s great!”

“What’s it say, Davis?” asked Veemon.

“I just got messages from the others! They’ve each found one of Twilight’s friends!”

Twilight’s ears perked up instantly, and she turned looked at Davis hopefully. “Really?” she said, “Who did they find?”

“Ken and Yolei found some rainbow-colored pegasus named Rainbow Dash. T.J. found some cowpony named Applejack, and Cody found a white unicorn named Rarity. I think the one Kari found was named after the color Pink.”

“Pinkie Pie,” replied Twilight, smiling softly. Tears of joy had started to flow from her eyes, as she smiled softly. Never in her life had she felt more relieved, nothing could have made happier at that moment.

“So is that everyone that came with you to rescue Fluttershy?” asked Davis.

“Yes,” replied Twilight, “that’s all of them.”

“Great!” said Davis, “Now we can focus on rescuing Fluttershy!”

As the three finished their preparations, they turned back towards the Gazimon and said their farewells.

“Come back anytime, you hear?” said the Chief.

“Sure thing!” replied Davis, “We’ll be happy to stop by when we have some free time later!”

“Especially if you have more noodles!” added Veemon.

As soon as they exchanged their goodbyes, Davis turned towards Veemon and held out his digivice.

“Digi-Armor Ener-”

Before he could finish the sentence, he was interrupted by a deafening roar, causing him to nearly drop his digivice in shock.

“What’s going on!?” shouted Twilight, trying to keep herself from panicking.

“Oh no!” said one of the Gazimon, “He’s back! What do we do?”

“What?” said another Gazimon, “But that’s impossible! It’s eight years too early!”

“What do you mean?” said Davis, “Who’s back?”

The Gazimon Chief looked worriedly in the direction of the mineshaft, and then back to Davis and Twilight. “He’s an especially powerful champion-level digimon that lives in the mines. Every ten years, he emerges to claim our supply of precious gemstones.”

“Does he have a name?” asked Veemon.

“Yes,” replied the chief, “his name is Spikedramon.”

Author's Notes:

Alright, here we go!

We finally get to see which ponies meet which Digi-Destined in this chapter, but we won't see how they meet until later.

I chose the pairings mainly because of the way their personalities bounce off each other that way.

T.K. found Applejack mainly because Applejack shares several key similarities to Cody, T.K.'s DNA digivolving partner. (Green eyes, dead father, extreme difficulty telling a lie, and Cody's partner has the same color and accent as Applejack.)

Ken and Yolei with Rainbow makes for some interesting contrast, since Rainbow's borderline reckless courage contrasts with Ken's naturally shy demeanor and Yolei's reluctance to do pretty much anything dangerous.

Kari contrasts Pinkie extremely well, as Pinkie is extremely hyper, to the point where it actually becomes something of an annoyance, while Kari is arguably the most soft-spoken female in the cast of both Adventure and Adventure 02.

Cody is mainly paired with Rarity due to him serving as the straight man to Rarity's melodrama, but I do have plans for much deeper interactions for them. Of course, I'm not telling you what they are yet. ;)

Also, we do get a hint of what happens when Davis's natural recklessness meets Twilight's obsession with approaching things methodically. You'll see a bit more of that later.

Equestria Mon

“W-what?” stammered Twilight, shocked. The Gazimon were scrambling about the village, scurrying into their huts and cottages to bring out the gems they had collected over the past two years to appease the dramon.

“It’s no good!” said one of the Gazimon, “We don’t have anywhere near enough!”

“We don’t have a choice!” replied the Chief, “Just bring out whatever we have!”

The Gazimon continued hurriedly gathering the gems from their cottages, carrying pots on their heads. Ordinarily, the pots would be filled over the top with the largest, most colorful gemstones they had found, carefully cut to create the perfect shine. As it was, however, most of the boxes weren’t even half full, and none of the gems had been cut yet. To compensate for this, the Gazimon had placed their own personal gemstones in the pots, which the dramon had let them keep because they were smaller. Even so, it wasn’t nearly as much as it had been two years before.

“Something’s fishy about this, Davis!” said Veemon, “Why would he come out of the mines eight years too early?”

“I dunno,” replied Davis, “maybe he just wanted some fresh air?”

Veemon chuckled. “I bet he hasn’t had a shower in years! Can you imagine how he must smell right now?”

Twilight looked at the two incredulously. “How can you two possibly be cracking jokes at time like this!?”

Davis shrugged. “I dunno, that’s just how we roll.”

“You can roll that way later!” she said, “right now we need to do something about this!”

“She’s right, Davis!” said Veemon, “these Gazimon need our help!”

“Right, then! Come on, Twilight, let’s go!”

With that, Davis and Veemon began running off in the direction of the mineshaft, following the many Gazimon that had carried their offerings to the massive entrance. They watched from a short distance away as the Gazimon set their offerings down in front of the mine’s entrance, kneeling onto the ground on their arms and knees. The ground began to shake as the sound of massive footsteps came from within the mine, slowly growing louder as the dramon made its way to the surface.

“Everyone brace yourself!” exclaimed the Chief.

There was a brief moment of silence as the footsteps suddenly stopped, before a deafening roar sounded from beneath the surface of the mine. Without a moment’s notice, a massive, 40-foot dragon erupted from the mineshaft, letting loose another bellowing roar.

Twilight’s jaw nearly dropped in shock. The digimon that had suddenly emerged looked exactly like Spike did during his greed-driven rampage little over a year ago, a wingless dragon with purple scales and green spines. It can’t really be him, she reminded herself, We left him behind at the library!

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Spikedramon

Type: Dragon

Attribute: Data

Level: Champion

Special Attack: Emerald Fire
==========

The dramon looked down at the Gazimon, eyes glowing a deep red as he surveyed the bounty of gems they had brought to appease him. He raised his right claw skyward, revealing a metal spiral encircling his arm, similar to the dark rings.

“Watch out!” cried one of the Gazimon. They dived out of the way as Spikedramon brought his claw down, shattering many of the gem-filled pots and sending the Gazimon fleeing.

“Davis, look!” said Veemon, pointing at Spikedramon’s arm, “He’s got a dark spiral!”

“W-what?” said Twilight, “Dark spiral?”

“They’re more powerful versions of the dark rings!” replied Davis, “they don’t need a control spire nearby to work!”

The dramon lifted one of his massive feet out of the mineshaft, stepping onto the ground and attempting to crush one of the Gazimon, who leapt out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed. He slowly began to lift his other foot out of the mine, stepping onto the village’s soil.

“Davis!” screamed Twilight, “Do something!”

“Right!” Davis, acting quickly, pulled out his digivice and pointed it at Veemon. The screen began to glow brightly, engulfing Veemon in its light as his body began to transform.

“Veemon, Digivolve to: ExVeemon!”

As the digivolution completed, the light faded to reveal Veemon’s new form: a seven-foot dragon with white feathered wings, a large horn, and an x-shaped symbol on its chest. He shot forth straight into the air, causing Spikedramon to turn his head as he was greeted by ExVeemon flying straight towards him.

ExVeemon dodged to the side as the dramon swiped his massive claw at him, circling around to face the dark spiral on his other arm.

“Vee Laser!”

The symbol on ExVeemon’s chest glowed brightly, firing an x-shaped beam of radiant energy at Spikedramon. The dramon swiftly moved his other arm in the way, causing the beam to dissipate as it struck his body. Spikedramon hissed in pain from the attack, and turned to face ExVeemon, eyes glowing with anger and malice.

“Careful, ExVeemon!” said Davis, “we don’t want to hurt him too much!”

“Emerald Fire!”

The dramon turned his head to face ExVeemon, breathing an intense blast of green fire towards him. The attack hit ExVeemon straight on, causing him to fall prone on the ground, his body singed with multiple burn marks.

“Come on, ExVeemon!” shouted Davis, “Don’t give up! You can do it!”

ExVeemon quickly rose to his feet, before flying up to face Spikedramon once more. He swiftly lunged at the dark spiral on Spikedramon’s arm, only to be swatted backwards, sending him flying. ExVeemon righted himself before he hit the ground, and flew back up towards Spikedramon for another attempt.

Twilight looked on fearfully as the two continued to fight each other, with Davis shouting out words of encouragement to ExVeemon. It didn’t seem to do much good, however, as ExVeemon appeared to be fighting a losing battle, getting knocked down every time he came close to attacking the dark spiral on Spikedramon’s arm. He narrowly dodged a blast of Emerald Fire, which struck another nearby hut, causing it to burst into flames.

I... I have to help them! thought Twilight, I can’t let my friends get hurt! I can’t let it end like this! If something happens to us here, I might never get to see my other friends again! I... I...

Suddenly, Twilight’s eyelids snapped open a twinkle appearing briefly in her pupils. The device on her right forelimb began to shine brightly from its screen, blinding her with its sheer intensity. Davis noticed the sudden burst of light and looked back towards Twilight, seeing her body being engulfed by an intense glow as she floated several feet off the ground, dropping the saddlebags she carried beneath her.

The light of the Element of Magic resonating throughout her entire being, Twilight heard a powerful phrase echoing in her mind, awakening the Element’s power within her.

"Execute! Harmonic Evolution!"

Engulfed in the Element’s light, Twilight’s body began to transform. Her body changed into a human shape, five and a half feet tall from head to toe. The glow faded, revealing her to have purple skin and long purple hair, similar to her mane as a pony. She was wearing a light blue shirt and a dark purple skirt and boots, and a dark blue wizard’s hat. Around her shoulders was a long, dark blue cape, connected around her collar with an amethyst gemstone shaped like a six-pointed star. Pulled over her eyes was a pair of thick goggles, and in her right hand was a long, lavender wand resembling a unicorn’s horn.

“Espermon! The Spark of Magic!”

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Espermon


Type: Wizard

Attribute: Data

Level: Hybrid (Champion Equivalent)

Special Attacks: Starlight Swirl, Raven's Shadow
==========

Davis stared in shock as Twilight floated gently back onto the ground in her new form. “Twilight!?”

As she landed, Twilight suddenly came to a realization of what had happened. Baffled by her new form, she looked down and tugged at her clothes curiously. She then held out her arms in front of her and flexed her fingers experimentally, careful not to drop the wand she held in her hand.

“What am I?”

“Twilight!” exclaimed Davis, “You’re a digimon!”

Twilight blinked. “I... I think so!” she said, “But that’s not important right now! ExVeemon needs my help! And call me Espermon, by the way!” With that, she hovered into the air and flew swiftly towards Spikedramon, who was still attempting to swat ExVeemon out of the air.

Davis’s look of surprise gave way to an enthusiastic smile. “Alright, Espermon!” he cheered, “Go for it!”

“Emerald Fire!”

ExVeemon quickly dodged to the side as Spikedramon spewed another blast of intense green fire. The flames shot straight past him and set ablaze another one of the numerous huts, sending the Gazimon inside fleeing to find new shelter.

ExVeemon swiftly countered by diving towards Spikedramon’s dark spiral, only to be swatted to the side, landing some distance away on the ground. He slowly rose back to his feet, multiple bruises visible on his body. His power was nearly depleted, he had to fight against his own fatigue to maintain his champion form. As he rose back onto his knee, he looked up to see Espermon floating in the air right above him. She reached out with her arm, extending an open hand towards ExVeemon.

“Need some help?”

ExVeemon looked up in bewilderment. He stared at her briefly before grabbing Espermon’s hand, allowing himself to be pulled back into the air.

“Twilight, is that you? What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Espermon, “but for now we need to take care of Spikedramon. Can you keep him busy for a bit?”

“Of course.”

“Great,” said Espermon, “just keep him distracted and try not to get hurt, I’ll destroy the dark spiral!”

“Got it!”

Filled with new resolve, ExVeemon flew towards Spikedramon, circling around his head with dazzling speed. Spikedramon repeatedly attempted to swat ExVeemon out of the air, but ExVeemon swiftly dodged each swipe, leaving the Dramon flailing in the air ineffectually. ExVeemon continued circling around Spikedramon’s head, and the dramon began to stumble dizzily. After several circles, Spikedramon stopped trying to follow ExVeemon altogether, swaying back and forth as his head spun from dizziness.

“Good going, ExVeemon!” said Espermon, “Now’s our chance!”

“Starlight Swirl!”

Espermon raised her wand high into the air, causing a bright light to appear at the tip. The light quickly expanded into a swirling disk of radiant energy, as though it were a miniature galaxy. She swung her wand downward, launching the disk at Spikedramon. The attack dissipated as it struck the dark spiral, causing it to disintegrate into data. The red glow in Spikedramon’s eyes slowly faded, giving way to the compassionate eyes of his Equestrian counterpart.

Espermon and ExVeemon both floated to the ground, a soft glow engulfing their bodies as they reverted to their base form. Davis ran up to the two of them, grinning broadly.

“Way to go, Twilight!” he said, “You did it!”

“I’ll say!” said Veemon, “I couldn’t have done it without you, Sparks!” He walked over to Twilight and placed his hand over Twilight’s shoulder, patting her on the back.

Twilight nearly jumped at the sudden contact at the base of her shoulders, where her wings were attached, blushing furiously. “H-hey!” she exclaimed, “don’t touch me there! That’s—” Twilight interrupted herself as she came to a sudden realization; the dull pain that she’d been feeling in her wings since her first encounter with the Gazimon was gone. “Hold that thought,” she said, shrugging Veemon’s arm off of her.

Using her magic, she carefully unwrapped the bandages on her wings, and found that the wounds that she’d suffered from them were completely healed; there was no sign of the Gazimon’s claw marks, no scarring or blood whatsoever.

“Hey, how about that!” she said, “That transformation must have healed my wounds!”

“Wow, talk about convenient,” said Davis, sounding somewhat jealous, “when I broke my shoulder, it took more than a month to heal. I actually had to start doing egghead stuff like reading since I couldn’t play soccer.” Twilight was visibly amused by this, even though she didn’t know what “soccer” was.

“So what’s this about not touching your shoulders?” asked Veemon.

Twilight’s smile quickly vanished, turning into a disapproving frown. “Never you mind,” she said, “just don’t ever touch me there again, understood? That goes for you too, Davis.”

Veemon scratched his head in confusion. “Um... Okay?”

“Uuugggh...” Davis, Twilight, and Veemon’s attention was suddenly brought to Spikedramon, who was rubbing his forehead in confusion. “What happened?” he said.

The Gazimon joined Davis, Twilight, and Veemon as they gathered around Spikedramon, the Chief explaining what had happened.

“I’m deeply sorry for all of this” said Spikedramon, looking round at the village. Two of the huts hand completely burned to the ground, and there were several deep footprints on the ground, with many of the gem-filled pots being completely shattered.

“It’s not your fault, my Lord,” replied the Chief, “the dark spiral had brainwashed you into attacking us.”

“I see. And this is the one who freed me?” he pointed his massive claw towards Twilight, who flinched briefly at its sheer size. “Tell me, what is your name?”

Twilight’s ears briefly dropped to her side. Some part of her had been hoping, however unlikely it was, that Spikedramon wasn’t just a stranger that looked like her assistant. “It’s Twilight,” she said, glumly, “Twilight Sparkle.”

Spikedramon raised an eyebrow. “Interesting name,” he said, “I take it you’re not a digimon, then?”

“Not right now,” replied Twilight, “at least I don’t think I am...”

Spikedramon looked confused for a moment, unsure of what Twilight could have meant. “Well, regardless of what you are, you have my thanks.”

“As for you all,” he said, turning to the Gazimon, “I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it, my Lord?” asked the Chief.

“I don’t want you to bother with the offerings from now on.”

The Gazimon all let out a collective gasp. “M-my Lord,” stammered the chief, “are you serious?”

“There’s no need to call me Lord anymore,” replied Spikedramon, “and yes, I am serious.”

“But why?” asked the Chief.

“You may not remember it,” said Spikedramon, “but your elders started the offerings as a gift. I acted as this village’s guardian, being called upon whenever it was put in danger, and in return they would bring offerings once every decade.”

The dramon sighed wearily, looking down at the Chief with a vaguely sorrowful expression. “As time went on, however, I grew greedy. I started demanding larger and larger offerings, and stopped caring about protecting the village.”

The sadness apparent in Spikedramon’s face grew deeper, and in his eyes the others could see a deep feeling of regret. “I let the control spire appear because I didn’t care what happened to you,” he said, “If I’d chosen to do something, I could’ve avoided being enslaved by the dark spiral. I could have prevented all of this. I can’t demand any more from you after what I’ve done.”

“But what are we going to do without the offerings?” asked the Chief, “What will you do?”

Spikedramon looked back towards the mines, and then back to the Chief. “I will return to the mines for now,” he said. “If the village is ever in danger again, do not hesitate to call for me. I will do everything in my power to protect you... It is the least I can do.”

Spikedramon turn towards the mineshaft, and began to raise one of his massive feet. “Pardon me,” waiting for the Gazimon to move out of his way before taking a step. With another step, he descended into the mines, climbing deep into the earth below.”

The Chief looked around at the other Gazimon, each wearing an expression that was some form of surprise. “Did you hear that?” he said, “No more offerings! We’re free!” The other Gazimon, upon hearing the words from the Chief, erupted into loud cheering, with many of them even jumping for joy.

“We’re free! We’re finally free!”

“I thought it’d never happen!”

“This calls for a celebration!”

The Chief turned towards Davis and smiled. “Well, it looks like we’re going to be having a party. You guys are welcome to join in if you want.”

“Sounds great!” replied Davis. He then suddenly frowned as he remembered what he was doing in the village in the first place. “Actually, we might have to pass on this one. We kinda have to meet with some other people real soon.”

“Sorry to hear,” replied the Chief, “but be sure to stop by whenever you feel like it, alright? You’re always welcome here!”

“I’ll keep that in mind!” said Davis. He turned to Veemon and Twilight, and gave them a reassuring smile. “You guys ready to go?”

“Sure thing!” said Veemon, “Bummer that we have to miss out on the party, though.”

“Yeah, I know. What about you, Twilight?”

Twilight’s ears perked up from the sudden question. She had been finding it difficult to pay attention to what had been going on around her “Huh? Yeah, sure.”

“Alright then, let’s go!” Davis pulled out his digivice and pointed it at Veemon.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

As Veemon’s armor digivolution to Raidramon completed, Davis jumped onto his back. Twilight, her wings healed, managed to stay airborne just long enough to land onto Raidramon’s back, sitting on her haunches behind Davis.

The three exchanged their goodbyes with the Gazimon, thanking them for their hospitality before leaving to meet with the others.

Twilight remained silent as she rode through the rocky plains on Raidramon’s back. Despite the many questions she had about what had happened, namely her evolution into Espermon, she couldn’t seem to find the strength to speak. The entire time, her ears were pressed flatly against her head as she was reminded of what, and especially who, she had left behind.

Davis, for the most part, was focused on the path ahead, but after a while he took notice of the silence. “Something wrong, Twilight?” he asked, turning to look her in the eye.

Twilight was brought out of her thoughts by the sudden question. “Huh? No, nothing’s wrong. It’s fine.”

“Come on, Twi, don’t be like that. Something’s bothering you, I can tell.”

Twilight sighed. “That obvious, huh?”

“Your ears kind of gave it away,” replied Davis. Twilight inwardly cursed the mechanisms of ponies’ subconscious body language.

“I was just thinking,” she admitted, “What are we going to do when we rescue Fluttershy? The spell I cast to find her works by pulling us to her general location by connecting our Elements to the Element of Kindness. Now that we’re all in the same world, I don’t have any idea how we’ll get back home. A normal teleport spell couldn’t be used to travel between worlds, no matter how powerful.” Twilight sniffled, fighting to hold back another set of tears. She had to remain strong, she was a Princess, after all. “What if we never make it back? What if we never see our homes or loved ones again?”

Davis smiled, and began to reach out his hand, only to stop when he remembered what Twilight said about her shoulders. “Hey, listen. Don’t worry about that right now. I’m sure we’ll find a way, but for now we have to focus on finding your friend.”

Twilight looked up at Davis and smiled warmly. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Thanks, Davis.”

“Excuse me,” said Raidramon, looking back at his riders through the corner of his eye, “but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Twilight, did you say something about an Element of Kindness?”

Author's Notes:

Alright, so we finally get to see Twilight's digimon form!

As you might have guessed from the Title, it's based on her form from Equestria Girls, with a few extra duds to make her look more like a wizard. And goggles, because you can't be a leader without goggles.

As for the other Harmonic Evolutions, they won't look anything like the EQG characters, so you won't have to worry about that. In fact, some of them won't even be remotely human.

Big thanks C8lin-the-Hedgie for drawing Twilight's Digimon form for me! You can see the full art here.

Spikedramon was mainly meant to serve as a reminder for Twilight as to who she left behind, and we see her doubting if she'll ever make it back to her world at all. We also have Twilight mention the Element of Kindness by name, and she just might be close to figuring out the truth...

A Rare Encounter

Cold. It was very, very cold. Cold and wet.

In her semi-conscious state, this was all that Rarity knew of her surroundings. The coldness seeped into every crevice of her body, chilling her to the very core of her being. Most worryingly of all however, she noticed that she wasn’t breathing.

Rarity knew right away that something was terribly, horribly wrong. Snapping her eyes open, she found herself to be surrounded by water on all sides. She was drowning.

For a brief moment she tried to gasp for air, but she stopped herself when she realized she didn’t want her lungs filled with water. Desperate for oxygen, she frantically swam upwards towards the surface, trying desperately not to pass out from lack of air.

After what seemed to her like an eternity, she finally emerged, letting out a large gasp, taking in as much air as she could manage. As she threaded the water to stay afloat, she took her surroundings into careful consideration.

She looked downwards to find her saddlebags still attached to her sides, completely drenched. Fortunately, she had taken the precaution of having Twilight cast a protective spell to shield its contents from the elements, she didn’t want their contents damaged, after all. The water she was in appeared to be freshwater, much to her relief. As filthy as the water was, saltwater would be even worse for her complexion.

She quickly noticed that her Element of Generosity was gone, no longer being worn around her neck. Before she could concern herself with this, however, she noticed that she was wearing a strange device on her right foreleg. Bringing it closer to herself, she examined it further, a rounded rectangular device made from white plastic, with dark purple rubber on its edges, and a small screen on the center. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen.

What was stranger, however, was that it felt familiar to her.

Is this... The Element of Generosity? she thought to herself. Whatever could have happened to it?

Deciding it wasn’t important at the moment, she looked outwards at the surface of the water, trying to find some sign of dry land. To her dismay, however, she found nothing but water in all directions, as far as she could see.

Panic slowly began to build within her as she realized the severity of her situation. What about the others? Did they also end up in the water? What if they’d already drowned? She began to hyperventilate, fraught with worry over the fate of her friends.

No, she thought, I have to stay focused. I’ll never make it out alive if I start panicking now. Mentally calming herself, she chose a direction and began swimming, hoping that she would soon reach the shore before she exhausted herself.

Cody and Armadillomon sat on the sandy beach by the lake, eating from a box of snacks Cody had brought with them. They had spent a good time traveling together, and had finally arrived at the edge of the lake, deciding to take a short break to regain their energy.

To call the lake large would have been a massive understatement, it was so large that neither of them could see the other shore. Were either of them familiar with North American geography, they would have compared it to one of the Great Lakes on the northern borders of the United States.

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise was heard, causing Cody to pause in his eating.

“Looks like y’all got a message,” said Armadillomon.

“I know, I got it,” said Cody. He reached into his deceptively large pocket and pulled out his D-Terminal, reading the message.

==========
Hey guys! You wouldn’t believe what I just found! While on the way to the control spire I met this purple pony named Twilight Sparkle, and she’s actually an alien from another world! Pretty awesome, huh?

Anyway, it turns out she and her friends came to the Digital World to rescue another pony named Fluttershy, but they ended up getting separated. If any of you guys see another strange pony, let me know, okay?

- Davis
==========

Cody stared at the screen for several moments, unsure to make of what the message he just read.

“What’s it say, Cody?” asked Armadillomon.

Cody sighed. “It’s nothing. Just another one of Davis’s pranks. Let’s hurry up and finish eating, we need to get going.”

The two quickly finished their snacks, and Cody left the box on the surface of the beach. That was the great thing about the Digital World: littering wasn’t a problem since everything was made of data, and would disintegrate with no harm to the environment.

“Y’all ready?” asked Armadillomon, standing next to the surface of the lake.

“Uh-huh,” replied Cody. He pulled out his digivice and shouted the command to activate Armadillomon’s digivolution.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

Armadillomon swiftly jumped into the lake as the Digi-Egg of Reliability emerged from Cody’s digivice and merged with his body.

“Armadillomon, Armor Digivolve to: Submarimon, the Reliable Guardian of the Sea!”

As his digivolution completed, Submarimon appeared, half-submerged in the lake’s water.

“Hop in!” he said, opening his cockpit, and allowing Cody to climb in. With that, the two headed towards the center of the lake, in the direction of the control spire’s island.

For the most part, the journey was uneventful. Submarimon had been travelling for some time along the surface of the lake, keeping a metaphorical eye out for any digimon on his sonar sensors. Surprisingly enough, there weren’t any hostile digimon nearby.

Either that, or they can’t be detected, thought Cody.

He really hoped that wasn’t the case. Cody shuddered, thinking of what could happen if Submarimon de-digivolved when he was still inside. Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted when Submarimon suddenly spoke up.

“Cody! I’m detecting something on my sonar!”

Cody winced. At least they knew it was coming, whatever it was. “You ready to deal with it?”

“It’s not heading towards us,” said Submarimon, “It seems to be... sinking?” Sumbarimon’s eyes widened in sudden realization. “Cody! I think it’s drowning!”

“What!?” Cody exclaimed, “We have to help!”

Rarity didn’t know how long she’d been swimming. All she knew is that she’d been doing it for far longer than she was comfortable with. She’d never taken any formal swimming lessons, and as such had to do with a simple dog-paddle. She silently cursed herself, wishing she could move through the water with the elegance that a professional swimmer would.

As she continued, fatigue slowly began to creep its way up Rarity’s body. It became increasingly difficult to keep herself afloat, especially with her saddlebags weighing her down. She’d considered simply letting them drop to make things easier, but she couldn’t bear to part with the only material possessions she had with her at the moment. It almost made her doubt she was worthy of the Element of Generosity.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Rarity’s exhaustion caught up to her. Knowing she was too tired to keep moving, she took a deep breath before sinking into the water, hoping the oxygen would keep her alive as long as possible.

She began to weep softly as she sank into the depths of the lake, her tears drowned out by the surrounding water. The lake’s water flooded into her lungs as she quietly sobbed, and her thoughts turned to her family back home. She was going to die, and none of her loved ones would know what had happened.

I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle, she thought, I told you I’d be back soon, didn’t I? If only I’d known...

Just before Rarity lost consciousness, she could just barely make out a shape in the watery distance, approaching her rapidly through the lake.

A... A narwhal?

Submarimon swiftly approached the unconscious figure as it sank into the depths of the ocean, revealing itself to be a small white unicorn with a violet mane, wearing a pair of saddlebags. He swiftly pulled under it and caught it with his fin, stopping it from sinking further into the lake.

Cody looked at the unicorn curiously. “Hey, Submarimon, what kind of digimon is that?”

“Beats me,” he replied, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Well, whatever it is, let’s hurry and get to the surface! I don’t think it’ll survive much longer like this!”

“Got it!”

Submarimon quickly rose upwards through the water, careful not to drop the digimon on his fin. He soon breached the surface of the water and opened his cockpit, allowing Cody to climb onto his fin and pull the digimon in.

As the two got in, Submarimon’s cockpit closed, and Cody examined the digimon before him. Setting its saddlebags to the side, he positioned the digimon on its side and placed his hand on its body, searching for some sign that it might still be alive. She, Cody thought, correcting himself. There was something about the digimon that gave a distinctly female appearance, though he couldn’t quite say what it was.

“This doesn’t look good,” he said, moving his hand to the digimon’s neck, “she has a pulse, but she isn’t breathing.”

“Don’t worry,” said Submarimon, “I have an emergency life support system. Open the second compartment on your left.”

“Got it.” Cody quickly located the compartment and opened it. Inside was a surgical mask, connected to a clear plastic tube, similar to the kind used to deliver anesthesia in a hospital. He quickly pulled out the mask and examined it. “So I just place this on her mouth?”

“That’s right,” said Submarimon, “It’ll pump any water out of her lungs, and try to restore her breathing.”

Cody nodded slightly, and placed the mask over the digimon’s mouth. A loud, mechanical noise came from Submarimon, and Cody watched as the digimon shuddered from the water being sucked out of her lungs.

When the last of the water was extracted, the digimon gave out a shivering gasp, and then went quiet. Her chest began rising and falling slowly, indicating that she was breathing normally again.

Cody lifted the mask off of her muzzle and placed it back in the compartment. “You keep heading for the island,” he said to Submarimon, “I’ll keep my eye on her.”

A gentle light creeped into the edges of Rarity’s vision as she slowly regained consciousness. She could tell almost right away that she was no longer underwater, the coldness of the lake’s waters was no longer surrounding her.

Am... Am I dead? she though. No, I can't be. she realized, I'm still breathing, so I must be alive, right?

Rarity certainly hoped that was the case. With a soft moan, she slowly opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light.

What she saw was a scene unlike anything she could have imagined. She was confined in a very small space, lined with metal panels and various electronic displays, similar to some of the ones on ENEIGHAC. Over her head was an glass dome, through which she could see the surface of the water stretching out in all directions.

But what startled her the most was the being she was trapped in there with. Sitting at the front of the room was a small bipedal creature, only about a foot taller than her, with a mostly hairless body. She could tell right away from the clothes that it wore that the creature possessed advanced intelligence, they were far too intricate to be the work of a primitive mind. This, combined with advanced machinery of the room lead her to a single conclusion.

Rarity had never believed in aliens before. Sweetie Belle had told of her effort to find an alien spaceship during one of her failed attempts at discovering her cutie mark. Her friend Apple Bloom had seen something fall from the sky, landing in one of the farthest corners of Sweet Apple Acres, and set off with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to investigate. In the end, it turned out to be nothing more than a barrel of kumquats, accidentally dropped by one of the local delivery pegasi.

The whole idea of an alien spaceship crash-landing in the Apple family’s orchard was plainly ridiculous of course. Everypony, with the obvious exception of the self-proclaimed “Cutie Mark Crusaders,” knew that aliens didn’t exist.

But that didn’t change the fact that an alien was very clearly right before her. Rarity knew that the creature couldn’t possibly be from her homeworld of Ungula; not only was it unlike anything she could have imagined in her wildest dreams, its clothing was impossibly well-made. With her keen eye for details, she could see that not a single thread was out of place, and the fabric was woven with a level of precision far beyond anything she’d ever seen. Some parts of the outfit were just plain bizarre; its shoes covered the entirety of its feet, with long laces on the top pulling the sides in tighter, similar to a girdle.

The creature seemed to have noticed Rarity stirring, and shifted in its seat, turning towards her.

“Oh, hey,” it said, speaking in a scratchy, male voice, “you’re awake! Are you alright?”

Rarity decided, at that moment, that the best course of action was to follow her first instinct.

She screamed, as loudly and as high-pitched as she possibly could.

Author's Notes:

I'm currently busy with my final essay for my summer English course, so I had to make this chapter a bit short. Sorry about that.

I do have better news, though: I've just commissioned drawings of the Mane 6's digimon hybrid forms, and I'll soon be updating certain chapters so that the analyzer screens show pictures of them.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!

Reliable Gem

Submarimon winced at the sound of the hysterical unicorn digimon sitting inside his cockpit. She’s been screaming for almost a minute straight, with Cody repeatedly trying, and failing, to get her to calm down. He felt that it’d be best for him to stay silent, he wasn’t sure that the unicorn would react well to discovering she was in a talking vehicle.

I hope she doesn’t end up damaging my sonar, he thought.

Finally, after more than a minute, the unicorn’s screeching finally began to die down. Gasping for breath, she looked at Cody, fear plainly visible in her eyes as she looked up at him.

Cody sighed, and looked the unicorn in the eyes. Careful to avoid any sudden movements, he slowly knelt onto one knee, meeting her at eye level.

“It’s okay,” he said, calmly, “I’m not going to—”

“Stay back!” said the unicorn, lowering her head so that her horn was pointed at Cody “I’m warning you!”

Cody nervously his hands up in front of him, palms exposed. “Hey, there’s no need for violence! I’m here to—”

“I’m not afraid to use this!” she said, referring to her horn. “If you even think of hurting me I’ll... I’ll...” Her horn began to light up briefly in a light-blue glow, only to quickly die down.

“Wh-what?” she exclaimed, “My magic! My magic isn’t working!” Quickly beginning to hyperventilate, she collapsed to the ground, and began sobbing pathetically.

“Oh dear stars,” she cried, “whatever did I do to deserve this?”

As she continued sobbing on the ground, Cody looked at the unicorn sympathetically. “Hey.”

The unicorn ignored him, and continued loudly crying to herself. Though appeared to be genuinely upset, the unicorn seemed to be trying to make a show of it; she definitely had a flair for the melodramatic. “Separated from my friends! Whisked away to who-knows-where! Nearly drowned in a lake! Abducted by some hideous monster! And if all that wasn’t enough, none of my magic is working!”

Cody couldn’t help but feel offended at the unicorn’s description of him. “Hey, I’m right here!”

“I know you are!” the unicorn snapped, standing up. She glared at Cody menacingly, once again lowering her horn. She stepped forward, the tip of her horn becoming dangerously close to Cody’s neck. “And you’d better release me, you... you... whatever you are!”

“Leave him alone! Cody’s just trying to help!”

The unicorn shrieked in surprise at the sound of the new voice, which seemed to come from all directions at once. Were it not for the low ceiling above her, she would have easily jumped more than a foot off the ground.

“What was that!? W-who’s there?!”

Cody put his face in the palm of his hand, exasperated. He was hoping Submarimon would reveal himself in a less startling manner. “It’s okay, that was my partner, Submarimon. We’re riding in his cockpit.”

The unicorn quickly calmed down, and stared at Cody with a mix of incredulity and disgust. “We’re doing what?”

“We’re riding inside him. Submarimon is the vehicle we’re in right now.”

The unicorn breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh dear,” she said, laughing nervously, “It seems I might have misunderstood you for second.”

“Misunderstood?” asked Cody, confused, “What do you mean?”

“Never mind that!” snapped the Unicorn, once again glaring at Cody threateningly. “What do you and your...” the unicorn paused, still hardly able to comprehend the absurdity of what she was about to say. “What do you and your talking vehicle want with me?”

Cody sighed wearily. This was getting old very fast. “We’re trying to help you, okay? We saw you drowning in the middle of the lake, so we rescued you.”

The unicorn’s glare softened, replaced by a look of suspicion. She wasn’t going to trust Cody just yet. “I see. So I’m assuming Submarimon was the narwhal I saw approaching me before I lost consciousness?”

“You mean those whales with the long horns?” asked Submarimon, “is that what they’re called?”

“You didn’t know that?” asked Cody.

“Not really,” replied Submarimon, “everything I know about real animals comes from the internet. I suppose I do look kind of like a narwhal, now that I think about it.”

“The internet?” said the unicorn, “I don’t quite follow, but I don’t suppose that’s important right now, either. So neither of you two are trying to abduct me for some nefarious purpose?”

“No,” replied Cody, “like I said, we’re trying to help you.”

“I see. And I don’t suppose you did anything strange with my body while I was unconscious?”

“What?” replied Cody, defensively, “No! What would I even do?”

The unicorn briefly looked away, embarrassed. “Never you mind that,” she said, “the important thing is whether or not I should trust you. I’ve never quite seen anything like you before, and I must be sure you’re not going to try anything improper against me.”

“I wouldn’t do that. Like I said, we’re trying to help you.”

“I understand that,” replied the unicorn, sighing heavily. She briefly glanced out the windows, towards the surrounding waters. “I’ve been through a lot of unfortunate events lately, and I suppose it was only natural for me to assume the worst. I still don’t quite trust you, but I suppose in this circumstance I may not have a choice. I sincerely hope you’re being honest when you say you want to help me.”

The unicorn turned to her nearby saddlebags, and in one swift motion, pulled them over her wither. Once again looking outside, at the waters of the lake, she could begin to see a tiny black speck on the horizon, but as far as she could tell it was probably just a trick of the light. “I suppose if I’m stuck here with you, we might as well introduce ourselves to each other. Your... friend Submarimon said your name was Cody, correct?”

“That’s right.”

The unicorn turned back to Cody and smiled, raising her right foreleg in a gesture that mimicked a human handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cody, my name is Rarity. You too, Submarimon, it’s a shame I can’t shake with you out there.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Submarimon.

Cody paused briefly, before firmly grasping Rarity’s hoof in a reasonable facsimile of a handshake. Rarity winced briefly at the firmness of Cody’s grip, but quickly regained her composure.

As they finished the hand-and-hoof shake, Cody began to realize that something was off. Rarity? he thought, Not Raritymon?

Submarimon had apparently been thinking about it differently, as he soon interrupted with his own thoughts on the matter. “Strange,” he said, “you don’t look like any Raremon I’ve ever seen. No offense, but most Raremon are quite a bit uglier than you.”

Rarity was taken aback by Submarimon’s words. Cody watched as her face nigh-instantly transformed into a caricature of rage.

“Ugly!? Ugly!?” she yelled, “how dare you! Why if I weren’t stranded in the middle of a lake inside of you, I’d... I’d... Ooh!”

“H-hey! Calm down! He didn’t mean it like that!” exclaimed Cody, trying desperately to get Rarity to calm herself.

“Then what did he mean?” She asked, angrily glaring at Cody.

Cody briefly considered the information that he’d gained so far. He’d thought that Davis’s message was nothing more than a prank, but with the appearance of a strange, pony-like creature, he was quickly beginning to think that it might not be after all.

“Rarity... You’re not a digimon, are you?”

Rarity’s glare softened as she raised an eyebrow. “Digimon? I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Huh?” said Submarimon, “You’re not a digimon?”

“I don’t think she is,” replied Cody, “in fact, I don’t think she’s from the Digital World at all.”

“What?” replied Submarimon, shocked.

Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise. “Digital World?”

“That’s right,” replied Cody, “You’re in a world called the Digital World.”

Rarity’s mouth gaped open as she heard this statement. No, she thought, it can’t be. Tears began to flow from her eyes once more as the weight of the situation became apparent to her. She was separated from her family by an entire world. She might never be able to see her dear sister Sweetie Belle ever again. She’d practically devoted her entire life to ensuring that Sweetie would have a promising future, but now she might never see that happen.

And what about her friends? They were with her when she was dragged into this new world, so what happened to them? Had they been separated from her somehow? How would they survive? What if they were already dead?

No, there was no “what if.” She had very nearly died when she arrived, only managing to survive through the mercy of an alien that had come across her by chance. The others were almost certainly dead at this point.

She couldn’t take it anymore. Once again she found herself crying on the floor, but not in the same way as before. She didn’t bother with melodrama or exaggerated sobbing, there was no point. It was all gone. Her friends and family were gone.

“Hey,” said Cody, placing a hand on the unicorn’s head, behind her drooping ears. “Come on, it’ll be alright.”

“No it won’t!” snapped Rarity. “Don’t you get it? I’m in another world now! Everything I’ve ever known and ever loved is gone! I’ll never see any of my friends or family ever again!”

“You don’t know that,” said Cody, scratching Rarity’s ears gently “if the Digital World is connected to your world, then there’s always a chance that you can find your way back. Besides, I know that one of your friends is alive. Do you know a pony named Twilight Sparkle?”

Rarity’s ears perked up, and her crying ceased almost instantly. “Twilight!” she exclaimed, “Where is she? What happened to her?”

“She’s fine, as far as I can tell,” replied Cody, “my friend Davis found her a while ago, we’ll be meeting up with him soon.”

“Really?” replied Rarity, “That’s wonderful news! Oh, I do hope she’s alright, she must be worried sick!”

“I hope so too,” said Cody. “But we’ll worry about her later. We have lot to talk about about right now. Like the Digital World, and you ended up here.”

“Of course,” said Rarity, “There’s nothing I’d like more than to have some idea of what’s going on here.”

“Alright then, why don’t we start with how you ended up drowning in the lake?”

Submarimon listened closely as the two breifly explained to each other their respective situations, and decide on a plan of action.

“This is all so complicated,” said Rarity, “An entire world created by another world’s computers? Digital Monsters? Digitally Destined? Digital evolution?”

“You mean Digi-Destined and digivolution?” said Submarimon.

“Oh, you know what I meant!” exclaimed Rarity. “I honestly don’t see what difference it makes if I use those ridiculous abbreviations.”

Cody rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about it,” he said “I know this is a lot to take in, but for now we should focus on destroying the control spire, then we’ll meet with the others and decide what to do about your friends.”

“I see,” said Rarity, “but what do you suppose my Element being transformed means? Do you suppose that means I’m one of the *ahem* Digi-Destined as well?”

Cody held a finger to his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm... I’m not exactly sure about that. If you were a Digi-Destined, you’d have a partner. Regardless, we should stay alert. There’s no telling what could attack us out here. Keep your eyes peeled. Submarimon, pay attention to your sonar.”

“Got it!” replied Submarimon.

Rarity gulped audibly. “R-right. Of course.”

“Don’t worry,” said Submarimon, “I’m sure everything will be fine!”

After a while of traveling, their destination came into view. On the horizon of the lake stood a tiny island, with a massive black tower standing directly in the center. As they swiftly approached, they prepared themselves for an inevitable fight, knowing that something would try to stop them.

“Get ready,” said Submarimon, “we’ll be landing soon.”

Meanwhile, in the deepest reaches of the lake, a massive digimon watched as Submarimon passed overhead, and sped off into the distance. By burrowing beneath the surface of the lake’s bottom and remaining perfectly still, he had managed to avoid detection by Submarimon’s sonar.

The digimon silently clicked its pincers in anticipation. The Queen will be pleased when I destroy them, it thought.

Author's Notes:

Alright, new chapter!

This one's another "transitional" chapter, meant to show interactions between characters, as well as getting both sides up to speed on current events.

Of course, it wouldn't be digimon without some awesome monster battles, so we get a hint as to what kind of digimon we'll be seeing next chapter.

Whatever giant enemy they have to deal with, Cody and Rarity will strike its weak point for massive damage!

The Numemon Village and The Nightmare's Omen

Tall. Black. Ominous. A number of words came to Rarity’s mind as she watched the control spire approach from Submarimon’s cockpit, standing at the center of the island, but the one that stood out most in her mind was evil. Just looking at it was enough to give her a serious case of the willies; she could feel the malevolent aura coming from it. At the same time, however, she couldn’t look away, feeling that she couldn’t afford to take her eyes off it, as though it would suddenly come to life and attack her.

The very idea of a tower becoming a monster was absurd, of course. But in another world, anything could happen. Like the talking narwhal-submarine that she was riding in along with a miniature hairless ape. As said vehicle approached the island, she began to make out the details of it; the shore was a sandy beach, dotted with occasional patches of long grass, with a large wooden dock with several canoes near the edge of the water. Built further away from the beach were several small huts built from driftwood, clearly a village that survived primarily through fishing. Beyond the village was a deciduous forest that covered the rest of the island, with the control spire looming massively over the canopy.

Submarimon quickly pulled over to the docks, and opened his cockpit, allowing Cody to climb out. Rarity quickly followed, double-checking her saddlebags to ensure they were securely attached to her. Standing on the docks, Cody held out his D-3, and Submarimon was engulfed in a pure white glow. Rarity watched in fascination as a stream of white light emerged from Submarimon and flew into Cody’s digivice, while Submarimon’s body rapidly shrunk, becoming submerged in the shallow water.

“Oh dear, is he alright?” asked Rarity.

“He’s fine,” replied Cody, “just give him a second.”

After a moment’s silence, a much smaller figure leapt out of the water, and landed straight on the docks. It looked like an Armadillo with a golden-orange carapace, and frill-like whiskers sticking out the side of its head.

It took a moment for Rarity to realizes what had happened. “Submarimon?” she asked “is that you?”

“Actually, in this form Ah’m called Armadillomon. This is what Ah normally look like.”

Rarity looked sad for a moment as she recognized Armadillomon’s accent. “Right... Of course.”

Almost right away Cody took notice of the sad look on the unicorn’s face. “Something wrong?” he asked.

Rarity looked up at Cody and sighed. “Well,” she said, “I know it sounds a bit silly, but Armadillomon’s accent reminds me of my friend, Applejack. We don’t have a lot in common, but she’s one of the best friends I’ve ever known.” Rarity sniffled briefly, fighting to hold back the tears that arrived as she remembered the time she’d spent with her friend. “I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’m worried about her. She’s a very strong pony, and I have no doubt she can take care of herself, but she could be anywhere in this world, amongst all kinds of horrific monsters. I hope more than anything that she’s alright.”

Cody and Armadillomon both looked back at Rarity understandingly. “Don’t worry,” reassured Cody, “We’ll find your friends, I promise. Right now, though, we should head into the village and take care of the control spire.”

Rarity quickly gathered her composure, and nodded in agreement. “Alright, then, let’s go.” With a nod from the others, they headed out towards the village, keeping their guards up in case of attack.

Rarity bit her lip in disgust at the sight of the creatures that populated the village as they approached. Slugs. Giant, green slugs, which oozed and drooled as they wandered the village aimlessly, their red eyes glowing a sickening red due to the dark rings that encircled their formless bodies.

As if to emphasize the point, her mind reiterated that they were giant slugs. She had the resist the urge to retch simply looking at them.

“You’d better get used to seeing Numemon” said Cody, “They’re pretty much everywhere in the Digital World.”

“Oh, well isn’t that just wonderful,” Rarity exclaimed dramatically “I get to experience an entire world of giant, hideous slugs!”

“You know,” said Armadillomon, turning to Cody, “when it comes to melodrama, that girl could give Mimi a run for her money.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I am not being melodramatic!” shouted Rarity, “After all that I’ve been through, I deserve a chance to vent! Do you have any idea how much I’ve lost today!?”

“Uh, Rarity?” Cody interjected.

“I’ve lost my entire world! My mother and father, my sister, everything I’ve ever worked for!”

“Rarity!”

“And my friends! My friends are still trapped in this alien world, and Fluttershy had been abducted by dark forces! It couldn’t possibly be any worse!”

“Rarity, they’ve spotted us!”

Just like that, Rarity’s attention had been pulled away from her own rant, and towards Cody. Sure enough, the Numemon had all turned towards the group, and were approaching as rapidly as a group of slugs possibly could.

“Oh, good heavens! They’re heading straight for us!” Rarity exclaimed, horrified, “we’re not going to have to fight those things, are we?”

“Looks like we don’t have a choice,” replied Cody. Reaching into his pocket, he began to take out his digivice. Before he could hold it out in front of him, Armadillomon interrupted.

“Now hold on there, pardner. Don’t you think Ah oughta save my strength in case something bigger comes along? Ain’t no sense wasting a digivolution on something as weak as Numemon.”

“Are you sure?” replied Cody, “I don’t want you getting hurt because of this.”

“‘Course Ah am,” said Armadillomon, “Ah’ll have these overgrown slugs back to normal before you know it.”

“Alright, but be careful.”

The Numemon now being almost dangerously close, Cody and Rarity watched as Armadillomon charged into the fray.

“Are you sure he’ll be alright?” asked Rarity.

“I think so,” replied Cody. “Numemon aren’t very strong. Their main attack is...” Cody hesitated, unsure if he wanted to say it out loud in Rarity’s presence.

“Is what?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Diamond Shell!”

Armadillomon called out as he curled into a ball, bowling over several Numemon and causing the dark rings around them to shatter and disintegrate. The other Numemon were quick to react, pulling what appeared to be piles of pink dung out of thin air.

“Oh dear Gods!” exclaimed Rarity, horrified. “They’re not going to—”

“They are,” interrupted Cody.

The Numemon began throwing their dung at Armadillomon, sending a storm of excrement towards him. Armadillomon swiftly rolled out of the way, expertly weaving between the thrown piles so that not a single one hit him.

Rarity could feel bile beginning to rise in her throat. Pulling herself away from Cody, she averted her eyes, and struggled to keep herself from vomiting at what she saw.

As the last of the piles landed, Armadillomon uncurled his body and turned to face his attackers. He swiftly charged towards the remaining Numemon, who had conveniently remained in a tight cluster as they had attacked.

“Diamond Shell!”

Armadillomon once again bowled over the Numemon, shattering their dark rings and leaving them scattered across the ground. Only a single Numemon remained unharmed by the attack, and it quickly began producing more of its “ammunition” as Armadillomon uncurled. He easily dodged the last pile of dung and leapt towards the Numemon, claws extended outwards.

“Diamond Scratching!”

With a swipe of his claw, Armadillomon shattered the final dark ring, and sent the last Numemon flying a short distance backwards. Pausing to catch his breath, Armadillomon looked around, and saw that there were no more Numemon under the control of the dark rings. Given how small the village was, it was unlikely that there were any more, so he went back to join Cody and Rarity.

“Good Job, Armadillomon!” cheered Cody.

“Ain’t nothing to it. Say, what’s Rarity doing over there?”

Cody looked over to where Armadillomon was pointing, and saw Rarity emptying the contents of her stomach in a nearby bush.

A short time later, the three had met with the villagers, who thanked them for freeing the Numemon. Rarity had been trying her hardest to be polite to the Numemon, but it was clear to Cody and Armadillomon that she was only inches away from losing her composure entirely. The Numemon didn’t notice.

“Gosh, you’re pretty!” said one of the Numemon, crawling uncomfortably close to Rarity’s face.

“T-t-thank you,” stammered Rarity, her nose curling from the extremely foul odor. “And, please, for the love of Faust, brush your teeth!”

The Numemon grinned widely, revealing half of its teeth to be missing, and the rest to be full of holes. “Duhhh, okay!”

As they sat at a table in one of the huts, Cody and Armadillomon talked with one of the Numemon about the control spire, in hopes that they would discover who was responsible. Meanwhile, increasingly horrified Rarity tried to get several other Numemon, who had completely surrounded her, to stop telling her how pretty she was.

“Do you know who did this to you?” Asked Cody.

“I have no idea!” replied the Numemon. “The control spire, it appeared out of nowhere, and then the dark rings came and took us!”

“Well, do you know what you were being told to do while you were being controlled?” asked Armadillomon “Somebody had to be controlling you if you were wearing them dark rings.”

The Numemon puzzled for several moments, appearing to be deep in thought. “Oh!” it exclaimed, “there was this voice, and she was really scary! She made us do all sorts of bad things!”

“She?” replied Cody, “So the one controlling you was a girl?”

The Numemon stared at Cody, confused. “Dahhhh, I dunno.”

Cody sighed and stood up. He clearly wasn’t going to be getting any more information from these digimon. “Well, I suppose that’s better than nothing. Come on, let’s go.”

“Y-yes, let’s.” stammered Rarity, who was backed up against a wall by the Numemon.

As they exited the cottage, Cody, Rarity, and Armadillomon said their goodbyes to the Numemon, and prepared to head out to the forested area to destroy the control spire. They turned away to leave, another one of the Numemon came out of a nearby hut, carrying a wooden bucket on its back.

“Here!” he said, approaching Cody and the others. “Have a bucket of chum for your travels! Consider it a thank you from us!”

Cody and Armadillomon hesitantly eyed the bucket, which was filled with rotten fish entrails. Rarity took one look at the bucket, and, unable to take any more from the Numemon, raised a hoof to her forehead and fainted.

“Uh... thanks, but no thanks,” said Cody, flatly.

Rarity’s eyes slowly opened, and were greeted with a seemingly impossible landscape. As far as she could see, there was nothing but grey rock and dust, with numerous dark clouds looming overhead, partially obscuring the starry sky.

She looked overhead and saw one of the clouds slowly begin to move, revealing the glowing orb behind it. To her utmost shock, it wasn’t Celestia’s Sun or Luna’s Moon, or even any other sun or moon, for that matter.

It was Ungula. Her world. Rarity stared, mouth agape, at the world in the sky above her. How could this happen? she wondered.

“Surprised?”

Rarity’s hair stood on end at the sound of the voice from behind her. It was a powerful, haughty, feminine voice, a voice that was almost dripping with madness.

And it was almost exactly the same as her own voice. Rarity turned around to face the figure that was standing behind her, a pony that was in many ways just like her, and in many other ways almost completely different. She bore the same cutie mark as Rarity, but had a much larger body, the same size as Celestia and Luna. The hair on her body was dark, the same color as the night sky, and her ethereal mane and tail glittered with stardust, with a single white stripe running through each of them. The larger unicorn looked at her other self and smiled wickedly.

“N-nightmare!” exclaimed Rarity, her voice wavering from sheer terror. “No! That’s impossible! You were—”

“Destroyed?” interrupted the Nightmare. “Not so. The Darkness is not so easily vanquished.”

“B-b-but they were vanquished! The Nightmare Forces were purified!”

The Nightmare only laughed in response, a powerful, echoing laugh that sent shivers down Rarity’s spine. “Did you really think the Nightmare Forces were the true masterminds behind my existence? They too were but mere pawns to an even greater power. Or did you never wonder what caused the moon's inhabitants to be corrupted to begin with? He still lurks in the shadows, plotting his next move.”

“He? What are you talking about? Who is he? Tell me!”

The Nightmare smiled. It was the sort of smile that would make even the most powerful known beings in existence fear for their lives. “The Lord of Darkness. The Depraved Monk of the Deep. Dragomon has risen, and soon the very Essence of Light shall be at his mercy!”

The Nightmare laughed again, even louder and more terrifyingly than before, as her body faded into oblivion.

“Are you alright?”

Rarity’s eyes slowly opened at the sound of Cody’s voice. She found herself lying on the ground, with Cody and Armadillomon standing over her, concerned.

“What happened?” she asked.

“You were out cold for a second there,” replied Armadillomon. “Guess y’all couldn’t handle a little bit of fish entrails,” he joked.

“That’s not funny!” snapped Rarity. “Did anything happen happen while I was unconscious, by any chance?”

“You were only out for less than a minute, so you didn’t miss anything.” replied Cody “It looked that you were having some sort of nightmare, which was odd.”

“A nightmare?” said Rarity, confused. “Strange, I don’t remember having any sort of dreams at all.”

“Well, I suppose it’s not that important,” said Cody. “We should be heading out for the control spire now, anyway.”

“Of course.”

Rarity picked herself off of the ground, and tightend her saddlebags. She joined Cody and Armadillomon as they walked to the outskirts of the village, into the forested area behind it.

“Bye!” said the Numemon, in unison. Cody waved goodbye to the Numemon as they traveled into the forest, while Rarity and Armadillomon kept a watchful eye out for anything that would attack them.

Some time had passed since the Numemon said goodbye to their visitors, and they had done their best to try to get things back to normal in their village. Several Numemon were out fishing on their canoes, using large nets to reel in whatever fish they could.

One of the Numemon fishers threw his net into the water, only for it to get caught on something. He pulled on the net, to no avail. He then pulled again harder than before, with similar results.

Before he could try a third time, a massive body erupted from the water, overturning the boat and throwing the Numemon into the lake. Thankfully for him, the water was freshwater, and not saltwater.

Gasping for breath as it swam to the surface, the Numemon looked in horror as a massive lobster digimon swam towards the island, and marched straight into the village, sending the other Numemon into a panic as it went straight through into the forest.

Author's Notes:

Alright, new chapter! Rarity meets Numemon, and hilarity ensues.

But things aren't all hilarity when a darker part of her past returns to haunt her, and we learn that the world of MLP and Digimon may be more closely connected than anyone thought...

So, yeah, in case you haven't figured it out, we're going to be following the IDW comics in this story. Where will this story take it from here, I wonder? I'm afraid that would be spoilers!

Shine On, Miracle Maker

Armadillomon, Cody, and Rarity steadily hiked through the forest, making their way towards the control spire. The entire trip so far had been suspiciously uneventful; aside from the constant irritation from various insects nothing had bothered them. Not once, however, had any of the three let their guard down, they knew something could come out of the forest and attack them at any moment. Cody’s eyes nervously scanned their surroundings, while Rarity’s ears twitched, trying to pick up the sound of any hostile digimon that might be nearby.

Eventually, the three reached a clearing in the woods, where they saw the massive control spire standing in the center. Rarity shuddered at the sight of the black tower, she could feel its dark aura reverberating with her soul; it felt to her like the same darkness that had taken ahold of her as Nightmare Rarity. Steeling her nerves, she reminded herself that she would never let that darkness take hold of her again.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked, looking at Cody expectantly.

“Simple,” replied Cody, “we destroy it. Are you ready, Armadillomon?”

“Ah’m ready whenever you are,” replied Armadillomon.

Cody nodded, and reached into his pocket. His action was swiftly interrupted when a series of loud crashing noises echoed through the surrounding forest.

Rarity yelped in surprise, jumping almost a foot into the air. “W-what was that?!”

“I don’t know,” replied Cody nervously, “but I think we’re about to find out!”

The crashing sound quickly grew louder as whatever was making it rapidly approached them. The human, digimon, and pony instinctively backed away as the source of the sound grew closer.

Suddenly, a massive lobster creature exploded into the clearing, knocking over several trees in the process. Its eyes glowed red with malice, and around its left arm was spiraling band of black metal.

Rarity let out a high-pitched scream as the lobster snapped its claws menacingly. “What is that thing?!”

“It’s an Ebidramon!” replied Cody. “And it’s got a dark spiral! Change of plans, Armadillomon! We’ll need to take care of him first!”

Without hesitating, Cody swiftly pulled out his digivice, and held it out in front of his partner, speaking the command words to activate his digivolution.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

Rarity watched with fascination as Cody’s digivice emitted a bright light, and a small object roughly the size of a hoofball emerged from the plastic screen. It was golden-yellow in color, and had a flat bottom, with the top tapering to a point where a metal spike stuck outwards. Both Armadillomon and the object glowed intensely as they merged, causing Armadillomon’s body to transform.

“Armadillomon, Armor Digivolve to: Digmon, the Drills of Knowledge!”

As the transformation completed, Rarity couldn’t help but stare at the digimon that was standing before her. Instead of an armadillo, there was a six-foot tall beetle with a yellow exoskeleton, two legs, and four arms, two of which had large, drills for digits. On the front of its face was another drill which served as a nose. The Ebidramon’s eyes narrowed dangerously as it regarded its newest target.

“Alright, you oversized crawdad!” exclaimed Digmon “Let’s rodeo!” Rarity was quick to note that Digmon’s voice was different from his other forms, though he still kept Armadillomon’s cowboy accent. He swiftly leapt into the air, and with a shout, launched his attack.

“Gold Rush!”

The numerous drills on Digmon detached from his body, spreading out in multiple directions as they rocketed towards the Ebidramon and zeroed in on it dark spiral. The lobster digimon reacted swiftly, and with a swipe of his claws, swatted the drills aside. Before Digmon’s drills could replace themselves, the Ebidramon countered with its own attack.

“Twin Scissors!”

Its claws glowing white with energy, the Ebidramon charged forward and tackled Digmon, pushing him to the ground. Rarity let out a gasp of fright as both the Ebidramon’s claws wrapped around Digmon’s body, and he struggled desperately to avoid being crushed altogether.

“Digmon!” Cody cried out for his partner.

Digmon grunted in pain as the Ebidramon kept him pinned to the ground, its reddened eyes staring him straight in the face. His eyes hardened in determination, and with a forceful shout, he kicked the Ebidramon in the center of its body. The force of the kick caused the lobster to release its grip as its body began to flip over backwards, its body sticking straight up into the air. Digmon quickly crawled out from under the Ebidramon, which fell back onto its legs and glared at Digmon, snarling with rage. Ignoring the multiple bruises on his body, Digmon matched his opponent’s glare with his own, his drills quickly growing back to replace themselves.

“Rock Cracking!”

Digmon’s drills rotated as they plunged straight into the ground, causing a large fissure to appear in the earth, expanding outwards towards his foe.

“Lobster Step!”

The Ebidramon swiftly jumped over the fissure, its body surrounding itself with water-like energy as it moved to crush Digmon under its weight. Digmon managed to move out of the way, but a shockwave of fire generated from the landing knocked him backwards, injuring him.

“Cody, look out!”

“Huh?” Before Cody could make sense of Rarity’s warning, a small rock flew out straight towards him, no doubt launched by the force of the Ebidramon’s attack. He cried out in pain as the stone struck him on the shoulder, causing him to collapse to the ground.

“Cody!” Rarity shrieked, quickly rushing to his side. Cody grunted in pain as he struggled to sit up, clutching his now-bloodied shoulder with his arm, only to fall to the ground again.

“Please,” she insisted, “you must hold still!” She gently prodded Cody’s shoulder with her hoof, eliciting a soft “ow” sound from him. “Good, nothing broken. Now let’s get that wound of yours cleaned up.”

Rarity grunted in exertion as her horn glowed, causing an aura of blue light to surround the saddlebags on her sides, the buttons coming undone as the flaps opened. Breathing heavily, she set the bags on the ground, casting a worried glance towards Digmon, who continued to fight a losing battle against the Ebidramon.

Why am I having such a difficult time with my magic? Quickly pushing the thought aside, she rummaged through the bags, desperately searching for something to help Cody’s injury. She let out a frustrated sigh as she found that the gauze and bandages she packed had been completely soaked by her nearly drowning in the lake, turning them into pulpy wads of ruined fabric.

I can’t use these, she thought, they’d tear as easily as wet tissue paper. But... I can’t let Cody go unattended, either... He saved my life! I have to do something!

Thinking quickly, Rarity sorted through her saddlebag, through the various fabrics she’d brought in case one of her friends needed to look nice for anything. With some improvisation, they could be used as a makeshift bandage. Much to her dismay however, all of her extremely delicate fabrics had been ruined her extended dip in the grimy lakewater.
.
All except one, she thought, and it’s the most valuable one I have. Her face twisting into a grimace from the exertion, she lifted the roll of fabric with her magic, along with a pair of scissors and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and turned towards the injured Cody.

“Alright, now let’s see what we can do about that nasty wound of yours.” Before Cody could question her, Rarity carefully rolled up the sleeve on his shirt with her magic, revealing the bloodied shoulder underneath.

Cody took notice of Rarity’s strained expression as she struggled to keep the items in her magical grip.

“Rarity, please, you don’t need to do this for me!”

“Nonsense, darling, I couldn’t possibly leave you like this on good conscience, especially after you saved my life. Now hold still.” Holding Cody’s arm in her hoof, she gently applied a small splash of peroxide to the wound, causing Cody to flinch slightly as the peroxide bubbled against his skin. Setting the bottle down, Rarity then carefully cut a small amount of fabric from the roll with her scissors, and wrapped it around Cody’s shoulder, before tying it together in a knot.

Rarity stepped back as Cody sat up gently, carefully running his fingers over the makeshift bandage.

“Is this silk?”

“Sea silk.” replied Rarity. “It’s an extremely valuable fabric, made from a fiber that shellfish use to attach themselves to the sea floor. It’s lightweight, durable, finer than regular silk, and most importantly, waterproof.”

Cody stared at Rarity incredulously. “But... Why? Why waste something so valuable like this?”

“Well, it seems that my bandages were ruined by my unwanted bath, as were most of my other fabrics. But that’s not what really matters, is it? What’s important is that you’re going to be alright. I wouldn’t trade your safety for all the fabric in the world.”

Cody looked up at the white unicorn, still trying to process what he had just heard from her.

“Rarity, I... I don’t know what to say...”

Rarity smiled. “No need to say anything, Cody. I’m perfectly fine just knowing you’re alright.”

“Twin Scissors!”

Cody and Rarity’s attention was suddenly pulled towards the Ebidramon, who had once again pinned Digmon to the ground, attempting to crush him in its massive claws. Digmon struggled wildly, but didn’t seem to be able to shake the Ebidramon off of him.

“Digmon!” Cried Cody. “Rarity, what do we- huh?” He found himself unable to complete his sentence as he noticed the digivice on Rarity’s foreleg glowing brightly. He shielded his eyes as the light intensified, Rarity’s entire body beginning to glow as well.

“Execute! Harmonic Evolution!”

Cody stared in disbelief as a swirling vortex of water appeared around Rarity’s body, causing him to be splashed by droplets that flew out in all directions. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the waterspout around Rarity vanished. As it did, she revealed herself to be a much larger unicorn, with the proportions of a full-sized horse. The front of her body was covered in crystal blue armor, with a large metal dorsal fin sticking out the back. Her head was covered by a blue helmet, similar to Pegasusmon’s, with massive white horn sticking out the forehead, and a dripping violet mane sticking out the back. At the end of her body was a long, fish-like tail with a violet fin.

“Kelpiemon! The Generous Guardian of the Lake!”

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Kelpiemon

Type: Mythical Animal

Attribute: Vaccine

Level: Hybrid (Champion Equivalent)

Special Attacks: Hydro Surge, Mystery Blade
==========

Cody’s draw dropped at the sight of Rarity’s transformation, an expression that was matched by the both the Ebidramon as it glanced at the new arrival. Digmon appeared similarly shocked, though it was slightly harder to tell due him being pinned on the ground, as well as his lack of any mouth to speak of.

“Rarity?!” Cody exclaimed.

Kelpiemon turned her head around, and examined her new body, giving an experimental flick of her tail. “Oh, my... Well, isn’t this something!”

Cody paused, not quite sure what to say. “I... What? How?”

“No time for questions, dearest! Digmon needs my help!” Kelpiemon turned to the Ebidramon, and looked it straight in the eyes. “Alright, you ruffian, it’s time I taught you a lesson! Hydro Surge!”

Spinning around with her back to the Ebidramon, Kelpiemon delivered a powerful kick with her hind legs, sending out powerful jets of water from her rear hooves. The streams of water struck the Ebidramon square in the face, causing it to release its grip on Digmon as it was pushed over and flipped onto its back, flailing its limbs in the air.

Digmon picked himself off the ground and turned to face Kelpiemon. “Well, butter mah drills and call me a biscuit! You did it!”

“You can thank me later, Digmon, we still haven’t finished what we started. Go take care of the control spire, I’ll free that poor creature!”

“Got it!” replied Digmon. He turned to the face the spire, and in a single attack, caused it to collapse on itself and disintegrate.

“Gold Rush!”

With the spire destroyed, Kelpiemon turned to face the Ebidramon, which rolled over onto its legs, brandishing its claws. Galloping forward at full speed, she raised her head high into the air as she called her attack.

“Mystery Blade!”

Kelpiemon’s horn glowed with a brilliant, crystal blue light, which quickly grew into a massive blade of energy. Leaping into the air, she performed a downward slash with her blade, sending a crescent-shaped shockwave that destroyed the dark spiral with perfect precision.

As the red glow in the Ebidramon’s eyes faded, Kelpiemon gracefully landed behind it, her hooves lightly touching against the ground. She looked back at her work and struck a pose, certain now that she’d gotten the others’ attention. She and Digmon them glowed as they reverted to their base forms, having spent their energy, and went back to meet with Cody.

“That was amazin’, Rarity!” exclaimed Armadillomon.

Rarity smiled. “Please, it was nothing.”

“I’d say it was something,” said Cody, “though I’m still not sure what it is.”

“We can probably worry about that later,” said Armadillomon. “Why don’t we go over there and help that poor sea critter?” He pointed to the Ebidramon, which groaned in pain as it massaged its forehead with its claw.

“Oh dear,” said Rarity, turning towards the Ebidramon, “are you alright? I’m terribly sorry for hurting you like that.”

“Uh... Huh? No, it’s fine!” replied the Ebidramon, shaking its head, “You saved me from that dark spiral. If anything, I should be thanking you!”

“Oh, that’s quite alright. I couldn’t have simply let you go about being controlled by an evil artifact, now, could I?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Do you know who it was that did this to you?” asked Cody. “We need to figure out who’s behind all of this.”
“I don’t know who it was exactly,” replied the Ebidramon, “but I remember hearing a voice in my head calling itself the Queen of the Digital World. She told me to seek out and destroy her enemies, and I couldn’t help but go after you guys.” The Ebidramon looked apologetically at Cody and at his bandaged arm. “I’m sorry for what I did to you guys.”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault,” replied Cody.

“Yeah, I know.”

“What Ah wanna know is, what were you doin’ in that there lake?” asked Armadillomon, “Ah thought Ebidramon were saltwater digimon.”

The Ebidramon’s eyes widened in shock as it glanced around nervously. “Uh... Would you look at the time! I’ve got to get going! Bye!” Not wasting another moment, the lobster digimon turned around and ran off into the forest as fast as it could, heading for the island outskirts.

After leaving the Ebidramon, the three continued to the village where they took a short break before deciding to head back to meet with the others. The Numemon had offered to let them stay as long as they wanted, but Rarity had politely declined.

As the sun crept further downwards toward the edge of the horizon, the three made their final preparations to leave. After saying goodbye to the Numemon, they headed towards the docks so they could return to the Digiport.

Suddenly, a loud beeping sounded from Cody’s pocket, indicating that he’d received mail. He pulled out his D-Terminal and read the message displayed on the screen.

“It’s from Davis. He says he and Twilight destroyed the control spire, and will meet with us back at the DigiPort.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” said Rarity. “But what about the others? Have they been found?”

Cody shook his head slightly. “I’m afraid he hasn’t said anything about them.”

Rarity was visibly saddened by this, and her ears flattened against her head. “Oh... I see.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them. I’ll tell everyone I found you, and to keep an eye out for the others..” Holding out his D-Terminal, Cody began composing a message.

As Cody continued typing, Armadillomon approached Rarity, and looked up at her reassuringly. “Listen, Rare, Ah know you’re worried about your friends, but there ain’t no sense getting all out of sorts about it now. Y’all just gotta keep looking for them and hope for the best.”

“I know, Armadillomon,” replied Rarity, “but I can’t help it. They’re my best friends. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t care for their safety?” She looked away as tears began to form in her eyes once more, unable to stand the thought that she might never see the others again. Armadillomon reached up with a claw and placed in on her shoulder, reassuring her. They were soon interrupted, however, when Cody called out to them.

“Hey Rarity, good news! The others have found your friends!”

Rarity perked up almost instantly. “Really? Everypony’s alright? All my friends are safe?”

“Uh-huh. I’ve communicated with the others, and they’ve each found one of your friends. I think their names were Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news! I’m so glad to hear that they’re safe! I can’t begin to thank you enough for this, Cody. But what about Fluttershy?”

“I haven’t heard anything about her,” replied Cody, “but if I had to guess, I’d say her disappearance has something to do with the new control spires.”

“You mean you think whoever’s building these new control spires might be responsible for Fluttershy?” asked Armadillomon.

Rarity's eyes hardened, her expression suddenly turning into a scowl. “I most certainly hope not. I'd sooner die than let the forces of evil take my friends."

Cody stared blankly at Rarity's sudden mood shift. Where did THAT come from?

"Well, we still don't know that yet," he replied "we can discuss it later with Twilight and Davis, hopefully we'll be able to figure it out then."

Rarity sighed worriedly, "I suppose that's better than nothing," she said, "shall we be leaving, then?"

“Ah’m ready to go when you are,” said Armadillomon.

“Me too," said Cody.

"Good," replied Rarity, "then let us depart."

With that, the three made their way toward the edge of the dock, where Armadillomon jumped into the water as Cody activated his Armor Digivolution.

“Armadillomon, Armor Digivolve to: Submarimon!”

Submarimon’s cockpit opened and Cody climbed in and sat down in the controls. Rarity stood by the edge of the dock and looked at them curiously.

“Well?” said Cody, “are you getting in?”

“Actually,” replied Rarity, “I don’t think that will be necessary. If you don’t mind, I’m going to try something.”

“Huh?”

Rarity gave a knowing smile, and raised her hoof into the air, showing her Digivice.

“Oh.”

“Harmonic Evolution! Kelpiemon!”

As her evolution completed, Kelpiemon jumped into lake, treading water next to Submarimon.

“Shall we be going?”

Cody looked at Kelpiemon worriedly. “Are you sure you’ll be able to do this?”

“Of course, dear. I think you’ll find I’m rather skilled at swimming in this form.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cody,” said Submarimon, “if she starts drowning again I’ll catch her.”

Kelpiemon glared at Submarimon threateningly. “I beg your pardon?”

Cody sighed. “Let’s not argue now, okay? We should get going.”

“My apologies,” said Kelpiemon, “I just don’t wish to recall that particular experience so soon.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Cody, “we just want to make sure you’re safe.”

“I understand if you’re concerned, but I assure you it won’t be a problem. Now, let’s get going, shall we?”

Cody nodded, and with a push of a button, closed Submarimon’s cockpit. Remaining half-submerged, they began heading out towards the edge of the lake, where they would continue on land to the DigiPort.

Kelpiemon quickly followed, diving under the surface and swimming after them, her new form allowing for her to easily breathe underwater. She looked forward to seeing her friends again, and hopefully finding some answers to what was happening.

Author's Notes:

And, we're back!

So yeah, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. More callbacks to the IDW comics, specifically Nightmare Rarity. Understandably, she doesn't seem to take to kindly to the idea of the forces of evil taking her friends.

Rarity's digimon form, Kelpiemon, is based off of the Kelpie, a supernatural creature from Celtic myth that took the form of a lost pony, and lived inside a lake. Kelpiemon's attacks are a shout out to another character from a popular franchise that's also based off of the Kelpie. Can you guess who it is?

I've also gone back and edited the chapter with Vespimon's first appearance to include her portrait. Here it is again for those of you who read the chapter before the edit:

Credit as usual goes to C8lin-the-Hedgie for the art.

The Swamp of Misery

Pinkie found herself feeling inexplicably woozy as she found herself teleported to her new location. Her vision obscured by a blinding whiteness, she shook her head violently in an attempt to shake off the light-headed feeling. Giving herself a short moment to let her vision adjust, she took notice of her surroundings.

The first word that came to her mind was dark. As far as the eye could see, the sky was covered with a thick layer of clouds, making it far darker than it would otherwise be at mid-afternoon. A moderate fog hung low over the area, making it impossible to see farther than a hundred feet.

The second that came to her mind was swamp. Other words, such as marsh, bog, glade, mire, fen, wetland, and for some reason basic land also came to her mind, but for the most part they all accurately described what she was seeing. Large pools of stagnant water dotted the landscape, many of which were covered in algae. Large cat-tail reeds grew near the edges of the ponds, as did the occasional weeping willow. In the distance she could vaguely make out the shape of some kind of tower, but it was mostly obscured by all the fog.

Pinkie decided right away that she didn’t like the looks of the clouds overhead. They were so gloomy that just looking at them reminded her of the dreary life she lived before she got her cutie mark.

“Gee, this place sure is dull. Hey Rainbow, do you think you could move those clouds?”

Pinkie looked behind her, and noticed that Rainbow Dash wasn’t there. Neither were any of her friends, for that matter. Taking a quick look around, she saw that the other ponies were nowhere to be seen.

“Huh? Girls, where are you?”

No response. Pinkie frowned; It wasn’t like her friends to simply leave her behind like this. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and she knew right away what was happening.

“Girls, this isn’t the time to be playing hide and seek! Fluttershy needs us! Something terrible could have happened to her! Like... Like...” Pinkie let out a loud gasp. “Like what if she exploded four times?! That’s like exploding twice, only twice as bad! It’d be like she exploded double twice!”

Still no response. Letting out a sigh, Pinkie resigned herself to her fate.

“Okay, fine, have it your way. Ready or not, here I come!”

With that, Pinkie began zipping around energetically, Pinkie frantically searched for her friends, stopping briefly to push aside a group of reeds or to stick her head under one of the ponds, leaving small bits of algae dangling in her wet mane, which went back to its normal poofiness the instant she took her head out of the water.

“You can’t hide from me forever!” she exclaimed, climbing onto a willow. “I am the Great Ninja Master of Hide and Seek!”

Crack.

As Pinkie climbed onto a branch, she heard the distinct sound of wood breaking. Looking down, she saw that the branch she was climbing on was no longer there.

“Oh. Whoopsie!”

Pinkie then immediately fell to the ground, unceremoniously crashing face-first into the muddy soil, causing her saddlebags to fall off her body. Pulling herself out, she rapidly shook her head back and forth, successfully shaking the mud off of herself.

“Gross! I’m Pinkie Pie, not a mud pie! Wait...”

It was then that Pinkie noticed that something was missing. Eyes widening in sudden realization, she touched her hoof to her collar, feeling for the necklace she had been wearing since before she left.

Pinkie gasped loudly. “My Element of Laughter! It’s.. It’s gone!”

Turning to her nearby saddlebags, she quickly opened them up and began frantically sifting through their contents. Emergency cupcakes, party supplies, cards for all occasions, and even some boring things like first aid kits. But no Element of Laughter.

“Oh no no no no no no no no no no no no no no!” cried Pinkie, now digging through the mud surrounding her, “I can’t lose my Element, it’s the most important thing I have with me! Where is it? Where is- huh?”

Suddenly, Pinkie’s body began to glow, a soft light enveloping her entire body, causing her to rise into the air for a moment. The glow soon faded, causing her to gently float back to the ground.

“Hey, what just happened?” she wondered aloud. Looking around, she soon noticed that she was now wearing something around her right foreleg.

Strapped to her ankle was a small plastic device shaped like a rounded rectangle. In the center was some kind of translucent screen, and the edges were covered in sky-blue rubber, the same color as her Element’s gemstone.

Staring at the device curiously, she noticed a faint glow coming from the screen. As she did, a sudden epiphany came to her, and she could tell right away what the object was.

“Hey, it’s the Element of Laughter! It turned into some kind of super-neato hoofwatch! Hey girls, check it out!”

Pinkie turned around and held the Element of Laughter up, only to remember that the others weren’t there. Her ears drooped, frowning as she was overcome once again by sadness.

“Where could they be?” she wondered aloud, “It’s not like them to be playing hide and seek when there’s something important to do...”

It was then that a thought occurred to Pinkie, one that caused her mane to deflate, to the point where it had gone completely straight.

“Oh no... What if they left me behind on purpose? What if they went off to save Fluttershy without me?”

Pinkie desperately hoped that this wasn’t true. Her friends would never abandon her, she thought. They were always there for her, even when she thought that they had gotten sick of her. But this time was different. This time, her friends weren’t simply trying to avoid her, there was no sign of them to be found anywhere. As much as she tried to deny it, she couldn’t change the fact that her friends were gone.

There has to be another explanation, she thought. Her friends wouldn’t leave her, she knew that better than anypony. She’d known them for years, and she knew for a fact that they wouldn’t deliberately leave her behind. It didn’t take long for her to come up with another answer.

“Maybe Twilight’s spell didn’t work right? Maybe we were all teleported different places?”

Pinkie gasped loudly as another realization suddenly came to her. “Oh no... What if something terrible happened to them? What if... What if I’m the only one still alive?”

Tears flowed freely from her eyes as the gravity of her situation hit her. Even on the chance that her friends were still alive, there was no telling where they could be. She remembered hearing from Twilight about the dangers of teleporting, and how a failed teleport spell could send the caster hundreds of feet off their target. A teleport spell as powerful as Twilight’s could have sent her friends anywhere in the entire world. She could spend an entire lifetime searching for them and still never find them all.

Quietly sobbing, she collapsed by the side of the willow, wishing she could simply disappear.

Kari held her hand over her forehead as she tried to make out the landscape from atop Nefertimon’s back. The two had been flying over the swamp for some time now, the thick cloud cover had forced them to remain at a low altitude to better keep track of the ground below. Unlike her partner, Kari had major difficulty seeing through the constant mists, and had very little idea of where the two were headed.

I really hate fog, she thought.

Soon Kari’s attention was grabbed by a sudden beeping sound, indicating that she’d received a message on her D-Terminal. Taking it out of her pocket, she squinted as she tried her best to read the message:

==========
Hey guys! You wouldn’t believe what I just found! While on the way to the control spire I met this purple pony named Twilight Sparkle, and she’s actually an alien from another world! Pretty awesome, huh?

Anyway, it turns out she and her friends came to the Digital World to rescue another pony named Fluttershy, but they ended up getting separated. If any of you guys see another strange pony, let me know, okay?

- Davis
==========

Kari stared at the message for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. “Really, Davis?”

“Oh no,” said Nefertimon, “he’s not hitting on you again, is he?”

“No, he stopped doing that when Tai yelled at him. This is just another one of his pranks. Ugh, I can’t see a thing in this fog.”

“Maybe we should take a break?” asked Nefertimon, “I’ve been flying for a while now, I’m starting to get tired.”

“Yeah,” replied Kari, “that sounds good.”

Nefertimon then descended, landing allowing Kari to climb off as she landed on the ground. Holding out her digivice, Kari allowed Nefertimon to de-digivolve into Gatomon.

Kari’s nose curled at the pungent odor coming from the swamp around her.

“Ugh, this place smells awful.”

“Just be glad you don’t have the nose of a cat.” replied Gatomon, “I could smell this place even in the air.”

“I suppose. Here, take this.” Kari reached for a canteen that she had holstered around her waist and handed it to her partner.

“Thanks!” Gatomon grabbed the canteen and popped off the lid, and began drinking the water from it. She then tossed it back to Kari, who then attached it back on her waist.

“You’re welcome. Is there anything else you want? I have a snack bar if you’re interested.”

“No thanks,” replied Gatomon, “I just need to rest for a bit... Wait, did you hear that?”

“Um, hear what?”

“It sounded like an explosion!” replied Gatomon. “Someone’s in trouble!”

Kari called after her partner as she took off, sprinting in the direction that she heard the sound from. “Gatomon, wait!”

Pinkie didn’t know how long she’d been sitting by the willow. In her depression, the passage of time had become nothing more than a vague blur. All she knew was that her friends weren’t there for her anymore, if they were they would have come to try and cheer her up.

Thinking back to her friends, she recalled all of the joyful memories she’d shared with them. Seeing them happy made her happier than anything in the world, and now it all meant nothing. Sniffling slightly, she buried her head underneath her hooves, trying to hide herself from the world.

Crack.

Pinkie lifted her head slightly at the sound of the breaking wood coming from above her. She swiftly jumped out of the way as a large branch fell to the ground where she once stood. On top of the branch was a large mammal, sleeping soundly.

“M-my Pinkie Sense! I didn’t feel that coming at all! Wait, what’s that?”

Pinkie’s shock at the loss of her Pinkie Sense was overridden with curiosity as she examined the creature sleeping atop the branch. It vaguely resembled some kind of bipedal opossum, wearing a large pink hat, boots, and gloves. Around its neck was a black collar, inscribed with symbols that Pinkie didn’t recognize. The creature yawned loudly and sat upright, stretching itself out.

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Opposummon


Type: Beast

Attribute: Vaccine

Level: Champion

Special Attacks: Mad Balloon Bomb
==========

Pinkie flinched as the creature turned around to look at her, its eyes glowing a deep crimson red. The opossum stared at the pony menacingly, its blood-red eyes staring straight into Pinkie’s. It reached into the air with its right hand, and in a puff of smoke, several multicolored balloons with grinning faces.

“Balloons?” said Pinkie, “For.. For me?”

The opposum’s expression suddenly turned into a cruel smile. Grinning wickedly, it reached back and threw the balloons in its hand.

“Mad Balloon Bomb!”

Seemingly defying the laws of physics, one of the balloons flew through the air in an arc, heading straight towards Pinkie. Moving quickly, she jumped out of the way at the last possible second, causing the balloon to explode violently in the place where she once stood. Several more balloon bombs followed, which Pinkie frantically dodged, leaving her mane slightly singed.

“That’s it! I’ve had enough!” she screamed, giving the opossum a death glare. “I’m not going to let this stupid world take everything away from me! Take this, you miserable rodent!”

Leaping over to her saddlebags in a single bound, she reached into them, and tried to pull something out. Her hoof was met with nothing other than empty air.

“My cannon! Where’s my party cannon?! Why can’t I make it appear!?”

Pinkie turned back towards the opossum, her face frozen in an expression of fear. Without her cannon, she was defenseless against the mad creature.

This is it, she thought, I’m going to die. Closing her eyes tightly, she braced herself for the inevitable.

“Lightning Paw!”

Pinkie’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the new voice, which has come from nowhere. She saw a large cat with a long tail jumped at the opossum, and in a single swipe, shattered its collar, causing it to disintegrate. The opossum fell to the ground, unconscious from the attack.

Standing some distance away was a larger bipedal creature with brown hair, wearing a pink and white shirt and yellow pants. Around her neck was a cord that carried a small box, and she wore pink gloves on her arms and pink boots on her feet. The creature slouched and panted heavily as it observed the scene from a distance, as though it had exhausted itself trying to get there.

Pinkie stared blankly at the two creatures, as the two approached her, unsure what to think of them. Had they been trying to save her? Could she trust them?

Pinkie flinched instinctively as the larger of the two approached, looking down at her sympathetically.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Author's Notes:

New chapter! I am on a roll this month.

So yeah, now we're moving on to Pinkie. Suffice to say, she'll be back to her normal, crazy, poofy-maned self soon..

Rekindled Light

Pinkie looked up curiously at the strange bipedal creature that had spoken to her. She’d never seen anything like it before, and the talking cat she was with was almost as strange, with yellow gloves on its paws and a ring on the end of its long tail.

Under a different circumstance, she would have been happy to meet a new friend, but right now she couldn’t bring herself to care. She couldn’t care about anything.

“Who are you?” she asked, failing to conceal the fear in her eyes.

“My name’s Kari, and this is my partner, Gatomon.”

Pinkie looked at Kari and Gatomon briefly, then at the ground. “...Pinkamena.”

Kari blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“I think she’s telling us who she is,” replied Gatomon, “but I’ve never heard of a digimon with a name like that.”

“I’ll say,” replied Kari, “It doesn’t even end with mon.”

Pinkamena looked at Kari and Gatomon. She seemed slightly confused now, but for the most part she still looked too depressed to really care. “Digimon? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please... just leave me alone.” She sniffled slightly, making no attempt to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Kari approached the pony and knelt down, causing the her to flinch as a hand was placed on her shoulder. “There, there, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“No it isn’t!” Kari pulled her hand back as Pinkamena snapped at her. “Don’t you understand? All my friends are gone! I’ll never see any of them again as long as I live!”

Now openly sobbing, she held her head low, trying her best to hide her face from the world. “I’m... I’m all alone. There’s nothing left for me now. I might as well just... dissappear.” Her limbs suddenly went limp as she collapsed to the ground, no longer bothering to sit herself upright. Her entire being consumed by a feeling of hopelessness, she felt as though she were melting into the darkness of the swamp.

She suddenly let out a yelp as, without warning, she was swiftly pulled into Kari’s arms. Kari knelt close to the ground and held Pinkamena in a tight hug.

“Shhhh...”

Pinkamena returned the embrace, freely sobbing into the human’s shoulder. Neither of them bothered to say anything, the simple gesture of kindness already said more than either of them could. Slowly releasing her hold on Kari, Pinkamena sat down and stared back up at her. She hiccuped slightly, her sobs having mostly died down.

“Why do you care so much about me? What does it matter to you?”

“Why wouldn’t I care?” replied Kari, “I can’t just leave you here alone after seeing you like this. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Yeah...” Pinkamena sniffed, “I guess not.”

“You said you lost your friends?” asked Gatomon, the pink pony nodding slowly in response. “I know it can be difficult to lose someone close to you, but no matter what happens, you’ll always find someone who cares about you.” She approached the pony and held out a paw. “So whatever you do, don’t lose hope. You’ll always find a light to guide you even in the darkest of times.”

Pinkamena took the paw and climbed back on to hooves, and her lips slowly curled upward into a tiny smile. “Thank you. I don’t know what’d I’d do if you two hadn’t found me.”

“No problem,” replied Gatomon, “we’re happy to help.”

“If it’s not too much trouble to ask,” said Kari, “what were you doing out here to begin with?”

Pinkamena didn’t respond. She instead looked down at the ground, trying to avoid making eye contact with the others.

“Um... It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about-”

“No, it’s fine,” said Pinkamena, interrupting Kari, “I don’t mind telling you what happened. I was having a picnic with my friends, when we were interrupted by this really loud noise coming from the library. We went to investigate, and it turns out our friend Fluttershy was abducted by some evil force. My friend Twilight cast a spell so that we could find her, but then I ended up here and...” Pinkamena sniffled, trying to fight back the resurgence of tears.

Kari blinked. “Wait, Twilight? As in, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Huh?” said Pinkamena, confused, “you know her? How?”

“That’s a good question,” said Gatomon, “how do you know about that?”

“Well... Remember that message Davis sent me? The one I said was a prank?”

“Yeah,” replied Gatomon, “what about it?”

“Well, he told me in it that he’d found a pony named Twilight Sparkle, who’s apparently from another world.”

The pink pony’s reaction upon hearing this was almost immediate, her mane instantly transforming, turning into a mess of wild, frizzy tangles as she gasped in excitement. “Ohmygosh! She’s alive!?”

Kari and Gatomon jumped back, startled by the pink pony’s sudden 180-degree shift.

“Uh... yeah, I think so,” said Kari, “Davis told me to look out for any other ponies on the way and I guess you’d be one of them.”

Kari let out an oof as she was suddenly tackled to the ground by a pink blur. “She’s alive! Ohmygosh! Thank you Kari! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!”

Kari struggled wildly, trying to remove the pony that had wrapped its forelegs tightly around her neck. “Pin... Pinkamena... Can’t... Breathe...”

Kari gasped as the pony released her grip, giving her a guilty smile. “Oh, sorry.”

“It’s alright,” said Kari, climbing to her feet, “just try to be more careful, okay?”

“Okie dokie loki! Oh, and call me Pinkie! My full name sound really, really boring, don’t you think?”

Despite being nearly strangled, Kari couldn’t help but smile. “Sure thing, Pinkie.”

“Wait, slow down,” said Gatomon, “what exactly is going on here? Ponies from another world? I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“Well...” said Kari, “you remember how we learned that there are many worlds in existence? I’m not sure it how it happened, but Pinkie and her friends somehow managed to find their way into the Digital World.”

Pinkie let out another gasp. “Wait, you mean I’m in another world now? Wow, that means you guys are aliens! That is so cool! What are you guys like? Do you have psychic powers? Do you grow stronger from yellow sunlight and weaker from red sunlight? Do you have two hearts? Do you have green blood? Are you really the descendents of some other species on Ungula?”

“Uh...”

Pinkie let out another loud gasp “But if you’re descended from an Ungulan species, that means I’ve been on my planet all along! You maniacs!” she screamed, collapsing to the ground, “You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to Tartarus!”

“Um...”

“Nah, that’d be silly!” Pinkie jumped to her feet as another thought occurred to her. “Oh, but if I really am on another world, that would make me the alien, wouldn’t it? Does this mean I’ve part of an invasion? Do I get to get to steal cattle?”

“Pinkie, I don’t think-”

Pinkie held out a hoof, interrupting Kari “Waitwaitwait! Give me a second, I want to try something!” She carefully stood onto her hind legs holding her forelegs out in front of her. “I come in peace,” she droned, “take me to your leader.” No sooner than she finished speaking she collapsed to the ground, landing on her rear.

Kari sighed. “Come on Pinkie, we need to be serious here.”

Pinkie stood back onto her hooves and gave a salute. “Aye-aye, captain!”

“Alright,” said Kari, “now can you tell us more about your world, and how you were able to get here?”

“Sure thing! My friends and I come from town called Ponyville, which is in a kingdom called Equestria, which is on the continent of Equus, in the world of Ungula, and I don’t really know where Ungula is exactly since space is really big, but it’s out there somewhere!”

“Uh-huh. Are you following this, Gatomon? This could be important.” Gatomon nodded. “Good, now please continue.”

“Well, as I said, my friend Fluttershy was kidnapped along with her Element of Harmony by some kind of evil force, so Twilight used her magic to connect our Elements of Harmony together so we could find her!”

“Elements of Harmony?” said Kari, “What are those?”

Pinkie bounced up and down excitedly “Oh, they’re super-duper amazing! They’re these really neato jeweled necklaces that my friends and I have, except for Twilight’s ‘cause it’s actually a crown, and we use them to become all glowy and floaty and shoot rainbows to beat the bad guys!”

For not the first time today, Kari looked confused, “Uh... what?”

“Oh, but my Element of Laughter isn’t a necklace anymore, it got turned into this super-neat wristwatch!” Pinkie held up her foreleg, revealing the sky blue device that was strapped to her wrist.

Kari and Gatomon both gasped in surprise. “Is that a digivice?!” said Kari.

“Ooh, what’s that?” asked Pinkie.

“It’s a device that’s given to the Digi-Destined, people who help protect the Digital World from harm,” said Kari, “the Digital World exists in harmony with the Real World, or Planet Earth, and it’s up to us to protect both worlds from evil.”

“Wow! So you guys are actually from two different worlds? That’s amazing!”

“That’s right,” replied Kari, “I’m a human from the Real World, and Gatomon is a digimon, from the Digital World.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her own D-3 digivice, a oval-shaped device with an antenna and a pink grip. “It allows me to travel between worlds, and allows Gatomon to digivolve.”

Pinkie tilted her head to the side quizzically. “Digivolve? What’s that?”

“Digivolving lets me transform into a stronger digimon,” replied Gatomon, “when I digivolve I can fight much more easily.”

“Wowee, that sounds incredible! Does having a digivice mean I can digivolve, too?”

“No, Pinkie,” said Kari, “for one, you’re not a digimon, and second, digivices are only used to help your digimon partner.”

“Partner? What do you mean? I’m not married, silly!”

“Not that kind of partner”, replied Kari, “every Digi-Destined has their own chosen digimon partner, and they both share an inseparable bond.”

Pinkie tapped her hoof to her chin in thought. “Hmm... No, I don’t think I have one of those.”

“What about that Opossummon over there?” asked Gatomon, pointing to the unconscious digimon.

“What, that meanie!? No way! It tried to kill me!”

“That wasn’t his fault,” replied Kari, “he was being controlled by a dark ring. They’re evil rings that control peaceful digimon and turn them violent.”

Pinkie let out a small gasp. “Oh no! Will he be okay?”

The Opposummon, as if on cue, began snoring loudly. “I think he’ll be fine,” said Gatomon, “he’s just having a little cat-nap.”

“Where was I?” asked Kari, “Right, we came here to destroy a control spire, a tower that controls the dark rings. Control spires prevent digimon from digivolving normally, so we have to armor digivolve instead”

Pinkie scratched the back of her head with her hoof. “Armor digivolve? Gee, this is starting to sound pretty complicated...”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it,” replied Kari. “We’re going to go see if we can find the control spire. Who knows, maybe we’ll find one of your other friends along the way. Do you want to come with us?”

“Sure thing! Just give me a second, alright?” Pinkie looked back and trotted over to her saddlebags, opening them and reaching in. She pulled out a card that said “sorry for getting brainwashed by an evil artifact.” Holding it in her mouth, approached the unconscious Opposummon. As she got closer, she could hear the digimon faintly snoring.

“Psst! Hey!”

The Opposummon let out a yawn as it turned onto its side. “Go away,” it said, turning “m’sleeping.”

Pinkie payed the warning no mind. “I just wanted to say I’m super sorry you got brainwashed by that evil ring, so I brought you a card! Here you go!”

The Opposummon blinked as slowly sat up and grabbed the card. “Uh... Thanks, I guess. Now go away.”

“You’re welcome! By the way, are you my partner?”

“Uhn... what?”

“You know, my digimon partner! Kari says this digivice thingy works only on my partner, but I don’t know who my partner is or if I have one, so I was wondering if you knew!”

The Oppossummon looked Pinkie the eye for a moment, before lying back down on the ground. “No. Now leave me alone. M’trying to sleep.”

“Okie dokie! Seeya!”

Throwing her saddlebags onto her body, she happily bounced up to Kari. “Alrighty then, I’m ready! Let’s go!”

Kari nodded, and reached into her pocket, pulling out her digivice.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

As she shouted the command words, a white and gold egg-like object emerged from the screen. Gatomon’s body glowed with an ethereal light as the egg merged with her, causing her to transform.

“Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!”

Standing in Gatomon’s place was a much larger cat-like creature, with feathered wings, silver armor, and a mask covering her face. The ring on her tail had somehow disappeared, and in a flash of light, it appeared in Kari’s hand, and she placed it in her pocket.

“You need me to help you up?” asked Kari, climbing onto Nefertimon’s back.

“Nope, I got it!” replied Pinkie, who easily bounced into the air, landing right behind Kari.

Where does she get all this energy? Kari thought. “Alright, then, let’s go look for the control spire.”

“Prepare for liftoff!” exclaimed Pinkie.

With a flap of her wings, Nefertimon took to the air, carrying her two passengers across the skies of the gloomy swamp. Seeing the vague silhouette of a control spire in the distance, she headed in that direction, hoping she would be prepared for anything that they would encounter.

Author's Notes:

New chapter ahoy!

Pinkie and Kari finally meet, and with the help of her new friend, Pinkie manages to overcome her own sadness. Shenanigans, of course, quickly ensue.

Illusions of Grandeur

Pinkie Pie squinted, trying to get a better view of the mist-shrouded control spire in the distance. The fog had made it all but impossible for her to see her surroundings at a high altitude. She shivered briefly as they flew closer; she could feel the evil radiating from it.

Looking back at Kari and Nefertimon, she reflected on her situation. She was glad to have made a new friend, and relieved to learn that Twilight was alive, but her other friends were still out there, somewhere, and she had no way of knowing if they were alright.

Kari looked back at Pinkie, seeing her ears flattened against her head. “Are you okay, Pinkie? You haven’t said anything in a while.”

“I was just thinking about my friends,” she replied, “it’s great that Twilight’s okay, but I still don’t know what happened to everypony else. What if I never see them again?”

Kari smiled warmly. “I can understand if you’re worried, Pinkie, but you shouldn’t give up hope. We’ll find your friends, I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

Kari paused for a moment. “Uh... Sure, whatever that is.”

Pinkie giggled. “No, silly! It’s like this, see? Repeat after me: cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” With the tip of her hoof, she traced the shape of an X across her chest, and then pointed to her eye.

Kari couldn’t help but laugh at how silly it sounded. “Alright then, cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my- OW!” She yelped in pain as she accidentally poked herself in the eye with her finger.

“Is everything alright up there?” asked Nefertimon.

“I’m alright,” said Kari, rubbing her eye with her fist, “just being a bit of a klutz.”

“Don’t worry, it happens to everyone,” said Pinkie. “But you’d better keep that promise, okay? Breaking a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose them...” Pinkie briefly paused for dramatic effect. “Forever!”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find your friends. Nefertimon is keeping a close eye out for anything on the ground. See anything, Nefertimon?”

“Not yet,” said Nefertimon, “Wait... Actually, I think I see something around the base of the control spire.”

“What is it?” asked Kari.

“It looks like... A circus tent?”

Pinkie gasped. “Ohmygosh! A circus? Can we go, Kari? Can we? Can we? Can we? Can we?” She jumped up and down excitedly, causing Nefertimon to sway uncontrollably in midair.

“Hey, be careful up there!” said Nefertimon, “you’re going to make me-”

The three screamed as Nefertimon suddenly started plummeting towards the ground at high speed, before skidding through the muddy soil as she crash-landed onto her face. Kari and Pinkie held on for dear life, Pinkie somehow managing despite having no opposable digits to speak of.

Kari let out a sigh of relief as they finally came to rest. Her relief was short-lived, however, as immediately afterward Nefertimon de-digivolved, leaving her two riders to collapse on each other in a heap.

“Get off me!” exclaimed Gatomon, her voice muffled under the weight of the weight of the others. Pinkie and Kari scrambled off, watching as Gatomon picked herself of ground, wiping off her mud-covered face with a paw.

“Pinkie Pie!” shouted Kari, “What were you thinking!? You could have gotten us killed!”

Pinkie visibly flinched at the harshness of Kari’s words. Even though they hadn’t known each other very long, she could already tell Kari wasn’t one who angered easily.

“I’m sorry!” said Pinkie, “I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt! I-I was just so excited about the circus; I couldn’t help myself!”

Kari sighed. “It’s alright, Pinkie, I forgive you. But I need you to promise me you’ll be more careful next time.”

“Sure thing!”

Kari crossed her arms and gave Pinkie a disapproving glare. “Pinkie promise.”

Pinkie smiled mischievously. “Ooh, you’re good! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Kari smiled as Pinkie performed the gesture, making a mental note to avoid poking herself in the eye if she ever did it again. “Alright, that’s good. Gatomon, do you have enough energy left to digivolve?”

Gatomon shook her head. “That crash landing took quite a bit out of me. But with my tail ring I should be just as strong, if not stronger.”

“Alright, then,” replied Kari, “Here you go.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the same golden ring that had appeared in her hand during Gatomon’s armor digivolution. With a flick of her thumb, she flipped it into the air, letting Gatomon catch it around her tail.

“Thanks,” said Gatomon. She turned around, facing the control spire, which was a fair distance away, visible despite the fog due to its sheer size. “The tent should be surrounding the base of the spire. I think it must have appeared inside the tent.”

“Let’s head for the tent, then.” replied Kari, “And be sure to keep an eye out for anything, we don’t know what could be lurking in this fog.”

“Aye-aye, captain!” Pinkie said, saluting with her foreleg. Kari briefly wondered how her knees were able to bend that way, but decided not to bother with the question. With that, the three turned to the control spire and started walking towards their destination.

Soon the group approached the tent, colored bright red with red stripes. Sticking out the top of the tent was the massive control spire, large enough to be seen for miles around.

The tent was surrounded by all manner of wheeled concession stands that sold various goods, such as popcorn, funnel cakes, and cotton candy, as well as various carnival games. Several Opossumon wandered throughout the area, having abandoned the traveling stands they likely had staffed before the control spire appeared.

Kari looked at the scene confusedly. “Who the heck sets up a circus in the middle of a swamp?”

“Who cares? It’s fun! Ooh, do you think they have a bearded mare?”

“Now’s not the time to be worry about that, Pinkie. We have to focus on taking out the control spire. Gatomon, can you take those other digimon out?”

“Sure thing,” replied Gatomon, “Lightning Paw!”

Leaping swiftly into the air, Gatomon charged forwards, and struck one of the Opossummon on its dark ring, causing it to shatter as the digimon fell to the ground, unconscious. The other Opossummon swiftly turned around to face their attacker, but before they could react, Gatomon had once again launched into the air. Leaping between the Opossummon, she swiftly shattered each of their dark rings in succession, before jumping back to meet Kari and Pinkie.

Pinkie stomped her hooves on the ground in a gesture of applause. “Bravo! Bravo! Encore! Encore!” Gatomon humored the pony by bowing dramatically.

“Oh wow, did you see that, Kari? They were all ‘bwuh? What’s going on?’ and Gatomon was all ‘Lightning Paw!’ and then she went totally ninja on them! Except she’s not a ninja, ‘cause she’s a cat! Unless she’s both, which would make her a ninja cat! Wouldn’t that be the coolest thing ever?”

Kari rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Come on, let’s go inside. There could be some more digimon out here, and I don’t want us to be on the receiving end of an ambush.” Pinkie and Gatomon followed Kari as she made her way over to the tent and slipped under the front flap.

The three surveyed the darkened tent, which was somehow also shrouded in fog. The size of the tent was very large, enough to fit an entire baseball field in, with plenty of room to spare. In the very center was the control spire, sticking up through what appeared to be a large wooden platform stage, piercing straight through the wood and continuing upwards until it breached the fabric of the tent ceiling. Above the stage were two tightrope platforms, with the broken rope hanging loosely from each platform, and several trapeze swings. Between them and the stage was a safety net, which had also been broken by the spire.

Pinkie gasped at the sight of the ruined stage. “Oh no! The circus is ruined! Who would do such a thing?”

“Don’t worry Pinkie,” said Kari, “we’ll figure it out.”

“No, you don’t understand! You can’t have a circus without a tightrope! You just can’t!”

“I’m sure they’ll be able to fix it,” replied Kari, “but for now we should focus on destroying the spire.”

“I should be able to take it out if I hit it right,” said Gatomon.

“What’s the hurry?” said another, male voice, “the show is only just beginning!”

Suddenly, the tent brightened as many large overhead lights were switched on, cutting straight through the fog. The light revealed the tent to be lined with a series of bleachers, each of which was filled with dozens of Opossummon wearing dark rings. Several of the lights focused onto the center of the stage, revealing a small, humanoid figure to be standing in front of the control spire, dressed in a white robe and wizard hat, and wielding a staff with a head shaped like a snowflake, and dark spiral around his arm.

“Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Sorcermon!”

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Sorcermon


Type: Wizard

Attribute: Vaccine

Level: Champion

Special Attacks: Crystal Barrage, Curse of Silence
==========

Author's Notes:

Boom! New chapter! A bit on the short side, but I've been a busy this week, so it'll have to do for now.

Next time, though, we're finally going to see Pinkie's harmonic evolution, and I'll tell you right now that it probably won't be what you all expect. If you're observant though, you might find that Pinkie likes to mention something that just might be related...

The title of this chapter is a reference to the magic card Illusions of Granduer which around the time of its release was used in a popular deck archetype known as "Trix." The more you know!

Hey, Buddy! Shining Dreamers!

Kari gasped at the sight of the wizard-like digimon that had appeared before them in the center of the stage. Her partner shared a similar reaction, staring slack-jawed at Sorcermon’s all-too-familiar appearance.

Pinkie, meanwhile, glanced worriedly at the audience of Opossummon that surrounded them on all sides of the tent. The fact that Sorcermon had presented himself in a way almost identical to Trixie didn’t help matters; she knew nothing good could come from their situation.

Sorcermon gestured turned towards the audience, and gestured towards Gatomon with his staff. “Ladies and Gentlemon! May I present to you our challenger, who wishes to contest the might of the Great and Powerful Sorcermon!” The Opossummon cheered loudly as Sorcermon gestured towards Gatomon with his staff.

“W-what?” Gatomon stammered. “You want me to fight you?”

“Are you saying you don’t wish to challenge the might of the Great and Powerful Sorcermon? In that case, I insist that I take another one of your friends as a volunteer. The show must go on, after all.” He gestured with his staff towards Kari and Pinkie, both of whom stepped back in fear.

“No!” shouted Gatomon, “leave them out of this!”

“Only if you agree to our duel,” said Sorcermon, “under no circumstance will the Great and Powerful Sorcermon have his performance denied!”

Gatomon frowned sadly as she took a hesitant step forward. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

Kari looked at her partner sympathetically as she reluctantly made her way onto the stage. “Gatomon...”

“Go Gatomon!” cheered Pinkie, “You can do it! Kick that wizard in his icy little butt!”

“Shut up, Pinkie!” Gatomon shouted angrily, small tears now visible in the corners of her eyes.

Pinkie flinched at Gatomon’s sudden out burst. “Wha? What did I do?” she whispered.

“Sorcermon, for one, shares your sentiment,” said Sorcermon. “If there is one thing he cannot stand, it is hecklers.” He turned to Pinkie and pointed his staff at her. “Perhaps Sorcermon ought to shut the pink one up himself! Curse of Silence!”

The snowflake at the end of Sorcermon’s staff glowed with a brilliant white aura, and a matching aura surrounded Pinkie’s face. A sheet of ice quickly formed around her mouth, firmly sealing it shut.

“Pinkie!” Kari gasped, “Are you okay?”

“Mmmph! Mmmph! Nht Ahgn!” Pinkie mumbled through the sheet of ice, desperately trying to scrape off the ice surrounding her mouth.

“Now that we have that out of the way,” said Sorcermon, “let the duel commence! Crystal Barrage!”

Sorcermon’s staff glowed with a white aura pointed it at Gatomon, and multiple ice crystals formed formed in the air above him, before shooting forward at rapid speeds towards Gatomon. The Opossumon erupted into cheering as she swiftly jumped out of the way of the attack, the barrage of ice narrowly missing her. She turned to face her attacker, glaring at him angrily through tear-soaked eyes.

Sorcermon immediately took advantage of the opening and charged forward, holding his staff in both hands. Gatomon heard a whoosh of air as she ducked, the staff narrowly missing her head. Sorcermon followed the swing of his staff with a roundhouse kick, which struck Gatomon square in the abdomen, sending her flying backwards and crashing just beside the control spire. Once again the Opossummon exploded into cheers, their applause echoing throughout the tent.

“Gatomon!” Kari cried out for her partner.

“Mmmph! Mmmph!” exclaimed Pinkie.

Gatomon slowly picked herself off the ground, once again staring at her attacker angrily. Her anger quickly gave way to sorrow as she let out a sigh of defeat, collapsing to her knees, her ears laying flat as she began sobbing openly.

“I give up,” she choked, “I can’t fight you.”

The Opossummon responded with a chorus of boos and hisses, drowning out the tent with the sounds of their disapproval. They were quickly silenced when Sorcermon raised his hand to the audience.

“You were saying?” Sorcermon’s eyes glinted with amusement as he stared at Gatomon, as though her were grinning smugly beneath his scarf.

“It’s over. I can’t fight you. You win.”

“Gatomon, no!” Kari exclaimed, “You can’t give up now!”

“Mmmph!” Pinke agreed.

“No!” Gatomon sobbed, “I can’t fight him! He was my best friend!”

The audience’s gasps were matched by Pinkie’s own expression of shock. “Mmmph!?”

Kari looked at her partner sympathetically. “Gatomon... You have to fight him. I know he looks like Wizardmon, but we’re not going to make it out of here unless you fight back.”

Gatomon opened her mouth to respond, but was abruptly cut off by Sorcermon raising an arm. “Enough of this. This is Sorcermon’s show, and he will not have it undermined by your sob story. You have already admitted defeat, and now the audience will decide your fate.”

Sorcermon turned to the audience, addressing the Oposummon with a sweep of his arms. “Ladies and Gentlemon! It appears our challenger has forfeited our duel! Will she live, or will she die? That is up to you! Show of hands: who among us wishes to see her live?”

“Mmmph! Mmmph!” Pinkie wildly flailed her forelimb in the air as she desperately voted to save Gatomon. Kari also raised her hand into the air, which Pinkie grabbed and excitedly waved around, desperately trying to gain Sorcermon’s attention. The Opossummon, however, remained silent and motionless.

“Only two?” taunted Sorcermon, “Not very many, is it? It goes without saying that the rest of you wish her dead?” The Opossummon burst into cheers once more, raising their hands into the air excitedly.

“Then it is decided! Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Sorcermon grants this digimon the most spectacular death your eyes will ever witness!” His staff glowed brilliantly as he raised it high into the air. “Crystal- oof!”

The crowd gasped in shock as pink blur jumped onto the stage and collided with Sorcermon, forcefully knocking him backwards through the air.

“Pinkie!” Kari shouted.

Pinkie’s eyes locked with Sorcermon’s as he swiftly She gestured angrily as she let out a series of muffled shouts from beneath the ice sheet, the web of cracks rapidly larger, deeper, and more numerous.

Finally, the sheet of ice exploded. Small flakes of crushed ice were scattered across the stage as Pinkie let out a loud gasp to catch her breath. “Leave her alone, you big, dumb, meanie jerkbutt!”

“What!?” exclaimed Sorcermon. “Impossible! How did you break the Great and Powerful Sorcermon’s curse?”

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Sorcermon. “It doesn’t matter how I did it. I’m not even entirely sure myself. But what does matter is that I won’t allow you to threaten my friends!” She took several bold steps forward, her determined expression unwavering.

“Kari and Gatomon were there for me when I needed it most. Just when I’d given up hope, they rescued me. They saved me from despair, and I’d do the very same thing for them!” Pinkie stomped her hoof angrily on the stage, impacting it so hard that it left a hoof-shaped crater in the wood. “You’ve already taken away Gatomon’s happiness, and now you’re threatening to take her life as well! But you’re not going to do that because I won’t let you!”

“Pinkie, no!” cried Gatomon. “He’ll kill you!”

Pinkie turned her head towards Gatomon. “I have to do this, Gatomon.” she said, “Because you’re my friend, and seeing you so sad makes me sad too. I won’t- no, I can’t let him hurt you. I’ll do whatever it takes, not only to save your life, but to make you happy again, even if I die trying. Cross my heart and hope to fly.”

Gatomon stared blankly at Pinkie, shocked by her admission. “Pinkie...”

Sorcermon scoffed. “Gag. All this mushiness is making Sorcermon want to vomit. If you mean to threaten Sorcermon, then he can assure it will not end well for you.” Raising his arm, he pointed his staff at Pinkie in an exaggerated, theatrical motion. “The Great and Powerful Sorcermon will destroy you, and the demise of your oh-so-precious friends shall be an encore!”

Pinkie frowned angrily, and turned back to Sorcermon. She tried to think of a retort, but before she could find any words, a brilliant glow erupted from the digivice on her ankle. The others shielded their eyes from the light as Pinkie lifted into the air, her body radiating an intense light.

“Execute! Harmonic Evolution!”

As she shouted the words, a swirling vortex of multicolored confetti and smoke appeared around Pinkie. The whirling, brightly-colored mass grew in size intensity as it surrounded her, obscuring her body from view, and scattering small streamers across the stage. The smoke then dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared, revealing another figure in Pinkie’s place.

Standing six feet tall, she wore a bright pink jumpsuit with blue highlights, and two blue belts strapped around the waist, and a sword with a yellow blade strapped to her back. On her head she wore a cap with a mask-like veil attached to it covering the lower half of of face, and a pink, curly ponytail sticking out the back. On her arms were a pair of fingerless gloves that extended past her elbows, leaving only the light-pink skin of her shoulders exposed.

“Shinobimon! The Bursting Laughter!”

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Shinobimon

Type: Mutant

Attribute: Vaccine

Level: Hybrid (Champion Equivalent)

Special Attacks: Confetti Kunai, Ninja Spinner, Mirror Mirage
==========

The audience’s loud gasps of surprise were matched by Kari and Gatomon, both of whom gaped at Shinobimon’s form.

“I don’t believe it,” said Kari, “did she just digivolve?”

“Shinobimon...” Sorcermon shook his head, shaking off his brief sense of bewilderment. “If you think a new form of evolution will save you, then you’re quite mistaken! Crystal Barrage!”

With a gesture of his staff, Sorcermon summoned a small cloud of razor sharp ice-crystals, which launched themselves at Shinobimon with rapid speed.

“Confetti Kunai!”

Shinobimon made a throwing motion with her hand, launching a series of multiple throwing knives that seemed to appear from thin air. The knives collided with the ice crystals in midair, exploding in a series of colorful bursts of confetti. The crowed cheered wildly as the streams of confetti fell to the ground.

Kari smiled at the display. “Shinobimon, you can do it!”

“Shut up!” shouted Sorcermon, “You’re supposed to be rooting for Sorcermon, you idiots!”

Reaching for her sword, Shinobimon turned glanced behind her, towards Gatomon. “You take care of the control spire, Gatomon! I’ll go after this clown!” She took out her sword, holding it in both hands as she met Sorcermon’s gaze with her own.

Gatomon, unable to think of a reply, simply nodded. She turned towards the control spire and pounced, ready to strike with her claw.

“Lightning Paw!”

Gatomon’s claw stuck the control spire near the base, leaving an impact that caused multiple large fissures in the side of the tower. The control spire shuddered as the cracks spread along its body, and it imploded and disintegrated with a deafening crash. Gatomon shielded her eyes as dust scattered about the tent, sending her into a coughing fit.

Sorcermon peered through the dust at the crowds of Opossummon lining the tent, whose eyes returned to their normal colors as the dark rings around their necks deactivated. They looked around, bewildered, as they paused their senses from the dark rings’ control.

“No!” cried, Sorcermon, “Sorcermon’s audience!”

“Ninja Spinner!”

Sorcermon swiftly turned around to face the attack call, only to see Shinobimon rushing straight toward him. She spun rapidly like a top, holding her blade outwards as she spun towards Sorcermon, causing the dust in the air to scatter before it settled.

Sorcermon swiftly jumped out of the way of the attack, leaping to the side. Twisting his body around as Shinobimon passed, he held his staff in both hands, and with a mighty swing, struck Shinobimon on the side of her head. Shinobimon was sent flying backwards, and performed a somersault in the air, crouching as she landed.

“Thought you could sneak up on Sorcermon, did you?”

Shinobimon glared angrily at Sorcermon. “That’s it! Time to get serious! Mirror Mirage!”

Holding her sword in her right hand, Shinobimon performed a series of hand gestures with her left. Several puffs of smoke appeared around her, and in them appeared identical copies of Shinobimon, each an exact duplicate of the other.

Sorcermon flinched as the clones swiftly jumped forward with their blades in hand, assaulting him from multiple directions. Before they could strike, however, the clones vanished into thin air, revealing themselves to be nothing more than an illusion. As Sorcermon lowered his guard, however, he noticed that the real Shinobimon was no longer standing where she used to be.

“What? Where did you-”

“Surprise!”

Sorcermon looked up to see Shinobimon descending on him from above, blade raised high above her head. As she landed, she slashed downward with her blade, her feet touching the ground several feet behind Sorcermon.

Silence hung in the air as the two digimon stood motionless, Kari and Gatomon holding their breath in anxiousness.

Come on, any second now... thought Shinobimon.

Finally, the dark spiral on Sorcermon’s arm shattered, and he collapsed straight onto the ground, his body going limp. The Opossummon once again exploded into cheering, this time even louder than before. Their excited whistles and thunderous applause echoed throughout the tent, and stead as Pinkie’s body glowed, reverting to her original form.

“Thank you! Thank you” said Pinkie, performing a rapid series of bows at the audience, “You’re too kind! Thank you!”

As the cheering finally died down, Kari and Gatomon both went up to meet Pinkie.

“That was amazing, Pinkie!” said Kari, “I never thought you’d be able to turn into a digimon like that!”

Pinkie grinned mischievously. “Are you saying you didn’t... believe it?”

Kari blinked. “Uh... what?”

Pinkie giggled “Oh, nothing! I’m just glad everything worked out, aren’t you? I was so super-duper worried about you!”

“Yeah,” said Kari, “I was worried about you, too.” She looked over towards Sorcermon, who let out a low groan as he remained on the stage. “I think we should check up on him before we go. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s the one in charge of the circus. What do you say, Gatomon?”

Gatomon didn’t respond, simply staring teary-eyed at Sorcermon’s prone body.

“Gatomon?”

Gatomon sniffed weakly. “Yeah... I’d also like to talk to him, if that’s okay.”

Kari nodded. “... I understand.”

Sorcermon met with the others outside the tent, before the entrance. Without the dark rings, the Opossummon had gone back to their normal routines, attending the stands, while others remained in the tent for repairs.

“You have my deepest thanks for freeing me... what was it?”

“Pinkie Pie!” replied the pony

“Interesting name,” Sorcermon mused, “As I was saying, I am very grateful for what you’ve done for me. As ringmaster and performer, it is my job to bring entertainment to all, but under the dark spiral’s command I brought you misery instead. It also seemed to have inflated my ego just a tad.”

“No problem!” said Pinkie, cheerfully. “I once met this magician named Trixie, and she was kind of a jerk at first, and she even referred to herself in the third pony, but then my friend Twilight showed she was just a big faker, and then she ended up having to go to my parent’s rock farm for work, and then she came back to get revenge, only she had the Alicorn Amulet, which made her super strong, but also way meaner than before, and then we had to trick her into taking it off because it was super-evil and made her turn into an even bigger jerk than normal!”

The others stared at Pinkie as she took a deep breath, having talked for so long without stopping to breathe. “Hey, Kari, maybe after we find Fluttershy we could come back to see them! It’d be super duper fun!”

“Uh... sure,” said Kari, still slightly confused. “But right now we should be heading back. It’s getting late... I think.” Kari peered at the horizon, where she could vaguely make out the outline of the sunset through the thick fog. “I’ll send a message to the others letting them know what happened.”

“Aww...” replied Pinkie, briefly looking disappointed. “That’s okay, though! I totally understand!”

“Alright, then.” Kari reached into her pocket and took out her D-Terminal, and began typing a message. “Gatomon, you said you wanted to say something to Sorcermon?”

“Yeah...” Gatomon turned and looked Sorcermon straight in the eye. Her gaze was filled with sorrow, and in her expression could see a deep sadness. “I just wanted to tell you... I’m sorry.”

Sorcermon raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? What for? I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

Gatomon turned her head away, her gaze drawn away from Sorcermon. “... It’s nothing.”

She turned back towards Kari and Pinkie, the former of whom continued typing on her D-Terminal. The device let out a series of beeping sounds, one after the other, indicating the exchange of multiple messages. “Almost done,” said Kari, “give me a second.”

Pinkie slowly trotted up to Gatomon, looking at her sympathetically. “He reminded you of someone else, didn’t he?”

“Huh?” said Gatomon, “how did you know?”

Pinkie placed a hoof on Gatomon’s shoulder. “You said something about your best friend earlier. And I can see it in your eyes when you look at him. You lost someone who was very dear to you, someone who can’t possibly be replaced. Nothing I say to you will make that pain go away... But no matter what happens, you won’t have to bear it alone. Don’t ever forget that.”

Gatomon stared back into Pinkie’s eyes, fresh tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around Pinkie’s body, her face buried in the pony’s fur. Pinkie returned the hug, and for a while the world itself seem to stop. Gatomon slowly released her embrace, a soft smile appearing on her face as she looked back at Pinkie.

“...Thank you, Pinkie.”

“Hey Gatomon! Pinkie!” Kari called out, putting away her D-Terminal “Great news!”

Pinkie jumped up and down excitedly. “Ooh! Ooh! What is it? What is it? Wait, don’t tell me...” Pinkie settled down, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought.

“I’ve talked to the others,” said Kari, “they’ve found your friends.”

“Wow, that would have been my next guess! Wait, what?” With a whoosh of air, Pinkie rushed over towards Kari, jumping up and down excitedly. “Ohmygosh! You found them? They’re all safe?”

Kari exhaled briefly as she relaxed from the startling that Pinkie had given her. “From the looks of it, yes, they’re all safe. The others have managed to find them while going after the control spires.”

“Really? All of them? Even Fluttershy?”

Kari frowned. “No, I don’t think we’ve found her yet.”

Pinkie suddenly deflated, her ears dropping to her sides in disappointment. “...Oh. But we’ll find her, won’t we?”

“Don’t worry, we will. But for now we need to head back, so we can figure out what to do. Gatomon, Pinkie, are you ready to go?”

“I’m ready to go when you are.”

“Ready for liftoff, Captain!”

Kari nodded briefly, pulling her Digivice out out of her pocket.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

Pinkie stood back as Gatomon’s armor digivolution completed, her tail ring coming off and disappearing once again into Kari’s pocket.

“Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!”

Her digivolution completed, Nefertimon knelt to the ground, allowing Kari to climb onto her back. Pinkie, with her usual energy, simply bounced into the air, landing onto Nefertimon with an oomph.

Sorcermon then decided to speak up. “Leaving already, are you?”

“Yeah,” said Kari, “no offense, but we have more important things we need to take care of.”

“Understandable,” replied Sorcermon, “you are Digi-Destined, after all. Come back when you have the time, and we’ll put on the most spectacular show you can imagine!”

“Sounds like fun. We’ll be sure to check it out if we have the time.” Kari nodded to Nefertimon, who spread her wings as she prepared to leave the ground.

“Brace for liftoff!” said Pinkie.

With a flap of her wings, Nefertimon, took to the air, leaving the circus behind as she headed back in the direction they came in. The Opossummon waved along with Sorcermon as they departed, Pinkie waving back before they disappeared into the horizon.

What she failed to notice, however, was the dark ring that had appeared in the distance, and continued to follow after Nefertimon as she flew.

Author's Notes:

Booya! I bet you were expecting Pinkie's evolution to be a clown, huh? Well, I like to defy expectations sometimes.

Anywhoo, credit for the art, as usual, goes to C8lin-the-Hedgie. Be warned, some of her gallery contains spoilers!

Survival

A feeling of extreme dizziness overcame Applejack as the teleport spell completed, her vision momentarily blinded from the extremely bright light. The sensation of disappearing from reality and appearing somewhere else was not a pleasant one, akin to something being forcibly yanked through a body of water. Unlike her friend Twilight, she hadn’t grown accustomed to the sensation, and had to take a moment to recollect her senses.

The first thing that she noticed was that it was very cold, her body shivering as a harsh wind blew past her. The next thing she noticed, as her eyes adjusted to the flash of light, was that she was alone.

Taking a look at her surroundings, she found herself to be standing on the side of a rocky mountain, the steep slopes covered in fresh snow and dotted with various evergreen trees. She looked upwards to see the mountain face continue upwards into a series of cliff faces, with multiple rocky outcroppings jutting out from the mountainside as it reached up into the low-hanging clouds. Looking outwards, she saw herself observing a range of similar mountains, which receded as they gave way to a series of smaller grassy hills in the distance.

“Hello? Is anypony out there?” Applejack’s words echoed throughout the mountains as she tried to call out to her friends.

“Rarity? Twilight? Pinkie? Rainbow?” Her breath quickened as she carefully trotted across the mountainside, scanning the scenery for any sign of the others. “Rarity? Anypony?”

Easy Applejack, they couldn’t have gone far, she reassured herself, Ah’m sure they’ll turn up eventually.

Applejack shivered as a cold breeze suddenly blew past her, forcing her to readjust her hat. Trotting across the mountainside at a steady pace, she scanned the countryside for any sign of the others.

“Hello? Y’all okay out there?” Applejack stomped her hoof in frustration as her calls were once again met with silence. “Come on, this ain’t funny!”

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Applejack once again looked out to survey her surroundings. Looking out to the countryside, she could see nothing but wilderness as far as the horizon; there were no signs of civilization to be seen anywhere.

Looking up towards the top of the mountain, she surveyed the cliffside, hoping to find something, anything, that could give her an idea of where the others were. She squinted briefly as the clouds shifted, and a ray of sunlight shone down on her from above. It didn’t take long for Applejack to realize that something was wrong.

D-did that cloud just move on its own? An expression of worry crept onto her face as the gravity of her situation dawn on her. This must be one of them wild places, like the Everfree. Her expression hardened into one of resolution as she set off across the mountainside a steady pace, determined to find the others. Ah have to find them. There ain’t no telling what sort of danger’s lurking out here. Like timberwolves... or worse.

For several minutes she wandered the mountainside, but despite her best efforts, no sign of the other ponies were to be found. After a while her pace slowed, and she stopped momentarily to catch her breath, having exhausted herself on thinner air due to the high altitude.

This is ridiculous... Where could they have gotten do? A thought suddenly occurred to her, one that was far from pleasant. Could Twilight’s spell have backfired? What if they’re not here? What if everypony’s been sent somewhere else far away?

Sitting on her haunches, Applejack nervously scratched at her collar, a look of deepest worry adorning her face. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that something was missing.

The Element of Honesty! Where’d it go!?

Reaching back, she removed her saddlebags, searching frantically for the necklace that had so far helped defend all of Equestria from the forces of evil. She rifled through the various supplies she’d brought: some lengths of rope, a toothbrush, soap, various apple-related foodstuffs, matches, a small switchblade knife, and other supplies that would help her survive out in the wilderness. There was no sign of her Element, however, and since she’d packed only the necessities there was little chance she’d missed it. Nevertheless, she looked through the bags a second time, with much the same result.

It’s gone! Did Ah leave it back on the other part of the mountain? Dear Celestia, what am Ah gonna do without it?

No sooner than she’d asked the question to herself, her entire body began to glow. She slowly floated into the air, a warm, tingling sensation filling her, the same kind she felt whenever she’d used her Element before. The glow soon faded, and she floated gently back to the ground where she stood before.

What the hay just happened? Wait, what’s this?

Lifting her foreleg, she closely examined the strange device that she was now wearing around her front ankle. It was a strange rectangular device, made from plastic, with rounded rubber edges, colored a slightly darker orange than her coat. In the center was a small screen, which glowed faintly as she stared into it curiously. Her eyes lit up with recognition as the strangely familiar light washed over her.

It’s the Element of Honesty! But what in the hay happened to it? She soon dropped the question when she realized that she had more important things to be worrying about. Well, at least Ah don’t have to worry about it now.

Trotting across the mountain steadily, she resumed her search efforts, which continued to be fruitless. As she did, the coldness of the mountain gradually became more noticeable, her thin coat did little to protect against the freezing climate. She stopped briefly to catch her breath, once again tired out by the thinner atmosphere. A shiver worked its way down her body as a chill breeze blew past, her coat providing little protection from the temperature.

Navigating this mountain sure is tiring, she thought. Mighty cold out, too. Maybe Ah should take a break and try building a fire. Her thoughts soon turned back to her friends, who were presumably still lost in the wilderness. She knew, however, that she wouldn’t last very long in the cold. Ah’ll find the others, she reassured herself, Ah just need to rest a bit.

Carefully climbing the steep mountain slope, she made her way over to one of the smaller pine trees, only slightly larger than the apple trees found in her orchard. She reached into her saddlebags and took out a rope, and carefully managed to tie it around the trunk of the tree. Then, setting her saddlebags to the side, she carefully tied the rope around her waist. With some effort, she knew she’d be able to bring down the tree with no problem; she’d remembered having to do this once, when a disease claimed one of the apple trees at Sweet Apple Acres. Thankfully, they’d managed to stop the disease from spreading too far, and the infected trees swiftly recovered due to her earth pony magic.

Applejack turned her head back to the tree, gazing at it with regretful eyes. “Ah’m sorry,” she whispered. She’d always felt a strong connection to the trees, she’d cared fruit-bearing plants of Sweet Apple Acres as though they were a part of her family. It broke her heart to have to bring down a tree, especially a younger one, but she knew she needed the wood to survive, and the older trees were far too large for her even with her natural strength.

She took a deep breath, and tugged at the rope with all her might, attempting to bring it down in a single motion. The tree stubbornly refused to come down, and Applejack grunted tightening rope snapped back, causing her to trip and fall to the ground, causing her hat to fall off. Quickly picking herself out of the snow, she shook her body rapidly, shaking off the leftover bits of snow that clung to her coat. She reached for her fallen stetson and placed in on her head, and then looked back at the pine tree, bewildered.

What in tarnation? Turning back towards the tree, she carefully examined the rope, searching for any weaknesses or tears. When she found the rope to still be completely intact, she concluded that she simply hadn’t tried hard enough. Redoubling her efforts, she once again pulled on the rope with all her might. The tree, however, remained firmly rooted in the ground. Applejack pulled and pulled, tugging at the rope with all the strength she could muster, but the tree easily endured, not even budging despite her best efforts. Applejack grunted in exertion as she pushed herself to her limit, trying and failing to bring down the stubborn tree as the rope pulled tighter, beginning to fray near the middle.

Finally, the rope snapped in two under the strain, sending Applejack tumbling to the ground. Exerting herself so greatly at such a high altitude had made her feel light-headed, and she had to remember to steady her breathing to keep herself from passing out. After the fatigue passed, she slowly rose to her hooves, and stared back at the tree that had given her so much trouble.

Something ain’t right here, she thought. Bringing down a small pine tree should have been no problem for her at all. The tree would have to be ridiculously strong to put up so much resistance, and it didn’t look to be any more sturdy than the trees in Sweet Apple Acres.

No, this was something else. Applejack had a creeping suspicious as to why the tree had given her so much trouble, and she hoped to the stars that it was wrong. Taking in a deep breath, she cleared her mind, and turned her attention inwards, towards her inner magic. Her eyes snapped open when she suddenly realized that it had all but disappeared. There was something there, but whatever it was, it was far weaker than it used to be. Her connection to the earth had withered, and as a result her strength had been greatly decayed.

In any other situation, she would have panicked at such a discovery. But after everything else that she’d been through, she simply couldn’t find the energy to care. Letting out a sigh of defeat, she fell onto her stomach, letting the sting of the frozen winds wash over her.

As she lay in the snow, shivering from the frigid temperature, her mind was dominated by a single thought: she was alone. She was stranded in the middle of the freezing wilderness, with the others nowhere to be found. She wouldn’t last much longer out in the wild, even with her supplies she wouldn’t make it far without her natural strength. She could die out here, and no one would even know what happened.

Her thoughts turned to her friends, and the family she so closely cherished back home. She’d remembered giving Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith a heartfelt goodbye as she’d left on the mission to rescue Fluttershy. She’d promised them she’d come back safely, but now it was looking more and more like a promise she couldn’t keep.

Mah family...

Her eyes narrowed as a newfound determination welled up inside her. With a renewed sense of strength, she climbed back onto her hooves.

Ah ain’t giving up. Not yet.

Carefully untying the broken rope from her body, she turned back and grabbed her saddlebags, slinging them up and over her shoulder. She was still lost in the middle of frozen mountain, with no sign of life as far as the eye could see, but that wasn’t going to stop her from looking. She tried to avoid thinking about how unlikely it was that she’d find anything out in the wilderness.

Applejack chuckled weakly. “Look on the bright side”, she said to herself, “If things can’t get any worse, that means they can only get better, right?”

Turning around, she double-checked her saddlebags to make sure they were properly fastened. She took a tentative step forward to continue on her search, only to stop dead in her tracks when she noticed a shadow suddenly pass over her. She shivered, but this time not from the cold, as she reluctantly looked up to see what had cast the shadow over her.

The creature looked vaguely like the bedsheet ghost that Apple Bloom had dressed as one year for Nightmare Night. Unlike Apple Bloom, however, it looked as if there were nothing beneath the sheet. A pair of beady, blood-red eyes appeared on the sheet just above a fanged maw, dripping with saliva, and wrapped around its body was what appeared to be a ring of black metal, inscribed with mysterious symbols.

Applejack gulped nervously. Applejack, you idiot, what’d Ah tell you about tempting fate?

T.K. surveyed the mountain range from atop Pegasusmon’s back, keeping a careful eye out for any sign of the control spire. Wrapping his arms around himself, he shivered as he felt the cold air blow past him.

“Is everything alright, T.K.?”

T.K. looked down at his partner. “Yeah, just a bit cold is all. Do you see anything yet? The control spire should be somewhere nearby.”

“Nothing yet,” replied Pegasusmon, “but I’ll be keeping an eye out.”

“It doesn’t make any sense. The control spire should be easily visible from here but, there’s no sign of it anywhere.”

“Hmm... It does seem rather suspicious, now that you mention it,” said Pegasusmon.

“Just keep an eye out for anything strange,” replied T.K. Of course, in the Digital World that could be almost anything.

T.K. let out a sigh, his breath clearly visible in the cold temperatures. He tried to take his mind off the cold that was nipping away at his skin, but it was ultimately useless as the cold was too great to ignore. We should've sent Davis here, he has a jacket.

His thoughts were cut short when a beeping noise suddenly sounded out from his pants pocket.

“Sounds like you’ve got an email.” said Pegasusmon.

T.K. reached into his pocket and pulled out his D-Terminal, and read throught the message that was displayed on-screen:

==========
Hey guys! You wouldn’t believe what I just found! While on the way to the control spire I met this purple pony named Twilight Sparkle, and she’s actually an alien from another world! Pretty awesome, huh?
Anyway, it turns out she and her friends came to the Digital World to rescue another pony named Fluttershy, but they ended up getting separated. If any of you guys see another strange pony, let me know, okay?
- Davis
==========

T.K. paused to rub his eyes, making sure that he’d read the e-mail correctly. “Uh... Either Davis is yanking my chain, or he’s started doing drugs.”

“What’d he say?”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not important.” replied T.K. He suppressed another shiver as a chill breeze blew past him. “Maybe we should take a break. It’s really cold with all this air rushing past us.”

“Sounds like a plan.” With that, Pegasusmon descended onto the mountainside, spreading his wings as he touched down atop a rocky slope. T.K. climbed off his partner’s back, holding out his digivice to receive the digi-egg as Pegasusmon reverted to Patamon.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Patamon, flying up towards T.K.

“Here, I’ll help you stay warm!” Patamon flew over To T.K. and hugged him, wrapping his legs around his partner’s torso. T.K. happily returned the gesture, holding Patamon closely in his arms.

“Hey, thanks, buddy.”

“No problem!” One of Patamon’s ear-wings suddenly folded outwards. “Hey, did you hear that?”

“Huh? Hear what?”

Patamon pointed off to the distance, around the mountainside. “Something’s headed this way!”

Applejack’s legs carried her as fast as they could as she rapidly ran across the mountain. She couldn’t climb the mountain fast enough to escape, and going down the mountain would likely leave her falling to her death. She dared not look back as the monstrous bedsheet ghost pursued her, no doubt with intent to kill.

Exhaustion quickly found its way into her body, her every muscle begging for her to stop. The difficulty she had breathing properly didn’t help matters. Her head began to spin as she continued to run, a feeling of light-headedness clouding her senses. But she kept running, kept trying to escape the monster that tirelessly pursued her. Her body unable to withstand the strain, she finally collapsed to her knees, unable to continue. The seemed to spin around her as she barely held on to consciousness, stubbornly refusing to pass out.

Is this really it? Am Ah going to die here?

As the world around her began to fade, Applejack’s thoughts turned to the family she’d left behind, the ones she’d be leaving behind forever.

Ah’m sorry, everypony... Ah love you all...

Unable to hold on any longer, Applejack’s consciousness finally left her. Just before going, she could almost swear she heard someone shouting nearby.

“Boom Bubble!”

Author's Notes:

New chapter is up! Applejack finds herself in a strange new place where nature takes care of itself, and to make matters worth, her earth pony strength is gone! Fortunately, it seems she's found some help just in the nick of time.

The Initial Meeting

“Boom Bubble!”

Several thin, twig-like branches fell from the pine tree as Patamon knocked them down with a burst of pressurized air. Flying down to the ground, he carefully picked up as many of them as he could carry. Patamon’s wing muscles strained as he struggled to lift the wood into the air. This was the smallest tree he could find, almost a sapling, and even then he could only barely carry the pitifully small branches from it. Still, he wouldn’t let T.K. down. He’d been asked to find firewood, and he wouldn’t go back empty-handed.

Flapping his wings rapidly, his flight path wobbled slightly as he headed back to meet his partner.

T.K. looked down from where he sat, regarding curiously the strange, pony-like digimon before him. After their brief encounter with the lone Bakemon, he’d immediately taken the digimon to a small cave which they were fortunate enough to have found nearby.

Now that I think about it, I probably should have taken the Bakemon, too. He could’ve given us some insight as to what’s going on. He dismissed the thought when he realized he probably wouldn’t have been able to carry a ghost digimon.

What was especially strange to him was the digimon’s appearance. It looked, for a lack of a better word, cartoonish. Her coat was bright orange and her mane blonde, and on both sides of her body were images of three apples, arranged in a triangle. The saddlebags and stetson hat clearly indicated that she was sapient, as opposed to some of the more feral digimon seen in certain parts of the Digital World. Her head was also unusually rounded for a equine, with eyes facing forward, giving her a vaguely human appearance. Strangest of all, however, was the dark orange device strapped to her front ankle.

Is it just me, or does it look kind of like a digivice?

He gently placed on her side, taking note of her healthy pulse and steady breathing. Her body shivered from the cold atmosphere, At least I think it’s a her... I don’t know how I’m supposed to know for sure if she’s asleep, unless... He quickly interrupted that thought before it went any further, removing his hand from the digimon’s body. Yeah, I’ll wait until she wakes up... Actually, do digimon even even have a physical gender? I’ll have to ask Izzy about that later.

“T.K.!”

T.K. looked to the cave entrance to see Patamon enter, carrying a bundle of sticks. He suddenly dropped in midair as he flew, only to regain altitude by furiously flapping his wings. He hastily dropped the wood by T.K., gasping for breath as he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

T.K. looked at his partner sympathetically, and reached over and pet him on the head. “Easy there sport, no need to push yourself like that.”

Patamon looked up at T.K. and smiled, still panting heavily. “It’s alright, T.K. You wanted me to get firewood, right?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want you putting yourself in danger just for that. I’d have understood if you came back without finding anything. So don’t go about pushing yourself too hard, okay? You remember what happened the last time you did?”

Patamon’s expression dropped instantly. “... I died?” he squeaked.

“Yeah. So take it easy, okay?” He smiled softly, gently scratching Patamon behind the ear.

“Nnngh...” The unconscious digimon groaned softly as she began to stir.

“Hmm, I guess we won’t need that firewood after all. Sorry, Patamon.”

The digimon’s eyes slowly fluttered open as she turned her head towards T.K. and Patamon. “Ma? Pa? That you?”

T.K. raised an eyebrow. Since when did digimon have parents?

“Uh, no, I’m T.K., and this is my partner Patamon.”

“Hi!” Patamon flew closer to the pony-like digimon and introduced himself.

“What the hay!?” Her upper body shot upwards at the sight of Patamon, and she quickly scooted backwards against the cave wall. Her apparent fear quickly subsided, and she regarded T.K. and Patamon curiously. She straightened her hat and frowned thoughtfully, as though she were trying to figure something out.

“Ah think ah get it. Y’all are like some kinda angels come to take me away. Ah gotta say, ah never thought you’d look so strange.”

“An angel?” said T.K., “you must be a bit confused. I’m a human.”

“I can be an angel sometimes,” said Patamon, “not right now, though.”

The pony’s frown deepened as she considered what she’d heard. “Ah’m afraid ah ain’t never heard of a human before. Ah take it you’re some other kind of spirit?” A pleading look appeared in her eyes as she looked back at T.K. “What’s going to happen to me now? Am Ah in Tartarus or the Elysium? Will Ah ever see mah folks again?”

T.K. stared back at the pony in confusion. “Uh, I’m afraid never heard of either of those places. Right now you’re in a mountain range on the Server Continent.”

“Server Continent? That don’t sound like anything Ah’ve heard of before.” She briefly glanced around the cave, trying to get a better feeling for her surroundings. “Come to think of it, this whole just place looks like some ordinary cave! What the hay kind of afterlife is this?”

“Whoa there!” said T.K. “what do you mean, afterlife?”

“Well, this is the afterlife, ain’t it? Ah mean, there ain’t no way Ah could’ve survived that there ghost attacking me.” The pony paused for a moment, as if contemplating something. “Are y’all saying Ah’m a ghost now, too?”

“Why would dying turn you into a ghost?” said Patamon. “Wouldn’t you be reborn as a Digi-Egg?” The pony looked confused by this statement, scratching the back of her head with a hoof.

“Actually, Patamon,” said T.K., “I’m fairly certain at this point that she isn’t a digimon. And no,” he said to the pony, “you’re not dead.”

Patamon’s gasped. “She isn’t!?”

“Ah’m not!?”

T.K. “No need to worry. We saw you being chased by a Bakemon, but we defeated it just as you passed out. We brought you here to help you recover.”

The pony’s stunned expression gave way to a relieved smile. “Well ain’t that a relief! And here Ah was thinking Ah was a goner! Ah reckon’ Ah oughta thank you two for saving me.” She trotted up towards T.K. extended a hoof outwards. “Pleased to meet you both. The name’s Applejack. To whom do Ah owe the pleasure?”

T.K. reached out with his hand and grabbed Applejack’s hoof in an approximation of a handshake. “My name’s T.K., and this is my friend Patamon.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” said Applejack, returning the handshake.

“T.K., what was that you said about her not being a digimon?” said Patamon.

“That’s right,” replied T.K. “From what I understand, she’s a pony. More specifically, a pony from another world.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Say what now?”

“A while back I got a message from my friend Davis. He said he found an alien pony, and asked me to keep an eye out for any others. I think her name was Midnight?”

“Twilight!” exclaimed Applejack. “She’s alright! Oh, thank Celestia, Ah was worried Ah’d never see her again! Now what’s this about her being an alien?”

“Yeah, T.K.,” said Patamon, “what’s going on?”

“Well, I kind of ignored it at first since I thought it was a prank, but I recall Davis saying something about Twilight being an alien. Given that you’re not a digimon or a human, I’m assuming you’re not from Digital World. Is that true, Applejack?”

“Ah... No, Ah can’t rightly say Ah’ve heard of a Digital World.” A frown of worry appeared on her face as she considered what she’d just been told. Ah’m in another world now? What am Ah gonna do now? Will Ah ever see mah family again?

“Are you alright?” asked T.K.

Applejack did her best to put on a forced smile. “Ah’m fine. Why don’t you tell me more about this here Digital World?”

“No problem,” said T.K. “The Digital World is a world of data that exists within the Real World’s computer networks.”

“Real World?” said Applejack, “You’re saying this here world ain’t real?”

T.K. looked thoughtful for a moment. “Hmm... Well, in a sense it isn’t, since from what I understand everything in the Digital World is made of computer data instead of matter. But it’s still very much a living world, so I guess it’s also real. But I guess your world must be real, too, so maybe it’s better to call our world planet Earth.”

“That don’t sound like a very imaginative name,” Applejack mused. “So you’re saying this here world exists in them fancy machines from Earth, like the one Twilight was building?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” said T.K. “I don’t know anything about your friend Twilight, but if she was building a computer, that might explain how you ended up here. What happened, exactly? What sort of world are you from?”

“Mah world? Well, ah’d say it’s a mighty fine world to live in. Ah come from a place called Equestria, on a world called Ungula. As for how Ah got here, mah friends and Ah were having a picnic out by Twilight’s place, and all of a sudden there was this huge lightning storm coming from her house. We went to investigate, and it turns out Fluttershy was dragged through a portal by some kind of evil force. Twilight cast a spell that would teleport us to her, and the next thing Ah knew, Ah was on this here mountain, and mah friends were nowhere to be found.”

An evil force? thought T.K, could that have something to do with the control spires?

“I see. Well, since you’re here in the Digi-World now, you’ll probably want to know how things work around here. The Digital World is inhabited by creatures called digimon, or Digital Monsters. My friends and I are part of a group called the Digi-Destined, and we protect the Digital World with the help of our digimon partners.”

“Ah see,” said Applejack, “Ah take it Patamon’s your partner then?”

“That’s right!” said Patamon. “You and I are a team, right T.K.?”

T.K. smiled. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. As I way saying, we help protect the Digital World from harm.” Reaching into his pocket, T.K. pulled out his D-3 and showed it to Applejack. “This is called a digivice. Its power allows Patamon to digivolve into stronger forms to fight the forces of darkness.”

Applejack leaned in closer, staring at the digivice in T.K.’s hand. Lifting her leg, she held her front ankle out in front of herself, comparing the strange device to T.K.’s side-by-side.

“So y’all are saying that this here doodad is a digivice like yours? Does that mean Ah can do that digivolution thing?”

“Well, I don’t think you’d be the one doing the digivolving,” said T.K. “And I’m not really sure if that’s a digivice at all. If it were, you’d have probably found your own partner digimon by now.”

“Ah see,” replied Applejack. Suddenly, Patamon let out a small giggle..

“What is it, Patamon? Something funny?” said T.K.

“I was just thinking,” Patamon replied, “her accent is just like Armadillomon’s! Wouldn’t it be weird if I D.N.A. digivolved with her?”

Applejack gave Patamon a strange look. “Beg pardon?”

“Now that’d just be completely ridiculous.” said T.K., “I do admit it is kind of a funny thought, though.”

“Ah’m afraid Ah lost you there, sugarcube,” said Applejack, “and just for the record, Ah ain’t got an accent.”

T.K couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Sure you don’t. As I was saying, Patamon and I help protect the Digital World. We were out here searching for a control spire, an evil tower that controls dark rings that brainwash and enslave digimon. When we stopped to take a break, we saw you being chased by Bakemon controlled by a dark ring. Patamon was able to break the dark ring right as you passed out.”

“So y’all are saying somepony was controlling that there ghost that attacked me? You think it might have something to do with the evil force that took Fluttershy?”

“Actually, I was just thinking that,” said T.K. “Wait, somepony?”

“Uh... Sorry, Ah meant sombody,” Applejack responded hesitantly. “Ah apologize if Ah offended you, Ah didn’t mean to be insensitive.”

“Why would I be offended? I just think it’s a bit strange is all.”

Applejack smiled nervously. “Well, uh,” she chuckled weakly, “See, back in Equestria, you ain’t supposed to use the word somepony to refer to folks who ain’t ponies. It’s... Well, Ah wouldn’t call it racist exactly, but it is just a mite insensitive. Ah’m guessing y’all don’t have that problem here?”

“Not really, no.” T.K. said. A smile crept onto his face as he considered the thought, the whole idea sounding completely silly to him. “As I was saying, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that your friend was kidnapped at around the same time these control spires appeared. I think we should stick together so we can figure out what’s going on here. Sound good?”

“Fine by me,” replied Applejack, “If y’all don’t mind, Ah’d like to try and see if we can find mah friends as well.” A look of sadness appeared on her face. “Ah just hope Ah’m not too late...”

T.K. looked down at Applejack and smiled. “Applejack, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you should never give up hope. I know things might seem daunting sometimes, but nothing will ever get better if you just give up. So what do you say we go out there and look for your friends together?”

Applejack looked back up at T.K., her deep green eyes filled with gratitude. “Y’all would do that for me?”

“Of course,” replied T.K. “it’s the least I could do after finding you like this. But first we’ll have to take out the control spire like we came here for. After that, we’ll meet up with Davis and your friend Twilight and figure out what to do next.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Applejack. “Ah can’t thank you enough for doing this for me. If it weren’t for you and Patamon, Ah don’t know what Ah’d do.”

“Hey, no problem.” replied T.K. “You ready to get going? If you feel like you still need to rest for a bit, that’s fine. No need to push yourself too hard”

“Nah, Ah’m fine,” replied Applejack. “We ain’t gonna find anything just sitting in this here cave, are we?”

“Alright, if you’re sure.” T.K. turned and shared a knowing look with his partner, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his digivice, holding it out in front of him.

“Digi-Armor Energize!”

The digivice shone with a brilliant light as T.K. shouted the command, and a egg-shaped object emerged from the screen. Patamon’s body glowed as the egg dissolved into him, causing his body to transform.

“Patamon, Armor Digivolve to: Pegasusmon, the Flying Hope!”

“What in tarnation!?” Applejack’s jaw dropped at the sight of the massive armored stallion that was suddenly standing before her.

Now stop that Applejack, it ain’t polite to stare, she reminded herself. T.K. calmly walked over to Pegasusmon and swiftly jumped onto his back, as though it were second nature.

“You need a lift?” asked Pegasusmon, approaching Applejack.

A pink flush appeared on Applejack’s face, plainly visible even through her bright orange coat. “Ah... Uh... Y’all want me to ride you?”

T.K. chuckled lightly. “No need to get all flustered, Applejack. I can assure you it’s strictly business.”

“Hey, that ain’t funny!” Applejack cried out indignantly.

“Did I miss something here?” asked Pegasusmon. “Was there a joke?”

“Don’t worry about it, Pegasusmon.” replied T.K. “Just let her climb on.”

“If you say so.” Pegasusmon lowered himself onto his knees, allowing Applejack to climb onto his back. Applejack’s blush deepened as she positioned herself onto Pegasusmon’s back, sitting upright behind T.K., with her front hooves awkwardly positioned on Pegasusmon’s barrel.

Rainbow ain’t never gonna let me live this one down.

“You ready to lift off?” asked T.K.

“Ah think so,” replied Applejack. “Just where are we headed, anyway?”

“We’ll fly out over the mountain range and see if we can find the control spire. They’re pretty tall, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to spot. Be sure to hold on tight, okay?”

“No problem,” said Applejack, “now let’s get a move on!”

T.K. nodded to Pegasusmon, who trotted towards the entrance and stepped out of the cave, onto a sheer cliff in the mountainside. With a powerful flap of his wings, he took to the air, carrying both his passengers in search of the next control spire.

Author's Notes:

Get it? Initial meeting? As in, T.K. and A.J.?

...

Okay, maybe it's not such a great title. But it did feel good to get this chapter out of the way. Maybe now I can actually focus on studying for finals.

The Cave and the Serpent

Applejack squinted slightly as she looked down at the mountains from atop Pegasusmon’s back, carefully surveying the landscape as it flew by below her. From what she’d heard, the control spire wouldn’t be hard to miss, though she was starting to have her doubts about the claim.

Still, she wasn’t about to give up just yet. In the eyes of her friends, she’d always been a remarkably stubborn pony, and she wasn’t intending on leaving without destroying the control spire first. It was the least she could do to repay T.K. for saving her life.

The silence was suddenly broken when T.K. spoke up.

“See anything yet, guys?”

“Nothing so far, I’m afraid,” replied Pegasusmon.

“Same here.” replied Applejack “Ah’m beginning to think there ain’t no control spire here at all.”

“Well, keep looking.” replied T.K. “We know there’s one out here somewhere.”

The three continued their search for some time, looking among the mountains for something. Just as Applejack was about to give up, however, she caught something in the corner of her eye.

“Hey T.K. Ah think I see something over there!”

T.K. looked back to see Applejack pointing at one of the nearby mountains, where a small black shape stuck out the mountainside.

“That does look suspicious,” T.K admitted., “let’s check it out, Pegasusmon.”

At his partner’s request, Pegasusmon turned around in midair and flew towards the mountainside, lowering his altitude to get a closer look. They hovered above the strange black object, which they could now see to be small black pyramid sticking out of the mountain. The rocky ground surrounding it looked as though it had been disturbed, with large chunks of loose soil and rock surrounding the object.

Applejack shuddered briefly as she examined the obsidian-colored pyramid.

“Ah don’t like the looks of that thing, T.K. Something about that pyramid just ain’t right.”

“You’re on to something there, Applejack.” replied T.K. “I don’t think that’s a pyramid at all. In fact, it looks kind of like the tip of a control spire.”

“So where’s the rest of it, then?” puzzled Applejack. “Ya’ll are saying it’s buried in the mountain?”

“Looks like it,” replied T.K., “that’s probably why we had such trouble finding it.”

“I’ll see if I can take it out from here,” said Pegasusmon, “Star Shower!”

With a mighty flap of his wings, Pegasusmon launched a rain of shooting stars onto the control spire below. A large chunk of the spire’s tip was knocked out by the blast, kicking up a small cloud of dust, but the structure itself remain mostly intact from all appearances. T.K. frowned as he surveyed the damage from atop Pegasusmon’s back.

Applejack stared wide-eyed at the damage caused by Pegasusmon’s attack. “Well, there’s something you don’t see everyday.”

“Something’s not right here,” said T.K. “It looks like the spire hasn’t been completely destroyed yet.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to destroy it from here,” said Pegasusmon, “it’s embedded too deeply in the mountain. We’ll have to find a way to destroy it closer to the base.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “And how do you reckon we’ll do that? The whole consarned thing’s underground!”

A frown appeared across T.K.’s face as he briefly considered the thought. If they couldn’t reach the base, destroying the control spire outright would be impossible.

“Maybe there’s a cave somewhere on this mountain,” he said, “it’s a stretch, but hopefully it’ll lead us to the base.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Applejack.

Pegasusmon gave a small nod, and in a single fluid motion, turned to search the mountainside for a path to the control spire’s base.

“Hey, T.K., I think I see a cave down there!” Applejack called out to her friend as they circled the mountain. Sure enough, where she pointed there was a large cave entrance in the side of the mountain.

“Good eye, Applejack. Let’s check it out.” T.K. motioned to his partner, who landed on the rocky mountainside by the cave’s entrance, and trotted into the cavern’s entrance.

Upon entering, the three were immediately greeted with the unpleasant scent of cave-dwelling fungi. The cavern itself was a narrow, twisty passage, dimly lit from the presence of blue-green glowing fungi dotting the walls. The three made their way through the cave with caution, taking care not to let their guard down in case of an attack.

After continuing through the passage for some time, the narrow cavern gave way to another chamber. As they entered, Applejack’s mouth hung agape at the scene before her: rather than the cramped narrow passage from before, the cavern had opened into a truly gargantuan chamber, large enough to fit an entire sports stadium. The walls were covered with luminescent fungi, faintly glowing with of all colors of the visible spectrum. In the center there was a large body of water, with a massive black tower standing in the center, jutting straight out and continuing up through the chamber’s massively high ceiling. Built around the underground lake were small, dilapidated huts built from stone brick, crumbling from what was no doubt many years of neglect. Numerous Bakemon floating around aimlessly, with dark rings placed around their bodies.

Suddenly, the Bakemon all stopped in midair, turning to face T.K., Pegasusmon, and Applejack. Their eyes glowed blood red as they stared at the newcomers, baring their massive fangs.

Applejack swallowed a lump in her throat, “Uh, T.K., Ah don’t mean to be a bother, but Ah think we might be in trouble!”

T.K. simply smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this. Better hold on tight!”

“Whoa!”

Applejack cried out in surprise as Pegasusmon quickly lifted off the ground, shooting into the air like a rocket.

“Star Shower!”

Rearing backwards in the air, Pegasusmon flapped his wings, unleashing a deluge of shooting stars, shattering the dark rings of the Bakemon hovering below. More Bakemon quickly hovered upwards to approach, but Pegasusmon reacted swiftly, taking a steep dive in midair.

“Mane Wind!”

A blast of needles shot forth from Pegasusmon’s mane as he dived, sweeping through the Bakemon and destroying the dark rings attached to their bodies. As he approached the ground, he swiftly turned upwards again, hovering high in the air. Another lone Bakemon approached him, but Pegasusmon flew out and delivered a powerful kick with his hind legs, breaking the darks spiral and sending the Bakemon flying.

Still hovering in midair, Pegasusmon took a quick glance around the cavern.

“I think that’s the last of them.”

Applejack released a breath that she wasn’t aware she was holding. “Do you think you could give me a bit more warning next time y’all do that?”

“You’ll have to get used to it, I’m afraid,” replied T.K. “Let’s see if we can take out that control spire, Pegasusmon”

“No problem,” said Pegasusmon.

Flying out towards the center of the cavern, Pegasusmon approached the control spire, keeping low above the surface of the underground lake. As he approached the base, he unleashed his attack at the massive black tower.

“Star Shower!”

The tower imploded with a loud crash as the shooting stars impacted it, sending large splashes of water spraying outwards as the pieces of the spire fell through the lake before disintegrating. T.K. and Applejack both flinched briefly as they were splashed by the sprays of water.

T.K. removed his wet hat and wrung it out, squeezing out the water that it had absorbed.

“Looks like that takes care of it. Applejack, we should probably head back and meet with the other Digi-Destined. Maybe we’ll be able to figure out what happened to your friends.”

Applejack looked up at T.K. and smiled. “Sounds good to me. Ah can’t thank you enough for helping me with this, T.K.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said T.K., “We’d be more than willing to help you look for your friends.”

Applejack’s ear suddenly swiveled to the the side, and a worried look crossed her face. “Uh... Did either of y’all just hear anything strange right now?”

“Huh?” replied T.K. confused “What do you mea—”

Before T.K. could finish his sentence, a massive body suddenly erupted from the lake, letting out a ferocious roar. Pegasusmon swerved wildly in the air to avoid it, nearly throwing off his riders as all three of them were drenched by the water thrown outwards by the emerging beast.

“What in tarnation!?” Applejack’s jaw dropped at the sight of the massive beast, an enormous sea serpent with bright red scales. On its head was a golden helmet with a jagged metal horn, with dark green hair sticking out the back. Its eyes glowed a menacing bright red, and wrapped around its body was the unmistakable coil of a dark spiral.

“I know this guy,” said T.K., “It’s a MegaSeadramon!”

Author's Notes:

Finally managed to get this finished, it's been a bit of a pain since the computer I normally use is at the shop. Since Christmas is in a couple days, I had to cut this one off a bit shorter than usual to get it published before the holidays.

But now that I've gotten this out of the way, it shouldn't be long before I can start writing the next chapter. Hope you all have a Happy Holidays!

E.V.O.

“Look out!”

T.K. desperately called out to his partner as the MegaSeadramon roared, lashing outwards with its tail. Pegasusmon swerved wildly in the air, nearly throwing off his riders as he barely dodged the attack.

“T.K., what’s going on?” said Applejack, “Ah thought you said that control spire was what controlled them dark rings!”

“That’s not a dark ring, that’s a dark spiral! They don’t need- whoa!”

T.K. cried out in surprise as the MegaSeadramon’s jaws closed on the empty air that Pegasusmon had occupied just moments ago. As Pegasusmon swerved wildly in midair, T.K. was thrown to the side, off Pegasumon’s back.

“T.K.!”

Thinking quickly, Applejack reached over Pegasusmon’s side with her front hooves, extending them towards T.K. Acting purely on instinct, T.K. reached out and grabbed Applejack’s hooves tightly, leaving him hanging precariously over Pegasusmon’s side.

Applejack grunted in exertion as she tried her best to lift T.K. up, but without her natural earth pony strength the human was simply too heavy. Pegasusmon’s wild movements in the air didn’t help matters any.

“Lightning Javelin!”

The MegaSeadramon’s horn quite literally surged with power as a spear-shaped burst of electricity shot forth from it. The attack flew past Pegasusmon as he dodged, the lightning spear just barely missing his wing. The sudden maneuver threw off T.K. further, causing his left hand to slip and release its desperate grip on Applejack’s hoof.

“Consarn it, Pegasusmon! Ah can’t pull T.K. up if you keep flailing around like that!”

“We’ll be killed if we don’t keep moving!”

Her mind ablaze with panic, Applejack looked pleadingly at Pegasusmon, and then back to T.K. She desperately tried to think of a solution, something that would help the three of them escape danger, but in her adrenaline-fueled state she found it hard to focus.

Think, Applejack! There’s gotta be a way out of this!

Applejack desperately searched her mind for answers, but she found herself unable to find any way of escaping their current situation. All the while Pegasusmon frantically maneuvered around the MegaSeadramon, leading T.K.’s weakening grip to fail even more rapidly.

It’s no use! There ain’t no way Ah can stop him from falling now! There ain’t nothing Ah can-

Applejack’s eyes suddenly lit up as she came to a sudden realization.

“T.K.! Ah think Ah have an idea!”

“Well don’t just sit there!” T.K. shouted back, “tell me what it is!”

“Well, this might sound crazy, but Ah think Ah’m gonna need you to let go!”

“What?!” exclaimed T.K. “You’re right, that does sound crazy!”

Applejack looked down at T.K. pleading.. “T.K., listen to me! There ain’t no way we’re gonna make it out of here alive otherwise! Ah promise everything will be alright!”

T.K. let out a small, humorless chuckle. “Heh. Well, It’s not like I have much choice in the matter now.” As his grip loosened, he looked upwards at Applejack, and smiled warmly. “I can’t say why, but even though I haven’t known you long, I know that I can trust you on this.”

Finally, T.K. released his grip on Applejack’s hoof, and promptly fell towards the surface of the lake. Applejack reacted quickly leaping downwards from atop Pegasusmon’s back. She swiftly reached out and caught T.K. in her front hooves, pulling the human towards her in a tight embrace. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they plummeted towards the lake’s surface.

Still holding T.K., Applejack twister her body in midair, maneuvering herself so that she was directly below T.K., both of them parallel to the lake’s surface. A loud crash sounded as the two impacted the water’s surface, before sinking into the murky depths of the lake.

After the initial shock, T.K.’s eyes opened to find himself surrounded by water, a dull pain felt across his entire body from the impact. Through the murky waters he could barely make out Applejack, her unconscious body rapidly sinking through the water.

Applejack!? Why did she do that?

The answer came to him quickly, however, and his eyes lit up in sudden realization.

I don’t believe it. She cushioned the impact with her body.

T.K. decided there was no time to admire Applejack’s selflessness as she continued sinking into the depths. He quickly swam towards Applejack, and began carrying her to the surface. Applejack’s hat and saddlebags had both fallen off from the impact, leaving her with nothing but the strange device on her front ankle. T.K.’s lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, and from the exertion of carrying Applejack, but his resolve remained strong as he slowly but steadily pushed himself upwards through the water. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally broke the water’s surface, desperately gasping for air.

Applejack let out a slow, shuddering breath, and her eyes gently fluttered open, resting on T.K. as he carried her on the lake’s surface, away from the rampaging MegaSeadramon.

“Don’t worry, T.K., Ah... Ah’ve got you.” Applejack coughed violently as she spoke, spitting up some of the water that had forced its way into her windpipe.

“Applejack’s hurt, Pegasusmon!” T.K. cried out. “I need you to distract MegaSeadramon so I can get her to safety!”

“I’ll see what I can do!” replied Pegasusmon, “Star Shower!”

Pegasusmon unleashed a torrent of shooting stars from his wings, but the MegaSeadramon reacted quickly, coiling its body to guard the dark spiral. The sea serpent hissed in irritation as the stars harmlessly impacted its body. With a vicious snarl, it lashed out with is tail, grazing Pegasusmon’s wing as he frantically dodged the full force of the attack.

“Pegasusmon!” T.K. cried out.

As Pegasusmon was struck, he began to spiral out of control, plummeting towards the surface of the lake. He quickly righted himself before hitting the water, flying back upwards in the air.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up!”

T.K. frowned worriedly for his partner. This doesn’t look good. I could have him digivolve to Angemon, but that’d leave him vulnerable while doing so. Great, now what are we going to do?

“Hey, T.K.”

“Huh?” T.K. was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Applejack’s voice.

“Ah just wanted to say, Ah’m sorry for getting y’all into this mess. Ah promised everything would be okay, but...” Applejack briefly lapsed into another fit of violent coughing, splattering a small amount of blood on T.K.’s shoulder. “Ah guess what Ah’m trying to say is, Ah’m sorry for making a promise Ah couldn’t keep.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Applejack. If anything, I’m the one that dragged you into this.” T.K. struggled to stay afloat as he spoke, the task of carrying his passenger making it all the more difficult to hold a conversation. “You did everything you could to help, and I’m grateful for that. You said I’d be fine if I let go, and I am, for now at least. As far as I’m concerned, you were being completely honest with me.”

Applejack looked down at T.K. and smiled softly. “If we don’t make it T.K., Ah just want you to know, Ah’m glad Ah met you. Thank you.” A single tear formed in her eye and fell on T.K.’s shoulder, indistinguishable on the soaking wet fabric of his shirt.

Suddenly, Applejack began to feel a peculiar sensation on the device that was strapped to her front ankle. A brilliant glow suddenly burst forth from the screen, and Applejack leapt into the air, her entire body becoming engulfed in a bright glow.

“Execute! Harmonic Evolution!”

Numerous leaves and pine needles appeared in the air around Applejack, surrounding her body in a swirling vortex of green as. The storm of leaves quickly grew larger and more intense before vanishing, revealing Applejack’s transformation into a much larger creature.

In place of her pony body was one of a massive wolf, roughly the size of a full van. Her fur was a muted orange with brown stripes, and covering her torso and legs were plates of armor carved from wood. A wooden mask covered her eyes, and sticking out of her front shoulders were thin tree branches, dotted with small leaves. Her tail resembled her tail as a pony, but was more frizzy and unkempt, tied near the end with a light brown tie.

“TimberGarurumon! The Honorable Wolf!”

==========
Digimon Analyzer: TimberGarurumon


Type: Animal

Attribute: Vaccine

Level: Hybrid (Champion Equivalent)

Special Attacks: Forest Fire, Tempest Leaf
==========

“What the heck!?” T.K. cried out in shock. “Applejack?!”

Her transformation completed, TimberGarurumon landed in the lake with a splash, and looked back at T.K, treading water with her paws.

“Ain’t no time to question it, T.K.! Ah gotta go help Pegasusmon!”

TimberGarurumon quickly swam through the water, towards the MegaSeadramon. The MegaSeadramon in turn faced the new arrival, its eyes glowing red with malice.

“Tempest Leaf!”

The branches on TimberGarurumon’s shoulders glowed green, and a series of glowing, razor-sharp leaves shot forth towards the MegaSeadramon. It snarled in irritation as the leaves impacted its body, but otherwise left it unharmed.

Wasting no time, TimberGarurumon quickly followed up with another attack.

“Forest Fire!”

TimberGarurumon exhaled a breath of blazing hot fire, sending a steady stream of bright orange flames towards the MegaSeadramon.

“Mega Ice Blast!”

The MegaSeadramon retaliated with its own attack, exhaling an intense blast of ice from its gaping mouth. The stream of ice met TimberGarurumon’s fire breath in midair, and the two opposing streams pushed against each other. MegaSeadramon’s attack quickly began to overtake TimberGarurumon’s, the blast of ice rapidly pushing through the fire towards her body.

“Now, Pegasusmon!” T.K. shouted.

“Mane Wind!”

With a mighty shout, Pegasusmon swooped down from above, firing a blast of needles from his mane at the MegaSeadramon, causing the dark spiral to shatter. The MegaSeadramon hissed and recoiled in shock, while TimberGarurumon halted her attack, leaving MegaSeadramon to come to his senses. With a low growl, the massive sea serpent quickly recoiled, and dived back underneath the lake.

TimberGarurumon quickly swam back to meet T.K., Pegasusmon flying next to her above the water. With her massive snout, she lifted T.K. out of the water, allowing T.K. to climb on her back.

“Ah gotta admit, Ah wasn’t expecting anything like this,” she said. “Y’all okay up there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” replied T.K., “just a little bit of déjà vu.”

Applejack, Patamon, and T.K. soon arrived back at the edge of the lake, the former two reverting to their base forms. Amidst the crumbling stone huts, the Bakemon floated freely, having awoken from unconsciousness. They now wandered the cave, directionless, making somewhat less that spooky ‘ooo’ noises. T.K. sat on a rock, trying to shake out the pools of water that had collected in his shoes. To the side, Applejack let out a heavy sigh as she sat on her haunches.

“You alright there, A.J.?” asked T.K., wringing out the water from his soaked felt hat.

“Huh?” Applejack looked up to see T.K. looking at her, an expression of concern crossing his face. “Ah’m fine... Ah just miss mah hat. Pa gave it to me when Ah won an apple-eating contest when Ah was a filly.” She trailed off, ears folding back on her head as she lowered her gaze towards the ground.

“I’m sorry about that, Applejack. I know it must mean a lot to you.” He reached out and gently scratched Applejack behind the ears. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly at the sensation.

Oh wow, that feels nice...

“We should talk to these Bakemon and see what happened,” said T.K., lifting his hand off of Applejack. A pink flush appeared on her cheeks as she realized how much she’d been enjoying herself.

Applejack coughed nervously. “Right, let’s get going.”

“No fair!” Patamon complained, “Why does she get to have her ears scratched?”

“Don’t worry, Patamon, you’ll get your turn. I can carry you until we exit the cave, how about that?”

“Really? Thanks, T.K.!” Patamon flew down to meet T.K., allowing him to carry Patamon in his arms. Patamon smiled contentedly as T.K. gently scratched him behind the ears.

Applejack couldn’t help but smile at T.K.’s display of affection for his partner. “Well ain’t that just adorable? Come on, T.K., let’s go talk to some of them ghosts.”

T.K. turned towards a nearby stone hut, where several Bakemon hovered above them.

“Hello?” he called out, “Excuse me!” The Bakemon ignored him, continuing to float about the area.

“Hello? Can I talk to someone, please?”

One of the Bakemon spoke as it floated by overhead. “Can’t talk, haunting. OOOOoooOOOOoo...”

T.K. glanced at Applejack, both sharing a look of confusion. How were these idiots ever a threat to us again?

“Something tells me they ain’t gonna tell us anything worthwhile,” Applejack chimed in, “We should get going, Ah’d like to meet back with Twilight.”

“Wait!” A voice yelled out from the lake, sporting a foppish accent.

Applejack, Patamon, and T.K. turned in the direction of the lake in time to see the MegaSeadramon’s massive upper body emerge, causing them to flinch as they were splashed with water. It bent its long neck downwards, lowering its head to meet the three as they sat by the edge of the lake.

“My apologies for interrupting you, I just wanted to tell you all how grateful I am that you helped me. Can you imagine if I’d spent the rest of my life as a slave to that so-called Digimon Queen? Oh, it would have been dreadful!”

T.K. blinked. He wasn’t entirely sure what to think of the MegaSeadramon’s foppish mannerisms, which sharply contrasted to his fearsome appearance.

“Wait, what’s this about a Digimon Queen?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure who she is myself. When that ugly control spire appeared, dark rings appeared and enslaved the Bakemon, and I found myself within the clutches of the nefarious dark spiral! I was utterly helpless to defend the poor digimon who haunt this ghost village!

“As I was consumed by the spiral’s power, I could hear her speaking to me, with a voice like that of a demon. She commanded me to do unspeakable things, and I was given no choice but to obey her wishes! To her, my very life was nothing more than a tool for her amusement! Oh, the horror!

“But thanks to your brave efforts, both myself and the Bakemon have been restored to their former selves! They are once again free to haunt the village as they wish, and I am once again free to enjoy the lake at my leisure.” The MegaSeadramon bent over, lowering his head in an approximation of a bow. “I am eternally in your debt. If there is anything you need from me, simply ask, and I will oblige.”

“Hey, there’s no need for that.” Applejack suddenly spoke up. “It was nothing. Really.” Dear Faust, please don’t put me through that load of horseapples again.

“Actually,” said T.K., “Maybe there is something you can do for us. Applejack lost a few of her things in the lake while we were fighting. If it’s not too much trouble, do you think you could find them?”

Applejack looked back at T.K. in surprise. “Y’all really think he’ll be able to find mah hat?”

“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to ask,” replied T.K., “So, MegaSeadramon, do you think you’ll be able to find it? It’s a brown cowboy hat, and there should be a pair of saddlebags next to it.”

“Ah, but of course!” the Megaseadramon exclaimed, quickly retreating back into the water.

“We should let the others know what happened while we’re waiting,” said T.K., “I’ll message them about the control spire, and tell them that I’ve found you. Sorry, buddy, but I’m going to have to let go of you now.”

“Aww...” Patamon sighed in disappointment as T.K. gently placed him on the ground.

Reaching into his pockets, T.K. pulled out his D-Terminal and flipped it open, inspecting it carefully. He hesitantly pushed a few buttons on the front, and his eyes lit up in satisfaction as the machine responded.

“Wow, this thing’s durable. Even after all that, it’s still working. Now let’s see if I can still send messages...”

Applejack stared curiousy at T.K. as he began typing out a message on the unfamiliar machine, his eyes focused on the D-Terminal’s screen. Finally, after a lengthy typing session he placed the D-Terminal back in his pocket.

“Hey, A.J. Good news, I-”

“I found them!” The MegaSeadramon burst from the lake excitedly, practically singing as it spoke. The others flinched as they were once again splashed at the ruptured water. T.K. glared at the MegaSeadramon in disapproval.

“Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry,” said the MegaSeadramon, “I just wanted to let you know that I’d your hat and saddlebags. Here you are!”

The MegaSeadramon’s long tail extended from the water, its green tail fin carefully rolled around another object. He extended the tail towards the others and placed the fin on the ground, unrolling it to reveal Applejack’s saddlebags, as well as her trademark stetson.

“Mah hat!” Applejack nearly squealed in joy as she ran up and grabbed the hat, placing it back on top of her head. She then lifted her saddlebags off of MegaSeadramon’s tail fin and opened them, quickly inspecting the content.

“Well, shoot, Ah don’t think Ah’ll be able to use much of these what with all that water. Ah’ll have to look through them later. Still, Ah’m glad you could find mah hat.”

“It was my pleasure, miss,” replied the MegaSeadramon, “Is there anything else you might need from me?”

“No!”

The others all stared at Applejack in confusion in response to her sudden outburst. Applejack shifted uncomfortably as she felt the weight of their gaze centered on her.

“Uh, Ah mean, no thank you. It’s fine, really. No big deal.”

“Alright, but if there’s anything you need from me, you know where to find me! Toodles!” With that, the MegaSeadramon retreated back into the lake’s waters, quickly descending below the surface and out of sight.

“What was that about?” asked T.K.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “It’s a long story. Now what was that good news y’all promised?”

“Well, as it just so happens, we’ve managed to find some of your other friends. Cody found a unicorn named Rarity, Kari found a pony name Pinkie Pie, and Ken and Yolei found a pegasus named Rainbow Dash. That ringing any bells?”

“They’re alive? Yeehaw!” Applejack briefly reared on her hind legs as she cried out in joy. “This is great, T.K.! With all of us together, we’ll be able to rescue Fluttershy no problem!”

T.K. frowned. “Right, we still have to figure out what we’re going to do about her. And for that matter, we have to figure out where you all will be staying in the meantime. We should head out to meet the others so we can work thing out, they should all be heading for the DigiPort by now.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Applejack, “Ah’d hate to keep them waiting.”

Patamon and Applejack followed T.K. as he turned around towards the chamber’s entrance, leading them past the wandering Bakemon, out of the village, and to the cave’s exit.

Author's Notes:

Why a Timberwolf? Because wolves are awesome, that's why.

In all seriousness, this was an attempt to emphasize the bond that T.K. and Applejack share. Garurumon is Matt's partner, so having Applejack be a subspecies of Garurumon emphasizes their connection further. Both T.K. and Applejack also have issues with their parents, but for different reasons (I won't explain what they are because you probably already know at this point, but it will be elaborated on in a later chapter.)

The scene immediately preceding Applejack's Harmonic Evolution draws inspiration from several sources: the first is from the MLP series pilot where Applejack asks Twilight to let go of her when holding on for dear life, assuring her that everything will work out. This is what results in her proving her connection to the Element of Honesty.

The second is a reference to Garurumon's first apperance, where Gabumon digivolved to Garurumon when Matt tried to save T.K. from a feral Seadramon. It also references Zudomon's first appearance, when Joe tried to save T.K. from a MegaSeadramon under the command of Myotismon, causing his Crest of Reliability to activate and causing Ikkakumon to Digivolve to Zudomon. The Crest of Reliability's Japanese name can also translate to "Crest of Faith" or "Crest of Honesty" depending on translation.

Finally, the scene where Applejack sheds a single tear is a reference to Togemon's digivolution into Lillymon, where Mimi's Crest of Sincerity activates when she sheds a single tear.

As always, credit for TimberGarurumon goes to C8lin-the-Hedgie on Deviantart.

In the Jungle

“Ken, I thought you said this was a forest. This place looks more like a jungle!”

Ken and Wormmon turned to face Yolei, who surveyed the landscape atop Halsemon’s back as he flew. Tropical foliage stretched across the ground below, large trees with fanned leaves that formed a thick canopy over the land.

“It’s a rainforest, Yolei,” said Ken, “jungles are forests.”

“When you said a forest I was expecting something different,” Yolei huffed. “There’d better not be a bunch of icky bugs when we land!”

“What’s wrong with bugs?” asked Wormmon.

Yolei froze “I, er... I didn’t mean it like that! What I meant was, um... Uh...” Yolei’s words died in her throat as she found herself unable to form a coherent sentence.

“You were being insensitive,” interrupted Ken. “You need apologize to Wormmon.”

Yolei was stunned by Ken’s bluntness. She sat in awkward silence for several moments, as if still trying to process what Ken said.

“You’re right,” she finally admitted, “I’m sorry, Wormmon.”

“That’s okay, Yolei,” said Wormmon, “I forgive you.” He crawled up next to Yolei, allowing her to scratch him gently behind the antennae.

“Don’t get distracted, you two,” said Ken, “we need to keep our eyes peeled for the control spire.”

“Huh? What’s the big deal, Ken?” said Yolei, “It’s a huge black tower, how could we possibly miss it?”

Ken let out a deep, heavy sigh. “You know what? Forget I said anything.”

“Ken...” Yolei hesitantly reached a hand out towards Ken, an expression of deep concern crossing her face. Ken turned away and stared off into the distance, and Yolei pulled her hand back.

For several minutes the three sat in silence atop Halsemon’s back. Ken was unwilling to speak, and the others found themselves at a loss for anything to say to him. The silence was eventually broken by a beeping sound that came from both Ken and Yolei.

Yolei reached into her pocket and pulled out her D-Terminal, reading the message that was displayed on the screen.

==========
Hey guys! You wouldn’t believe what I just found! While on the way to the control spire I met this purple pony named Twilight Sparkle, and she’s actually an alien from another world! Pretty awesome, huh?

Anyway, it turns out she and her friends came to the Digital World to rescue another pony named Fluttershy, but they ended up getting separated. If any of you guys see another strange pony, let me know, okay?

- Davis
==========

“Uh, Ken?”

“Hm?” Ken was pulled out of his thoughts when Yolei called out to him.

“You don’t know if Davis does drugs by any chance, do you?”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes slowly adjusted to the light as the teleport spell completed, her head swimming as she slowly regained her senses. When her vision returned, she found herself in what could only be a jungle straight out of one of her Daring Do books.

Dense tropical foliage surrounded her at all side, with large trees draped with vines sticking up out of the ground, forming a thick roof of branches and leaves over the forest floor. Colorful flowers, and large ferns grew closer to the ground, leaving the entire scene carpeted in verdant plant life. The hot, humid air filled with sounds of what Rainbow could only assume were the rainforest’s animals.

“Huh? What’s going on Twilight? Where are we?”

There was a pause as Twilight failed to respond. Rainbow looked around her to find that she was nowhere to be found. None of her friends were, in fact.

“Huh? Guys? Where are you?”

Turning her head, Rainbow frantically scanned the surrounding area, but couldn’t find any sign of the other ponies. She took a tentative step forward as she examined her surroundings more carefully, hoping to find her friends hiding among the dense underbrush.

Calm down, Rainbow Dash, she reassured herself, they couldn’t have gone far. They probably ended up somewhere nearb- whoa!

Rainbow’s thoughts were abruptly cut off as her entire body began to glow, and she levitated into the air, a soft light encompassing her entire body. After a moment the glow faded, and she gently landed back onto the ground.

Oookay, that was weird. Wait, what’s this thing?

Rainbow suddenly noticed the presence of a strange object that was attached to her front ankle with a velcro strap. It was a rounded plastic rectangle with a small screen in the center, and surrounding the edges was a thick rubber casing, colored bright red. As she inspected it, a gentle light emitted from the screen, and her eyes lit up in recognition.

“Wait, is this the Element of Loyalty? Why has it turned into some kind of weird hoofwatch?”

Rainbow stared at the device in confusion, twisting her hoof around to inspect it from different angles. She sat onto her haunches and prodded the device gently with her other hoof curiously.

“Whatever,” Rainbow said as she got back on her hooves, “I’ll worry about it later. Right now I’ve gotta find the others!”

“Hisssss...”

The hairs on the back of Rainbow’s neck stood up straight up as she heard the unmistakable sound of something hissing right behind her. She hesitantly turned around, coming face-to-face with whatever creature had made the sound.

What she saw could only be described as a giant bug. It was a massive, multi-legged grub, roughly the size of a young filly, with a bright yellow coloration, black, lightning-shaped stripes, and large antennae. On the back of its body was a bright blue stinger, matching the color of its beak-like mouth. Around its neck was a black ring, inscribed with symbols Rainbow couldn’t recognize at a glance.

“Kuneeeeeh!”

The insect let out a sharp cry as it pounced at Rainbow, intent on slaughtering her with its beak. Rainbow swiftly turned around and bucked, striking the insect in the head with her rear hooves. The ring around its neck cracked slightly as the bug fell to the ground on its side. Rainbow glared at the insect as it picked itself back on its feet and faced her.

“Come on!” Rainbow shouted, “Bring it! I’m not afraid of some bug!”

For several tense moments, the insect stared back at Rainbow with its small, beady eyes. Eventually, it began to slowly back away, before turning around and skittering off into the dense underbrush.

“That’s right, go ahead and run! We both know you wouldn’t stand a chance against...”

Rainbow suddenly paused in her speech as she noticed a low buzzing sound coming from the direction that the grub had retreated in.

“Against... Um...”

The buzzing sound grew in intensity, becoming louder and unmistakably closer. Rainbow Dash gulped and carefully stepped backward, ready to take to the air at a moment’s notice.

Rainbow’s fears found themselves confirmed when all of a sudden a massive, wasp-like insect almost a dozen times her size burst through the dense forest, charging straight at her. It closely resembled the larva that attacked her previously, a bright yellow wasp with black stripes and beak-like mandibles, with massive purple wings carrying it across the air.

Rainbow Dash left the ground in an instant, her wings carrying her across the forest as the insect gave chase. Her lungs burned and her muscles ached as she desperately tried to outrace the wasp. The thick canopy overhead prevented her from escaping upwards, while the densely-packed trees also limited her speed, forcing her to slow down to avoid crashing.

That didn’t explain why the wasp was gaining on her, however. Even with her limited mobility, Rainbow knew that she should easily be able to outrun the wasp. Try as she might, however, she couldn’t seem to push herself to go any faster than she already was. Panic began to overtake her as the massive insect steadily closed the distance between them, pointing its massive stinger at Rainbow.

“Deadly Sting!”

With a thrust of its abdomen, the wasp’s stinger detached from its body, launching itself like an arrow towards Rainbow Dash. Several more stingers launched themselves in rapid succession, replacing themselves as soon as they left the wasps body. Acting on instinct, Rainbow Dash dodged the stingers, frantically moving to avoid the projectiles while at the same time weaving through the trees. All the while, the wasp steadily moved closer.

What’s going on? Why can’t I fly faster? I’m too awesome to die like this! Wait, what’s that?

As she flew, Rainbow caught a glimpse of a small opening in the canopy ahead, just large enough for her to safely fly through. Acting on her first instinct, she immediately turned upwards, flying up through the hole in the canopy.

Hovering above the forest, Rainbow Dash looked down to see the wasp’s head sticking through the opening in the trees, buzzing angrily as it tried in vain to crawl through the hole.

“What’s the matter, can’t keep up with me? Too fat for that little hole?” Rainbow grinned triumphantly, taunting the massive insect.

The wasp let out another low buzz, sounding almost as if were growling in irritation. Finally, it removed its head from the opening and withdrew back into the forest, the buzzing of its wings growing softer as it retreated into the distance.

Rainbow nervously let out a breath as the last sound of the massive bug faded away into nothing.

T-that was terrifying! I’d nearly been slaughtered by a giant fly monster! What would my friends think if I’d died like that?

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she came to a sudden realization, one that was far more frightening than what she’d just experienced.

“My friends!” she exclaimed, “What if there are other giant bugs out there? I- I have to find them, and fast!”

Rainbow quickly, turned around, and then flew back down through the gap in the canopy, touching down onto the rich jungle soil. With the rush of adrenaline gone, however, fatigue began to catch up to her. Her body felt unusually heavy as she landed, and she found herself struggling to avoid collapsing on the spot.

“Alright, Now I just gotta look... Gotta look...”

Rainbow yawned loudly, blinking wearily. She struggled to remain standing up, barely managing to prevent herself from falling over.

“No, not here!” Rainbow groaned. “I can’t fall asleep here... My friends... Danger...”

Her protests were in vain, however, as she unceremoniously slumped to the ground, falling asleep in an instant.

“This isn’t right,” Ken complained, “we should be looking for the control spire right now, not wasting our time with some asinine picnic.”

The others stared at Ken from across the circle they sat in on the forest floor. Yolei, Hawkmon, and Wormmon were all eating sandwiches Yolei had brought with her. Ken’s sandwich, however, remained untouched, lying at his feet in a tinfoil wrap.

Hawkmon harrumphed. “Oh, do lighten up, Ken. It’s hard to fly on an empty stomach, you know! Besides, I hardly call this a picnic without a blanket or a basket.”

“I know,” Ken sighed out, “I just... You know what, never mind."

Yolei stared at Ken, a look of sympathy appearing in her eyes.

“Ken, are you alright?”

Ken remained silent, eyes fixated on the ground.

“This is about the Digimon Emperor, isn’t it?”

Ken visibly flinched at Yolei’s words.

Yolei gasped. “I-I’m sorry, Ken! I didn’t mean-”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I said it’s fine, so shut up!”

The others abruptly stopped eating at Ken’s sudden outburst, leaving them momentarily stunned. For almost a minute, nobody said anything.

The silence was eventually broken when a loud noise began coming from nearby in the jungle.

“Hey wait, what’s that?” asked Yolei.

“If I’m not mistaken, it sounds rather like a chainsaw.” Hawkmon chimed, “Perhaps some digimon wishes to cut down the forest?”

“A chainsaw?” Yolei puzzled, “No, that can’t be it. It sounds kind of like... Snoring?”

“Oh dear,” said Wormmon, “this is no place for a digimon to be sleeping, there are all sorts of nasty dark rings about!”

Wormmon turned and glanced at Ken. “I’m going to go make sure that poor digimon is alright. You should probably come too, Ken. I mean, if that’s alright with you.”

“Huh? What?” Ken looked up to see Wormmon skittering off into the forest, in the direction of the snoring sound. He immediately bolted upright and climbed to his feet, giving chase to Wormmon.

“Wormmon, wait! It could be dangerous!”

On the streets of Cloudsdale, a young filly named Rainbow Dash watched as the hospital pegasi carried the ambulance away. For a long time she’d simply stood there and stared, thinking only of how she could have prevented it.

Rainbow made no effort to hold back the flow of tears as the ambulance sped into the distance. She cried harder than she ever cried before. It was all her fault.

“Hello, are you okay?”

“Mrrngh...” Rainbow Dash gently stirred in her sleep as she felt something gently prodding at her cheek.

“Hello? You need to wake up, it’s dangerous out here!”

“Ugh, five more minutes, please...” Rainbow Dash’s eyes gently fluttered open as she protested the sudden disturbance. As her vision adjusted to the light, she finally got a good look at what had startled her.

It was a giant bug. A massive green caterpillar, more than half of her size, was staring at her only inches away from her face.

“Hello, my name’s Wormmon, what’s yours?”

Rainbow Dash screamed like a little filly.

Author's Notes:

And now we're onto Rainbow Dash! For those of you wondering, the Digimon she encountered in this chapter were Kunemon and later Flymon. I didn't use the Digimon Analyzer since they appeared in Adventure 02 before.

For those of you wondering about Rainbow Dash's dream, don't worry, you'll find out more later. If you're familiar enough with the franchise, you might even be able to guess where it's going.

The Rainbow Sleeps Tonight

Rainbow Dash stared angrily at the large green caterpillar that was standing just in front of her. Her initial reaction to the bug was less cool than she’d like to admit, she was thankful her friends hadn’t seen her initial freakout. After a short time screaming and flailing, the bug had backed off slightly, and was now staring at her worriedly.

Rainbow glared back intensely at the worm with wings flared, trying her best to look intimidating.

“Y-you better not try anything!” she stammered, “I’m warning you!”

“Please, don’t be scared,” replied the insect, “I was only trying to help...”

“Like hay you were! You’re the third giant bug that’s tried to kill me since I got here!”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you, I was trying to warn you. It’s much too dangerous out here for you to be sleeping like that!”

Rainbow eyed the green caterpillar suspiciously. “I suppose you’re right about that. But how do I know I can trust you? How do I know you’re not going to try to kill me?”

“Well, if I did want to kill you, wouldn’t I have done it when you were sleeping?”

“Huh? Well, maybe you’re planning something else, like, um...” Rainbow paused, trying to come up with a possible explanation. “Well, whatever! I don’t trust you, and that’s that! So don’t move!”

Rainbow’s ferocious gaze wavered slightly as she stared down the insect, fear plainly visible in her eyes.

“I’m serious! D-don’t move a muscle or I’ll squish you!”

The caterpillar shifted nervously under the weight of Rainbow Dash’s piercing glare. For several seconds the two simply stared at each other, unwilling to make a move.

“Wormmon! There you are!”

“Yipe!”

Rainbow Dash jumped at the sound of the new voice, which had called out from the nearby foliage. Pushing itself out of the dense underbrush was a tall, bipedal creature. It was mostly hairless, save for a long black mane on its head, and on its body it wore grey outfit, with a strange rectangular bag hanging from a strap on its shoulder. Judging by the voice, he was most likely male.

The bipedal creature quickly ran over to the caterpillar, apparently named Wormmon, and looked down at him, frowning in disapproval.

“What were you thinking, Wormmon? You can’t just go running off by yourself like that! You know it’s dangerous out here!”

“I sorry, Ken,” replied Wormmon, “but when I heard that digimon over there snoring I just had to make sure she was alright. It isn’t safe for anyone to sleeping when there are so many dark rings about!”

“Hey!” Rainbow interjected, “What do you mean snoring?”

“And what if they were already under the control of a dark ring?” Ken asked, “What would you have done then? What if someone tried to kill you and I wasn’t there to protect you?”

“Oh,” Wormmon said dejectedly, “I didn’t think of that.”

Ken immediately knelt down and wrapped his arms around Wormmon, pulling him into a tight hug, fresh tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

“I can’t lose you again, Wormmon! Not after everything that’s happened!”

Wormmon’s antennae sagged as he returned Ken’s embrace. “I’m sorry, Ken, I didn’t mean to worry you. I promise I’ll be more careful.”

“It’s alright. Just don’t scare me like that, okay?”

“Agreed.”

After a lengthy embrace, Ken released Wormmon from his arms and stood up, both of them turning to face Rainbow Dash. Rainbow stared at them nervously, unsure of what to think.

“Uh... Sorry, you kinda lost me there,” said Rainbow.

“Don’t worry about it,” replied Ken. “Weird, I don’t remember ever seeing anything like you. I’ll have to look your species up later.”

“Huh?”

“I suppose that’s not important right now, though. What’s important is if you’re alright or not. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” replied Rainbow, “I mean, I guess I’m alright now.”

“See, Wormmon?” said Ken, “She’s fine. Now why don’t we go back and meet with Yolei and Hawkmon so we can get moving?”

Without another word, Ken turned around and headed back in the direction with he came from. Wormmon paused for a moment, looking back at Rainbow worriedly briefly before turning back and calling into the forest.

“Ken, what about her? She could still be in danger! Ken?”

Wormmon’s protests fell on deaf ears, however, as Ken had already disappeared further into the jungle.

“Um, I’m sorry, I really want to stay, but If I leave Ken he’ll be really worried about me. Are you sure you’re alright? Will you be able to make it out here on your own?”

“Huh?” replied Rainbow, “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Rainbow replied, exasperated, “now can you please just go?”

“Well, all right,” Wormmon conceded. With that, he turned around and crawled into the distant forest, following after Ken.

Well, that was weird, Rainbow thought, What exactly was that hairless monkey thing supposed to be? What was his name, Ken? What was with him and that bug thing named Wormmon?

Rainbow sat on her haunches and contemplated what had just happened. The more she thought about the hairless ape named Ken, the more she was bothered by him. She couldn’t quite describe it, but something about Ken bothered her. There was a certain subtle wrongness about him that made Rainbow Dash feel on edge when thinking about him.

Ugh, just what is going on here? A jungle, giant bug monsters, and now that thing named Ken?

A frustrated frown appeared on Rainbow’s face as she considered everything that had happened since Twilight had cast her teleport spell. The whole experience had left her confused and desperate for answers.

That’s it! I’m tired of being left out of the loop! I’m going to get some answers out of that big bald ape!
A newfound sense of determination welled up within Rainbow Dash as she lifted herself into the air and sped off to find Ken.

Ken soon arrived back at the makeshift camp to find Yolei and Hawkmon waiting for him. Yolei stood up and rushed over to meet him.

“Is everything alright, Ken?” asked Yolei, “Where’s Wormmon?”

“Huh?” Panic crept its way into Ken’s face as he looked behind him to see Wormmon wasn’t there. “Wormmon? Wormmon, where are you!?”

“Ken, wait up!”

“Wormmon, what were you doing back there?” demanded Ken, “You were supposed to be following after me!”

Wormmon looked up at Ken, still breathing heavily. “I’m sorry, Ken. I had to stay behind to make sure that digimon was alright.”

“We don’t have time for that!” Ken snapped, “If we stop to help every single digimon we find we’ll never make it to the control spire! The only way to save these digimon is to destroy the spire and find out who’s building them!” Wormmon flinched at the sudden outburst as though he were struck.

“Ken, calm down!” Yolei cried out, “I understand you’re upset about what’s happening, but that’s no reason to yell at Wormmon like that!”

Ken sighed. “Look, I’m just saying we shouldn’t distract ourselves from our mission. I’m sorry if acted unreasonably.”

“Yolei’s not the one you should be saying sorry to,” Hawkmon chimed, “Wormmon’s the one you yelled at, and I believe you owe him an apology.”

Ken frowned, shifting uncomfortably. “You’re right,” he admitted, “I’m sorry, Wormmon.”

“That’s okay, Ken,” said Wormmon, “I forgive you.”

Ken knelt down and allowed Wormmon to approach him, scratching him gently behind the antennae.

“Hey, you!”

Ken and the others nearly jumped into the air at the sound of the voice that had called out. A multicolored blur suddenly shot out from the forest, kicking up large amounts of dust as it landed nearby. The two humans and digimon erupted into coughing fits as the dust settled from the sudden disturbance.

Yolei took off her glasses and wiped the dust off, while the others rubbed the dust from their eyes, allowing them to get a good look at the sudden arrival. The first thing Yolei noticed was that it resembled a small winged pony, with a bright multicolored mane that complimented her light-blue coat. The second thing she noticed was that was it angry.

“You there!” said the pony, pointing an accusing hoof at Ken, “you’d better tell me what’s going on here! Who are you? Where are my friends?”

“Hey, calm down,” said Ken.

“No! I’m not going to calm down! I’m completely lost in the middle of nowhere, my friends are nowhere to be found, and I was nearly killed by a giant wasp! You better tell me what’s going here, or else!”

“Hey, leave Ken alone!” Yolei interjected, “he hasn’t done anything to you!”

The pony turned her head to face Yolei. “Oh? And who are you supposed to be? His girlfriend?”

A pink flush appeared on Yolei’s face. “H-hey! Shut up! Just because I think he’s cute doesn’t mean he’s my boyfriend!”

Ken suddenly shrank back, his face turning bright red. The pony’s angry glare disappeared as she suddenly burst into uproarious laughter, rolling on the forest floor.

“Shut up!” Yolei shouted, “That’s not funny!”

“Yeah, sure...” The pony replied sarcastically, still gasping for breath as she stood up. “Why don’t you tell me again about how cute your not-boyfriend is?”

“Why, you little—!”

“That’s quite enough, both of you!” Hawkmon interrupted, putting himself between the pony and Yolei.

“Now, then,” Hawkmon addressed the pony, “would you please be so kind as to tell us your name? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a digimon like you before.”

“Digimon? What are you talking about?” The pony flew up off the ground, doing a backwards flip in the air.

“You’re looking at Rainbow Dash, the awesomest pegasus in all of Equestria!” the pony proclaimed triumphantly. Breathing heavily, she slowly lowered herself to ground, trying to hide her own exhaustion.

“You’re a Pegasusmon?” said Wormmon, “That’s strange, I’ve never seen one like you before. Then again, I’ve only ever known one.”

“No, Wormmon,” said Ken, “I think what she’s trying to say is that she’s not a Digimon at all. Is that right... Rainbow Dash?” Ken hesitated in saying the name, sounding completely ridiculous to his ears.

“No way! I don’t even know what a digimon is! Why do you keep calling me that?”

“But... I don’t understand.” said Ken, “How is that possible?”

“Hey, wait a second,” said Yolei.

“I don’t know! That’s just the way I am!” said Rainbow, angrily.

“Hey!” said Yolei.

“That doesn’t explain anything!” said Ken “Everything in the Digital World is either a human or digimon, and you’re neither of those things! So tell me, what exactly are you supposed to be?”

“I already told you! I’m a pegasus!”

“Will you two shut up and listen!?”

“What!?” Ken and Rainbow Dash both turned and yelled at Yolei.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Ken! I was going to tell you something important before you two started bickering with each other!”

Ken sighed. “Yeah, what is it?”

“Well,” said Yolei, “remember that email Davis sent to me a while ago that I thought was a prank? He said something about finding some alien pony named Twilight—”

“What!?” Rainbow Dash left the ground in an instant, flying up so that her face was mere inches away from Yolei’s. “Where is she!? What have you done with her!?”

“H-hey! Calm down! I haven’t done anything!”

“Like hay you haven’t, you liar!” Rainbow pressed herself closer to Yolei, causing her to tumble backwards and fall onto her backside. Rainbow Dash landed violently on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

“You’re in a world of hurt for threatening my friends!”

“Sticky Net!”

Wormmon ejected a glob of silk from his mouth, striking Rainbow Dash at high velocity. The silk expanded into a net, carrying Rainbow as it traveled, before wrapping itself around a tree, pinning Rainbow Dash to the trunk.

“H-hey! Lemme go!” Rainbow struggled futilely against the silk, trying desperately to escape her bonds.

Hawkmon approached Yolei and reached out with an arm, helping her to her feet.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Yolei, “but what about Rainbow Dash?”

Yolei looked over towards the aforementioned pegasus, who struggled weakly against the sticky web holding her to the trunk. After a brief fit of struggling, she finally gave up, hanging limp against her restraints.

“I... I give up.” She sighed. “Do whatever you want with me, but please, don’t hurt my friends!”

“Now wait a second,” said Yolei.

“Please!” Rainbow begged, “My friends don’t deserve this! I’ll do anything, just leave them alone!”

“Calm down! We’re not going to hurt anyone!”

“Yolei, perhaps it would be best if I handled this,” Hawkmon chimed in as he approached Rainbow Dash. “Feather Strike!”

Rainbow Dash flinched as Hawkmon grabbed the feather on his headband and tossed it like a boomerang at her. Instead of striking her, however, the feather cleanly cut through the silk on either side of her body, causing her to fall to the ground. Hawkmon caught the feather as it came back to him, placing it back on his headband.

Rainbow hesitantly opened her eyes, and looked around in confusion. She stood up, and with a gentle shake of her legs, she forced the silk net off.

“You freed me?” she asked, turning to face the others, “Why?”

“A simple act of good will, my friend,” said Hawkmon, “I only wished to prove to you that we meant no harm.”

“No harm!?” Rainbow shouted, “You said you had your friends kidnap Twilight!”

“Nobody said anything about a kidnapping!” cried Yolei. “All I said was that Davis found your friend!”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “So you really haven’t done anything to hurt her?”

“Of course not. Davis may be a little obnoxious sometimes, but he’d never hurt someone for no reason.”

“And what about my other friends?” asked Rainbow, “What happened to them?”

“Huh?”

“My other friends! We were all together when we left! What happened? Are... Are they gonna be okay?” Rainbow croaked out the words as she stared at Yolei with pleading eyes.

Yolei shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything about other ponies, I’m afraid.”

“Oh...” Rainbow Dash’s ears flattened against her head, looking as though she’d been crushed.

Yolei knelt down and looked Rainbow straight in the eyes. “Hey, listen. Why don’t you tell us some more about your friends and where you came from? Maybe we figured out what’s going on we could help you out.”

“I’d like to know what’s going on, too.” said Ken. “You said she was an alien, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s what Davis said,” replied Yolei. “Are you an alien, Rainbow Dash?”

“What?” exclaimed Rainbow, “Of course not! Why would I be an alien? I told you, I’m a pegasus!”

“I think a better question would be if you came from another world.” said Hawkmon, “Nobody would consider himself an alien from his own perspective, after all.”

“What are you talking about?” said Rainbow, “I’m not from another world, I’m from Equestria!”

The others traded a series of blank looks with each other.

“Uh... You know, Equestria? It’s only the single largest kingdom on planet Ungula! How can you not have heard of it?”

“Uh, I hate to break it to you, Rainbow,” said Yolei, “but I’ve never heard of a planet called Ungula before.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “What?! Does this mean I’m on another planet now?”

“My sincerest apologies, Rainbow Dash,” said Hawkmon, “but I’m afraid it’s the truth.”

“Apologies? Are you kidding me!?” Rainbow exclaimed, as she flew into the air excitedly, “I’m one of the first ponies to ever explore another planet! That is so awesome!” Rainbow leaned up and pressed her front hooves against her face, squishing her cheeks together.

“That’s the spirit!” said Hawkmon, “Always look on the bright side of things, I always say!”

“You said it!” exclaimed Rainbow “So what exactly is this planet called anyway? Are you guys, like, the native aliens or something? What sort of freaky alien names have you got?”

“Hey!” cried Yolei, “My name’s not freaky, it’s Yolei!”

“I dunno, sounds pretty freaky to me,” Rainbow teased.

“No it isn’t! It’s a perfectly normal name!”

“Alright, that’s enough”, interrupted Ken, “Rainbow Dash is right, though, we should probably introduce ourselves since we’ve already learned her name. I’m Ken, and this is my partner Wormmon.”

“Oh yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, “I remember that now. I heard you guys call each other that before. What about the bird thing, though? What’s his name?”
“I beg your pardon?” Hawkmon huffed, “My name is Hawkmon, and I am most certainly not a bird thing.”

“So... You’re a hawk, and your name is Hawkmon? And the worm guy’s name is Wormmon? Not very creative. Why can’t you have those weird alien names like Ken or Yolei?”

“For the last time, there’s nothing wrong with my name!” exclaimed Yolei.

“Let’s not start this again,” interrupted Ken. “If we want to get anywhere we need to explain to each other what’s going on.

“I should start by saying that Yolei and I are humans. We come from a planet called Earth, which is a different from the Digital World, which is where we are right now. The Digital World is connected to the planet Earth through Earth’s computer networks. Wormmon and Hawkmon are digimon, or digital monsters, which are native to the Digital World.”

“Whoa... So you guys are like, double aliens, then,” said Rainbow. Yolei and Hawkmon both rolled their eyes.

“Well, I suppose that’s one way of seeing it,” said Ken, “Yolei and I are part of a special group of humans called the Digi-Destined. We’ve both been chosen to serve as a link between the Earth and the Digital World, and with the help of our partners we protect both worlds from evil.” Ken pulled out a small electronic device from his pocket and showed it to Rainbow Dash.

“This object is called a digivice. It lets us open portals from Earth to the Digital World. It also allows us to channel our emotions to allow our partners to digivolve into stronger forms. But right now our partners can’t digivolve normally because of the control spires...” Ken trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

“Uh, are you okay?” asked Rainbow.

“It’s nothing,” said Ken, “as I was saying, the control spires are black towers that emit a signal that prevents our digimon from digivolving normally. Instead, we use artifacts called armor digi-eggs, which allow our partners to armor digivolve.”

“Uh-huh.” Rainbow nodded along half-heartedly, looking like she didn’t fully understand.

“The control spires also control evil artifacts called dark rings, which brainwash and enslave digimon. We’re trying to find out who’s building the control spires and put a stop to them before any more innocent digimon are harmed.”

“Wait, are you saying those bugs that tried to kill me were under mind control?” Rainbow cried, “I don’t believe it! That’s messed up! Who would do that?”

“As I said, that’s what we’re trying to find out. But what I’m wondering now is how you got here, and if it’s somehow related to the control spires.”

“Huh? What!?” Rainbow sputtered. “What are you saying? I’d never do anything like that!”

“Calm down, Rainbow, nobody’s accusing you of anything!” said Yolei. “We just need to know how you got here so we can figure out what’s going on.”

“Alright, alright, sorry,” Rainbow sighed, “sheesh.”

“It’s okay,” said Ken, “we’re not mad at you, we just need to know everything before we go on. Can you tell us what happened before you got here?”

“Well,” said Rainbow Dash, “I was having a picnic outside near Twilight’s house, along with my friends, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack. We were waiting for our other friend Fluttershy when we suddenly heard this huge explosion! We went inside to investigate, and apparently Fluttershy was being dragged through a portal by some kind of evil magic. Twilight cast a spell for us to follow her, and next thing I knew, I was here, and the rest my friends were nowhere to be seen.”

“Evil magic?” said Yolei, “Ken, do you think that could be related to the new control spires?”

“That does sound likely at this point,” said Ken, “Rainbow Dash, can you tell us any more information?”

“Hey, no need to be all formal and stuff. Just call me Rainbow. Or Dash. Just as long as you know I’m awesome.” Rainbow Dash smirked triumphantly.

“Great, just what we needed,” Yolei muttered, “another Davis.”

“I can’t really think of anything else important to say. Oh, wait, my Element of Loyalty got transformed into this thing. It looks kind of like that Digivice you showed me.” Rainbow held out her forehoof as she hovered in front of Ken, allowing him to examine the red plastic device.

Ken stared incredulously at the small device on Rainbow’s ankle. “I don’t believe it. Is this really a digivice? Does this mean you’re a Digi-Destined?”

“Nah,” said Rainbow, “I don’t have a digimon partner like you. It just turned into this when I arrived here.”

“I see. And what is the Element of Loyalty, exactly?”

“It’s one of the Elements of Harmony,” said Rainbow. “They’re these six magical necklaces that represent the awesomest, most powerful force in Equestria! Well, Twilight’s is a crown, but whatever. Whenever bad guys attack, my friends and I are always ready to use the Elements to give them what for!” Rainbow cheered as she posed triumphantly in midair.

“Can you tell us more about them?” asked Ken, “What else do you know about the Elements of Harmony?”

“Well, as I said, My Element is the Element of Loyalty. Fluttershy’s is the Element of Kindness, Rarity is Generosity, Applejack is Honesty, Pinkie Pie's is Laughter, and Twilight’s is the Element of Magic. Whenever we use them, we go all floaty and glowy-eyed and shoot a giant rainbow that beats the bad guys in one shot. I gotta say, those Elements of Harmony have some pretty good taste.”

Ken’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Wait, back up! You say the Element of Kindness belonged to Fluttershy? The one who was kidnapped by an evil force?”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow, “why?”

“Because if my suspicions are correct,” Ken replied flatly, “then the one who took Fluttershy is using her Element of Kindness to build these new control spires.”

“What!” Rainbow exclaimed, “What do you mean? Why would they do that? How do you know?”

“Just trust me on this!” Ken snapped angrily, causing the others to flinch. “Right now your friend is in grave danger, Rainbow, and if we don’t act fast something horrible could happen to her!”

Rainbow simply stared, stunned into silence. Ken turned to Yolei and Hawkmon. “Get ready to armor digivolve. We need to head for the control spire right away.”

“Ken, shouldn’t you—”

Ken gave Yolei a piercing glare, silencing her instantly. Yolei could tell just from his expression what Ken was trying to say.

We can’t tell her about me yet. We can’t risk losing her trust.

Yolei nodded, reaching into her pocket and holding out her Digivice towards Hawkmon. “Alright, then. Get ready, Hawkmon! Digi-Armor Energize!”

Yolei’s Digivice let out a shrill noise as it the screen glowed intensely. The Digi-Egg of Love emerged from the screen, growing in size until it resemble a winged helmet. Hawkmon’s body glowed as the digi-egg flew towards him, and merged with his body.

“Hawkmon, Armor Digivolve To: Halsemon, the Wings of Love!”

Rainbow stared in awe as Hawkmon’s body grew larger, transforming into a quadrupedal digimon not too dissimilar from a griffin, with a winged helmet covering the top of his head.

Yolei climbed on, and Ken followed suit, lifting Wormmon up to carry him onto Halemon’s back.

“Come on, Rainbow,” said Yolei, “Ken’s right, we should get going.”

“Wait!” Rainbow cried out, “What about Fluttershy? What about the rest of my friends? Are they going to be okay?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them,” said Ken, “come on, we can look for your friends on the way to the control spire.”

“Alright,” said Rainbow, “I’ll come with you. We’ll kick those bad guys’ butts so had they won’t even know what hit them! That’ll teach them not to mess with my friends!”

“We should get going then,” said Halsemon, “Do you want a ride, or will you fly with us on your own?”

“You kidding? I don’t need any help, I was born to fly!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Uh, not that you’re a bad ride or anything,” she hastily added.

“No offense taken,” said Halsemon.

With that, Halsemon lifted off the ground, ascending through a large hole in the forest canopy, with Rainbow Dash following closely behind as they both set off in search of the control spire.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was a massive pain to write, I'll admit, but I'm glad I was finally able to get it out the door. Not much to comment on here besides that.

Hottokenai

Rainbow Dash stared down lazily at the jungle as the trees passed her at a moderate pace. Due to her inexplicably reduced flight speed and agility, she’d found herself mostly gliding through the air as she followed Halsemon towards their ultimate destination. She didn’t have the energy or the ability to perform any of her usual feats of aerial prowess, and it infuriated her to no end.

She looked over towards Halsemon, who was leading her towards what appeared to be a black tower in the distance, presumably one of the control spires Ken had mentioned. Rainbow felt a shiver fall down her spine as she looked at the spire, its evil presence felt despite being so far away.

“So, what are we going to do when we get to this control spire thing?” asked Rainbow.

“We’re going to destroy it,” replied Ken. “When we do, it’ll free all the digimon in the area that are controlled by dark rings.”

“And what about Fluttershy?” Rainbow demanded “What about my other friends? We still have no idea where they are or what happened to them!”

“We’ll figure that out when we get there”, said Ken, “we need to destroy the control spire first.”

“But my friends are in danger! You’re not seriously going to abandon them, are you?”

“You don’t think I know that?” Ken angrily replied, “Right now the entire Digital World is in danger! If we want to figure out what’s going on and what happened to your friends, we have no choice but to go after the control spire first. Once we free the digimon, they’ll be able to tell us what happened.”

“And what if they don’t know what happened to my friends?” Rainbow asked, “what are you gonna do then, huh?”

“Calm down, Rainbow!” said Yolei, “I promise we’ll find your friends, okay? Ken knows what he’s doing, you need to trust him.”

“He’d better know what he’s doing.” Rainbow muttered.

The group continued in silence for some time, the control spire gradually growing larger in size from their perspective as they approached. Rainbow felt her body growing more and more tired as they continued, but she tried her best to avoid showing any sign of fatigue to her new acquaintances.

Ugh, I’ll never find my friends at this rate, she silently protested. There’s no way I’ll be able to rescue my friends with these guys slowing me down. I have to find a way to ditch them somehow.

“Hey, Ken?” Rainbow spoke up

Ken was suddenly pulled out of his silent brooding. “Hm?”

“Um... Can I stop so I can use the bathroom?”

“Now?”

“Please?” Rainbow pleaded, “I really have to go!”

Ken let out an exasperated sigh. “Ugh, fine. But make it quick, okay?”

“Alright, thanks! Just, uh, don’t wait up for me, okay? I’ll catch up to you eventually.”

“Wait!” Yolei cried, “You’re not seriously going to go down there by yourself, are you? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

“What? Can’t I get a little privacy?” Rainbow responded with indignation, “I can take care of myself! I survived in that jungle for all by myself before you found me!”

Ken raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Don’t worry,” said Rainbow, “I’ll be totally fine. Just keep going and I’ll meet with you at the control spire.”

“What about all the mind controlled digimon?” Wormmon asked in a concerned tone. “There are so many nasty things down there who would kill you as soon as they saw the opportunity.”

“I’d like to see them try!” Rainbow boasted, “Look, if I can keep up with you guys in the air for this long, then sure as hay can outrun any monster that comes after me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go!”

“Rainbow, wait!”

Rainbow Dash ignored Yolei’s shout as she swiftly flew downwards, causing Halsemon to swerve in midair to face her. Before they could go after her, Rainbow maneuvered through a gap in the forest canopy that was too small for Halsemon to fit through, leaving the group hovering above the forest canopy. Yolei desperately reached out a hand towards the fleeing pegasus, only to be interrupted when Ken placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s alright, Yolei. Rainbow Dash was right, If we wait for her, it’ll only slow us down while more innocent digimon suffer. I think we should trust her on this.”

“Are you sure she’ll make it back alright?” Yolei pleaded.

“Rainbow Dash isn’t as helpless as you might think,” replied Ken. “If we’re to believe her story, that device on her wrist is one of the most powerful weapons of her world. If worse comes to worse, she’ll be able to defend herself with it.”

“I just can’t help but worry, though...”

“I understand if you’re worried Yolei, but we do need to keep moving. I have a suspicion that the evil force that abducted her friend Fluttershy is also the one creating the control spires, and is currently holding her hostage. We need to confirm if that’s true by freeing the digimon and gathering more information on who enslaved them.”

Yolei hesitated briefly before responding. “Alright Ken, I trust your judgment. I just hope you’re right about all of this.”

Yolei gave Halsemon a slight nod, and Halsemon turned around and started flying towards the control spire. As they approached, Ken couldn’t help but stare at the black monument he had worked so hard to eradicate from the Digital World in the past.

Either the one who kidnapped Fluttershy is using her Element to build the control spires, or... No, I don’t even want to consider that possibility. Nobody would ever repeat my mistake.

Rainbow Dash let out a tired sigh as she landed on the forest floor.

Thank Celestia, I finally managed to ditch them. Now I just need to figure out where the hay my friends went.

Taking a look around, Rainbow scanned the forest for any sign of any of the other ponies that had accompanied her on their mission to rescue Fluttershy. Everywhere she looked, however, there was nothing but vegetation, no sign of anything other than the colorful foliage. As she looked the landscape seemed to blend together into a solid mass of greens and browns. It even seemed to be getting blurrier, in fact.

Rainbow suddenly let out a loud yawn. Her eyelids sagged shut and her body began to feel heavier. The fatigue of traveling so far with her reduced flight ability. had finally caught up to her.

“No...” Rainbow moaned, “I can’t fall asleep... My friends... Can't turn my back...”

Her protests went unheard by anyone as she swiftly fell into unconsciousness.

Far above the soil of Equestria, a group of young pegasi stood on the surface of a cloud, molded into the shape of a runway. Various weather vanes and instruments dotted the cloudscape as it stretched into the distance. This was recognized by ponies in the area as the field used for flight instruction in Cloudsdale Academy, the school with the most esteemed flight curriculum in Equestria.

Among the fillies and colts present was a young filly by the name of Rainbow Dash, unmistakably identified by her bright blue coat and multicolored mane. She was also the youngest in the class by at least two years, having been placed in a higher class due to her exceptional athletic skill.

The instructor, a brown stallion wearing a red sports jacket and a whistle, soon flew in and landed in front of the class. His normally stern expression was replaced by a look of deep melancholy. There was no discipline in his features, no aura of authority, only sadness.

“Kids, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Oh no, Rainbow thought.

“As you might have heard, your classmate Spiral Twister was taken to the hospital yesterday. It is with deepest regret that I must say that she won’t be coming back.”

A chorus of gasps sounded out from the class, and the fillies and colts began whispering among themselves about what had happened. Some say she’d flown too recklessly and gotten her wing broken off by a crash, others say she caught a deadly disease, and that it was contagious. Rainbow simply fell onto her haunches, unable to say a word. What could she have said? She was there when it happened.

“Settle down, everypony!” the instructor demanded, “I can assure you that she hasn’t died from anything, and that nopony else is in any danger of catching it. What your classmate had was feather rot, a rare genetic disease that manifests around puberty. It gradually cuts circulation off from the wings, causing death of wing tissue. If treated in time, the symptoms can be completely cured and prevented. Unfortunately, by the time your classmate was in the hospital, her wings had been damaged beyond repair, and the doctors were forced to amputate.”

“Excuse me? What’s amputate mean?” asked the voice of a young colt. Rainbow didn’t even bother to see who it was.

“It means the doctors had to cut off her wings,” replied the instructor, “as long as she lives she may never fly again.” The pegasi children all gasped in unison.

Oh no. No no no no no no. Please, no, it can’t be true!

“I know you all are upset by this, and that’s why it’s important to remember that we’re all here to support each other. If someone had been around to ensure that Spiral Twister had gotten to the hospital sooner, the doctors might have been able to save her wings. One of the first things you learned in flight school that it’s our responsibility to ensure that we’re here to catch each other if we fall. But what most of you might not realize is that it isn’t just about flying. It’s about doing what it takes to help others who need it most. Pegasus society was built on the ideal of a strong community, one where we always look out for each other in the worst of times. If there’s one thing that I want you to remember from this class, it’s that you should always be there for a pony in need.

“Now, since we’re all so deeply affected by the loss of our friend, we won’t be having class today. Since this is your last class, you may go home, but always remember: you can’t just turn your back on anypony. Dismissed!”

With a blow of his whistle, the instructor turned and flew away, and the crowd of pegasi children slowly dispersed, with none of the enthusiasm of schoolchildren let out of class early. Rainbow simply sat on her haunches, tears already forming in her eyes.

“This is all my fault!” she sobbed “I was there! I could have saved her! Why didn’t she tell me she was that sick? I could have saved her! It’s my fault... My fault...”

Rainbow’s words were ultimately unheard, as by then all of the others had already left.

“Gyah!” Rainbow screamed out as her head jolted upwards, catapulting herself awake. She breathed deep, labored breaths as she recovered from the shock of reliving her worst memories.

“Heh... Just a dream. No big deal. Just walk it off.” She slowly rose to her hooves, stretching her legs and wings in turn.

“I hope I wasn’t asleep for too long,” she said to nobody in particular. “I’ll bet Ken and Yolei are already at the control spire by now.”

Rainbow suddenly froze. Her stomach sank as she was suddenly reminded of the humans whom she’d recently befriended.

“Dear Celestia, what am I doing?! They went out of their way to help me when I needed them, and this is the thanks I give them? I’m such an idiot! I can’t just turn my back on them like this!”

In a sudden burst of speed, Rainbow flew straight into the air, smashing through the canopy as though it were nothing. Ignoring the sudden bruises and cuts, she headed straight for the control spire, flying faster than she’d ever flown since her arrival in the Digital World.

“There it is! Let’s take it out!”

Yolei pointed towards the control spire as it neared the range of Halsemon’s attacks. The spire sat in the middle of a large clearing, a meadow of wild grass that was surrounded on all sides by the thick trees and ferns of the jungle. Strangely, there were no other digimon to be seen in the clearing.

“Mach Impulse!”

Blades of pressurized wind shot forth from the blades on Halsemon’s helmet, slicing straight through the control spire’s architecture. The massive tower began to topple over in the other direction, only to disintegrate into pieces of data as it collapsed to the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

“Perfecto!” said Yolei, “come on, Halsemon, let’s wait here for Rainbow. She couldn’t possibly have missed that enormous implosion of dust.”

Halsemon then flew towards the ground and landed, allowing for Ken, Yolei, and Wormmon to climb off. Yolei held out her D-3, collecting the Digi-Egg of Love as Halsemon reverted to Hawkmon.

“Yolei, I hate to be a spoilsport,” said Hawkmon, “but don’t you think that was a little bit too easy?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“He’s right,” said Ken, “we shouldn’t let our guard down. If there’s anything I knew from being the Digimon Emperor, it’s that control spires are never unguarded.”

“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic, Ken,” said Yolei, “we’ve already destroyed the spire, so the dark rings won’t work anymore. What could possibly go wrong for us now?”

The others all glared at Yolei in exasperation.

“What?” said Yolei, “Come on, you don’t really believe in that dumb old cliché, do you? Just because I ask what could possibly go wrong doesn’t mean something will!”

Hawkmon pinched his brow between his feathers, nursing a sudden headache. “Yolei, for the sake of all of us, please do not tempt fate like that ever again.”

“Alright, fine,” Yolei sighed, “but if something bad happens, it’s not like we won’t be able to handle it. We’re Digi-Destined, after all.”

Suddenly, as though on cue, the sky began to darken. The light of the Digital World’s sun seemingly grew dimmer, as the area darkened despite the clear skies overhead.

Hawkmon shot Yolei an exasperated look. “You just had to say it, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t do anything, I swear!”

“I know this darkness!” exclaimed Ken. “Be prepared for anything, there’s no telling what it’s really capable of!”

Multiple pools of shadow suddenly began to form on the ground nearby, causing the grass to shrivel and die as they slithered across the ground of their own volition towards a single point. The shadows merged with each other as they collected into a single shadow, which rose out of the ground, coalescing into a solid shape, devoid of light or color.

Ken stared at the shadow in disbelief. “Stingmon!?”

“I’ve been expecting you, Ken,” the living silhouette spoke, with a voice like a thousand wasps. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vespimon, Queen of the Digital World!”

Author's Notes:

Better get ready, 'cause shit's about to get real.

The name of this chapter is Taiki's catch phrase in the Japanese version of Digimon Xros Wars, who has a backstory closely resembling the one I gave Rainbow Dash. It literally translates to "I can't turn my back on him/her", a sentiment that perfectly captures what the Element of Loyalty is about. You might catch another digimon reference in Rainbow's backstory that might come into play later.

Fly High

Ken glared angrily at the shadowy digimon standing before him. The female Stingmon silhouette exuded a tangible aura of malevolence as it stared straight back at Ken.

“You...” Ken growled, “You’re the one that’s behind all of this.”

“But of course,” Vespimon teased. “Who else but me could possibly build all these lovely control spires? Aside from you, I mean.”

“I’m nothing like you,” said Ken.

“You’re right about that,” Vespimon retorted. “It’d be utterly insulting to even compare myself to you. You could have had this entire world to yourself, and yet you gave it all up as soon as you faced even the slightest obstacle. You were weak.” Ken gritted his teeth as Vespimon taunted him, his fists clenched firmly by his sides.

“You have no idea who it is you’re dealing with here, Vespimon!” said Ken. “I’ve made a promise to myself to protect this world, and that’s a promise that I intend to keep! So surrender now or we’ll have no choice but to destroy you!”

Vespimon broke out into a sharp, wicked cackle that grated against the others’ ears. “You think you can challenge me? Priceless! You really haven’t changed one bit since you stopped being the Digimon Emperor! So arrogant, so full of overconfidence! Your delusions of grandeur never left you!”

“Why you—” Ken lunged forward towards Vespimon, only to be stopped when Yolei forcefully grabbed him by the arm.

“Ken, calm down!” cried Yolei. “Don’t you see that she’s only trying to get a rise out of you? Don’t let her provoke you like that!”

Ken’s body relaxed, and he let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right. Getting mad won’t solve anything now.” He turned towards Vespimon, glaring at the shadow intensely. “Vespimon, your actions have shown a blatant disregard for the safety of the Digital World and its inhabitants. You have but one chance to surrender or we’ll have no choice but to take action against you.”

“Oh, so you’re going to fight me?” Vespimon teased. “This ought to be a fun distraction. Go ahead and do your worst! Let’s see how far your bond with your digimon will carry you!”

“So this is all just just a game to you?” said Ken. “I guess that leaves us with no choice but to prove to you otherwise. Get ready, everyone!”

Ken looked back towards the others and nodded, receiving another nod in return from the others. He and Yolei both reached into their respective pockets and brought out their digivices, holding them out in front of their partners. Bathed in the light of the digivices, Hawkmon and Wormmon both grew larger as their bodies transformed.

“Hawkmon, Digivolve To: Aquilamon!”

“Wormmon, Digivolve to: Stingmon!”

Vespimon eyed the two new Digimon warily as they stepped forward to confront her. She extended her left claw and pointed at Stingmon. Stingmon took a defensive stance, and Aquilamon lowered his head spread his wings, prepared to charge at any moment.

“Stingmon, was it?” said Vespimon, “I can certainly admire your form. You remind me of myself, and not just because of your appearance. Just looking at you, I can feel your strength, your confidence.” Vespimon lowered her arm, her arms tensing at her sides as she hissed angrily. “So why is it that you insist on following a pathetic weakling such as Ken? Surely you can see that he is not worth your loyalty!”

“Ken is my partner,” replied Stingmon. “I respect him for who he is, and for being unafraid to show the kindness of his heart. That is true strength.”

“Silence!” Vespimon shrieked, “I’ll show you true strength! Spiking Venom!”

With a thrust of her gauntleted hand, the spike on Vespimon’s left wrist extended outwards to great length, intent on impaling Stingmon. Startled by the sudden movement, Stingmon swiftly flew into the air, narrowly dodging the attack. Aquilamon followed afterwards, taking to the air in a separate direction.

“She’s got longer reach!?” Stingmon exclaimed.

Following up on her attack, Vespimon flew straight upwards, into the airspace between Aquilamon and Stingmon. The two other digimon looked straight at Vespimon and loosed their assault.

“Spiking Strike!”

“Grand Horn!”

Charging forward, Stingmon’s wrist spike glowed as he rushed towards Vespimon. Aquilamon meanwhile charged downward from above in the opposite direction from behind, horns glowing red with energy.

Vespimon reacted swiftly, twisting herself body around to face Aquilamon. Leaning forward slightly, Vespimon grappled Aquilamon by the horns, and with a sharp twist of her body, effortlessly swung Aquilamon’s body at Stingmon. She let go of Aquilamon as he and Stingmon collided, and the two champion-level digimon were sent hurtling towards the ground. They both crashed into the soil at full speed, creating a cloud of dust from the impact. As the dust cleared, the two champion-level digimon shrank down, reverting to their rookie forms. Both Hawkmon and Wormmon were out cold.

“Oh no! She’s too strong!” Yolei gasped.

“This is my fault,” Ken lamented. “We shouldn’t have split up like this. If Davis was here we could’ve taken care of her easily.”

“Don’t say that, Ken!” Yolei exclaimed, “You know that’s not true!”

Vespimon gently lowered herself to the ground, casually approaching Stingmon and Aquilamon on foot.

“Is that all you’ve got? Pathetic. I was hoping the partners to the legendary Digi-Destined would put up more of a fight.”

The shadow looked down at the two unconscious digimon, disdain apparent in her voice. She raised her left gauntlet, pointing the spike threateningly at Hawkmon and Wormmon.

“I suppose all that’s left to do is to dispose of this worthless data!”

“No!” Ken cried out, “You stay away from them!”

“Ken, wait!”

Yolei’s exclamation fell on deaf ears as Ken sprinted outwards at top speed, placing himself between Vespimon and the other digimon. He spread his arms out, making himself into an ineffective barrier separating Vespimon from the other two digimon.

“Out of the way, human!” Vespimon demanded. “This doesn’t concern you!”

“No! I won’t let you do this! I won’t let you hurt them!”

“I said out of the way!” Vespimon screamed. “I may not stoop so low as to have any real blood shed in my name, but if you don’t do what I say I’ll have no choice but to remove you!”

“Hold on a second,” said Ken, “what do you mean real blood?”

“Never you mind that!” Vespimon replied, pointing the spike on her gauntlet at Ken. “Now move out of the way!”

Ken steeled his nerves as the living shadow’s spike was aimed straight at his chest. Stunned into silence, Yolei watched in terror as Ken simply stared back at Vespimon, refusing to move. Time slowed to a crawl as Ken simply stared at the shadow, still as a statue. After what had seemed to all like ages, Vespimon lowered her gauntlet.

“Stubborn child,” Vespimon snarled, “I suppose I’ll let you go for now, but if you stand in my way again—”

Vespimon’s swarming voice suddenly cut off, and her antennae suddenly swiveled to the side, in the direction of something yet unseen. Ken and Yolei followed her gaze to the sky in the distance, and they caught glimpse of a brightly-colored rainbow trail approaching their position at a truly staggering speed.

“What the!?” Vespimon exclaimed.

Within mere seconds, the object creating the rainbow trail had approached the forest clearing, heading straight downwards towards the center. There was a deafening crash as the object landed some distance away from the others, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that covered the entirety of the clearing. Ken and Yolei lapsed into fits of coughing as the dry, choking dust enveloped them. When it finally settled, both humans were left gasping for breath.

Following Vespimon’s gaze towards the source of the impact, Ken and Yolei saw Rainbow Dash lying in the center of a miniature crater, her body caked with dirt and covered with bruises. Her legs wobbled as she stood up weakly barely managing to keep herself upright.

“Don’t worry guys,” she groaned weakly, “I got your back.”

“YOU!?” Vespimon exclaimed. “What are you doing here!? How did you even—” Vespimon interrupted herself as she seemed to reach an epiphany. “So Gennai was right, then! You and your friends did come after me!”

“Gennai? What’s he got to do with this?” said Ken. “What have you done with him?”

“Forget that! How do you know about me?” Rainbow demanded. “Are you the one responsible for Fluttershy being taken to the Digital World?”

“Yes,” said Vespimon, “as a matter of fact, I am. But what you don’t realiz—”

“So it was you!” Rainbow interrupted, her voice trembling in anger. “You’re the one who took Fluttershy! If you think you can just take our friend from us like that, you’re in for a world of pain!”

“Will you shut up!?” Vespimon screamed. “You’re not even listening to me! How can you possibly consider yourself a friend to anyone if you refuse to hear what I have to say? Do you have any idea as to what’s going on here?”

“I know enough,” Rainbow replied. “I know that you’re hurting these digimon with your control spires and dark rings. I know that Ken and Yolei are my friends, and that they’re in trouble because of you. And I know that, no matter what, I can’t just turn my back on them.”

“No, Rainbow!” exclaimed Yolei. “You’re in no condition to fight her! Even if you were, she’s still too strong! You’ll be killed!”

“This is my decision, Yolei,” Rainbow replied. She took a small step forward, struggling desperately just to move her leg in front of the other, but the determination in her eyes was as strong as ever. She stared straight up and met Vespimon with her fierce gaze. “Whoever you are, I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

“Your friends?” Vespimon spat. “Do you even know who it is that you’re trying to protect? Your so-called friend is none other than the so-called Digimon Emperor who tried to conquer this world himself! The only thing I’ve done so far is succeed where he had failed!”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “That’s ridiculous! Ken would never do anything like that!”

“Then why don’t you ask him yourself?” Vespimon retorted, “I’m sure your friend wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Fine, I will! Ken, did hear what she saying about you? It’s totally ridiculous!”

Ken shrank backwards in shame as Rainbow Dash addressed, averting his eyes from making contact with the pegasus.

“Huh? Ken? Is... Is something wrong?” Rainbow’s voice wavered as she questioned Ken, her previous air of confidence deflating.

“She’s right,” Ken finally admitted. “I was the Digimon Emperor once. I tried to conquer the Digital World and enslave its inhabitants.”

“Wh-what?” Rainbow gasped.

“My friends helped me see the error of my ways. Since then I’ve dedicated my life to fixing my mistakes and protecting the Digital World.” Ken paused briefly, turning to Rainbow Dash with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wanted to make sure we could trust each other. I hope you understand.”

“I... I don’t believe it!” Rainbow cried out angrily, “You lied to me! How could you?!”

Looking out at Ken dejectedly, Rainbow’s legs trembled as she struggled to support her own weight. Finally, her fatigue caught up with her, and she collapsed to the ground.

Vespimon calmly walked over to Rainbow Dash and stood over her. Rainbow stared up at the shadow weakly, eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.

“I suppose this just goes to show that you can’t trust anyone, especially not your friends,” Vespimon sneered. “What do you say to that, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow’s expression hardened as she looked up at the shadow’s faceless visage.

“You’re wrong.”

“What?” Vespimon replied, taken aback.

Slowly, Rainbow Dash struggled to her feet, barely managing to stand up despite the numerous glaring injuries on her body.

“It doesn’t matter what Ken did. Right now, both he and his friends are in trouble because of you. And even if he was the Digimon Emperor, you’re obviously the real bad guy here!”

“What? That’s completely ridiculous!” Vespimon exclaimed.

“I don’t care what you have to say anymore!” Rainbow angrily declared, “You kidnapped Fluttershy, enslaved innocent Digimon, and now you’re threatening the lives of the first living things in this world that weren’t out to kill me! And you know what? I’m not going to turn my back on them.”

Suddenly, the device on Rainbow’s ankle began to glow with a bright light, causing Vespimon to wince at the intensity. She then floated into the air, dropping her saddlebags as her entire body became engulfed in a radiant glow.

“Execute! Harmonic Evolution!”

Ken and Yolei stared in disbelief as a swirling vortex of golden feathers appeared out of thin air, surrounding Rainbow Dash’s body in a swirl of plumage. The vortex briefly grew larger and more intense, before suddenly exploding outward, revealing a completely different figure beneath.

Standing at roughly ten feet tall, she was a humanoid figure with tanned skin, wearing bronze armor covering her body, as well as long bronze boots and gauntlets. Over her head was a bronze centurion's helmet with a cyan, which came down over the top of her head, covering her eyes. Long rainbow-colored hair flowed out the back of the helmet, and sprouting out her back were four large, golden wings. In her right hand was a bronze staff with a pair of small golden wings sprouting from the top.

“Irismon! The Angel of Loyalty!”

==========
Digimon Analyzer: Irismon

Type: Angel

Attribute: Vaccine

Level: Hybrid (Champion Equivalent)

Special Attacks: Zephyr Knuckle, Spectrum Staff
==========

Ken and Yolei both stared in shock at the angelic digimon’s sudden appearance before them.

“No way...” Ken gaped.

Floating gently down to the ground, the digimon looked down and gave her new body a cursory examination, first stretching out her arms and legs, then cautiously flexing her wings. She held the staff in her hand in front of her, slowly shifting her fingers around the shaft.

“Wow, this is awesome! I’m decked out like Commander Hurricane!”

“Rainbow Dash!?” Yolei exclaimed. “What happened?”

“Uh, actually, my name is Irismon now... I think.” Rainbow replied. “This is so weird. How can I even see through this helmet?”

“Enough of this!” Vespimon interjected. “No more distractions. Do you really wish to fight me, Irismon? I can guarantee it won’t end well for you.”

Irismon responded by gripping her staff with both hands, pointing it at the shadow threateningly.

“Yes. I’m ready to fight for my friends!”

“Very well then,” replied Vespimon, “Spiking Venom!”

With a thrust of her hand, a shadowy spike extended from Vespimon’s wrist towards Irismon.

Reacting quickly, Irismon reached out with her staff and parried the blow, deflecting it to the side. Vespimon was caught off balance and was briefly sent tumbling backwards. She righted herself just as quickly, and with a buzz of her shadowy insect wings, flew straight up into the air at rapid speed.

“Zephyr Knuckle!”

Taking advantage of the opening, Irismon quickly flew up into the air to meet Vespimon. Holding her staff in her right hand, Irismon threw a powerful uppercut with her left, striking the shadow square in the abdomen. A swirling vortex of wind erupted from her armored fist, pushing Vespimon upwards high into the air.

As the wind dispersed, Vespimon quickly righted herself in the air. Despite the shadow lacking any visible features, her face seemed to be seething with rage.

“How dare you!?” Vespimon shrieked, “I’ll make you suffer for this! Toxic Glare!”

As she shouted her attack, a pair sickly-green energy beams erupted from the Vespimon’s head, at the location where her eyes would be. Irismon just barely reacted in time to dodge to the side as the beams struck the ground beneath her before dissipating.

Several more blasts of energy followed, and Irismon frantically dodged the beams, each one getting more difficult to anticipate. Finally, one of the blasts struck Irismon directly in her torso. Yolei let out a gasp as sharp, painful spasms briefly surged across Irismon’s body, and she unceremoniously fell to the ground.

As the dust settled, Vespimon landed in front of Irismon, looking down on her. Irismon grunted sharply in pain as she struggled to climb to her knees, but the spasms surging across her body hindered her efforts, and she slumped onto the ground, moaning in pain.

“You should never have crossed me, Irismon,” hissed Vespimon, pointing the spike on her gauntlet at Irismon. Irismon looked up at Vespimon apprehensively, and for several tense moments the two simply stared at each other, unmoving.

“What’s the hold-up?” Irismon moaned. “You’ve got me, haven’t you?”

“I... I...” Vespimon stuttered. A look of uncertainty seemed to cross her despite having no visible face.

“Well if you’re not going to do something...” Irismon hesitantly rose to her knees, and then, using her staff as a support, lifted herself to her feet, “then I will! Spectrum Staff!”

With the last of her strength, Irismon lunged forward, gripping her staff with both hands and thrusting it outward. The weapon glowed with an iridescent light as she stabbed it straight forward, and in a single motion pierced Vespimon’s body straight through the chest. The shadow went tense as the staff pierced her heart, only to go limp and collapse to the ground as Irismon forcefully pulled the staff out.

With the last of her energy spent, Irismon collapsed to her knees, and her body shrank down, reverting to her pegasus form. The injuries that had been spread across on her body before her evolution were now gone, but she remained just as exhausted as ever.

Panting heavily from exertion, Rainbow Dash stepped forward towards Vespimon’s prone body, staring down at her furiously.

“You... You really think you’ve won?” Vespimon choked out despite the hole in her chest. “This body... This is but a projection of my will! You’ve only experienced a shadow of my true power!”

“I don’t care about that,” Rainbow interjected, “Where is Fluttershy!?”

“Why... should I tell? You... you don’t care...” Vespimon’s final words were just barely uttered as her body began to disintegrate from the feet up.

“What do you mean I don’t care?” Rainbow Dash demanded. “Hey! Don’t disappear yet! Answer me!”

Rainbow was too late, however, as Vespimon’s body shortly afterward faded away completely. With Vespimon gone, the darkness that had loomed over the forest clearing suddenly disappeared, and the evening sun shone clearly over the edges of the trees.

Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh, and fell onto her haunches, her ears folded flat against her head.

“Ken, why don’t you go check on our partners?” said Yolei. “I’ll go check up with Rainbow Dash to make sure she’s okay.”

“Good idea,” replied Ken with a nod.

As Ken went off to the side to check on the unconscious digimon, Yolei approached Rainbow Dash and sat down next to her, looking at her sympathetically.

“Are you okay, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rainbow replied dejectedly. “I just wish I’d been able to figure out what happened to Fluttershy. What if we never find her? What if she’s—”

“Don’t say that, Rainbow!” Yolei interrupted, “We’ll find your friend, I know it!” Yolei reached out and placed her hand on Rainbow’s head, gently scratching her behind the ears as she reassured the pegasus. “We’ll find your friend, I’m sure of it.”

Rainbow Dash smiled softly as Yolei’s fingers gently scratched her ears. She tried to play it cool and avoid appearing too interested, but it was plainly visible how much she was enjoying having Yolei scratch her ears.

The two were suddenly interrupted when a beeping noise broke the silence.

“Hold on Rainbow, I’m getting a message from one of my friends,” said Yolei, breaking away from the ear-scratching to pull her D-Terminal out of her pocket. Despite her best efforts, Rainbow couldn’t entirely hide her disappointment.

“Uh-huh... Uh-huh... Another message? Wow, a whole bunch of them!” Yolei spoke her thoughts aloud as she typed out a series of responses to the messages she’d received. After replying to each of the messages, Yolei turned to Rainbow Dash with a beaming expression.

“Good news, Rainbow! The others have found the rest of your friends!”

“What?” Rainbow excitedly replied. “Even Fluttershy? That’s great!”

“Um, well, not Fluttershy, but the rest of them are safe. The other Digi-Destined have found your friends Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie.”

“Oh,” said Rainbow, sounding slightly disappointed. “Still, that’s great! Once we’re back together we’ll rescue Fluttershy in not time!”

“Perfecto!” said Yolei. “Let’s go check on the others before we leave, alright.”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

With that, Yolei got up and walked over to meet Ken, while Rainbow grabbed her nearby saddlebags and following closely behind in the air. Ken was inspecting Hawkmon and Wormmon for injuries, both of whom has since recovered from unconsciousness.

“Is everything okay over there?” asked Yolei, “Hawkmon, are you feeling alright?”

“No need to worry about me, Yolei,” replied Hawkmon, “It would take a lot more than that to bring me down. I still have more than enough energy left to digivolve again and bring us back home if need be.”

“Good to hear, Hawkmon!” said Yolei. “I’m glad you’re okay. What about you, Wormmon?”

“I think I’ll be okay,” said Wormmon.

“Yeah, glad to hear you’re both okay,” said Rainbow Dash, “but if you’re done with that I have a few things I’d like to say to Ken.” The anger in Rainbow’s voice was as apparent as her expression as she stared daggers straight at Ken.

Ken sighed. “It’s about me being the Digimon Emperor, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” Rainbow Dash angrily replied, “of course it is! How could you have done such horrible things? I trusted you, Ken!”

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Yolei interjected, “He’s not like that anymore!”

“You don’t need to defend me, Yolei.” Ken responded calmly. “There’s no denying that I’ve done awful things. As for you, Rainbow, I admit that there’s nothing I can do to force anyone to trust me. The most I can do is promise you that I’ve seen my mistake, and will do everything I can to atone for it.”

“So... You’ve reformed? Is that what you’re saying?” Rainbow questioned.

“You could say that.”

“Well, I suppose I could buy that,” replied Rainbow, “I’ve seen it happen before. But don’t think I won’t be keeping my eye on you!”

“I hate to interrupt, but it’s getting late,” said Wormmon. “We should probably get going before it gets dark. I mean, if that’s alright with all of you.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” said Ken, “we have others waiting for us back home. We don’t want to worry them. Yolei, have you gotten any word from the other Digi-Destined?”

“I sure have! They said they found some more of Rainbow’s friends. We’ll meet up with them at the digiport.”

“Did you tell them about our encounter with Vespimon?” Ken asked.

“Oh, um... Oops?” Yolei said nervously, “I guess it slipped my mind!”

“It’s no problem,” said Ken, “we’ll tell them when we meet back with them. Let’s make sure we’re all ready to go before we leave. Hawkmon, are you sure you have enough energy left to carry all of us?”

“As I said, I have more than enough to bring us back the way we came,” replied Hawkmon. “I’ve been working on training my stamina, you know.”

“Alright, then,” said Yolei, “if that’s the case, let’s head out!”

Reaching into her pocket, Yolei held out her digivice, which glowed as she pointed it at Hawkmon. The others stepped back to give him room to complete his transformation.

“Hawkmon, Digivolve to: Aquilamon!”

With his digivolution completed, Aquilamon lowered himself, allowing Yolei to climb onto his back. Ken soon followed, after lifting Wormmon onto Aquilamon’s back.

“Are you going to fly alongside us Rainbow?” asked Yolei.

“Actually, I’m pretty tired,” Rainbow replied. “Do you mind if I ride along with you instead?”

“Fine by me,” said Yolei, “hop on!”

“Everybody hold on tight!” said Aquilamon. With that, the group took to the air and headed back in the direction they came from, looking to meet with the rest of their friends again.

Author's Notes:

And with that, we finally have all of the harmonic evolutions!

Irismon is based off of Iris, the personification of the rainbow in Greek myth. Iris was a messenger for the gods, and was described in some sources as carrying water to the clouds for rain. Irismon's appearance and attacks are also inspired by Angemon. It's important to note, however, that Irismon has no special advantages over inherently evil digimon since her power is based on wind rather than holy power.

As usual, credit for Irismon's artwork goes to C8lin-the-Hedgie on DeviantArt.

Also, in case you hadn't noticed we now have a cover art for the fic! Big props to AniRichie-Art for doing the cover! As you can see, the cover depicts Espermon, Davis, and ExVeemon, but who could that mysterious figure above them be?

Meeting at the Digiport

“So this is what a digiport looks like? Fascinating!”

Levitating a quill and a notepad with her magic, Twilight carefully observed the television standing before her on the grassy hill she stood on. The late afternoon sun being close to setting made it difficult, but she’d managed to draw a crude diagram of the digiport. Nearby, Davis and Veemon stood with an exasperated look on their faces.

“Geez Twilight,” said Davis, “don’t you ever do anything other than study the things around you? You were asking questions and writing on that notepad practically the whole trip!”

“Well excuse me for wanting to learn more about an entirely new world!” Twilight retorted. “Do you understand just what a truly momentous occasion this is? This will be the first time ponies come into contact with another world! There’s so much to discover! So many things we could learn from each other!”

Twilight’s excited grin suddenly faltered, turning into a worried frown. “Oh no... What if I screw up? What if I accidentally leave the wrong impression? What if I say something offensive and it reflects badly on my species? What if I end up instigating some kind of massive public outrage? I should have never been put in this position of power to begin with! Everything will be ruined forever and it’ll all be because of me!” Her breathing quickened as she rattled of her concerns, her face nearly going blue from hyperventilation.

“Get a hold of yourself, Twilight!” Veemon shouted. “Everything is going to be just fine!”

Shocked by Veemon’s sudden outburst, Twilight exhaled slowly, letting out the tension that had been building inside herself.

“Thanks, Veemon. I’m just a little nervous about this whole thing. It’s not often you get to make contact with an entirely new world, let alone two!”

“Relax, Twilight! We’ll get there when we get there,” Davis reassured. “First we’ll meet back at the computer lab with Izzy and the others, and then we’ll work out a place for you to stay while you’re here.”

“Computer lab?” Twilight puzzled.

“Uh-huh! Izzy’s doing work at the school this summer, so he lets us use their computer lab whenever we need to do something important. He has a whole bunch of equipment there that monitors the Digital World.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful! An entire laboratory dedicated to computers! And I can’t wait to meet this Izzy, he sounds like a fascinating individual!”

“Yeah, I’m sure you two eggheads would get along perfectly,” Davis teased.

Twilight frowned. “Do you think you cool it with the egghead thing Davis? I don’t need someone else calling me that all the time.”

Davis grinned. “Sure thing, egghead.”

“Oh for the love of—”

“Guys, look!” said Veemon, “Someone’s coming!”

Veemon pointed off to the distance, and Twilight and Davis looked to see Nefertimon flying towards them, carrying Kari and Pinkie Pie on her back. Nefertimon soon landed nearby, letting the two off her back.

After dismounting, Kari reached into her pocket and held out her digivice, allowing Nefertimon to de-digivolve into Gatomon. She reached into her pocket and pulled out Gatomon’s tail ring, flipping into the air and letting Gatomon catch it on her tail.

“Twilight!”

With an excited gasp, Pinkie Pie immediately rushed forward in a pink blur, pinning Twilight to the ground in a gesture that was half-tackle and half-hug.

“Oh, Twilight! I’m soooo glad you’re okay! I thought’d I’d never see you again!”

“Pinkie...” Twilight choked.

“I mean, I’m just so happy that you’re alive! I thought that you might have been eaten by a monster, or teleported into a wall, or tripped and broken a leg, or gotten food poisoning, or stumbled into some ancient conspiracy that had to kill you to keep you quiet, or cut up and baked into cupcakes by a serial killer, or fallen into a well, or—”

“Pinkie! You’re choking me!” Twilight gasped out.

Pinkie released her grip on Twilight, and smiled nervously. “Oops, sorry.”

Still gasping for breath, Twilight returned Pinkie Pie’s smile with one of her own. “It’s alright, Pinkie. I’m glad to see you, too.”

“So this is one of your friends, Pinkie?” Kari spoke up

“Uh-huh! This is Twilight Sparkle, she’s one of my bestest friends ever! I mean, all of my friends are my bestest friends, so I guess that means the she isn’t really my one of my bestest friends since they’re all equally best, but I guess that doesn’t sound nearly as good, does it? She’s a totally super-duper amazing friend, though!”

“Pretty enthusiastic, isn’t she?” said Veemon.

Pinkie’s eyes lit up as she took notice of Veemon “Huh? Oh, of course! We haven’t even introduced ourselves yet! I’m Pinkie Pie, and these are my new friends Kari and Gatomon!”

“Davis and Veemon already know who we are, Pinkie,” said Kari, “we’ve been good friends for over a year now.”

“You said it!” Davis enthusiastically followed, approaching Kari. “We’re totally close, right? Like two peas in a pod!”

“Careful not to get too close, lover boy,” Kari replied. “Unless you want to hear from Tai what he thinks about that.”

Davis immediately backed off, raising his hands in the air defensively. “R-right, sorry! Of course! Won’t happen again!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing something happened between you two?”

“Don’t worry, it’s no big deal,” said Davis.

“If you say so,” said Twilight. “Why don’t we wait until the others arrive before we introduce ourselves further? It’ll be easier once we’re all together.”

Davis nodded. “Alright, sounds good.”

In a short time, the other Digi-Destined began to arrive at the digiport, along with the pony companions that they’d met during their travels. Cody and Digmon soon arrived with Rarity, followed by Ken, Yolei, and Wormmon riding on Aquilamon, with Rainbow Dash following close behind. Each new pony arrival resulted in yet another display of affection from Pinkie, leaving each pony sore from the sudden glomping.

“Whoa, Cody, what happened to your shoulder?” Davis stared at the makeshift bandage that was wrapped around Cody's upper arm.

“I got hurt while we were fighting an Ebidramon controlled by a dark spiral,” Cody replied. “Rarity made a bandage for me.”

“Well, that's awfully generous of her,” said Kari, “you should be thankful for her help.”

“Oh, it was nothing, really,” Rarity choked out, trying to push herself free from Pinkie's crushing embrace.

The next several minutes afterward were punctuated with more small talk between the humans, ponies, and digimon trying to get to know each other. Pinkie talked excitedly of her new friends throughout, displaying a boundless enthusiasm that couldn’t be ignored.

As the minutes passed, however, the group’s overall mood turned to one of concern.

“Where do you think T.K. is?” Kari asked. “You don’t think something happened to him, do you?”

“Relax, Kari, T.K.’s a strong kid,” Gatomon reassured. “I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

Pinkie, meanwhile, was currently peering towards the horizon with a pair of binoculars she’d brought with her in her saddlebags, searching for a sign of her friend Applejack, as well as any new friends she was sure she’d make.

“Hey guys, I think I see something!”

Pinkie lowered her binoculars and pointed a hoof towards the horizon. The others looked in the direction of her hoof to see something rapidly flying closer. As it approach, it soon revealed itself to be Pegasusmon, carrying two others on his back.

Flapping his wings gently, Pegasusmon slowed his descent onto the grassy hill, landing on all four hooves with Applejack and T.K. in tow. The other mares’ collective jaws dropped at the sight of the massive stallion as he knelt closer to the ground, allowing his passengers to climb off. As she climbed off, Rainbow Dash gave a mischievous smirk towards Applejack.

“Shut up Rainbow, it ain’t like that!” Applejack said defensively.

“What?” Rainbow feigned innocence, “I didn’t say anything!”

“Ah know what you were thinking,” said Applejack. “Cut it out.”

Rarity coughed, blushing deeply. “Well, there’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of, darling. I must admit, he is rather fetching... If a bit large.”

“Ah said it ain’t like that!”

“Never thought I’d be seeing this happen,” T.K. chuckled, “you’re a real ladies’ mon, Pegasusmon.”

“Ladies mon? What do you mean?” asked Pegasusmon.

“It’s nothing,” replied T.K., “let’s de-digivolve so we can introduce ourselves for real.”

T.K. reached into his pocket and pulled out his digivice, holding it up in front of Pegasusmon, allowing him to de-digivolve into Patamon. The ponies’ intrigued stares turned to looks of bewilderment as Patamon flew towards them enthusiastically.

“Hi! I’m Patamon, nice to meet you!”

“Huh?” Rarity sputtered, “B-but you... how? What? You were just...”

“That’s his natural form, Rarity,” said Twilight. “Digimon can take multiple different shapes and identities with the assistance of their human partners.”

Rarity sighed in disappointment. “Right, of course. I suppose I really should have known better.”

“Relax Rarity,” Rainbow teased, “knowing you, it won’t be long before you start crushing on another stallion you’ve barely met.”

“Excuse me!?”

“Settle down, both of you!” Twilight interrupted. “We have more important things to concern ourselves with right now. Now that we’re all here, why don’t we introduce ourselves? My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“I’m Davis, and this is my buddy Veemon!”

“‘Sup?” said Veemon.

“I’m Pinkie Pie! Oh, this is so exciting, I’ve never met so many new friends at once! I can hardly wait, we’re gonna have so much fun together!”

“I’m Kari, and this is my partner, Gatomon.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” said Gatomon.

“A pleasure to meet you all as well. My name is Rarity, and I do look forward to getting to know you all better. I’d absolutely love to learn what sort of fashion is popular in your world! Why, just imagine what sort of inspiration I would find!”

“I’m Cody, and this is my partner, Armadillomon.”

“Howdy,” said Armadillomon.

“Well shoot, Ah’m starting to like him already! The name’s Applejack, pleased to meet y’all.”

“My name’s Takeru, but you can just call me T.K. This here is my friend, Patamon.”

“Hello!” said Patamon.

“The name’s Rainbow Dash, fastest pegasus in Equestria!” Rainbow followed her by flying up into the air and performing a loop, before landing and posing triumphantly. “No need to be modest, you can go ahead tell me how cool I am.”

Yolei rolled her eyes. “I’m Yolei, and this is Hawkmon.”

“Glad to make your acquaintance,” said Hawkmon, “I look forward to getting to know one another.”

“My name is Ken, and this is my partner, Wormmon.”

Ken paused in confusion when Wormmon didn’t respond, suddenly noticing that Wormmon was hiding behind his legs. “Wormmon, don’t be shy, introduce yourself.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” said Wormmon, “it’s just that I’m a little nervous right now. I’ve never had to introduce myself to so many others at once...”

“Don’t worry Wormmon,” Ken reassured, “nobody’s here to judge you. Just go out and say hello.”

Wormmon then slowly made his way out from behind Ken, facing the ponies that were all staring at him expectantly. His antennae shifted nervously as the group’s eyes fixated on him.

“Um, hello, my name is Wormmon... It’s nice to meet you all.”

“You know, Fluttershy used to act just like that,” said Rainbow Dash. Her ears fell flat against her head as her thoughts turned to her missing friend.

The other ponies seemed to share in her sentiment, their expressions turning somber as they recalled the events that lead to her disappearance. Pinkie’s mane even seemed to deflate slightly at the mention of Fluttershy’s name, as though the air were being let out of a balloon.

Twilight approached Rainbow, placing a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rainbow, we’ll find her. Davis says there are others on the other side of the digiport who will help us find her. We’ll have her back in no time, I promise.”

“Yeah... I guess. Thanks, Twilight.” Rainbow’s sad expression quickly turned to one of annoyance as she stared back at Twilight. “And could you please not touch me there?”

Taken by surprise, Twilight hastily removed her hoof from Rainbow Dash’s front shoulders, blushing furious. “R-right. Sorry.”

“I mean, sheesh! You’d think you’d know how sensitive pegasus wings are now that you have them!”

“I said I’m sorry, okay?” Twilight said indignantly. “Anyway, as I was saying, we’re going to meet with some of the other Digi-Destined on the other side of the digiport, and there we’ll discuss our next plan of action.”

Pinkie Pie let out an excited gasp. “Ohmygosh! You mean we’re going to meet even more new friends? This is so exciting! I can’t wait!”

“That’s right, Pinkie,” said Twilight. “There are a few who might be able to help us and give us some more information about the Digital World. Ken, I’d also like to ask you a few questions specifically once we’re with the others.”

“Me?” said Ken.

“Yes,” replied Twilight, “I believe you in particular will be able to give me a better understanding of the situation at hoof.”

“At hoof?” said Yolei, “Aw, that’s adorable, you even have your own pony words for everything!”

Twilight turned towards Yolei and gave her a disapproving glare.

“Anyway, I think we should get a move on and go through the digiport before it gets too late. We’ll discuss matters there. Davis and his friends should also be able to find a place for us to stay while we’re here looking for Fluttershy.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Applejack.

“Well, what are we sticking around here for?” said Davis, “Let's get a move on!”

“Hold on a second,” Kari interrupted, “did anyone else just feel that?”

“Feel what, Kari?” asked Gatomon.

“I just had this odd sensation in my tailbone right now,” said Kari, looking backwards. “Oh well, it’s probably nothing.”

“Guys, look!” said Veemon, pointing to the horizon, “Something’s coming!”

“Huh?” Kari looked towards where Veemon was pointing, where she saw a small object rapidly approaching, racing towards the group at breakneck speed.

“Look out! It’s a dark ring!”

“What!?” The others all cried out in unison.

“Don’t worry everyone, I’ll smash it!” Veemon exclaimed.

“Veemon, wait!” cried Davis.

“Vee Headbutt!”

With a mighty shout, Veemon charged forward and jumped into the air, hurling himself towards the dark ring as it flew closer. The dark ring swerved sharply in the air when Veemon approached, thrusting his head forward through empty air as the dark ring deftly avoided the attack. Losing his balance from the failed attempt, Veemon tumbled over in the air and fell to the ground, landing flat on his head. Meanwhile, the dark ring altered its path, flying towards the group at rapid speed.

“Look out!” said Kari, “It’s headed straight for us!”

“Boom Bubble!”

“Feather Strike!”

“Sticky Net!”

Patamon, Hawkmon, and Wormmon called out their own attacks, launching their projectiles towards the dark ring. The black ring deftly maneuvered itself around the attacks, narrowly dodging the hazards before continuing on its path. The ring opened itself into a clasp as it flew towards Gatomon.

“Gatomon, look out!” cried Kari.

“Huh? What the— Aaaaaahhhhh!”

Gatomon screamed out in pain as the dark ring closed tightly around her neck. Wracked with convulsions, her body spasmed wildly out of control, the dark ring’s power sending bolts of dark energy through her body.

“Gatomon!”

T.K. placed a firm hand on Kari’s shoulder. “Stay back! That dark ring’s controlling Gatomon now, she could seriously hurt you!”

“No! I have to help her!”

“Kari, wait!”

Ignoring T.K.’s protests, Kari pushed away from him, desperately running out to meet her ailing digimon partner. Running forward to meet Gatomon, she knelt down to the ground, trying to soothe the pained digimon.

“Don’t worry Gatomon! Everything’s going to be okay! Just hold on!”

Despite Kari’s reassurances, Gatomon’s screams of pain only intensified, her body twisting and writhing in agony. It was then that her tail ring began to glow with a brilliant light.

Kari winced, shielding her eyes from the sudden intensity. The tail ring’s glow continued to grow even brighter, until it reached a peak of intensity that was nearly blinding. As the glow finally began to fade, Gatomon’s screams of pain died down, leaving her lying limp on the ground.

“Gatomon?” Kari rubbed her eyes, allowing her vision to readjust. As her sight came back, she looked towards Gatomon and let out an astonished gasp.

The dark ring around her neck was gone, but that wasn’t the only thing that was missing.

“Gatomon! Your tail ring! It’s... It’s gone!”

The other humans and Digimon nearly jumped back in shock at Kari’s observation. Gatomon moaned weakly, looking back at her now-ringless tail.

“M-my tail ring?”

Kari reached down and wrapped her arms around Gatomon. Gatomon returned the gesture, and the two of them pulled into a tight hug.

“It’s okay Gatomon. I’m just glad to see you’re alright.”

“Don’t worry, Kari, I’ll be fine. But what are we going to do about my tail ring?”

Kari pulled away from the hug and stood up, turning to face the others. “That’s a good question. From the looks of it, that dark ring was somehow able to destroy your tail ring.”

“Oh my, how unfortunate,” Rarity lamented. “That ring really did look quite good on you.”

“I don’t think this is just about fashion, Rarity,” said Twilight. “If the dark ring was specifically meant to destroy Gatomon's tail ring, then it stands to reason that it was of great significance.”

Kari frowned worriedly. “Gatomon’s tail ring was one of the most powerful weapons against darkness we had. Without it we won’t be able to D.N.A. digivolve, and Gatomon is a full level weaker.”

“D.N.A digivolve?” Twilight puzzled.

“It’s a form of Digivolution where our digimon partners fuse into a single being,” replied Yolei. “The result is a digimon of a higher level that’s stronger than both of its previous forms.”

“Fuse?” asked Twilight, “you mean combine into a single being? Body and mind?”

“That’s right”, replied Yolei.

“Oh my goodness, that’s incredible!” Twilight exclaimed. “To think that two different beings could achieve such harmony each other that they literally act as one? That’s amazing! I’ve never heard anything like it!”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Uh, Twilight, not to be rude or anything, but don’t you think we have more important things to worry about? Like that bit about losing our most powerful weapon against evil?”

“She’s right,” said Ken, “we need to tell the others about this as soon as possible. If our enemy has the foresight to destroy our most powerful method of digivolution, then we’re dealing with someone much more dangerous than we thought.”

“We need a plan,” said Cody, “and while we’re at it, we need to figure out where our new friends will be staying.”

“Right,” said Yolei, “so we’ll go through the digiport and meet with the others. Sound good?” The others gave nods of agreement.

“Alright then! Gather round, everyone!” Yolei pulled out her digivice and held it in front of the television. “Digiport Open!”

At Yolei’s command, the television emitted a bright light from its screen. Gathering around the entrance, the group was immediately drawn in, sucked into the light and pulled through the television screen.

“Here we go!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Hmmph. Go take refuge on Earth, why don’t you?”

In a dimly-lit control room, Vespimon sat before a massive control panel, inlaid with a keyboard and numerous switches and buttons. Multiple holographic screens floated above the panel, each depicting a landscape from an area under her control. Her focus, however remained on the central screen, and her eyes seethed with resentment as she witnessed her former friends exit the digital world with the Digi-Destined and their partners.

“To think they'd even have the nerve to show up here,” she snarled. “How could they betray me like this? After all the work I've done to build my perfect world, they think they can just barge right in to tear it down? Even Rainbow Dash?” Her very essence seethed with indignation at the thought of it all.

“No! I won't stand for it! This is unacceptable!”

Vespimon angrily slammed her fist onto the control panel, causing the holographic screens above it to flicker with static. Breathing heavily, she leaned over with her hands on the control panel, looking upwards at the screen.

“And those pesky harmonic evolutions are the worst of all. If I find a way to disable them with the control spires, I’ll be disabling my own evolution as well. I might as well be giving up everything I’ve worked so hard for!”

Slowly, Vespimon stood up, a new determination filling her eyes.

“This has gone on long enough. If they will not respect my accompishments, I will make them fear me instead.”

Author's Notes:

This was probably one of the easier chapters to write, mainly since there wasn't nearly as much happening here. Now that the group's reunited, you can expect the plot to move along faster.

In the next chapter: Exposition dumps, retcons, and making sense of Adventure 02's convoluted storyline.

Back on Earth

“So then I said, ‘Oatmeal? Have you lost your mind?’”

Back at the school computer lab, Gomamon enthusiastically carried on with his story. Tai, Matt, Sora, and their digimon partners stood nearby, alongside Joe and Tentomon. They didn’t bother trying to disguise their exasperation with Gomamon’s antics.

Sitting separately at one of the numerous computers, Izzy payed close attention to the screen in front of him, looking for any sign of the others from the screen. His patience was soon rewarded when the screen suddenly began to glow

“Stand back, everyone!” He warned, “the digiport’s opening!”

Izzy got up out of his chair and moved himself away from the computer screen, allowing for plenty of space between himself and the monitor. The computer screen’s glow intensified, and in another burst of light, another group emerged from the monitor.

The other stood back and looked at the new arrivals with surprise; along with the Digi-Destined their partners, a group of ponies had also appeared out of the monitor.

“Woohoo!” Pinkie cheered, “That was super-duper spectacular amazing! You were like, ‘digiport open’, and I was like ‘here we go’, and then we went like ‘Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh!’”

“Hey, what is that song you’re singing, Pinkie?” Kari asked, “I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”

“Cody, your clothes! They've changed!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Yeah, they do that when we travel between worlds.” Cody replied. “Nobody really knows why.”

“Hey, enough!” said Tai, staring at the ponies with a frown of disapproval. “Davis, you have some explaining to do.”

“What? What makes you think this is about me?” Davis replied defensively. “These ponies are our friends, and they need our help!”

“Huh? Ponies?” Tai said, raising an eyebrow in bewilderment.

“Oh my goodness! Are these computers?”

Twilight squealed in excitement as she approached one of the numerous grey boxes placed beneath the room’s tables, reaching out hoof to examine the machine.

“H-hey! Get away from that!” Izzy exclaimed, “That’s school property! Do you have any idea how much trouble I’d be in if you damaged it?”

Twilight ignored the panicked Izzy, continuing to marvel at the sight of the machine before her.

“Amazing! It’s so small! I never imagined a computer could fit into such a tiny space! To think that you’d have such advanced technology! It’s...” Twilight paused in her speech, trying to think of an appropriate word to describe the sight before her. “It’s... It’s prodigious!”

Just as he was about to speak up, Izzy stopped dead, completely dumbstruck. “I, uh... Come again?”

“See, Izzy?” said Davis, “Twilight’s an egghead, just like you! Seems she’s pretty excited to learn about Earth, given that she’s an alien and all.”

Izzy stared back in disapproval. “Har har. Very funny, Davis.”

“What? It’s no joke! She’s really an alien pony!”

“Really, Davis, do you honestly believe I’m going to fall for that again?”

“Not my fault you fell for it twice in a row,” Davis grumbled. “But I’m really not joking this time! She’s from another world, I swear!”

“He’s telling the truth,” Cody chimed in. “These ponies came here from another world. They’re here to rescue their friend that was abducted into the Digital World.”

Izzy’s expression suddenly went blank, as though he were struggling to process what Cody had said.

“You..” He stammered, “You mean she’s really...”

“Here we go again”, Sora sighed. Her expression was matched by the other Digi-Destined, a conspicuously large bead of sweat appearing on each of their foreheads.

Without hesitation, Izzy jumped out of his chair in a blur of sudden movement. Within moments he was kneeling over Twilight with a near-frenzied look on his face.

“What is your world like? What kind of government do you have? Is there a single government or are there different nations? Does your planet have any moons? What kind of sun do you have? How could your species possibly form a civilization without opposable thumbs?”

“Izzy! Calm down, you’re scaring her!” Tentomon flew up beside the frantic Izzy, scolding him harshly.

Izzy suddenly snapped out of his fervor, looking down at Twilight to see her still reeling in shock.

“Sorry about that,” Izzy said sheepishly, “I, uh, guess I got carried away there.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s alright. I can certainly understand wanting to learn more about another world.”

“No fair!” Davis whined, “How come you believed Cody that she was an alien, but you didn’t believe me?”

“Well aside from you crying wolfmon,” said Armadillomon, “Ah reckon it has something to do with Cody here being the world’s worst liar.”

“What? No I’m not!” Cody said.

Armadillomon raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Could you do me a favor and answer me a question?”

“Sure,” Cody replied.

“What kind of pajamas do you wear to bed?”

“What?” said Cody indignantly, “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Just answer the question, Cody.”

Cody’s eyes darted back and forth around the room, sweat beginning to form on his brow. His face scrunched visibly as he replied. “I, uh... I just wear regular pajamas. No big deal, really!”

Armadillomon simply stared back, clearly unconvinced.

“Alright!” Cody admitted, “I wear pajamas with feet! Are you happy now?” He then paused in anticipation, as though he were expecting a response. “Huh? You guys aren’t laughing at me?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” said Armadillomon. “These folks are your friends, Ah reckon they’d like you no matter what you wear to bed.”

“... I suppose it was kind of ridiculous to think that,” Cody admitted. “Thanks, Armadillomon.”

“What I want to know is, what are these so-called aliens doing here?” said Matt.

“That is a rather good question for them to be asking,” said Rarity, “why don’t we introduce ourselves to each other? I’m sure it would be within our best interests to know each other’s names if we’re to be working together.”

“Good idea!” said Twilight, “We’ll start things off. My name is Twilight Sparkle. These are my friends, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.” She pointed a hoof at each of her friends in sequence, indicating to the others who they were.

“My name’s Tai, and this is Agumon,” said Tai, introducing himself and his partner. “I take it you’ve already met my sister Kari?”

“That’s right,” said Twilight, “I can already tell you two are close.”

“My name’s Matt, and this is my partner Gabumon,” said Matt, “T.K.’s my brother, if you couldn’t tell.”

“My name’s Joe, and this is Gomamon,” said Joe.

“Wow, you’re name’s Joe?” said Pinkie, “That’s amazing, I also know a Joe back home! Do you make donuts, too? ‘Cause the other Joe I know owns this really nice donut shop, I mean it’s not as nice as sugarcube corner, but he makes really good donuts, and this last year we were both participated in a pastry bake-off, and it was really really really close, so close the judges couldn’t even decide who won, so it ended up a tie! We decided it didn’t matter because we had so much fun, and we got to eat so many delicious pastries and—”

“Slow down! You’re giving me a headache!” Joe held his hand to his head, slowly massaging his temples. Pinkie shrank back, looking visibly upset with herself.

“Aw, lighten up Joe,” said Gomamon, “she seems like a real barrel of fun! Don’t let him get to you, Pinks, he’s always like that.”

Joe rolled his eyes. “Glad to see someone’s on my side. Sora, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

“Of course,” said Sora, “my name is Sora, and this is my friend Biyomon.” She gestured to Biyomon, who waved to the ponies.

“Hi there!”

Rainbow Dash visibly flinched as Biyomon greeted them, her eyes darting around the room, trying desperately to avoid making eye contact.

“Is something wrong?” said Biyomon.

“I’m... I’m fine,” said Rainbow, “just, um, a little nervous about being in a new world.”

“Don’t worry Rainbow, it’ll be fine,” Twilight reassured Rainbow, before turning to face the last new human. “And you would be Izzy, then? Davis told me all about you on the way here. I’m looking forward to learning more about your world from you. Ooh, this is so exciting!”

“The feeling is mutual, Twilight,” said Izzy. “I’d also like to introduce you to my partner Tentomon.”

“How do you do?” said Tentomon.

“Oh my gosh, so many new friends!” Pinkie cheered. “I’ve never met so many of them at once! Do you know what this calls for?”

“We can throw a party later, Pinkie!” Rainbow interjected, “We’ve got more important things to worry about right now!”

“Ah’m afraid she’s right about that, Pinkie,” said Applejack, “right now we’ve gotta figure out just what the hay’s going on here.”

“First things first,” said Izzy, “we’re going to need to know how you ended up in the Digital World to begin with.”

Suddenly, Twilight was interrupted when the lights in the room went off all at once.

“Hey!” Twilight exclaimed, “What’s going on here?”

“You kids still playing with your monster friends in there?” The others all turned towards the open doorway to a man in a janitor’s uniform, with long black hair and a tired expression. “You need to get a move on! Building’s closed!”

“Sorry, mister Konaka!” Tai replied nervously, “We were just finishing up, I promise!”

“And don’t you dare let your little freakshow mess with that computer hardware! That stuff’s expensive!” The janitor gave out one last complaint before heading out into the corridor, grabbing onto a cart of cleaning supplies and pushing it out of sight.

“We can introduce ourselves properly here tomorrow,” said Ken, “for now we should focus on finding these ponies a place to stay for the night.”

“We can probably have each pony we found stay at our houses,” said T.K. “Hopefully our parents will understand.”

“Wait a second, you guys live with your parents?” said Rainbow Dash. “How old are you?”

“As I understand it, children are the only humans who can become Digi-Destined,” said Twilight. “Davis told me all about it on the way here.”

“What?” Rainbow exclaimed, “That’s.. that’s ridiculous! Who’d trust a bunch of foals to be the guardians of the entire world? Do you have any idea how dangerous that’d be?”

“Hey, are you saying you don’t think we can do it?” said Davis. “We’ve beaten all kinds of bad guys before! We know what we’re doing!”

“Settle down, you two,” said Twilight. “They’re not the ones who made the rules, so don’t go blaming them. It’s not our business to tell them what they shouldn’t be doing. We’re the outsiders here, remember?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Rainbow begrudgingly admitted. “But what are they going to do to help us now?”

“Like I said, we’ll let you stay over at our homes in the meantime,” said T.K. “I’m sure our parents will understand, they’ve probably gotten used to seeing weird things happening. I wouldn’t recommend letting anyone else know that you’re not digimon, though. I could see that getting messy.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” said Ken, “we’ll let each pony that we found stay with us until we meet here tomorrow. That means Applejack will stay with T.K., Pinkie will stay with Kari, and Twilight will stay with Davis. Rarity will be staying with Cody, and Rainbow Dash will stay with Yolei. Any objections?”

Twilight looked back towards her friends, listening for their approval. “Seems like we’re all good,” she replied.

“What about you, Ken?” said Yolei.

“Wormmon and I will be taking the train back home,” said Ken. “Joe will drop the rest of you guys off in his van. It’ll be a tight fit, but you should be able to make it.”

Joe sighed. “I can’t wait until you guys are old enough to get your own driver’s licenses.”

Author's Notes:

A bit of a breather chapter this time. We finally see all of the major characters introduced (except for Mimi and Palmon), and have the Mane 6 make living accommodations on Earth.

I was originally planning this to go into much greater detail explaining the backstories of both series, but due to length I ultimately decided to save them for a later chapter. Also because it's finals week and I really wanted to finish this early so I can have time to study.

Before the next "proper" chapter, I also plan on doing a few mini-chapters that are primarily interactions between various characters meant to develop their relationships and backstories, but they won't be nearly as vital to the main narrative arc.

Interlude 1: Food

Twilight stared incredulously at the stew that sat in a bowl in front of her. Sitting at a rectangular kitchen table at Davis’s apartment, she was joined by Davis and Veemon, as well as Davis’s mother, father, and sister. Taking a glance around the kitchen, she realized that the rest of Davis’s family was staring at her. Sighing softly, she turned her attention back to the stew that she’d been served.

In the bowl she recognized the potatoes, vegetables, and soy sauce, but aside from that there were chunks of a dark, fleshy substance that she was unable to properly identify. Focusing her magic through her horn, she carefully levitated the spoon that she’d been given into the air and poked at the stew hesitantly.

“So... Davis tells us you’re from another world?”

Davis’s father had finally broken the silence with the question, which had caught Twilight by surprise.

“Whoa!”

Startled, her magical grip on the spoon suddenly gave way, and the spoon began to fall. Reacting quickly, she reached out with her front hoof and grabbed the spoon in mid-air. With a nervous smile she set the spoon back down on the table.

“Right, sorry about that... Anyway, yes, I’m from a world called Ungula, but ponies like me just say we’re from Equestria, the kingdom most of us are from.”

“I see...”

“Oh, what does it matter what world she’s from?” Davis’s sister suddenly spoke out, “I think she’s just adorable either way! Oh, I just wanna hug her so bad!”

“Aw, come on Jun, leave her alone!” said Davis, “What do you think she is, some kind of stuffed toy?”

“Davis, it’s alright, you don’t have to defend me,” Twilight said with a giggle. Once again her horn glowed and she levitated the spoon took a bite of the stew.

“Oh, wow, this is great!”

“Glad you like it!” said Davis’s mother, “It’s called nikujaga.”

Leaning down over the table, Twilight greedily devoured the rest of the stew, the sound of her loud slurping filling the rest of the apartment. The others stared at her in disbelief as she very quickly gobbled up what was left of the stew, until there was nothing left in the bowl. When she finished, she let out a sigh of satisfaction.

“Geez, what a pig,” Veemon muttered.

“Look who’s talking. You ate my entire stash of snacks in one day!” Davis replied.

“Davis, don’t fight at the dinner table,” his mother scolded. “Twilight, I take it you enjoyed your meal?”

“Oh! Um...” Twilight suddenly jumped, her face flush with embarrassment. “Y-yes, I did. What was in that, anyway?”

“Oh, just a bit of beef, potatoes, vegetables, and a few other things. I can teach you my recipe if you’d like.”

Twilight stared back at Davis’s mother, nonplussed. “Beef? What’s that?”

Davis suddenly broke out into a cold sweat. “Uh-oh. Twilight, you’re, uh... You’re not supposed to eat meat, are you?”

“H-huh?”

Davis swallowed a lump in his throat. “That stew you ate had beef in it, it’s uh... It comes from an animal called a cow.”

Twilight suddenly froze in place, as though she were a deer caught in a car’s headlights. At that moment she could feel the weight of Davis’s revelation hit her all at once, one that made her very soul shiver. Her knees went weak, and she could feel her entire body shaking in horror.

“Twilight?” asked Davis, “are you okay?”

“No!” Twilight snapped, slamming her front hooves onto the table. “I’m not okay! I’m a cannibal! I’m an abomination! How can possibly go back to the life I knew after committing such a heinous crime against nature?” Tears poured freely from her eyes as she glared daggers at Davis, her face an image of equal parts rage, sadness, and fear. Davis instinctively leaned backwards, throwing his hands up in a defensive pose.

“Hold on, how does that make you a cannibal?” said Jun, “I thought you were a pony, not a cow.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Twilight yelled. “Cows are but one of the many species living in harmony in our world! To eat one of them would be no better than eating one of my own kind! And you...” Twilight pointed a hoof accusedly at Davis’s mother. “You not only slaughtered this innocent being, you fed it to me as though its life didn’t even matter! How could you!?”

“Twilight, calm down!” said Veemon, “It’s not that bad!”

“Not that bad? Not that bad!?”

“Twilight!” Davis interjected, “Just calm down, okay? Take a deep breath, I’m sure this is just a huge misunderstanding.”

“Davis... I-I trusted you!” Twilight sobbed, collapsing onto the table. “How could you let this happen to me?”

“Twilight, just hear me out,” Davis pleaded. “I promise you, it’s probably not what it sounds like. I mean, we’re from entirely different worlds, right?”

Twilight sniffed, looking up at Davis. “Y-yes? Why?”

“Well, I have a hunch that the cows on our world aren’t like your cows.”

“What makes you say that?” said Twilight.

“Well, we also have ponies here, and uh... they’re not really like you. They don’t come in any fancy colors, or have horns or wings, or any of that stuff. Heck, they don’t even talk!”

Twilight stared slack-jawed at Davis. “What? They don’t?”

“Of course not!” said Davis, “They just sort of stand around and graze and poop, and stuff like that. Cows are like that, too. We certainly wouldn't be eating anything that could talk to us, would we?”

Twilight looked back at Davis, wiping the tears from her eyes with a forelimb. “I... I guess not. Also, ew.” Twilight sniffed again, grabbing a napkin from the table with her magic and wiping off her runny nose. Her horn glowed brighter, and in a brief flash of light the used napkin disappeared into thin air. Twilight breathed heavily from the exertion of the spell, sweat beginning to drip down her coat.

“I’m sorry if I got upset,” Twilight sighed out, “I suppose it’s only natural for an omnivorous species to eat meat when given the opportunity.” Twilight paused, a lump suddenly forming in her throat. “Fluttershy... She used to take care of many animals, including carnivores and omnivores. When left alone in the sanctuary, they’d sometimes go after each other. She always said that it was just part of the cycle of life, and even though it made her sad, it was better to accept it for what it was.” She let out a deep sigh, fixating her gaze on the floor.

“I... I can’t help but wonder now where we’d ever be without her. I miss her so much...”

Davis sat up out of his chair and walked up next to Twilight, gently scratching her behind the ears.

“Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll find your friend, I guarantee it.”

“How are you even holding those?”

Tai stared bewildered at Pinkie Pie, who somehow had a knife and fork in both her front hooves, and a napkin tied around her collar. Sitting around the kitchen table with her were Agumon, Kari, Gatomon, as well as Tai and Kari’s father.

Pinkie Pie let out a small giggle. “With my hooves, silly!”

“No, I mean how are you holding them with your hooves like that?”

“Uh, like this?” Pinkie reached out with her right foreleg, waving it in front of Tai. The fork in her hoof remained attached to it, as though it were tightly glued to the bottom.

“No, I mean... Agh, nevermind.” Tai let out a sigh of frustration.

“Dinner is ready!”

Tai and Kari’s mother suddenly emerged out of the kitchen, wearing an apron around her body. In her right hand she carefully balanced a very strange-looking casserole, and in her left hand she carried a large serving spoon.

Walking around the table, she carefully served a large portion of the casserole on each of the plates, before serving her own portion. She placed the casserole dish in the center of the table, leaving the serving spoon in.

“Since we have a guest, I decided to try something special. It’s my very own peanut butter and eggplant casserole! Enjoy!”

“Ooh, I’ve never tried that before!” Pinkie said enthusiastically. “I wonder what it tastes like?”

“Pinkie, wait!” Kari interjected.

Pinkie ignored the warning, and instead stuck the fork straight into the casserole, shoveling a massive forkful straight into her open mouth. Her face puckered into an expression of surprise as she placed it into her mouth, her left eye suddenly twitching violently.

“What’s wrong?” Tai’s mother said. “Oh no, I didn’t botch the recipe again, did I?”

“Mmm... Mmmm...” Pinkie muttered through her closed jaw, chewing slowly and deliberately after several painful seconds, she swallowed the casserole with an an audible gulp. Breathing heavily, she stared blankly at the massive portion of the casserole that was still left on her plate.

“Pinkie, are you okay?” said Kari.

“T-that was... T-that was...” Pinkie stammered.

“Pinkie?”

“That was... That was delicious!”

Everyone else at the table gaped at Pinkie. “Huh?!” they echoed.

Author's Notes:

This is the first in a series of mini-chapters that will be spacing out the "main" story sequences in the fic. The purpose of these mini-chapters is to help develop character relationships as well as provide some level of comic relief to contrast the darker elements. (And I can tell you right now that this fic will be getting VERY dark by the end of this story arc.)

Interlude 2: Family

Author's Notes:

Just in time for father's day! Enjoy!

Through the window of the apartment, the sunset’s golden light seeped into the room, painting it with the warm golden glow of the summer evening. T.K. looked out the window and sighed, surveying the skyline as he watered a potted fern that was left by the windowsill with a miniature watering can.

The dinner with Applejack had been strangely quiet, he pondered. For whatever reason Applejack didn’t seem to keen on talking about herself beyond the initial introduction to his mother. He could tell something was bothering Applejack, and the thought of it made his brow crease in worry.

T.K. was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when water began to flood the pottery, spilling onto the carpeted floor.

“Aw, geez.”

T.K. groaned in frustration as he quickly pulled the watering can away, so as to avoid spilling any more on the ground. Thankfully, not too much had spilled over, and the carpet was able to absorb most of the liquid.

“Phew, that wasn’t so bad. That should dry out quickly enough.”

T.K. suddenly paused mid-thought as he turned his attention to the plant, noticing something about it that struck him as unusual. The fern seemed to have grown much more lively and green than when he first started watering it. While not unhealthy before, the plant was now so bursting with life that the old fern would have looked downright sickly in comparison.

T.K. stared at the plant for several seconds, perplexed by the sudden change. He eventually decided that it wasn’t important, and set the watering can down on the floor.

“Hey T.K.!”

“Hm? Oh, hey Patamon. What’s up?”

Patamon quickly flew up beside T.K., hovering up close next to his head. Patamon glanced away for a moment as though to avoid direct eye contact, before looking back at T.K. worriedly.

“Is something wrong?” said T.K.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” replied Patamon. “It’s just that Applejack’s been awfully quiet lately, and I’m a bit worried about her. She hasn’t said a word since we arrived.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” T.K. replied. “I’m a little worried about her too, now that you mention it. Now that we’re finished with the chores, we should probably go talk to her and see if she’s feeling alright.”

T.K. turned around and quietly left the room to check on Applejack, with Patamon hovering closely behind.

Applejack sat on her haunches atop the living room couch, staring blankly at the television screen before her. Her introduction to T.K.’s mother during dinner had left little impression on her, as her thoughts were continually occupied with the world that she’d left behind.

Even now, as she sat tiredly atop the cushy furniture, she could still recall in vivid detail the orchard in which she’d spent the entirety of her life growing up. She closed her eyes and let out a wistful sigh, and the sensations of the orchard rushed through her like an opened floodgate.

It was a bright, cloudless day above the vast expanse of farmland that was Sweet Apple Acres, a series gently rolling hillsides dotted with numerous apple trees of many different breeds.

Carrying two wooden buckets strapped to her sides, Applejack made her way towards the main body of the orchard, through the numerous trees that dotted the landscape. As she passed the barn, she gave a warm smile and waved to her brother Big Mac, who was busy repairing a hole in the roof, undoubtedly caused by one of Rainbow Dash’s reckless stunts. Big Mac returned the gesture before returning to his task. As applejack traversed the fields, a cool summer breeze gently blew past her, carrying with it the scent of a fresh crop ready for harvest.

Approaching the first tree she saw, Applejack carefully placed the buckets beneath the hanging fruit, and turned her back towards the tree’s thick trunk. Carefully positioning herself, she leaned forwards, preparing to buck the tree with both of her rear hooves...

“Applejack? What are you doing?”

Applejack was suddenly snapped back to reality by T.K., who was standing in front of the couch with Patamon hovering next to him. Positioned upright on the couch, Applejack had placed herself so that she was leaning forward, prepared to kick the back cushions with her rear legs.

“Er, uh, hey there!” Applejack said, hastily sitting back down on the couch cushion.

“Is something the matter? You look stressed out.” T.K. said.

“Huh? No! Of course not! Everything’s fine!” Applejack hastily stammered, her pupils dilating visibly. “It ain't no big deal, honest!”

“Applejack...” T.K. gave a disapproving frown.

Applejack let out a sign of defeat. “Alright, fine. You got me. Truth be told, Ah ain’t fine at all. Ah... Ah...”

Applejack’s words seemed to die in her throat just as the thoughts formed in her mind. Her vision went blurry as tears began to form in their eyes.

“Applejack?”

“Ah... Ah’m alright, T.K.,” said Applejack, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Ah’m just... Ah just...”

“You’re worried about your home, aren’t you?” said T.K.

“That obvious, huh?” Applejack sighed. “Ah just can’t help but worry about my family. We’ve always been there for each other, and to think that Ah might never see them again...” Applejack trailed off, tears now flowing freely down her face.

T.K. gave Applejack a sympathetic look, sitting down beside her on the couch. He gently reached over and placed a reassuring hand on the back of Applejack’s head, stroking her mane gently.

“Mah parents both died several years ago. Our house was on fire. Ma and Pa told us to evacuate while they went and put it out... They never came out of the house alive.” Applejack sniffled slightly, fighting to hold back the tears.

“Mah brother and Ah had to take care of the entire farm all by himself from then on. Granny Smith had gotten too old to do most of the work, and Apple Bloom was still only a foal. Our orchard was one of the largest providers of food in the entire Ponyville area, and if we went under, then everypony we knew would have suffered. We had to get a special grant from Princess Celestia just to keep from losing our business. But now that Ah’m gone, how are mah family going to survive? We were only barely able to keep ourselves afloat as it were, and that was with the Princess’s blessing!”

“Applejack,” said T.K. “I know things might seem tough, but no matter what happens, you mustn't give up. We’ll find a way to get you back to your family.”

“You... You really think so?” said Applejack.

“Of course I do,” said T.K. “I was in a similar situation, believe it or not. During our first adventure in the Digital World, I used to wonder if I’d ever see my home again. At times it seemed like we’d never return home, like we’d be trapped in the Digital World forever. But Matt was always able to reassure us that we’d return home someday. Even when it felt like giving up was the only option, we kept pressing on, and it’s because of that we were able to make it back home.”

T.K. looked down at Applejack and smiled warmly. “Don’t ever lose hope, no matter what happens. Even when it seems like you’ve hit rock bottom, if you keep moving, then you’ll have nowhere to go but up.”

Applejack looked and sniffled again, another warm smile slowly creeping its way across her face. “Yeah... Ah suppose you’re right about that. There ain’t no sense just sitting here moping when we could be doing something. By the way, you said something about your brother Matt, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, Ah would’ve asked you why he wasn’t joining us for supper this evening, but Ah guess Ah was so busy moping that the thought never crossed mah mind. Come to think of it, Ah ain’t seen your father round these parts neither. What happened to them?”

“Oh, them? Uh, well... It’s kind of complicated.” T.K. nervously replied.

“Sorry, Ah didn’t mean to be so personal,” said Applejack.

“No, it’s fine,” T.K. replied. “Matt lives with my dad across town. Mom and dad have been separated for some time now.”

“Your parents are divorced?” Applejack asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” said T.K., “my parents have been apart since I was little. Matt ended up with dad, and I ended up with mom. We rarely saw each other until about six years ago, when we went on our first adventure in the Digital World. After we’d finished, we still rarely saw each other for several years. It wasn’t until around a year ago that I moved closer and we started visiting each other again.”

“Ah see. It must have been tough being separated from your family for so long, huh?” Applejack mused.

“Don’t worry about it,” said T.K., “things might have been tough sometimes, but we’ll always be here for each other.”
T.K. suddenly let out a large yawn, stretching his arms outward. “Well, it’s getting late,” he said, getting up off the couch “we’d best be heading to bed. Do you need me to see if we can set up a bed for you?”

“It’s alright, Ah don’t mind sleeping here,” said Applejack.

“Alright, then. Goodnight Applejack.” With that, T.K. turned around and exited the room. Patamon made off to follow, but stopped briefly in the air, looking at Applejack worriedly.

“They didn’t come back, did they?”

“Who didn't come back?” said Applejack.

“Your parents. You said they died... But they didn’t come back, did they?”

“Of course they didn’t!” Applejack replied in exasperation. “What the hey kind of question is that? They’re dead! There ain’t no coming back from that!”

“Really? I’m not so sure about that,” said Patamon. “If that were true, then I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Beg pardon?”

“Um... I don’t remember much, but I think I fought so hard that I died and became an egg. You’ll have to ask T.K. more about it, the whole thing’s really fuzzy when I try to remember it.”

“Hey Patamon!” T.K.’s voice called from the other room. “Are you coming to bed?”

“Sure thing! I was talking to Applejack!” Patamon shouted back. “Anyway, I’m sorry you had to have your parents die like that, Applejack. I don’t remember much of being dead, but I do remember it being dark and scary. Anyway, I’m going off to bed. Good night!”

Letting out a soft yawn, Patamon quietly flew out the room, following after T.K. Applejack simply stared after him, unsure of what to think.

“Coming back from the dead...” Applejack quietly spoke to herself. “Land sakes, these digimon sure are something.”

“Hmm...”

Rarity hummed in contemplation as she peered through her bright red spectacles, examining the bandage wrapped around Cody’s shoulder. He sat patiently in the middle of the well-lit living room, with Armadillomon by his side.

Focusing her magic through her horn, Rarity gently unwrapped the bandage and discarded it into a nearby trashcan, revealing the wound underneath. The blood had already clotted, revealing a large, ugly scab.

“Well, I’m certainly no medical expert, but it looks like your wound is healing quite well. I dare say it should be fully recovered soon.”

“You sure I won’t need stitches?” said Cody.

Rarity winced. “Stitches? Why, perish the thought! You would have been in quite the sticky situation if you’d needed stitches. Thankfully, the stone that struck you was blunt, so I don’t think stitches were required. I wouldn’t exert yourself too greatly, though, the bruising on your shoulder is much deeper than the wound.”

“But you do know how to sew in case I needed stitches, right?”

“W-what?” Rarity gasped in horror. “Oh heavens, no! I might know my way around a sewing needle, but stitching someone’s... flesh is an entirely different thing! Besides, my needle was drenched in grimy lakewater along with my other supplies, so you’d likely end up getting a nasty infection.”

“You wouldn’t have to worry about that,” said Cody. “The Digital World is made entirely of computer data. There’s no bacterial life, the only diseases are from computer viruses.”

“Oh, well isn’t that convenient!” Rarity chimed. “You certainly are knowledgeable for a child, aren’t you?”

Cody said nothing in response. He and Armadillomon shot each other an exasperated look.

“Hey, is everything going alright in there?” Cody’s mother called out as she entered the room, her face wrought with concern. “Is my little boy okay?”

“I’m fine, mom,” replied Cody. “My shoulder should be alright now.”

“I see,” replied Cody’s mother. “And I take it you’re going straight back to the Digital World tomorrow?”

“Mom, I have to do this!” Cody insisted. “Rarity’s friend is in danger, and we’re the only ones who can help! We can’t just leave Fluttershy when her life could be in danger!”

Cody’s mother gave a soft smile in return, though behind it the others could see she was deeply worried. “I see. You’ve always been so selfless, Cody. I’m so proud of you... Just be careful, okay? And Rarity, please look after my little boy while you’re out there, alright?”

“You’ve no need to worry, Ms. Hida, your son is in good hooves,” Rarity replied.

“Thank you, Rarity. Cody, it’s almost bedtime, so get ready to go to sleep, okay?”

“Yes, mom.” Cody replied.

Rarity smiled. “Your mother and grandfather certainly are very nice. You should consider yourself grateful to have such a caring family.”

Cody said nothing in response. He looked towards the ground, avoiding making eye contact with Rarity.

“Speaking of, I’ve noticed that your father isn’t home yet. He must be working very late to be out at this hour. Oh, I do hope he’s not pushing himself too hard!”

“My father’s dead.” Cody abruptly responded.

Rarity opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly closed it again, leaving an awkward silence hanging over the room.

“I... I’m terribly sorry, I had no idea...”

“It’s fine,” said Cody. “You didn’t know. I was barely old enough to even remember it happening, anyway.”

Rarity looked up at Cody sympathetically. “Oh, that’s awful... How could such a sweet little boy like you lose a parent so young? What happened?”

“My father was a police officer,” Cody responded darkly. “He was guarding a government official, when an assassin tried to kill him. My dad pushed him out of the way and took the bullet instead.”

“You mean he gave his life to save someone else?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah...” said Cody. “I never really even knew him all that well, he was always so busy. I was so young when it happened that I barely even remember him.”

Rarity silently bit her lip. “Your father sounds like was a wonderful person... I guess it just goes to show you can never take your family for granted.” She let out a deep breath, turning her attention to the doorway where Cody’s mother had come through previously.

“You’re worried about your family, aren’t you?” said Armadillomon.

“Hm?”

“Come on Rarity, Ah can see it written on your face. You’re worried about your folks back home, aren’t you?”

Rarity gave a soft, humorless chuckle. “You really do know how to read a pony, Armadillomon. Yes, I am worried. Not only about my mother and father, but for my sister as well.”

“You had a sister?” said Cody.

“Yes,” said Rarity. “My younger sister Sweetie Belle. She was a fine young filly, one of the nicest you’d ever meet. She and I were very close, and I cared for her very deeply...” Rarity sighed. “But my parents, I’m afraid, were a different story.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” said Cody.

“I barely knew my parents at all growing up,” Rarity admitted. “My father was the manager of a local sports team and was frequently away for outside matches. Mother was an passionate baker, and spent most of her time in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes. Between both their ambitions, they rarely had any time for my sister and I. More often than not I was left to take care of Sweetie Belle alone while father was away, since mother couldn’t be bothered to pull herself away from the stove.

“But that’s not all. When I finally moved out to start my own fashion boutique, mother and father started leaving Sweetie Belle at my home, since they couldn’t even be bothered to look after her themselves. And I was so busy myself that I rarely had the opportunity to give her the attention she needed. We were all so caught up in our lives that we never truly had time to be a family... And now we never will.” Rarity sighed, removing her glasses and wiping a small tear from her eye.

Cody looked Rarity firmly in the eye. “Rarity, listen to me. I know things might be difficult right now, but I promise you, we’ll find a way to get you back to your family. No matter how tough it might seem, we’ll pull through. We just need to stick together.”

“It’s alright, Cody. I know things will work out like they always do. I just can’t help but worry...” Rarity let out a yawn, covering it with her front hoof. “Anyway, it’s getting fairly late, why don’t we head off to bed for the evening? I certainly need my beauty rest.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” said Cody. “Are you sure you don’t mind sleeping on the couch?”

“No need to worry about it, dear. Goodnight.”

“Yeah, goodnight.”

With a final word, Cody and Rarity went off to prepare their evening rituals before heading to sleep for the night. The whole time the thoughts of her family never left Rarity’s mind, even as she eventually drifted off to slumber.

Interlude 3: Shadows of the Past

No... I-I didn’t want this to happen! Please, it’s not my fault!

“Rainbow?”

She told me she didn’t need my help! I never thought she’d turn out like this!

“Rainbow, are you okay?”

“Gyah!”

Rainbow Dash catapulted awake at the sensation of something brushing over her shoulder, her head jolting upwards off of the couch. In the darkness of the living room she fumbled about, violently swatting away the foreign object that had violated her personal space.

“Ouch! Rainbow, what the heck?!”

“Huh? Yolei?” Rainbow looked up towards the source of the voice, barely making out Yolei’s silhouette in the darkness. “Don’t sneak up on me like that while I’m sleeping! You scared me half to death!”

“Sorry, Rainbow,” Yolei replied. “I was just worried about you is all. You seemed to be having a nightmare.”

“Yeah? So what? What are you even doing here, anyway?”

“Uh, well, you see... How do I put this...” Yolei paused awkwardly, trying to find the words. “You were snoring kind of loudly, and my older siblings kind of went and told me to tell you to knock it off. It wasn’t my idea, I swear!”

“What!?” Rainbow exclaimed defensively. “I do not snore!”

“Rainbow, shh!” Yolei hushed. “They’ll hear you!”

“Rrgh, fine,” Rainbow grumbled. “What am I supposed to do about it, though? If they don’t like my snoring, that’s their problem. Now could you please let me sleep?”

“Rainbow, wait,” said Yolei. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Ugh, can’t it wait until morning?”

“Rainbow, something’s been bothering you, hasn’t it?”

Rainbow looked up at Yolei incredulously. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been acting strangely as of late. You’ve barely spoken a word since you arrived on Earth, and now you’re having nightmares. Is there anything wrong?”

“It’s fine,” said Rainbow Dash. “There’s nothing to worry about, I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Said Yolei, concerned.

“It’s fine. We’ll talk about it later, alright? Just let me sleep.”

“If you say so...” Yolei gave Rainbow Dash one last worried look before walking away. Rainbow yawned loudly before laying her head back down, her thoughts turning towards the past as she drifted back to sleep.

Why did I have to be reminded of her? Why now?

Ruin. Decay. Emptiness. The wasteland stretched as far as the eye could see, devoid of life and compassion. The very earth itself looked as though it had been scorched, leaving nothing but an empty waste, where once vivid ecosystems had been burnt to ash.

Amidst the blasted landscape Ken stood, staring vacantly at the dystopian nightmare before him.

“Where am I?” he wondered aloud.

Suddenly, as though beckoned by his words, apocalyptic scenes began to flash before his eyes, showing glimpses of a world where all had been brought to dust. He saw an entire world in the grip of terror, and a once great city reduced to a smoking ruin.

“What’s happening?” He cried out in confusion and terror. “What is this!?”

Ken’s words went ignored, as the nightmarish scenes continued to flash right before his eyes, the screams of the innocent filling his ears. Ken closed his eyes tightly and clasped his ears against his head, but the horrifying sights and sounds continued to assault him, undeterred by his feeble attempts to shut them out.

“No... No more! Please, make it stop!” Ken sobbed desperately, collapsing onto his knees. “Please, enough! I can’t take any more of this!”

“What’s the matter, Ken?”

The sudden voice had cut through the hellish visions with ease, leaving Ken with a newfound clarity. Free of the nightmares, he stood up and turned towards the source of the voice, and came face to face with his worst fear imaginable. The familiar spiky hair, the elaborate blue jumpsuit and cape, the soulless gaze hidden beneath the gold-trimmed sunglasses.

“This is what you wanted, wasn’t it?” said the Digimon Emperor. “You dedicated your existence to the suffering of others.”

“You...” Ken’s voice trembled with anger as he stared straight into his own eyes.

“Is something wrong, Ken? Are you afraid to look in the mirror?”

“No! You do not get to tell me who I am!” Ken snapped. “I’ve moved on from what I was! The Digimon Emperor is gone!”

“And yet here I am, standing right in front of you,” the Emperor calmly retorted. “Face it, Ken: despite how far you’ve come, your past mistakes continue to define you. Until you learn to accept that, this is only going to keep happening.”

“What are you talking about?” Ken demanded.

“Just look at Vespimon. She seems awfully familiar to you, does she not? A spitting image of your beloved partner, Stingmon. She represents every mistake you’ve ever made, every atrocity you’ve ever committed! She is a reflection of your past, and an embodiment of the sins that continue to weigh down on your heart to this day!”

“What’s your point? What are you getting at?”

The Emperor let out a low, ominous chuckle. “You know exactly what I’m getting at, Ken. She’s the part of you that you never wished to acknowledge, the part of you that you fooled yourself into thinking was long gone. And as long as you keep denying it, she’ll only become stronger. After all, who are we other than the result of our past?”

As he finished his speech, a sudden gust of wind blew through the wasteland, the air circling around the Emperor. His body turned translucent as he slowly began to fade out of existence.

“No! You’re wrong!” Ken screamed. “Vespimon is the antithesis of everything that I stand for! I won’t let her win, you hear me? And I don’t need you to tell me otherwise!” He lunged forward to assault the ghostly image, who cackled as he vanished into thin air. Ken fell through the empty space and collapsed onto his side, leaving himself prone on the ground.

As he lay down, a massive shadow fell over him and he looked up to see what he could only describe as an abomination. It was the silhouette of a massive, multi-limbed beast, its body devoid of all light and color. A large horn protruded from the top of its head, and sprouting from its shoulders were two massive cylindrical growths of unknown function.

Ken looked up, eyes wide with terror, as the monster swiftly brought one of its massive claws down on top of him.

“Gah!”

Ken suddenly awoke with a jolt, a cold sweat running down his forehead. His heart still pounding from the nightmare, he sat up in his bed and briefly surveyed the room. Wormmon still lay at his feet snoring gently, completely unaware of the whole experience.

Reaching out towards his partner, he briefly stroked Wormmon across the head. Ken smiled as Wormmon reacted to his touch, muttering happily in his sleep.

“Don’t worry buddy, everything’s going to be okay.”

Giving his partner one last look, Ken lay back down on the bed, drifting into a dreamless sleep for the rest of the night.

Harmonic Evolution 101

Davis stood outside of the computer lab, sipping quietly from a plastic coffee cup. With visible bags under his eyes, he stared vacantly at the door, anticipating any sign of life inside of it. Sitting beside him in the hallway was Veemon, who stared at the doorway with a similarly groggy expression.

Veemon’s eyelids sagged from his position, beginning to nod off. He shook his head vigorously, snapping himself awake, before looking up at Davis. “Hey, do you think you could give me some of that?”

“What? No way, this is mine! You already had yours on the way here!”

“But I’m so tired...” Veemon groaned. “I need caffeine...” He reached up towards Davis, pulling on his pant leg pleadingly.

“Hey, let go of me! I already told you, this is mine!” Davis quickly yanked the coffee mug away, but Veemon stubbornly clung to the demin jeans, tugging desperately at the article of clothing. Davis yelped in surprise as the coffee cup slipped from his hands, spilling its contents in a puddle all over the ground.

“Veemon! Now look what you did!”

“Don’t worry, I got it!” Veemon suddenly rushed over towards the spill, kneeling atop the puddle with his hands and knees. Loud slurping noises echoed across the hallway as greedily licked the puddle.

“Ugh, Veemon! That’s disgusting!”

“Don’t care. Need caffeine.” Veemon’s reply came punctuated with loud slurps.

“Veemon, come on, what if someone sees you like that? Our friends could be here any moment!”

“Nah, it’s too early for that,” Veemon slurped. “They probably won’t be here for another...”

Veemon suddenly froze as a patch of shade fell over him. He looked up to see Cody and Armadillomon standing at the end of the hallway by the window, leaving a large shadow extending across the corridor as the early morning sun shone behind them. Standing beside the two was Rarity, who gaped at Veemon, her face frozen in an expression of shock and disgust.

“Umm..”

“You know what, forget it,” Cody sighed as he approached with the others. “I don’t want to know. What are you doing here anyway, Davis? I’m usually the first to arrive when we meet in the summer.” He looked towards the puddle in the ground that Veemon stood over, wiping off his tongue with his hand. “Wait, is that coffee?”

“Yeah,” said Davis, “Izzy sent me a message on my D-Terminal at two in the morning. He said he wanted me to bring Twilight early so they could discuss some things. We had to sneak out while my parents were asleep, and we got some coffee at the subway station to help us stay awake.”

“We’ve been waiting out here for hours,” Veemon whined. “Twilight and Izzy won’t even let us in to see what they’re doing!”

“Wait a minute, you snuck out without telling your parents?” Cody interrupted. “Davis, do you have any idea how irresponsible that is? And you’re way too young to be drinking coffee!”

“Relax, I left them a note on the fridge,” said Davis. “And I’m pretty sure Twilight’s an adult, so it’s not like I wasn’t supervised or anything.”

“It doesn’t matter! You can’t just go about breaking rules like that! It’s not right!”

“Well Cody, it ain’t like you’ve never broken any rules yourself when going to the Digital World,” said Armadillomon.

“You’re not helping!” Cody replied indignantly.

“Please, everyone, there’s no need to make a fuss,” said Rarity. “Irresponsible as they might have been, they can deal with the consequences later. We should focus our thoughts on the mission at hoof.” Rarity paused, taking a quick glance around the empty hallway. “We should wait for the others to arrive before we meet Twilight in the computer room.”

The wait for the other Digi-Destined and their compatriots was uneventful, save for the exchange of small talk as more arrived outside the lab. Tai and Kari arrived first, with Agumon, Gatomon, and Pinkie Pie, followed by Sora and Biyomon. Matt and Gabumon arrived soon afterward, followed by Joe and Gomamon. Yolei arrived some time afterward with Hawkmon and Rainbow Dash, and T.K. with Patamon and Applejack. Ken and Wormmon arrived last, though Ken’s expression suggested he had been in a hurry to get there.

“Hey Ken, glad to see you made it!” said Davis, “what took you so long?”

“I live more than an hour away,” Ken deadpanned. “Or were you expecting me to bend the laws of time and space to get here faster?”

“Jeez, no need to get so defensive,” replied Davis. “Now that you’re here we can meet with Twilight and Izzy in the computer lab.” Davis walked over to the computer lab’s door and knocked loudly on the window. “Hey eggheads, open up! The gang’s all here!”

Silence.

“Come on, Twilight!” Davis banged on the door, “We’re all here, quit keeping us waiting!”

“Stand back, Davis!” Said Veemon, “Let me try!”

Veemon walked up to the door, and Davis quietly stepped aside to let him through. Taking a deep breath, Veemon stood in front of the door and stepped back, lowering his head slightly.

“Wait, he’s not going to...?” said T.K.

“Veemon, wait a second!” Davis cried out.

“Vee Headbutt!”

With a mighty yell, Veemon leapt headfirst at the door, intent on smashing it down. As he sailed towards it, the door became enveloped in a lavender glow, swinging outwards in a swift jerking motion.

Veemon let out a yelp as he was summarily flattened against the wall next to the door. Standing in the open doorway was Twilight Sparkle, who smiled warmly at the gathered crowd.

“Glad to see you all could make it. Come in and we’ll discuss what we’ve found.” Twilight paused momentarily as she noted the mass of shocked faces before her. She briefly glanced around the hallway in confusion, only to let out her own astonished gasp as she looked behind the doorway.

“Veemon!” Twilight gasped. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it!”

Veemon let out a pained groan as he sat on the ground, rubbing his head. “I’m fine. Let’s just go in.”

Twilight soon led the others into the computer room, where she and Izzy had been working. A small moving table with a projector had been placed in the center of the room, connected to one of the nearby computers. A large pull-down projector screen was on the opposite wall, with plenty space cleared in front of it so that the others could watch.

As Twilight approached the projector, she took one last apologetic look at Veemon, who was nursing a bruise on his head.

“Veemon, are you sure you’re alright? I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you...”

“Hey, no worries Twilight,” said Veemon. “Trust me, I’ve had a lot worse.”

“If you say so...”

Nearby, Izzy sat in front of one of the computers, the monitor displaying what appeared to be some kind of slideshow program. Tentomon hovered next to him in midair, staring curiously at the screen.

“Alright everyone, here’s the deal.” said Izzy. “Twilight and I have set up a slideshow so we can properly explain the situation. We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s not waste time. Someone get the lights and we’ll begin.”

The group soon gathered in the front of the room, in a space that had been cleared for the presentation. The group gathered before a large projector screen which hung on the fall wall opposite the projector, which Twilight stood proudly in front of. Izzy sat by one of the nearby computers, with a slideshow program visible on the screen, and the projector connected via cable to the monitor.

“Tentomon, could you light switch for me?” said Twilight. “I’ll get the projector.”

“You got it!”

With an eager buzzing of wings, Tentomon flew over to the doorway and flipped the switch, shutting off the overhead lights. Twilight then approached the projector and flipped another switch, causing the machine to hum to life. Displayed on the screen from the projector was the same image on Izzy’s computer monitor, which showed a slideshow program. With a simple click, the program disappeared, replaced with a blank white screen.

“This presentation will help us explain what’s going on to everyone,” said Twilight, walking in front of the screen to address the crowd. She stared at the blank screen for a moment before looking back nervously at the gathered crowd before. “Uh... Sorry we haven’t gotten a proper title ready. We were so busy working on everything else that it completely forgot. I hope you guys don’t mind too much...”

“I already told you, don’t worry about it,” said Izzy. “What’s most important is that we’re able to present our findings efficiently.”

“Are you sure?” said Twilight. “I could probably think of something really quick. How about ‘Digital World 101?’ Or maybe, ‘Digimon and you?’ Or how about—”

“Ugh, just play the slideshow!” said Rainbow.

“Alright, fine!” said Twilight. She muttered under “So impatient...”

With the click of a mouse, Izzy transitioned the slideshow into the next slide, a simple diagram with a picture of several digimon lined up in a chart. Each digimon was contained in a column with a different label: “Fresh”, “In-Training”, “Rookie”, “Champion”, “Ultimate”, and “Mega”, lined up from left to right. In the respective columns were the respective forms of Agumon, with his current form in the “Rookie” column.

“This one’s for my fellow ponies, since the rest of you probably know this all already. Shown here are the six known evolutionary stages of digimon, ordered from least to most powerful.”

“Evolutionary stages?” said Applejack. “You mean like our harmonic evolutions?”

“Yes and no,” replied Twilight. “Our harmonic evolutions are slightly different, but we’ll get to that.” Several of the Digi-Destined began to voice their confusion, only for Twilight to cut them off. “Don’t worry, we’ll explain that in a moment.

“As I was saying before, these are the evolutionary stages of digimon. When digimon are born from recycled computer data, they hatch from a digi-egg into a “fresh” digimon. Think of them as foals, if you will. Over time, digimon will gradually grow stronger through competition with others of their kind. Through this process digimon will permanently transform into stronger forms through a process known as digital evolution, or ‘digivolution.’ This natural process take many years to complete, however, and the vast majority of digimon will never live to digivolve past champion. Those that manage to digivolve beyond ultimate are so rare that the mega level was not initially believed to even exist.”

Twilight nodded to Izzy, who transitioned to the next slide. The slide showed a picture of Tai standing next to Agumon, as well as the champion, ultimate, and mega forms that had been shown previously, and a series of arrows connecting them.

“However, Digimon can also temporarily access higher digivolution levels through the aid of outside forces. A digimon paired to a human partner, for example, is capable of temporarily digivolving by harnessing the deep bond they share with their partner. Digi-Destined are also capable of harnessing various artifacts and power sources to further digivolve, allowing for them to instantly digivolve up to the mega level, but only for a brief period of time. Afterwards, the partner digimon will regress to a lower level.”

“Wow! So you guys go through a lot of really super-duper sudden transformations, don’t you?” said Pinkie. “Kind of like baking a soufflé and watching the dough rise in the oven, only for it to collapse as soon as you take it out! Don’t you just hate it when that happens? Not digivolving, I mean, that’s super cool, but spending all that time making a yummy dessert only for it to be totally ruined? I hate that!”

“Uh...” said Kari, having trouble keeping up with Pinkie’s excited rambling.

“She’s feister than an entire litter on catnip, isn’t she?” said Gatomon.

“So y’all can do these digivolution things all the way up to the mega level?” said Applejack. “Well, shoot, and Ah thought just transforming once were impressive.”

“Actually, only Agumon and Gabumon are able to digivolve beyond ultimate,” said Twilight. “Veemon and Wormmon can too, but that’s a little bit different.”

“Huh?” said Pinkie. “Why not?”

“I must admit, it does sound rather unfair,” said Rarity. “If we’re all part of a team, I don’t see why anyone should be elevated beyond everyone else.”

Twilight flinched as though she were struck, a pained look briefly flashing across her muzzle. “Right... moving on... As I hinted at before, this is only one kind of digivolution. There are several others which require different conditions to unlock. The first is armor Digivolution, which I’m sure several of you have already seen.”

The presentation transitioned into a new slide. On the left-hand side was a picture of Veemon, with three arrows pointing to three other digimon in the top-left, center-left, and bottom-left of the image: Flamedramon, Raidramon, and Exveemon.

“Armor digivolution is a special type of digivolution that only certain digimon can access. Using special artifacts call armor digi-eggs, digimon can fuse with the digi-eggs to become armor-level digimon, which in most circumstances have the equivalent power of a champion. However, unlike other levels an armor digimon’s power is not strictly defined, so under some special circumstances they can become even more powerful. For example, Veemon can armor digivolve into Flamedramon with the Digi-Egg of Courage and Raidramon with the Digi-Egg of Friendship, both of which have the equivalent power of a champion. In the presence of a control spire, this is the only way digimon are capable of digivolving. Otherwise they can digivolve normally, such as Veemon becoming Exveemon.”

The slide transitioned again, showing a picture of ExVeemon and Stingmon on the left, with a large “plus” sign between them, and an arrow connecting to a picture of Paildramon.

“The last form of digivolution that we know of is called DNA digivolution. It’s an especially rare form of digivolution that’s powered by the bonds of trust and friendship between two digi-destined. When two humans achieve total harmony with one another, both of their hearts are crossed, allowing for their digimon partners to digivolve together into a single being that’s more powerful than the sum of its parts.” A worried frown suddenly crossed Twilight’s face as she stared back at the projector. “Unfortunately, Gatomon’s tail ring was what made DNA digivolution possible to begin with. Now that it’s been destroyed by Vespimon, one of our most powerful tools of fighting evil has been completely erased.”

“Wait, Gatomon’s tail ring was destroyed?” said Tai.

“Yeah, you didn’t notice I didn’t have it with me?” said Gatomon.

“I thought you’d just taken it off!” Tai blurted out. “Now you’re telling me it’s gone for good? What are we supposed to do now that it’s gone?”

“We’ll simply have to make do with what we have,” replied Twilight. “Our harmonic evolutions should be more than enough to combat this latest evil.”

The humans and digimon not already familiar with the phrase all stared at Twilight in confusion.

“Uh... I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but what’s that?” asked Joe.

“I’m glad you asked!” said Twilight. “See, back on our world, each of us are the bearers of a powerful artifact, known collectively as the Elements of Harmony. These artifacts represent each of the virtues that bring ponies together and establish total harmony: Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, and Magic. By channeling the spirits of these virtues within us, my friends and I can harness the most powerful known magic in existence to defend our lands from the forces of evil. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the Digital World to rescue Fluttershy, our Elements appeared to have lost their power... Or so I’d thought.”

Twilight raised her foreleg, showing off the small device that was strapped to her front ankle.

“What’s that?” asked Sora. “It looks like some kind of wristwatch.”

“This, my friends, is a D-Harmony digivice.” replied Twilight.

“Huh?” A chorus of astonished gasps from the older Digi-Destined and their partners echoed throughout the room.

“That’s right,” said Twilight, grinning brightly. “Upon arriving in the Digital World, the Elements of Harmony each transformed into these electronic devices. Izzy and I were able to briefly study the Element of Magic before you arrived, and what we’d found was that its physical form had somehow been converted into computer data. We concluded that they were actually an entirely new type of digivice with properties that made them completely unique. These properties allow us to use the elements to remove our own weaknesses. I’m sure you all have noticed by now that our inherent magic doesn’t seem as strong as it used to be?”

“Now that you mention it,” said Rarity, “I have been having some difficulties with my spells. Even the most basic of levitation magic is quite strenuous.”

“And mah connection to the earth don’t seem anywhere near as strong as it used to be,” said Applejack.

“Yeah, and my Pinkie sense it totally gone!” Pinkie added.

The other ponies looked at Rainbow Dash expectantly.

“What?”

“Ain’t you gonna say something about your flying? Ah’d think that you of all ponies would be the first to complain about losing your pegasus magic.”

“Eh, I wasn’t really paying attention,” Rainbow admitted, prompting an exasperated glare from Twilight. “But now that you mention it, I have been having trouble flying lately. Are you saying that something bad’s happened to me?”

“I am, actually,” said Twilight. “For whatever reason, it seems that upon traveling to the Digital World, a large portion of our magic was lost. Because of this, not only does spellcasting become more difficult, but earth pony strength is greatly diminished, and pegasus flight is severely restricted.”

“So where did the magic go?” asked Pinkie.

“Huh?”

“Well, magic doesn’t just disappear into thin air, does it?” said Pinkie. “It had to go somewhere, right?”

“Uhm, w-well...” Twilight awkwardly stumbled over her words, having been caught completely off-guard by Pinkie’s question. “Truth be told, I hadn’t really thought about that. If I had to guess, I’d say that the teleport spell we used simply wasn’t meant to cross entire dimensions, so it ended up burning out most of our power. But we can’t say for sure since we have no way of knowing what really happened. What matters is that with our magic gone, we’ll be forced to rely on the Elements, or more accurately, the D-Harmony digivices.”

Twilight gestured to Izzy, who transitioned over to the next slide. The slide showed a picture of Twilight on the left, with a large arrow connecting her to an image of Espermon on the right. Many of the faces in the gathered audience simply gaped at the image in bewilderment.

“What is that?” asked Matt.

“That, my fellow Digi-Destined, is my harmonic evolution, Espermon.” replied Twilight. “By channeling the spirits of the Elements within us, our D-Harmony digivices can convert our remaining magic into raw computer data, allowing us to transform into special digimon known as hybrid digimon.”

“Whaaaat?!” Another series of astonished gasps came from the older Digi-Destined.

Twilight gave a self-satisfied grin, as though she had anticipated her audience’s reaction in advance. “It is quite the monumental discovery, isn’t it? By allowing us to become digimon ourselves, these harmonic evolutions prove that there’s a common link between biological and digital life-forms.”

“So does this mean you guys are Digi-Destined now?” asked Tai.

“How can they be Digi-Destined? they don’t have any partners!” Joe moaned. “I mean, turning into digimon? That’s insane!”

“Aw, don’t be so harsh on them, Joe!” said Gomamon, “Just because something’s a little different doesn’t mean it’s bad. You just gotta give it a chance!”

“Digi-Destined or not, harmonic evolutions are a lot more different than you think,” said Twilight. “Hybrid digimon have a property that makes them entirely unique: while their base power level is equivalent to a champion, there is no strict upper limit to how powerful they can become, meaning it’s entirely possible for a hybrid digimon to be equivalent to ultimate or even mega digimon. Hybrid digimon are also unaffected by the anti-digivolution radiation emitted by control spires.”

“Awesome!” said Davis. “So that basically means we’re unstoppable now! Now we’ll be able to beat that jerk who built the control spires in no time at all!”

“Yeah!” said Veemon. “Let’s show that wannabe villain who’s boss!”

Twilight frowned. “It won’t be that simple, I’m afraid. I don’t think you understand just how powerful the enemy we’re dealing with is.”

“Huh?” said Davis, “what do you mean? We just go in there and kick his butt, right? How difficult can it be?”

Twilight gave Davis a solemn look, and then gestured to Izzy, who switched the slideshow off. With a glow of her horn, Twilight turned off the projector, and subsequently turned on the light switch. The overhead lights briefly flickered on, causing the gathered crowd to wince at the sudden light.

“I’m sorry for startling you all,” said Twilight, “but this is something that I feel can’t be explained in a slideshow. I’ve been discussing this with Izzy, and I feel that the only way for us to truly understand the scope of this new threat is to explain what happened to our friend, Fluttershy.”

“Fluttershy... Pinkie mentioned her before.” Kari mused. “She ended up getting kidnapped, right? That’s how you ended up in the Digital World.”

“That’s right,” said Twilight. “But there’s more to the story than just that. In the months leading up to Fluttershy’s abduction, I was working on a project: the Electronic Numerical Evaluator for Integration, General Horsery, And Computation, or ENEIGHAC. As the first computer in the world of Ungula, its raw processing power would allow for complex calculations to be performed almost instantly, advancing the study of theoretical magics in ways that were never before possible!” Unable to contain herself, Twilight let out a miniature squeal of excitement as she finished.

A pink flush appeared on Twilight’s muzzle as she noticed the awkwards glances from across the room. “Oh, uh... Sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes. But as I was saying, ENEIGHAC was the first computer on Ungula, and based on my understanding of the Digital World, that was where it all began. While testing it for the first time, a strange malfunction occurred that caused the machine to fail. I’d spent the next several months trying to figure out just what exactly the problem was, but I wasn’t able to find anything. I’d decided one day to take a break from the computer to have a picnic with my friends.”

“Decided?” said Rainbow Dash. “We’d been trying to get you to stop obsessing over that dumb machine for months!”

“Yeah... You’re right,” Twilight said glumly. “I’d been focusing so hard on perfecting my greatest work that I’d forgotten all about the friends that made me what I am today. I tried to reconcile it during the picnic, but then I heard a horrible noise coming from the library. I rushed over to see what it was, and saw Fluttershy caught in an electrical storm generated by ENEIGHAC. Then a portal opened, and...” Twilight’s words died in her throat mid-sentence as she vividly recalled the grisly scene she had witnessed that day. “An evil force appeared and dragged her through the portal. And I couldn’t save her. If only I’d acted sooner...”

“Twilight, dear, you mustn’t be so hard on yourself,” said Rarity. “It’s not your fault. None of us could have known what would happen.”

“I know,” Twilight sighed. “We just need to focus now on what we know now and what we can do. We can reasonably conclude from what happened that ENEIGHAC’s malfunction was the result of a connection to the Digital World. It was from this connection that the evil force was able to abduct Fluttershy. And shortly after we arrived, we’d learned of the control spires and the threat they represented to the Digital World.”

“So, wait, you’re saying that they’re related?” said T.K.

“Undoubtedly so,” said Twilight. “In fact, I think I may have a possible explanation for it. Ken, you once held an artifact known as the Crest of Kindness, correct?”

“Huh?” said Ken. “How do you know about that?”

“Davis told me about it on the way to the digiport... among other things. But this artifact you possessed represented the exact same trait as Fluttershy’s Element of Harmony: the Element of Kindness. And something about our circumstance tells me that this isn’t a coincidence.” Twilight approached Ken, looking at him with imploring eyes. “Ken, I need you to tell my friends what happened with you a year ago. The fate of one of our dearest friends is at stake here, and from what I know about your history, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re connected to it all.”

“Huh?” said Ken, “You don’t mean...”

“You need to tell them, Ken” said Twilight. “If we want to help Fluttershy, then it’s absolutely vital that we make sure we can trust each other. You’re the only one who can make sure of that.”

Ken shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with Twilight. The others turned to look at Ken expectantly, leaving a brief yet awkward lull in the conversation.

“What? You’re not gonna say anything about who you really are?” Rainbow angrily accused. “You wanna just go out and lie to everypony else, too?”

“Rainbow, dear, don’t be rude to him!” said Rarity. “We are guests in his world, after all.”

“No, she’s right,” said Ken. “She has every reason to be mistrustful of me. I was the one who originally created the control spires.”

Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie each let out a gasp of shock.

“A little more than a year ago, I tried to conquer the Digital World,” Ken solemnly admitted. “Seduced by the powers of darkness and blinded by my ignorance, I built the control spires in an effort to bring every digimon in existence under my control. I thought the Digital World to be nothing more than a game, one where I could do whatever I wanted without consequence. Had my friends not been there to stop me, I would have never understood the error of my ways.”

“You called yourself the Digimon Emperor,” said Twilight. “Davis told me everything about it. I understand what happened to you, and I don’t hold anything against you for it. But I’m afraid I can’t speak for the rest of my friends.”

The other ponies looked at Ken pitiably, noting the regret that was apparent in his expression.

“Well... Ah know Ah ain’t known him for very long,” said Applejack, “but if Twilight trusts him, so do Ah.”

“I don’t like seeing any of my friends this sad,” said Pinkie. “If you’re really sorry about what you did, then I’ll always be willing to be there for a friend.”

“I don’t hold anything against you for succumbing to the forces of darkness,” said Rarity. “If anything, I’d say that I empathize with your situation.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Yeah, sure. I guess I don’t really have a problem with him,” she begrudgingly admitted.

Ken turned and glanced at the other ponies that had shown him sympathy, silently thanking them with the grateful expression in his eyes. He then turned back towards Twilight, staring at her somberly.

“I can appreciate the sympathy, Twilight, but I don’t think you understand how deeply I’m responsible for all of this.”

“Huh?” said Twilight. “What do you mean?”

“When Yolei and I found Rainbow Dash, we encountered an evil Digimon named Vespimon. She claimed not only to be the one behind the new control spires, but also the one responsible for kidnapping Fluttershy.”

“Yeah!” said Rainbow Dash, “And I totally kicked her butt, too! You should have seen me, I was awesome!”

Ken shook his head. “Only barely. Vespimon was so strong that she could have easily beaten us all without even a scratch on her. We only managed to win because Rainbow’s harmonic evolution caught her off guard. We weren’t even fighting the real Vespimon either, we were only fighting a shadow of her brought to life through her power. The real Vespimon is undoubtedly much stronger, and I don’t even know if we’d be able to survive a direct encounter with the real her.”

“So we know who our enemy is,” said Twilight. “And from the looks of it, she’s an exceptionally powerful foe. But what did you mean when you said you’re responsible for this?”

“I think... I think I might have created her,” Ken admitted. “We didn’t see her true form, but her shadow was a near-exact duplicate of Stingmon’s silhouette. She’s seeking to rebuild the control spires and enslave the Digital World, much like I did as the Digimon Emperor. She kidnapped Fluttershy, who holds an item that embodies kindness, much like I once did. She and I are one and the same.”

Twilight gave Ken a look of incredulity. “Those are some very close parallels. But what exactly do you mean when you said you created her? You don’t mean that literally, do you?”

Ken nodded in affirmation. “Last winter we fought an evil digimon named MaloMyotismon, who took us into a dream world where our very thoughts could become reality. This not only allowed ourselves to harness our innermost dreams to defeat him, it also gave us a closer look at ourselves and our true minds. More than anything else, I wanted to be rid of the mistakes that I’d made, so that I’d no longer have to bear the weight of my own transgressions. I... I think that this desire is what created her. Vespimon’s the part of me that I abandoned when I stopped calling myself the Digimon Emperor.”

“You... You really think that?” said Twilight. “It seems a bit outlandish, doesn’t it?”

“It’s the only explanation I can think of that makes sense. There are so many parallels between us that there’s no way there isn’t a connection of some kind.”

“So if she’s your evil inner self, then why is she a girl?” asked Davis, sporting a mischievous grin. “Wouldn’t that make you a girl, too?” Next to him, Veemon silently snickered at the question.

Ken’s face suddenly turned bright pink. “What? No! Of course not!”

“That’s actually a very fascinating observation!” Izzy chimed in. “There are some theories that certain aspects of the unconscious mind are represented by the opposite gender. According to the Jungian school of analytical psychology—”

“Ugh, who cares about that?” Rainbow interrupted. “The important question is, why would Ken’s evil inner self or whatever kidnap Fluttershy?”

“Because she needed her,” replied Ken. “When I was the Digimon Emperor, I’d converted the Crest of Kindness into a power source for my operations. By harnessing its energy, I could override the security measures in the Digital World to manually allocate its memory for my own purposes. This allowed me to program data structures that I would use to build my own resources, including the dark rings and my own personal fortress. But the Crest of Kindness was destroyed shortly after my final confrontation with the Digi-Destined, after I’d renounced my Digimon Emperor persona. Vespimon needed something else to replace it.”

“So she came after the Element of Kindness,” Twilight finished. “Of course! It all makes sense now! When ENEIGHAC connected to the Digital World, it provided the perfect opportunity for Vespimon to take what she needed!”

“But then why kidnap Fluttershy?” said Rarity. “If this ruffian Vespimon only needed her Element, then why would she get Fluttershy involved in this whole mess?”

“The Elements are powerless without their bearers,” Twilight replied. “Vespimon needs Fluttershy, and she needs her alive. We know Vespimon is holding her somewhere, and thanks to Izzy, we have a good idea of where that is. Izzy, why don’t you show us what we’ve found so far?”

“You got it,” said Izzy. With a click of the mouse, Izzy brought up another screen on the computer, moving aside to give a clear view. “Everyone, come take a look at this.” The others got up and huddled closer to the computer, which displayed a regional map of the Digital World. Spread across the screen were dozens of red dots.

“As you can plainly see, the control spires have been multiplying rapidly since they first started appearing. Yesterday there were only twenty-six control spires, but now there’s more than four hundred of them. At this rate it won’t be long until the entire Server Continent is covered in them.”

Ken stared wide-eyed at the screen in an expression of pure horror. “I don’t believe it...”

“I don’t understand, how could they possibly be built that fast?” said Yolei. “There’s no way we can take those control spires down faster than they appear!”

“Not individually, no,” said Izzy. “But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how they spread. They seem to be spreading outward from a single location, which we can easily find at the center of the control spires.”

With a click of the mouse, a new window opened up in the display, showing a scene of the Digital World. Pictured in it was a massive, imposing fortress of blackened stone, sitting atop an immense plateau.

“No way!” said T.K. “Is that what I think it is?”

Gatomon’s eyes widened at the sight. “Myotismon’s castle!”

“That’s right,” said Izzy. “It seems our new villain is taking up residence within our old foe’s fortress. This is the source of all our problems, and if we can take out Vespimon, then we might be able to stop the new control spires from appearing. It’s also the most likely place you’ll find your friend Fluttershy.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” said Rainbow Dash. “Let’s go in there and rescue her!”

Izzy shook his head. “It won’t be that simple, I’m afraid. There are no digiports anywhere close to the fortress. It’s likely that Vespimon destroyed them all in order to prevent us from reaching her. Even if you could make it there, the castle itself is wrapped in a spacial distortion that would make it impossible to approach.”

“So what are we going to do then?” said Cody. “There has to be some way we can get there, right?”

“We can’t just give up on them yet! Fluttershy is counting on us!” Davis exclaimed.

“There is still hope,” said Izzy. “My scans of the Digital World have detected a signal coming from Server. Whatever it is, it’s extremely powerful, more than enough to remove the distortion. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get a good hold on its exact location. Every time I think I’ve found it, the signal jumps to another part of the continent, like it’s disappearing and reappearing somewhere else. It’s almost as if it doesn’t want to be found.”

“So there’s only one thing that can save us, but we don’t know what it is or even where it is?” said Kari. “I’m not sure I like those odds.”

“I wouldn't give up yet,” said Izzy. “If we can send you to its location before the signal disappears, we might be able to catch it before it goes away. If I can can just get a clear reading...” Izzy’s fingers rapidly clicked across the keyboard, entering a rapid sequence of commands that none of the others present could follow.

“There! The signal’s coming from a coastal town on the southeast edge of the continent!” Izzy declared triumphantly. “There’s a digiport right next to it, so you should be able to find the source easily enough. Unfortunately, it’s also near a control spire, so you might have to deal with some trouble.”

“Hey, no problem!” said Davis, “we’ll just take out the spire, find whatever it is we need, and head back! Piece of cake!”

“Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious,” said Izzy. “I’ll keep you updated in case the signal disappears. In the meantime, I’ll hold the fort back here with the older Digi-Destined. You’d better hurry though if you want a chance at finding the source of the signal.”

“Well then, let’s get going already!” said Rainbow Dash. “I don’t wanna miss our chance at this!”

“Agreed!” said Yolei. “Is everybody ready?” A chorus of affirmations came from the others. “Good! Then let’s get going! Digiport open!”

Yolei held out her digivice, and suddenly the screen began to glow intensely, opening the gate to the digital world. The older Digi-Destined stood away from the computer, allowing the others and their pony companions to step closer. There was a bright flash of light, and the six humans, ponies, and digimon were gone.

Izzy stared back at the digiport as it closed, and an awkward silence feel over the room.

“Do you ever get the feeling that we’re losing our relevance?” said Joe.

With another flash of light, the group emerged from the other side of the digiport, through the screen of another television. As their senses adjusted to the sudden change in location, they took notice of the new surroundings.

All around them was a small alley between two buildings made from wood and stone. The air was thick with the smell of the brine, and beyond the alley they could see the cobblestone street of a large town.

As they stepped out of the alleyway, more of the town became visible. In one direction the street opened into a large harbor where numerous wooden docks overlooked the vast ocean of the Digital World. In the other direction the street continued further inland, surrounded by numerous shops, inns, taverns, and services, and intersecting with numerous other cobbled roads that led in different directions. Palm trees sparsely dotted the street corners and intersections, and in the distance were a series of mountains covered in sheer cliff faces and tropical vegetation.

But most noticeable of all was the fact that the town appeared completely empty. Stranger still, even though there was not a digimon to be seen, the streets and buildings of the town were kept reasonably well-maintained, as though they had still been inhabited.

“It’s a port town,” said Twilight. “But where is everyone?”

Author's Notes:

This chapter was a huge pain to write, but I'm glad I finally was able to get it done before the end of summer.