//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Questionable Destiny // Story: BlackWarGreymon: Warrior of Harmony // by I-C-U-P //------------------------------// Morning arrived in Ponyville, and although she was awoken from the sunlight, Princess Twilight Sparkle felt sleepy. Last night turned out to be a long night indeed. After bringing BlackWarGreymon back to her castle, she tried to teach him more about positive emotions. How they work and how to act upon them. Unfortunately, the lessons were much harder to explain than she anticipated. Firstly, half the time the Digimon didn’t know which emotion was which. Secondly, he found it difficult to act in a fashion that matched the explained emotion. Finally, it seemed his mind was too distracted from thinking about two subjects at once. One on the lessons and another on something else. In the end before Twilight became too tired teach, BlackWarGreymon only understood half of the positive emotions. Such as happiness, joy and kindness. Kindness though he pretty much nailed down. But just as they got on the important subjects, such as love, Twilight kept falling asleep and had to put the lessons on hold. As Twilight and Spike went to bed, BlackWarGreymon stayed in the library to think about the other subject he had on his mind. The Tree of Harmony. His pony friends had been near the tree and even used the elements it held. Then why was it that when he came to Equestria, it ‘talked’ to him? Why just him and no one else? He tried looking through all the books on the subject, but found nothing. So in the middle of the night, he gave up and rested. After trying to wake herself up by rubbing her eyes, Twilight let out a loud yawn and climbed out of bed. She then quietly left her bedroom without waking up Spike. “I wonder how BlackWarGreymon’s doing?” The Alicorn asked herself as she walked down the hallway towards the library. On her way there, she looked out of the window and saw that the sun was high in the sky. She and Spike had overslept. “Woops, better be more organized with the lessons,” She said as she walked past the window. If she stayed and looked out the window a little longer, she would’ve seen two blurs streaking across the sky. One black and the other rainbow. “BlackWarGreymon?” Twilight called out as she looked through the library entrance. But he was nowhere to be found. “Where is he?” She asked as she walked down the hallway, confused of the Digimon’s whereabouts. She then heard her name being called down the other end of the hallway. “Twilight!” Turning around, the princess saw that it was Spike. Running down the hallway with a surprised look on his face. “What is it, Spike?” Twilight asked the young dragon as he came to a halt in front of her. “Something’s happening outside! Come and see!” Spike said as he ran past the startled Twilight and towards the castle entrance. Twilight then followed him outside. On the path to Ponyville, the Alicorn caught up with Spike as the two came to a stop just outside of town. “What’s going on?” The princess asked Spike in concern, thinking that they’re under attack again. Spike then pointed to the sky with a smile on his toothy face. “Look up there.” Although confused that Spike was smiling, Twilight looked up to where he was pointing and saw the sight herself. High above their heads and the town, a black blur and a rainbow blur were speeding across the open sky side-by-side. Like a pair of racers. Just like Twilight and Spike, the whole town looked at the sky to see the two. Some of them cheered, knowing exactly why they were. Spike was one of them. “It’s BlackWarGreymon and Rainbow Dash!” “They’re having another race?” Twilight asked, but the answer was clearly obvious. The two racers flew above the rooftops, high and low and around the clouds, through twists and turns, all the while neck and neck. It was unclear who was in the lead, but one thing was clear. BlackWarGreymon had gotten faster. Twilight, Spike and the onlooking ponies were amazed. Even as the two racers sped across the sky, they could see that the Digimon’s speed had rivaled Rainbow Dash’s. A feat very few had ever done. Twilight and Spike were then surprised when the two blurs changed direction and headed right towards them. As the Alicorn and the dragon took many steps back, they avoided the shockwave as the two blurs landed on the ground hard. As the small dust cloud settled, it revealed the two racers. BlackWarGreymon looked in his prime as he stood firm. Completely unaffected by the amount of racing he went through. Rainbow Dash however was far less fortunate. She was breathing heavily, almost like wheezing for breath. She was sweating all over, her mane and tail were in a complete mess, her wings hung down to her sides and despite standing, her legs were so wobbly they looked as though they would collapse. In short, the blue rainbow maned Pegasus was exhausted. Twilight and Spike were in shock. The only times they’ve seen Rainbow Dash in such a state were times she either done stunts or race other speedsters. Such as some members of the Wonderbolts. But what surprised Twilight even more was BlackWarGreymon’s speed. Rainbow Dash looked as though she was close to creating a Sonic Rainboom and unbelievably, the Digimon matched her speed perfectly. Could it be possible that one day, if not soon, the Mega could SURPASS Rainbow Dash!? As the Pegasus continued to drip sweat while catching her breath, she looked at BlackWarGreymon in shear disbelief. “How!? How did you become so fast!? So quickly!?” She asked him, desperate to know how he done it. BlackWarGreymon looked at the exhausted mare and replied. “Push-ups. Sit-ups. And plenty of juice.” Rainbow Dash knew that his answer wasn’t true. He only said that to lighten her mood. “Very funny. You’ve made a joke.” Rainbow Dash tried her best to recompose herself, but her legs were still shaky. Twilight and Spike then approached the two. “That was amazing,” Spike said. “Yeah, and you were nowhere near that fast the last time you raced her, BlackWarGreymon,” Twilight added. “Yeah,” BlackWarGreymon said before turning his attention to Rainbow Dash. “At this rate, I might even be faster than you someday.” Rainbow Dash looked disappointed from the possible fact. “I…I really hate to admit it. But maybe you’re right. Maybe you will be faster than me and be the fastest flier in Equestria.” BlackWarGreymon sensed something uncomfortable in Rainbow Dash’s sentence. There was sadness in her voice. The Digimon then thought of something to say to her that was truly honest in hopes to cheer her up. “Even if that would happen Rainbow Dash, you would still be the fastest pony in Equestria. And that’s something I could never take from you.” It worked. His words made Rainbow Dash’s face beam in happiness. It was true, she would remain the fastest pony. The one thing the Digimon could never be. “You’re right. I am the fastest AND the most awesome pony around.” While Rainbow Dash was busy praising herself, Twilight walked up to BlackWarGreymon in curiosity. “Seriously though. How did you manage to fly so fast within a few days?” “I’m not entirely sure, but it started to happen after my first sleep here. Now I can fly so fast, I can do this.” Then BlackWarGreymon leapt into the sky at bullet speed. The sudden draft created surprised Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash. “Seriously! What did he eat for breakfast, jet fuel!?” The blue Pegasus asked. “Wow. His new speed is almost instant,” Twilight added as she, her two friends and most of Ponyville looked up to the sky. Keeping their eyes on the high-flying Digimon. From the ground below, BlackWarGreymon was a faint dot in the sky. But the speed he traveled meant he was visible to the ponies. as they watched him streaking across the sky, flying at speeds that only Rainbow Dash could do, they took note that he was gaining speed. He kept going and going until, to their shock, he broke the sound barrier. Creating a sonic boom of his own. As Twilight watched the air around BlackWarGreymon exploded in the loud boom, she saw that the blast wave itself, normally clear, had a hint of black in it. Probably due to the Digital Monster’s excess energy. A black sonic boom perhaps? Maybe. As the shocked but amazed ponies watched on, it looked as though BlackWarGreymon had disappeared. Then he was spotted hovering above Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash. The blue Pegasus smirked at how cocky the Artificial Digimon was being. “Oh yeah, show off?” She then took off the ground and flew in front of the black dragon warrior. “You know you’re not the only one who could create a tornado,” She said, almost like creating another challenge for BlackWarGreymon. “Oh really?” BlackWarGreymon asked, as if he didn’t believe the Pegasus. “Yep, watch this.” She then flew some distance away from BlackWarGreymon and started to fly in circles. As she gained speed, a tornado quickly formed in front of the Digimon’s eyes. BlackWarGreymon had to admit it, he didn’t expect Rainbow Dash to be capable of creating a tornado. Another new lesson learnt. As Rainbow Dash kept flying around her tornado, making it bigger and faster, she was ready. “Let’s see you stop this!” Then adjusting her flight pattern, she launched the large tornado, spinning towards BlackWarGreymon. Then Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at her handiwork, hoping to out-wit the Digimon in brains and surprise. But BlackWarGreymon knew what the daredevil pony was like and expected her to test him in such a way. As the tornado came within reach of him, the Digimon merely back-handed the swirling vortex with his right arm. Thereby cutting off the airflow and dispelling the tornado completely. Rainbow Dash paused with a wide-eye open-mouth look. She just saw him took out a tornado. After glancing at the sky above and saw some clouds, she immediately shock off her awed expression and thought of another challenge. “Bet I can get rid of more clouds than you,” She declared before speeding off towards the clouds while BlackWarGreymon watched her. “She doesn’t give up, does she?” He asked before pursuing the Pegasus. As Twilight and Spike watched the two clearing out the sky from stray clouds, the Princess of Friendship couldn’t help but smile at BlackWarGreymon’s progress. From what she could tell by the Digimon’s behaviour, it was clear that he had finally gotten used to life in Equestria and among ponies. Another reason why he was putting himself through Rainbow Dash’s challenges was because he liked challenges. Being an active Digimon, he liked to test the limits of his body and his abilities. And since there were no other Digimon he was aware of, any challenge was acceptable. Then the two speedsters landed back on the ground in front of the Alicorn and the dragon. “Ahh, just took out fifty clouds. How about you, big guy?” Rainbow Dash asked the tall Digimon. “Fifty-three. I won.” Although a little stunned that she lost the challenge by three clouds, Rainbow Dash decided to let it slide since she had a busy day ahead of her. “Well, I’ll beat you next time. But now I’m off to AJ’s. Yesterday she wanted me to take down some old barn but I forgot about it. See ya.” After her farewell, Rainbow Dash flew away in a rainbow blur. Leaving Twilight, Spike and BlackWarGreymon behind her. Then Twilight grew a cheeky grin on her face. “Guess nopony told her that you already done that,” She said to BlackWarGreymon. As she looked at the Digimon, Twilight noticed that he was just staring at the sky blankly. As if he wasn’t even looking at the sky itself, but just alone in his thoughts. “Uhh, BlackWarGreymon… are you ok?” The Alicorn’s question snapped BlackWarGreymon out of his trance and turned his attention to her. “Oh sorry, I just have something on my mind.” “What is it?” Spike asked while Twilight looked on in concern. BlackWarGreymon was always so vigilant, as if to constantly keep his eye out for potential danger. So to see him being distracted in the way he did, didn’t felt right to the princess. Almost as if something was wrong with him. But BlackWarGreymon’s answer to Spike’s question wasn’t the one Twilight was expecting. “Well… it’s about my destiny. Could my existence in this world… really lead me to my destiny?” “But I thought you said that you found your destiny,” Twilight said with deep concern. Then her face saddened at the thought that… maybe… BlackWarGreymon had changed his mind. “You… you’re not saying that… you want to leave us? Aren’t you?” Her voice was shaken with sadness as her eyes looked as though they were watering up with tears. The sight made Spike concerned for her. The Mega was shocked to see Twilight so upset and immediately corrected himself. “N-No Twilight, I didn’t mean it like that! Why would I ever leave you? Being with you and your friends has brought me closer to my destiny than ever.” Hearing his words brought Twilight and Spike out of sadness and doubt and into happiness. Relieved that their friend still wanted to stay with them. The two remained silent as BlackWarGreymon continued to explain himself. “Believe me, I still want to stay and protect you and your world. But lately, it feels as though I could do much more than that. You know, a destiny to do more than just defending.” “You mean, a purpose to be more than just a saviour?” Twilight asked. “Yes. Just like that.” BlackWarGreymon then reached a decision. “I need some time alone to think things through. To see if I could puzzle these things together.” Just as he turned around to fly away, Twilight said something that forced him to stop in his tracks. “Ok BlackWarGreymon. But next time, don’t scare me like that! For a moment there, I thought you didn’t like being a defender anymore and that you would leave us forever. I don’t like losing friends,” She said with sadness in her voice. Even though the misunderstanding had been cleared up, BlackWarGreymon guessed that the thought of what Twilight said stung her heart. Wanting to help lift her spirit and to prove that he would never do such a thing, BlackWarGreymon walked up to Twilight, knelt on one knee and to the Alicorn’s surprise, placed his right hand on her left shoulder. Then he spoke the absolute truth. “You’re not going to lose me, Twilight. I will never abandon you.” Twilight saw that the Digimon’s yellow eyes reinforced his statement. They were the most caring eyes she had ever seen him done. It was so rare to see an all-powerful being like him to be caring and gentle. The fact about it all brought a heart-warming smile to Twilight’s face. The words that the Digimon used to comfort her made her start to shed tears of joy. BlackWarGreymon chuckled at seeing Twilight’s change of emotions. Straight from negative to positive. After standing back up, the Digimon slowly levitated off the ground and then flew away above the rooftops. While Twilight kept on smiling at how much BlackWarGreymon had changed from his old self, Spike just stood there in bewilderment. “Uhh… what was all that about?” While she kept her smile, Twilight turned to the young dragon. “Spike, you remember yesterday when I said that BlackWarGreymon is like a child?” “Umm…yeah?” Twilight then looked back to where BlackWarGreymon flew off. Smiling like a proud mother to her child. “Well, it looks like he’s all grown up.” As Twilight continued to smile, Spike then thought about everything that BlackWarGreymon said before he left. ‘I wonder if this has something to do with the Tree of Harmony.’ ………………………………………………………………………………………................................................................................... It had been nearly an hour since he left Twilight and Spike alone, and during that time, BlackWarGreymon tried to find a secluded place to be alone in his thoughts. But so far, his search hadn’t been a good one. Not in the town centre, because it was busy and full of ponies. Not at Sweet Apple Acres, because the Apple family were possibly doing chores. Not back at Twilight’s castle, because he overheard that the Canterlot royal guards were doing an inspection of the place. So far, every option was a dead end. Though he almost found a perfect spot on one of the hills. But to his surprise, Pinkie Pie turned up from out of nowhere and started having a conversation with him. Although he appreciated the pink mare’s company, but the constant talking and party planning kept distracting the Digimon’s thoughts. So as the pink pony’s back was turned, he immediately took off like a bullet. Back above Ponyville, the lack of success was irritating BlackWarGreymon. It appeared that FINDING a spot was a lot harder than finding the answers to his destiny. “This is ridicules. Surely there must be a spot.” Then to his curiosity, he heard someone shouting. “Cut it out!” Knowing that something was up, the Digimon descended towards the sounds of distress. It lead him to a large building that he guessed was a school. But the voice came from outside the building. Flying above the rooftop and positioning himself behind the bell tower, he stealthily peered over and saw the playground below. From the number of children that were outside, he could guess that it must be recess or lunchtime. As he eyed the group of young colts and fillies, he spotted the Cutiemark Crusaders. But then he spotted another filly who looked as though she was laughing at them. He saw that she was pink with a tiara on her head and a cutiemark of a tiara. Next to her was another filly with light grey fur and silvery-white mane. She also wore glasses and had a spoon for a cutiemark. Then using his advanced hearing, BlackWarGreymon listened to the conversation. “Quit teasing us!” Sweetie Belle demanded, her voice was somewhat desperate. “Yeah, leave us alone,” Scootaloo said, she and Applebloom were getting irritated. One of the tormenting fillies, named Diamond Tiara, responded back. Followed by the second filly, named Silver Spoon. “Why? What are you going to do about it?” “Oh wait, you can’t. Because you don’t have a special talent to stop us. In fact, you don’t have any talents at all.” “Blank flanks!” The two taunted, then proceeded to laugh at the three. Back at the bell tower, BlackWarGreymon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The three crusaders, his friends, done absolutely nothing wrong. And yet they’re being picked on because they don’t have their cutiemarks. Those two other fillies were bullies. He knew what it felt like to be a bully. After all, he did terrorize his entire world and picked fights with nearly every Digimon that crossed his path. But then again, he only did it because instead of answering his questions, the other Digimon either fled in terror or tried to fight back. Just because he was an Artificial Digimon. In a way, he was also the victim. But that was the past and he was a changed Mega. But to see the same thing happening again in front of him made him feel unsettled. He had to put a stop to it. “How can we not be talented? We’re personal friends with the saviour of Ponyville himself,” Applebloom said. “Oh, the saviour of Ponyville? Oh please. I was lucky enough that I was in Manehattan when I heard about the dragon attack. If he really is your friend, then where I he?” Diamond Tiara asked, clearly mocking the crusaders. Then to the surprise of the crusaders and all the other children, a loud thundering impact was heard from behind the two offending fillies. While the other children stared in awe, the three crusaders looked above Diamond Tiara’s head and smiled. The offending but startled pink pony took the looks on their faces as a sign. “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” Though they didn’t say anything, but the smiles on the Cutiemark Crusaders made it clear that it was a yes. As Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon turned around, all they saw was a close up view of the yellow coloured shin guards. Knowing that they were looking at the legs, the two fillies slowly looked up. As they trailed their sights higher and higher, their mouths silently opened as their eyes widened. Looking past his thighs, past his chest, past his shoulders, all the way up to the Digimon’s head. Glaring down at them with unamused eyes. Finally seeing BlackWarGreymon for real, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon didn’t know what to do or how to feel. Sure, he was the defender of Ponyville, but he was the most frightening thing they had ever seen. Plus his angry glare wasn’t helping at all. Silence surrounded them all as BlackWarGreymon glared at the two young ponies by his feet. Then he broke the silence. “Boo.” The reactions followed as such. Silver Spoon fainted while Diamond Tiara ran inside the school screaming. While the rest of the children were stunned from seeing him up close, the Cutiemark Crusaders approached the tall Digimon with no fear. “Wow. Ya sure scared her,” Applebloom said. “Yeah, thanks for sticking up for us,” Scootaloo joined. Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. “Of course, no one messes with my friends. Next time someone picks on you, come and find me ok?” BlackWarGreymon suggested. “Yeah, nopony will mess with us with you around,” Sweetie Belle cheered. With the trouble over, BlackWarGreymon levitated off the ground and flew to the skies. The young ponies all let out ‘ooh’s’ and ‘ahh’s’ as they saw the Digimon flew without wings. Back at the school, Diamond Tiara dragged her teacher out in a panic. “Miss Cheerilee, come out and quick! There’s a horrible monster in the playgrou…” The filly paused herself when she saw that the Digimon was nowhere to be found. “He… he’s gone!? But he was just here! Where is he!?” “Oh BlackWarGreymon? He just left,” Scootaloo answered. “BlackWarGreymon was here!?” Miss Cheerilee asked while buzzing with excitement, eager to see the Digimon up close. Much to the confusion of Diamond Tara. ………………………………………………………………………………….................................................................................... More time had passed and BlackWarGreymon still had no luck finding a perfect secluded spot to focus his mind. It was already late afternoon. His eyes then spotted a large field, empty with no ponies in sight. Much to his relief, the field was the perfect spot. After flying down towards the field, BlackWarGreymon landed on the soft grass and then sat down with his legs crossed. After he got himself comfortable, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his thoughts. However, he was only ten seconds into his thoughts when he sensed that someone was nearby. ‘What now?’ After the annoyed Digimon opened his eyes, he looked in front of him to see if someone was near. But he saw nothing but open grassland. He then looked to his left, but found nothing. But his suspicions were confirmed when he looked to his right. Standing twenty feet away staring at him, was a lone small filly. ‘A little girl? What is she doing out here?’ Believing that the girl’s parents were nearby watching her, BlackWarGreymon went back to his thoughts. But he couldn’t focus. Even with his eyes shut, he could tell that the girl was still staring at him. It was distracting. Very distracting. He once again opened his eyes. But when he saw the same filly, she moved closer. Standing about ten feet away from him. She just stood there, staring at BlackWarGreymon with great curiosity. The Artificial Mega Digimon took a good look at his young visitor. And was quite startled for a number of reasons. She was a Unicorn with no cutiemark and maybe a tad younger than the Cutiemark Crusaders. But her black fur coat was the exact same shade as his skin and armour. Her eyes, mane and tail were just as yellow as his eyes and hair. Plus her mane looked just like his hair, with several yellow strands that made up her fringe. In a way, she was like a pony version of himself. BlackWarGreymon thought that she was probably a fan of him and tried to mimic his look. But her colours looked genuine enough to be proven that she was born like that. “Hmm,” The Digimon uttered before trying to focus his mind again. But the small filly’s presence continued to distract him. Again he opened his eyes to see the young girl. Though her facial expression was blank, her eyes were full of curiosity. “Hello,” BlackWarGreymon said, but received no reply. “Can I help you with anything?” He asked, wondering if she wanted something. The girl’s only reactions were a little blink and her head tilting to the side slightly. BlackWarGreymon was starting to get confused. “Can you speak?” Again she said nothing, but the small filly let out a small kind smile. BlackWarGreymon’s expression softened at seeing her genuine smile. The girl wasn’t afraid of him at all, despite that it was the first time she met him. After the short moment of silent staring, the filly started to walk past BlackWarGreymon. Leaving him while still smiling. The confused Digimon watched as she walked past him, wondering how and why she appeared out of nowhere. And where she came from. But he would have to think of that another time. Finally alone, he could focus on his destiny and its possibilities. As he coursed through his mind, he tried to piece things together. As far as he knew, he was the first Digimon to ever be in Equestria. He was new to the land. And yet, the magic of the land was enhancing his strength and powers. But why? Why was his powers reacting with the magic of Equestria? That goes for the Tree of Harmony as well. Why did it react to his very touch? And why out of everyone, did it spoke to him? His past had been dark and violent, surely one with a humble beginning would be worthy enough to hear from the tree. But why him? And more importantly. Why was he sent to Equestria in the first place? Was it fate’s doing? If not, could there be a reason? A link? The BlackWarGreymon realised something. After his death and before arriving in Equestria, he was in a realm that looked like space. Despite only being in there for a short moment, he had felt the energy surrounding him. But the most shocking thing, was that the energy felt very similar to the energy from the Tree of Harmony! He could’ve sworn that the two… were identical! Could it be possible? Could the tree be responsible for bringing him to Equestria!? But how? And if not the tree itself, could it be that… some ethereal otherworldly deity brought him to Equestria? The same that might’ve created the tree? If so, who was the deity? Could it be the key to his true destiny? BlackWarGreymon’s head began to ache from processing so much information at once. He tried to slow down and try again. If it’s all true, who was the deity? What motives did it had? Where was it? When did it know him? And how did it know him? Equestria and the Digital World were in completely separate dimensions, or even universes. So how was it possible for the Tree of Harmony to be aware of BlackWarGreymon’s very existence!? Just as his mind peeked from so many questions, unfortunately, his mind lost complete focus. It meant one thing, he was not alone again. Opening his yellow eyes, his gaze fell upon the same Unicorn filly. But to his surprise, there were other young ponies with her. Some a little older and some a little younger, but all smiling at him. The Digimon was really confused. It was obvious that the first filly told the others about him, but where did they all come from? After remembering the direction where the first filly walked off to, BlackWarGreymon turned his head around and saw a small building in the distance. How he didn’t noticed it before was beyond him. “Just perfect.” …………………………………………………………………………………….................................................................................... At the building fifteen minutes later, a Unicorn mare walked out of the front doors. Curious to see if the children were outside. “Now where did they run off to?” She asked herself as she looked around, trying to spot the fillies and colts. Then the collective sounds of playful laughter caught her ear. Realising where they were, she followed the sounds. Halfway across the field, she spotted something large sitting on the grass. To her surprise and relief, it turned out to be BlackWarGreymon, the saviour she heard so much about. Although she had never seen him in person, she recognized his details that her friends described. What added to her surprise even more was that the children themselves, were very close to him while having fun. Two colts and five fillies were running in circles around BlackWarGreymon while another group played peekaboo on his lap. Using the yellow cords on the Digimon’s chest like a ladder, some of the children climbed up to his shoulders and used his shield as a slide. A lone colt carefully tapped his hoof on one of the tips of the metal gauntlets, ending up with only a little prick and a tiny jolt of pain. It felt like touching the pointed end of a needle. Another colt used the horns on the side of BlackWarGreymon’s head like monkey bars, swinging back and forth, and a small filly snuggled and nuzzled in the Digimon’s soft yellow hair. In a manner of speaking, they were using BlackWarGreymon like a climbing frame or a jungle gym. The expression in BlackWarGreymon’s eyes clearly showed that he was annoyed and didn’t like the idea of becoming a children’s plaything. But what could he do? The colts and fillies were innocent and only playing around, so he shouldn’t be rough or angry around him. He even thought that since the children were so young, they wouldn’t go anywhere near him, let alone play with him. So he was surprised that they got so used to him so quickly. Although annoyed that he couldn’t focus on the meaning of his destiny, but deep down he was happy that the ponies so young weren’t afraid of him at all, and were happy to be near him. The mare chuckled at seeing both the display and the Digimon’s annoyed expression. An all-powerful, fierce looking, otherworldly being, forced to come to terms of the playful children, was reduced to their little activity. But it was time for their play time to end. “Ok kids, time to come inside.” The young ponies all let out sighs of disappointment from the call of their fun time being cut short. But they had to do what they’re told. So after a brief hesitation, they all climbed off the relieved Digimon and made their way towards the building. The mare also done a head-count as the colts and fillies walked past her. “…five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, el...” She paused her counting when she missed one. In alarm, she looked around franticly, trying to find the odd one out. “Whe… where is she?” Unexpectedly, she got her answer from BlackWarGreymon. “She’s right here.” As she looked at him, the mare noticed that the Digimon was looking down. Following his gaze, she saw one of the fillies sleeping on his lap. The filly in particular was the same black furred, yellow maned one that first met BlackWarGreymon. Although surprised, the mare smiled at how peaceful the young girl was as she slept on the leg of the Digimon. “Awww… it seems Nina has taken a great liking to you.” BlackWarGreymon looked at the mare, then back down at the sleeping but smiling filly. Knowing her revealed name. “Nina? That’s a beautiful name,” He admitted, the name suited her well. “Isn’t it? I chose it myself since she never had one,” The mare said. Her sentence made BlackWarGreymon look at her in confusion. “What do you mean by that?” “Well you see… Nina’s an orphan,” The mare answered, but it brought surprise to the Digimon. Since he learnt what the word meant from one of Twilight’s books. “An orphan?” He asked. The mare explained herself. “Yes. The building I came from is an orphanage. All the children here are orphans. I’m only their caretaker.” BlackWarGreymon was stunned. The kids were left or abandoned by their true parents, so the caretaker was technically the only mother they had. He then looked down at the sleeping Nina. Who in their right minds would give away someone as adorable as her? He then felt sympathy for the little filly as she snuggled his leg. But then good news came to light. “Luckily for Nina. A young couple took great interest in her this morning. And are planning to adopt her,” The mare said. The news brought relief to the Mega, knowing that the future of the little filly would be safe and secure. Then the caretaker of the orphanage approached the Digimon. “If you’re ready, it’s time to take her back inside.” “Of course.” Deciding it was time to go, the Unicorn mare used her magic to gently lift Nina off BlackWarGreymon’s lap and rested the filly on her back. “The children here really like you. You can come by and visit anytime you want. And thank you for saving Ponyville the other day,” The mare said before turning away, walking towards the orphanage. As BlackWarGreymon watched on, his mind was buzzing with thoughts. Even though he couldn’t figure out the connections between him, his destiny, the Tree of Harmony and his existence in Equestria, but he did somewhat enjoy helping out the Cutiemark Crusaders and spent time with the orphans. Even though it was all unintentional. So in conclusion, his day so far wasn’t a total loss. “Hi BlackWarGreymon!” BlackWarGreymon jolted back in surprise as he unexpectedly heard a loud voice. After quickly got his bearings straight, he saw Pinkie Pie standing in front of him with a big wide smile. “Wh…where did you come from?” The Digimon asked, it was as if the pink Earth Pony appeared from out of nowhere. “I followed you, silly. It took me a while to find you, but here I am,” Pinkie Pie answered. BlackWarGreymon assumed that the reason Pinkie Pie spent a lot of her time to find him, meant that she wants him for something. “So is there something you want me to do?” “Funny you should ask that, because there is!” Pinkie Pie answered before walking closer to the Digimon. “Can I please ride on your back as you fly?” She asked with pleading, puppy dog eyes. BlackWarGreymon was surprised by the pony’s bizarre request. But with the answers to his questions drawing a blank in his mind, he had nothing better to do. “Well, I’m heading back to town. So I don’t see why not.” “Yipee!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced around in excitement. After calming down, Pinkie Pie bounced so high she flew over BlackWarGreymon’s head and landed on his left shoulder. “Ok, I’m ready!” “Hmm, hang on,” The Digimon said as he started to walk. Pinkie Pie let out a huge grin as she waited for the flight to begin. Then with a massive leap, BlackWarGreymon launched himself off the ground and shot straight into the sky. With Pinkie Pie cheering all the way. Back at the orphanage bedroom window, Nina, who had just woken up, saw the events outside, and silently waved goodbye at the departing Digimon with a genuine smile. ……………………………………………………………………………………................................................................................. Outside of Ponyville During BlackWarGreymon’s time at the orphanage, school had finished. And to Scootaloo’s and Sweetie Belle’s surprise, Applebloom immediately rushed outside and ran towards a nearby forest. Luckily that it wasn’t the Everfree, but the two fillies were concerned as to why the young Earth Pony was in a rush and why she didn’t tell them anything. Maybe she found a way of getting her cutiemark. But if so, why didn’t she said a word about it? Concerned for their friend, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tried to follow Applebloom. But when they started, they lost sight of her. And the forest they were in was unfamiliar to them. Instead of getting themselves lost, the two fillies went back to Ponyville to find somepony to be their guide. Luckily for them, they bumped into Applebloom’s older sister, Applejack. “Woah now, what are ya two doin’ right now?” Applejack asked while shaking her head from her collision with the two fillies. “Oh Applejack, thank goodness. You need to help us find Applebloom,” Scootaloo said while grabbing the older pony’s shoulders. “What? Ah thought she would be with you two,” She replied, her voice shown a hint of concern for her little sister. “She was. But when school finished, she ran into that forest over there,” Sweetie Belle said while she pointed her hoof to the forest she mentioned. Applejack’s eyes widened in alarm as she recognised the forest. “WHAT!!? Has she lost her mind!?” Then like a stampeding bull, Applejack ran straight into the forest as fast as she could. Confused of what was happening, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ran after her in the tree growth. As the fillies ran through the forest floor, they caught up with Applejack. Just in time to hear her. “That filly’s gonna get herself killed!” “Why? The Everfree Forest is back the other way,” Scootaloo mentioned. Followed by Sweetie Belle. “And this isn’t White Tail Woods.” Then the worried orange mare corrected both the fillies. “It’s not the forest that worries me. It’s what’s beyond the forest that does.” The fact that the two fillies had never been to the forest, they were curious of what was on the other side. “What is beyond this forest?” Sweetie Belle asked. Applejack narrowed her sights as she gave her answer. “Froggy Bottom Bogg.” The two fillies were confused at the name. “Froggy Bottom Bogg? That doesn’t sound dangerous,” Scootaloo said, earning a harsh lesson from Applejack. “Not dangerous!? It’s near enough just as dangerous as the Everfree Forest! It has wild animals, thick mud, and who knows what!” Applejack had every right to be frightened. The last time she and some of her friends were at the bog, they had a deadly encounter with a certain giant four-headed reptile. “If it’s that dangerous, then why did Applebloom come here all alone?” Sweetie Belle asked. “That’s exactly what I want to know too,” Applejack said. Soon enough, the three ponies arrived at the edge of the forest and at their destination. “Woah, so this is Froggy Bottom Bogg,” Scootaloo said while taking in the sights of the huge swamp. “EWW! This place is gross!” Sweetie Belle complained as she looked at the terrain. She almost sounded like Rarity. “Now ya know why this place ain’t a place for small fillies,” Applejack said as she looked at the two. Truth be told that she wanted Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to stay in Ponyville. But to find a small filly in such a large area meant she needed all the help she could get. With that, the three looked in random places to find their friend. Scootaloo searched high, Sweetie Belle searched low, Applejack peered through the thick long grass. But so far, they hadn’t found a clue. The three even called out Applebloom’s name, in hopes that she would respond. As the search went on, the mare and the fillies were getting more concerned by the second. Worried if something bad happened to the young Earth Pony. Then they heard a voice in the distance. “HELP! Is there anypony out there!? Help me!” As the three turned their heads in the direction of the voice, Applejack’s eyes grew wider. “That voice… Applebloom!” Applejack immediately ran towards the voice she recognised, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. As the three reached a clearing, they spotted the Earth Pony filly. “Applebloom!” The three said, they were glad to see the filly unharmed. But she was in trouble. “Girls, help. I’m stuck,” Applebloom said as she looked at the ground beneath her. All four of her legs were bogged down in the thick mud up to her knees. Preventing her escape. “Hang on, I’m coming!” Applejack said as she ran straight towards her trapped sister. But unlike her older sister, Applebloom could see the danger that laid in front of her. “No! Wait Applejack!” But her warning came late. Just six feet away from Applebloom, Applejack felt her hooves sink into the soft sticky mud beneath her. Stopping her advance. The orange mare tried to pull her front legs free, but the action caused her hind legs to sink deeper. From feeling her legs starting to become immobile, Applejack started to panic. No matter how hard she tried to pull free, the suction of the thick mud held her in place and slowly pulling her in. “No! I…have…to get free,” She said as she started to squirm and flail her body in hopes to get loose, but she wasn’t going anywhere. “Stop squirmin’ Applejack! Ya only making it worse!” Applebloom called out, seeing that her older sister was already knee deep. By calming down and keeping still, Applejack’s sinking slowed. But she was still in danger. The two fillies on the side-lines could only watch in horror. “What are we gonna do!?” Scootaloo asked in a panic. “I know!” Sweetie Belle answered as she got an idea. Using her magic, Sweetie Belle’s levitation spell surrounded Applejack and tried an attempt to lift her free. As first it was working, the mare was lifted by a couple in inches. But the Unicorn filly was still new to performing magic and she started to strain from the pressure. She tried to focus as hard as she could, but being new to magic, plus the suction of the mud only made her do very little. Soon enough, Sweetie Belle’s magic gave way. She simply didn’t had the strength to free Applejack. “It’s no good. I’m still new to magic.” With every attempt failed, the orange pony came to a bold decision. “Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, go back to Ponyville and find help.” “What!? We can’t leave you and Applebloom like this!” The Pegasus filly stared, wanting to help anyway she could without leaving. “This ain’t a task for fillies! Now go and find help. We’ll be fine as long nothin’ else happens,” Applejack said, though slightly doubting her last sentence. Although hesitant at first for leaving their friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded in agreement. “Ok. We’ll be back as soon as we can!” Sweetie Belle promised as she and Scootaloo turned around and ran back to the forest. Heading back to Ponyville and leaving Froggy Bottom Bogg. Applejack and Applebloom mentally hoped that the two fillies would find help in time. Especially from the fact that the swamp could hide other dangers. Some a lot worse than being stuck in thick mud. And it might happen at any moment.