//------------------------------// // Chapter 32: Welcome to the Crystal Empire // Story: BlackWarGreymon: Warrior of Harmony // by I-C-U-P //------------------------------// Tartarus To many, Tartarus was just a legend. But to those who studied hard enough, they would discover that Tartarus was in fact very real. Possibly created by rulers before Celestia or perhaps Celestia herself, the underground expanse served as an eternal prison for the ancient evil of Equestria. Guarded by a Unicorn simply called The Warden. The reason the likes of Discord or Chrysalis were never in such a prison was that they either were imprisoned by other means or they simply escaped before were held captive. As well as prison inmates, Tartarus also housed deadly spells created by those who tried to either control or destroy Equestria. All contained in the dark corner known as the Vault of Tartarus. Sent on a special mission from his master, King Sombra was on the search for the vault. In his shadow form, he was able to search Tartarus much faster. He even spotted Tirek on the way down. But he didn’t had time for small talk. “Where is this damn vault!?” He asked himself, annoyed that he couldn’t find it yet. But as he searched much deeper, he finally found it. Landing on the ground and regaining physical form, he stared at the vault door in satisfaction. “Now. Let’s take a peek.” Using his magic to break the lock, the Vault of Tartarus was opened. As the door opened wide, Sombra was awestricken. The inside of the vault was massive. All around the walls were scrolls and relics. Instruments of destruction and chaos. “Wow,” Sombra said as he walked into the vault. The tyrant was like a kid in a candy store. The awe was stuck on his face as he gazed at what he would call paradise. Eyeing the ancient relics and weapons which he would love to use. After a moment, he paused when his sights gazed upon a pair of swords held in a glass container. From the old books Sombra had read from his childhood, the swords were banished because they held the horns of Unicorns to enhance them with magic. The two swords had names. Soulrend and Iceflame. Sombra whistled in amazement. “I could use some of those.” But his eyes then caught a glimpse of a black scroll. Moving towards it, he removed the scroll from its shelf and opened it up. Upon reading what the spell was, he grinned greatly. He had found what he was looking for. “Yes. Yes! This spell practically has my name on it!” With his chosen spell, Sombra reverted to his shadow form and fled the vault. Excited to use his new weapon for both his revenge and his return. …………………………………………………………………………………….................................................................. Canterlot A sunny morning had arrived at Equestria’s capital and it was time for the big trip to the Crystal Empire. Thanks to the efforts of Discord and BlackWarGreymon, the streets of Canterlot were clean once again. Much to the relief of the citizens. Down at the train station, the Royal Sisters, the Black Digimon and most of the Mane Six were waiting for the rest of their friends to arrive. “Uhh… where is Applejack and Rarity!?” Rainbow Dash moaned as she tried to waste time by flying. “There’s no rush, Rainbow. The train isn’t even here yet,” Fluttershy pointed out. Then just in time, the orange Earth Pony and the white Unicorn arrived at the station and joined with the others. “What took you two so long?” The impatient blue Pegasus asked. “Sorry ‘bout that. Miss precious over here took forever,” Applejack said, hinting that the time waster was Rarity. “Well it takes time to get your mane styled as beautifully as mine,” She said as she patted her purple mane. Meanwhile, BlackWarGreymon and Pinkie Pie were talking amongst themselves. “So is this Crystal Empire really as good as you say it is?” “Oh yeah, you’re gonna love it! Everything there is made of crystal.” “Interesting.” “Oh, and you’ll get to meet Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor.” Overhearing what Pinkie Pie said, Twilight froze in shock. Introducing the Digimon to Princess Celestia was stressful enough, but next was her brother’s and sister-in-law’s turn. She gulped at the possible reactions. “Oh…I totally forgot about that!” “Don’t worry, Twilight. I already informed them about BlackWarGreymon and the mission,” Celestia said to reassure Twilight. “Thank you, Celestia. But they have never met him before.” “I’m sure everything will be just fine.” Then Princess Luna caught everyone’s attention. “The train is here.” The group waited as the train came to a stop as it arrived at the station. When the doors of the carriages opened up, they were greeted by Spike. “Hay guys!” “Spike? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked. “Well I’ve heard that you’re going to the Crystal Empire. So I decided to come with you.” “Well that’s great, darling. I think that the crystal ponies will be thrilled to see you soon,” Rarity said, causing Spike to blush from flattery. “ALL ABORD!! All aboard for the Crystal Empire!” The train conductor called out. Signalling that it was time to leave. As most of the group boarded the carriage Spike was on, Celestia gave Luna a brief loving hug. “Good luck, my little sister.” “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Especially with BlackWarGreymon by our side.” Speaking of BlackWarGreymon, before Twilight entered the carriage, she noticed that he wasn’t moving. “What’s the matter?” Twilight asked. “Twilight, I wont fit in any of these carriages.” Twilight paused when she realised that the Mega was right. The train they were with was a standard Ponyville train. All the carriages were made to accommodate pony-sized citizens. “Oh…urrrhh…” Twilight tried desperately to think of a solution. But BlackWarGreymon stopped her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just fly alongside the train.” “Are you sure? Because it’s a long way to the empire?” Twilight asked, unsure if the Digimon could fly such a great distance. “I’ll manage.” With everything decided, Twilight and Luna boarded the train. Afterwards, the train gave off a burst from its whistle before slowly departing from the platform. “Good luck, everypony!” Celestia called out, wishing them a successful trip. As the white Alicorn watched the train travelling down the mountain side, the black Digimon stood beside her. “Celestia, you’ve faced King Sombra before. What was he like?” BlackWarGreymon asked with a serious tone in his voice. The sun princess paused for a moment before answering. “He was a cruel tyrant. He enslaved the entire empire for his personal amusement.” The Digimon felt disgusted. Not even he would do such a thing if he was evil. The Control Spires not only gave him life, they gave him knowledge of the past. He knew about the likes of Devimon, Myotismon, the Dark Masters and the Digimon Emperor. Enslaving the innocent to do their bidding. It had happened in the Digital World before, and he would hate it if the same happened in Equestria. “I promise you this, Celestia. I will not let him enslave anymore innocent lives. I’ll be sure of it.” After his bold statement, BlackWarGreymon ran towards the nearby waterfall and dived off the edge. As he fell down the side of the mountain, he took in the sights of the beautiful land. Its lush forests, its green grassland and the happy lives of the citizens. If Sombra had his way, all the beauty would be destroyed by his evil. Ever since his arrival, BlackWarGreymon had been protecting that beauty. And he will continue to do so. As he neared the mountain base, the Digimon levelled out and flew high above the ground like a missile. After spotting the train far ahead, BlackWarGreymon immediately gained speed to shoot past the train. Everypony in the carriages, the Mane Six, Spike and Luna included, were amazed at the sight of the armoured Digimon speeding past the train nearly five times its speed. “Woah, that’s so cool.” Rainbow Dash said, causing her friends to look at her in disbelief. Realising what she just said and the tone she used, the Pegasus tried to correct herself. “Uh.. I mean. Not impressed. I can do that too,” She said, pretending that she was calling out to BlackWarGreymon. After circling around the train in a wide loop, the Digimon flew parallel to the carriages. Flying at the same speed to see his friends at the window. Back at the Canterlot station, Princess Celestia smiled warmly as she watched the train and BlackWarGreymon travel beyond the horizon. She just couldn’t believe how much the Artificial Digimon had changed. He was surprisingly caring for not just his friends, but all of Equestria in fact. Some time ago, when Luna told Celestia that BlackWarGreymon described their land as his new home, she was awestricken. It was because of the magic of friendship, that the once evil being believed that protecting Equestria and his new friends was his chosen destiny. She could tell that he was far more happier in Equestria than he was back in the Digital World. It was because of his belief of his destiny, that he had protected the land from the recent threats that fell upon it. He had done so much for her kingdom, and for that his name would go down in legend. His strength, his powers, his battles of the past and battles of yet to come, even his story would be legendary. Celestia thought of it for a while, but the Digimon’s actions had confirmed it. She must do something to tribute him. And she knew just what to do. …………………………………………………………………………………………................................................. Over an hour had passed as the train continued its journey. As it travelled north, the land had changed from forests and grass to snow covered mountains. It’s almost as if they had arrived into a completely different world. While the occupants in one carriage, the Mane Six, Spike and Luna, looked at the land outside their window, Rarity decided to tease Twilight. “So Twilight darling, are you looking forward to see ‘you know who’?” She asked while playfully nudging Twilight. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. Knowing who Rarity was talking about, Applejack joined in the tease. “Ya know… that guy ya have a crush on. That Flash Sentry fella’.” Finally knowing what the two were on about, Twilight’s face blushed heavily with embarrassment. Truth be told, when she travelled to the human version of her world, Twilight had developed a crush on the human version of Flash Sentry. And upon returning to her world, she retained her feelings for her world’s version, who was a Pegasus. However, when she returned to the human world and took part in the Battle of the Bands, things didn’t go smoothly. Even though the human Flash Sentry only said those terrible things because he was under the Sirens’ spell, his words had hurt Twilight. Since then, the Alicorn had mixed feelings towards both him and his Pegasus counterpart. Though the Pegasus Flash Sentry had nothing to do with it, seeing him reminded the princess of those bad times. It’s entirely possible that she wasn’t into him anymore. But that was a thing she hadn’t told her friends yet. Hence the teasing. “Oh him… well… he’s just a friend. We hardly even see each other,” Twilight responded, hoping to end the teasing. While the conversation went on, Luna was looking out the window daydreaming. Yes, it was true that she wanted to join the group to take down King Sombra. But it was only the second reason. She hadn’t told a soul but… the reason she wanted to go, was to spend time with BlackWarGreymon. Because her royal duties came first, she hardly had the time to see the black Digimon other then special events of at time of great peril. Because that the two faced similar problems in the past, Luna felt that she had some… special connection with BlackWarGreymon. As if he was the only one to talk to if something was wrong. And on a personal note, Luna had definitely enjoyed the dance she shared with him at the Grand Galloping Gala. It was a great memorable feeling that Luna embraced. She didn’t exactly know what it was but, she wanted more of that feeling, and BlackWarGreymon was the source. Therefore, by joining on the task to the Crystal Empire, Luna wouldn’t be distracted by her sister and her duties. Plus with a change of setting, she hoped that she could spend more time with BlackWarGreymon. Reinforcing their bond of friendship. Either out of desire or impulse, she didn’t know why she wanted to do it, she just wanted it to happen. Speaking of BlackWarGreymon, as Luna looked out the window, she could no longer see him outside. Startled, she then looked at the next window. But BlackWarGreymon wasn’t there either. “Is something wrong, Luna?” Twilight asked, she and her friends noticing how frantic the blue Alicorn suddenly became. “Have… have any of you seen BlackWarGreymon?” Luna asked. “You mean he’s not outside?” Spike asked as he peered out a window. “I don’t know.” Concerned on BlackWarGreymon’s whereabouts, the group searched the carriage. But upon remembering that he couldn’t fit in the type of carriage they’re on, it became more confusing of where he was. “Hang on. I got an idea,” Rainbow Dash said as she opened one of the windows and flew out of the carriage. As she got to a good height high above the train, the blue Pegasus had a birds-eye-view of the snow-covered land. But as she looked around, BlackWarGreymon was nowhere in sight. “Wha…where the heck could he be?” As she lowered down closer to the train, she finally managed to spot him. Rainbow Dash was confused, because it looked like BlackWarGreymon was lying down on the roof of the rear carriage. But the strangest thing was how relaxed he looked. His left leg was crossed over his raised right knee and his arms were crossed behind his head. It was almost similar to how Rainbow Dash herself relaxes. “Did he learn that from me?” Focusing her mind back on the subject, she flew down towards the train and landed on the carriage beside the rested Digimon. Hearing the arrival of his friend, BlackWarGreymon opened one of his closed eyes and spotted the Pegasus. “Oh, hello Rainbow Dash.” “Hay, big guy. What are you doing up here?” The blue mare asked him. “I’ve been flying for so long, I got bored. So I thought I could rest up on this carriage.” “Rest up? You look like you’re relaxing up here.” “Maybe. I do find in comfortable up here. But what are you doing here?” The Mega asked her. “Well we couldn’t see you. So I went out to get a better look.” “Oh.” While BlackWarGreymon stared at the sky above, to his surprise he saw a magical rainbow trail. Flowing through the sky like the northern lights. As he marvelled at the spectacle in the sky, BlackWarGreymon asked Rainbow Dash a question. “Rainbow Dash? How far are we to the Crystal Empire?” “We should be getting close soon. Ah, in fact there it is now!” After looking to where Rainbow Dash was pointing at, BlackWarGreymon saw something so incredible that it caused him to quickly sit up straight and stare in amazement. Some distance away, was the Crystal Empire itself. Even from a long way, the Mega could tell that the kingdom was huge. At the centre of it all, dominating the empire was a giant tower-like castle. And at the top of its tallest spire were streams of the same rainbow energy that BlackWarGreymon saw earlier. All flowing out of the castle. “So what do you think?” Rainbow Dash asked the Digimon. “It’s… amazing.” BlackWarGreymon responded, he could see that all the buildings were entirely made of crystal. As he continued to marvel at the sight, the train approached the train station and then came to a stop. As the train vented out steam, Rainbow Dash flew down to meet Twilight at the platform. “Have you found him, Rainbow?” The lavender Alicorn asked. “Yeah. He’s just chilling up on the roof.” “Oh… well that’s a first.” As Spike, Luna and the rest of the Mane Six walked onto the platform, the steam around them disappeared. Revealing Princess Cadence, Prince Shinning Armor and their escort, Flash Sentry at the other end of the platform. As Twilight looked around, she eventually spotted Cadence. She gasped in excitement, happy to see her former foalsitter to greet her. “Cadence!” She exclaimed as she rushed towards the older Alicorn. “Twilight!” Cadence joined, then doing the same thing. As the two got closer to each other, they instantly performed their usual greeting that they’ve done when they were little. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” The two Alicorns then shared their laughter soon afterwards. After they relived the old times, they were joined by the rest of the company. Minus the Digimon. “Twily!” Shinning Armor said as he ran up to hug his younger sister. “Shinning Armor! It’s been a while,” Twilight said as she pulled away from the hug. As Twilight looked over to Flash Sentry, the Pegasus guard nodded to her to say hello, causing her to blush from awkwardness. Cadence then approached the remainder of the group. “How is everypony doing?” “We’ve been doing great, thanks for asking,” Fluttershy said, with the rest of the Mane Six and Spike nodding in agreement. “It’s also great to see you again, Princess Luna,” Cadence said as she and Shinning Armor bowed before her. “Like wise,” Luna said as she bowed back. After the reunion between friends of old had ended, Cadence drew her attention to Twilight on a subject about a certain someone. “Well Twilight. Where is he? Is he here?” She asked as she looked around. Trying to spot something out of the ordinary on the platform. With the moment she had been waiting for arrived, Twilight explained in a positive tone. “Oh. Well he’s too big to fit in the carriage, so he flew here instead.” Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flash Sentry all felt a cold shiver in their spines. Twilight had mentioned that the saviour could fly and was big. “Uhh… how big is he exactly?” Shinning Armor asked. Secretly nervous. “Oh you’ll see. Because…” Twilight’s sentence was brought to a shocking halt when BlackWarGreymon leapt off the carriage roof and landed hard on the platform. Causing a loud stump sound, snow particles in the floorboards to rise to the air and surprised everypony around him. Twilight Sparkle then felt the nerves returning to her. The same fear she felt when she introduced the Digimon to Princess Celestia for the first time. Worried of what her brother and sister-in-law would make of him, the young Alicorn nervously gulped before finishing with a worried tone in her voice. “…he’s…here.” “And did he have to make such a loud entrance?” Applejack whispered to Rarity. All eyes were turned to the small cloud of snow. Some of glee and some of stunned suspense. Then BlackWarGreymon himself rose to his full height as the cloud settled around him. The ones whom hadn’t seen him before let out quiet gasps of astonishment. Including the royal couple. The tall Digimon then turned to see his friends, and by chance spotting some ponies he had never seen before. As he saw that one of the ponies was wearing royal jewellery, the Mega recognised her as the Crystal Empire’s ruler. Both Cadence and Shinning Armor took a small step back as BlackWarGreymon walked towards them and their friends. The royal couple and Flash Sentry had heard the rumors. That the armoured being was dubbed as the Saviour of Equestria by Celestia herself. He was an ally and a defender. But as they looked at the Digimon in person, he was nothing like what they imagined. Also, something about him didn’t felt right. Four reasons why; One, his clawed gauntlets were clearly weapons, meant that he was a fighter. Two, his black armour made him resemble a demon. Something they didn’t expect. Three, his yellow eyes looked cold and intimidating. And the fact that they looked as though they shouldn’t even exist to begin with. Finally, which was obvious to Unicorns and Alicorns. His power. Most normal beings would have to be huge to match the power they possessed. But in the case of BlackWarGreymon, his power was far greater than his body showed. He was only taller then an average teenage dragon, yet his power completely dwarfed their own. Cadence and Shinning Armor didn’t want to admit it. But just being near BlackWarGreymon… made them felt vulnerable. As BlackWarGreymon joined the group, he stopped six feet away from the prince and princess. Watching them all the while. But finally seeing the Digimon up close only increased the apparent fear in the couple. “Well, here he is. The saviour, BlackWarGreymon,” Twilight said, almost cheering. “Hello there,” He said to the two. Cadence and Shinning Armor felt as if time had frozen around them. They were already secretly scared enough, but hearing the voice of BlackWarGreymon increased their fear tenfold. Therefore, the Digimon’s friendly greeting left the wrong impression. “Hay? What’s the matter?” Twilight asked the two. Realising how still and silent they were. “They’re afraid of me.” Twilight turned to the Digimon the moment she heard his voice. Only to see him take one step closer towards the frightened two. He then spoke to them as softly as possible. “Listen, I understand that you’re scared of me, and I know perfectly why. But you need to understand that I’m only here to help you. I don’t wish ill will upon you or the empire. And I never will. If I was, then I wouldn’t be here with my friends.” He then looked down at the Mane Six, Spike and Luna with a soft expression in his eyes. As Cadence and Shinning Armor followed his gaze to them, they were surprised at what he said, and was about to say. “My concern for their safety is even higher then my own. I helped them in time of need, and in return, they trust me. All I ask is for you to do the same.” BlackWarGreymon’s words had completely changed the way Cadence and Shinning Armor felt about him. They were surprised to hear such words from a being who could very easily takeover Equestria. But instead, to use that kind of power to protect others. The Digimon’s tone of voice showed his concern and even love for his pony friends. Plus, with the fact that it included Twilight, the one whom they were so close to, it caused Cadence to slowly smile. It seemed as though the Digimon’s friends from Ponyville and Canterlot were just as surprised to hear his words. Some even blushed in flattery. “Wow. Even I didn’t expect to hear that so openly,” Rarity said, breaking the stunned silence. “Awww. He loves us,” Pinkie Pie said as she hugged BlackWarGreymon’s left leg, causing him to feel embarrassed. Seeing what happened confirmed it for the couple. BlackWarGreymon was not just an ally. He was an ally worth trusting. Feeling that her brother and sister-in-law were starting to warm up to BlackWarGreymon, Twilight finished the introductions. “BlackWarGreymon. I like to introduce you to Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor.” Sensing the warmth and the love that BlackWarGreymon had shown, Cadence was the first to respond. “H…hello…BlackWarGreymon. And may I say that, what you said earlier was impressive. Even by my standards.” Then Fluttershy reinforced the statement. “See. Beneath his big scary appearance, he’s a real sweetheart,” She said as she hugged the Digimon’s right leg. The couple were amazed. Even the normally timid Fluttershy was very comfortable around him. Then the prince got comfortable enough to ask the saviour something. “And uh… may I ask. How did you know we were afraid of you?” Rainbow Dash also seemed interested on the subject. “Yeah big guy, how did you know? Can you smell fear?” “No. I sensed their fear.” Then BlackWarGreymon explained himself. Both reminding some from their conversation before and informing those who didn’t know. “Fear is a negative emotion, and my power consists of negative energy.” He then turned his attention to the royal couple. “Because of that, I can sense negative energy form everyone. And when you looked upon me, and when you heard me speak, I felt fear literally pouring out of you.” Cadence and Shinning Armor were amazed. The Digimon’s ability to sense negative energy from negative emotions was extraordinary. But then they felt bad for their fear. “Oh! Uhh… so sorry about that,” Cadence said in apology. “It’s fine. I have that effect on nearly everyone.” With things starting to go smoothly, Cadence felt that it was time to move things along. “Well, how about we all head to the castle.” “Yes lets,” Luna said before speaking to BlackWarGreymon. “I understand that you would like to see what the empire is like.” “Actually, I do,” He answered, making her smile. Then the group made their way towards the Crystal Empire. The four royals were with the Digimon upfront with the rest of the Mane Six, Spike and Flash Sentry taking the rear. “Well things are going well,” Fluttershy said. “Well I can’t wait to try out the crystal spa again,” Rarity joined. But there was one out of the group whom wasn’t in a good mood. ‘There’s something strange about this BlackWarGreymon guy. I don’t like it,’ Flash Sentry thought to himself, growing suspicious of the otherworldly guest. Back up front, BlackWarGreymon had something on his mind. “Twilight, mind if I ask you something?” “Sure. What is it?” “What’s with that song and dance thing you did back at the station?” Twilight’s face froze as a blush of embarrassment formed on her face. Cadence and Shinning Armor chuckled at the sight. “O-oh. You saw that?” She asked. “Every second.” Then Cadence spoke up. “Well it’s a fun thing me and Twilight do when I used to foalsit her.” ‘Foalsit? Oh, she means babysit,’ The Digimon thought to himself. “Yeah, my little sister always loves it when Cadence comes to visit,” Shinning Armor said. But what he said confused BlackWarGreymon as he turned to Twilight. “Wait, sister?” “Yeah, Shinning Armor is my older brother. And Cadence is also my sister-in-law,” Twilight informed him. But the last set of words she used only confused him more. “Ok, and what do you mean by, ‘sister-in-law’?” “You…don’t understand the concept of marriage?” Luna asked, joining the conversation. “The concept of what?” He asked again. “Wait. You don’t even know what marriage is!?” Cadence asked, almost shocked. “What is that? Some kind of food?” After a brief chuckle from BlackWarGreymon’s question, Cadence explained. “No. You see BlackWarGreymon, when a mare and a stallion love each other very much, they go through marriage to prove their love for each other and to always be there for one another. They look out and protect each other. I should know, because my talent is to spread love wherever I go.” After understanding where Cadence got her cutiemark from, the tall Digimon got back on the subject. “Oh, so I take it that you and Shinning Armor had gone through this… marriage?” Before he answered, the white stallion playfully nuzzled next to Cadence. “That’s right. We were married not too long ago.” ‘Interesting. But why does this ‘marriage’ fascinate me?’ BlackWarGreymon thought to himself. Unsure why he was so keen on the subject. Before they knew it, the group arrived at the Crystal Empire. The light from the sun reflecting off the surfaces of the crystal buildings and the floors. It’s amazing how no one was blinded from the bright reflections. What was more amazing was the citizens of the empire themselves. The crystal ponies look very similar to Earth Ponies, except that their bodies were made literally out of crystal. Yet despite their near see-through appearances, they still had soft fur, manes and tails. Their usual busy day was soon put on halt, because their beloved rulers had guests from Canterlot and Ponyville. Plus a very unusual guest. The crystal ponies stared in awe at the sight of the black armoured Digimon. Though his dark appearance briefly reminded some of an evil king, but the fact that he’s with princesses, Twilight, Luna and Cadence reassured them that he was a friend. Plus, they also heard the recent rumors that were spreading all over Equestria. About a powerful warrior who had been saving the land time and time again. They were amazed that they got to see the very warrior in person. As well as the crystal ponies, BlackWarGreymon was also fascinated in the buildings and even the ground. First time being surrounded in a crystal environment. “So, what do you think of the empire, BlackWarGreymon?” Cadence asked him, seeing that he was looking around a lot. “It’s magnificent. I doubt even the Digital World has a crystal area like this.” Shinning Armor became intrigued that BlackWarGreymon mentioned a ‘world’. “And…what is the Digital World?” “It’s a world where I came from,” The Digimon answered. “And since you’re from a different world, what are you exactly?” The prince asked. “I’m a Digimon.” Then Twilight spoke next. “Well I’m glad that you like the Crystal Empire, BlackWarGreymon. It’s too bad that King Sombra wants to enslave it.” The mention of the tyrant’s name reminded Cadence and Shinning Armor the whole reason why they’re at the empire to begin with. “About that, Twilight. Is Sombra really back? And from that letter Celestia sent me, how was she sure that it was him?” She asked in concern. “Just ask BlackWarGreymon,” Twilight said. Cadence and Shinning Armor looked at the Digimon for conformation. Then he told them the truth. “We’re not entirely sure if it’s him or not. But while I was protecting Canterlot from a storm, I felt a dark presence nearby. It turned out to be dark magic. And from her own experience, Celestia knew that only Sombra would be the one who would create such a storm.” He then turned his attention to the night princess. “Hay Luna, both you and Celestia had fought against him before. Just what is he capable of?” After a brief silence of thinking, Luna answered. “He’s not like either Lord Tirek or Queen Chrysalis. King Sombra is far more intelligent when it comes to magic. He is cunning and unpredictable. Even though he was up against two Alicorns, Celestia and I found it difficult to defeat him.” She then looked over to BlackWarGreymon. To the Digimon’s surprise, the Alicorn looked worried. But she wasn’t worried about herself, she was worried about him. “I have no doubts of your power and your will to fight. But if Sombra is alive, and should you ever face him… just be careful, ok.” “Don’t worry, I will.” Away from the two, Cadence was startled at the tone Luna used. ‘Wow. She’s very concerned for his safety.’ Upon realising something, the pink Alicorn noticed that ever since they left the train station, Luna was the only one who walked beside BlackWarGreymon the whole time. Cadence then remembered what Celestia wrote in the letter. The part that Luna had been acting strange since she first met BlackWarGreymon. Though the younger Alicorn knew that the blue Alicorn cares for her subjects, but she rarely displays it openly. And despite that the Digimon’s power was greater than anyone else’s, Luna’s concern appeared to aim directly towards him. Cadence then compared it to any possible scenarios as to what may cause it to happen. She then felt an unusual vibe when one particular answer occurred to her. ‘No way! It couldn’t be… could it?’ When the group neared the centre of the castle, BlackWarGreymon paused when he saw a statue that to him was most unusual. “Uhh…is that Spike?” “Yep. That’s me alright,” Spike said with pride. Twilight then explained to him. “You see, it was Spike who returned the Crystal Heart to the empire. Since then, he was praised as a hero to the crystal ponies.” “Impressive. And what’s the…” BlackWarGreymon cut his sentence short when a nearby blue glow caught the corner of his eyes. Turning in its direction, his eyes widen in fascination as he looked upon the source of the light. Floating in-between two crystal pillars underneath the crystal castle, was the Crystal Heart itself. What the Digimon found fascinating about the blue heart shaped gem, was that it contained a vast amount of energy. Which flowed through the tower and creating the rainbow streams in the sky. BlackWarGreymon felt its power flowing from it as he walked closer to it. As he stared at the heart, Cadence walked up to him and explained. “The Crystal Heart is a relic of the empire. When Spike retrieved it and was placed in its proper place, the love and happiness from the crystal ponies fuelled the Crystal Heart, and the awakened power within dispelled the evil and destroyed King Sombra.” BlackWarGreymon was amazed by the tale. He wouldn’t had believed such a thing would had occurred otherwise. “Impressive. And if Sombra is indeed back from the dead, he now has me to contend with,” He said, stating that he was willing to fight against the evil king. “Hay BlackWarGreymon, are you really as powerful as the rumors say you are?” Shinning Armor asked him. Interested to see the Digimon’s power. BlackWarGreymon responded with a chuckle, knowing what was coming next. ………………………………………………………………………………………….......................................... A short time later, the group arrived in the newly built gymnasium. After the excitement of the Equestria Games, Cadence and Shinning Armor thought it was best to have one. Spike, Luna, Cadence and the Mane Six were all seated on the side-lines. Shinning Armor and a few guards whom were brave enough were positioned around BlackWarGreymon, who was standing in the middle. Flash Sentry too was with them, but he decided to observe the match. “Now are you sure you want us to give it our all?” The prince asked, unsure if he and the others should go all out so soon. “Yes. Use your full power,” BlackWarGreymon answered. On the side-lines, Cadence was confident in her husband. “Since Shinning Armor is going all out, this might be a tough fight.” “I doubt that. Even three on one, we know who would win,” Luna said, causing Cadence to look at her in confusion. “Alright! Guards go!” Shinning Armor commanded. On the order, the first of the guards, armed with a long sword, charged forth and swung his weapon at the armoured Mega. But to is surprise, BlackWarGreymon evaded the quick attack with absolute ease. The crystal pony then went into a flurry of swinging attacks, hoping to land a hit. But the tall being dodged them all. Then the second guard armed with the same type of sword joined in. But despite the combined swings from both angles, BlackWarGreymon was too quick for them. The ponies whom never seen him in action before all gawked at the Digimon’s speed. “No way!” Shinning Armor said. “How? He’s far bigger than the guards. How are they not able to land a hit? H-How is he able to dodge them all?” Cadence asked, shocked at what’s happening in front of her. But before she could get an answer, the annoyed guards tried to attack from both sides at the same time. The way they were positioned prevented BlackWarGreymon from dodging. But instead, to their alarm, the Digimon blocked both attacks with his clawed gauntlets without even looking. Seeing an opening, BlackWarGreymon performed a low sweeping kick on a three hundred and sixty degree angle with his right leg. The technique knocked the two guards clean off their hooves, then falling on the ground. After landing back on his feet, BlackWarGreymon crossed his arms in front of him and paused for a moment. “Sorry guys.” After throwing his arms outwards, the Digimon released a small burst of invisible negative energy. Though the blast was only minor, it still managed to blow the two guards away like a hurricane. The weary guards tried to stand back up after their tumble, but were too weakened by the attack they fell back down. “But you need to try harder,” BlackWarGreymon continued before recomposing himself. Though the group who knew him weren’t very surprised, Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flash Sentry certainly were. The Digimon had beaten two of their best guards very easily. “Ok……let’s see if you can dodge this,” The prince said before charging up his magic, and then fired three magic beams from his horn. As the attack spells flew towards BlackWarGreymon, the prince noticed something unsettling. “Wait. Why isn’t he moving?” Instead of dodging or blocking, to Shinning Armor’s surprise, BlackWarGreymon allowed the attacks to strike him in the chest. Smoke followed the three explosions afterwards, covering the Digimon head to toe. Shinning Armor and Cadence started to worry. Wondering if BlackWarGreymon was hurt and why he didn’t move out of the way. But to their disbelief, when the smoke cleared, BlackWarGreymon was revealed, completely unharmed. “Not bad, Shinning Armor. Though your attacks could still use some work,” The Digimon said. “Wow, he is strong. I better keep an eye on him,” Flash Sentry said, remaining suspicious of the Digimon. At the side-lines, Twilight and Luna giggled at the face Cadence was showing. Her mouth was hung open and her eyes were wide. She just couldn’t believe what she saw. “T-that was Shinning’s best attack...and….and it didn’t do a thing.” “So Cadence, what do you think of BlackWarGreymon’s performance?” Twilight asked. At first, Cadence was speechless. The two other guards were almost as strong as her husband, and yet only a small energy burst from the saviour was all that was needed to defeat them. After getting over the shock, she answered Twilight’s question. “T-Twilight, his power is overwhelming! And yet I can sense that it’s only a fraction compared to what he’s really capable of!” “That makes sense. Considering that he was going easy on them the whole time,” Luna said, knowing that the Digimon was capable of so much more. “Wait, he was!?” Cadence asked. Shocked to hear the apparent truth. “Yeah. I mean, he destroyed a town sized boulder with just a single punch,” Rainbow Dash said, joining in on the conversation. Cadence was once again speechless. She had no idea that BlackWarGreymon was so powerful. It even sounded as though he was stronger then the rumors said he was. Back at the centre, the impressed Shinning Armor approached BlackWarGreymon. “I’m impressed. You can clearly hold you own in a fight, that’s for sure. However, before BlackWarGreymon could respond to the Unicorn, his yellow eyes widened in alarm when his senses picked up on something. Something dark. Then to everyone’s surprise, all of them heard a sinister voice that sounded like it came from everywhere. “Hmhmhm. I for one agree with you.” Just as soon as the voice finished, the whole group, excluding the two guards, found that their bodies were glowing green. Then before they knew it, all of them were teleported out of the gymnasium. …………………………………………………………………………………………........................................ When the green flash faded, the startled group found themselves in a large room high up in the crystal tower. The room was unknown, even to the royal couple. Crystal columns supported the ceiling and it had only one open window that had a good view of the land outside the empire. “Wh-where are we?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen this room before,” Cadence answered. Whom was joined by Rarity. “Either way, this room is horrendous,” She said, noting that the walls didn’t looked as nice as the ones outside. “But what was that voice?” Shinning Armor asked. “It’s him.” All eyes turned to Luna, who had the look of shock and horror on her face. “It’s definitely him! I’ll never forget that voice.” Then they heard the voice again. “Good. Because it will forever be in your nightmares.” All startled eyes turned to where the voice originated. Then to their shock, a black mist formed from the wall, then took shape of a Unicorn. All the mares, stallions and dragon received the shock of their lives when the black mist took physical form. Revealing the tyrant king himself! Smirking at the frightened souls. “KING SOMBRA!!!?” While the group continued to gawk at the resurrected king, Twilight noticed that a certain someone was missing from their group. “Wait! Where’s BlackWarGreymon!?” …………………………………………………………………………………………................................ When the green flash of the teleportation spell faded, the confused Digimon quickly looked around his snowy surroundings. “Wha-wait!? What? Where am I!? Where is everyone!?” Wherever BlackWarGreymon was, he was alone. But as he looked around, he could see a very familiar sight in the distance. “The Crystal Empire? How did I get way out here? And why?” But as he tried to figure it out, he suddenly found himself inside a large shadow that kept on growing. He then heard thundering hoofsteps a great distance away, almost like a marching army. When BlackWarGreymon turned around to look behind him, his eyes widened at the sight that would scare a pony to death. “Well…this is new.”