//------------------------------//
// 15- Which Witch? 
// Story: The Fox and the Filly 
// by FrostTheWolf 
//------------------------------//


The Fox and the Filly- Which Witch?




Out of all the likely things that Rainbow Dash had wanted to do today after coming back home, the last thing she expected herself doing was having to go over to Rarity’s. Not just for a simple talk amongst friends or something like that, but for having to fix something that the unicorn had worked tirelessly on when she was first working on it. Of course, she had only worn the dress that the seamstress made for the Grand Galloping Gala a couple of times. But under strange circumstances, pieces of the dress were now shredded. Almost as if a monster ripped through it with their claws.

Then there was Scootaloo. The filly’s overall reaction to her coming home to find the dress and her reason as to why it was like that did not add up. She was no Applejack, but part of her felt that Scootaloo was trying to hide something from her. And it was something that her friend seemed to notice. “Dear, is something bothering you?”

“Hunh?” Rainbow asked, looking back at Rarity as she tried to regain her focus after the unicorn snapped her out of her train of thought. “I’m sorry, what was that Rarity? I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Darling, something clearly appears to be on your mind,” The unicorn replied back, guiding a new thread through the back of her sewing needle as she prepared to start sewing up some of the minor cuts. “Would you like to talk about it?”

All the pegasus could do was let out a deep breath, before looking back to her friend. “I’m not sure why, but something doesn’t seem right with Scootaloo. I mean, I can’t shake the feeling that she’s either trying to hide something from me or that she’s not entirely being truthful. I’m no Applejack, but something about the whole ‘window’ story just doesn’t seem right.”

“Well, she did seem really sorry about what happened, darling. That isn’t something that you can just fake.”

“I know but…” Rainbow let out another breath, looking back at her. “When I look at the dress again, the damage looks less like something that her hoof would’ve done and something that looks like the claws of a manticore or some other monster ripped through it,” As she said this, the pegasus began to imitate a claw swipe from that kind of beast. Just to give her friend an idea of what she was thinking. “I mean, it made me think about the kind of claws you would find on that one creature that lives here with you.”

“Rena would not even consider trying to damage something that she knows belongs to one of my friends, Rainbow. That’s just absurd.” The Unicorn quickly retorted, pausing for a moment to say that before she refocused her attention back to sewing.

“I get that… though, there’s no way in Tartarus that she’s the only one of them here right?” That lone question from the pegasus had Rarity pause. It was around that time that she began to realize something. Her friend had no idea that Rena was not the only digimon that was here. But how could she be able to explain such a complicated subject to her? Rena was one thing, but everything that came afterwards? How could she explain all of that to her, including the horrific experience she had with that foul beast-?

“Uh… hello? Equestria to Rarity? Are you there?”

The question from Rainbow snapped Rarity out of her personal train of thought as she looked back at the pegasus. “Oh sorry, my apologies. What was it that you were asking?”

“I… you know what, never mind,” Rainbow shook her head. “I might just need to clear my head a little. When would you have this fixed by?”

“If all goes well and if I don’t have any sudden last minute orders, then perhaps I’ll be done by tomorrow,” The seamstress now told her friend.

“Alright. Thanks for the help, Rarity. I owe you one.” Rainbow replied back, just as she was beginning to make her way towards the door. But as she was about to open it, she heard her friend say something to her.

“Hey Rainbow? If there’s something that you wanted to talk about… like anything at all, feel free to come by.” The unicorn told her, looking towards her friend now instead of the dress that she needed to repair. 

In Rainbow’s mind, hearing those words from the unicorn felt weird to her. Especially since Rarity was… well, not acting like how Rarity would normally talk to other ponies. But to the pegasus, the only thing that she did was just nod her head, before stepping out and looking to find Scootaloo so they could go back to Cloudsdale and return home. It took her a little bit, but she happened to find Scootaloo just as she was waving goodbye to her friends.

However, what Rainbow did not notice in that moment was that something was hiding out in the nearby trees and was waiting for her to leave the Carousel Boutique. “Lady Witchmon, both the orange filly and the rainbow maned pegasus are heading back towards you right now. They should be arriving soon.”

“Excellent! And just as I was finishing the final preparations too. My my, this plan is going better than I thought~” The digimon in the trees heard the voice of his master speaking to him telepathically, while also rolling their eyes at the tone of voice she used. “Return to me at once! We don’t want to spoil the surprise for our guests,” That was followed by what sounded like a seductive giggle as the Witchmon began to speak to herself. Much to her minions dismay. “Oh, I'm going to have so much fun forcing that little runt to turn against her friends and do my bidding~”

All Tsukaimon could do in that moment was just let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes before speaking again. “Right away, my lady.”



“So how was your trip to Rarity’s?” Scootaloo asked Rainbow once they landed safely in cloudsdale and began to make their way back to Rainbow’s home. “Is your dress going to be okay?”

It took a moment for Rainbow to process the question. Mostly because it seemed like Scootaloo had asked her out of the blue. But after a couple of seconds, she finally had an answer. “Yeah, the damage wasn’t really that major. She should have it fixed by tomorrow if we’re lucky,” That response lead to Scootaloo letting out a sigh of relief as Rainbow looked back to the filly and asked her a question that she had. “How were your friends?”

“They were alright,” Scootaloo shrugged. “Just wanted to say hi real quick while I was waiting on you-” The filly stopped speaking as she looked towards the front of Rainbow’s home. Noticing that something there did not seem right as she looked back to the pegasus. “Rainbow, did you forget to lock the front door?”

“What do you mean-” Rainbow never got the chance to finish the question. Because when she turned to see the front entrance of her home, a chill went down her spine. The front door was left hanging open. Not like if she had forgotten to lock the door, but more like if somepony had forced their way inside and broke into their home. “Scootaloo, I need you to stay close to me okay? Whoever did this could still be here.”

The filly could only nod as the two of them approached the door. But as they made their way inside, something did not feel right. Nothing looked to have been damaged or taken. In fact, everything looked exactly the same way that they left it earlier. But Scootaloo could not shake off the feeling that something… or more likely, someone was here. Waiting for them to come through that door. 

“Hunh… maybe Derpy was here to drop off something and left the door open on accident,” Rainbow sighed as Scootaloo went to her room to drop off her saddlebag. The filly though, could not let go of the feeling of something still being in the room. So, she kept her digivice with her under her crusader cape just in case. “Would you like something to eat-?”

SLAM!!

The moment that Rainbow had let her guard down, a strong gust of wind blew through the room. Slamming the door shut and locking it in place. “Welcome home, my dear ponies~” An ominous voice echoed throughout Rainbow’s home. It made the fur on the back of Scootaloo’s neck stand up, prompting the filly to look around to try and find out where it was coming from. “Such a lovely home you happen to have here. So I thought I would let myself in~”

“Alright, where the hay are you, you creep!? Show yourself-!!” Before Rainbow could even finish her sentence, water began to overflow from the kitchen sink. Surrounding the pegasus as she found herself trapped in a sphere of liquid before being floated over to the center of the room.

“My my, aren’t you a rude one. Is that how you treat all your house guests~?” The voice echoed again as a new figure emerged from the guest bedroom. A bipedal figure that wore a red dress and pointed hat, a black cape and had two black belts along its body. It’s mane was short and blond, eyes were blue and had two large hands that were covered in red gloves along with what appeared to be a cat tattoo on its right arm. “However, I’m not here for you,” It’s gaze now turned to focus solely on the filly in the room. “Ah yes… You are the reason for my visit~”

Scootaloo felt as if the blood in her body began to freeze, backing up from where she was before looking at her. This was a digimon. It had to be. Nothing else could explain it. “W-who are you? W-what do you want with me?”

“Oh ho ho… wanting names now, are we? Well, if you really want to know, you may call me Witchmon,” the digimon properly introduced herself, smirking as she looked back at the filly with a bit of a small glare in her eyes. “Now, as for your other question, it’s more than you that I want. My boss and I are more interested in your friends than anything else. But you? Oh, you are going to lead me right to them. If you do what I ask, then I will gladly let this pony go.”

Scootaloo twitched a little bit at hearing that last statement. Honestly, she did not know if she heard that correctly… and part of her was unsure if she should actually listen. But this digimon was holding Rainbow hostage. What should she do? Should she really listen to her?

No. That’s not what Rainbow would think. Scootaloo knew that. But this digimon… this villain thought of her as to be some kind of weak runt. Something that can be used against her friends. But she knew better than that.

“So little one,” She heard the digimon speak now, standing behind her and placing one of her claws on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “What will it be?”

Slowly, Scootaloo looked up. The filly feeling a bit nervous before finally finding the courage to speak. “I-if I lead you to my friends… then would you really let her go?”

“Why yes I will~” Witchmon said, her voice dripping with excitement. “It’ll be a simple give-and-take. Give up your friends and you can take back this one,” As she spoke, Scootaloo watched as bubbles of air began to leave from Rainbow. Who was trying her best to hold onto her breath right now. “So… what’s it going to be?”

Scootaloo had an answer already thought out at this point. But what she said was not what Witchmon was expecting her to say at all.

“I refuse.”

Witchmon herself was taken aback by the statement. Out of all the things that she anticipated for her to say, as well as everything going on in this moment, that was something that she did not anticipate. “What?! What makes you think can-?”

“If I have learned anything from Rainbow Dash, it’s to never betray my friends,” The filly now spoke, turning her head to face Witchmon. “And even now, we are not planning on that.”

“Wait… We-?”

Before Witchmon could even contemplate what was happening, a bright light went off around Scootaloo as it disrupted her vision. When the light began to go down, the next thing she saw was a scaly purple fist that was inches away from her face. “Detrot… SMASH!!” The attack was enough to send Witchmon flying out a window as well as break the bubble that she had on Rainbow as the soaked mare landed on the floor.

The moment that the pegasus was free, Scootaloo and her partner rushed on over. “Rainbow! Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah I guess-” As Rainbow’s eyes soon met the eyes of Monodramon, the mares first instinct was to immediately push herself backwards. “W-what the!? Who are you-?!”

“Rainbow, calm down. Monodramon is a friend,” Scootaloo told her as Monodramon looked back to his tamer. “He knew mom.”

Upon hearing those three words, Rainbow blinked for a moment in disbelief. “You… knew Sky?”

Monodramon nodded his head briefly as he looked back at the pegasus. “Yeah, she was once my partner-” Before he could say anything else though, something made him flinch as he looked back at both his partner and the pony that Scootaloo saw as her sister. “Girls, we need to get outside… I got a bad feeling about this.”

“W-wait a minute,” Scootaloo asked, now realizing something as she looked back at her partner. “Can you even walk on clouds? If we go out, you’ll just fall right through!”

“Sky had my data slightly adjusted a long time ago so I can walk on clouds and not worry about having to fall through them,” Monodramon told her, before looking towards the front door. “But still, we have to get outside right now before-”

“BALALUNA GALE!!”

“Too late, GET DOWN!!” Immediately, the three of them jumped for covert as another gust of wind tore through Rainbow’s home. Slicing off the top half of Rainbow’s home as the roof began to shatter and break apart into pieces and scatter across the living room floor. Scootaloo herself had a hard time trying to not be affected by the attack as bits and pieces of the home flew past her. But one of the things that soon became concerning was their opponent. Unlike earlier, the act that Witchmon put on earlier was gone now. And instead, something new began to emerge.

“You know what? Forget everything I said before. If I’m going to have you take me to your friends by force, then SO BE IT!!” The digimon roared, sending another blast of air that began to shatter all the windows throughout the entire house. Monodramon tried to push through it, but the winds were too strong for him and it only resulted in him getting knocked back.

“Geez, how strong is she even!?” Rainbow asked, hiding behind a couch that she was using for cover. “Can’t you just get up close and clobber them?”

“It’s not as s-simple as that!” Monodramon tried to explain. “I-I'm only a rookie level digimon. S-she’s a champion level. Her powers much stronger than mine-!”

“Who cares if she’s stronger or not!? She’s going to wreck my house if this keeps up!!” Rainbow retorted. Scootaloo also remembered in her conversation with the girls the word ‘digivolution’ was mentioned a couple of times. However, she did not know what that was or how exactly to do it. 

“Monodramon, what do we do-!?” 

Her question was met by silence as the three of them looked back to where Witchmon was. Sitting on a floating broom that was floating in the sky. However, what she was doing soon sent a wave of fear down his spine as he saw her holding something in one of her claws. A syringe that held what looked to be a purple mixture inside. “N-no… it can’t be.”

“What do you mean-!?”

“I have HAD IT UP TO HERE with your futile attempts!! Forget forcing you to do my bidding, you don’t even deserve to live!!” Witchmon declared as she injected the syringe into herself. Within seconds, the air and clouds began to distort around her as her eyes changed color from an azure blue shade to a blood red. Pieces of her became distorted as a purple colored smoke began to rise around the digimon. “I WILL END YOU MYSELF!!!”

“Scootaloo, find the blue card! Quickly!!” Monodramon told her. However, the filly soon began to realize a problem with that as she frantically began to look for them.

“They’re not on me! I left them in my room!!” Scootaloo spoke up, which soon caught Rainbow’s attention because of how she was panicking in that moment.

“What the hay are these cards you’re talking about?”

“They’re suppose to make Monodramon stronger-” She said, before another blast of wind came through the room. Blowing down the back wall as the filly was thrown backwards. Colliding with the door. “AGH!”

“Scoot!” Rainbow cried out, rushing to the filly. But to her surprise, Scootaloo was already trying to stand. Looking back at the mare as she told her something.

“Saddlebag… blue box… yellow bolt… Go.” She spoke, gasping in between breaths as Rainbow soon began to realize what she was telling her. Only nodding her head briefly as the pegasus took off towards her room.

“Why won’t you just DIE ALREADY!?!” Witchmon now roared, wind forming around her claws along with a green colored energy as she swung forward. “POISON STORM!!”

Within seconds, a green colored mist immediately drifted over the entire home alongside the winds that were raging. Monodramon was not sure what it was at first, but soon immediately found himself coughing up blood as he tried to cover his mouth. He noticed his partner trying to say something, but a glare from her told her to not say anything. That and the warning that was coming off her digivice.

“Warning! Warning! Toxic chemicals in the atmosphere. Do not breathe.”

That was enough to make Scootaloo hold her breath as she and Monodramon were trying to hold their ground. However, it was shortly afterwards that they realized that there was somepony else who didn’t know what was happening. “W-what the hay is this?!”

In a panic, Scootaloo ran with her partner following her shortly afterwards. Holding her breath as much as she could as she tried to make her way over to Rainbow. When she did, she found her mentor barely standing and coughing as she was falling to her knees. Causing her to panic as she tried to figure out how to clear the air. Until she saw something that was hidden under Rainbow’s hoof.

The blue digi-modify card. The one thing that could get them out of this. Bracing the burning feeling of the poison in the air, she let a massive breath, before picking the card up with one of her wings. Her digivice in her hoof as she slid the card along the edge.

DIGIMODIFY- DIGIVOLUTION ENGAGED

Outside, Witchmon thought that she had done everything right. She used every tool at her disposal as she now waited to hear the sound of coughing and screaming from agonizing pain. Wanting to hear the final cries from her victims before the poison were to seep in and reap them of their last breaths.

What she heard instead though was much different. “Monodramon… digivolve to…”

“No NO NO NO!!!” She screamed, conjuring another Balaluna Gale in her claws as she sent the attack directly towards the home., “I will not let you-!!”

“STRIKEDRAMON!!”

A shockwave soon erupted from the house, blowing out all the toxic air that was seeping inside as Witchmon found herself looking at an entirely different digimon. The rookie that stood by her tamers side was now a full fledged champion digimon. One that had red hair stretch along its back and had metal plates across different parts of its body, including its claws, shoulders, head, feet and tail. The only other thing that it wore aside from the plates was a set of green pants from the waist down.

“Do you think that a new form like yours would be enough to intimidate me!?” She hollered as she raised up one of her arms to prepare for an attack. “Balaluna-!!”

Before Witchmon could be able to finish her attack, Strikedramon closed the cap. Rushing her with newfound speed and striking her with one of his claws. Throwing her onto the clouds and slicing the digimon’s broomstick to pieces. “Don’t think for a second that I’m going to go easy on you!”

Witchmon’s next attack was a different one. Channeling and absorbing the water vapor from the clouds under her, she unleashed an attack that was known as ‘Aquary Pressure’. Where water was blasted at such a high velocity that it could penetrate through steel. Her opponent though, was quick enough to sidestep out of the way of the attack as it collided with a cloud in the distance. “Is that all you got, villain?”

“Don’t test me-!!” As Witchmon tried to conjure more water for another attack, she immediately began to realize something. The moisture in the air was beginning to dry up. The only bits of liquid that she could be able to absorb were mere droplets. And when she tried to find a reasoning as to why this was happening, all she saw was the plates on Strikedramon’s body beginning to overheat. His body becoming hot red flames and his hair turning blue-ish white.

“I’m finishing this right now!! Strike Fang!!” He declared, seconds before charging forth and ramming himself into Witchmon. His opponent taking the full force of his attack. In a matter of seconds, Witchmon was no more as she became nothing more than disintegrated bits of data. But as the victor began to revert back to his rookie form, he had a much different thought on his mind as he raced back towards the house. Not even noticing another digimon that was hiding in the clouds nearby that began to make a break for it.



Meanwhile…

“Leona, I know that you like to be with Sweetie Belle and I,” Rena looked down to the Coronamon as she began to ask her something. “But is it really necessary to grab hold of my arm like this just because Opal startled you upon coming back here?”

“This is a matter of territory! Do not underestimate the complexities of us felines……” Leona sputtered with a bright pink face as she withered under Rena’s gaze.

“She just meowed and whacked your tail because she thought it was a toy,” Sweetie Belle soon spoke up. Countering the point that she was trying to make as Rarity was bringing out a tray of tea. “I don’t think it’s really that complex.”

“... A-anyway… does anyone else smell wild digimon? Because my nose has been itching for a while now…” Leona quickly sputtered, trying to change the topic.

“You sure that it’s not allergies, darling?” Rarity now asked, sounding a bit concerned for the Coronamon’s health.

“Can digimon get allergies in this world?” Leona asked as she looked at Rena while her embarrassment from earlier faded, honestly curious. All Rena could do was provide a shrug, shortly before they all heard a ringing sound coming from Sweetie Belle’s digivice.

“Oh, I wonder who that could be.” Rarity then asked as Sweetie Belle checked the digivice. Honestly surprised by who was calling given that they had just met only a little while ago.

“It’s Scootaloo,” The filly said, before answering. “Hello?”

“Oh thank Celestia you picked up,” She heard her friend on the other end of the digivice let out a sigh of relief. “Listen, I know this is sudden but I need your help. A digimon just tore through Rainbow’s home and I think she’s sick. She breathed in poison from one of their attacks.”

“Oh boy,” Rena now spoke up. “That’s not good.”

“Not just that, but Monodromon’s freaking out now-” Before the filly could finish, that was when they now also heard her partner voice now. However, instead of the calm and collected voice from before, Monodromon was now freaking out. “Rena?! Rena, are you there?!! We got a major problem!!!”

“Monodromon, calm down. What’s-”

“It’s back,” Those two words immediately changed Rena’s expression and tone. Noticeable not just to Sweetie Belle and Rarity, but to Leona too. “I don’t know how, but it’s back. It infected the digimon that I was fighting and-”

“Oh no,” Rena spoke to herself, fear beginning to set in now as her pupils began to shrink. Realizing what Monodromon was talking about. “No no no no… I-It can't be. How-?”

“I don’t know, but we need to regroup now. Rainbow needs help and we don’t want this to happen to Guilmon again-!”

“What's going on?” Leona asked with concern at Rena’s expression. “I may not be able to help with the poison but this ‘it’ you two are talking about makes me feel concerned with how you two are acting.”

“What even is ‘it’ anyways?” Sweetie Belle now asked as she trotted over to where Leona was standing. Her partners response… sent a chill down all three of their spines mere moments later.

“Something that should’ve stayed buried for the last thirty years.”




End Chapter 15