One Week Later.
Sunset and her friends, along with the CMC, who had been crammed inside Pinkie's van for the past five hours, almost leapt out the doors the moment they arrived at Snow Shoe's Ski Lodge and Resort, located at the base of Mount Canter, as the sun was starting to set. Only two of them seemed to restrain themselves. "It was nice of your parents to pay so much to let us go on this weekend ski trip."
The girl who prided herself on being ladylike just smiled. "Well, they decided that Sweetie and I deserved a reward for getting straight A's on our report cards, and they just couldn't say no when we asked if our friends could come with us." The pride in her voice was unmistakable, as was the pain when she accidentally got smacked in the head with a snowboard, courtesy of Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow!"
"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" After Rarity forgave the prismatic girl the group began to unload their gear, sans Sunset, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Fluttershy and Twilight, who would be renting their equipment, when a voice called out to them.
"Would you girls like some help?" When they responded in the positive, the teenage who had spoken, maybe a year older than them, walked over and began to help them load their bags and equipment. Her skin was a pale blue, almost white, with hair a few shades darker and green eyes. "Name's Diamond Dust by the way, welcome to my family's resort."
Rainbow almost dropped her equipment. "Wait, your family resort...? You wouldn't happen to be the Diamond Dust who managed to take home the Canterlot Winter Sports snowboarding event first place ribbon three years running?" The girl smiled and nodded. "You're like, the best snowboarder in the state!"
The girl's cheeks flushed as she rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I've kind of had my whole life to practice, so it isn't really that fair..."
Rainbow's smile widened. "Oh, I can't wait to finally go down Jagged Antler Run! Is it true that you managed to do it when you were six, with a broken board?"
"Oh, uh, well, I..."
At the mention of the Lodge's notoriously dangerous double black diamond run, referred to as Cocytus' Embrace by the locals, Scootaloo, who looked up to Rainbow as a big sister, looked a little nervous. "Uh, Dash, are you sure that's a good idea?"
Sunset, who had long forgiven the junior and friends for the Anon-A-Miss incident, was genuinely curious as to the tiny daredevil's sudden worry. "Why wouldn't it be Scootaloo?"
"Well, it's just that people had died on that slope. They make you sign a waiver and everything! Not to mention the rumors about-"
Diamond Dust sighed. "Kid, that story about the guy dying is exaggerated, he was fine... After a few months in a full body cast. And the rumors? That's just what they are, rumors. "
"But what about the people who went missing? And the pictures!"
As they began to head toward the lodge, the girl rolled her eyes. "Those people who went 'missing' went off the path and got lost, we found them a few hours later. As for the pictures, that was Snowball, my little sister, trying to drum up some more clients in the form of monster hunters."
"No it wasn't!" The girls turned to watch as someone who looked like a younger version of Diamond Dust, about the Crusader's age, rounded a corner with a sign on it that said 'rentals'. "I've been telling you for weeks, I really saw a Yeti!"
Diamond Dust smirked and pet the girl on the head. "Sure you did, and 'Guardian Deity of the Mountain' is a white moose with blue antlers and markings all over it's body."
"He is!"
"And there's a living mammoth running around further up the mountain, and there's a ice demon running around on the slopes at night, and there's a living snowman shaped like a teddy bear that protects you while you sleep." Diamond pat the girl on the head again. "If only I still had an imagination like yours." The little girl growled as Diamond began to lead the group away.
"I'm not making those up!" The girl's words faded as they got farther and farther away. Sunset couldn't help but feel like there was more to Snowball's claims of strange creatures than just her imagination.
One Hour Later
The second the girls had put their luggage away in the rooms Rarity's parents had rented for them for the four day long weekend that started tomorrow, they met up in the room Sunset and Twilight were sharing to discuss their plans. "First thing in the morning I'm headed up to the Jagged Antler, you wanna come 'Shy?"
The girl in question jumped a bit. "Oh, um... I, I think I'll just spend the day at the lodge, I heard that there are some adorable bunnies that have a burrow in a patch of trees just next to the main building, and I was hoping to talk to them."
Rainbow groaned. "'Shy... The point of going to a ski resort is to, ya know, ski! You can talk to rabbits all you want when you're helping at the animal shelter!"
"Oh, but Rainbow, these are Snowshoe Hares! They're so different! You see, they've evolved to have larger hind feet so that they cover a larger surface area and don't sink into the snow because of their weight and-" Three ear piercing screams interrupted the girl with the power of zoolingualism. The girls all looked at each other and leapt to their feet, recognizing the voices of the Crusaders.
The moment they burst into the Crusader's room, courtesy of Applejack's super strength, they saw the girls huddled in the corner, eyes locked on the broken window on the other side of the room. "Girls, what's wrong!?"
"Monster!"
Sunset ran over to the window and hopped through, luckily not cutting herself on the broken glass, and preforming a Time Shift with her Xros Loader. "Reload, Coronamon!"
Coronamon reloaded and began to look around, catching sight of a hulking figure heading for the slopes. "Over there!" They took off after the figure, following it up the slopes that had been closed for the night, even as it ran into the forest that was at the edge of the property. "Where'd it go!?"
Sunset looked to the ground and began to follow the tracks that had been left in the Digimon's wake, only to see them stop once they reached a clearing. "What the...?" She began to look around for any sign of the Digimon they had been chasing, when she heard the faintest sound of crunching snow behind them, giving Coronamon a tap on the back of his shoulder to signify there was something behind them.
"Snow Punch!"
"Petit Prominence!" With his body wreathed in flames, Coronamon leapt toward the source of the voice, warming the air around him as he crashed into the Hyougamon who had attacked them. "Corona Knuckle!" Landing on the chest of their attacker, Coronamon began to repeatedly strike the larger Digimon who grabbed the tiny lion on his chest and threw him into a tree.
Sunset, seeing that her partner's base form wouldn't be strong enough, held out her Xros Loader. "Coronamon! Super Digivolution!"
As Coronamon was Digivolving, the Hyougamon leapt to his feet and, in a unusually intelligent move for his species, turned toward Sunset, raising the giant icicle he was holding like a club. "Ice Konbou!" Sunset slammed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact.
"Horn Blade!" A cry of pain from right in front of her made Sunset peak, her eyes widening at the sight of her mysterious savior. There were two puncture marks in midair, two blue antlers emerging from them and impacting with the Hyougamon's chest and holding it in place.
Firamon, having finally evolved, charged at Hyougamon, flames bursting to life around his claws. "Fira Claw!" As Firamon's claws dug into Hyougamon's back, the bipedal Digimon's body glitched as a purple ring appeared and encircled him before he exploded into motes of red light, an image of him reforming in the cube over Sunset's Xros Loader.
Sunset smirked and, with a swipe of her Xros Loader, added Hyougamon to her collection. "Digimon capture complete." The sound of snow crunching behind Sunset lead her to spin around and come face to face with another Digimon, this one resembling a moose that resembled the 'Guardian Deity of the Mountain' Diamond Dust had described.
"A good show Hunter." The voice of the Digimon made Sunset realize that she was the one who had stopped Hyougamon from hitting her with that giant icicle. "I must commend you on your bravery and willingness to chase a Digimon into the depths of a forest you have never before entered."
Sunset scratched the back of her head as Firamon walked up next to her. "Oh um, thanks for the complement, but I couldn't just let him get away. He smashed a window and scared my friends' sisters. Who knows how far he would have gone next time."
"Indeed. And you young one." She nodded toward Firamon as he Dedigivolved, returning to the form of Coronamon. "You show a strength of heart I rarely see these days, in fact I believe that if you retain that strength, you will grow to be quite strong indeed."
Coronamon, who recognized the Digimon as Moosemon, nodded. "Thank you Ma'am."
Moosemon nodded once more. "Know that I, Moosemon, the Guardian of the Mountain, offer you my sincerest thanks for your assistance." Things remained silent for a second before Moosemon nodded her head. "In an attempt to thank you for your assistance, I shall guide you back to where you entered this forest."
Sunset opened her mouth to refuse before she realized that she had no other way to find a way out. "That would be great, thank you." Moosemon nodded and passed by Sunset and her partner.
When they arrived back at the lodge, Sunset and Coronamon bid Moosemon goodbye and entered back into the warm building. Once they had gone, Moosemon turned to leave before pausing as she heard the sound of crunching snow. She turned back and lowered her head to be on eyelevel with the one she greeted. "Greetings, Child of the Mountain."
"You're real..." Snowball stared at the strange, talking moose who she had seen once before, when she was being chased by the ice demon that lived on the mountain. "Did you um... Did you get the offerings I left for you?"
Moosemon released a small giggle. "Indeed I am child... And yes, I have. I thank you for the carrots." The two of them stood there and looked at each other. Then Snowball did something Moosemon hadn't been expecting. She ran up and wrapped her arms around Moosemon's neck. "Child?"
"Thank you." Moosemon was momentarily confused by "For keeping my family safe I mean. And the lodge, and our customers, and the mountain. Thank you for saving me from the demon, and for keeping the mammoth from coming down the mountain, and for everything else."
Moosemon stood there in Snowball's embrace and felt something warm within her, a smile working it's way onto her face. "You're very welcome child."
Meanwhile, in Canterlot.
Ren smiled as he watched Sonata add another Digimon to her collection, this one being a Rukamon who had slipped into DigiQuartz and appeared in a local swimming pool. It hadn't been violent in any way, but the shadows that it caused on the bottom of the pool were scaring the patrons, mostly six to twelve years old, into thinking that there was a monster living in the pool. Well, they were technically right, as she was a Digimon. The moment that the Rukamon found out she was scaring children, she apologized and asked Sonata if she could come with her.
Sonata smiled as Rukamon entered into her Xros Loader and turned to look at Ren. "Ok, I've got a new member for the team, and we've solved the issue the owners were having, let's go! Tacos are on me!"
Indigo, who had begrudgingly allowed Sonata to have the Rukamon for her collection, let a smile creep onto her face. "If, you're gonna pay, I'm in!" She hooked her arm around her boyfriend's and began to lead the way to an all night Mexican restaurant. "Let's go Ren!"
Ren opened his mouth to respond, only to feel something shoot down his spine, by now, it was a familiar feeling to him. He got it whenever a human found a Digimon partner. Sighing, he turned to face toward Mount Canter. "I'll have to catch up. Seems we've got a new player in the game." Indigo and Sonata looked at each other as Ren held out his Xros Loader, PicoDevimon vanishing into it as Ren called out his most recent hunt. "Reload Hippogriffomon!"
Indigo narrowed her eyes. "Yeah... No. Every time you go off and let someone join the Hunt and we don't go with you, you end up hunting some powerful Digimon. Not this time."
"Very well." Ren smirked as the two girls approached, hopping onto Hippogriffomon's back and holding his hand out to Indigo. "May I assist you Milady?" Indigo rolled her eyes before taking his hand and accepting the offered hand. Sonata giggled at the flirting and nearly burst out laughing when Indigo wrapped her arms around Ren for comfort, all the while denying that she was scared of falling.
At the Lodge, Three Hours Later.
As the clock struck twelve, all across the resort in DigiQuartz, portals made of glowing green and yellow pixels began to form. One in the lake where people were allowed to go ice fishing, several in the system of caves further up the mountain, one at the top of the Jagged Antler Run, one in a group of snowmen that local children made, and one in the air above the lodge. From them emerged Digimon of all shapes and sizes, and as the portals closed, Moosemon, who had been laying in her den, dreaming of the little girl she felt a connection with, woke from her slumber, she could tell that something had happened, and that she would not be able to protect her mountain on her own. "It seems I will require the aid of the Hunter and her partner once again."
"Are you sure about that?" Moosemon sprang to her hooves and turned toward the source of the voice, spotting a child level Digimon, with a human partner by their side.
Moosemon simply looked at the pair in response, she could sense a certain strength in them, as well as the aura of a predator. "Why have you come Hunter? Am I to be your prey?"
The human laughed. "Of course not, don't be silly. It's against the rules to hunt a Digimon in possession of another Hunter, and you've clearly already found yourself a partner."
The Guardian Deity of the Mountain knew who the human was speaking of. "She is a child."
"And yet she has a strength of heart, and a desire to protect uncommon of children her age, one to rival your own in fact." Moosemon shook her head.
"I will not allow such an innocent creature to be endangered by my duties." Ren smirked and walked past the Digimon, reaching the entrance of her den just as five more figures appeared. Two were Digimon, two were humans, females she did not know. Then there was another female she was acquainted with. "Child?"
Snowball gulped and held up the weird bone white thing that the girl who called herself Sonata had given her. "Um... Miss Moosemon? Will... Will you be my partner?"
Moosemon looked at the inactive Xros Loader. "Child, you know not the dangers what you ask for entail."
"I... I don't care. I want to help protect the mountain, this is my home, and it's a place where people come to have fun and forget about the things that worry them... I'm not going to let people get hurt or have their vacations ruined by others if I can help it." The device in her hand began to glow and Snowball yelped, dropping it and staring in shock as it changed color. Snow white with pine green accents. Snowball slowly inched toward it and picked it up.
Ren and the others smirked and glanced at Moosemon who just stared at the newly active Xros Loader in Snowball's hand. "Welcome to the Hunt girls." With that Ren walked off, the others following him. "So, let's take a vote. All for staying here for a while to Hunt?"
"Aye/Aye!"
Ren smirked and looked down the mountain at the lodge. "The Ayes have it. Let's go rent some rooms."
The Next Morning.
Sunset yawned as she and her friends exited the lodge, the Crusaders running off before the older girls could say anything. "I'll go watch them darlings, someone needs to make sure they don't cause trouble." Rarity took off at a brisk pace, calling out for the three Juniors.
"I'm heading up to Jagged Antler, let's go Pinks!" Rainbow grabbed Pinkie and took off at a speed that had the pink girl's feet lift off the ground.
"Wwwwweeeeeeee!!!!"
Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other. "I'm going to go and see if I can talk to the Snowshoe Hares."
"And I want to observe them and take notes on how they interact with people when they don't run away." The two shyest girls walked off, leaving the two in their group who had attained Digimon partners.
Applejack cleared her throat. "So, skiing or ice fishing?"
Sunset placed a finger on her chin as she pondered her choices. Finally making a decision, Sunset nodded to herself. "Fishing."
Applejack nodded and turned around, only to collide with someone as they came out of the lodge. "Owie..."
"Sorry 'bout tha…" As she reached to help up the girl she had knocked down, only to narrow her eyes as she saw a familiar face. "Wait a minute... You're one of the Sirens!"
"You okay Sonata?" Sunset could feel a headache begin to form when she heard that voice, and it only got worse when Indigo Zap and Ren Tobari came out of the lodge and helped Sonata up. Indigo looked at the person who had knocked her friend over and her eyes widened. "Oh, hey there." Indigo pulled Sonata to her feet and dragged the Siren off, heading in the direction of Jagged Antler Run.
"Quite the coincidence running into the two of you here." Applejack narrowed her eyes at the boy who had given them their Xros Loaders.
"Are you followin' us?"
Ren chuckled at Applejack's accusation. "I can assure you we are not. I came to give a new Hunter their Xros Loader, Indigo and Sonata tagged along, and then we decided to stay here for a few days to relax and hunt."
Sunset nodded, but frowned shortly after, having an idea of who the 'new Hunter' was. "Tell me you didn't give Snowball a Xros Loader." Ren smirked and walked off, heading in the direction of a hiking path. "Hey, don't just walk away!" Ren just continued to walk, eventually disappearing around a snow drift.
As soon as Ren was out of sight, Applejack looked at her friend. "Sunset, do 'ya really think he'd give a kid that young a Xros Loader?" The farmer was terrified at the thought, because Snowball was about the Crusaders' age, and who knew what damage those three could cause if they got their hands on a Xros Loader.
Sunset looked at her friend, catching sight of the topic of their conversation sitting on a bench with a cup of hot chocolate. "There's only one way to find out."