//------------------------------// // Chapter 55: Mystery of the Other Twilight // Story: BlackWarGreymon: Warrior of Harmony // by I-C-U-P //------------------------------// Deep in the Everfree Forest, in the heart of the Everfree Clearing, a bizarre event had occurred. Sensing an unusual yet familiar presence, BlackWarGreymon traveled to the area to investigate. Only to discover a truly mind-bending sight he had not seen since meeting his own clone. Standing in front of him, was an Alicorn. But what was so surprising was that she looked almost like Twilight Sparkle. Yet, she’s not Twilight Sparkle. At least, the one he knew of. After addressing her, BlackWarGreymon began to second guess himself. Unsure if it was her name. “No. Wait. You… you’re not Twilight. Not the one I know.” Confusion filled the Digimon’s mind. She looked different, yet she wasn’t a clone like ChaosBlackWarGreymon. Her magic was so much like Twilight’s to be different. The unknown Alicorn closed her eyes in response to hearing the name. Smiling from remembering the days of her past. “Hmm. Twilight. I haven’t used that name in such a long time.” Confusion continued to rise in the Digimon from hearing her words. “What? W-Who are you? Really? You ARE Twilight, right?” When the Alicorn looked at the Digimon, he was surprised at the expression she had in her eyes. Filled with feelings of negativity to which he can detect. A look of someone that… went through something horrible. She then spoke up, answering the question and identifying herself. “I once was. But that was the past. I’m far different from the princess I used to be. A pony that… no doubt you’re familiar with. I now go by another name. You can call me… Ayumi.” BlackWarGreymon looked at her with a puzzled expression. Wondering why she changed her name and why she chose that of all names. “A-Ayumi?” But before the Mega could ask a question, the Alicorn Twilight, who renamed herself Ayumi spoke first. As if she knew what question the Mega was about to ask. “Before you ask. No. This is the first time we’ve met.” BlackWarGreymon began to make more enquiries. “I don’t know what’s going on. If we’ve never met before, then how do you know who I am? How can you be here if the Twilight I know already exists?” To his surprise, Ayumi didn’t answer any of his questions. A clear sign that she didn’t hold the same respect that the Twilight he knew had to him. “If you mind, I’ll be the one asking the questions.” BlackWarGreymon was taken back by her cold attitude. It was as if she doesn’t trust him in the slightest. A sharp contrast to the Princess of Friendship he was expecting. …………………………………………………………………………………………….…….….……………. Back in the Everfree Forest, Twilight Sparkle and Spike were charging through the thick vegetation. Using her magic to track BlackWarGreymon’s whereabouts, the young Alicorn was able to navigate her way through the forest as she closed in on her friend. The purple dragon however was beginning to low down in exhaustion. “T…Twilight! Can we… take a break for a second!?” He asked. Taking deep breaths to draw in some much-needed air. Looking over her shoulder, Twilight could see that her assistant was struggling to keep up. Despite the urgency of the matter, the wellbeing of her friend was more important. Lowing down for him to catch up. “Alright Spike. Hop on my back,” She said as she came to a stop. Letting Spike jump onto her back for him to rest his legs With Spike nestled, Twilight continued to walk towards BlackWarGreymon’s location. But with a fairly quick pace. “Twilight. How much further do we have to go? We’ve been running through the forest for quite a while.” Hearing Spike out, Twilight turned towards him with an answer. “We shouldn’t be very far now. It seems BlackWarGreymon has stopped moving. I think he has found the source of what’s going on.” She answered before turning back towards the path laid ahead of her. “You think it would be dangerous?” Spike asked. Unnerved from the whole ordeal. “I don’t know.” As they continued to walk on, Twilight began to recognize the trees around her. He felt as if she had seen them before. “Um, Twilight? Are you alright?” Spike asked. Seeing her looking at her surroundings in curiosity. “Yeah. It’s just that… I think I’ve been here before.” After some thought, it clicked. She paused as she let out a surprised gasp of excitement. “Yes. I have been here before!” “Wh-What is it?” Spike asked, confused as to what perked the Alicorn up. To which she revealed. “Up ahead is the Everfree Clearing. It’s the place where me and the others first met BlackWarGreymon!” Spike was stunned. He was about to see the very place where his friends made first contact with the Digimon. But his excitement gave way to curiosity. “Wait. Is that where he is now?” “It seems so,” Twilight answered while using her magic to pinpoint BlackWarGreymon’s location once more. But as she felt the Digimon’s energy, she felt something else very close to his location. It was a presence of magic that, much to her disbelief, was nearly identical to her own. Being much closer to the location, she was able to finally read out the energy for herself. And understand why BlackWarGreymon was so concerned. To him, it was like she was in two different places at once. She too felt that experience. It was like she was right there with BlackWarGreymon, yet she wasn’t. When the two got to the edge of the forest, Twilight and Spike decided to take cover to not be spotted. Crawling closer to the bushes with the clearing on the other side. When they got there, the two slowly peeked over the hedge to see what was going on. As they looked, they spotted the tall BlackWarGreymon quite easily. But it was something standing close to him was what got their attention. They could see that the individual was a pony. Quite taller than the average pony. As they squinted their eyes to sharpen their focus. They each spoke out what they saw. “I think… I can see a horn,” Twilight said. Followed by Spike. “Really? Because I think I can see wings.” The eyes of the two quickly grew wide from what they said. Their heads ducked behind the hedge as they looked at each other in disbelief. “Twilight? Does that mean…?” “Yes. That pony is an Alicorn!” Spike was stunned form the revelation. “But… but how can there be another Alicorn?” As Twilight tried to get another look at the new Alicorn, she grunted from seeing how far away the conversation was form her. Then made a decision. “We need to get closer. Let’s move along the hedge.” Using the bushes as cover, Twilight and Spike began to sneak around the perimeter of the clearing. Trying to find a good spot to get a closer look. It took place while BlackWarGreymon and Ayumi continued to talk. “You seem quite formidable. But are you really a Digimon?” The Alicorn asked the Digimon. While confused at what was going on, the Artificial Mega answered nonetheless. “Yes. I am.” Ayumi then gave him a questionable look. “I can sense your energy. And from I can see, it isn’t pleasant.” BlackWarGreymon could easily tell what Ayumi was going on about. She could sense that he possessed negative energy. Something that only those with ill-intent would possess. Corrections must be made. “Don’t let my appearance and energy deceive you. I know very well what you’re thinking. But I assure you that the truth is the opposite. I’m friends with the ponies here.” Despite her suspicions, there was evidence that showed that he was correct. “Hmm. That would explain how you come to know my former name. If you’re not here to cause trouble, then why are you here?” BlackWarGreymon felt as though he was being tested. To see if his answers would be the ones that the Alicorn would be expecting. But as for the question that was laid out to him… “I wish I had the answer for that myself. But I am not the villain here. I wouldn’t be called the Saviour of Equestria otherwise.” Ayumi raised an eyebrow at what BlackWarGreymon said. “The saviour? Quite the bold title. Earned it? Or do you call yourself that?” The Digimon was becoming very uncomfortable of all the doubting. “I earned it. Celestia dubbed me that herself.” The moment BlackWarGreymon mentioned the White Alicorn, Ayumi flinched in response. The name triggered something within her. “C…Celestia? She… she’s here?” The Mega took note at the sudden change of tone from the Alicorn. It surprised him. It was the softest tone he heard from her since they met. She almost sounded… happy. The former Twilight then whispered to herself. “O-Of course she would be. Everypony would be. Thank goodness.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Over on the edges of the clearing, Twilight and Spike managed to get in position closer to the conversation without being spotted. The two breathed quite heavily from the suspense of what was transpiring. “It think we’re in a good spot,” Twilight said before moving towards the hedge. Moments away from sticking her head in the foliage. As he watched her head halfway through the bush, Spike was fiddling his fingers in anticipation. Eager to hear what Twilight could see. “So, what is it? Who is it?” Spike heard nothing but silence from the still Twilight. In fact, she was frighteningly still. But before he could speak up, he heard her voice. “I…Impossible.” When she pulled her head back to look at Spike, pure disbelief was written all over her face when she answered. “I…It’s me.” Spike stared at her in disbelief. “What!? Let me see,” The dragon said as he and Twilight stuck their heads into the bush. They could just see the pony who was speaking to BlackWarGreymon. Being closer than before, they could see more of her features. “No way. You’re right. It is you.” Spike uttered in a harsh whisper. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “But how can that be? I’m right here,” Twilight replied in the same confused tone. She briefly recalled seeing her future self appearing before her to deliver a warning. But realised that the experience was entirely different. For she became that very Twilight, delivering the very same message to the past. She could tell that the pony in front of BlackWarGreymon was very different. But unable to put her hoof down on what the cause was. Spike began to speak out loud. “The same fur. Same mane. Same tail. Even the same cutiemark. But she looks a little older. And has a couple of scars on her.” “What? What happened to her?” She uttered, also noting the untidy fur on the body. As the concealed two continued to eavesdrop, they heard the new Alicorn’s question. Hearing her voice unnerved the hidden Twilight. It being very similar to her own. “Never mind why you’re here. I’m now more interested in when you first arrived in Equestria. Care to tell me?” Her question took the concealed Twilight by surprise. “What? This me doesn’t know when BlackWarGreymon first arrived? Has she even met him before? Surely she must have.” Further believing that the pony in front of him was truly different from the Twilight he knew, BlackWarGreymon answered Ayumi’s question. “It wasn’t really that long ago. I arrived not that far from here. In fact, I first met Twilight and her friends in this very clearing.” His answer caused Ayumi to ponder for a moment. Something about the clearing was causing her to remember. She’d only been to the Everfree Clearing once. Puzzled of what happened in her time and the one she’s in, she asked the Digimon a direct question. “Wait? When you were in this clearing, was that the time when Tirek appeared and attacked?” Her question caught the full attention of the spying Twilight. Seeing if the events she experienced was similar to the other Twilight’s. The question was answered by the Digimon. “Yes it was. But I was there to put a stop to him.” It was Ayumi’s turn to have a look of surprise. Seeing where things had changed. She then whispered to herself. “So… that’s the point in time when things changed for me.” “What was that?” BlackWarGreymon asked. Barely hearing Ayumi’s words. Ayumi quickly recomposed herself before answering. “N-Nothing.” BlackWarGreymon decided that it was time for him to start asking the questions. His tone took a strict vibe. “Alright. I’ve done nothing but answer your questions. Now it’s your turn to answer mine.” Ayumi heard the Digimon’s words but didn’t answered them. Instead, she was reading out BlackWarGreymon’s power. ‘It’s still strange to me that someone with such malicious energy would use his power for good. But if it’s true that he’s been here for quite some time, then he would’ve destroyed Equestria by now. He does have the power to do so unopposed. Yet, I can tell he speaks the truth. Maybe it because I’ve yet to meet a good Digimon. But still…’ She then spoke up another question. “After you defeated Tirek, have you been in other conflict ever since?” BlackWarGreymon slowly became agitated from the pony ignoring his question. “Yes. I came across Equestria’s other evils since my arrival. But did you not hear my question?” “Yes I have. And I will tell you what you want to know.” BlackWarGreymon was puzzled by the sudden cooperation from Ayumi. But she then said something that left him puzzled. “But before I do, I will need to be sure if what you say is really true.” BlackWarGreymon grew an annoyed but uneasy expression from feeling that he was being tested again. To his confusion, words alone wasn’t enough to get through to the other Twilight. It seemed the mare had an idea of how to prove himself that his words were true. “Alright. What do you have in mind?” When Ayumi answered the question, she suggested the last thing that BlackWarGreymon would ever expect from the former Twilight. “Fight me.” The eavesdropping Twilight and Spike couldn’t believe their ears. And BlackWarGreymon took a step back in surprise. “I’m sorry, what?” Ayumi repeated herself in a much clearer tone. “Fight me.” BlackWarGreymon knew that he wasn’t imagining things. The other Twilight was asking to fight him. Something he truly never expected. The Twilight he knew would never in her life ask for a fight intentionally. She would do anything to avoid conflict and resolve things peacefully and only fight as a last resort. And knowing how powerful he was compared to a pony, he began to question Ayumi’s decision. “Are you sure about that? You should know that…” Ayumi interrupted his warning. “I know very well what you are, Digimon. But I want you to fight me. It’s the best way to find out how strong you truly are. To see where your strength lies. And I promise that once our match ends, I’ll explain myself.” BlackWarGreymon was puzzled at Ayumi. She even used the term ‘match’. As if the battle she wanted was in fact a sparring match. The Digimon took a second to feel out her energy. While it was much higher than Twilight’s, it still wasn’t high enough. He knew that she could sense how much stronger he was. Which begs the question. Why would she challenge him? Curious as to where Ayumi’s ploy would go, BlackWarGreymon hesitantly decided to play along. “Very well. As long as you keep your word.” Over in the bushes, Twilight’s body was trembling in concern. “Is she serious!? Can’t she tell how strong he is!? Even I wouldn’t want to fight him!” She uttered quietly to herself. Her body fidgeted more from being indecisive. Should she watch or step in to stop it? It’s a different version of her for sure. She appeared much braver. Yet she couldn’t help but feel worried. “What do I do? What do I do?” “Twilight, calm down,” Spike uttered, seeing that the fidgeting pony was shaking the bush they were in. Ayumi was about to prepare herself. But the sounds of rustling bushes caught her ear. But rather than looking towards the sounds, she used her magic to sense if someone else was nearby. Sure enough, she sensed a magical presence in the area other than herself. But was mentally surprised at how similar it was to her own. “Hmm.” She exhaled. She knew exactly who it was. As he looked down at his arms, BlackWarGreymon took a moment to think while gazing at his Dramon Destroyers. Seeing that Ayumi was not an enemy, he saw no reason to carry such lethal weapons. While keeping his sights on the Alicorn, the Digimon impaled his gauntlets into the ground. He then spoke up as he slid his arms free. “This should make things more interesting.” Hearing BlackWarGreymon’s words, Ayumi decided to put a pause on the fight before it could start. She then asked him a question afterwards. “Hold on. Before we start, there’s one thing I like to ask you. The Twilight that you’re familiar with. What’s your opinion of her?” Hidden in the bushes, Ayumi’s question caused Twilight to stop her fidgeting and stare in surprise. The other Twilight seemed to be interested in what her counterpart was like. As he stared at her in confusion, BlackWarGreymon answered what he saw was the truth. “The Twilight I know… is the friendliest pony I have ever met. There’s no doubt about that. She was the first one to speak up to me when we first met. Despite seeing me in action against Tirek, she wanted to know everything about me. No one has ever done that for me. She is a pony that I’m proud to call a friend. And I’ll gladly go into any battle to protect her. And that goes the same for all her other friends, because they’re my friends too.” As they listened, the two Twilights were taken back from BlackWarGreymon’s words for the exact same reason. Despite being from a completely different world, the Mega had shown complete trust in the Princess of Friendship. He truly valued her as a friend. And with his warrior nature, a friend worth fighting for. Twilight was touched from the Digimon’s speech. As for Ayumi, she had never thought that BlackWarGreymon would say the things he’d said. She initially thought that he was only being the hero for the perks and benefits. But it wasn’t the case at all. He genuinely cared for the ponies. Something she had not anticipated in the slightest upon first meeting him. Despite not being the same Twilight, Ayumi almost felt flattered from the Mega level Digimon’s words. BlackWarGreymon then said something that brought both their attention. Amazed at his own speech. “Huh, I bet Twilight would’ve liked to hear that.” After letting out a brief smirk from the truth, she spoke up. “She did. Considering that she’s watching us,” She said as she turned her head towards the direction of the bushes. After letting out a surprised yelp, Twilight ducked down as low as she could to the ground. Spike laying on the ground beside her. “Busted,” He uttered before hearing the panicked Twilight. “How did she know?” Following Ayumi’s line of sight, the startled BlackWarGreymon spoke out in confusion. “What!? What’s she doing here!?” BlackWarGreymon grew concerned. Since he was unsure if Ayumi is a future Twilight or an alternate Twilight, he was scared that eye contact with each other would cause disastrous consequences. But from Ayumi’s sentence, it seemed that there was no danger of time and space collapsing. “Come on out. We know you’re there.” The hidden Twilight felt spooked. It was her own voice calling out to her. The sensation was so unreal, that such possibilities could only be done in a dream. That’s what it felt like to her. A dream. But it wasn’t a dream. It was reality. The other Alicorn also sounded serious. The last thing she wanted was to make her other self angry. But then she looked over to the shaken Spike. The other princess only addressed her. Could it be that she didn’t know that Spike was there too? “Stay here, Spike,” She whispered to the young dragon. Wanting him to stay safe from whatever that was going on. Taking careful considerate steps, Twilight emerged from the bush and into the open. In plain view of BlackWarGreymon and Ayumi. The two Alicorns locked gazes at each other. Their own thoughts coursing through their minds. Ayumi was mentally shaken from the approaching Twilight. It was the stage in her life that she once was. While not that much younger than herself, her appearance was a complete contrast to her own. Her feathers were neat. Her fur was smooth. And not a single scar on her body. She felt as though it had only been recent since she looked that young and pure. Only for it to be taken away. As for Twilight, the sight of Ayumi left her in awe. She truly did look like an older version of herself. Probably by a couple of years. But as she walked closer, more of her features became visible. She looked as though she had a very rough time from wherever she came from. Her mind was filled to the brim of questions. As she stood still, Ayumi allowed Twilight to further inspect her as she circled around her form. The younger Alicorn quietly gasped from seeing the cutiemark up close. It was identical to her own. “Incredible. You… you truly are me,” Twilight uttered as she paused beside BlackWarGreymon. The Digimon then sharply turned his head towards Twilight in concern. “I thought I told you to stay at the castle.” “I’m sorry. But… but I just had to see.” Ayumi took a moment to watch the two as they exchanged conversation. The experience again was different than from what she was expecting. The way Twilight and BlackWarGreymon interacted, it had shown that they were firm friends. Further proof that the bond between pony and Digimon indeed existed. Ayumi was snapped out of her thoughts when Twilight spoke up to her. “But… how can this be? You’re not just a future version of me, are you? Why are you here? H-how are you here? And…” Twilight was silenced when Ayumi raised her hoof up. Signalling for the former to stop talking. But not without a stray thought crossing her mind. ‘I forgot how much I liked to talk.’ Then after giving her other self a stern look, Ayumi made her reply. “As I said before, I will reveal myself after the duel.” After looking at BlackWarGreymon with shock, she immediately knew what Ayumi was referring to. She snapped back at her other self in disbelief. “Duel? You mean you’re really going to fight BlackWarGreymon!?” “That’s the plan.” Twilight couldn’t believe how insistent Ayumi was in her decision. Believing that the older mare had no idea what she was in for, she decided to warn her for her safety. “I’m sorry, but that’s not a good idea. BlackWarGreymon has gone up against all sorts of odds. And prevailed.” But rather than deter Ayumi from her decision, the opposite happened. She seemed even more keen on seeing BlackWarGreymon in action. “Is that right?” She continued as she glanced over to BlackWarGreymon. “You’re right, BlackWarGreymon. This should make things more interesting.” BlackWarGreymon was more unnerved from how much Ayumi wanted to fight him. Though he failed to figure out why. Even if he held back, she wouldn’t last very long against him. But he was also unnerved from the fact that she knew his name. Despite claiming to have never met him before. As she looked at both the Digimon and the older Alicorn, Twilight could tell that the two were serious at what they were about to do. And no words could sway their decision. “O-Ok. Then we better get some cover.” Twilight said. Feeling nothing but anxiety of the situation. But it was a single word that Twilight mentioned that caught Ayumi’s attention. “Wait? We? You mean… you’re not alone?” She asked. Her voice carried both curiosity and uncertainty. Twilight nodded a yes before turning away. Facing towards the bushes she was hiding in. “It’s ok, Spike! You can come out now!” Ayumi’s eyes widened considerably from hearing the name of the young purple dragon. “S…Spike?” Being just as careful as Twilight, the young dragon climbed out of the shrubbery and walked slowly towards the group. Nervous at meeting the new yet familiar pony. “H…Hi,” The timid Spike uttered while giving a small wave. “Spike. It turns out that this is…” Twilight was silenced from the sight of the older Alicorn approaching the young dragon. Startled at how smoothly she walked towards Spike. In a manner as if not to frighten him by making sudden movements. To which caused her to be confused. BlackWarGreymon too watched Ayumi as she slowly walked up to Spike. The young dragon paused as he and the mare stood mere inches from each other. Looking up, he could plainly see that she was much taller than both him and the Twilight he knew. But her face, he could see that she was also Twilight. But so much of her was different from the other. But it was her eyes that surprised him. From the distance, she always looked very stern and serious. But when she looked at him, her expression drastically changed. Not only she looked more caring, but her eyes… they were full of shock and amazement. He had no idea why she was looking at him like that. “Uhh… Twilight?” He asked. Addressing the mare he guessed was his alternate friend. As if from hearing his voice alone, much to his confusion, Ayumi raised her right hoof off the ground and gently placed it on the side of Spike’s face. Feeling his scales against her hoof like she had done many times before. The sight and actions of Ayumi caused Twilight and BlackWarGreymon to look at her in confusion. “Spike?” Ayumi asked. Her voice taking on the most sincere and caring tone she ever had since arriving in Equestria. “Uhh… yeah. That’s me…!” Spike was unable to finish his sentence. Because much to his surprise, Ayumi went straight in and wrapped her hooves tightly around the young dragon. Giving him the biggest affectionate hug she could muster. The sight caught Twilight and BlackWarGreymon completely off-guard. While she acted somewhat cold to the Digimon and neutral to her counterpart, she acted the complete opposite to Spike. For Twilight, she tried to remember the times when she too acted similar to what Ayumi was doing. While it was a rare occurrence, the ones she could think of were when she and Spike were separated for a long time. Or when the world was facing great peril and thinking that she wouldn’t ever see her number one assistant again. But from seeing the amount of affection Ayumi was showing, as well as the tone in her voice, she was looking at a pony who wanted more than anything to see him again. Which caused the younger Alicorn to think of a disturbing thought. ‘Does this mean… that something happened to her Spike? It must be something bad for her to act like this. I know I would.’ From his friendship with Twilight, BlackWarGreymon would know how she could act. Since Ayumi is basically another Twilight, he too had the same mental outcome as the Princess of Friendship. Which caused him to wonder where Ayumi truly came from. As the confused Spike stood still as Ayumi embraced him in her hooves, he heard her spoke. The voice she used almost sounded identical to Twilight’s own. “I’m so glad to see you alright.” “Huh?” Spike uttered, wondering what the Alicorn was talking about. By arriving in their world, Ayumi knew very well that all the others would be around. She was prepared for it. But seeing Spike in the flesh so soon after her arrival, it was something she wasn’t ready for. It was too much for her to hold back. Despite wanting her tough exterior to be dominant, she briefly allowed a single tear to escape her tightly closed eyes as she held him some more. BlackWarGreymon was the only one to had noticed the tear. The sight causing him to gain more questions that needed answering. After for what felt like an eternity, Ayumi finally released Spike from her warm embrace. Leaving the young dragon to ask her about her identity. “You… are Twilight? Are you?” The pony gave him a warm smile before answering. Revealing her name to Spike and Twilight. “Not the Twilight you know, I’m afraid. But to save the confusion, you can call me Ayumi,” Twilight and Spike looked at the Alicorn in confusion. Both from the name change and the choice of the name. “Ayumi?” Twilight asked. Then joined by Spike. “Why did you change your name?” Ayumi looked at both Twilight and Spike before answering. “I’ll answer your questions in time. But right now, there’s something I want to do first,” She said as she turned to face BlackWarGreymon. To which the Digimon responded by glancing back at her. “If you really want to fight me that badly, then fine. I’ll do it.” Seeing that a clash was about to unfold in the Everfree Clearing once more, Twilight turned to Spike with concern. “We should get clear, Spike.” “R-Right.” After seeing Twilight and Spike moving some distance away from them, BlackWarGreymon and Ayumi were left alone in the middle of the clearing. Staring each other while distancing themselves by twenty feet. As he watched the alternate Twilight flaring up her tattered wings, readying herself for battle, BlackWarGreymon gave his final warning. “I still question your judgement. I faced other ponies before in their training sessions. I even fought against King Sombra himself. And none of them could come close to match me in power. No offence, but you’re nowhere near my level.” Ayumi was unfazed by the Digimon’s warning. In fact, she gave of a brief smirk as she responded. “Maybe you should pay less attention to the others and focus on me. I think you’ll be surprised.” BlackWarGreymon knew Ayumi had a point. Because of the second Twilight possibly being an anomaly, the Digimon was concerned for the wellbeing of all the souls in Ponyville. But by using his senses to check up on the ponies, he wasn’t paying full attention to the Alicorn in front of him. Taking her advice, BlackWarGreymon focused his full attention on Ayumi alone. The second he sensed her power, his eyes widened in shock. It was beyond what he had anticipated. ‘What the…!? Wh…What is this!? Her level of magic is much greater than I guessed! She’s far stronger than any other pony I’ve ever met! How… how is this even possible!?’ On the side-lines, the other two took note of the yellow eyes of the Mega level Digimon. “Is it me, or does he look spooked?” Spike asked. “I think he can sense something we can’t,” Twilight replied. Unnerved by the Digimon’s reactions. Seeing the shocked expression in BlackWarGreymon’s eyes caused Ayumi to smirk in response. Feeling that she had proven herself. “Sense something?” She asked. Almost mocking him for doubting her abilities. She then looked at her horn in curiosity. “Maybe a little test to start with.” After pointing her horn towards the baffled BlackWarGreymon, she began to concentrate her magic. Her horn glowing dark purple in response. Then without warning, she fired a thin purple beam straight towards the Digimon. To which BlackWarGreymon was able to block it with his wrist. While it seemed little, Twilight and Spike were shocked at something they had just seen. “That was just a common attack spell. And he blocked it,” Twilight uttered. The reason for her shock was because she had seen BlackWarGreymon gone up against similar attack spells in the past. Yet, the Digimon took the blows without any issue. But against Ayumi, he chose to block the attack instead. Showing that the spell was much more potent than it appeared to be. BlackWarGreymon himself shared the same shock factor. Speaking quietly to himself as he looked down at his right wrist to where he had been struck. “So fast. I barely had time to react. This is just her normal attack. Yet, it packs quite a punch.” As he looked ahead of him, BlackWarGreymon could see Ayumi recomposing herself. Standing tall with her wings flared up. “Still think I’m not up to standard now? If we are to fight seriously, then I’m going to have to turn it up a notch.” “What?” The Digimon uttered. Surprised by the Alicorn’s statement. As Ayumi closed her eyes, she began to focus on the mixture of energy that dwelled within her. Upon doing so, her body was engulfed in a brilliant display of purple light. Shining brightly, it lit up the clearing. BlackWarGreymon had to squint his eyes as he felt her rise in power. “S-Such power. What kind of magic is that?” On the side-lines however, Twilight gasped from what she saw. The energy that her other self was harnessing, as well as the bright purple light, she was mind blown from realising what was happening. “I don’t believe it.” As she stared through the light, Twilight could see the body of Ayumi floating in the air. And on her chest, Twilight could see a symbol. To her disbelief, it greatly resembled a very familiar artefact. Something that she herself was very familiar with. Something… she once wielded to protect Equestria. “The Element of Magic!?” …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Further away, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had just arrived on the edge of the Everfree Forest. After responding to a message from Twilight, the two sisters flew as quickly as they could to the area to provide assistance. But as soon as they started to fly across the forest canopy, the Alicorns paused in shock from sensing something powerful within the forest. They paused in surprise from its sudden power. “What in Equestria!? Sister, can you sense that too!?” Luna asked. While hovering in place, Celestia had the expression of disbelief on her face from recognizing the energy. “I do, Luna. That magic… it feels like one of the Elements of Harmony! Almost like… the Element of Magic.” Luna looked at her sister in confusion. “Twilight’s element!? But how is that possible? All the elements are with the tree. It’s not like there are two of the same elements,” She continued as she stared of in the direction of the energy. “Not to mention that you can’t use one element without the other five. Just how is this possible?” Celestia continued to stare off in thought. Being that she once used the Element of magic herself, she could still feel its power. She could sense it with the others on the Tree of Harmony. Yet, she could feel that as if… there were two. The second one was not only active, but it seemed that it was currently being wielded by a pony. Someone that shared the same kind of magic as Twilight. Which caused her to think back to the letter. “We need to get there, Luna. And fast!” Celestia said before she and her sister continued on their way towards their destination. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Back at the clearing, Ayumi’s body continued to glow bright as the energy within her rose to the surface. But as he concentrated on sensing the Alicorn’s power, BlackWarGreymon’s eyes grew wide in disbelief. Something he had just noticed… but simply couldn’t believe. ‘Wait! Something’s wrong here! It’s not just magic I can sense! There’s something else! It’s… almost like…!’ He gasped in shock at the revelation. Uttering the name of the energy he was sensing. “…Data!!?” BlackWarGreymon was speechless. Beyond his understanding, he could sense the energy of Digimon within Ayumi. As her power grew higher, both the magical energy and digital energy enveloped her. Then as the light show made a sudden end, Ayumi landed back on the ground. Surprising BlackWarGreymon, Twilight and Spike with her change of appearance. She still resembled an Alicorn, but quite a lot of her had changed. It was like she had transformed somehow. Her body was covered in armour of an unknown metal while wearing a helmet-like crown on her head. Her lavender purple fur changed to a dark midnight purple and her eyes and cutiemark possessed a deep purple glow. Further showing her exceptional rise in magical power. One of her startling changes was her wings. Her right tattered wing grew much larger and was black instead of purple. But her left wing was drastically different. While it too was black and bigger than normal, it did not resemble the wings of an Alicorn at all. It almost looked like a wing of a dragon! Her straight horn became curved and looked as though it was made of crystal, and black and royal purple smoke rolled off her body in several places. Appearing as if her body couldn’t contain all the power she was exuding. “What… happened to her?” Spike asked as he and Twilight stared at Ayumi in shock. She looked more like a warrior than a princess. BlackWarGreymon froze on the spot from sensing Ayumi’s power. In her transformed state, the digital energy within her became even more apparent. So much about her change had filled his mind to the brim of questions. ‘W…What just happened!? Her power has risen so much… it’s practically a third of my own! Was that a transformation? Or some kind of Digivolution!? How can she possess data!? Only Digimon possess that kind of energy! It’s almost as if… she had become a Digimon herself!! What is going on!!?’ BlackWarGreymon was almost horrified at the sight. Never in his wild imagination could he comprehend a pony possessing the power of Digimon. It was just as crazy as the idea of there being a clone of him with Equestrian magic. As she stared at the baffled Digimon with a stern glare, Ayumi’s wings flared out as she squatted down. Preparing to be the first to attack. “I hope you’re ready!” She shouted before charging forth. Baring down on the startled BlackWarGreymon.