Sitting in a clearing amidst the suspiciously silent forest, Solara stared into her little campfire. Overhead the moon had risen, though how and why in the world without magic, she didn’t know. Staring up into the night sky, she vaguely recalled two all-powerful beings; one that commanded the sun and another that controlled the moon. She laughed to herself, such a crazy notion. There were no such beings, she knew. Not in the Digital World at least.
For every hour in Equestria, one decade had passed in the digital world. And it had been over seventy years since she had been snatched through the portal. Seventy years since Asmodaemon gave Solara her current home. Not that she recalled having a previous one.
Staring into the hungry flames of the fire, Solara saw the white stallion from the screen flash once more in her mind, she knew that stallion. Or did she? She wasn’t sure. Something about him was familiar and yet not at all at the same time.
“Shining Armor.”
She spoke the name out loud as though it would help, as though it would answer the question in her mind. And yet, no answer came. It rang hollow in the air, meaningless to her. She sighed. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that her mother was wrong.
Suddenly, she flinched as she felt the scars under her face mask sting. Asmodaemon was never wrong, mother was never wrong how could she even consider such a thing? After everything Asmodaemon had done for her, had given her?
Such thinking was taboo, she winced as the numerous scars crisscrossing her body beneath her armor burned and stung in memory; taboo and blasphemous. Asmodaemon could do no wrong and that was how it would always be. Solara narrowed her eyes in pain. How it should be.
“My darling little daughter, Solara, why must you insist on trying to run away from mommy?”
Asmodaemon stood with her back to Twilight as the latter struggled against the metallic robotic forms of Guardramon that held her between them. Twilight shouted out.
“My name is not Solara. And You are not my mom!”
“Silence!”
The massive scaly tail of the Mega-Class Asmodaemon slammed down into the flooring, completely gouging the steel like it were paper. Turning slowly around, the enormous reptile looked Twilight in the eyes as she spoke in an almost melodic voice.
“Tell me then little one, who has raised you all these years, taken care of your needs and your wants? Who was it that made sure you learned your lessons-”
Before Twilight could react, a giant scaly claw grabbed her muzzle and shook it.
“When you did wrong but rewarded you when you showed improvement? Which Digimon gave you a roof over your head and food from her larders? Tell me, little one, what has your so-called real mother done for you recently?”
As Twilight stood there stunned in silence, Asmodaemon continued.
“I have given you everything, while that so-called family of yours has done nothing to provide for you. Your brother didn’t even come looking for you. None of them did, because none of them care as I do. Take her to her room, she needs to think about what she wants.”
As Twilight was rushed away, Asmodaemon called out to her, in a voice that echoed down the passageway.
“It’s been thirty years Solara, my daughter. It is time to let the past go. You belong to me now, my child.”
Solara let out a scream as the agonizing pain grew more intense. Throwing up her hooves to the mask she wore, she could almost feel those long black claws digging deeper into her flesh. Solara felt that dragon’s fearsome strength as the talons tore into her hide, threatening to tear her apart until she relinquished her will; until she submitted. Desperately, she began shouting over and over.
“Mother is right, always right! My opinions don’t matter, mother is always right!”
And just like always, the unbearable pain ceased the instant she admitted the ‘truth’. She began to shake.
“I must obey my mother.”
Her eyes narrowed in rage as she gritted her teeth, staring into her campfire. Standing up she swiftly swung her halberd into the nearest tree letting out a terrifying scream. All around her the trees and vegetation toppled over from her furious strikes as again and again, she swung her fearsome weapon, tears streaming down beneath the mask.
As the last tree hit the ground, a gentle and soothing voice spoke up from behind her.
“Feeling better?”
Whirling around, Solara found herself staring down into the warm brown eyes of Gabumon. Solara’s eyes softened, though only slightly, as she sighed.
“No. Not at all.”
“Talk to me, what’s wrong?”
Hefting her enormous blade, Solara yelled out as she began aggressively sharpening it on an unyielding rock, sending up sparks
“What’s there to say? I just loooove my mother soooo much!”
“Twilight.”
Freezing at the word, Solara huffed in annoyance, and a little sorrow as she turned to face Gabumon, tears stinging her eyes.
“That’s not my name.”
Gabumon nodded, speaking softly.
“Not now, anyway, but do you still remember how we met?”
With these words, Gabumon held up its paw, revealing a scar. Solara stared at it for a moment, before dropping her halberd and holding up her hoof, which too had a peculiar scar. Touching it to Gabumon’s she whispered softly, her eyes burning like embers behind her mask.
“I will never forget.”
Roughly thrown onto the mattress she called her bed, Twilight screamed profusely into her pillow; fresh claw marks decorating her hide, as she cried in pain. Behind her, the iron door swung shut once more as Asmodaemon spoke softly.
“You’ll learn eventually my daughter. You will obey. Stay here and think about your position and where you belong.”
After she had left, the pain became too much and Twilight blacked out.
***
“Hey, wake up! Hey, can you hear me?”
Slowly Twilight’s eyes fluttered open and she blinked in surprise. There with a bright red bow tied to its leather collar was a strange yellow animal with a furry cloak-like attachment covering its eyes. The creature spoke to her.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re alright.”
Twilight was a bit surprised, taking notice of the damp rag in the creature’s hands. She blinked in silent anticipation as the creature placed the damp rag on her wounds, she flinched at the soft, delicate touch, only to realize it didn’t hurt, at all. Her body no longer burned and writhed from the toxic claw marks of Asmodaemon. The creature muttered to itself.
“These wounds are quite deep, they may never heal fully.”
Twilight stared in silent curiosity as the creature began wrapping her wounds in a bandage gauze. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out.
“Um…Not to sound ungrateful, I mean I appreciate the care, but who are you?”
The creature paused in its motions and suddenly looked abashed and shyly he spoke.
“Many pardons Princess, I’m Gabumon, your new Digimon.”
Twilight looked confused.
“My-”
Twilight paused as she noticed a slip of paper tucked beneath the red ribbon on Gabumon. Reaching out her hoof, Twilight pulled the paper out and unfolded it. In complete disbelief, Twilight read what was written:
“After discussing your wanton disregard for my love with my advisors, it has occurred to me that maybe you are just needing a pet to take care of to get rid of all that extra energy. This Gabumon now belongs to you. Be responsible and care for it accordingly. With love, Mom”
Twilight blinked, staring into the warmth of Gabumon’s brown eyes as he smiled shyly for a few seconds before speaking.
“Alright…so, are you hungry?”
Gabumon nodded eagerly. Twilight grinned.
“Well thanks to you, my pain has subsided earlier than normal, why don’t we get you something to eat?”
“But the door-”
Twilight laughed.
“She never locks it. Come on Gabumon, to the kitchen!”
***
“You mean she just lets you wander about the castle?”
Reaching for a roll on a tray held by a red bulbous plant Digimon, Twilight laughed.
“Yeah, Asmodaemon keeps saying that a real family is built on trust, I guess that mom thinks it’ll make me more comfortable living in this world.”
Gabumon stopped midbite and looked curiously at her.
“You said mom that time.”
Twilight looked aghast, protesting loudly.
“I would never call mom that!”
“You did it again.”
Twilight’s face fell, her eyes hooded over and she seemed to stifle a sob as she whispered.
“Gabumon, if I tell you something, will you keep it between us?”
Pausing, Gabumon stared into the fearful eyes of Twilight before putting down his bread roll.
“Absolutely.”
Twilight’s eyes went dark as she looked around to make sure no one else was listening. Her voice was different, hesitant, and low.
“I’m losing myself Gabumon. I’ve been trapped in this castle so long I can’t remember my life before this. My friends, my family. None of it. And now, at last, I’m forgetting who I am. Nothing makes sense anymore, I’m starting…to call this castle my home. I feel like I’m going crazy, and I don’t know just how long I’ll remember who I was.”
Gabumon looked down at the table, silent for a moment before picking up the knife.
“Then don’t.”
“Huh?”
Gabumon nodded thoughtfully as he gingerly pricked his paw with the knifepoint.
“Don’t remember who you were. Remember who you are right now in this moment, and this moment of us, together. Let’s make a pact, here and now, always to recall this moment, and when you do, you’ll be Twilight Sparkle once more; even if only for a minute or two.”
Twilight’s eyes shined with a brilliant amethyst as she smiled, and pierced her own hoof before connecting to Gabumon’s paw.
“We’ll always have the here and now.”
Twilight’s cutie mark glowed a bright electric blue as Gabumon’s horn pulsed with the same brilliant blue and a luminescent glow surrounded the pair as they struct their pact.
Together the two spoke as one.
“Even if everything-
-else fades away.”
The two repeated their vow, and the fire in Solara’s eyes vanished revealing her naturally brilliant amethyst irises. Reaching up, she removed her mask to reveal the mangled remains of her face. Her right eye socket contained a robotic eye, while the skin around her muzzle was twisted and deformed from the venom of Asmodaemon’s claws, the scars dark with muddied crimson. Gabumon spoke softly to her.
“Twilight?”
With what was left of her muzzle she smiled sweetly, starry-eyed as she struggled to whisper with her own voice, strained and weakened as it was. She hugged him tightly against her armor-clad body.
Gabumon smiled. Though forty years had passed since they made that pact, and though she could only be herself and survive without her mask for only a few precious minutes, Twilight at least at this moment, still remembered who she was.
“Hey Gabumon, are you hungry?”