Tai was glad when the day was over, he had not appreciated explaning to Agumon about lezbians and homosexuals. It wasn't anything he was really opposed to but it just struck him as odd. Back on Earth he could remember that such topics were rarely touched upon.
He awoke next morning to find Twilight packing her saddle bags. "What are you doing Twilight?" he asked.
"I'm going to see Zecora. She insisted that I bring her some very important ingredients for her latest brew. And I'd like it very much if you and Agumon came along." Twilight explained.
"Why do you want us to come and who is this Zecora?" Tai asked.
"I'll explain on the way now come on." Twilight said.
"But what about the library?" Tai asked "Yesterday you said Spike couldn't run it on his own."
"The library isn't open yet." Twilight said "As a matter of fact it doesn't open for about two more hours."
"Oh I see." Tai said as he, Twilight, and Agumon made their way out the door.
"So about this Zecora" Tai asked.
"First off one thing you should know is that Zecora is a zebra. She lives in the Everfree Forest in a little hut. It's not too far from the forest entrance but it's still quite a journey. She is kind of like a second mentor to me, she teaches me about natural magic. She also has a very keen knowledge of just about everything in the Everfree Forest including which plants are safe and how to counter the effects of those that aren't." Twilight said.
"Didn't you say that the Everfree Forest is a lot like our world?" Tai asked.
"Yep." Twilight said "Unlike in Ponyvillie or anywhere else in Equestria, the plants grow, the clouds move, and the animals take care of themselves without any outside help."
"That certianly sounds like Earth alright." Tai said.
"Well the Everfree Forest is actually best known for all the dangerous creatures that lurk within it." Twilight said "That's why I asked you to come along. Everypony knows the Everfree Forest is not a place you go into on your own unless you have a death wish. I've made that mistake once and well let's just say I had a lot of time to think about how stupid I was."
"What kind of creatures lurk in the Everfree Forest?" Agumon asked as as he, Tai, and Twilight passed by Fluttershy's cottage and made their way towards the entrance of the Everfree Forest.
"There are a lot actually." Twilight said "First there are parasprites, tiny little insects with huge appetites. They'll eat anything and they reproduce by spiting hairballs out from their mouths which then turn into more parasprites. They bread like crazy. A swarm of them almost devoured Ponyvillie once. Luckly Pinkie Pie as turns out knew their one weakness, music and was able to lure them away. Unfournately by that point the damage had already done and it took weeks to fully repair Ponyville."
"Those don't sound very dangerous." Tai said "As long you don't feed them."
"Well those don't even tip the scales in comparison to manticores." Twilight said "One of them attacked my friends and I once. As it turns out it merely had a thorn stuck in it's paw but even so it was incredilby vicious and attacked without mercy. Then there are cocktrices, creatures with the body of a snake and the head of a chicken. One glare from their red eyes and you turn to stone. I had a personal experience with them once and if it weren't Fluttershy I probably wouldn't be here to tell you about it. Next are the fearsome creatures known as the timberwolves. They are made of enchanted wood that can't be burned or chopped. They can be smashed but if they are not properly dealt with they can come back and even merge into a gaint timberwolf king. As it turns out Applejack's Granny Smith discovered that the loud noise caused by banging pots and pans is enough to scare them away and she says that said method works better. Oh and one more thing timberwolves are very territorial and will attack anything them consider to be invading their turf. There are also phoneixs which are very dangerous because of their tricksiter like nature, and because when they are angry there's no stoping them. Lastly there are dragons and those creatures are perhaps the most dangerous because they have no known weaknesses."
"Wow I never knew there were so many dangerous creatures living so close to Ponyville." Tai said.
"Yes well luckly none of those creatures have ever wandered into Ponyville to my knowledge. They seem content to stay in the Everfree Forest." Twilight said "Speaking of which here's the entrance. Now remember stay close to me and don't wander off. Apple Bloom did once and for months afterward she kept muttering something about a cursed village full of zombie ponies.'
"Don't worry I won't wander off." Tai said "I'm not a fan of becoming lunch for some other creature. Agumon I hope you aren't getting ideas about picking fights, we are suppose to protect life not destroy it!"
"Oh relax Tai." Agumon said "I wouldn't dare do something that stupid."
"Well then let's press on." Twilight said "Oh and word of advice don't touch or step in any blue flowers. Those flowers are called 'Posion Joke'. My friends and I had a nasty encounter with them once and it messed us up really good. And the only cure is an herbal bath which only Zecora knows how to make."
The journey to Zecora's passed largely in silence although Twilight did take the time to explain to Tai how she had met Zecora and of the numerous occasions that the zebra had helped them out of a jam. She also explained to Tai that Zecora always spoke in rhyme.
"Here we are." Twilight said. She knocked on the door of the hut. "Hello Zecora it's me Twilight. I've brought those ingredients you asked for and I've brought Tai and Agumon of the digidestined with me."
The door was answered by a zebra with golden earings and what looked like a cutie mark. "Ah hello Twilight you came with great speed. Now please come in, you have what I need." Zecora said "And as for you two you may come in as well. Feel free to relax and sit down for a spell."
Tai and Agumon were impressed by what they saw. There were all sorts of jugs stacked neatly on shelves as well as all sorts of artifacts that reminded Tai of acient African cultures from his history classes.
Twilight leviated her saddle bags off of her shoulders and using her magic opened them and gave everything inside of them to Zecora.
"So Zecora I was wondering if you might know anything that could help the digidestined out." Twilight said "You see they and their parnters which they call digimon came to Equestria from another universe. It was the result of a spell I was working on. They have no way of contacting their universe or their home world they call Earth which I've heard is a lot like the Everfree Forest. Twice now they have had to face off against evil digimon which have emerged from a mysterious violet portal just like the one that brought them here. But once they defeat the evil digimon the data of said evil digimon goes back into the portal which then closes and disappears."
Zecora was silent for a moment, a look of what seemed to be mild confusion on her face. Then after checking on her brew to make sure that it was not in danger of exploding she turned to Twilight and said "Twilight my new pupil there is not much I can really do. The answer to a such problem will have to come from you. I do not know what it was that you did to bring them here. Therefore I cannot help you send them back I fear. But I encourage you not to give up right on the spot. So if you'll excuse my language get up off your plot. The answer I feel will come very soon. But I've kept you long enough it is almost high noon."
"So there's nothing you can do huh?" Twilight asked. Zecora merely shook her head. "Well thanks anyway." Twilight said "Today is our anual get together and since it was Applejack's turn to pick she decided to hold at one of the restaurants in town."
"Goodbye Zecora it was nice meeting you." Tai said.
The journey out of the Everfree forest also passed in silence expect this time Twilight didn't try to break the silence.
"I guess she was hoping Zecora would be able to help her out." Tai thought to himself "I've got to find a way to cheer her up like she did with me after the fight against MetalEtemon." He looked around and spotted a bunch of intresting looking flowers. After making sure they weren't blue he picked them up and handed them to Twilight. "Hey I saw these and thought of you." he said. "I know you must be upest that one of your mentors couldn't help you out but you heard what she said the answer will come very soon."
"Thanks Tai." Twilight said "I guess I was just hoping that Zecora might know something I don't."
"Well at least now no one can blame you for trying." Tai said.
"If only he knew why I've been having such a hard time figuring this spell out." Twilight thought to herself "Should I tell him that I used dark magic to create that portal? Would he look at me like I'm some sort of freak?"
"Hey look!" Tai said pointing up at the sky.
Twilight did so and was shocked at what she saw. It was the same violet portal that had brought Devimon and MetalEtemon to Equestria. She knew that more than likely whatever was inside that portal was likely going to crash land in the center of town again.
Sure enough something shot out of the portal or rather somethings. "That's odd." Twilight said "The last two times there's been only one object emerges from this portal."
"Never mind that!" Tai said "We've got to hurry to the center of town before those evil digimon start the fight without me! The digidestined are pretty skilled but I've been in battle with them long enough to know they'll crumble without my leadership!"
"But Tai we'll never make it in time!" Agumon said.
"On foot and hoof maybe!" Twilight said.
"What do you mean?!" Tai asked.
"There isn't time to explain!" Twilight said "Just stay close to me!"
Before Tai could ask why he saw Twilight's horn light up. Then suddenly there was a bright purple flash of light and Tai, Twilight, and Agumon were standing in the center of town.
"What was that?" Tai asked.
"Teleportation." Twilight said "It's a higher level type of magic so a lot of unicorns have trouble pulling it off."
"Just warn me next time you decide to do that." Tai said "Uh-oh, LOOK OUT BELOW!"
Just as Tai finished saying that the two objects hit the ground. The impact generating another cloud of smoke.
"Oh Tai thank goodness you're here." Izzy said "We were afraid you wouldn't show up. How did you and Agumon get here anyway?"
"Magic of course." Tai said. "There's no time to argue. We've got two threats to deal with this time so we'd better be prepared for trouble."
"Did someone say trouble?" a female voice asked.
"Well you might as well make that double." a male voice replied.
"Why do I get the feeling that I've heard something like that before?" Tai asked.
"That's because you've got two enemies on your hands this time." the female voice said.
"After all two can play at the teamwork game." the male voice chimed in.
"It can't be!" Ken said.
"Oh but it can." both the male and the female voice said as the smoke cleared. There stood what appeared to be two humans. One was a woman with a red coat and light blue hair. She had dark shades and a purple hat as well as purple gloves and boots. The other was a man with a blue coat. He had gray gloves and boots with yellow dots on his coat and wristband. He had what looked like a cane in his left hand.
"Arukenimon and Mummymon!" Kari said "How are you two stil alive you were destroyed by MaloMyotismon, we saw him rip you both to shreads before our very eyes."
"That portal in the sky of course." Arukenimon said.
"And of course since we can't get our revenge on MaloMyotismon for killing us once before we decided we'd go after those who ulitmately caused all of our suffering in the first place." Mummymon said "And that's you!"