I was just a normal deadbeat, workng as extra muscle at a Con, when something happened to me, I don't quite remember and now I'm in a strange land, in a strange body. This is my story, of how I finally found my family
I was just a normal deadbeat. I had trouble keeping a job, even through I didn't have many personal issues that would caused me such troubles, and I didn't have many friends. So, in short, there's really nothing special about me.
But that all changed when the security firm I worked for was hired for an extra muscle at a Con. I don't clearly remembered what happened next, but I awoke to find myself in a world not my own, with a body not my own, but luck was with me, as a party was going on. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to join in as the party was rudely crushed by some uninvited guests.
Now it was up to me to save the day, learn why I'm here and why I have these new powers and body. But on the bright side, I may finally get a family I so long desired.
Oh my arching head, it felt like I had a plane dropped on me and followed by being run over by a steamroller. That or I had one wild night. Please, let it be that I was hit by something, I get goofy and wild if I drunk, and really irritable when I’m hungover. And a security guard hungover wasn’t the best, even if I was only watching over a bunch of kids, weirdos and overgrown man-children without lives at a silly Convention.
Speaking of that…I better get up. With a light moan, I rolled onto my back and slowly opened my eyes, trying my hardest not to irritate my hangover. I blinked when I saw the bright blue sky under me. I looked around, realizing that I wasn’t in the shabby hotel room my security firm had set up me in, but some sort of alleyway.
Oh great, looks like I did do something last night, and who knew where I was? And to make matters worse, I’m probably late for work. That would be the third time in the last few weeks I either been late or haven’t shown up at all, so I guess I was getting canned, my boss said so if I was late one more time.
Oh well, might as well get up and face the music…not like matter, I had trouble holding a job for more than a few months.
I started to stand and immediately noticed how off my body felt. I just thought it was because of whatever was left in me, and try to concentrate on walking, staying close to the wall so I can use it for support. I quickly realized there was something really wrong with my body, it felt wrong in all the places that matters, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something very important was missing.
I just happened to passed by a window and caught a glimpse of my reflection and I turned to the window. What I say caused my heart skip a beat.
Instead of a 38-year-old man with a chubby face and pale skin, red hair and green eyes, I saw a girl, about 12-13 with blonde hair and blue eyes. It took me a second, but I recognized the girl as Zoe, a character from the fourth season of the Digimon Anime. She was even wearing her outfit from the show.
It took about a minute for me to realize it...but I was that girl! I quickly thought that I was just dreaming, but a quick pull on my hair and the pain that resulted from it put that thought to bed. I next checked my “private” areas and they had indeed change which meant I was a girl inside and out.
I looked back at my reflection, both amazed and little freaked out by all of this. I mean, I turned into Zoe who, ironically, Alter-Ego I was dressed-up as because my job reacquired me too. It was just too much to take in that I really didn’t what to make of everything. Plus, I realized that I was in a place I didn’t recognize.
I might have panicked over this but some survival training from a failed army career kicked in and I realized the first thing to do was get the lay of the land. And since an alley usual only have two exits, I decided to head down the way I was going before I learned about my current looks.
“They never taught you anything like this during boot camp,” I muttered offhandedly, trying not to think about the voice I just heard and began walking again, taking it easy until I had gotten use to this new body.
I reached the end of the alley quickly, and what I saw made my mouth drop (and if I was being honest, maybe peed myself a little). Mini horses, ponies I believe they like to be called, were dressed up all fancy like, and they were watching as a pony with wings and a horn was prancing down the street. The lavender pony was also in a fancy dress that looked fit for royalty and wearing a crown. And here’s the kicker...the lavender pony was singing!
It didn’t take me long to realize, no matter how stupid it sounded, that I was in one of the “My Little Pony” cartoons, but which one I don’t know. Thanks to a very bad experience with one of the brands of the franchise, I has stayed clear of it, even the newest one...though I have heard good things about it.
Still, I couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on my face. I may not know what’s going on, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the event. It was very hard not to get into the swing of things, and I could feel myself about to give in and join in on the singing.
My good mood didn’t last long, however, as I noticed something odd about a duo of ponies. I believed they were guards, if the matching outfits they were wearing meant anything. However, it wasn’t the outfit that got me worried; it was the way they moved. The two guards stumbled every other step, and then there was their eyes; they were slightly glazed over.
I have been a security guard long enough to notice some signs, plus I worked at a bar for a short time, so I knew when someone was intoxicated. But the real question is, what were the two guards drunk off, and why were they going after the lavender pony?
I wasn’t the only one to see this, as another group of guards came up to the intoxicated duo, and inquired what they were doing. The intoxicated guards apparently didn’t hear the question as they tried to force they were past their fellow guardsman, err, guardponies, guardstallions?
Argh, you’re not doing yourself any favors with this pointless debate Zoe, so focus, focus. Wait, did I call myself by the name of the character I have become? Argh, you’re losing your mind girl, you had millions other things to worry about and you’re concerned with what you’re calling yourself? UUHHH, I just called myself a girl, didn’t I?
Ohh, I am really not myself any favors with all this inner debating. All I was really doing is causing a killer headache to start and I don’t think this place has much to cure that.
The sound of a slap brought me back to reality and I looked in time see one of the intoxicated guard go down. What happened next shocked everyone in the area, me as well. The pony exploded in green fire, turning into kind of bug-like creature with pony features. The silence quickly became so thick you could cut it was a jungle knife.
The silence didn’t last as one pony, a stallion with a white coat and a yellow mane, cried in a high-pitch voice, “Changeling!”
That one word brought everyone out of their stupor and chaos broke out as ponies began running around like chickens with their heads cutoff. Things got ever crazier when some of the ponies ran towards the Changeling, dropping their disguise and revealing their true forms to those around them.
I thought at first that ponies would soon been overrun by these changelings, but there is less than two dozen and they were clearly untrained, as six ponies, the lavender one including, began to fight, as the few guards on duty began to herd the crowd away. I watched, with growing admiration, as the group began to handle the numbers, taking them out with skills and teamwork. All without getting their fancy dresses dirty.
It took less than two minutes, but the six ponies had taken down the 23 changelings, and I almost clapped at the fit I just saw. That’s when I saw one of the changelings pulled something from his shell and threw to the ground. There was a blinding flash of light that cut off everyone’s sight. It didn’t last long and when I regained my sight I noticed a shadow was suddenly looming over the area.
“What in the hay is that?” an orange pony with a southern drawl asked urgently.
I looked up and felt myself actually pee my underwear at the creature hovering in the skies. It shouldn’t be possible, but I couldn’t deny what I was seeing… the champion level digimon, Kabuterimon hovering over the place. I quickly noticed how different this one is from what ones I had seen in the media; it was completely black, no coloring can be see on it, and despite the fact that it wings were buzzing to keep it in the air, no sound was coming from it.
That was a very unnerving thing to see.
Just looking at this negative of a digimon was enough to make want to run for my life. Yet, I found myself looking at the ponies, feeling conflicted by all of this. I wanted to run and save my own cute little rear end, but I was taught to help those in need, if I can. But that’s the real question…what could I do?
A sudden beeping noise caught my attention, and I began to pat my being. I quickly found the source of the noise in a hidden pocket in my jacket and pulled out a purple D-tector with the human spirit of the wind on its screen. I was dumbfounded by this turn of events, but I try to quickly shrug it off and I looked at the digimon hovering in the air.
My aunt always tried to teach me to care for other, especially if I had the power to do so. And right at the moment, I am the only one could possibly handle the thing in the sky. So, with my mind made up, I thrust my free hand out and a glowing “bar code” appeared around my hand. I next ran my D-tector across the code.
Kazemon of the Wind: Unleash The Wind, Young Fairy
Twilight Sparkle couldn’t believe this was happening; this was supposed to be a great day for her. And it has started out great, but things quickly got weird when a small group of guards tried to get close to her. She could tell there was something wrong with them just by the way they looked and moved.
She wasn’t the only one to noticed this behavior as another group of guards intercepted them and asked them what they were doing. The strange guards didn’t hear the question and tried to force their way past the group. Things quickly got out of control when one of the strange guards was slapped, and he fell to the ground, his true changeling form being revealed in the process.
Panic quickly erupted as the ponies began fleeing the area, and more changelings show themselves and jumped into the fight. Twilight issued an order for the guards to get the bystanders to safety as she began to fight the changelings, and her friends quickly jumped in to help. The guards hesitated, but only for a second, and then quickly followed the orders of their new princess and took the ponies someplace safe.
The fight quickly become one-sided as the changeling threw themselves as Twilight and her friends, thinking that their greater numbers were gave them the edge. These creatures clearly didn’t learn that this sort of plan wouldn’t work, if the fail invasion not to long ago was anything to write home about, and with some well place magical bolts, kicks and charges-and let's not forget one party cannon-the group was down for the count.
Things really got out of control when one of the changelings pulled something from his shell and threw it to the ground. The explosion of light that followed blinded everypony for a few seconds, and when they could see again, everypony saw something that filled them with fear.
Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes, there, hovering in the sky was a giant black bug. It is both a fascinated and terrified Twilight as she looked at creature above them. It was also unnerving to see its wings buzzing but hearing no sound coming from them.
“GO!” the changeling who summoned the creature shouted. “Tear all these ponies to ribbons.”
The creature suddenly threw it head back, giving the idea that it was either roaring or howling, but no sound came from it as he looked at the new princess and her friends and reached from them. Suddenly, something slammed into the creature and knocked it into a nearby building.
“Hurry, and get out of here,” the creature, a female biped in a purple outfit, said urgently. “I can take care of this digimon-GAAAH!”
Twilight gasp when she saw a ball of electricity slam into the back of the biped, sending electric energy surging throughout the creature’s body. The new princess looked in the direction where the ball came from, and saw the other creature, digimon she believed the biped had called it, had recovered rather quickly and was posed to attack.
Thankfully the biped was quick to recover as well, and turned to face the creature. Twilight noticed how the creature’s face became set and wondered what it was planning.
Strangely, the biped launched itself at the digimon and began unleashing a flurry of kicks. “Roseo Temporale!” It called out as it finished it attack with a flip-kick to the bug-like digimon’s jaw.
Strangely, the digimon didn’t seem phased by the two-legged creature’s attacks, the only sign that this “Roseo Temporale” even worked was the digimon’s head tilting back slightly. The digimon titled it head back and though it has no eyes, Twilight get the feeling it was glaring at the biped. This was confirmed when the creature took a swing at the female, who nimbly darted around the long arm and took to the sky. The bug-like creature quickly followed, and Twilight realized this was the female’s plan all along, to get the digimon to follow her.
The young princess couldn’t help but feel impressed with the biped, not only did she jump in to save complete strangers, but she had also thought ahead and was now luring the other creature away, to reduce the chance of getting somepony injured. She part of her wanted nothing more than to follow them and see what would happened, but there was matters that needed her attention, and it was best to start with the changelings…after all, one of the pony-like bugs used the magic that brought that bug-like creature to the streets of Canterlot.
Twilight looked at the spot where the changelings were and growled when she saw that they were gone. They no doubt made their escape during the confusion, and with their magic to hide their true forms they could easily evade capture. The former unicorn signed and trotted over to where her friends were waiting, no sense in sticking around. Besides, she has other concerns to worry about.
Still, she looked to the sky, wondering what those creatures truly were.
(…)
Yeah, I’m burnt toast…after I had spirit evolved into Kazemon, I had jumped in to lend a hand. After all, after spirit evolving, I gained some skills from the legendary digimon warrior’s spirit I now use. I figured that I could fight the bug digimon on even ground with this little help; the characters in Digimon Frontier did it, after all.
Boy I was naïve. The Kabuterimon was stronger than I first thought, and since its attacks are also soundless it made it hard to tell if it used one and harder to dodge. It even endured one of my attacks like I was just playing games with it. So what can I do to fight that thing?
Wait…something is telling me to dodge right…NOW! I darted to my left and watched as an electro shocker went flying by, barely missing one of my wings by a hair. My eyes went wide as I watched the lightning-based attack soar into the skies and out of sight.
How could I have forgotten that digimon have better develop instincts, and since I currently have part of a legendary warrior’s spirit, my own instincts should be at a level that no human has ever experienced before.
A cocky grin began to form as I said, “Maybe I can-GAAAH!!” I cried out as I felt the electro shocker slammed into my back and sent an electric surge throughout my entire body.
The surge lasted less then a second, but every muscle in my body was screaming, and I could feel my form fading, it was taking all my concentration to keep me in my Kazemon form.
Uh-oh, my spidey sense was tingling, and I’m not even the right character for the reference to work. Still, instincts took over as I flipped onto the bug’s face as it charged at me, and I used it like a springboard to gain a boost and fly away, hoping to put some distance toward me and it.
This wasn’t working, since that thing is soundless it made it very hard to fight it, I can‘t constantly look over my shoulder to see if that thing’s following me and try to make up an attack plan at the same time. To make matters worse, I really couldn’t tell if I was actually hurting that thing. And let’s not forget that he’s hurting me more, I was barely keeping myself in my Kazemon form; one good hit and I was going to turn back into plain old Zoe.
There has to be something I can do to tilt the scale in my favor. But what can I do? Think Zoe, think! There had to be something, anything I can do to- wait, what if I had more than just the human spirit. I came to stop, spinning around and looking to see if the digimon was close.
Either it was slowing down or my little speed boost stunt was able to put distance between it and me. Whatever the reason, I needed to act fast; the fake digimon was going to catch up to me soon enough.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes behind my visor. I tilted my head down and placed a hand over my chest. Concentrate Zoe, focus deep down and find the power of the beast. I growled when I couldn’t find it after a near minute search, but I couldn’t give up. I just needed to dig a little deeper.
I suddenly felt a pulse followed by a howl,and grinned wildly. Yes, I do have Zoe’s beast spirit, now all I need to was bring it to the surface and replaced the human spirit. But I have to remember to cautious…beast spirits could and would overwhelm a rational mind.
I opened my eyes when felt power surged around me and I watched as “fractal codes” wrapped around me and formed into an evolution field.
“Slide Evolut-GAAAAH!!” An image suddenly flashed through my mind as the field exploded off of me and the power I was just trying to across suddenly backfire and sent a powerful surge into my already aching body and damaged it even further.
I slumped forward, but thankful I kept myself in the air. That wasn’t going to last much longer, I was concentrating with every fiber of mind to keep myself as a digimon, and my head was spinning with pain. I needed to land and find some place to hide and rest for a minute.
As I lowered myself to the ground, my head was a mess of thoughts, and this mess isn’t doing any favor to my already pounding head. What happened? I have the spirit so why couldn’t I use it? Nothing like what I experienced happened to any of the characters in the anime. And what was that image that flashed through my mind before my slide evolution was canceled?
I know it a memory of something that happened long ago, but my head was pounding too much for me to put into context. But why did it pop up when I was trying to slide evolve?
“LOOK OUT!!” a regal voice cried out in urgency.
I looked up and my eyes snapped open when I saw the Kabuterimon rocketing at me, its horn charged with electricity. “Burnt toast,” was the weak comment I moaned out before the digimon rammed my mid-section with its beetle horn attack.
I cried out as I was sent flying backward and crashed into the side of a building. Unfortunately that didn’t stop me, as I went through the entire building and came out the other end. Finally I stopped when I crushed into a much thicker wall. I cried out as I felt the power of the warrior leave me and I changed back into my human form.
I slid down to the ground, groaning because every inch of my body was in pain. I tried to get up but all that did was sent a jolt of pain through my back. I rested my head on the side of the building with the only sound I could hear is my own shallow breathing.
What was I thinking…I should had known better…just because I now looked like Zoe didn’t mean I could fight like her. That Navigate Kabuterimon threw me around like I was a wet paper towel. I could do nothing to gain the edge, and in the end all I did was end up in a ditch somewhere.
Hah, story of my life. I try to help but it would never ends well for me. All I really do was end up hurt, with bills I couldn't pay. Still, I smiled slightly when I realized that I brought the ponies some time. Hopefully, they would be able do something and fight off that soulless digimon, they had magic after all.
I must be more injured than I thought, my mind's playing tricks on me as I saw a strange glow surround me, and I suddenly felt very sleepy. I didn’t even try to fight it as I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
(…)
I was dreaming, watching an old memory play out like a broken movie. There is no color and everyone in the room was featureless. I was watching from the sidelines as two kids, about a few years older than the body I’m currently was in, walked to the center of the training area. Even though both kids were featureless, I knew the kid on the right was me, back when I was just a young boy.
The two kids bowed, and they began the match when they were signaled. My older self made the first move, charging his opponent and tried to get him into an arm lock. My former self was sloppy, the hold wasn’t tight and his opponent easily broke free. The other kid dropped down and knocked my former self’s onto his back with a leg swipe. My past self’s opponent tried get my old self’s leg into a lock, but my old self was fast enough to get his leg out of the way and scrambled to his feet.
I let a bitter sigh escape my lips as I looked away from the old memory. What happen to me? I used to be fit and nimble, it’s almost hard to believe that the boy I was watching now would one day grow up to be out-of-shape loser who couldn’t hold a job. Then again, said loser is currently trapped in the body of a 12-year-old girl from a Japanese cartoon.
Yeah, it was best not think about which one of those scenarios was worse and I looked back at the memory playing out before me. My dread grew when I saw that my memory-movie was still playing, and has reached a scene that I knew I didn’t want to see, but found myself unable to look away.
My old self was currently in an arm-lock and trying to get free, but his opponent’s grip was just too good. Even though my old self’s face was featureless I could remember that he was getting mad, madder than he had ever been in his life. His opponent said something that sent him off the deep end, and the end results was a punch to the gut. The attack, while not very effective, was so sudden the other guy let my old self go and stumbled back, more confused than actually hurt.
My old self wasn’t done with his opponent just yet, he rushed him and grabbed his right arm, locking it in place and threw his opponent to the mat. This was where things changed, the sound of breaking bone filled the air as the space around me became fully detailed, and I looked at the shock faces of the others at the martial arts class.
But probably the most surprised one in the entire room was the boy with blood-red hair, pale skin and green eyes, who was standing over the black boy with a shaved head and a broken right arm.
“RICHARD!!” the instructor screamed in outrage, stomping up to the 15-year-old. “What were you thinking?”
“I-I don’t-I don’t know,” my past self, Richard, stammered as he looked between his sparring partner and his instructor.
The instructor let out an irritated sigh and just looked at the injured kid, and kneel beside him. Once he had done a quick examination of his student, he looked back at Richard with a cold face.
“Listen Richard,” the 28-year-old said calmly. “You’re a good kid, but I think you shouldn’t come here anymore. This is the second time something like this happened in the last month and a half. As it stands, I barely dodged a lawsuit from your last incident.”
Richard just sighed and nodded weakly before turning and walking toward the back of the room, heading for the locker room to shower and change. I watched my former self disappear and with him the scene around me returned to the black and white coloring.
I knew this was all a memory, something that happened long ago, but I couldn’t stop the bitter sigh that escaped me. This was point when my life really starting to suck. I don’t know, but after this point I rarely could catch a break. It was like I was cursed or something.
I didn’t know why, but I started to get up, seeing if I could look around this strange dream-realm, when a voice spoke to me.
“You may awake now child.”
Suddenly, my surrounds began to dissolve; swirling inwards and turning into a muddy brown color as the little detail that were there bleed away. Before I complete awoke from this memory-induced dream, I noticed one thing that I missed throughout the entire thing.
“What the-why am I wearing a purple Gi?”
(…)
I awoke with a start and bolted up right. That was bad move, I felt a mild jolt of pain go through my body, and my vision blurred for a second. Through my blurry version I thought I saw something making a hasty exit. I just shrugged it off as a trick of my mind and took a deep breath, to allow my body to stop aching and my vision to clear.
When my vision cleared, I looked around and noticed something…I was in some sort of room. How did I get here? The last thing I remember was slamming into a wall after going through a building. So how did I get here? And more importantly, why isn’t my bodying screaming like it was before my nap?
I looked down at my body and noticed my entire midsection has been covered in bandages. My right elbow to my shoulder was also covered, and my left leg as well. I moved them slightly and found that they weren’t restricted, but I still felt some pain when I moved them.
But that could only mean one thing…I gasp as I suddenly remembered someone trying to warn before the Kabuterimon rammed me. Someone was indeed looking after me.
“Hello,” I said, calling into the room. “Is anyone there?
I listened, but the only sound I can hear was my own breathing. I let out a sigh when I realized I was alone and decided I was best if I just got up. There was no point in lying around when there were more important matters at hand.
I inhaled deeply and slowly stood, noticing some things about my body; the pain had dulled to the point where I can move with little trouble. My body’s still aching, but it wasn’t anything too seriously…the worse of it was around my midsection.
I had to take it easy for a while, I wasn’t sure if any of my ribs were broken, though I didn’t have trouble breathing.
The next thing I noticed was my outfit. The shoes were on the wrong foot, my skirt and shirt are also on backwards and I was missing my jacket and hat. I quickly set the outfit right (don’t get me started on the skirt), and found my other items on the ground around my resting area.
I guess whoever was treating me must have used that stuff as a pillow.
I shrugged at that idea as I picked up the items. I heard something hit the ground when I was slipping on my jacket and looked at my feet. I saw my D-tector, an old brown bag, and something stuck between the two. I frowned as I put on my hat and picked up the things, and uncovered the hidden item.
It was a Hexagon locket, with the symbol of the wind on it. I frown as I pocketed the other items and looked at the locket. Something about the item nearly triggered a memory. Unfortunately, the memory slipped from my mind before it could fully surface, and I sighed, moving to slip the locket into a pocket. I stopped and looked at the locket for a second time before sighing once more, and lifted it over my head and let slid down my neck coming to rest comfortably on my chest.
With that task done, I decided it was time to get moving. I really didn’t want to be here when whoever owns this place got back. I took it slow trying not to irritate my injuries as I limbed to where I hope the exit is. I found the exit easily, and opened the door just crack. I stepped out into the street when I saw no one in the immediate area.
The sight I saw caused my heart to skip a beat. I could see smoke in the distance; also, as I looked around, I noticed some damage around my immediate area. I could also hear the panic cries of the ponies, and the distance clipping of hooves as they flee from whatever was attacking them.
What happened here? Could it be because of that digimon? Why would it do this? I gasp as I remembered the order the Kabuterimon was given…it was told to “rip ponies to ribbons”! Did that mean it went back to it orders after it took me out? And if that’s the case, why did it follow me after I attacked it?
ARGH, this isn’t helping you, Zoe, just take out your D-Tector so you can help! I fished out the item from my pocket and began the process of evolving when I remembered how my last outing as the legendary warrior of the wind went. I slumped slightly as I painfully recalled the experience and remembered how I couldn’t do anything to stop that poor-man’s version of a digimon. I lost what little resolve I had left when my eyes traveled to my bandaged midsection, and the code disappeared completely from my hands.
What’s the use…I’ll probably make things worse, like I normally do. The best thing for me to do was just to walk away and find another ditch to die in. I pocketed my D-Tector and was about to walk away, when a voice suddenly rang out.
“Can somepony help us? We’re stuck in here, and I think my auntie is hurt. Please, somepony has to help us!”
I don’t what happened, but I guess hearing that someone…or some pony’s aunt is hurt push me in the right direction. I wiped out my D-Tector and went through the motions once again, failing to notice that my fractal code was just a bit brighter than before.
“Execute!! Spirit Evolution!!” I ran my digivice through my code, allowing it to cover me and allowing the power of the wind into my body once again. As the power began to surge within me, causing my body to grow and replaced my cloth with armor, I noticed how different it felt. It felt more powerful than last time I spirit evolved, as excess power flowed from me as my evolution was completed and I called, “Kazemon!”
I looked at hands wondering why I felt different than before, but I shouldn’t be focusing on that matter at the moment. “Hello...where are you?” I called out as I began scanning the area.
“We’re here!” I heard a voice, clearer than before, and I was able to pinpoint the source…an upturned, large cart with some debris on it.
I took off in a light sprint, and used the momentum to gain a small boost as I took to the air and delivered a powerful, double heel kick to the large slab of concrete that pinned the cart down. The slab exploded into million pieces as I landed next to the cart, my eyes wide behind my visor.
Some part of me couldn’t believe just how much power I now process, it’s like I’m on a different level than before. But what’s different about this then my first evolution?
No, I screamed in mind. I couldn’t focus on that now, some ponies were hurt and need attention. I rushed over to the cart and got my hands under it and sent it flying because I used too much power when lifting the thing. I choose not to focus on that, and looked at the two ponies, a colt and mare I believe they were called, and took in their conditions.
Say for the tears running down the colt’s face and soaking the collar of his fancy coat, he was fine. It was the mare that looked bad, she was out cold and I could see blood running for an open wound on her right front leg. I instinctively focused my sense of hearing onto the mare, and found her breathing even and her heartbeat steady, so I guess she wasn’t in any grave danger. Still, that wound could be a problem.
“Hey kid,” I called softly, to gain the colt’s attention. “Mind if I use that coat of yours to help your aunt.”
The young pony looked at his aunt, and then at me uncertainly, but nodded anyways. My eyes widened as I watched the colt’s horn light up, and a glow surrounded the coat as it was removed from the colt’s body. The article of clothing was then hovered over to me, and I awkwardly took it.
I began working, my body almost running off the training I got from my failed army career as my mind was stuck on one fact. I knew that ponies had magic, but to actually see it in action was quite a sight. If I have been born a girl I thought I might had actual gosh at the sight.
I gave my head a quick mental shake as I finished dressing the wound. It wasn’t the best but it should stop the bleeding and hopefully stop any infections from settling in.
With the mare taken care of, I needed to figure out what to do next. The world answered me by having the colt ran up to me and looked at me with his big eyes.
“Please Miss-” I have to bite my gums to keep myself from groaning when he called me “miss”, “-You have to help my mommy and big sis. That big bug is chasing my mommy and big sis!”
I sighed and looked away from the colt. I could feel my confident dropping already. “Sorry kid, but I tried to fight that thing before, and didn’t go so well,” I said in a low voice.
“But-” the colt whined in a cute voice, “-you’re a superhero like the Power Ponies in my comic!”
I blinked twice under my visor…they had comics in this world, go figure. My surprise quickly wore off and I was about to tell the kid I wasn’t going to be able to help his family, only to be caught off guard by the colt’s pleading eyes.
Yup, I such a girl…I couldn’t say no to those big eyes, so I just sighed and nodded. “I don’t know what I can do, but I will try,” I told the colt weakly.
The colt broke out a big smile and began bouncing up and down. “Oh, thank you, thank you, miss-” the colt stopped his bouncing and looked at me with a curious frown.
I couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped me as I said, “you can call me Kazemon.” I then took to the air before the colt could say anything else, though my acute hearing did picked up the last thing the colt said, something that caused me to let out a deep groan.
Twilight felt like pulling her mane out; 15 minutes had barely passed since the Changelings were uncovered, and since than, things had gone from bad to horrible too terrible.
“Princess,” Twilight groaned when a guard came into makeshift “command” room which was just the throne room with a couple of tables set up, ran up to her and saluted her. “We have an update from the field?”
The young princess let out a tired sigh and gestured the guard to go on.
“It’s seems that the creature-”
“Digimon,” Twilight interjected without a second thought, only to blush when the guard stared at her awkwardly. She gestured for the guard to continue and the guard composed himself before resuming his report.
“We have reports that the digimon had starting to attack any pony it sees,” the guard stated calmly. “We’re trying to get the masses into the hidden tunnels the princesses had constructed after the first changeling invasion, but it’s proving to be difficult. The digimon since it makes very little noise, it make hard to tell when it coming.”
Twilight frowned at this little piece of information she just got; the last time she saw the digimon it didn’t make a single sound. But now it’s starting to make noise? Just what is going on today? If only she had the chance to question those changelings, then maybe some sort of plan could be formed.
No! Twilight thought as she gave her head a fierce shake. This wasn’t the time for such thoughts. She was a princess now and with that new title comes certain responsibilities. She just wished she time to grow into her new role before something like this happened.
The young princess sighed and put all of these thoughts into the back burner, as she looked at the guard. “Continue with the evacuation. The tunnels were constructed for things like this,” Twilight said, with as much confident as she was feeling at the moment.
The guard saluted, and hurried off, darting around a certain ivory mare and white stallion in a guard captain uniform as they walked into the room.
“How’s everything going, darling?” Rarity asked, trying her best to keep her concern out of her voice when she saw the state one of her dear friends was in.
Twilight just groaned as she walked over to one of the tables, where a magical map was currently updating to allow her to get a general idea of where the residence of Canterlot were at the moment. “Not good. It’s chaos out there. The appearance of that digimon had thrown all of Canterlot into disarray. And I just don’t know to handle it all.”
Rarity frowned as she walked up to her friend and wrapped her in a gentle embrace.
“Darling, you need to calm down, you’re going to give yourself wrinkles,” the fashion designer said, trying her own brand of humor to lighten the mood. “Besides, you had done things like this plenty of times before.”
“No,” Twilight replied apprehensively, gently freeing herself from her friend’s hug. “I’m use to organizing events in a small, country town, not an entire bucking army!”
“Language Twily,” Shining Armor said sternly.
Twilight looked at her older brother, glaring for a few seconds before sighing tiredly. “Sorry, it’s just…this is very stressful,” the young princess moaned out weakly.
Shining Armor walked up to his sister and placed a hoof on her shoulder as he offered the young princess an encouraging smile. “Believe me, Twily, I know how hard it is, but at the moment the ponies are looking towards you for guidance, and part of that requires you to keep your own head cool,” the young captain said calmly.
Twilight gave her brother a small smile, feeling somewhat better knowing that she has her brother to aid her in this time of need.
“Have there been any improvements with Princess Luna?” Twilight asked seriously.
Shining Armor sighed and looked towards ceiling, “Unfortunately no. The medical staff at the castle had never seen anything like the stuff that’s in Princess Luna. I would normally suggest getting some pony from the Royal Canterlot hospital, but I fear I can’t spare any pony to get somepony from there.”
“Hard to believe one bug is causing such problems,” Rarity mumbled offhandedly.
Twilight ignored her friend’s comment and instead asked, just with a bit of hopefulness in her voice, “And how’s the search for Princess Celestia?”
Shining Armor sighed and looked his sister directly in the eyes. “I’m not going to lie to you Twilight,” the young princess felt the last bit of hope she had died when her brother used her full name, never a good thing when her brother does that. “We have searched the entire castle, and she’s simply not here. I believe she has been captured.”
“I just can’t see that happening,” Twilight replied in disbelief. “Princess Celestia is far to experience to be caught by something like a changeling.”
Shining Armor sighed once more, and looked ready to say something…only to have the sound of an explosion startled them all. The three broke into a gallop without any words exchanged and headed out of the throne room and into the courtyard.
“No,” Twilight gasped when she saw something that caused her heart to skip a beat.
The digimon had found its way to the castle, arguable the largest gathering of ponies at the time, and it was currently readying some sort of lightning magic. Twilight tried to issue some order for the guards to get the citizens into the castle, but her words died in her mouth as the digimon unleashed it magic, sending a ball of lightning at the ponies.
Shining Armor quickly tried to put up a magical barrier, but the lightning magic proved to be faster, zipping past the barrier just as it was closing. The young stallion wasn’t done just yet; he dropped the barrier and tried to put up another one. The end results were nearly the same…the barrier closed about a half a second after the ball of lightning passed by it.
The stallion’s eyes snapped opened when he saw the lightning was dangerous close to an area crowded with ponies. There was no time to stop it and Shining armor called into the crowd, “Brace for impact!!!”
“Hurricane Wave!!”
The young stallion’s eye nearly jumped from their sockets when he saw mini hurricanes slammed into lightning magic and caused it to explode harmlessly in front of him. Shining Armor could only gawk as the biped from earlier landed in front of him and the rest of the stunned ponies.
“It’s you!” Twilight gasped as she walked up to the biped.
The creature simply nodded and looked at the digimon. It gasped when it noticed the state the creature was in.
“What the-why is that Kabuterimon suddenly colored, and why has it started making sounds?” the creature asked, more to itself than anypony else.
“We don’t know,” Twilight stated calmly, studying the digimon clearly. “It is quite the sight. When it was first created, it was completely black and didn’t make a sound…but has since changed, and I wonder why?”
“Twilight,” Shining Armor stated with a little authority in his voice, “This isn’t the time for such things.”
The young princess looked at her brother, a noticeable blush on her face, but nodded anyway. She looked at the biped and asked calmly, “You seem to know about this creature, ms-”
“It’s Kazemon, no Ms or Miss, just Kazemon,” the creature interjected calmly.
Twilight blinked twice, but quickly composed herself. “Okay, Kazemon, you know about this creature, do you have any idea of how to fight it.”
(…)
I sighed lightly and looked back at the bug digimon. I quickly noticed how the Kabuterimon wasn’t completely colored, I could see black splashes around the areas that were normally blue. The sound that was now coming from the wings weren’t all the loud either, more like a sound you heard off in the distance.
I looked at back the lavender pony and said, “I can’t be sure, but want to think that the Kabuterimon is running on instinct mixed with the order given to it. I might be able to lure it away if I tried to fight it. If I can keep it distracted do you think you can the other ponies to safety?”
The stallion nodded and said, “Yes, measures has been put into place, and we should be able to get everypony here to safely.”
I nodded and then looked back at the digimon. This wasn’t going to be easy…I could feel the effect of my injuries starting to bleed through my form; my midsection was starting to throb. But I couldn’t be hasty, that got me into trouble last time. But I also couldn’t afford to be cautious either, not with so many lives at risk.
Speaking of lives… I turned back to lavender mare, “Listen, I saved a couple of ponies on my way here. Some have minor injuries, but others are more gravely injured. Once I lure this digimon away, can you get help for those ponies?
“Of course,” the lavender pony replied confidently, “You have my word as a princess.”
I blinked under my visor. The lavender pony’s a princess…go figure. Though I think the wings and horn would have been a good clue to her higher status…no, I can’t get distracted here, there were bigger matters that need handling.
I took off in a light sprint and used the built momentum to gain a little boost when I took to the air, and delivered a double heel kick to the digimon’s helm. That was a bad move, a jolt of pain was sent up my bad leg, and worse, the digimon wasn’t all the effect by my attack, as it took a swing with it lower right arm. I wasn’t fast enough and the blow connected with my injure midsection and sent another jolt through my body.
I tried to shrug off the pain as I put some distance between the Kabuterimon and myself. Guess this wasn’t like the anime after all, if my body’s aches were telling me anything. But then again, maybe that was my problem to begin with…I want into this thing like it was just an escape of the Digimon Anime and that I would win because I looked like one of its heroes.
But facts still remains, I wasn’t in an anime and I can’t approached it like the characters in the show did. But…then how do I fight this thing. It doesn’t help that place wasn’t design for dogfights. I mean, c’mon, who puts an entire city on a mountain?
The best thing to do was head for the clouds…wait, that doesn’t sound all that bad. Yeah, the skies in this world were clear, so I should be able to fight without a problem.
Un-oh, my kazy senses are tingling…and I wasn’t going to use that term. No, focus Zoe, I screamed at myself as I dove out of the way, in a wild arch, just as a ball of electricity was fired at me.
“C’mon, you overgrow billbug!” I taunted, throwing some wind to further the taunt, “Let’s play follow-the-mon!”
I than rocketed straight up, and thanks to the sound the insectoid digimon now made I knew it was following me. I pushed myself a little harder, so I could create a big enough gap between it and me. Hopefully that would give me the time needed to come up with a plan.
I stopped when I thought I was high enough and spun around. I scanned the area and saw that the bug wasn’t in sight. Good, it seemed that I was still faster than the bug, but the only thing I had on it at the moment. I lightly touched my injured arm, the arm I used to throw my wind at the Kabuterimon to keep its attention on me and winced when I felt pain jolt up my arm.
Whatever was used to treat my wounds was wearing off, my body was screaming again, and I was using a large chunk of my concentration to keep myself in my digimon form. But then what can I do…even using such a low-level attack put too much stress on my body. The best thing I could think of was to dive-bomb it and hoped for the best.
…burnt toast, I can’t believe I was actually considering it, but what other choice do I have? Still…if I mess up, even slightly, I would hurt myself even more…or worse. But I had to try; the memory of the colt with the hopeful eyes was burning bright in my mind.
So, with my mind made up, I let out a quick breathe and let the wind drop from my wings. I pressed my arms against my body as I inched it forward and I dropped from my hover. I felt the wind pushed against my face as I quickly gained speed. I groaned as the G-forces quickly built and it tore through my injured body. But I didn’t stop...this was an all-or-nothing move, plus, the G-forces were already too great, if I were to try and stop I could just end injuring myself worse.
Instincts I think took over at this point, as I released wind from my fingertips and it funneled around me, boosting my speed to 4-Gs, I think. The pressure I was feeling from all of this was incredible and painfully and since I didn’t have any experience with this sort of thing, I really didn’t know how to put it into word.
Something strange started to happen…I saw a cone of compressed air formed in front of me. I was more surprised when the cone began to fold in on me and I felt my speed increase as a charge began to surge. The cone has nearly covered me when I saw the bug digimon, now completely colored, angling its body so it could use it attack.
I pushed myself just a bit harder, and suddenly I heard an ear-shattering boom and could see a mix of colors extending outwards behind, from the corner of my eyes. I choose to block anything out at the moment, as I thrusted my body upright and delivered a double high kick to the bug’s midsection.
I threw my head back and cry out as pain surged through me, and that’s when I saw it; the explosion of colors and the trail of light that I created. I might have been amazed at the sight…if the pain surging throughout my body wasn’t messing with my head. One thought did however break through the haze that was the mess in my head.
Did I just hear a sonic-boom? How was that possible…I knew enough about planes that you wouldn’t hear the boom if you’re the one who had created it. So how did I know I did one?
A sudden noise brought me back to reality and I looked down and was amazed at the sight before me. The digimon was dissolving into data, its arms and legs were already gone. The body was also beginning to dissolve and I could see data leaking from it‘s head. And the city was coming up fast! I allowed the wind back into my wings and gently pushed off the bug as the rest of its body dissolved into data.
My eyes snapped opened when I saw the insect digiegg plummeting to city, and tried to catch it without a second thought. That was a bad move, I felt another jolt of pain go through me and I stopped as I felt my form began to flicker. I frown as I watched the egg vanish into the city.
I could only hope that the digiegg was like the ones from season one, Gatomon’s Digiegg did survive a long fall after all. Speaking of falling…I better land. I frown when I saw I was close to a crowded area, and for reasons I couldn’t understand I didn’t feel like revealing that the digimon Kazemon was really a human girl.
UHHH, there I go again, calling myself a girl, I knew it was true at the moment, but it still didn’t do anything for the uneasiness I felt from this entire thing. I mean, not only was I in a carton aimed at little girls, but I was also transformed into a girl for a Japanese cartoon.
It was just too confusing, and my head was pounding too much for me to put it into context. I gave my head a quick shake to clear these thoughts. I really couldn’t allow myself to get distracted, I was barely holding my digimon form together, and I feared that any excess stress might put the nail in the coffin.
So, I began flying and took it easy just in case anything else bad happened on my way back to my “hideout”.
(…)
I was both impressed and amazed with what I saw as I flew back to building I was hiding out at. I was impressed with how the ponies handled themselves after a crisis. Sure, there were plenty who were still panicking, but there were plenty who were helping out the injured from the digimon attacks. I even saw another pony princess helping the injured ponies the best she could.
I wondered why she wasn’t helping out that lavender mare back at the castle. Maybe the other princess I saw was higher up than the pink one? Than again, I wasn’t all that familiar with the cartoon this world was based on, so I can’t say what sort traditions this world had.
I gave my head a quick shake…and I realized I had been doing that a lot lately. I guess there was just too much to process, and with my head in the state it was in, it was very easy to get sidetracked.
I gave my head another quick shake and focused on the task at hand…landing behind the building I decided to hide in. Still…I was amazed at how I was able to get here, my strength was nearly used up, and my vision has been going in and out for the last 7 minutes. I was lucky I didn’t crush into anything during my flight over here.
Now all I needed to do was landed softly, and than I could finally relax. Oh no, my vision just went out again, and I felt the last of my strength finally leave me. I felt my body changed back to normal, but thankfully, I was close to the ground, so I didn’t hurt myself more when I landed, unfortunately, it was rougher than I would have liked and I felt a bolt of pain go through my injured leg. I whizzed as I tried to move, only to fall flat on my face because of a mix of my spinning head and sore body. I tried to stand, but found my body simply didn’t have the strength to lift myself up…well, not completely. I was able get onto my hands and knees and began to crawl.
Through my blurred vision I could see that the back door was open. Wait, didn’t I go out the front door? If so, why was the backdoor open? Oh well, better not look this gift horse in the mouth, and I began to crawl over to the door. Unfortunately, the last of my strength choose that time to give out on me, and I fell flat onto my stomach.
I didn’t know which was worse, the feeling my developing “womanly features” was sending to my brain, or the fact that I wasn’t feeling much of anything else at the moment. That couldn’t be a good sign. I tried to move again, but my body wasn’t listening to any of my commands. Yeah, that wasn’t a good sign, not a good sign at all.
Though my body wasn’t obeying me so well, I was still able to will my head up when a faint noise pierced through the fog of my mind. Oh great, my mind’s playing tricks on me again. I could see some sort of white thing coming out of the open door, and an object hovering behind it.
I didn’t know what happened next, but I remembered something warm wrapping around me and kind and regal voice speaking to me. Most was lost on me, but I thought I heard something acceptance before I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
(A few hours later)
“I’m happy to report that all those caught in that digimon’s attack are being treated as we speak,” Shining Armor reported professionally. “I’m ever happier to report that Candace said that injuries of the ponies weren’t as bad as we first thought, and all will make a full recover.”
The young princess nodded, as her brother, her friends and she trotted down the medical wing of the castle, which was overflowing with injured ponies and the staff treating them. The group had to dodge of a couple of ponies who were so high on certain meds that they were stumbling about the crowded hall because the rooms were overflowing with patients.
“That’s good to know,” Twilight replied, and then sighed. “I just wished that Candace choose to stay and help out at castle during the crisis. Things could have gone much easier with her help.”
The older unicorn chuckled slightly and replied, “That might have been true Twily. But you have to remember, up until recent events, the best Candace had even done in term of organizing, were small events for visiting diplopic friends of Princess Celestia.” The former captain beamed as he said the next part, “Beside, my wife had the right idea; by being out there and showing the panicking masses that a princess wasn’t afraid to go out and help during a crisis, helped to ease some of the fear the more injured ponies were feeling.”
Twilight nodded but also let out a tired sigh as the group turned right at a cross section and proceeded down the hallway.
“I know, it just was very stressful,” the young princess said tiredly. “I just wish we knew what happened to Princess Celestia. I refuse to believe that she was taken by a changeling. And since we don’t know how long it would take Princess Luna to recover, I just don’t know what we should do next.”
The group came to the door that belonged to the room currently housing the ill princess and opened to meet a rather shocking sight…
“Oh, hello everypony, how’s everything going?” asked the eldest princess in a polite tone as she was putting away an old, brown pouch into her bag.
The group could only gawk as the princess they had spent the better part of the last 3 and half hours searching for, turned and looked at her younger sister like nothing was wrong. The shock wore off fairly quick for some ponies, and Twilight stepped forward, a huge smile on her face.
“Princess, I’m so glad you’re safe?” Twilight said with great relief.
“Oh, and why wouldn’t I be okay?” Princess Celestia asked politely, though there was a hint of mischievous hidden deep within her eyes.
“Ummm,” Twilight fumbled with her words as she tried to think of a way of saying this that didn’t sound like she was disrespecting her former teacher.
As usual, it was the honest pony in the group who took the plunge and stepped forward. Applejack took off her hat and bowed slightly before saying, “Beg ya pardon, yah highness, but with everything going on, we thought a changeling snatched ya up.”
The light mirth that had been hidden in the princess’s eyes disappeared as her face turned stern as she placed her bag next to her still sleeping sister bed, and she walked up to the group.
“I can insure you, my little ponies, I would never allow myself to be captured by likes of a changeling,” the eldest princess said seriously, but her face softened as she said the next thing, “but I must congratulate you all. You handle yourselves well during that digimon’s wild attack.”
The group could only blink as the words spoken by their princess suck in. Like normal, Twilight was the first to gather her wits and looked up at the princess with a confused expression.
“Princess, how did you know the creature’s species name?” the young princess inquired curiously.
The eldest princess just smiled and placed a hoof on the younger princess’s shoulder. “You do not need to worry about the small details, my former student,” Princess Celestia said kindly. “You resolved the entire incident with little problems. And I can insure you that creature that helped out in our time of need is recuperating as we speak.”
Twilight smiled when she learned that Kazemon was okay, as she recalled that she looked hurt. She frown when the oldest princess words were fully processed. She was ready to say something, but somepony spoke up before she had a chance to get a word in.
“Princess,” Shining Armor interrupted politely, “Not to put a damper on this, but do you have any idea what’s wrong with your sister? The medical staff can’t identify what’s in her system.”
Princess Celestia looked at her in-law and nodded with a knowing smirk. “I do indeed, my dear nephew-in-law,” the eldest princess replied calmly, and looked at her sleeping sister for a moment before looking back at her former captain. “She had somehow come into contact with a toxin derived from a fruit found deep within the Everfree Forest. I doubt even your sister’s zebra friend had seen it herself.”
The eldest princess returned to her sister’s bedside and stroked Luna’s mane in a near motherly fashion. “But you have nothing to fear,” Celestia said kindly, looking at the group again. “I had given her a remedy also derived from an Everfree plant. It will cleanse the toxin from her body without any problems.”
The group let out a mild round of cheers when they learned that the second oldest princess would make a fully recovery. Suddenly, Princess Luna snapped up, startling every pony in the room…with the exception of her older sister.
“The pickles are revolting!” The lunar princess said erratically. “To save our sweet tyranny, we must crush the radish before they can rally the fruits! In the name of tyranny, we’ll crush the oppressive forces of freedom and their evil leaders, the onions-DUUUUH!”
Princess Luna’s jaw shifted to the right and she fell back onto her pillow, her front legs twitching in an erratic manner. The group could only gawk at this unusual and out-of-character moment from one of their beloved princesses. That didn’t last long-about 5 second really-before a famous pink pony started to giggle heartedly.
“I like her,” Pinkie Pie said mirthfully, “she’s silly.”
“Yes -ahem-, but it has been well over a thousands years since I used that remedy on my beloved sister, and the toxin was known to have “unusual” effect on a pony’s body,” Princess Celestia explained calmly, and like proving her point, Princess Luna broke wind, which strangely sounded like a chew-chew train and smelt liked peppermints.
The group continued to gawk at this new development, though some did try to conceal their giggles, and even the eldest princess smirked a little at this, before addressing the group.
“Now that’s the danger had passed, I believe it's best you all retire for the night,” Princess Celestia stated kindly. “You all earned a good night’s sleep.
“But princess,” Twilight said in mild confusion. “There’s so much that needs to be done! We have to make sure those involved in the attacks are properly cared for and the damage to the city still need to be investigated. But probably the thing we should be focusing on is finding the changelings! They used magic that I wasn’t familiar with, and who knows what other tricks they have up their shells! All of ponykind could be in danger if the changelings have across to magic even we don’t understand?”
The youngest princess of Equestria was brought out of her rant when her former mentor walked up to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. Celestia looked at her former student with a kind, motherly smile.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” the sun princess stated kindly. “I will personally see to every small detail. You and your friends had done more then enough and I think it best that all rest.”
“Princess, I don’t mean to sound rude or anything,” Rarity said politely, “But I have to agree with Twilight. Though I believe we should focus on finding that Kazemon pony. I believe she was hurt during the fight, and might be in need of attention.”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said eagerly. “I need to collect the 17 bits that thing owes, for using my trademark move!”
“I can insure you, Rarity, that Kazemon is fine,” Celestia responded kindly, choosing to ignore the boosts of the flyer in the group. “And I believe if we approach her while in the state she’s in, we might cause her some distress, and that could lead to an undesirable event. The best we could do is wait for her to approach us. Now, my little ponies, I once again urge to return to you rooms for the night.”
The group exchanged uncertain looks, but knew their princess enough that once her mind was made up there was little any pony could do to change it.
“Are you sure, princess?” Twilight asked uncertainly. “There’s so much that needs to be done. And I still think we need to address the changeling issue the most. This is the second time they had tried to invade us during a big event.”
“And you can rest assure that we will address this issue tomorrow,” Princess Celestia replied, her face becoming set for the briefest of seconds, before smiling mirthfully. “Now, don’t make me turn my request into an order. Because I will, and I will also post guards at your doors, just to make sure that you all rest.”
The group exchanged looked once last time before looking back at their ruler and Twilight nodded her head, telling her former teacher that they understood which caused the oldest princess to smile slightly. The group then departed, making small talk and plans. Once the group was out, Celestia let out a tired sigh and returned to her sister’s bedside. She opened her bag and took out some strolls.
Twilight had been correct that a great deal of things needed to be done, and she was planning doing them while she waited for her sister to recover.
(…)
In some part of Canterlot, left largely untouched by the devastation brought on by the digimon, lay an egg largely forgotten. The egg itself was fairly large, and had a green and orange stripe pattern. This was the digiegg that was created from the beast that Kazemon defeated a few hours ago. And while it had fallen quite the distance, it didn’t show any signs of damage whatsoever.
“Now what do we have here,” a deep voice asked as a shadow loomed over the egg.
Kazemon of the Wind: Those who lurks in the Darkness: Part 1
“…Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in all of Equestria!” the crowd cheered as their newest princess finished her speech.
Simpletons, all of these creatures are simpletons, arrogantly thought a creature that lurked in the shadows of the city.
If somepony would to looked in an alley located near the castle, he or she might have seen the figure clocked head to hoof in a ratty brown robe. Then again, if somepony did actually looked at the alley; they would just see a disgruntled janitor thinking that he was going to have one bad headache because he would had to clear this mess up by himself.
Such was the magic that the creature, Dusk for lack of a better name, possessed.
Dusk watched as the event unfolded, and then hurried into the castle once every single pony was busy watching their new princess strolled down the street. The mysterious figure grinned when he saw the halls of the castle empty. It was just like he expected it to be, the simple creatures were too wrapped up in their silly event to even post guards in the castle. He made his way down the hall, looking at something hidden within his robes and when grinned he got a reaction.
“Finding my prize would be easy,” Dusk whispered to himself confidently.
“Halt! Who goes there?”
Dusk groaned and turned to face none other than the princess of the night. From the way things looked, the second oldest princess must have been leaving and just happened to see Dusk. The lunar princess was looking at the mysterious figure with a healthy dose of suspicion
“I ask again; who goes there?” Princess Luna asked again, glaring at the mysterious creature suspiciously. “And why do you wear something that hides your face?”
Dusk rolled his eyes under his hood. Of course one of the more slightly advanced simpletons would be able to see through his magic. Not that it matter, he realized, as he had something that could handle even a princess. He took out said item from a pouch hidden in his cloak, and snapped his hand out, sending something flying straight towards the youngest of the Royal Pony Sisters.
“GAAH!” Luna cried out as a thin disc, partially wrapped in cloth hit her on the forehead, right beneath the horn. The second eldest princess recovered quickly and glared at the intruder as she began to advance on him. “You dare to assault the princess of the night? You shall feel my wraith as I personally take you to the pickles, and I will have you hang by the carrots, and-and.”
The lunar princess began to stumble as her words become less coherent and it wasn’t long before she fell flat on her face.
“Oh, Mister Tomato, your sandpaper skin is so rugged,” was the last thing the princess spoke before the effect of the toxin took hold completely and she fell into a deep slumber.
Dusk growled angrily as he heard Luna began snoring like wild bear.
“Well, isn’t this great?” the mysterious figure grumbled angrily. “This just made my task so much harder. There’s no way I can get this sleeping “princess” out without some of these simpletons noticing. And it wouldn’t long before these simpletons realized that one of their beloved “princesses” was missing. So what can I do to distract these simple creatures so I can complete my task?”
Like the world was answering him, Dusk heard something hit the floor and turned around to see a maid with a feather duster at her feet. The mysterious figure was already on the move, as he readied another one of his disc to throw at the pony. He stopped when he noticed the faint green glow hidden deep within the maid’s eyes.
Dusk grinned as he disappeared from the sight of the maid and the young unicorn looked around frantically for the mysterious creature. The maid stopped her wild searching when a hand was placed onto the back of her head, and her eyes shrunk to dots.
“Now, let see if I’m right about you…”Dusk mused softly as he used another unknown spell to across the maid’s mind. “Just as I thought…a changeling from the Green Hive, no doubt here to collect energy from these simple creatures during their simple celebrations. Let see how many had gotten into the capital city this time…hmm, only 24, including this one here.”
Dusk grinned as a thought popped into his head, and he began using the hive collective mind for his own goals. “Now lets see…just a little work on the magical defenses these creatures put on their mind, and…we have drunk changelings, with an unhealthy obsessive for more love. Hmm, this is interesting, it seems some of the changelings have summoning orbs. I can use that.”
Dusk sent the next 2 and half minutes watching events unfold through the magical link he had with the changeling. He grinned when a defeated changeling used one of his modify orbs to summon a bug-type digimon, and he knew that was his cue. Instead of leaving the changeling, quickly he decided that it could be useful to him, as it has been at the castle for a few months.
Just a quick spell to flip the changeling’s loyalties, and the two were off, as the chaos that was happening outside was enough of distraction to allow them to sneak around the castle without much problem.
(…)
“Xana, you are sure this is the location?” Dusk asked his new changeling minion condescendingly
Changeling Collection Drone-X-I-I-9-0, now know as Xena to her new “Prince”, nodded quickly. “Yes, milord…this is the room where Princess Celestia holds the item that pre-dates even the founding of Equestria.”
Dusk didn’t even bother to respond to the drone, he instead just pushed the door opened and walked right in. The room was filled corner to corner with items, mostly vases and other pieces of pottery and some painting. Dusk wandered over to the right side of the room, a faint beeping noise getting his attention. Using the noise like a map, the mysterious figure eventually came to a large vase roughly half his height and where the beeping was at it loudest.
Dusk looked at the vase, and could tell the story it painted surface was telling, but that old history didn’t interest him, as he brought down his right hand onto the piece of art, it shattering on impact He grinned as a glowing object emerged from the destroyed piece of art, and he aimed his left hand at it. The mysterious object was absorbed into the bloodstone red and ash black D-tector, and Dusk looked at the screen, his emerging good mood leaving him when he realized something.
“ONE SPIRIT!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!” roared an angry Dusk, as he began swinging his right arm wildly, smashing some of the artifacts. “OVER A THOUSANDS YEAR I HAD SEARCHED AND I ONLY HAVE HALF THE COLLECTION!!”
“My lord,” Xena interjected calmly.
“WHAT!?” Dusk snapped fiercely at his new servant.
If Xena was affected by her master’s outburst she hid it rather well. “As you ordered, I have using the link that my brothers and I share, and I had learned that the creature that was summoned had began a fight with anything unusual creature.”
“AND WHY DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD INTEREST ME?!” Dusk asked angrily.
“Because through our link, I can see the two-legged creature in the purple outfit fighting the creature as we speak,” Xena replied calmly.
Dusk’s anger quickly subsided, and he ran out of the storage room, knocking the changeling in opened door to the floor in the process. The changeling, for her part, just picked herself up and followed after her new master.
It didn’t take long for Dusk to reach a window and what he saw made him grin under his hood. He watched as the digimon known as Kazemon soared high into the air, making the bug-like digimon follow her.
So either a simple pony had found the spirit and was able to use it, or there’s another displaced here, Dusk thought logically, as he watched the hybrid digimon and the pure digimon climb higher into the sky. He grinned as plan quickly formed in his head and he looked at his new servant. “Xena I have a task for you.”
The changeling simply bowed and awaited her new orders.
“I want to follow that creature in purple closely, but insure you’re never seen by it. I also want a weekly status update, find out everything you can about that creature, if she’s a pony that can transform or if she’s something completely different,” Dusk explained carefully, like he was speaking to a child. “Do you think you can handle that?”
Xena simply bowed, and then looked to the skies, green fire covering and soon the lime-green unicorn was replaced with a sky blue Pegasus. The transformed changeling bowed once more, before it headed out to follow its orders.
Dusk grinned to himself as he looked down at his digivice and watched as the human spirit of fire, the beast spirit of light, the two spirits of metal, the beast spirits wood and ground, and the human spirit of thunder and ice scrolled by. He put his device away as the two final spirits began to appear on the screen.
“It may have taken longer then I calculated, but my goals were finally within reach,” Dusk said softly. “Soon, I will take my rightful place as something far above all of these simpletons.”
Kazemon of the Wind: When the Wind Meets the Diamonds
I laid on the floor of the vacant building that was serving as my “Hideout”, a golden blanket covering my lower half, and my right arm under my head. My left arms was outstretched to it full length so I could used the light shining through the cracks of a boarded window to look at the item in my hand…the locket I found during my first day here.
“Two weeks…”I mumbled softly. “I have been here two weeks and still can’t recall what sent me here.”
Well…that wasn’t entirely true, bits and pieces were starting to fill in at random times. I remembered that my co-workers and I were forced to dress up for whatever reason, and like usual, I ended up with the short straw. What happened after that was just a blur. I know the locket I found had something to do with it; I just didn’t have enough pieces to put the entire picture together.
With a light sigh, I tossed my locket to my right, and it landed near my hat, my shoes and *shudder* skirt. Man, two weeks in as a girl and a shudder still goes down my spine anytime I thought of anything remotely girly.
And trust me when I say I wasn’t looking forward to what was to come.
I gave my head a quick shake, to clear it, and placed my other hand behind my head. I looked up at the ceiling and tried my hardest to just forget about things for the time being. Unfortunately, one question kept rearing its ugly head.
…Why? Why did I turn into Zoe? I was dressed as her digimon alter-ego, so shouldn’t I had turned back into Richard Gray? Or, at least a female version of my old self? Was it because I was dressed as Kazemon that I currently look like Zoe?
AHHHGGG, this wasn’t helping me. If anything, I was just getting migraine from all this over thinking. I carefully turn onto my side, whizzing through a closed mouth, and closed my eyes, planning on taking a little nap. My body, however, had a different plan in mind, if the rumble I felt in my stomach meant anything. I would have ignored the slight feeling of hunger, but you can‘t ignore hunger for long, can you?
So I sighed and slowly got to my feet, being very careful not irritate my midsection any farther. I let the blanket fall off of me and tried not to look at my “unmentionables” as I walked over to right corner where a few things were being kept. All they really were a sleeping bag and a saddlebag that was filled food…among other things I rather not say at the moment.
With a light moan, I bent down and opened the bag. I sighed when I found only wrappers. Whoever my mysterious benefactor was didn’t give me much…I think I ran out sometime last night. Still, I’m looked through the garage of food wrapping to see if I might have missed something.
I should have known I wasn’t going to get that lucky. I didn’t even have one little crumb and my stomach knew it, if it's loud protest was telling me anything. But then want could I do? All I could really do at this point was go out and steal something. …burnt toast, I couldn’t even believe I’m thinking about doing something like actually stealing food. But what choice do I really have…? I thought I remembered reading somewhere that it’s a good idea to keep up your strength while you recovering or it might take longer to recover.
Speaking of recovery…I opened the other side of my bag and took out the brown pouch that I found after my first fight with that digimon. I wrinkled my nose as I opened the pouch and took out a mushy, pale green paste…I hopped it paste, and proceeded to rub it onto my injured midsection. The stuff, medicine I think, was magically absorbed into my skin once I finished applying it.
Heh, magic, I was still having trouble believing that I was in a land where magic was possible. Then again, I was still trying to wrap my head around what had happened to me. If only I could remember the full details of that day then maybe-my train of thought was broken by a loud growl from my stomach.
I sighed as I began to close the pouch. No sense in over thinking things when my body was screaming at me to feed it. Hmm, I just realized my meds were nearly gone. I sometimes wished that my mysterious benefactor would come around…then again, if he or she would show up I probably wouldn’t be debuting stealing something just to survive.
Another loud growl broke my train of thoughts again, and I sighed as I exchanged the pouch from a black cloak, neatly folded, and returned to my resting spot. I set the cloak down and proceeded to get dress. I was in the process of fixing my hat when I heard something hit the floor.
I looked around and easily found near my feet. Much to my surprise it was G1 Digivice. I gingerly picked it up and was looking it over when something weird happened.
“We are the Digidestined. If you ever need aid of some digital monsters, just press some buttons and we will be right over.”
I blinked five times, and then looked around. There wasn’t another soul within range, so where did that voice come from? I looked back at the Digivice in my hand…did the voice I just heard come from this thing? And if so, what did it mean?
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to think this over as my growling stomach decided to add a small pang of pain just to get my rear in gear. With a light sigh, I pocketed the strange device, and picked up my cloak. I walked to the back, trying to keep my pace slow so I didn’t irritate my injured midsection anymore.
My body may be nearly healed, but my midsection was still tender, which didn’t surprise me much. After all, my midsection took the worse of it during my fight with that Kabuterimon. Even that medicine I was given could only do so much. If anything, it’s more like a painkiller than actual treatment.
…And I realized that I just stalling myself, I think I had been standing at the backdoor for nearly a minute with my cloak on. Strange, when I realized I was wearing my cloak, I become aware of a fainting ringing noise. I wonder where it was coming from, and I doing it again. Guess I really didn’t want to do this, but the growl and slight pain that came with it remained me that I was in need of food.
Man, I really hoped these massive hunger attacks were just a byproduct of the meds I been on, and not something else entirely. I wasn’t completely confident in revealing myself to the ponies just yet. And if there was something seriously wrong with me, I don’t know if the ponies of this world would have anything to treat me properly.
Man, there I go again, stalling and my body’s knew it too, as it let out its loudest growl and the tightening of my stomach was enough to put the final nail in the coffin, and I cautiously stepped into the back alley, keeping an eye out for ponies as I made my way toward what I hoped was a market place.
(…)
“Let’s see here,” Rarity muttered to herself as she checked her saddlebags. “I got my fabric from the import fabric store, the train with the others doesn’t arrive for another 40 minutes and I will be meeting Twilight at the station in 35 minutes…seems like I have time to get a drink at that lovely little café at the end of the market place.”
The up-and-coming fashion designer was currently trotting down the market area of Canterlot as she waited for her friend’s business with the princess to finish, and then they could catch the train for the long trip to the Crystal Empire.
Rarity sighed with contentment, today was the perfect day for an outing. The skies were clears and the damage from the battle from nearly two weeks was nearly repaired. Truly, nothing could go wrong on such a beautiful day.
“Stop! Thief!”
So, much for that idea, Rarity thought with a dejected sigh and looked to her right.
The Ponyville-born unicorn cocked an eyebrow when she saw the sight near a cart selling Delicious apples. A pale green unicorn with an apron for a cutie mark and mane covered in a baseball cap was currently holding a small Pegasus filly with a purple coat and a blonde mane in his magical grip.
Rarity frowned as she felt something…odd about the filly. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, but something about the filly was calling to her. This feeling was so strong she was ready to jump in and help the poor deal, but she remembered that jumping into things too early could make a problem worse.
“Now, you little thief, where are the rest of my apples?” the stand owner barked in a hush tone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” the filly replied in a calm voice given the position she was currently in. “Yes, I did plan to take an apple, but I was also planning on asking if there was anything I can do to pay off the apple.”
The stand owner wasn’t convinced; he raised the filly just a little higher so he could glare at her directly in the eyes. For her part, the filly was rather unaffected by the glare, in fact, the filly was really calm, something that slightly impressed and disturbed Rarity.
“I know you’re lying to me,” the stand owner said confidently. “I just had a delivery not more than two hours ago, and now an entire crate of apples are missing. So tell me where you store them and I would let the charges slide.”
“Listen, I don’t know what you expect me to say,” the filly said calmly. “But I can tell you that I didn’t steal anything from you.”
If Rarity wasn’t impressed before she certainly was now. Not only was the filly handling things, but she also spoke in a mature manner. Even more impressive was how she showed little fear from being held in a unicorn’s magical hold; she knew from experience how much of a shock that could cause.
Rarity frowned with worry when she noticed the stand owner close to losing his temper. She thought it was time to step in before things got really ugly. She went to make her move and saw something moving behind the stand owned by the apple-selling unicorn. With a quick change in direction, she headed into the back where she saw something…interesting.
“Excuse me, good sir,” Rarity said politely as she stepped out from behind the stand. “But I believe I found the one who had taken your apples.”
The up-and-coming fashion designer took a step to her right and showed the stallion and filly a young colt, with nearly the same coat color at the stand owner, only a shade lighter, and looked quite ashamed about something.
Sour Core?” the owner said, with just a tiny hint of surprise in his voice, and then sighed tiredly. “What was your idea this time?”
Rarity couldn’t help but stare a little…it was like she was almost watching male versions of Applejack and Applebloom, when the young earth filly did something wrong and her big sister‘s scolded her. Even when the young colt began to rub his right hoof against the ground in a clear nervous habit remained the country unicorn of her little sister’s earth pony friend.
“I thought that if I put the crate in a place where a lot of ponies were, I could get the stand some more business,” Sour Core replied after a minute of thought and looked at his father with pleading eyes. “I just wanted to be a good sale pony like you, dad. Is that so wrong?”
The owner sighed tiredly and let the filly go from his magic. The young pegasus instantly began floating in the air, but Rarity did notice some sort of light shimmering around the filly, but decided to let it go and focused on the matter between father and son.
The owner trotted up to his son and placed a hoof onto his son’s shoulder, and give his son a stern but fatherly smile. “Son, you get good ideas, I can admit that, but you execute them poorly,” the owner said in a firm voice. “The crate you took wasn’t marked, so how would ponies know where the apples came from? And why would ponies come here when they could get free apples from a crate just left out in a public area.”
Sour Core looked down at the ground. The young colt was truly ashamed by his actions, that much his father could see and he smiled gently.
“But you did try to return the crate in the end, so I believe a week’s worth of grounding is a fair enough punishment,” the owner stated in a calm voice. Sour Core didn’t like that and looked ready to protest, but his father cut him off. “And I want no “if” “ands” or “buts” from you young stallion. I gave you a task, to help your brother and sister with this month’s deliveries. Instead, you took one of the crates, and that in turn by caused me to make a hasty decision because I just happen to see a young filly trying to take an apple.”
The owner looked at the filly and offered a sincere, apologetic smile. “I am sorry for how I treated you earlier. My son has been causing me a lot of stress lately, and when I noticed that one of my crates was missing I guess I just snapped and took it out on you,” the owner said, his smile turning a little sheepish. “Can you forgive me?”
“It’s happens,” the filly replied with a light shrug. “I’m use to this sort of thing.”
Rarity frowned as she went over the filly’s words in her head. The young pegasus was probably only thirteen-year-old, but to use to something like what happened didn’t sit right with her.
The young fashion designer’s thought were broken when a familiar noise reached her ears, and she looked at the filly who was now wearing a sheepish smile and holding her stomach. Rarity just smiled in a near motherly fashion as she turned to the stand owner.
“Two dozen of your freshest apple, if you would please,” the ivory unicorn asked as she took out her bit pulse from her saddlebag.
The stand owner nodded and went to work with getting the order red, and with aid of his son, the order was quickly filled.
“That would be 21 bits, miss,” the owner said politely as he held the bag of apples in front of him.
Rarity nodded and exchanged the bag of apples with the mentioned amount of bits. The stand owner said a quick thank you and deposited the bits into his register. Rarity next looked at the filly and held out the bag.
“Here you are dear,” the young unicorn said kindly.
“Those are for me?” the filly asked in confusion, Rarity nodded. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take them.”
Rarity giggled under her breath when the child’s stomach broke her tough demeanor and the unicorn gently pushed the bag of apples into hooves.
“Oh, but I insist darling. It‘s not in my nature to turn a soul in need away” Rarity said kindly, then talked in a slightly higher pitch voice, “Especially one as cute as you.”
“Umm, Okay…” the young filly said awkwardly, as she looked at the bag uncertainly and then back at the pony who gave it to her. “But thank you, ms-”
“Please, call me Rarity dear,” the unicorn said, unknowing using a motherly tone with the filly. “And may I ask what you’re name is, dear?
“Umm, it’s…Zoe?” the filly said awkwardly. “And if you excuse me, I really must be going.”
Rarity giggled to herself as she watched Zoe quickly fly away. True there was something off about the young pegasus, but she could tell she was a good filly.
“Ah, it does my heart wonder to see such a good little filly,” Rarity mused to herself as she took out her pocket watch and checked the time. “Hmm, seems like this little detour didn’t take up much of my time. I can still stop at the little café and still be early for my meeting with Twilight.”
Rarity pocketed her watch and proceeded to trot off towards the café, none the wiser that she had a shadow following her, namely four suspicious looking ponies.
I had planned to return to my hideout and tear into these delicious looking apples, but I saw something that kept me from doing just that, a newspaper in a stand. It was a few weeks old, if I’m reading the date, right. What a outdated paper was still doing on the stand I didn’t know, but I didn’t care at the moment as I was looking at the headline.
“…Kazemon of the Wind?” I read softly.
So...I was thinking that these ponies either didn’t have a culture based around Japan or didn’t have much interaction with that culture…or at least, the guy who wrote the headline. Kaze roughly means wind in Japanese, so the whole “Kazemon of the wind” thing seemed a little…silly.
Still, it wasn’t my concern, though I think I might cringe for a while when somepony use that name to describe me, and I was about to head back to my hideout, when a pony walking by me stopped, and looked at me adorably.
“Well bust my buttons,” the pony cooed, “Aren’t you the most adorable little filly I have ever seen. And you look so much cuter holding up that bundle of apples.”
I blinked three times and looked down at my cloaked body. I may not know much about horses, but I did know that a young, female horse was called a filly. So why would she call me that?
I looked back at the blue mare with the orange hair and wearing a black outfit, and said as politely as possible, “Excuse me, Miss, but I must be going?”
I then hurried off before the pony could get a word in edgewise. I think I ran in a random direction for least two minutes before I stopped because the running was starting to irritate my midsection. As I was catching my second wind, and lightly rubbed my injured section to let some of the tension out, I happened to see myself reflection in a store window.
I was only mildly surprised to see a wing filly starting back at me, her slightly shocked expression matching the one I was wearing under my cloak. I quickly recovered and put the pieces together. It had to be the cloak I was wearing; it probably had a spell on that hid my true self. That would explain why pony were just looking at me like some cute little filly.
Though I wouldn’t deny, even if it’s just an illusion, that I made one cute little filly.
GAHHH, there I go again! I couldn’t deny the fact that I was becoming more like a girl the longer I was like this. I really should find out how and why I here and why I’m turned into a character from a Japanese cartoon. I sighed as I quickly realized why I hadn’t been doing that; until my memories fully returned, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I sighed and let out all of these thoughts go for the time being. I was about to get my bearings so I could head back my hideout when I saw something that made me blinked three times. Across the street I saw that unicorn that helped me out earlier, Rarity I think she said her name was, leaving a little café.
I thought about hiding, but I realized that was pointless as the kind unicorn didn’t notice me and headed in off to some place. Part of me felt like running up to her and trying to return the apples she brought me, but I knew that was pointless. Rarity seemed like the kind that once their minds were made up they were no changing it.
Besides, I was hungry, and didn’t want the apples to go to waste.
“Watch where you’re standing, you idiot,” a pony, Pegasus I think they’re called, said rudely as he bumped into me, and caused me to stumble a bit.
I kept myself upright, and looked at the pony that bumped into me. I wanted to get him a piece of my mind, there was plenty of room in the streets so there was no reason he couldn’t go around me.
Whatever words I had for the pony died once I saw the strange green light shining in the crimson pony with a white mane eyes. I was shocked by this and by fact that I felt something was wrong with this pony in general. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to look into this further as the pony just humphed, and walked around me.
I watched as the Pegasus joined with three other ponies, two unicorns and another pegasus, and all four headed in the same direction that Rarity was heading in.
I had lived a very hard life, back when I was still a guy, and that had left me with a little bit of paranoia. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right with that group of ponies, and after a quick debut, I decided to follow them.
So, I took out an apple and munched on it as followed that group of ponies.
(…)
So I was right about those ponies, I kept my distance from them and followed them into a train station and I watched them as they watched Rarity and her friend, Princess Twilight Sparkles, I think I heard her name was, board the train. I first thought that things would end there, but I watched as the two unicorns in the group cast some sort of spell, causing a dome to form around them. The ponies around the station paid them no mind, which meant that dome was a spell meant to misdirect.
The dome was brought down a few seconds later, and the two unicorns were replaced with Pegasi. Changeling, I would like to say I wasn’t all that surprised, but I was as the changelings jumped into the last car as the train was leaving. Here I thought these guys were just creepy, not down right evil…and you had to be evil to hop a train!
So, here’s the dilemma I face…do I continue to follow them and see what they’re up too? But to follow them, I would also need to hop the train, and that wasn’t sitting right with me. On the other hand, if those changelings were targeting Rarity and her friends they could be in a lot of danger…especially if you took into account the orbs that could summon a digimon.
So, with a reluctant sigh, took off and found a nice spot to hide. Once I knew I wasn’t in danger of being seen, put down my half-eaten bag of apples and took off my cloak. I next took out my Digivice and spirit evolved into my new alter-ego. Once the process was finished, I bent down to pick up my stuff and felt a mild pain go through my side. A quick searched revealed the source of my latest pain was none other than the Digivice I found before leaving my hideout.
Why it didn’t change with the rest of me I didn’t know, nor did I have the time to figure it out, either. So I adjusted the device so it wasn’t poking me in my side, and gathered up my stuff. I made one more check and when I knew the cost was clear, I took to the skies and followed the train.
I was able to catch up with the train easily, given that it didn’t have a long head-start, my injuries wouldn’t causing me problems and I was filled with energy from all the apples I had ate. I landed on the back of the last cart, changed back into my human form, and put on my cloak. Once everything was set, I checked the door and opened it when I found it unlocked. I opened it slowly so not make a sound and cautious entered.
I tried to fight off my shock when I noticed the final car had little amount of supplies stored in it. I know the world I currently in was based on a cartoon, but seriously, crates on a passenger train…that just cliché. Still, I was happy for the small hiding places the crates of different supplies offer, as I heard voices and darted between the spaces between the crates.
You know, I still wondered why I couldn’t make it in the army…I mean I had been putting the training I got during that time to good use. Then again, I now sported a smaller-and let's not forget-healthier body then boot camp, and-this really wasn’t the place to be thinking about “what-ifs” and instead focused on the changelings’ conversation.
“Are you sure nopony would bother us?” one of the changeling said in guff but female sounding voice.
“Of course,” another one said in tone that sounded strangely Scottish. “I stole a glamour spell before leaving that palace.”
I frown as I thought over this new bit information, but quickly abandoned it when I realized I didn’t know the first thing of magic, but I knew enough about tones to know these changelings believed themselves save for the time being. Me, on the hand, leaned my head out cautious, so I may get a better view of the changelings. The four had dropped their disguises and the only thing that I could tell that was different between the four was their heights.
“We need a report, 3-3-6-O-9,” the tallest one said in the female voice I heard just now as she looked at the smallest one in the group.
The smallest, I think I would call him Pata after Patamon, arguable one of the smallest rookie digimon out there, nodded and then address the entire group.
“It is how we all feared,” Pata said in a downhearted voice. “A warrior from the red-hive is meeting us at the empire.”
At the mention of this red-hive, a round of groans escaped from the group…except for largest changeling, Lady-D as I would call her, growled in anger.
“Why is the High-King sending a warrior from that hive-” Lady-D spit the word hive out and ironically a small spit ball hit the changeling to her right in the eye, “-We don’t need those arrogant, queen-less warriors’ aid.”
“It’s understandable,” the changeling that was spat on said, calmly wiping his face clear of saliva. “After our bunched mission to gather the love of the ponies during that celebration, it’s only logical that we would be need of aid…at least, for a higher viewpoint.”
Lady-D didn’t like that answer as she backhanded Tento, the name I choose for the poor fellow, and was sent flying into a wall. The other changelings took a few steps back as the largest of their numbers flew into a mad rage. Even I was a little surprise by this, but I kept myself from making any sounds that might put me in danger.
“It’s not fair!” Lady-D screamed frantically. “I had it all planned out. I would gather massive love energy from those pathetic ponies, and than I would kidnap the white friend from the new Princess and drain her dry. I would finally gather enough energy to become a queen-in-waiting!!”
The last few words she said were lost on me as I rushed out of my hiding spot, D-tector in hand, and was already in the process of spirit evolving. The changeling noticed me as my transformation completed itself and I threw my cloak aside, and sent a burst of wind at them. The three changelings were sent into the wall where that other changeling had finally gathered its wit and was peeling itself from the wall, only to have its friends crash into him.
I surprised myself slightly when I sent another burst of wind on them. Than again, all I kept seeing was the gentle smile of Rarity being replaced by an empty husk and that caused me to send another attack at the pony-like bugs, just for good measure. I watched as the four slid to the floor, and waited with a held breath. I began to breathe again when I realized they were down for count.
With a light sigh, I began to change back, only to stop myself midway, surprising myself in the process, and looked at the changelings. If there was one thing I learned from my hard life it’s this; you need to take any edge you could find. At least one of these changelings was at the mess two weeks ago, and I may get some information that may be useful. But first things first…I need bonds these things before they wake up.
(…)
Finding something to tie the changeling up wasn’t all that heard, this was a cargo cart and some rope was hanging on the wall for emergencies. I didn’t even need to wait long for the changelings to regain consciousness, about 20 minutes past before they all began to stir. The largest changeling didn’t like what she saw once she became alert enough to see what state she was in.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lady-D barked angrily, kicking her back legs fiercely when she noticed she was tied up and hanging off the off the wall. When I came into view her eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. “You! I demanded you release me at once, you filthy creature!!”
I scoffed at the tallest changeling in the group, and leveled a glare at her, not that she could see it thanks to the visor that covered most of my face. The picture of a dried-up husk of the pony who was kind and generous to me continued to flash in my mind as I looked at the large changeling, and I felt my anger built, but I choose to let it out instead of trying to keep it at bay like I normally do, and aimed it at Lady-D.
“No, you listen to me,” I said in what I hoped was a menacing tone. “I had my own demands and I want them answered.”
Lady-D just scoffed at me and said in a condescending tone, “And why would someone of the true master race of Equestria talk to such a lower creature like you…slave!!”
And here I was thinking things couldn’t get any more clichéd, I mean I’m in a cargo cart on a passenger train interrogating creatures who thought themselves superior to their foes. Yeah…when did my life become a bad fanfic again?
I quickly decided use this new development to my own ends and held up my left hand, made a partial fist with my index finger out and let a small stream of wind out of the tip. Time to see which one of us was the better actor.
“You know, I can create winds sharp enough to cut through most things.” to drive my point home I used a blade of wind to cut the top of the rope that kept Lady-d on the wall and caught the rope before the changeling hit the ground and lifted her so she was eye level with me. “So unless you want me to start cutting, I suggest you talk.”
I would like to say I wasn’t surprised by my actions, but I was…I had nearly forgotten how different I was when I was angry. That one of the reason I avoid conflict, I don’t want to hurt anyone if I get mad. Still, I wouldn’t deny the results my little threat brought forth; Lady-D’s eyes were wide and I think she was shaking a bit.
“Okay, okay,” the big changeling said frantically. “The High-King has plans, plans to bring Equestria to ruin and rebuilt it in his imagine. But he thinks the new princess and her friends will-hello, my name is Bob but friends call me Bob that Bob spelled backward?”
I blinked under my visor so much I think I might had damaged it in someway. What just happened, the changeling was ready to reveal her leader’s big plans, and suddenly her eyes lost their focus and began talking in a near computerize tone, without the female voice I had come to know.
“What?” was the only response that I could think of after the shock wore a off slightly.
“Hello, my name is Bob but friend Call me Bob that Bob spelled backwards.”
I looked over at my other prisoners and they had the same blink expression as Lady-D and spoke in the same voice at the same time. I gave my head a shake and looked back at Lady-D. Given the elements that live in this world, I put all of money that these changelings were under a spell, and that meant I was screwed.
So much for my hopes of this turning out like an cliché moment from a cartoon and that I might had been able to get some information out of these guys. But couldn’t be a total loss, that spell couldn’t last for long, right?
Kazemon of the Wind: Once again, Wind, Into Battle
“Hello, my name is Bob but friends call me Bob that Bob spelled backwards!”
Five hours. five long-pull your eardrums out so you didn’t have listen anymore-hours…that’s how long this has been going on. And I was nearing my limit. When the changelings first began this chant, I had tried everything I could think of to get them to talk. I did everything from cheap movie tricks to actually hurting them, even it was nothing more than a love-tip. Nothing worked. It was like the spell had taken away all higher functions of the brain and the only thing they were capable of doing was saying that annoying line.
Whatever spell was on these creatures were strong and I probably wouldn’t be able to break it. So I was left was just waiting around, since I didn’t know how the spell that was over cart worked, so I figured it would be waste to try and get the ponies on this train attention. So, I just waited, eating my full of apples and trying not to make any sudden move as my wounds were starting to bother me again.
And to make this mutter worse, it was starting to get really cold. Thankfully my cloak was thick enough that I could avoid hyperthermia. But that did get me curious to the train’s destination, but I was afraid to leave my prisoners, fearing that they would come out of whatever spell they’re under and would get away.
I sigh slightly as I took a bit out of my last apple and chewed slowly, my mind going over things. I really wished that I knew more about the cartoon I found myself in, then maybe I wouldn’t be so unprepared for this. This thought was quickly turned away, as I realize this world wasn’t like the cartoon, if the creatures from a cartoon made in a foreign land told me anything.
I let out another sigh as I brought my apple up for another bite, when a sudden click caught my attention. I looked at the door as it was only the thing in the room that had a lock, and became confuse. I thought that there was some kind of spell on the cart that no pony could get in.
It suddenly clicked with me, about the conversion I eavesdropped when I found the changelings. They said that were meeting someone from a red hive for a mission. So, it would easy to assume that this other changeling also could bypass the spell. With that information burning bright in my mind, I reached from my D-tector, but I was to slow, as the door slammed open and a magical red energy zoomed from the archway. Out of reflex, my free moved quickly and put my hood up as the magical energy slammed into me, and I grunted as I was lifted from the ground.
I tried move but my found that my arms and legs felt like lead weights. I couldn’t even move my little pinkie, and for that I felt like kicking myself for my previous action.
Stupid, so stupid, I thought to myself. Instead of trying to spirit evolve I put my hood up to hide my identity. Still, I wasn’t all too sure that wasn’t the right move, as the red hive changeling strolled into cart. I could feel my throat tighten as I got a look at the newcomer.
The red hive changeling, Pie for lack of a better name, was taller then the changelings from the green hive; I would have to say he’s about three feet taller than the changeling that had kept me company for the past five hours. But it wasn’t just his height that was intimating...the changeling was built like a rock! Even though Pie was wearing near full-body armor, I could clearly see the muscles on the bug-like creature’s body.
Speaking of armor…it scared me just as much as the creature wearing it. His boots nearly went up to his body leaving just enough space that the changeling could move without hindrance. I noticed that there’s a long claw folded in on the outside of the front boots, and I shudder to think what those could be used for.
Next, was the armor covering his body. The armor was covered small spikes, two located at the back, one located on each shoulder, and two long ones under his wings. Speaking of his wings, I noticed that the Pie’s wings were slightly higher up than the wings on the green hives.
Finally, the helm Pie was wearing had a really menacing look to it. The mouthpiece has been molded to fit the changeling’s mouth and there were razor “teeth” on the corner of the mouth. Finally, there were two long and razor sharp horn sticking out from the side of the helm.
The red changeling caught me staring and gave me a glare that caused my blood to run cold. Its times like this that I wished that I had gotten a better draw during that lottery and I had gotten a digimon like the warrior of fire or light. Heck, I would have taken beetlemon, and he’s my least favorite digimon out of that entire season.
“Hello, my name is Bob but my friends call me Bob that’s Bob spelled backwards.”
Pie looked at the captive green hive changelings with a condescending glare as he walked up to them. Strangely, as the changeling walked past me, I turned so I could see what was happening. I didn’t know if that was a side-effect of the spell or if the changeling just like to had an onlooker when he works
“Honestly, all it takes is one little hatchling to scare you all into capture mode,” Pie snorted condescendingly as he horn lit up crimson. “If it wasn’t for your energy collecting abilities, you green hivers would be deadweight.”
The ropes I used on the changeling glowed in Pie’s magic and they exploded into sand a second later. The green changeling landed on their butts, but they didn’t seem to notice, they just uttering that same phrase like nothing had happened.
“Form up, you poor excuses of changeling!” the red changeling ordered, his horn glowing.
The green changelings, eyes still vacant, stood at attention, and Pie gave me one last condescending look before marching out of the cart. The spell on me lasted for nearly a whole minute before it ended and I fell to the floor. I moaned as I felt my side, that landing really didn’t do any favor for my injuries. Still, I tried to shake off the pain as I got to my feet and threw off my cloak.
As I began to spirit evolve, my mind raced. If the changeling were here, wherever this place was, it couldn’t be good. Add to that mix the red changeling, which was clearly trained and prepared for battle, and I fear for the ponies of this place. About the only positive thing I could get out of this event experience was the arrogance that red changeling showed. It clearly didn’t consider me a threat, but I honestly didn’t know if I could use that in any way.
I pushed off all these thoughts aside as I finished evolving into my digimon form, and ignoring the pain throbbing around my midsection, flew out of the train cart and high into the sky. I just hope I am in time; I don’t want a repeat of what happen back at Canterlot.
(…)
Things had been really quiet since Twilight Sparkle had entered the mirror to a different world, and Princess Celestia was thankful for that. About the only interesting thing that had happened in the day and half since Twilight had traveled through the mirror, were listening in on rumors about that mysterious creature that helped during the second changeling attack on Canterlot.
Helped, Celestia thought sourly. It more like that filly saved us all. If she hadn’t been there…well, I don’t want to think about the outcome if she wasn’t there.
“You know,” Rainbow Dash said offhandedly, “If I ever seen that weird thing around, I want what‘s owed to me.”
Applejack sighed slightly as she put the cards she and the fashion designer had been playing with, and looked at the young flyer. “Ya’re still on about that, Dash?” the farmer asked nonchalantly.
Rainbow Dash leveled a small glare at her farming friend, and said offensively, “I trademarked that move and I’m owes royalties when somepony uses my move!!”
Rarity looked up from her cards and said, “Correct me if I’m wrong, darling, but I thought the Wonderbolts are the only ponies allowed to trademark a move?”
Rainbow Dash didn’t like that remark and looked ready to say something about it, only to be interrupted when a duo of crystal guards came barreling into the chamber Twilight’s friends and the three princesses were current in.
“What’s seems to be the trouble?” Celestia asked calmly.
The guards looked at the princess currently ruling them, and Cadance nodded for them to proceed.
“well, you highnesses, creatures like the one that attacked Canterlot a while ago has been spotted near a deserted area of the kingdom,” one of the guard explained calmly.
Celestia’s eyes widened upon hearing this and wanted to head off to deal with the satiation. The only thing stopping her was the knowledge that she was waiting on her former student. Her sister’s must had sensed her hesitation and offered her older sister’s a small smile.
“Go,” Luna said encouragingly, “I will stay here and let you know if Twilight returns. After all, we don’t need three princesses getting the way of each other.”
Celestia gave her sister a small smile and looked at her former student’s friends. Even without words the older princess knew that the group was already with her, and she nodded. Together, the group left the room that housed the mirror to another world and hurried through the castle’s hall to its observation deck. Celestia instantly took a post at the telescope and looked into it. She frowns when she saw the fire-like digimon doing little but smashing empty buildings.
Celestia looked at a guard and asked, “You said the area the digimon are in is deserted, may I ask why?”
One of the guards sighed shamefully and looked at the ground. “That area fell into disarray during one of Sombra’s less controlled outbursts. We had been forced to have all citizens of that area to leave as we tried to repair the buildings before they become even more unstable.”
The guard continued with his report, but Celestia tuned him out as she looked back into the scope. Something wasn’t right here. Changelings were the only known beings with the magic to summon these creatures, so one would reason that a changeling summoned these creatures. But she couldn’t find one trace of said creature. And if a changeling did summon them, why just go after empty buildings?
“Guard-stallions,” Celestia commanded calmly, looking at the two guards, “Make haste and gather as many guards as you can. We need to stop these digimon before they reach the inside of the empire.”
Though confused by this sudden order, the two guards quickly followed it and hurried off to get as many guards as they could find. Even Twilight’s friends were a little confused by this sudden turn of events.
“Is everything okay, Princess Celestia?” Rarity asked on concern.
“Just something doesn’t feel right about all of this, and I want to get to the bottom of things before it spirals out of control,” Celestia replied calmly and began walking towards the door to the deck.
The others exchanged uncertain looks before they hurried after their princess, some secretly wishing that Twilight was with them at the moment.
(…)
I realized something wasn’t right here…the changelings had a near four minutes head start on me, and yet I found them not to far off of the station, in what was clearly a deserted area, and they had already summoned four Meramon to aid them in a fight. And all they were doing smashing empty buildings.
So yeah, there’s something not right here, but I couldn’t let this continue, or they might get closer to a more populated area. Still, I must remember to be a more cautious this time around. I realized what caused me such problems in my first fight was that I treating this entire experience like an episode of Digimon.
I learned that hard way that wasn’t going to work. So with that in mind, I landed in an alley near two Meramon and watched for a minute. These digimon must newly summoned, they completely lack colors, and just seems to be following orders. I could use that in my favor. I tried to keep to the shadows and watch the two Meramon, waiting for the right moment. During this tense moment, I tried to focus my wind, making it as sharp as possible. The effort wasn’t easy, but I somehow managed to do it, and let the razor sharp of wind fly.
The attack was aimed from the necks and it looked like my wind would hit it mark…burnt toast, The Meramon on the left moved enough that my attack only grazed his neck. Thankfully, my attack hit dead with the other Meramon and he was turned into data as he head was set free of its shoulders. Unfortunately the fact that they fellow digimon “died” didn’t go unnoticed and they zoned-in on my location.
With my position now made, I decided it was pointless to keep myself in a confined space and stepped out into the open. I was ready to fight the soulless digimon when that annoying (and let's not forget, cliché) slow clapping was heard to my right. I looked in that direction and saw Pie and the still spell-shocked Green changelings appear out of thin air.
“Not bad, not bad at all,” Pie said condescendingly, his horn glowing with his magic. “But you end has come.”
The red changeling didn’t give me a chance to ask what he meant, as he fired his magic high into the air. I tried to keep my panic in check as a dome of red magical energy encased the area, one of its walls dangerously close to me. I studied the area and frown when I noticed how the dome was set up. There was enough move that I could easily dodge the three Meramon with little problem. The only problem I could see was the roof was to low, I wouldn’t be able to get high enough to right-out avoid the Meramon attacks.
It was clear that Pie wanted to keep me close to the ground, but that’s okay. I’m light enough that I should be able to dodge any incoming attack with relative easy.
“Now, tear that lower being to ribbons,” Pie ordered coldly.
The Meramon charged soundlessly and I saw an opening wide enough that I could easily slip past them. Question is should I do that? I’ just realized this has all been a trap, and I foolishly stepped right into it. Still, if I could get past them and into the center of the area, I should be able handle things with little problem.
So, with that mind, I took off racing toward the gap in between the Meramon. Suddenly, the two Meramon made the opening wider, but I didn’t get a chance to go through it as Pie suddenly ported in and fired a blast from his horn. The blast hit me dead center and I was thrown back into the wall of the dome.
The second my back touched the dome, a burst of magical surge out of the wall and would had blasted my injured midsection, if my digimon instincts hadn’t alerted to incoming discharge. It was those same instincts that caused me to thrust my hands to dome’s wall and use some wind to move myself away from the wall just as just as the discharge would have hit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough and a small burst hit my midsection.
I groaned as I fell to my knee and held my midsection. That discharge must have grazed me, but I pain I felt surging through me was the worst I had felt in weeks. I was struggling to gather myself before I’m attacked.
“Hmm, I can see why the High-King is so concerned about you?” I looked up when I heard the condescending tone of Pie and saw he was still between the Meramon. “To bad you didn’t realize this spell creates a dome that attacks your weakest point.”
Yeah, I got the message before you even delivered it, you prick, is what I wanted to say if I wasn’t busy kicking myself. All of this has been trap, like I first thought, but this trap was aimed at me, and worse, I fell right into it. And the icing on this sour cake is the red changeling methods, he use his digimon in such a different way then the green hive I couldn’t figure his plans until it was too late.
My thoughts were interrupted when my advance digimon instincts told me something was coming at me. I turned my head slightly to my right and saw a fireball handing my way. My instincts took over and I jumped up, arcing over the ball and watching as it slammed into the dome. I frown when I saw the dome ripple and distorts until the attack dissolved.
I used my built momentum to do a handstand jump and soar over the soulless digimon and their changeling handler. I flipped around and use my wings to soften my landing and looked at the dome. Pie had said that spell that created the dome targets anyone weakness that came into contact with it. But what would happen if something that had no weakness...guess there was only one way to find out.
I couldn’t help but sigh mentally as I took off at full speed at a nearly Meramon. I really did think that I did some sort of death wish, as I position my body forward and slammed into the fire-type with all of my might. I needed to bite my lip to keep myself from crying with pain as I used my built momentum to flip over and sent a burst of wind at the off-balance Meramon. The fire-type was sent flying into the shield and I watch as the spell zoned on the Meramon as tried to find a weakness and couldn’t find one. I couldn’t help but wince as I watched the dome discharge erratically. And it didn’t help that the digimon wasn’t screaming as the energy discharged into its body.
The digimon exploded into data, which didn’t reform into a digiegg, with one final discharge from the dome. I watched as the spot where the Meramon was just a moment ago ripple erratically before the spot opened up. I watched as the dome dissolved into nothingness and I might have cheered at my work…if the pain in my midsection wasn’t making me a little lightheaded. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline surging through me, I doubt I would be standing at this moment.
“Not bad,” I heard Pie said, actually impressed by the feet I just did. “You figure out something that took modern changeling mages mouths to learn.”
I suddenly didn’t like the look in the changeling’s eyes. I knew that look all too well, he was sizing me up. I tried to put up a brave front by getting into a fighting stance, but I think Pie saw through it.
“But, judging from the way you’re holding yourself, you have reached your limit,” even though I couldn’t see under the changeling helm, I could feel the arrogant grin on his face as his horn lit up and opened a hidden compartment on his forward boot. “Normally I would relish in taking you down personally, but I think this is more fitting.”
My eye snapped open completely when I saw him lift two summoning orbs from the compartment. Great, just great, that arrogant prick was planning on summoning more digimon, and with the state I’m in, I doubt that I could handle anymore trouble. To my surprise, Pie didn’t throw the orbs to the ground, like I thought he would, but threw them at the two Meramon instead.
I heard the orb break on the fire-types’ backs and watched as energy began to surge around them. No, it couldn’t be what I thought it was, could it? Please, don’t let this be what I thought it was, I could barely handle these two if I was in peak condition, so there was no way I could fight them if they…digivolve.
Unfortunately for me, my fears were confirmed when the Meramon began to glow and I watch as their formed altered slightly, growing in height and muscle mass. The light died down and I saw the muscular, black pants wearing, chain covered, gray bodies, metal skull marks, and two-tone hair of…
“…SkullMeramon.” I whispered dreadfully.
One of the menacing looking digimon let out a fierce roar and charged. I gasp, and guided by my digimon instincts took to the air, the adrenaline in my system dulling the pain for the time, as I fly high into the air.
This wasn’t good, not good at all. My human form wouldn’t be able to handle two ultimate digimon, even if my body was good shape. And to make matter worse, digivolving seemed to have sped up the realization progress. They were still following what orders were given to them when they were first summoned, but who knows how long that was going to last. I shudder to think what those two digimon would do once they were fully realized.
What-oh, my digi-sense was going off at full force, and I turned around. My eye snapped when I saw a large slump of crystal flying at me.
Wind, Call on the Joker (Joke on Equestria X-over)
Zoe could barely move her arms into position as a small chunk of crystal was thrown her way. Unfortunately she had misjudged where the piece was aimed, and she groaned when the piece collided with her midsection. She wrapped her arms around the injured section more out of habit than anything, as she tried to go a little higher in the air.
She needed space to think and plan her next move, but the semi-controlled digimon wouldn’t let that happen, as two chains snapped out and twisted around Zoe’s legs. She didn’t have time to even let out more than a small, surprised yelp as she was slammed to the ground. She finally screamed as flames quickly melted through her boots and began scorching her flesh. Still, she tried to shrug off the pain as best she could. She flipped into her hands and began spinning, creating a small twister in the process.
The SkullMeramon were far stronger however, and the two pulled the young hybrid from her attempted attack, as the dark digimon on the right let out a powerful stream of blue fire. Zoe cried out as the flames covered her entire body, and threatened to consume her, her digimon form flickering. It was just from sheer force of will that she was able to keep herself from turning back into her human form, which would probably have resulted in her death.
Unfortunately, all this act seemed to had done was prolong her fate for just a few more seconds, as the second flame-based digimon joined in when it noticed that its partner’s own attack wasn’t doing the trick. Still, Zoe held on, the image of the withered husk of the kind pony who helped her when she needed it motivated her to push her body beyond what she thought was possible.
Luck seemed to be on her side as the fire suddenly died down and Zoe noticed that the two SkullMeramon were panting a little. Seems like they had reached their limits but she wasn’t in the best of shape to use that to gain any ground against the two ultimate level digimon. And she had another problem to deal with... with the chains still wrapped tightly around her legs, there was very little she could do, in the way of escaping.
What can I do? Zoe thought. I don’t have the strength to break free. The only thing I had left is to blindside them, and hope that I somehow get free... burnt toast! I can’t believe I’m going to do something stupid, AGAIN!
While mentally grumbling to herself about having a death wish, Zoe launched herself at the SkullMeramon. Unfortunately, the two ultimate digimon knew enough to simply open the space between them, and Zoe flew right past them. Next, the two digimon yanked on their chains and pulled Zoe back to them. They both unleashed a stream of fire that sent Zoe flying, releasing the hybrid from their chains.
Zoe wasn’t able to free herself from the stream of fire, as she was too distracted with keeping herself a digimon to do anything else. Therefore she was unable to react quick enough to brace herself as she slammed right into a wall of a nearby home.
The digimon were certain that their opponent was down for the count and moved in for the kill. Zoe heard them coming but could do very little to react, her entire body was screaming at her as she slid down to the ground. She somehow found the strength to stand and face her foes. One of the SkullMeramon was spinning its chain, the fire that covered it making the crystal floor catch fire as the chain touched it.
Zoe growled under her breath as she tried to think of anything that could save her. A thought suddenly popped into her mind, and she remembered that strange message she got after picking up that G1 Digivice.
Doubt still lingered in the mind of the young hybrid. She still didn’t know the meaning behind the device, or where it even came from for that matter. Still... with all of her other options closed, the digivice was the only thing she had left to rely on. So, carefully sliding her hand to where the digivice rested on her transformed being, she muttered under her breath as she pressed a few buttons, “Please, if anyone is out there, help the ponies that did nothing wrong.”
There was a blinding flash of light and Zoe quickly covered her eyes. The light died down a few seconds later, but she found that her eyes were having trouble adjusting, though she did make out several figures.
“And we were just about to eat...” a man sighed, shaking his head. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a Flamemon standing with an Impmon, both looking unhappy with their new surroundings.
Zoe was in near shock at the sight, and that was saying something if you consider how weird her life had been. But some part of her felt like geeking out, as she was looking at two digimon from the very anime her character was also from, and these ones didn’t try to attack on her sight.
“I’m gonna be honest, I’m really glad I don’t digivolve into you ugly bastards,” the Impmon spoke, looking up at the SkullMeramon.
The two ultimate level digimon didn’t react to the Impmon’s taunts, instead choosing to carry out their order to “Attack Kazemon until she can’t stand anymore,” by attacking the newcomers. They decided to go after Impmon as they probably saw him as the weakest at time.
“Impmon digivolve to! Wizardmon!” He changed forms, becoming a child sized humanoid wearing orange clothes, a hat and cloak. He jumped back, whacking one in the face with his staff.
The SkullMeramon weren’t impressed and just fired their blue fire at the newly changed digimon, and Zoe thought that it was all done but the crying. She was again surprised when the champion level leapt out of the way.
“Stop messing around and go ultimate, Alex,” the Flamemon called, holding his hands out and conjuring up his spirits. “Fusion spirit evolution!” He slammed them together, morphing into a tall, armored, dragon like being with wings made out of fire. “Aldamon!”
If Zoe wasn’t surprised before she was now... and if she was being honest, maybe feeling a little jealous as she watched the fusion hybrid in all of his glory began to fight the other SkullMeramon. Things could had gone differently if she had across to her beast spirit instead of standing around feeling like the world’s largest paperweight.
She tried to push all of these negative thoughts into the back of her mind and focused on the fight. She knew that the changelings were still around, and things could get worse if she let one of them use a summoning orb on even one of the SkullMeramon.
“Wizardmon digivolve to! Baalmon!” the Wizardmon changed again, this time into a taller human like figure, his body shrouded in a cloak. His left arm hung past his elbow, while his right appeared to be no more than an empty sleeve.
The SkullMeramon paused as both sensed that the tide of battle was about to change, but it lasted less than a second and the two were once again on the attack. One of the dark digimon threw its chain at Baalmon, but the taller digimon ducked out of the way and slashed at the SkullMeramon’s exposed chest with his short sword. The flaming digimon stumbled back a few steps, but the slash was too shallow to do any lasting harm, and it unleashed its flames onto the other ultimate digimon.
“Atomic Inferno!” Aldamon shouted, unleashing a barrage of fireballs from the weapons on his wrists.
Zoe turned away from the battle between the SkullMeramon and Baalmon to look at the other battle. Aldamon wasn’t doing too bad either, he was overwhelming his opponent with sheer power, though she noted that the other flame-powered digimon didn’t seem to be taking much damage, due to also wielding the power of fire.
The young hybrid frowned when she noticed something about the SkullMeramon that Aldamon was fighting. She looked at the one that Baalmon was fighting and saw the same result on the other summoned digimon, and she realized what was happening; both were close to becoming real digimon, just like the one she fought against when she first came to this world. If that was the case then things could get ugly fast.
Or things could get worse, Zoe thought grimly when she saw the red changeling emerge from the shadow, a summoning orb in his magical grip. If he used that thing on one of his summoned digimon, it would cause it to go to the mega-level.
Zoe’s eyes snapped open when she saw the orb go flying and turned to warn Aldamon about the danger, only to see something that made her inner fangirl explode with glee.
“Solar Wind Destroyer!” Aldamon shouted, summoning forth a massive orb of solar energy and hurling it at a SkullMeramon. It hold in pain before shattering and reverting back to an egg.
Zoe couldn’t help but smile. The attack from the high level digimon not only neutralized the digimon, but also destroyed the orb in the process. The red changeling decided things weren’t going to work out in its favor and beat a hasty retreat. Zoe frowned as she saw bright flames as the changeling rounded a corner, and she couldn’t make out the form it had taken.
Still, the young hybrid sighed with relief. Since the changeling had retreated, it would be a lot easier to take out the last digimon and with that thought in mind, she looked at the other battle.
“Kamiuchi!” Baalmon shouted, ducking under the remaining SkullMeramon’s fire breath, striking him across the neck with his sword. He bowed his head as the SkullMeramon howled in pain before reverting to an egg.
Zoe breathed with relief as she looked around. When she was sure that no one else was around, she finally gave in to her exhaustion and reverted back to her human form. The digimon also reverted to their lower forms, and the Flamemon looked at Zoe like he had seen a ghost. Unfortunately before anyone could get a word in edgewise, Zoe fell to the ground, the last of her energy completely spent.
The last thing she recalled before losing consciousness completely was the sound of someone coming towards her.
(Zoe's POV)
As I slowly came back from the world of dreams, I figured I had been out for a long time. I had two of my flashback dreams, and I only get those when I had my butt handed to me. So, I tried to push the lingering sense of defeat from my mind as I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the room.
It was bright, brighter than a hospital room should be... or at least I think I’m in a hospital. My memory’s a little fuzzy on some things. The last thing I could remember clearly was seeing a battle between four digimon. But that raises the question of how I got wherever I currently am.
As though the universe were answering my question, the Flamemon from earlier came into my line-of-sight, and I quickly noticed the strange mix of regret and longing in his eyes.
“What’s going on?” I asked weakly. “Where am I?”
“We brought you to the hospital,” he explained, pulling up a chair. He sat down before speaking again. “Of course, I took the liberty of contacting the princesses for you. While they’re on their way, we should talk about a few things.”
Truthfully, I was at a complete loss, and I really didn’t know where to begin. But something told me to listen to what this digimon had to say. I looked the Flamemon in the eyes and nodded slowly.
“You are what’s called a Displaced, a human sent to a version of Equestria, usually after buying an enchanted item at a con. Get used to this, you aren’t going home.”
I was kinda confused, but not for reasons one would think. I truly didn’t have a reason to go home, so that didn’t bother me as much as the Flamemon probably thought it might. And I’m probably sure I didn’t buy something that sent me, though I might be wrong on that end. I’m still having trouble piecing together what really happened that fateful day.
Still, one question was nagging at me, and I looked at my fellow legendary warrior. “But how exactly did you and that Impmon get here?” I asked curiously. “As far as I know, only changelings can summon digimon, and theirs start out as soulless slaves.”
“You summoned us here from our version of Equestria,” he explained. “By the way, I’m Willy.”
“I used to be called Richard, but I think going with Zoe is better suited for me at the moment,” I replied sheepishly, and slowly held out my left hand. “But it’s nice to meet you, Willy.”
“Same.” He took my hand, shaking it. He let go after a moment, looking away.
I frowned when I noticed how he looked at me before averting his eyes. I may not be the best judge of character, but I knew enough when someone was trying to avoid something, and I decided it would be better to leave it alone. It wasn’t polite to push matters that others are trying to avoid or are sensitive to.
Not that it mattered, as the door opened and Twilight, her friends, and the two older princesses walked through the room. I couldn’t stop the giggle when I saw the Impmon, Alex I think I remember Willy calling him, sitting on the white Princess’s back, her flowing hair covering him in such a way it looked like he was wearing some weird dress.
When she saw me, the white pony, I think I remember hearing her name was Princess Celestia, smiled in a near motherly fashion.
“Good, I see you are awake,” Princess Celestia said calmly.
I don’t know why but I suddenly felt very small in the regal pony’s presence. I was fighting with my instinct to keep myself from hiding under my covers.
“Relax, you’re scaring the girl,” Willy snapped, glaring at Celestia.
I couldn’t help but blink at the sudden mood change that Willy underwent. How did he did even know what I was feeling around the princess?
“My apologies, it wasn’t my intention to frighten her,” Princess Celestia replied calmly, looking at Willy with sincerity.“
Alright, just checking,” Willy replied, his tone softening.
Princess Celestia nodded and looked at me with same sincerity she had shown Willy. “And I am truly sorry if I scared you in any way.”
“No, no,” I replied hastily, feeling like my face was suddenly in a pizza oven. “It was nothing, I was just blown over by the power you were giving off.”
That’s when it hit me, why I felt the way i did when Princess Celestia first entered the room. I could feel the power coming off of her. It was similar to how I was able tell who was a changeling and who wasn’t.
It was becoming increasingly clear that I had more powers than just being able to transform into digimon. But that could wait until later, when I was fully healed. Beside, I had another pressing matter.
“Willy,” I said calmly, getting the Flamemon’s attention. “You said you came from a different Equestria, right?
“Yeah, my friends and I were all sent to another Equestria after we bought something at a con,” he explained. “When we came to, we were all sent to various points in time as all kinds of digimon.”
I nodded, though it was basically the extended version of his story he had just given me, I was still confused by one thing.
“How do you get back to your world?” I asked curiously. “In fact, how were you able to come here? I think you left that part out?”
“You used our token. Displaced can send an item connected to them out into the void. Other Displaced can use it to call you to their world,” he explained, leaning back in his chair.
I nodded, believing I understood what I needed to do. But the question remained of where the token I used was located. Thankfully, someone was on the ball, as Alex jumped from Princess Celestia back and held out his right hand-like claw, and I could clearly see the Digivice in it.
“It fell off of you when you fainted.” The calm and somewhat fatherly tone used by Impmon threw me off slightly. I’m more used to the rude and crude Impmon the Tamers anime was so fond of.
Still, I took it and muttered an awkward thank you and looked at Willy for a little more guidance.
“You could send us back, but I don’t think either of us minds sticking around for a little bit longer.” Willy smiled, though it was a sad one.
There it was about, something hidden deep within that smile. I figure it has something to do with the fact that I’m Kazemon – no, that can’t be it. It has to be something else.
Still, I offered a sincere smile. “I would like that, especially if you can help with my own problems. I can’t impose, but I can promise you that if I ever need help I will call on you. So please, tell me how to send you home.”
“To send us home, all you have to do is say, ‘Digidestined, our contract is complete,’” Alex explained.
I nodded and did I was told, saying the words that I was just told and holding out the digivice. To my surprise I watched as they broke up into fractal code, vanishing into the aether.
I smiled a as i realized that I might have made some good friends, but now wasn’t the time to rejoice, as it was time to address the elephant in the room. I looked at the ponies who had been polite enough to wait until I was done talking with my friends, and could feel my smile turn a little sheepish as i noticed the stares I was getting.
“I bet you all have a lot of questions, and I will do everything in my power to answer them,” I said sheepishly.
“And that’s how I came here,” I said, as I finished telling my tale to everyone in the room.
I had just finished answering every question thrown at me and told everypony in the room of what I knew happened to me, and I was now gauging on how everypony was reacting. Not to my surprise, the eldest princess’ faces was completely neutral, nothing of their inner workings were showing, and that I made a bit nervous.
I pushed this feeling into the farthest part of my mind and looked at the others. Twilight, I think her name was, was feverishly writing down everything I had told her in the last 20 minutes. She was another one that scared me a little, I didn’t miss the hungry looks she was giving me whenever a new subject was brought up, like my ability to change species with ease.
Something told me that I should avoid Twilight for a while.
“So, let me get this straight,” Rainbow Dash asked, bringing me back to reality, and I looked at her. “You said you used to be a stallion, but somehow got turned into a filly, right?”
I nodded my head slowly, an uneasiness washing over me as I noticed something in the cyan pony’s eyes. To her credit, she did try to resist...for a total of five seconds before she fell onto her side and laughed like a crazy person. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes slightly, I had a feeling she was one of these types...still, I had to admire that she tried not to laugh.
“Rainbow Dash!!” Rarity shrieked softly, as she grabbed an old magazine from the stand, rolled it up and hit the winged pony on the head. “Stop that this instant!”
Rainbow had a look of annoyance on her face as she pushed the magazine away and stood up. “Oh, come on, even you got to admit it’s funny,” the young flyer said in her defense.
Rarity just huffed and brought her weapon to the front. “Regardless if it’s funny or not, I thought you would have known better. What if you have suddenly found yourself in a new place, with your body change beyond your own understanding?” the unicorn asked sharply.
This seemed to had struck a chord with Rainbow as she looked at her wings. She must had stared her wings for a solid minute, opening and closing them slowly. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she was imaging what it was like to have her pride and joy taken from her.
When she finally looked away from the limbs, she had a sympathetic look to her eyes aimed right at me. I might have a smiled at the gesture...if those looks still had any effect on me. If anything the look was making me uncomfortable. Thankfully, a wise pony decided to interject before things got too uncomfortable.
“I believe we have learned all we can for the time being,” Princess Celestia said in her regal but motherly tone. “We should let Zoe rest for now. We must also come to solution of where she would be staying for the time being.”
I noticed the look in Twilight’s eyes and she opened to her mouth…
“I will host her!” Rarity quickly said.
Everypony in the room, Rarity and myself included, were a little taken back by this sudden outburst, and immediately everypony was looking at her. Rarity let out a nervous giggle and played with her mane when she realized everyone was looking at her.
“I mean, since she told us that clothing is basically needed for her kind, I figure I could host her as I prepare more outfits for her,” the white unicorn said, in a surprisingly calm manner. “And I also have a spare room made, for when my dear parents need a place to stay. So I wouldn’t be stressing myself out with trying to find a place for her to rest.”
That...actually made sense, it would save me a trip to get whatever outfit she made from me, and it also would get me away from Twilight. I have nothing against the young princess, I just didn’t want to be turned into some sort of lab experiment. And since I didn’t know all the other that much, I figure the one pony I had at least one encounter with was probably the safest bet.
“I would be honored to stay at your place, Miss Rarity,” I said politely and bowed slightly.
Rarity looked at me, and it also looked like she wanted to say something. I, unfortunately, interrupted her when a big yawn escaped me. This seems to get everypony on the same page, and it wasn’t long before Princess Celestia was ushering every single pony out of the room in an orderly fashion.
“I believe we have overstayed welcome,” the elder princess said calmly. “We must let our young filly regain her energy before we can continue.”
“But, I have so much more to ask,” Twilight whined.
But the princess was having none of it, she just picked everypony up with her magic and filed out the door. Princess Luna was the last pony out, and she gave me a look before she closed the door leaving me alone with my thoughts. Or, she would have, if another yawn didn’t leave me, making me realize that I was still tired from everything that happened.
So, after a quick fluffing of my pillow, I lay down as I pulled the sheets up to my neck and tried to get myself comfortable. That little harder than I thought, my midsection was still in a bit of pain, but soon, I was about to find a position where pain didn’t shoot through it, and I drifted off into a dreamless sleep soon after.
(...)
“ARE YOU SURE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW!” Dusk screamed angrily.
Xena just nodded her head, completely unphased by her master’s outburst. Duck growled fiercely and began to pace in a somewhat angry manner, the wind blowing his cloak wildly around him.
Currently, the cloaked figure and his changeling slave were in a chasm not too far from Griffonstone, where Duck search had led him to where he thinks another spirit was located. He was preparing to scale down the side when Xena had came to give her weekly report.
Needless to say, Dusk wasn't thrilled with what he heard.
“No, no, nononono!” He shrieked in a near erratic manner. “I didn’t expect that simpleton to figure out the tokens so soon. What if that trans finds one of the tokens I threw away? What if she finds one that knows of my plan!? I CAN’T LET ALL OF THESE YEARS GO TO WASTE!!”
Xena watched as her master pace back and forth, his steps become angrier with each passing second. The enslaved changeling didn’t know what had gotten her master so upset, but what was left of her free will told not to interfere.
Dusk started settling after a near ten-minute rant and took a couple of calming breaths. He looked at the chasm, thinking of what to do with this new development. He took his D-sector, and a plan finally took form, as a remember something he once overheard about the character the trans turned into. He exchanged the device for an old and beat-up tablet and opened it. After spending five minutes on the battered tool, Dusk turned his attention to his enslaved changeling.
“Xena, go into town and retrieve these items,” the cloaked figure listed off the items he needs and Xena took off once she was sure her master was finished issuing his orders.
Dusk watched as his changeling changed into a griffon with chocolate brown feathers and disappeared over the horizon. He next turned to the chasm’s mouth and jumped with a second thought, even though he didn’t have anything to support him.
“EXECUTE!! SPIRIT EVOLUTION!!!” Dusk screamed as a black light shines from the chasm, accompanied by the roar of a fierce beast.
(...)
It took Dusk roughly 40 minutes to find his prize and escape from the chasm, and to his annoyance, Xena hadn’t returned yet. It was nearly 15 later before the enslaved changeling returned with the items she was sent into town to retrieve.
“What took you so long?” the mysterious figure demanded impatiently.
“My deepest apologies, master,” Xena replied with a slight bow. “The griffons of that town were more problematic than I anticipated. In the end, I had to resort to stealing bits to get the items you wanted.”
“But you did get them, right?” Dusk demanded.
Xena nodded and took out the items from a bag, and Dusked looked at the four items. He grinned under his hood when he saw the large roll of fabric, the tatter belt, a hair tie, and a pair of glasses.
“Excellent,” he dusk moaned slightly, and then looked at his slave, “Now, Xena, I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m going to say.”
The enslaved changeling gave her master her undivided attention and the cloaked figure began to lay out his plan. Within five and half minutes, a magical circle had been carved into the ground, with Xena in the center and the four items encircling her.
“Now, I need you to as I told, and changed into the form I showed you,” Dusk said coldly, “Do you think you can handle that.”
“Yes, Master,” Xena replied without hesitation. “Though would be difficult as I had never tried to take a form like what you want before.”
“Don’t worry your simple little head over that detail,” Dusk retorted confidently, as he pulled out a spell book from within his cloak. “Now change!”
Xena nodded and began to change; her sickly green fire began to emerge from the tips of her back legs. Dusk chanted in old Ponyish, and the magic circle began to activate.
The item became infused with magical energy, siphoned from the changeling as Xena was lifted from the ground at the same the items started to glow. The changeling’s green flames had reached the joints of her back legs when something odd began to happen. The flames compressed tighten to the changeling’s body and the parts of the body that flames had covered were starting to change, expanding and becoming a more slender built.
Dusk grinned as the sound tearing fabric filled the air, and Xena’s flames had covered nearly her entire being, with her head being the only thing uncovered. At this point, the items the changeling had gathered were orbiting around her, moving so fast that a ring of light had almost been created. The last bit of Xena was consumed by her flames as the items’ speed had reach the point that the bug-like creature was nearly unseeable in the light the items were emitting.
Dusk began to cackle to himself when the items began to close in on his changeling slave, and with one burst of light, one that mysterious figure needed to avert the spell was complete. Dusk looked back at the changeling and couldn’t help but admire his work.
“She turned out better than I hoped. With this plan in motion, that simple trans should be to busy to collect these blasted tokens,” Dusked mused to himself, and cackled to himself again as he said, “And this should allow me to collect the wind spirits sooner than I originally planned.”
Origin Special: The Past We Want to Leave Behind, For the Future, We Wish to Create
The Past we Want to Leave behind, for the Future we Wish to create
It has been nearly two months since the battle at the empire, and during that time I had completely healed from my injuries and had settled into the small town of Ponyville. And, with the exception of a few-namely Rarity’s little sister, her friends and a mare that had become strangely obsessed with my hands-I had found the residents of the town to quite easy going, and they had welcomed me with open hooves.
I wonder what the townsfolk would think if they knew I, the strange creature among them, was also the hero that was quickly gain stream around the nation. I giggled as I realized that Princess Celestia suggestion was the right call. It seems that keeping my identity as Kazemon a secret from the rest of the nation had allowed me to keep a low profile, and that had allowed me time to rest and gather myself.
But, I think I digressing, distracting myself with these wayward thoughts from the task I wanted to do. With a light sigh, I looked around my surroundings as I mentally prepare for the workout I was about to undertake.
I was in a clearing, not too far from Ponyville, the hour was early, so early in fact that only the early morning weather crew was out, setting everything up for the day’s weather. I looked over everything I needed for my morning workout, and after making sure my workout outfit, of a pair of black sweatpants, a lavender tank-top, and my sneaker weren't caused me any problems, I kneeled down and took out my D-Tector from the bag I brought with me.
I held the device in both hands and closed my eyes as I concentrated on the spirit dwelling within it. I could feel the power within my digivice surge into me, but the power wasn’t enough to evolve me into Kazemon. Instead, the power just gave me enough to boost my physical prowess to near-superhuman abilities.
I put down my D-Tector and looked at the items in front of me, giving myself one final minute to prepare myself before starting my workout.
This ability I’m about to use was discovered by Twilight when I loaned my digivice to her for a study. She had found this feature by accident, and told me about it when I went to pick it up.
But I’m digressing again, I realized as I sigh mutely and broke into a light sprint. I bent long and picked up a baton and twirled it in my right hand. I tossed the baton into the air and went into a cartwheel. I turned my cartwheel into a series of hand flips as the baton came down and I caught it in my left hand.
I spent the next 2 minutes doing basic tricks and turning it into a sort of rhythmic dance, using the power I gotten from my digivice to stay light on my feet.
I put the baton on the ground and picked up a pair of acrobatic ribbons and gave them a quick snap. I once again broke into a light sprint, the ribbons flying behind me as I picked up speed. I pushed off my feet and want into a flip as I used the ribbons to imitate one of my Digimon form’s attacks and hit some poorly made targets.
I dropped the ribbons as I folded into a ball and rolled into a hoop. I shoot up, hoop in hand and tossed it into the air. I watched as the hoop soared in the air, watching at it turned about. When the hoop was about even in the air, I jumped with all of my might.
I gracefully soared through the hoop and did a near Ballina twirl as my right feet slightly tipped the tip of the hoop. I arch my back as the hoop snapped up and caught it in my hands. Balling my body up slightly, I kept my hands at my side and began twirling the hoop around my body in a graceful manner, as I came back to the ground.
I made a gracefully landing, crunching low at the knees as I positioned the hoop behind me for a halo-like effect. A sudden clipping sound broke my connection to my digivice, and I turned around. With the connection to my D-Tector broken, I lost all of the grace and poise I had just seconds ago, and I tripped landing hard on my side, which knocked the wind right out of me.
I guess I should be thankful that I’m completely recovered or that fall could have hurt a lot worse.
“I’m terribly sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to broke your connection like I did,” I heard Rarity said apologetically, as I got into a sitting position.
“it okay,” I replied offhandedly. “But what are you doing here so early?”
Something in Rarity changed after I said that; she put on a light scowl and got a little closer to me. I could feel her eyes looking over my entire being, checking for any new injuries.
I swear, when she gets like this, Rarity is almost motherly.
“I believe that’s a question I should be asking you, young lady-” I flinched a bit when she said “young lady”, but thankfully she didn’t notice and just continued to lecture, “-it’s not even five in the morning. So, I would like to know where you have been coming out at such a dreadful hour?”
I sigh faintly as I stood up, dusted myself off and went about collecting my equipment. After all, the local gym loan this stuff to me. So the least I could do was make sure it doesn’t get to damage.
Rarity followed me as I got my stuff, giving me a motherly glare as she waited on my answer. Part of me thought about lying to her, or at the very least, tell her a half-truth. I quickly decided against that action, the mare has been nothing but kind to me, so it would make me feel very dirty if I lied to her.
“If you must know,” I said softly, “I was trying to strengthen my bond with my spirit.”
Rarity gave me a look at a strange mix of motherly concern and confusion. “Why would you want to do that, darling?” she asked curiously.
“So I wouldn’t be useless next time something bad happened.”
I thought I had said that part under my breath, but I knew was wrong when I felt a hoof gently caress my right wrist and I looked into the motherly concern-filled eyes of the white unicorn.
“Darling, you shouldn’t feel ashamed,” Rarity said encouragingly, “What happened wasn’t your fault. Not only were you new when you fought at Canterlot, but you were injured at the Crystal Empire, so I doubt anypony would hold against you from what transpired.”
“Well, I hold it against me, with what my aunty taught me growing up.”
Again, I thought I spoke that sentence under my breath, and I was again surprised when Rarity said, in that scolding, motherly tone she seems only to use on me, “Zoe Orimoto. When we return to the boutique, you and I are going to have a long overdue Chit-chat.”
I nodded, knowing full well that when she gets like this, Rarity wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I gathered up the rest of my equipment, and together with Rarity by my side, we headed back into town.
(...)
After getting back to the boutique, I took a long bath, at Rarity’s request, changed into my usual outfit, minus my hat, and joined my host in the kitchen. So, here I now sit, a cup of hot choco rapidly cooling as I waited on Rarity to gather her thoughts and ask whatever she wanted to ask.
That was proving to be easier said than done; gone was that motherly aura that Rarity had worn during the entire walk back to the shop. Instead, she seemed like a teenager at this point, trying to work up the nerve to tell a dear friend something. I watched as she lifted her own mug of choco, held it close to her mouth and put it back on the table without taking a sip from it.
Finally, she sighed faintly and looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes. “Since there’s no way to avoid any sort of awkwardness here, I’m just going to blunt and asked...May I ask why you’re like this?” Rarity asked awkwardly.
Well, she was right about this getting awkward, because I truly didn’t know what she was talking about. Thankfully, Rarity seems to get the motto, and jumped in before thing really get weird.
“It just I noticed some things about you, darling,” I notice how soft her voice became when she called me darling and filed into the back of my head. “The way how you compose yourself suggests that you led a very...difficult life, but try to live by something somepony instill in you.”
I was stun, no, paralyzed as this sudden turn, and was feeling so overwhelmed that I looked at my mug just so I didn’t have to look in Rarity’s eyes. I really couldn’t believe this, I was so careful when dealing with others, as I have learned from personal experience that not everyone you meet would be kind and considerate with the information you gave them.
“I’m really that transparent?”
For the third time in the last 20 minutes, I was surprised when Rarity responded to something I believed I had said to myself, in the form of a humorless laugh.
“Well, darling, I like to believe that somepony who had similar experiences would know the signs.” I looked up at Rarity and saw that her motherly aura had returned somewhat. “And as such, I wouldn’t consider putting you through anything that might cause you pain.”
I looked down at my choco as I thought things over. It not that my life story was painful, I had come to terms with a lot, maybe more so now that I had become someone else entirely and didn’t have to look at my birth face in the mirror every morning.
Still, it was one of those kinds of things that never gets easier, even with everything that happened to me. But, I wasn’t going to deny what was asked of me, especially if that somepony was Rarity.
So, with a long sigh, I downed my semi-cold choco in one go and looked at Rarity.
“No, I think you deserve to know happened to me before coming to this world.”
I got up from the table and took my mug to the sink, running some water in it, to keep it from straining, and returned to the table, but sat beside my host instead of across from her like before.
“I guess, everything started with my parents. I was told that they were quite the wild people, caring from only two things; themselves and each other. One wild night caused my mother to begin carrying me, but instead of embracing their new roles, my parents decided to give me up when I was born.”
Rarity gasped and covered mouth, and when I saw the look of shock in the mare’s eyes, I knew that withholding the whole truth was the right call, that my mother planned to have an abortion, and my aunt basically bribed her with a thousand dollar check just to go through with my birth.
“What kind of brutes would give up their child?” Rarity asked after the shock had worn off, and clearly appalled by the action.
I just sighed and replied in a flat voice, “There are just some people in my world who aren’t meant to be parents. Thankfully, my aunt conceived my mom to allow her to take care of me. I think since my aunt Rosa couldn’t have any children of her own due to an accident, raising a nephew was the next best thing.”
When I noticed the white mare’s eyes sparkling at my aunt noble actions I decided never to tell her that it was my mother who caused the incident that ruined my aunt’s chances of having children of her own.
“However, my life was never an easy one. My aunt wasn’t in the best of health when she took me in, but she tried her best, and I would never forget her for that. I even went as far to keep my problems to myself, and I think that cost me more than I first realized.”
I closed my eyes as I gathered my thoughts and tried to picture my aunt’s face. I remember she had shimming red eyes and fine black hair that she usually kept short. But beyond a mole she had around the base of her neck, I really couldn't remember much else, and I only wish that because of that memory issues I have been having since coming here, but I knew that wasn’t the case.
A heavy sigh escaped me as all of these thoughts weigh heavily on me, and I pushed them aside for the time being and went on with my life story.
“As I said, my life was never easy; I was often the target of some the worst bullies in my school, and they didn’t use simple words on me either,” I thought I heard Rarity whisper something, but I was to focus on my past to really do any about it.
“My aunt took notice of my state and decided self-defense classes were the best action. Unfortunately, in my case, it wasn’t. I took my frustrations out during my classes and hurt two of my classmate when I learn some of the basics. In the end, I was forced out of the class to avoid legal action.”
The memories of those time suddenly came rushing forward, and I looked down at the table as I become overwhelmed by them. I could still remember the look of disappointment my aunt wore when she learned of what happened, even if I can’t fully recall her face.
Once the storm in my head settled enough for me to continue, I began once again but kept my eyes on the table.
“After that, I got good at running, so I could at least keep my aunt from worrying. But, my problems were only beginning. Turns out my aunt was downplaying the accident that robbed of her ability to have children, and her health was slowly getting worse. She put on a brave-no, she was one of the strongest women I had ever known and was able to hold out until I was old enough to take care of myself. I lost her shortly after I graduated.”
I closed my eyes as I remembered the last time I saw my aunt, and though she was weak, with a body thinner than any human should be, she was smiling as she looked at me. By that point, she was too weak to speak, but words weren’t truly needed at that point. I could still remember how cold her hand felt when I held it as she slowly slipped away from me.
With the memory passed, and another sigh escaping, and looked back at my host and was surprised to see her openly crying. I got the feeling she wanted to hug me something fierce, but she kept herself in check and urged me on silently as she used her unsoiled napkin to dry her eyes.
“I decided that I didn’t want to live in my hometown after losing the only person I truly cared about and didn’t want to use the trust fund my aunt set up for me, so I enlisted in the army. I barely made past boot camp and three months into my first tour-of-duty when I realized that the army life wasn’t for me. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who thought that, and I was discharged. After that, I led a pretty boring life. I got myself a job at a small restaurant not too far from where I was stationed, and for the next six years, things weren’t all that bad. Then it happened.”
I closed my eyes and prepared for the next part of my story. I could feel the anger from that event building, but I had enough experience to push it down and keep it down.
“What happened?” I thought I heard Rarity asked herself and I sighed once more.
“What happened,” I repeated and looked my host in the eyes. “I met my parents, that’s happened.”
I let the sentence hang in the air, as I felt my anger trying to break free, and I pushed it back down again, as I told the event that turned me into the person I am today...on the inside, at least.
“My aunt never hid her hatred for my parents, but she never forced that hatred on me, either. So, when I meant them, I was not even disappointed when I learned that they were the people my aunt made them out to be. I even found myself able to ignored them as I want about my business that night. Then I learned they had another child and used that same tactic they pulled with my aunt.”
“Oh my,” I heard Rarity gasped, but I was too far into my memories to respond.
“Something happened at that moment; the anger and frustration I had in for so long just came gushing out, and before I knew was happened, I was attacking my father, beating him without mercy.”
I heard Rarity gasped at this, as I rubbed my right knuckles. No matter how much time passes, I could still feel that lingering heat from my father’s blood. I could still recall my mother’s face when I came to my senses...everyone who there at the time, and some I considered friends at the time, looked at me with such fear it made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
“I don’t remember much after that, just when I came to senses my father’s face was nearly beaten in, and I learned later that a broken rib nearly pierced a lung. Once again, I found myself in an uncertain future, as the restaurant was forced to let me go to avoid any nasty business, and since the town I lived in was small, it wasn’t long before word spread and I found myself able to get jobs that only the questionable sorts would even consider taking.
“Sadly, the event with my father had really shaken me, and found I was unable to defend myself when something was leveled against me and I found myself bouncing from one job to another, burning through my trust funds, until I landed at the private security where I became the person you see before you.”
Rarity most had figured that I was finished, as she got out of her chair and gave me a hug with such force, it nearly knocked me out of my chair.
“It alright now darling!” she cried, sobbing heavily into my shirt. “that horrid time in your life is over. You had been given a rare chance to make a better life for yourself. So, if you need to cry, you can do it. I don’t even kind if you get my coat wet, you can lean on me, dearie!!”
The simple but effective action left me in a state of shock, as I recalled the last time someone held me. I was close to eighteen, I think, and I was in my room doing some homework when my aunt came in. She suddenly hugged me from behind and tearfully told me about her condition.
I clearly remember crying my heart out when I learned what was happening, but to my surprise, when I came out of my flashback, I realized I was crying for real...and all over Rarity’s coat as well. Still, I didn’t stop, just held my host a little tighter, and let all the anger, grief, and sorrow I held in for nearly twenty years out.
I didn’t know how long it took for my tears to dry, but when I was done I felt better, lighter even, than I had in years. I gently pulled myself apart from the white mare and offered her a small, but gentle smile. Rarity returned the gesture with a soft, motherly smile, and just seeing that smile gave me enough confidence to ask her something.
“So, can I ask for your story?” I inquired politely.
Rarity had a mild look of shock on her face as she squeaked out, “My, am I really that obvious?”
Now it was my turn to let out a humorless laugh and retorted flatly, “It’s like you said.”
I decided not to tell her about how I noticed the look of longing she had when we got back to the shop, as I knew that look all too well. It was the same look I gave when I left the house I had grown up, knowing full well I would never see it again.
“Yes, yes, ensnared by words,” Rarity’s said with a hollow laugh that turned into a sigh.
The fashionista suddenly fell into silence and I waited for her to gather her thoughts in peace. I think it was a full minute later before she looked at me, and I noted the sorrow in her eyes.
“I wish my tale was a heart-wrenching as the one you so gorgeous shared with me, but at least, it just a tale of rotten luck.” Rarity returned to her spot at the table and finished off her now cold choco before continuing.
“I actually inherited this boutique from my aunt Emerald Belle-” I blinked as I remember the picture I saw when Rarity took me to have dinner with her entire family, to break the ice. I remember seeing a mare next to Rarity’s dad who looked surprisingly like the stallion, and it didn’t take me long to put the pieces together, “-and she was a lot like me, a mare born and raised in Ponyville, but had class and grace that didn’t befit her upbringing.”
Rarity got up from the table and walked over to the sink to rinse out her cup as she continued to talk.
“It was her dream to one-day open boutiques all across Equestria, but it wasn’t meant to be; a wild night of passion left my aunt with the horrid disease soft hooves.”
“Soft hooves,” I couldn’t help but repeat that name, as I felt my dread growing. I had a feeling I know where this was going, but I didn’t stop my host from continuing.
“It a disease one can inherit from family or by other means like my aunt did. What I told what happens is that the muscles near the hooves generally grew weaker. Now, with a unicorn, that wouldn’t be so bad, but Auntie Emma had gotten a really horrid case and it eventually spread to her entire body. I told her, on her deathbed, that I would keep her dream alive and one day, ponykind would know of my aunt’s masterpieces.”
I began to play with my necklace as I thought things over. Not only did this world had STDs, but in-borne diseases as well, who would have thought. And this soft hooves thing, I might not be an expert on the matter, but that sounded a lot like a degenerative muscle disease.
“Zoe, dear, I also been meaning ask about that locket you wear,” I heard Rarity asked, snapping me back to reality.
I blinked twice and slowly looked down at the item hanging from my neck. With a sigh, I undid the chain and held out for the mare.
“I honestly don’t know much about it myself,” I informed my host as she gently took it into her magic. “I found it shortly after coming to this world. I think it has something to do with how I came here and why I change, but I can’t figure out how to open the thing.”
Rarity examined the item for a bit and soon let out a soft giggle. “Oh my, I haven’t seen one of these since I was Sweetie’s age.”
I suddenly felt my heart began to race, and before I know what was happening, I was out of my seat and looking over the fashionista's shoulder.
“You know this locket is?” I asked eagerly.
“Oh Yes,” Rarity replied longingly. “This is called a Heart-Secret-locket. It was a novel little idea that came out when I was a filly. It was made to have a secret lock on it; that way a darling little filly such as myself could say she had a coltfriend and use the hidden lock to ensure no pony saw into it. Hmm… looks like it just a standard lock and not a custom one.”
I blinked as I felt a strange sense of anger and pity build in me. So, the only reason I couldn’t open the blasted thing was because of some stupid gimmick, how cliche can you get? I mean, that straight out of a semi-bad fanfic idea.
I quickly shook my head and clear it, now wasn’t the time to get sidetracked by some wayward thoughts, and focused on the locket held in Rarity’s magical “hands”.
I watched as Rarity tipped what I thought was a mold error in the lower right corner, and slowly, almost gingerly, rotate the knob counterclockwise. As the knob moved upwards, I watched as a groove slowly opened across the center. Once the knob had reached the upper right corner, the groove had opened enough that the knob could run through it, and Rarity did just that.
I heard a faint click, and we both knew that the locket was finally opened. Rarity turned around the locket and opened it. What was inside shouldn’t have been all that surprising, but I still felt like somepony could knock me with a leaf when I saw the picture of myself and my Digimon form inside of the locket.
I suddenly gasp when a shimmer of light travel across the pictures, and my body just went limp, causing me to fall right onto my host. To her credit, Rarity was able to support my weight, but I did hear a low groan escape her.
“Zoe, are you okay?” the white unicorn asked, concern lacing her voice she struggled to keep herself and myself upright. “Zoe! Please, answer me!!!”
I moan lightly as I came to my senses and gave my head a fierce shook. The action didn’t do much to clear my head, but I regain enough of my senses to push myself from my host and make my way back to my chair. Rarity didn’t take any chances and stayed close so I could lean on her if I wanted.
I really appreciate her generous nature, I was shakier than I thought and probably wouldn’t have made to my chair on my own if I didn’t put a hand on her back to steady myself. For the next few minutes, I sat there looking at the floor as my breath came out in short, horsed gasp. I could feel the worried looks Rarity was giving me, but I was thankful for the space she was giving me.
Finally, after what felt like hours, I looked up at Rarity and said, “I remember...I remember how I got here.”
Rarity’s eyes snapped open and before I knew it, she was running out the door, no doubt to get the others. I sigh faintly as I looked at the locket, which fell from my host’s hold when I fell onto her. I picked it up, and closed it, causing it to lock back up. I put it back onto my neck and made my way to the fridge.
There was no sense telling my story on an empty stomach, right?
(...)
I figured it would take Rarity roughly ten minutes to get everyone and make their way back here, so I decided to try and make my all time favorite sandwich in the meantime.
I thought I would have to leave the B of the BLT sandwich, but to my surprise, I found a package of pre-cooked bacon hidden behind some tomatoes, and wouldn’t deny my slight discomfort at the sight. I tried to shake my discomfort off by telling myself that the bacon was probably wheat or soy-based substance, and made my sandwich.
I was about halfway through my meal when the others arrived, with Rainbow Dash being the first to actually arrive. To bad for the cyan mare, she wasn’t able to put on the brakes fast enough and she hit a wall. This caused the twin Salamon she was carrying on her back to go flying, and the one we nicknamed Seafoam, due to her liking of seafoam colored items, to land right on my head.
This, of course, caused me to lose my lunch all over the floor and looked at the flyer with the intent to gave her a talking to; if there’s one thing I can’t stand it was wasting food. I didn’t get the chance to, however, as Rarity trotted into the kitchen in an angry manner.
“Rainbow Dash,” the fashionista said in a stern, angry tone. “How many time I told not to go rushing into my place of work? This isn’t Twilight place you know.”
The cyan pony shrugged off whatever effects the crush may have had on her, and looked at her friend in a lazy manner.
“Oh, give it a rest, Rarity,” the rainbow mane mare said offhandedly. “I have waited to months to hear this.”
Rarity didn’t like her friend’s tone, not one bit, and looked ready to gave her a piece of her mind. The arrival of the other ponies put a stop to that plan, and I couldn’t help but stare at the group, and the Digimon they now call partners.
Next to the young princess was another Salamon, who we can call Goggles, mainly because this Digimon had somewhat poor eyesight and wears glasses in the shape of goggles. Riding on Applejack’s head was Juice, a Patamon, peacefully sleeping the day away.
I noted that even though they had been together from nearly two months, Fluttershy still seemed a little uneasy by the slightly fierce appearance of Tanner, her Agumon partner.
About the only ponies in the group that didn’t have Digimon partners yet were Rarity and Pinkie Pie. The reason behind that was because the changelings that the Crystal Guard had caught only had some many summon orbs on them, and the was only so much to go around.
But neither my host or the party planner seems to mind, Pinkie had even said that all we needed to do was wait for a few “chapters” to be surprised, whatever that meant.
Once every pony had settled into the room, all eyes turned in me, without words being spoken. I sighed and decided it was best to get this only with.
“I guess Rarity told you all,” I said, more stating the fact than asking, and the group nodded. “Well, I guess the only thing to do is tell you all how I happened to come here.”
I quickly noticed that every single creature in the room was giving their undivided attention; Juice was even awake, and Bit, Rainbow’s other Salamon, who was known to be easily distracted, maybe even more than Pinkie, was interested in what I had to say.
I let out another sigh and began to weave my tale of how I became a Displaced.
(Close to three months ago, in another world.)
“I am very disappointed in each and every single one of you,” my current employer Eric Match said disappointedly. “None of you stepped up when it matters the most. So, to correct this, we will be drawing lots. I want you to line up in a single file. Once you have your lot, you can get your costume that is being a gorgeous loaned to us for the event. I can’t stress this enough, but try to keep the damages to the costumes as minor as you can.”
I could feel the groans that were being suppressed by my co-workers as we did what was were told. As I waited for my turn, I couldn’t help but pick up on a talk some of my co-workers were having.
“This is so stupid. Why do we have to dress up like some lamb anime character just to do our jobs, at a lamb Comic-Con?”
“The answer to that is actually simple in of itself,” I heard a voice said in a condescending manner and titled my head just enough to see who had decided to give his two cents.
Mitch Peterson was probably one of the smartest guys I had meant in the last couple of years. I remember he once boasted that he could easily win the presidential election with his intelligence alone.
It does make one wonder, though, if he was as smart as he says, why is currently working for a failing security firm?
I decided to listen in on what Mitch had to say, as it would still a few minutes before my turn, and I was curious to see what Mitch’s take on things was.
“These events are a good source of advertisement, and even with the serial kidnappings that begin a few years prior, a lot of these companies aren’t willing to get that up, just because a few people had gone missing.
“So, the logical answer would be to hire more security for the event. That, however, is a problem all to itself. The higher level of security would mean that the companies that sponsor these events had acknowledged the dealing going on during these events themselves.”
I turned my head so I could hear just a little better. While Mitch could be a royal pain in the flank, I wouldn’t deny he had insight into a lot of things, and some things he does say have a deep meaning. If he wasn’t so conceited about it, he might actually be someone important instead of an underpaid security guard.
“To know doubt avoid a disastrous PR stunt, the companies want the extra security to be as discreet as possible. But that also begs the question of to who would be so willing to go such length...certainly no self-respecting company, that’s for sure.
“So, that’s where Match and Trent’s Everyday Security comes into play. Since our Employer is no doubt at his wit's end, with the company’s facing bankruptcy in the foreseeable future, he hopes by doing this he could regain credibility, and save the company that has been in his family for over three generations.”
I might have been impressed with my coworker’s logic if he didn’t sound so condescending when he was talking. Even the two he was actually talking to shared my feelings on the matter. However, they were like me on this, wanting to see where Mitch took this, and his final thoughts on this entire matter.
“However, I believe that for our employer things are a little more complex. Matches believe that if he does this, that one of his employees will catch one of those behind the serial kidnappings, and with that simple action, not only will the company’s credibility increase massively, but the company would gain fame for helping with finally solving this near-cold case.
“Really, this entire matter showcases just how far our employer’s grip on reality is becoming. It almost sad in a sense,” Mitch finished his thoughts with a shrug of his shoulders.
With Mitch now finished and their own curiosity satisfied, my coworkers got out of line and went to the back of it, no doubt so they wouldn’t have to be around Mitch, anymore. I probably would have done the same thing, if Mitch didn’t start to hum a classical tone as he closed the gasp. I knew from that simple action that he wasn’t going to say anything to me, and though feeling a little slighted from that action, I decided not to act and just wait my turn.
So all I did was turned my head forward and waited for my turn to come.
It took roughly 15-minutes for me to draw my lot, get my costume from the guy watching over them, and another 5-minutes just get into the blasted thing before I could hit the floor of the event.
I couldn’t help but sigh as I looked at my Kazemon outfit. In the end, it was a size too big for me, even with my gut and I looked stupid in it; there was no I could pass as a female with my body-type. To make matter worse, the costume was restricting my movement, so I doubt I would be able to give chase if something happens.
I guess I could count the lucky stars that I was near an exit, so if someone tried to make a break for it, I should be able to just block their path as I waited for my coworkers to back me up. Speaking of my coworkers...I looked around and frowns when I easily spotted several of my co-workers.
This wasn’t planned out as well as some might think, not when you have the extra help dressed up as characters from shows that was a decade old, if not older. In my eye, this didn’t help us to hide; if anything it made us stick out like a sore thumb with a splinter in it.
It wouldn’t take much for someone to work around us, and if those behind the kidnappings were as smart as some were starting to think then it wouldn’t take much to work around us and continue with their dealings.
“STOP!!!” a scream from a familiar voice said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked to my right, and saw a kid, probably around 13-14, running with his head low. In his arms were no doubt items from one of the stalls. Behind him, one of my coworkers, dressed as Beetlemon, was given chase. Like me, my coworker’s outfit was giving him trouble, and this was making it hard for him to gain any ground with the thief. I looked to my left and saw the crowd. If our thief was to make into the crowd, the likelihood of losing him was very high.
So, I pushed off the wall and tried to make myself look as casual as possible. I was hoping the kid would think I was just some event-goers trying to get some space, and he wouldn’t give me a second thought.
My plan worked, and he ran past me. I lunged for the kid when he was in reach and tried to get him into a bear hug. The kid surprised me when he spun on his heel and avoided my reach. I tried to correct myself and grabbed the kid by a leg as I fell. I managed to get the kid’s pants leg, but he easily shook me off and hurried into the crowd as I landed on the ground on my side.
I groan as I felt the air knocked out of me, and few a minute everything went fuzzy as a small case of vertigo set in. I think it was nearly two minutes before my head stopped swimming, and the first thing I noticed was the locket near me. I guess, it must have slipped from the kid when he freed himself from me, and I reached for the item.
At least I could return this item to whatever stall it belongs at, and maybe give my company some credits.
The second my hand touched the locket, I felt a strange energy surge through me, and suddenly felt very tired. I fought to keep myself awake as I struggle to get back to my feet. But it was a losing battle, and soon I fell into a dreamless sleep.
(Back to the Present)
“...And the next thing I remember was waking up in the alley during your coronation, Twilight,” I said tiredly, as I finished explaining everything I remember.
Man, was I tired; guess telling Rarity my life story and soon telling everypony else about how I become a Displaced really took a lot out of me emotionally. It probably didn’t help matters when I had to stop to explain some things to the group, or when the CMC showed up, and since they had been great at keeping my secret since learning it, I figure it would be the least to do was to restart my story.
“That’s it?” Rainbow asked in surprise, and I nodded tiredly. “That’s so lame!!”
Everypony in the room gave the rainbow mane flyer, the CMC and myself included, a look that said: “what did you expect?” Rainbow got the message but wasn’t going to back down on her statement, and that anger a certain white pony.
“What exactly were you expecting, darling?” Rarity asked pointedly.
“I don’t know,” Rainbow admitted weakly, “But not that! I mean, she can turn into a super-cool butt-kicker, for Celestia Sake!”
I wanted to point out that she knew I wasn’t like this, not until I came to her world, but a certain princess beat me to it.
“Rainbow Dash, Zoe told us months ago that she wasn’t like she is now,” Twilight said calmly, and then looked at me with these inquiring eyes, and I couldn’t stop the shiver that went my back from the look she was giving. “But I am curious, was it the magic that blocked that part of your memories, or was it something else.”
I just gave a tired shrug as my answer, I wasn’t in any state to be guessing on things at the moment. Thankfully, Rarity caught the mental fatigue I was experiencing and began to usher her friends out. I could hear faint protests, most which sounded like they were coming from Twilight, and Rarity insuring her friends that they will talk to me later.
The fashionista returned not even a minute later and looked at me with motherly eyes.
“Dear, you look positively dreadfully,” she said in a soft tone. “Why don’t you get some rest in your room? There’s really nothing planned for the day, and I will try to keep the noise down so you could sleep.”
To mentally tired to put up a fight, I nodded weakly, and got to my feet, a shallow yawn escaping me. I could see the concern in Rarity’s eyes as I shuffle past her, but she didn’t do much as I left the kitchen and made my ways upstairs.
It was funny, I realized, through the fog that clouded my head, that I realized something I should have picked on earlier; living with the purpled mane mare, and sometimes her young sister, I felt at ease. That was something I hadn’t felt in a long time, probably not since I lived with my aunt.
I would even dare to say that living in this store, in this small, rural town, I finally felt like I was...home.
