And so, Hephaestus Wept

"Did you... Have to hurt Spike that way?" Twilight asked as Fluttershy had taken point to lead the group to the safest mouth of the Everfree Forest.

"I already told you, I didn't," March argued, "I have a naturally occurring sleep inducing aura that transmits through touch."

"Like magic?" Pinkie asked as she bounced along.

"Speaking of, where did you say those magical artefacts you wanted were located?" March asked as Twilight opened the children's book.

"They're held within the Castle of the Two Sisters, a now long forgotten stronghold nestled within the heart of the Everfree Forest."

With a nod of understanding, March would step away from the group, the ponies now watching him tentatively.

"Alright everyone, my name is March Sierravista. With me are my two partners, SkullSatamon-" He raised his right hand, index finger pointing above his right shoulder as the hazy blackened image of a skull would stare back, "And Dianamon-" Mirroring the motion with his left hand, an armored face would look at the ponies with smiling lavender eyes, "I call em Sato and Lulu. They're my Digimon partners."

Blinking. Blinking. Silence... At least until-

"The hay's a Digimon?" Rainbow would ask.

"Walk and talk folks," March would offer as he stepped forward once more, the tips of his hair changing coloration from a golden chestnut brown to the softest lavender as a long tuft of hair would sprout from the middle of his hairline, "Lulu, how ya feeling?"

"I'll be fine, we didn't reach natural Ultimate evolution for nothing after all~"

"Partner? Dash asked a question," Applejack spoke as the group entered the forest proper.

"Right, you asked what a Digimon was," March replied as he took a cleansing breath, "The word Digimon is short for Digital Monster, monster being the operative word for the... Well, I don't wanna say species as there are definitely more than one species of Mon..."

"Digital?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Ah, that unfortunately explains a lot..." The ponies gave the blacksmith a curious look as he explained, "Data is a type of information, commonly found as biological Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid in worlds where an internet connection has yet to be established."

"Ooh, what's an internet!?~" Pinkie asked cheerfully as she bounced forward facing backwards, "Is that a double net for bug catching!?"

Fluttershy spoke up at this with worry, "Please don't catch the poor bugs, Pinkie..."

"So... This 'Internet' connection creates data?" Twilight asked.

"Well, the interconnected network helps keep data flowing from one server to the next, regardless of space or time," March explained as the group found themselves before a torrential rapid, "Nothing a Deep Saver can't handle."

"Deep... Saver?" Twilight asked as March rushed forward with a shout: "Lunamon, Digivolve to!"

As the human jumped, he shouted as fur sprouted from his limbs and metal tore out of his chest and eyes, ribbons sprouting from his back as his collarbone shattered outwards to create a metal plate linked necklace holding a medallion imprinted with the image of a sleeping crescent moon, "Lekismon!"

With several shouts of worry, March dove into the raging rapids only to reappear and holding on to a massive purple sea serpent with orange gold slicked back hair and half of a mustache.

"Godling Aura: Scion of Morpheus!" Raising a pawed hand, March would smack the serpent atop the head and knocking them out cold.

"You... You killed them!" Rarity shouted in horror as the serpent fell before the group chin first... And snoring.

March chuckled as he wiped his paws, "If I wanted him dead, I would have sliced his-" He would then blink and place his paws on a loose scale.

"Sliced his what?" Fluttershy asked, less from fear more from inquisitiveness.

"These scales! They're amazing! Hey, you girls go along ahead, I need to harvest one of these!" And with no patience, he would remove a loose scale from the serpent.

"Why I can't leave..." Rarity murmured as she swiped the the scale faster than March could react, the blacksmith's thoughts focused on a daydream, "This must be rectified!"

With a grand swipe, Rarity had sliced off her tail, much to the horror of her friends.

"Rare... That was yer tail..." Applejack murmured as Rarity took the lock of hair and tied it to a nub of hair upon the serpent's face; completing their mustachioed look.

"My tail will grow back, but this affront to style shall not be left unresolved!" Rarity declared with pride, being lifted away by Fluttershy, the others already having found their way to the other side of river, "Um, do you still want this scale?"

"Fuck yes?" March replied as he held out his palm, happily receiving the scale he had pulled off, "Moon's nice and bright tonight. Could infuse enough Data into this and shape change it into a halfway decent sword."

"Can you jump across on your own, Mister Bun- um... March?" Fluttershy asked, the blacksmith nodding happily as they continued on their way into a dense and darkened forest filled with dead trees.

"Stay close everypony, we don't know what's waiting for us in this forest," Twilight spoke as she took point, a luminous light emanating from the tip of her horn.

"Y-you don't think there are g-g-ghosts?" Fluttershy asked as she hid behind the half rabbit.

"Don't be silly, there's nothing to be afraid of when you're with friends!" Pinkie cheered, Twilight looking at the Pink One curiously.

As the forest grew darker, the group (Save March and Partners) began to experience a visual hallucination that super imposed disastrous visages of horror upon the dying trees, "Okay, now don't nopony panic..." Applejack murmured as she corralled her friends into a tighter cluster, "Let's jus' stick together and we an get through this..."

"Hold that thought," Sato murmured,"Looks like our moonicorn flooded this place with dark magic."

"Y-y-y-you aren't scared, Mister S-s-s-sato?" Fluttershy asked as she practically hugged March from behind.

"Of? They're just dead trees."

That was when Pinkie began to giggle... And then start to sing?

"And I'm clocking out," Sato murmured, "Singing multi colored ponies is where I draw the line."

"Aw, come on Sato, does a little singing bother you that much?" Lulu asked teasingly.

"It's only cool when we do it..."

"Hmph~ Womp womp."

As the night grew colder and as the moon shined brighter, darkness and data would grow in power to match as if awaiting the recommence of a thousand year struggle.