A small pink rabbit with headphones and a scarf waddled her way through Ponyville, carrying three baskets filled with apples larger than herself in her arms. Cutie, now in her Cutemon form, was walking along the street with barely a care in the world. She hummed a tune to herself as she traveled with a large smile on her face. However, her walk wasn’t as peaceful as she made it out to be. The three baskets blocked any forward vision she would normally have. Meaning she regularly had near run ins with various ponies, who had to walk around her to avoid knocking her cargo over or hitting the little rabbit.

Despite this when other ponies offered to help Cutie out, she would simply look away and tell them she was fine. Then she would walk off after saying goodbye to the ponies in question. Though even with her confirmations of being able to handle the weight of all three baskets, her actual movements suggested otherwise. She would walk for a few seconds, before stumbling a bit and needing to take a moment to get her balance back.

She eventually stopped to take a short break, leaning around the three baskets to see how far she was from her destination, Sugarcube Corner. What she found was that the bakery was just across the street...which still put it more than ten steps away from her. Her ears drooped as she realized how much farther she had to go. She sighed and got ready to move until she heard a familiar voice coming from her left, “Hey, Cutie! What are you up to?”

Cutie looked up to see Squirt in his V-Mon form walking up to her. She smiled and stood up straight as she waved to him, “Hiya, Squirt! I’m just taking these apples to Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes need them for some of their sweets. They wanted to help me but they needed to watch the store. And Pinkie’s cleaning up from yesterday’s party. So, I went to get them. The Apples were really insistent on me having as many as I needed.”

Squirt looked at the baskets with a raised eyebrow, “And they gave you all that? You sure you can carry it?”

“I’ve been carrying it. Though, uh, it has been a bit of a journey,” Cutie nervously tapped her claws together, “Hard to see in front of me as I carry them. And they are rather heavy.”

“Say no more,” Squirt stepped up and crouched near the baskets. With a single lift he pulled the baskets up and held them over his head with both hands. Balancing them on his palms, he smiled at Cutie and said, “I’ll carry ‘em for you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Aren’t they heavy?” Cutie asked while looking Squirt up and down?

“Pfft, not for me! I’m strong and tough enough to handle it. Go ahead and lead the way to Sugarcube Corner! I’ve got this,” he assured her, even holding the baskets up with one hand to show off. Though he put his other hand back on when they started to tip over. Cutie giggled before walking a bit in front of Squirt, while he followed after her. As he stated, he had no trouble walking with the three baskets over his head. His gait never wavered nor swayed as he walked after Cutie. As they went he spoke up, “Hey, I wanted to ask, you remember those Gazimon we fought? What happened to their eggs? Last I saw, Twilight took them with her to study them or something. I asked RD after our daily workout, but she just shrugged.”

Cutie turned around and started walking backwards as she spoke, “Oh, right. Twilight held onto them for a bit until Cornelius explained how Digitama needed a proper nursery to grow hatch. She didn’t really have room for nursery in her home, so she decided to find one for them. And what better pony to watch after them than Fluttershy? So, they’re all in her house being cared for by her and Lucey.”

Squirt smirked as he nodded, “Hmph, cool. Wonder what they’ll come back as?”

“Don’t know, but I hope they’re nice Digimon. We could always use some more friends,” Cutie said as she turned her back to Squirt again, “Who knows? Maybe you and Rainbow will get another Digimon to train with you.”

“Ha! Doubt it! It takes a lot to keep up with just one of us,” Squirt bragged with his head held high. Cutie rolled her eyes but kept a smile on her face. The two eventually made it to Sugarcube Corner where Squirt asked, “Okay, we’re here. Where do you need these?”

Cutie pointed at the ground to the left of the entrance door, “Oh, you can put them right there. I’ll call Pinkie and she’ll help me bring them in.”

“K,” Squirt grunted as he carefully put the three baskets down. After dusting his hands off, he leaned against the baskets and jerked his head toward them, “So, what’re ya gonna use these for again? New cakes or something?”

Cutie smiled and nodded, “Yeppers! Though, it’s mainly so we can recover our stocks. That party we made for Gilda took a quite a bit from our supply.”

At the mention of Gilda, Squirt’s expression fell. He grimaced and looked at the ground. His voice rumbled as he spoke, “Oh, right. That. Can you believe her? Some friend she was, right?”

Cutie didn’t seem to understand what Squirt was saying, as she just shrugged, “I guess. She was a bit of a meany. Trying to monopolize Rainbow Dash all to herself, bullying me and Pinkie for trying to be friends with her, and getting mad at Rainbow at the end of the party. It was upsetting, but I’m hoping she comes back.”

“What?!” Squirt said, surprised at Cutie’s words.

Cutie turned around and nodded, “Yeah. The next time she comes to Ponyville, I bet she’ll want to be real friends with us instead of being all grouchy and mean. If she was Rainbow’s friend before then she has to-“

“Are you nuts?!” Squirt interrupted Cutie, stepping forward and throwing his arms in the air, “Don’t you remember what she did?! You told me she popped Pinkie’s balloon and threatened the both of you if you didn’t stay away from Dash!”

Cutie flinched, shocked at Squirt’s sudden increase in volume. She took a step back and stammered, “W-W-Well, yes. She did but-“

“And I told you what she did to me, right? When Dash invited me to join the two of them for a race, she threw dirt in my face to make sure I tripped and lost! And when RD wasn’t looking, she tried to threaten me into backing off! Called me a ‘little baby blue buzz-kill’!”

“Y-Yes, you did tell me that. B-But I don’t think we should hold those things against her. She just thought that her old friend was being taken away and-“

Squirt scoffed and waved Cutie off, “Don’t make excuses for her! You can think what you want, but as far as I care, that overgrown chicken better stay the heck away from Ponyville! If she ever comes back, I’ll make sure she regrets showing her stupid face here again.”

Squirt shadowboxed at the air to punctuate his statement. After that he turned around and walked away from Cutie, muttering more insults at Gilda as he went. Cutie stared after his retreating back, worry all across her face. The door to Sugarcube Corner opened and Pinkie Pie poked her head out the door. She quickly hopped over to Cutie upon seeing her and said, “You made it back, Cutie! How’d the trip go? Didya have a lot of-woah! Why’s your smile all upside-downy like that? Did you step in something on your way here?”

Cutie shook her head and looked over to Pinkie, “No. It’s just...Squirt was here and...I think he might be holding a grudge against Gilda.”

Over in the Everfree Forest near Ponyville, another hole in the world opened up. From within a single creature fell through and landed somewhere in the forest. Its eyes burning with purpose, it immediately set off for Ponyville. It knew its mission and wouldn’t let anything get in its way.

“You alright there, Squirt? You’ve looked mad since I saw you this morning,” Rainbow Dash asked as she trotted alongside her Digimon. Said Digimon was on her right, his face twisted into a scowl and arms crossed. The two of them were walking side by side outside Ponyville. There was no real reason other than the two of them just hanging out for today. Rainbow had taken care of all her pegasi duties, and Squirt was done with his daily training regime. So, they had no other appointments to worry about. When Squirt didn’t answer her, Rainbow lightly pushed his shoulder with her hoof, “Come on, Squirt. Your face is gonna stay like that if you don’t loosen up. What’s going on with you, huh?”

Squirt blinked then looked over at Rainbow Dash. He uncrossed his arms then shook his head, “It’s nothing, RD. Just...so you remember all the stuff Gilda did yesterday, right?”

Rainbow winced and lowered her head a little, “Uh, yeah. Really uncool of her to act that way. I still don’t get why she did all that to you guys. Maybe she got a few too many feathers plucked back in Griffonstone.”

Squirt’s mood visibly improved with every word Rainbow said. He nodded his head and said, “Yeah, can you believe her?! And earlier today, Cutie told me that her and Pinkie were hoping she comes back! They think they’ll be able to be friends with her if she does! Crazy, right?”

“Of-wait, what?” Rainbow Dash shook her head in surprise at Squirt’s statement.

Thinking that she was agreeing with him, Squirt continued, “I knew you’d agree. That grouch of a griffon shouldn’t show her stupid beak around here ever again. Otherwise, she’ll be eating a Vee Uppercut right to the face. Like, bam!”

Squirt mimed hitting Gilda with a right uppercut. He was smiling as he turned to look at Rainbow Dash, expecting to see her smiling too. But his expression fell as he saw the shock and surprise on her face. He stopped walking and said, “Wait...Rainbow do you...do you think we should be friends with Gilda, too?”

Rainbow put a hoof behind her head, “Uh, kind of?”

“What?! Why?!” Squirt sounded incredulous, throwing his arms in the air in disbelief.

“Well, Gilda was my friend before I came to Ponyville. And she was really nice back then. While I don’t think what she did was right, just shutting her out is uncool,” Squirt could see the conflicted expression on Rainbow’s face.

He grimaced as he said, “So, what, we’re just gonna forget everything she did?!”

“Squirt, calm down,” Rainbow frowned at her Digimon, “She was mean, but she didn’t do anything really bad. Just some pranks like we were doing. You’re acting like she stole something from you.”

“EEEEKKKK!~”

The sound of a mare screaming in terror made both Squirt and Rainbow’s ears stand up. Without waiting the two of them ran toward the source of the scream, with Rainbow taking to the air to move faster. The two arrived in front of a mare’s flower stand, with said mare sitting nearby and crying into her hooves. Her stand had been destroyed with flowers scattered across the street in heaps. A few ponies had come by to help with the clean up, so Rainbow and Squirt went to check on the white colored mare with a single rose as her cutey mark.

“Roseluck, what happened?” Rainbow Dash asked while trying to comfort the distraught mare. Squirt was moving through the destroyed stand, trying to find some kind of clue they could use.

Roseluck dried her eyes and said in a shaky voice, “S-S-Somepony came out of nowhere and-and destroyed my flowers! I-I-I didn’t even see them coming! I just saw this blur and-and-they were just so fast!”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes while patting the mare on the back, “Well, don’t you worry! Me and Squirt will find who did this! We’ll make them come back and say sorry! Right, Squirt!?”

Rainbow looked up only for confusion to fill her as she saw Squirt. The Digimon was crouched down with his back to her, but she could clearly see him vibrating in place. She spoke up, “Squirt? You heard me, right?”

“Rainbow,” Squirt growled as he stood up with his hands in front of him. Then he turned around, his eyes ablaze with anger as he presented her with what was in his hands. The sight made Rainbow Dash gasp in disbelief.

Because in V-mon’s hands were two yellow feathers.

Bird feathers.

“Gilda’s back. And I don’t think she’s here to be friends,” V-mon growled as he gripped the feathers tight enough to make them shake.

“Steady, steady,” Cutie said, sweat pouring down her face as she watched Pinkie operate. She swallowed hard trying to guide Pinkie with her clawed hands, “We have to get this jjjuuussttt right.”

Pinkie hummed in affirmation, her hooves moving slowly as she lifted a pair of tongs into the air. Within the clear plastic items sat their precious cargo. The mask on her face wrinkled as she frowned as she slowly moved them to the side. She remained completely silent as she worked with Cutie moving to keep an eye on her movements. Both continued to sweat as Pinkie moved the item to its destination. Cutie started to bite her claws as her friend lowered the item to its target-

“Pinkie! Cuite!”

Both Digimon and pony nearly jumped out their skin at the combined sound of Sugarcube Corner’s entrance being slammed open, and their friends’ voices calling for them. The cherry Pinkie was carrying in the tongs flew out and flipped through the air. Instead of heading for the double-decker apple pie it was supposed to top off, it started to fall toward the floor. Panicking, Cutie dived forward and cupped her hands in front of her. Right before the cherry hit in the floor, her cupped hands moved under it and caught it before it could hit. Landing on her belly she let out a sigh of relief and held the cherry up like it was a prized treasure. Pinkie clapped for her as Cutie got to her feet.

Rainbow and Squirt slid into the kitchen, both rushing in with worry on their faces. Squirt looked around the kitchen, his eyes alight with the fires of rage while his right hand held the feathers from the destroyed stand. Rainbow moved to Squirt’s side and said, “Calm down, Squirt! We don’t know if it’s really her.”

“Who else could it be?! It perfectly matches the kind of ‘pranks’ that bird brain would pull!” Squirt shouted as he kept looking around the room.

Curious as to what was going on, Cutie placed the cherry onto the pie with the tongs before her and Pinkie headed over to Squirt and Rainbow Dash. Pinkie shouted, “Hiya, Rainbow Dash and Squirt! What’s got you two all in a tissy?”

“Is something wrong? You two seem kind of stressed,” Cutie asked while staring at the agitated V-mon. Her ears were drooping in worry while her friend kept dashing around the kitchen, looking in cupboards and sinks.

Rainbow Dash grimaced as she responded, “Somepony knocked over and destroyed Roseluck’s flower stand today. We’re trying to find them.”

“What? Who would do something like that? Roseluck’s got, like, some of the tastiest flowers in Ponyville,” Pinkie asked.

“Well-“

“Who do you think?!” Squirt interrupted Rainbow and stomped his way over to his three friends. Prominent frown on his face, he just about shoved the feathers he got from the stand in front of their faces, “A certain prank pulling griffon named Gilda!”

Pinkie let out a hoarse gasp while Cutie just looked confused. She looked at Rainbow who winced, “Yeah, Squirt thinks that Gilda came back and busted up Roseluck’s stand. It’s why he ran over here. He figured Gilda would go after you two next.”

“Why would she do that?” Cutie asked, clearly confused.

“Because,” Squirt said as she kept holding the feathers out, “she’s here to get back at us for sending her away! So, she’d be coming after you guys next!”

“But if she’s here for revenge, why did she go after Roseluck’s stand?” Cutie asked as she gently took the feathers from Squirt’s outstretched hand, “Why didn’t she go after you and Rainbow Dash? Or why didn’t she go after any of our other friends?”

Pinkie patted Cutie on the head and nodded, “That’s using your noggin’ there, Cutie. Gilda was a meanie, but she was only a meanie to us. I don’t even know if she knew Roseluck’s name. Though she might’ve if she paid attention during that party. I’m preetttt~ty sure that you can see Roseluck in the background somewhere if you look really hard.”

While Rainbow blinked at trying to understand what Pinkie meant, Cutie just nodded in agreement. However, Squirt scoffed, “Obviously it’s because she knows that going after us won’t do anything. We’d tell her off. So, instead, she’s going after Ponyville to make us feel worse.”

“But wouldn’t she just try to prank Twilight or Rarity, Squirt?” Rainbow pointed out with a shake of her head, “I just don’t see how-“

They heard the entrance door to Sugarcube Corner burst open and they all heard Mrs. Cake scream. They made their way out the kitchen and into the entrance room, hearing the sound of glass breaking and then a soft thumping noise. They caught sight of a black and white blur rushing out the door, leaving it open and letting the sunlight in. Pinkie and Rainbow went to check on Mrs. Cake, while Squirt and Cutie checked the area. The place looked like a small storm had been through. The glass displays for their desserts had been shattered, with cupcakes and more having been tossed all over the floor. A sack of flour had thrown onto the floor at some point and now a thick layer of white covered the floors.

“Are you alright, Mrs. Cake?!” Pinkie and Rainbow asked the blue mare as they helped her to her hooves. She had fallen over and shook her pink mane out while her eyes rolled in her head.

After blinking to get her senses back, she looked up and said, “Oh, thank you dearies. Yes, I’m fine. Somepony just burst in her and started destroying everything. I threw that flour bag at them and then they ran off, but...oh. All our sweets....”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Cake! I’ll help you clean it all up ASAP!” Pinkie dashed away and quickly returned with a broom and pan. As she got to work, Rainbow Dash flew up to get a bird’s eye view of the situation. While Squirt and Cutie continued to examine the area, she spotted something out the corner of her eye. Flying down she got a closer look and said, “Hey! I think I found something. Looks like...hoofprints?”

Squirt and Cutie came over to check what Rainbow had found. As soon as they saw what she did, anger filled Squirt’s face. He ground his teeth together as he said, “Not hoofprints. A bird made these.”

It was true. The prints had two long talons pointing forward and one pointing back. Along with the single dot in the center of the print, they looked very much like a bird’s talons. There were two of them, with one being a bit further up then the other, with more leading out the door. Before anymore could be said, Squirt ran after the trail of prints leading out the door. Rainbow Dash called after him as she shot off to follow. Cutie’s eyes darted from the door to Pinkie and back again, silently wondering if she should go with them. Pinkie nodded to her and said, “Go on, Cutie. If those two get any ouchies, they’ll need you to fix ‘em up! I’ll catch up after I finish cleaning here.”

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie!” Cutie said as she ran after the pegasus and V-mon.

“The tracks lead into the Everfree! I’m going in, Rainbow!” Squirt shouted as he ran after the tracks. The flour had since ran out but he could still see the tracks in the dirt. He kept running after them with a blazing anger in his eyes.

“Squirt! Wait!” Rainbow yelled as she flew down to be heard, “If this is really Gilda, why do the hoofprints only have two talons? You know Gilda’s got like four, right?”

“Well, maybe she had someone help her! To make it easier for her!”

“But then where are the other four prints? She’s got four legs too, ya know!”

“I-I don’t know, but that doesn’t matter. The fact is that she’s responsible for this and I’m gonna make her pay!” Squirt yelled as he broke through the threshold separating Ponyville from the Everfree. Rainbow followed but was forced to slow down due to the tree branches getting in her way. She shouted Squirt’s name, but he ignored her and kept running. He hopped over roots and bursts through bushes as he went. His eyes were firmly set on the tracks in front of him with nothing else distracting him.

The trail eventually ended in the center of a small clearing. He skid to a halt as his head swiveled back and forth, eyes wide open as he searched for his quarry. After a few moments of silence he yelled out, “Gilda! I know you’re here! Come out and face me like a...uh...like a lion-bird you coward!”

At first, nopony seemed to hear his call to battle. But then he heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes to his left. He got into a fighting stance, raising his fists and spreading his feet out to prepare for battle. After a few seconds, sompony unexpected came out of the bushes. He wasn’t a griffon nor a pony, but a Digimon. He looked like a large bird and stood on two long talons. His wings were a bright combination of yellow and red. He kept them folded against his side but Squirt could tell they were ready to be used. He wore a strange purple outfit with a black shirt underneath it. His neck was covered in the same black material, while a yellow scarf hung off his collar. Sharp blue eyes sat above his curved beak observing Squirt with a strange glint to them.

Squirt’s eyes widened in shock as he beheld the newcomer. He said out loud, “A-A Digimon? Bu-But what are you doing here?”

The Digimon tilted his head to the side before speaking in a deep voice, “I came from the Digital World. I assume that same is true for you?”

“W-W-Well, yeah but that’s not what I meant. Why are you out here? What are doing in the Everfree?”

The Digimon shrugged, “I am simply here. If you mean in this clearing specifically, I came out because you were calling someone’s name. What was it again?”

“Gilda. I was calling for-hey, wait,” Squirt narrowed his eyes and adjusted his stance, “Do you know Gilda? Are you the one that helped her destroy Roseluck’s stand, and broke into Sugarcube Corner?”

“Who is...,” the Digimon’s eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment. Then his beak curled into a strange looking smile, “I mean, yes. Yes, I do know of this person. Gilder.”

“Gilda.”

“Right, Gilda. I know her. She was the one who asked me help her attack those places you mentioned. We were just resting when we heard your voice. Then she told me to come check this clearing out. Something about a foolish little Digimon asking for a fight. She couldn’t be bothered with it, so she told me, Peckmon, to come handle you in her stead,” the now named Peckmon flared his feathers while raising one of his talons.

Squirt’s eyes widened before he charged at Peckmon, “Oh yeah?! I’ll show here! I’ll beat you down then get her for this! Hopping Kick!”

Squirt jumped into the air then curled both his legs inward. With a grunt he dived forward, kicking both his legs out at Peckmon. However, Peckmon easily stepped to the side to dodge the attack. After landing on the ground, Squirt got to his feet and ran after the other Digimon. He threw numerous punches and kicks at the bird like Digimon, but not a single one landed. His opponent seemed to react long before he threw any attack at all. He tried to punch Peckmon’s chest, and he would flap its wings to get distance. He tried to kick Peckmon’s legs, and he would jump to avoid it. Frustrated, Squirt hopped back while gathering energy into his mouth. With a cry of “V-Shot!” he launched multiple balls of energy at Peckmon.

His opponent casually stepped between the rain of shots before dashing forward and stopping just behind where Squirt landed. Before he could react, Peckmon raised his right leg and struck out at Squirt’s back.

“Maegeri!”

The attack landed and sent Squirt reeling. He slid along the ground and barely managed to regain his footing. Groaning at the pain, he forced himself to his feet and glared at Peckmon, “Ah, I got it now. Didn’t notice it before cause I was too busy thinking about Gilda. But you’re a Champion, aren’t you?”

“Hmm, Gilda was right. You are rather slow, aren’t you?” Peckmon said mockingly as he began to circle around Squirt, “So, what do you plan to do now? You know you can’t beat me as you are.”

“As if! Just need to get a good hit on ya!” Squirt said as he got to his feet and raised his fists for another exchange.

“Squirt!” both Digimon looked up at the yell, which was followed by Rainbow Dash darting into the clearing. She looked between the two Digimon with her eyes wide. She focused her gaze on Squirt and said, “Wh-What’s going on?! Who is that guy, Squrit?!”

“He’s a Champion named Peckmon! He’s been working with Gilda and is responsible for the stand and what happened in Sugarcube!”

“Wait, what?! He know’s Gilda?! But then-“

“No time! We need to digivolve, now!” Squirt didn’t take his eyes off Peckmon as he shouted. Confused but wanting to help her friend, Rainbow Dash raised her digivice. She tapped away at the screen before finding Squirt’s image. After holding down on it for a few moments, she slapped the image of V-dramon once it appeared. A light shined from the digivice and engulfed Squirt as he began to change.

“V-mon! Digivolve to-“

“V-dramon!” Squirt roared as he entered his Champion form. Now he was far larger than Peckmon, towering over the bird Digimon without effort. Smiling he wasted no time rushing in to battle. He reared his right fist up and aimed it right at Peckmon, before bringing it down as quickly as he could.

“Hammer punch!”

Peckmon remained where he was with his eyes focused on Squirt’s oncoming fist. Right before the attack connected, he dashed to the side and then ran in until he was right in front of Squirt’s chest. Rearing his right foot up further he kicked out at Squirt’s stomach.

“Tsuyoi Maegeri!”

Squirt grunted as the blow landed, leaving a talon print on his stomach. Growling he reached down to grab the smaller Peckmon in his claws but the faster Digimon hopped up. Flapping his wings he took to the air until he was just above Squirt’s head. He crossed his wings in front of him, the light glinting off something metallic within them.

“Kunaibane!”

He opened his wings and launched a rain of steel feathers at Squirt’s face. Squirt cried out in pain and stepped back due to the onslaught. Peckmon smiled at the sight but then saw something heading towards him out the corner of his eye.

"Leave my buddy alone!" Rainbow shouted as she charged into Peckmon's left side. The Digimon clicked his tongue as he moved his left wing to defend himself. He got pushed to the side as Rainbow's attack knocked him away. She doesn't stop the assault, repeatedly dashing away to charge back in and ram him away. Peckmon flapped his left wing to keep himself aloft, and finally blocked one of Rainbow's charges with his other wing. With a grunt he pushed the pegasus away, sending her spinning while he got his bearings.

“Dash!” Squirt yelled before growling and holding his hand up like a knife. Air gathered around his fingertips before he sliced diagonally toward Peckmon.

“Cutter Shoot!”

A blade of air pressure shot toward the airborne Digimon. However, Peckmon simply dove out of the way, getting higher as he went. Once he was high enough, he held his wings out and pointing both his talons at Squirt. He struck his talons together and with a single spark they ignited into flames. He began to spin as the flames traveled upward until they engulfed his whole foot. A second later he dove down, aiming straight at Squirt..

“Burning Spiral!”

Squirt’s eyes widened and he raised his arms to block the oncoming attack. He crossed his arms in front of his head while keeping enough space to allow him to see what was coming. Just as he thought Peckmon would hit his guard, he realized he had made a mistake. Peckmon wasn’t aiming for his head.

He was aiming just above it.

Peckmon used his wings to arrest his movement, flipping in mid air until he was upside down with his beak aimed directly at the back of Squirt’s head. His head suddenly shot forward a thousand times in a second as he beak repeatedly struck its target.

“Thousand Beak!”

Squirt yelled in pain and stumbled forward, taking a knee as he tried to fight off the pain. Rainbow Dash called his name and landed in front of him. She used her hooves to hold his head and asked, “You okay, Squirt?!”

“U-Urgh. Head hurts. Feel...sick. Get back...Rainbow,” Squirt said as he tried to get to his feet, only to fall back onto one knee.

A dark chuckle made both of them look toward Peckmon. The Digimon had landed and was slowly making his way toward them, “Well, this was rather fun. But I need to be going soon. Ponyville’s food supply isn’t going to destroy itself, now will it?”

Rainbow jumped out and glared at Peckmon, “So, that’s it then. That’s why you attacked Roseluck’s stand and Sugarcube Corner. You’re going after our food. Why?”

“Why else? To weaken you for the Dark Area Invasion. You ponies have proven yourselves to be more trouble than we original thought. So, we’re going to weaken you before we fully commit to an assault.”

“An-And what does Gilda have to do with all that?” Squirt yelled, one hand clutching the back of his head.

Peckmon scoffed, “Please. As if I’d tell you the answer. I’m not one to give information like that out for free.”

“Hey, feather’s for brains! You just told us your plan!” Rainbow pointed out with a smug grin on her face.

But Peckmon responded with a grin of his own, “Yes, I did. Because I know neither of you can stop me. Because neither of you will be leaving this place alive.”

He raised his talons as they glinted in the sunlight. Rainbow stood her ground but she could feel her legs shaking. She couldn’t take her eyes off those sharp talons. Her mind and heart raced as she tried to think of what to do. Meanwhile, Squirt was trying to figure out why he was losing so badly. They were both Champions and he was bigger and stronger than that Peckmon. He should be winning! It couldn’t have been experience. If that were the case, then Peckmon wouldn’t have been blindsided by Rainbow Dash. In fact, why did that happen? How could she land hits yet he couldn’t? What was going on?

His train of thought was interrupted as Peckmon raised his wings for another attack. Squirt and Rainbow braced for combat.

“Supersonic Wave!”

“Huh!?” Peckmon shouted but was unable to react as a wave of sound slammed into him from the right. He cried out in pain as he was sent skidding away from Rainbow and Squirt. The pony and her Digimon both looked to the right, gasping as Cutie dove out of the cover of a bush. The little rabbit got to her feet and glared at Peckmon. He took one look at Cutie and his confidence seemed to wither away. He backed away from her and clicked his tongue. Then he flapped his wings and flew into the air, “Damn. Don’t think this is over! I’ll get you all yet!”

“Oh no you-!” Rainbow made to chase him, but then heard the sound of a large body hitting the ground. She turned and shouted, “Squirt!”

Her Partner was lying on the ground with his face against the ground. His body trembled before it was engulfed by a dull white light. Within a moment, he had returned to his V-mon form. Cutie and Rainbow Dash ran to his side as his eyes fluttered closed. By the time Cutie started healing him, he had already passed out.

Squirt slowly opened his eyes then winced as a bright light hit them square on. He groaned and put his arm over his eyes to block out the light. As his senses returned he became aware of the soft bed he was laying in, as well as the soreness in his joints. His eyes roamed the immediate area, swiftly taking in the room he seemed to be in. The walls were a bright green color along with the bed sheets, and there was a single door leading outside. Sunlight came in through the single window and bathed him in its warmth. He pushed himself up and shook his head to get his focus back, “Urgh, where...where am I? What-“

The door opened up and a familiar looking pink rabbit walked into the room. She had a nurse’s hat on her head and was carrying a few towels in her left hand. When she saw that Squirt was up and about, she gasped with happiness. She put the towels down on a stand and ran over to the left side of his bed. She climbed up onto the bed with him and grabbed his arm, “Squirt! You’re awake! How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve got a killer headache,” Squirt admitted while rubbing at his head with a hand, “What happened? Wait?! Where’s Rainbow Dash?! Or that Peckmon?!”

Cutie patted his shoulder comfortingly, “It’s alright, Squirt. Calm down. Rainbow Dash is fine. After I showed up, the Peckmon flew off and you passed out. Rainbow told me what happened while I was healing you. Not wanting to stay in the Everfree, she carried us both to Sweet Apple Acres. Once we told Applejack and Loo what was happening, they went off with Rainbow to get Twilight and the others.”

“W-What about the rest of Applejack’s family?” Squirt said as he felt his strength returning. He winced as a bit as pain flared up in his stomach, “They’re in danger. That guy and Gilda plan to go after anywhere that makes things ponies can eat. Meaning they’ll come for Sweet Apple next.”

Cutie gently placed her hands on Squirt’s arm. Her palms glowed with a green light as she used her healing power on him. As the green light soothed his pain, Cutie shook her head, “It’s fine, Squirt. Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom are all in Ponyville right now. It’s just us.”

“Then we need to get ready. Gilda will be around any minute.“

“Why do you think Gilda will be here?” Cutie asked, frowning at Squirt.

“Because, that Peckmon said that he knew her! That the two of them were working together! She’s thrown her lot in with the Dark Area and I-“

“Squirt,” Cutie interrupted, shaking her head in disappointment, “I don’t think Gilda would be working with somepony like that.”

“Unless she wants to really hurt us! Make us starve and let the Dark Area get us!” Squirt said as he tried to climb out of bed. But he found himself held in place by Cutie’s gentle grip. He looked over and saw her glaring at him. He frowned as he responded, “Why are you defending her?! She was such a jerk before! Is this just because you want to be friends with her later?!”

Cutie slowly removed her hand from Squirt’s arm and sighed, “No, Squirt. At least, not entirely.”

“Huh?”

“Gilda wouldn’t be working with Peckmon. He showed up long after her party was over, and I doubt she stuck around here for even a moment after that. If she’s fast enough to at least keep up with Rainbow, then she’s probably far away from Ponyville and the Everfree by this point. In order for her to met with Peckmon she’d have to, for whatever reason, stop nearby or in the Everfree to run into him. It just doesn’t make sense for the two of them to be working together.”

“B-But he said-“

“Peckmon attacked you and is with the same group as those Gazimon. Why would he tell you the truth? He’d say whatever he could to take advantage of you and that grudge of yours.”

Squirt scoffed, “Grudge? I don’t have a grudge.”

“You saw some feathers and immediately assumed it was Gilda,” Cutie deadpanned.

“Yeah, but they were bird feathers! Who else would have bird feathers around here?”

Cutie raised her claw and started to count, “Oh, I don’t know. Some of the pegasi, Fluttershy’s birds, Lucey, Pinkie when she’s wearing her chicken costume, Peckmon.”

Squirt threw his hands up, “Alright! But what about the bird tracks?! Those were talons!”

“Yeah...with three talons on them. Gilda had four or five talons last I checked. And four legs. Not two.”

Squirt could feel his arguments swiftly falling apart. He kept opening his mouth to rebuke Cutie but couldn’t find any response. He sat down and crossed his arms in both embarrassment and indignation. Cutie’s lips curled into a small smile, “I understand you don’t like Gilda, Squirt. But that doesn’t mean you should blame her for everything and anything. That grudge is just going to keep stopping you from seeing what’s in front of you.”

“So, what? I should just be like you and forget everything that Gilda did? Act like she wasn’t a jerk to us if she ever comes back?” Squirt gripped his arms hard as his anger began to rise.

Cutie remained silent for a few moments to let Squirt stew in his anger. Then she said, “I haven’t forgotten what Gilda did.”

“Wh-Then, why do you-“

“Because...I-“

Before she could finish, Cutie felt her ears twitch. Her body tensed and her instincts screamed for her to look at the window. When she did, her eyes went wide upon seeing a familiar bird-like shadow flying in front of it. Along with a glint of steel underneath its wings.

“Get down!” Cutie threw herself at Squirt and knocked him off the bed to the floor. A second later, a storm of steel like feathers crashed through the window and into the bedroom. Glass went everywhere along with the stuffing of the bed and pillows. Squirt and Cutie kept their heads down to avoid the assault. Only when it had abated did they both get to their feet. They wasted no time leaping out the window and rolling once they hit the ground.

Once they got to their feet they both looked up to see their assailant.

“Peckmon!” Squirt shouted upon seeing the purple clad Champion flying in the air. He curled his hands into fists, “So you finally came here! That was a cheap shot you coward!”

“Forgive me if I don’t feel very remorseful for attacking my enemies when they’re guards are down,” he said as he landed on the ground. He looked between Squirt and Cutie, narrowing his eyes at the latter, “I was hoping you’d have been left alone. Having her here isn’t ideal, but it won’t matter. I should be able to handle you two little Rookies.”

Cutie got to her feet and glared at the Peckmon, “Why are you going after us? Aren’t you here to destroy the Apple Family’s apples?”

“Yes and I was on my way to do that. But then I noticed you two in that room and knew you’d get in my way if you found me. So, I’m cutting off that little thread by destroying you here and now,” he raised his wings and shouted, “Kunaibane!”

A wave of steel feathers shot toward Squirt and Cutie. Both dived to the left and right respectively, with Squirt rolling onto his feet. He charged at the Peckmon with his head lowered and aimed at his foe.

“Vee Headbutt!”

He shouted as he dove at Peckmon with his hard head. However, the Champion easily deflected the attack with his wing before landing a clean kick to Squirt’s stomach. While Squirt was sent to the ground, Cutie came from Peckmon’s back.

“Supersonic Wave!”

Peckmon tried to turn and block, but he was too late. The attack hit him dead on and sent him into the dirt. Seeing an opening, Squirt got to his feet and ran at the fallen Peckmon. He threw a punch at the Champion’s lowered face, but even dazed Peckmon managed to move his head out of the way. Squirt threw three more punches but each was dodged until Peckmon managed to get back on his talons. He reached out with his talon just as Squirt tried to jump away, grabbing him in his talons. Standing on his other leg, he threw Squirt at Cutie before taking to the sky. Cutie grunted as Squirt hit her and sent the two of them to the ground.

Squirt pushed himself up and rolled off Cutie. He glared up at Peckmon and shouted, “Where’s Gilda at you jerk! Why is she working with the Dark Area?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s recognized the winning side. You fools would do well to follow her example,” Peckmon chuckled as he saw Squirt’s frustrations rise.

Before Squirt could say anymore, Cutie shouted at him, “Hey! Peckmon! Who’s Gilda’s best friend?!”

“...Huh?”

“Huh?”

Squirt and Peckmon both looked at Cutie, confusion evident on their faces. She was undeterred as she said, “You heard me. Who’s Gilda’s best friend? The one she’s known since she was a filly? You’d know that, cause she would’ve told you who she wanted to get back at, right?”

“Cutie, of course he knows it’s-hmmph!” Cutie quickly covered Squirt’s mouth to stop him from continuing. While he struggled against her hands, she kept glaring at Peckmon.

Peckmon’s eyes widened in worry as he continued to flap his wings, “Uh, um, right. She...She did tell me that. Um, uh...his name was...Pegu Guy. And...he...uh...bullied her, yeah, yeah that’s it!”

“...What?” Squirt sounded incredulous, Cutie removing her hands from his mouth so he could speak. He got to his feet and said, “Bu-But, no. That’s not it. Her best friend is Rainbow Dash. My partner.”

“Her friend is that winged pony with the stupid colored hair?” Peckmon frowned before realizing what he just said. He panicked and tried to backtrack, “I-I-I mean, of course it is! I knew that! The two of them, uh, used to go swimming together and-“

“You don’t know who Gilda is do you,” Cutie said plainly.

Peckmon tried to keep his composure...but then groaned and shook his head, “Damn it! No! I don’t, okay? Why would I even bother to know the name of someone that will be conquered soon enough?!”

“Bu-But why’d you lie to me?!” Squirt shouted, trying to make sense of what was going on.

Peckmon scoffed, “I suppose it doesn’t matter if I tell you. You won’t be leaving here alive anyway. Before I arrived here through the Digital Gate, my masters bequeathed me with a special power. One that allows me to sense the malice and grudges of those I fight. Whenever you fight you put your feelings behind every attack you make, and by reading the flow of your hatred and grudge, I can predict where you will attack. This power would make me invincible...anywhere but here!”

He spat on the ground in disgust as he continued, “This damn world! It’s filled with nothing but...but...happiness! I hardly feel any malice at all! Only small pockets that are nowhere near here, or are so weak that they’re barely worth the effort of caring about! I thought that my powers would’ve gone to waste...until I met you, little V-mon. That grudge you’ve been nursing towards Gilda is perfect for my needs. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Rookie or Champion! As long as I can read your moves, you won’t be able to touch me! But enough talk! Time to end this!”

He placed both his talons together and they were soon covered in flames as he started to spin in mid-air.

“Burning Spiral!”

The two Rookies barely had time to react as Peckmon dived toward them with his talons aflame. Cutie ran forward then took a deep breath. Facing the oncoming attack she shouted, “Ultrasonic Wave!”

A much louder sound exploded out of her mouth, aimed directly at Peckmon. The Champion’s attack was halted as the wave of found crashed into his stomach. His beak opened in a silent gasp as the force of the attack launched him up and over the Apple’s house. Flames erupted on his clothes while he flew over the home, landing on the other side with a loud thud. Cutie stopped screaming but slumped while panting in exhaustion.

Squirt was stunned silent as he tried to process what he just learned. Then he looked over at Cutie and said in a defeated voice, “You-You were right, Cutie. He-He did lie. I...I can’t believe I fell for that. I’m so stupid!”

“At least-At least you’re able to recognize it,” Cutie said as she walked over to him, “Now, come on. He’s not gonna be gone for long.. We don’t need to beat him. We just have to hold him off until the others show up. Then we can Digivolve and stop him.”

“I-I can’t.”

Cutie looked confused, “What do you mean you can’t? You know what he’s doing now. You can beat him.”

“No I can’t!” Squirt shouted while shaking his head. He put both hands on his head and grit his teeth, “Yeah, I know what he’s doing but...but I can’t just let go of my grudge!”

“Bu-But you know that Gilda-“

“I know! I know she’s not responsible for any of this! But that wasn’t why I’m mad at her! I’m mad at her for what she did! To you, to Rainbow, to Pinkie, to everypony! I’m angry about how much a jerk she is! I’m angry that she acted that way when all Rainbow wanted to do was catch up with an old friend of hers!” Squirt shook his head and sighed, “I...I can’t just forget about it like you, Pinkie, and Rainbow can. I...I’ll just be a burden if I fight.”

Squirt couldn’t look Cutie in the eye. He felt an ache in his heart from admitting this to her. He didn’t want to say these things, but he knew they were the truth. He could still feel the grudge festering within his heart. Even if he tried to suppress it, he had no doubt that Peckmon would still be able to use it against him. It would be better if he just stayed out of the fight.

“...I haven’t forgotten.”

Squirt blinked, body going rigid as those words entered his mind. He slowly looked at Cutie, seeing her frowning face. He said the only word that he could think of that that moment, “What?”

Cutie kept her eyes on the ground as she continued, “I-I haven’t forgotten what she did. And it still makes me mad. I didn’t like it when she popped Pinkie’s balloon. I didn’t like it when she threatened us. I didn’t like it when her pranks went a bit too far, or when she was mean to the other ponies. Those things haven’t changed.”

“Bu-But then how can you still hurt Peckmon?” Squirt asked, clearly confused.

Cutie was silent for a few seconds. Then she looked at him as her lips curled into a small smile, “Because...I want to give her a chance if she comes back. I think...I think there’s a chance that when she returns to Ponyville, she’ll actually want to be our friend. And she’ll want to be a better pony. That she’ll want to make up for what she did. And if we just turn her away because of what she did before...then we’ll be the jerks. And she might go back to being how she was yesterday. So, yeah. I don’t want to hold a grudge against her.”

“But what if she comes back and is still mean?”

“Then I’ll tell her off. I haven’t forgotten what she did. And because of that, I know what to do if she starts acting like that again. I’ll stand up to her, tell her to stop, and if she doesn’t? Well...I’m pretty sure I’m strong enough to drag her out of town,” Cutie chuckled and patted Squrit’s shoulder. Squirt’s mouth remained open, his eyes blinking repeatedly as he took in what Cutie had said. Then he closed his mouth as realization slowly made it way into his mind. He started to nod as expression turned from shock to understanding.

“Enough!” Squirt and cutie both looked up at the sound of Peckmon’s voice. The Champion was standing on the edge of the roof of the Apples’ house. His talons dug into the tiles as he glared death at the two Rookie Digimon, “No more of this! Grudge or not, I’m ending both of you, here and now! Let’s see you survive an unending storm of steel!”

He raised his wings once more, getting ready to make good on his words. Squirt and Cutie separated as they prepared for what was coming next. Both of their faces were furrowed in concentration...but soon turned to confident smiles when they saw a familiar shadow fall over Peckmon from behind. Peckmon narrowed his eyes and was about to ask them what they were smiling about, when he heard someone clear their throat right behind him. He turned around to see see who it was...then felt his blood run cold, “L-L-Lucemon?!”

“Hey,” Lucey smiled and waved at Peckmon, “I’m Lucey. I heard you were trying to hurt my friends. I don’t very much like that.”

Smile still on his face, Lucey’s right arm shot forward as he aimed to grab Peckmon’s neck. Peckmon squawked with fear as he jumped away, immediately trying to take to the air and get away. But before he could get far, a purple aura encased his leg and dragged him back to earth. As he hit the dirt, Squirt and Cutie looked to the left to see Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack rushing toward them. Cornelius and Loo followed behind them, both in their Champion stages as they rushed into Sweet Acres. Rainbow landed next to Squirt and Pinkie quickly bounced her way to Cutie. When the pink pony laid her eyes on Champion she tilted her head to the side, “So, this is the big meanie pants that caused all that trouble? A birdy running around on two legs? Boy you Digimon can be really weird! I like it.”

Lucey floated down from the roof to land by Fluttershy’s side as the ponies and Digimon rendezvoused. Twilight looked at the Digimon who had been fighting him and asked, “Cutie, Squirt, what happened?”

“That guy attacked us while we were in Apple Bloom’s room. He threw a bunch of sharp feathers at us and tore the place up. We’ve been fighting him ever since,” Cutie explained as Peckmon got to his talons.

“What?! That darn bird-brained tore up ma’ sister’s room?!” Apple Jack snorted while digging her front hoof into the dirt, “Well, now you’re gonna get it you feather-brained gremlin! Ya’ll ready, Loo?”

Flames fell from Loo’s muzzle as he nodded, “Just say the word and I’ll fry this chicken.”

“Everypony, wait!” all eyes turned to Squirt as he raised his hand up. He took a step forward, eyes not leaving Peckmon as he spoke, “Can...Can you all stay back and leave this to me? I’ve kind of got a score to settle with this guy.”

Most of the ponies and Digimon mumbled in confusion. Rainbow moved to Squirt’s side and asked, “Squirt, what are you talking about? Last time you fought that guy, you got seriously hurt. You sure you want to fight him after that?”

Squirt looked over at Rainbow and nodded, “Positive. This guy...he lied about knowing Gilda. And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. And I won’t feel better unless I do something about it myself. So, please...let me.”

Rainbow stared at Squirt with a her mouth hanging open. But as she stared at Squirt’s face, she slowly understood what he was saying. Then she nodded and took to the air before turning toward her friends, “You heard the guy, girls. You all hang tight. Me and Squirt’ll take care of this guy.”

Squirt looked surprised as Rainbow Dash landed to his left. At his gaping mouth she lightly punched his shoulder, “You didn’t seriously think that I wasn’t gonna help you, did ya? We’re Partners, right? I won’t let ya handle stuff like this alone. Right?”

Squirt’s lips curled into a smile. Then he returned Rainbow’s light punch with his own, “Right. Everypony else?”

“Go for it you two! Me and Cutie will cheer you on!” Pinkie said while raising up a pair of pom-poms that she got from...somewhere. Cutie had the same yellow and blue pom-poms on her claws...along with a sign that had the word “GO!” written on it with blue marker.

While Twilight tried to make sense of what Pinkie was doing, Cornelius said, “If you’re both certain. Just be careful. And if things get too bad, we’ll interfere.”

“T-T-Try not to h-h-hurt him too bad. An-And make sure not to break the egg!” Fluttershy said, trembling while trying to avoid looking at Peckmon.

Apple Jack tilted her hat and said, “Fine. Just give ‘em one for me and ma sister, got it?”

With their friends’ approval, both Rainbow and Squirt marched toward Peckmon. Rainbow took to the air and smacked her digivice. In seconds, Squirt changed from V-mon to V-dramon, the large dragon pounding his fists together. Peckmon began to laugh, “Ha, ha, did my last attack knock the sense out of your head? You can’t beat me, idiot! Champion or not, my powers mean you won’t be able to touch me!”

“You think so? How about we put that to test?” Squirt said confidently as he spread his legs out and got ready for a fight. Peckmon prepared for battle but paused as he observed Squirt. Something felt...different about him. He could still feel the grudge towards Gilda in his heart, but it didn’t feel the same. It felt...weaker?

Peckmon shook his head. No, that was impossible. Someone couldn’t have lessened their grudge against another that quickly. It just didn’t work that way. His grudge should still be strong enough to guide his actions. He could use his power to predict where his attacks would come from. Then he’d take him out and run away.

Confident in his victory, Peckmon sent a storm of steel feathers at Squirt. Squirt put his arms together and blocked the attack while Peckmon ran forward. He jumped off the ground and pulled his head back, ready to launch his first assault.

“Thousand Beak!“

“Magnum Punch!”

Squirt quickly lowered his right arm while keeping his left up to block. His fist glowed a bright white as he struck out at the airborne Peckmon. The two’s attacks looked like they were going to clash...until Squirt’s fists moved slightly below where Peckmon was aiming. And his attack was faster.

“GAH!” Peckmon squawked as Squirt landed a clean hit on his stomach. His beak hung open in pain but he wasn’t allowed to rest. With a roar, Squirt launched a second Magnum Punch with his left fist, uppercutting his foe in the chin.

“Rainbow! Get him!” Squirt shouted as Peckmon was launched into the sky. A rainbow colored blur shot toward the airborne Digimon. Rainbow pulled back her right front hoof and punched Peckmon square in the face.

“That’s for Roseluck’s stand!” she shouted as she rocketed past Peckmon. As Peckmon flipped in the air, he was suddenly struck by a blade of air pressure. Multiple feathers flew from his body as a cut appeared in his purple suit.

“That’s for wrecking Sugarcube Corner!” Squirt said as he turned his knife hand back into a fist.

Rainbow came back around and drop-kicked Peckmon in the back, propelling the Digimon’s body toward Squirt, “This is for destroying Apple Bloom’s room!”

As Peckmon tumbled from the sky toward Squirt, Rainbow swooped down and hovered beside Squirt's head. The two exchanged glances, nodded, and prepared for action. Squirt drew back his right fist while Rainbow did the same with her left hoof. As Peckmon approached, they yelled in unison, “And this, is for lying about Gilda!”

They simultaneously punched the Digimon in the face. An audible crack echoed through the air as Peckmon cried out in pain. Fluttershy and Applejack winced, while Pinkie jumped into the air, spelling out Rainbow Dash's name with her surprisingly elastic body. As Peckmon soared into the sky once more, he did not come back down this time. Instead, he remained suspended in the air, his head tilted back. His eyes widened in shock as he spoke, “Im-Impossible. I...I couldn’t sense your malice. I-I couldn’t read your attacks. The Rainbow one I get but...but why you? Your grudge isn’t gone. How could I not predict your movements?”

Squirt huffed and crossed his arms, “Yeah, I still have a bit of a grudge against Gilda. But...I’m not gonna let it control me anymore. Especially not when someone like you was using it to beat me up. If Gilda ever comes back, I’ll...I’ll try to be her friend, if she wants to be friends. But if she doesn’t, well, I’ll figure something out.”

“That’s more like it, Squirt,” Rainbow praised, rubbing his large head with a hoof, “That’s much cooler than holding a grudge.”

“Bu-But that’s impossible! You can’t just decide that and have it be true immediately! That’s not how it works!”

“Sounds like you believe that. But hey, you’re the stupid one who chose to fight instead of doing what you do best: running away. So, I suppose that’s to be expected,” Squirt chuckled as he prepared for what was to come next. Completely defeated, Peckmon let out one final gasp as a blue ring of data materialized around his body. Squirt opened his mouth and shouted, “Fractal Code, Digitize!”

A second later, all the blue code flew into Squirt’s open mouth. Once it was gone, a solid purple digi-egg appeared where Peckmon had been. Lucey quickly flew over and snatched the egg before it could hit the ground. Squirt turned to Rainbow and gave her a thumbs up, “Thanks for the help, RD. Though I could’ve taken him by myself.”

“Oh? Really?” Rainbow crossed her hooves and leaned into Squirt’s face, “I seem to remember somepony getting his butt whooped the first time around. Who says it wouldn’t have happened again if I wasn’t here to bail you out?”

“Bail me out? Please. We both know he would have destroyed you if I weren’t here,” the two continued to banter as Lucey brought the egg over to Fluttershy.

“It seems we have a new guest for our little nursery, Fluttershy,” he said, handing the egg to her, “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I’d love to take care of these little eggs until they’re ready to hatch and find a good home,” Fluttershy giggled, gently rubbing her hoof over the egg.

“Well, ‘ah guess that takes care of that,” Applejack said with a relieved sigh, “Though, it’s gonna be mighty tough to fix up Apple Bloom’s room. Hope Granny Smith don’t get too mad ‘bout it.”

“Actually, we aren’t finished yet,” Cornelius said, capturing everypony’s attention. He turned to Squirt and inquired, “Rainbow Dash told us that Peckmon claimed to be part of the Dark Area Invasion Army. If that’s true, this marks the second time Digimon affiliated with them have appeared out of nowhere to cause trouble. Couple that with how we all arrived seemingly out of nowhere, and it suggests that there is someway to travel between Equestria and the Digital World, and it’s likely located near Ponyville.”

Twilight nodded, “Right. But we still don’t know where it is or what it could be. If we only had that information, we would be able to do something about it.”

“Oh!” Cutie shouted, getting everypony’s attention. She climbed onto Pinkie’s back to ensure she could be heard by all in attendance, “Actually, we might know what they’re using. Peckmon mentioned that he got here through a Digital Gate before we fought each other. Maybe that’s how they’re getting to Equestria?”

“Digital Gate?” all the ponies said in unison.

“A Digital Gate,” Lucey began, raising a finger to get everypony looking at him, “is a mechanism that can be used to transport things between the Digital World and a different world. Some gates are two-way, while others are only one-way. There isn’t a specific location where they can manifest; they simply appear at random. However, they typically remain in one location once they ‘attach’ to an area.”

“And y’all know this why? Ah thought y’all couldn’t ‘member nothin’ of your past,” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow at Lucemon.

“Because they’re Champions now, Applejack,” Twilight explained, already committing what had been said to memory for later, “Cornelius and I theorize that evolving has unlocked some of their latent memories. The knowledge of Digital Gates is likely related to that.”

“So, what? There’s some weird gate thing somewhere near Ponyville? Then let’s go find it! We need to stop these jerks from getting here!” Rainbow Dash said, getting ready to fly off after the Digital Gate.

“I wouldn’t, Rainbow Dash,” Cornelius stated, rubbing his chin, “Digital Gates can’t be seen with the naked eye. They typically require a trigger of some sort to be made physical. A type of ‘key’ if you will. And that key can be anything.”

“So, we can’t do anything about it?”

“Not necessarily. One thing we can do is make an accurate guess as to where the Gate may be,” Cornelius began, raising his finger, “Considering that both the Gaizmon and Peckmon appeared close enough to Ponyville to reach the town within minutes of arriving in Equestria without anypony noticing, it must be located somewhere near the edge of town, but not so close that anypony could see it opening. This means it’s far from Sweet Apple Acres, the school, or Fluttershy’s cottage. Therefore, only one possible location remains.”

Cornelius pointed his finger to the west...right above the Everfree Forest.

All the ponies gulped in fear.

“Hmm, Ponyville, huh? Perfect! This shall be the next town to be graced by The All Powerful Trixie! And her wonderful assistant! Are you ready to put on a show, my dear companion?”

“As always, All Powerful Trixie. Let’s go knock some backwater Ponies dead!”

A pair of haughty, confident laughs could be heard far away from Ponyville. One laugh belonged to a light blue unicorn dressed in a wizard's costume, while the other came from a peculiar witch draped in a red cloak.

Author's Note

Finally got this done. As you can see, it took so long as I wrote 10k words for this. I hope you all enjoy. As of now, I'm about half way through Season 4. I will admit, I'm seeing the quality of episodes dip somewhat, but I still want to get through it. I've also seen the first Equestria Girls movie.

See you all next time!

Digimon Appearing in this Chapter:

Peckmon:

https://wikimon.net/Peckmon