Taylean sighed as he set his tools aside. He has been working on his next suit of armor that he has thought up, and it has been coming along quite nicely. It practically shines like it was made of diamonds, just the way he hopes.

After leaving Equestria, the Ventus Guardian has set out and accomplished his dream of opening his armor shop, the best in the Ventus region. Everyone wanted a suit of armor of his design forged into great strength and beauty. Just seeing their eyes shine in awe at his work makes him feel good about himself…something he can do without killing someone.

Just thinking about killing someone—even if they're the enemy—fills him with dread. But he plans to be there for others when no one else would.

He made that promise to Rarity that fateful night…

Long ago…

"Well, it looks like we have everything we will need, Taylean," Rarity said, looking through her list. "It will take a lot of work, but if we work together, we should be able to pull it off in time for the coronation."

"Uh, yeah…" Taylean replied absentmindedly but sadly. "Great…" The Unicorn turned to her Guardian who was nudging at the gems he was sorting through. She can see that something's bothering him.

"Taylean?" she asked, walking up to him with concern. "Are you alright, darling? You seem upset…"

Taylean doesn't seem to be paying attention; his thoughts were on Drago's words.

"We are going to have to leave Equestria… as long as we continue to stay here, Equestria will never be at peace. Evil such as Naga and Kyurem are only the tip of the iceberg. To keep our home safe, to keep our partners safe, we must depart. This news does not come lightly to any of us but make peace with your partner and loved ones before my or Twilight's coronations. We must leave shortly after."

Taylean felt his friend's words pierce his heart and could no longer hold back the tears. He immediately buried his face into his arms folded on the table and began sobbing loudly like a child whose best friend has moved away.

"Taylean?!" Rarity rushed over to his side, her concern growing into worry as she placed her front hooves on his shoulders. "Dear, what's wrong? What's troubling you? Please tell me."

"I…I don't want…"

"Don't want what? To sort out the gems? I can do that for you, Taylean. You just—"

"Not the gems…" He lifted his head up to face her, tear streaks on his face. "I don't want to leave you." Rarity blinked with shock.

"Wh…What are you saying?" Taylean wiped his tears away before explaining.

"Drago, he…he said that we—us Guardians—we have to…return to Vestroia." Even Rarity couldn't believe what she's hearing.

"But…But why?"

"He said that…it's to keep you all safe. As long as we stay here, Equestria will still be in danger; Naga and Kyurem were just the beginning." He fell into tears again. "But I don't want to leave you…I'm so sorry…"

"Oh, Taylean…" With tears in her eyes, she hugged her Guardian. The Ventus Bakugan then hugged her back, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Darling, I had a feel this day would come…just not this soon. You've been there for all of use all these years: me…Sweetie Belle…Dragonite since he was a Dragonair…I just wish there was another way as well."

"As do I," Taylean whimpered. "But it has to be done…I'll miss you so much…You will always be…my beautiful partner." Rarity looked up at him, her tears growing black from her mascara before he wiped them away.

"And you will always be…my handsome Guardian," she replied. "We'll make the best of our time left together once we're finished our preparations, but I want you to make me this one promise for when you return to Vestroia."

"Anything." Rarity then placed a gentle hoof on his heart.

"Promise me…that you will continue to help and protect those…when no one else could." Taylean smiled softly as he hugged her.

"I promise."

A tinkling of a doorbell was what broke Taylean from his reminiscing and brought him back to his armor shop. Clearing his throat and fighting back his tears, he straightened himself up and walked up to the front lobby.

"Coming," he announced. "Welcome to the Armors of Rarity, where our armors are of generous uniqueness."

"No need for the formal introductions, my friend," the customer replied, and the Ventus ninja saw that it's Drago.

"Drago," he said with joy but mostly surprise, "what brings you over here? Don't tell me you're escaping your royal duties again." He of course was teasing his friend with the last part.

"I'm not, my friend, I promise you," Drago chuckled in reply. "In fact, that's the reason I came to see you."

"Oh, is it for the new knighting ceremony armor you asked about yesterday?" Taylean asked, going over to his desk nearby. "I just got done a couple of designs so far for you to check out."

"I'm afraid that's not it." Taylean stopped and turned to Drago, who now has a troubled look in his eyes.

"What's wrong, my friend?"

"Taylean, I…" Drago took a deep breath before telling his friend his business. "I'm here to hire you as my personal assassin." Taylean was taken aback by this.

"Say what?! If this is your idea of a prank, Drago, it's not funny!"

"I wish it was a prank, but it isn't," Drago replied gently but gently. "There's trouble brewing in Vestroia, Taylean, and you're the best candidate I've ever known."

The Ventus Bakugan gave him a stern look, but he detected no deception. Drago's eyes were stern; his face was straight; even the tone in his voice was firm and grim. But maybe he's just being a little paranoid?

"What kind of trouble?"

"Well…have you heard of Digimon?"

"Yes, Digital Monsters," Taylean answered with a finger on his chin in thought. "They live in this place called the Digital World, and I often regarded them as the counterparts of Pokémon since they can get partners like we can."

"Well, I've learned from Arceus that years ago…Grogar had a Digimon as his partner and counterpart. An evil Digimon by the name of Lucemon."

"Lucemon…?" Even Taylean found the name frightening. Upon hearing the name, his bottom became frozen in fear, and his blood felt like an Ice Age blowing through his veins.

Drago seemed to have shuddered as well from the name, but he kept it together as he told his friend his story:

"Years ago, there were three worlds: our world Vestroia; the Pokémon World; and the Digital World. The Digital World back then was a pretty chaotic mess until this Rookie Angel Digimon came along. His name was Lucemon, and he was powerful for a Rookie Level. And I mean powerful.

"He used his amazing powers to fix up the Digital World, shaping it into a peaceful world of harmony. The Digimon of that world redeemed Lucemon as their savior…before it was too late.

"Lucemon revealed himself to be an arrogant tyrant who believes himself to be the high ruler of the Digital World, shaping it into his own tyrannical image instead of what others want. Almost everyone was his slave, not daring to face his godlike powers.

"Things only got worse when Lucemon turned his attention to Vestroia and the Pokémon World. The arrogant Digimon believed he had the right to rule them as well and forced the Digimon to rage war with said worlds, causing enmity and mistrust among Pokémon, Digimon, and Bakugan. He was able to gain an ally and partner in Grogar; while he will rule over Equestria and Vestroia, Lucemon will rule the Digital and Pokémon Worlds.

"But there were a few powerful ones who teamed up against him: the Legendary Warriors of Vestroia; the Legendaries of Pokémon (including Arceus); and the Digimon Sovereign. They were wise enough to know of Lucemon's intentions: he and Grogar plan to use this war to weaken the three races so they can conquer them more easily. But the team of powerful rebels banded together to fight them off and defeat them.

"The Legendary Salvations (as they were called) banished Grogar to Equestria where he will be defeated once again but alone; Lucemon was to be banished to the Digital World's underworld called the Dark Realm. But this comes with a price: in order to seal him in there for good, they must sever the Digital World's connection with Vestroia and the Pokémon World. The others were hesitant as this alliance had formed a strong friendship for them with the Digimon Sovereign, but they did what they had to do for the sake of their Worlds.

"Since then, there was no connection between our Worlds."

"But…what's this got to do with this 'trouble' you've mentioned?" Taylean finally asked. "It's not like Lucemon's going to make his comeback."

"Actually, he is," Drago answered. "I've received this vision from one of the Digimon Sovereign Azulongmon."

He then waved a glowing hand behind him to summon a cloud of some kind before some images appeared in it. They showed them a dark-colored astral plain of some sort. And in this part of the plain, what seems to be twenty or thirty crystals glowing with a holy white light, each with a pair of golden rings floating around it at a random angle and decorated with a text Taylean isn't familiar with. Each crystal seems to be connected to something—or someone—via bolt of hot-white energy, entrapping the figure in a glowing orb of some kind.

Taylean took a closer look at the figure in the orb. Judging by the silhouette, it looks like a human child with wings crouched in a fetal position…and he was glowing with a dark aura.

The Bakugan snapped out of it upon hearing the sound of cracking glass and turned to one of the crystals, which he now sees are getting covered with cracks glowing black. He watched in horror as the crystal suddenly shattered and the pieces disintegrated.

"You saw what happened to that crystal?" Drago then asked as the vision vanished.

"Yes, but…what are they for?"

"Those are the crystals the Digimon Sovereign created to keep Lucemon confined in the Dark Realm," the Dragonoid answered. "They and the other Legendary Salvations thought they would keep him dormant for hopefully an eternity, but he's proving us wrong."

"You mean…he's destroying those crystals?"

"Yes, and Azulongmon fears that once all the crystals are destroyed, Lucemon will escape from the Dark Realm and back into our dimension for revenge, especially for Grogar. I've a feeling he may come for Vestroia."

"But…that would mean…"

"It could mean the destruction of Vestroia as we know it," Drago answered with a solemn nod. "This is connected to why I need your help, Taylean. With each crystal that Lucemon destroys, his powers grows stronger, and a bit of it escapes into our worlds. It then finds a random Pokémon, Digimon, or Bakugan and possesses them, turning them into Lucemon's puppet to do his destructive bidding to prepare for his coming."

"I did hear rumors of a few insane Pokémon/Digimon/Bakugan running amok lately," Taylean replied after some thought. "I had no idea it was…his doing."

"Azulongmon said there's a way to save the possessed from Lucemon's control," Drago explained. He then brought out some platinum-white arrows, each with the tail part replaced with a cross. "These arrows are infused with the heavenly power that weakened him in his last fight before he was sent to the Dark Realm. We call them Exorcise Arrows: when you pierce a possessed with it, it will destroy the the darkness in them and return them to normal.

"You're the best assassin I know, Taylean. With your skills, we can help everyone and be ready for our fight against Lucemon. We have to protect them."

The Ventus ninja sighed sadly in reply. Protect…that word reminds him of his promise to Rarity. To continue to help and protect others when no one else could do so. She would want him to do this if she were still here right now.

I need keep our promise…for her.

"Count me in."

"Thank you, Taylean. And I know that this is sudden, but you can start in the Indigo Plateau area of the Pokémon World. Your brother Dragonite reported a renegade Charizard with a dark aura causing destructive trouble. I'm betting it's Lucemon's."

"No need to convince me; you had me the moment you've mentioned my brother. I'll head over there right away; just need to get something first."

Taylean then when over to his cabinet with a window for a door like a display case. Inside are two items: a letter; and a light green silk scarf with three cyan diamonds on one end. His last gift from Rarity.

Taylean felt his heart ache as he recalled a few months ago when Dharak and Discord came to his shop with the sad news. As the ones capable to travel through dimensions, they were able to deliver Rarity's letters to him and vise versa, the same they did for Boulderon and Fluttershy. Taylean still keeps Rarity's letters and photos in a scrapbook in his special chest.

When Discord and Dharak presented the scarf to Taylean with tears, he immediately feared the worst. He recalled the tears that hit the paper as he read the letter to confirm his fears:

Dear Taylean,

I am certain you have figured out what has happened when you got this letter and scarf. Yes, my time has come, and I am sorry that I have to give you this last goodbye via letter instead of face-to-face. But I just didn't have the strength—let alone the courage or heart—to do so. It breaks my heart just imagining your tears already.

I know that Twilight and Discord could offer me immortality, but I chose none. I will only be sad and miserable just watching my loved ones pass on while I stay behind. Not mention it would feel selfish of me to choose immortality.

As I've mentioned in on of my previous letters to you, have already passed the fashionista torch to Yona, and she's been making both of us proud since then. She's heartbroken over my time to come, but she agreed when I asked her to stay strong for me and carry on as the most creative but kind-hearted fashionista I've taught her to be.

And I asked the same of you: please stay strong for me and continue to be the honorable ninja who was my Guardian, my partner, my friend, and my brother. Even though I am no longer with you physically, my beloved partner, I will always be with you spiritually. Should you ever feel otherwise, I made for you this scarf with my own magic and two hooves.

As my final request, I ask that you never forget our promise that you will continue to help and protect others when no one else could do so. And even though you may earn yourself a new partner, I will still be with you in your heart.

I love you always, Taylean.

Your forever friend, partner, and sister, Rarity.

Taylean recalled how he cried and sobbed into the scarf for a whole week, closing his shop for that long to mourn for his late partner. He wished that he could've been there at Rarity's side during her final moments but knew that she was right. Watching her…go would be too much for him to handle. Since then, both the letter and the scarf have been in the display case as a memorial to Rarity and has never been taken out.

Until now.

Taylean opened the case with a solemn expression, took out the scarf like it's old and delicate, and wrapped it around his neck. Once it's one properly, he turned to Drago.

"Alright…I'm ready." With a nod, Drago turned to the side again and waved his hand once more, summoning a portal showing the mountain area of the Indigo Plateau of the Pokémon World's Kanto region. He then hands the Exorcise Arrows to Taylean, who takes them and walks towards the portal.

I will keep my promise to you, Rarity. I will continue to help and protect others when no one else could do so. With that thought in his mind, he flies into the portal.