Literally Snails

@Dynamo Pad @Unicorncob @Snow Frostflame Tricis nodded at Jade and Pad. "That's a likely explanation. It may not seem like it, but I believe they're trying to help us right now. But there's still more to this. Rail would have a different motive, and he seems to be the one pulling the strings." @dragon4111 @reader8363 Tricis looked at Dragon holding the talisman and said, "You know she can't hear you right now, right?"

"You can ask me about that tomorrow morning. I'll have more time to focus on questions like that then," Tricis answered.

@Dynamo Pad @dragon4111 @reader8363 "No, you're both wrong about that," Tricis said to Jade and Snow. She nodded at what dynamo said about how they were giving them an incentive. "I'm going to ask you all to use your brains for a little while. I'm sure you can do it if you try. You all saw Rose fight today, she can defend herself, and yet they were able to do this to her before Pad even showed up, despite him being warned. There isn't a doubt in my mind that this attacker could have killed Rose and Pad if that's what he wanted. Try to put yourself in their minds. Imagine you're a titan who can't be challenged by anyone in this tournament. There's no joy in fighting when you already know the outcome and you have no use for the grand prize. Why would you come here?" She half glanced at Snow. "And as for your energy loss, that isn't something they did to you, not directly."

@Unicorncob @Snow Frostflame @reader8363 @dragon4111 Tricis used her own magic to hold Rose and set her unconscious body on the couch. "Hold on, boy, what do you mean? What do you know?" she asked, bewildered. She placed Rose on the bed with her head elevated on a pillow and observed her wounds. She then looked at Snow Frostflame. "And what happened to you?" she asked, realizing his condition as well.

dis gettin fun. I'm gonna post again soon since we don't really need to do post order right now.

Teleporting would be fine

@dragon4111 @Snow Frostflame @Unicorncob Tricis lead Jade back to the hotel room silently and contemplatively. They entered the room to see Draco and Frostframe with Frostflame seeming bent out of shape about something. There was also a crater on the far wall of the hallway leading to the room. How strange. @reader8363 @Dynamo Pad There were no more unexpected obstacles leading back to the hotel room, though Dynamo would need to keep an even pace to avoid worsening her injuries.

@reader8363 The grey stallion extended a blackened shield to deflect Rose's attack, but he didn't see Pad's spin dash coming. The blue unicorn was headed straight for the stallion's back when the shadow creature he controlled changed shapes again, creating a dome around the grey stallion's back that made Pad glide harmlessly off him. He stepped back and observed the scene. Rose was on her knees in the crater, and Pad was standing across from him. "How cute, you wanted to play with us too, but it's too late now. Were you hoping to save her? Give her credit boy," the grey stallion said in his unsettling voice. He looked down at Rose and wrapped a shadow tendril around her, picking her up uncomfortably. "She's tough. She'll recover from this by the finals if you ever make it there. Though I don't think she'll be of as much use to you tomorrow. Here, take her if you still want her." He roughly tossed her over Pad. The shadow creature then swirled around the grey stallion and he disappeared. "Well now, don't you have a way with rambling." Nin scoffed at Draco, then he turned his attention to Frostflame. He seemed to have suddenly gone lightheaded. "Well now, isn't that a bit dramatic?" He turned and started to leave before looking over his shoulder to say one last thing to the pair. "Oh, and one message we needed to tell you because I know some of you are thinking this. Don't think that you can get out of this alive by losing before reaching the finals. You may be thinking that if you get disqualified by a ten count you can return to your lives alive, but you're forgetting one thing. I'll get a wish when I win this tournament, and I'm going to wish for your blood. All of it. Yours and your friends. So do try to win the tournament for your own sake, and be sure to pass that information on to your friends." Nin walked down the hallway and Onyx followed behind him, chipping the wall as he pulled his fist out of it. "Remember that absolutes are only used by fools who can't make judgments for themselves," Tricis said, standing up. "I'll talk to you about this more soon, but we should get to the hotel now, it's growing dark."

Alright guys, I'm gonna wait for @dragon4111 to make sure he doesnt miss the whole thing. But we're about at the end of this day of the RP, and I got lots planned for day 3. Every one of you is gonna have a really hard time~

The grey stallion scowled at her. "This ceases to be amusing, girl, stay down!" He ordered before conjuring a long dark tendril and swirling it beneath Rose's shadow. It struck her in the back and slammed her body into the ground hard enough to create a shallow crater in the forest ground, probably breaking a few more of her bones. @Dynamo Pad The loud crashing and clouds of dust made it easy for Dynamo to find Rose and the grey stallion. Pad would instantly recognize the assailant as one of the members of team Rokata, the one he hadn't seen fight. Tricis crossed her front legs and looked down. "You have a strong resolve." She said. And there's the reason he's so interested in her. She just gave the exact same answer he would have.

@reader8363 Rose can fight with a full set of broken ribs? o3o I suppose I could work with this

Tricis looked away from Tricis as she posed a hypothetical. "And where does that responsibility lie? If you aren't strong enough to do what's right, is it your duty to get stronger? What would you sacrifice to reach that potential? What is worse than doing nothing?"

That might not be an option

"She's in the forest, and she's gravely injured," Selene answered. There was a foreboding tone to her voice. Even though Rose wasn't hurt yet, she knew she would be by the time Dynamo got to her. These meetings were meticulously planned. But why? "It's a shame they need so much motivation just to take themselves seriously," Rail muttered to himself, too far away for Dynamo to hear. The shadow creature attached to the grey stallion morphed into an amorphous wave that blocked her attack and then shot at rose like a battering ram. The attack made Rose's offense pale in comparison. She wasn't ready to match him. The shadow creature struck her in the chest before she could dodge and crashed her into the oak tree behind her. The force knocked her completely through the tree and she slammed into another tree behind her, finally stopping her. The force of the attack would be enough to shatter her ribs. It could have killed a regular pony. "Fun to toy with, but you aren't ready to play yet." The grey stallion said. "You're like a delicious fruit, so tempting to devour when you aren't yet ripe!" @dragon4111 "So formal," Nin said appreciatively, though he stayed on the other side of the door. "I'll have to pass, however. You aren't worth that much of my time." He opened his eyes and looked up at Frostflame, then to Draco. "Oh, but that's what you were going to say to me isn't it? Yes, the two of you are very good at acting tough. Maybe you consider yourself fearless, but that's going to be a problem for you. You'll die like that. Won't even make it to the finals, and that just won't do." He leaned against the door frame. Onyx was motionless, staring down Frostflame with an even expression on his face. "You've peaked our interest. We want to fight you, but that won't happen if you act like fools and get yourselves killed before the semifinals." Nin explained. Onyx punched the wall behind him, leaving a crater in the cement wall and shaking the room for a moment. "Get stronger, Frostflame." He commanded. This was the first time any of them heard him speak. His voice was as deep as one would expect from a minotaur of his size. "Or I will finish you next time." "Even if you don't think you're afraid, it's clear that your bodies know something your brains do not." Nin said, "Perhaps there is hope for you yet." "And what did he teach you was more important than strength?" Tricis asked vaguely. The stadium was almost empty at that point.

@reader8363 @Unicorncob @Dynamo Pad @Snow Frostflame @dragon4111 @Arid_Blitz Just fair warning, I'm gonna be doing some god modding in these next few posts, particularly against rose. For story purposes.

Are you alright?

@reader8363 has been offline for over a day. We're mostly waiting on her now, though I'd like Draco to post as well so everyone gets a turn.

I went ahead and posted anyway, but I really will need @Snow Frostflame to post before I can reply another time.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ @Snow Frostflame The door swung open, and Draco and Snow saw Nin and Onyx standing on the other side. Nin opened the door with his right hoof, the leather strapped device on his right leg in full view. Onyx was silent, but Nin spoke before either of them could. "Interrupting something? My, you don't really seem like a team." The shadow creature wasn't illuminated by the flashlight. It remained as dark as ever. "Really now. All these tournament rounds are taking place during the day. What did you expect that to accomplish? Foolish girl! Now I know Shadow beast is your father!" "I promise I will tell you the full story before it's too late, but for now neither of us are ready," Tricis said as the seats around them were emptied by fans leaving the fight. "Tell me, Master Xiang, why did he teach you? Why did you need him?" "Worried about your friends?" Selene repeated. Pad could see her eyebrow cock beneath her headwrap. "If you choose to put them above yourself, then you should find Rose." She stopped her pacing and squared off across from Dynamo. "That... is why you're here, right?"

I'm gonna wait for Snow to post, then I'll reply to all of you.

This is what I was asking about. What did you mean by this?

but I was asking what you meant <~>

what does that mean?

Well, maybe just snow could reply for now.

oof. Sorry to hear that.