Literally Snails

"That wasn't my intention, no," Said Shining Armor. "I used my connections to get all the information I could on Team Rokata. I'm not even sure if what we have here is worth sharing, but-" @DwhitetheGamer @Unicorncob Shining Armor stopped in his tracks. He didn't look surprised by what Copper said. Instead, he tilted his head down and sighed, like this was something he knew would happen, but it was the inconvenience that troubled him. This was one of the things Tricis had warned him about, but he thought, perhaps foolishly, that it could be avoided. "Yes! This does make more sense!" His assistant, Quill Weave said as she excitedly opened up Rokata's folder again. She seemed illiterate to the tone of the situation. "That must be where the patern lies with Rokata. He hasn't been increasingly aggressive. He's increasingly self destructive!" Rose made it to the hotel room to see the scene unfolding. Shining Armor sitting with his head hung, Quill looking through her folder, Copper standing between Dynamo and Jade after saying something that was clearly important. She'd have to put the pieces together on her own. "Nin's powers come from my world," Dai explained. "The only way a pony can gain the powers of blood magic is by binding themselves with demon. That's why it's so dangerous. A unicorn as powerful as Nin can control the more negative side effects of that kind of alliance, but there are still drawbacks to his power. Blood magic won't work on demon blood, that includes Yokai like me. If you had demon blood mixed with your own, it wouldn't stop him from being able to use blood magic, but it will stop him from using your blood for it." She stopped walking when they were in an issolated grove, a breeze rushing between the two of them. "This will cost you dearly, however. I fear your lifespan will be cut in half if you and I make this exchange. Your body isn't made to contain our blood."

Dai followed Draco slowly when he started moving. "I can give you something that will stop him from killing you so easily. Blood mages wont be able to use your blood. But it will require a pact. It might not be something you want to do." "Geez, you have a flair for the dramatic. I just said this would be the last tournament." Topaz said as she stood up from her stool. "I don't know anything about ending everyone. Unless you know something I don't. Anyway, You mighht want to find your way back to your team. I think we both need some rest." Tatterhoof waved until Dynamo was out of earshot and then grumpilly huffed. "Yeah, I'll be sure to thank him, since he's the one who did all the work." When Dynamo made it to the hotel lobby, the place was quiet, but he could hear Jade and Shining Armor talking from their hotel room.

@dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer @Dynamo Pad @reader8363 "That's not something we've been able to figure out. Our intelligence shows that Rokata is stronger than Onyx, but not so much that he could hold him against his will. Onyx must be here by choice." Shining Armor said. "But we should discuss him when the others are here. Particularly Copper." Quill added. Tatterhoof flipped the same switch he used to turn it on, and the heavy sensation in Dynamo's leg quickly left. "There's a power switch." He said bluntly, "I thought that would be something you'd be used to." "He always has a plan, but I don't know what it is," Topaz said. "You can just feel it in the air around the guy. He's planning something big. And when he does something big, he takes everything else down."

"That's usually what gets you invited here. Having a bad reputation with the ponies on the committee." Topaz explained. "But I bet that's not the real reason your here. My father was very selective this year. Don't tell anyone else about this, but I think he wants this to be the last Dark Tournament. I'm kind of bummed about it." "The controller only does one thing. It's not a weapon in that sense," Tatterhoof said. "That's really all I can do to aid you, though I can suggest that you turn the thing off when you aren't using it. Looks painful." Tatterhoof tapped his cane, waiting to make sure Dynamo didn't have anything else to say before they parted ways. @dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer Quill scooped up one of the folders and adjusted her glasses. "Rokata is an alias," She explained, "But we don'thave his real name. All our information comes from criminal records under that alias. His age is suspected between 60 and 65. He just appeared 47 years ago, completely identical to the way he is now both in appearance and demeanor. He aimlessly started doing mercenary work, charging an exorbanent fee for his services, but there's no record of him ever owning a home or investing his money. He just grew his fortune and never used it. Then things get more complicated." She turned a page in the folder and scanned the contents. "Those who worked with him say he doesn't accept every contract he's offered, but ther isn't any consitancy between the jobs he accepts and the ones he doesn't. He's taken jobs that inolve some pretty, gruesome details... but also rejected jobs that were nearly similar. He's rejected simple body guard positions, but his longest contract was as a bodyguard for Big Shot. For five years about a decade ago. There just isn't a predictable pattern of behavior here. He clearly opperates on a complicated set of rules. Though I believe his quality of character is cut and dry. He's done some unspeakable thingsfor his criminal clients, including slaughtering an entire tribe of Minotaurs, the very tribe his teammate Onyx is from!"

"It would probably be best to wait for the rest of the team to get here so I don't have to repeat myself." Shinging Armor explained. "I could tell you about Rokata, since you're the only one who needs to know about him. Do you know where any of the others are?" Topaz set her drink down after taking one more sip. She laid her front hooves against the table and leaned forward. "So you're following in his hoofsteps? Do you know what got you invited to this tournament?" "First off, you can't summon anything living. I said it was items and weapons you could make. Second, of course there's a catch. You're feeling it right now!" Tatterhoof explained. He used his cain to tap the unicorn's leg bellow the controller. "That heavy numb feeling is caused by the machine drawing power whenever its turned on. And it takes a hell of a lot. With your Magical Well the size it is, I'd say you can maybe use it three times a day. Four if you want to use up everything you have."

Shining Armor sighed and dropped the stack of folders on the hotel room coffee table. He was obviously dealing with as much stress as the rest of the team. He pushed the files away and sat back when Jade entered the room. The mare didn't respond to Jade asking who she was. She waited for Shining Armor to explain for her. "This is Quill Weave. I told you I had ponies researching team Rokata right?" He explained. "She's been searching Celestia's archives for everything we have on them. It wasn't much, but we have something on each of them. I'm not sure if any of it will help, though." Tatterhoof moved his hoof to an on-switch on the side of the controller. "Careful, It's got a real kick and needs a lot of power." He flipped the switch and Dynamo immediately felt the effect. It was like a cool wind rushed through his body, then the leg he wore the controller on felt heavy and warm, like it was strapped to a hot iron. The sensation dulled, but he still felt encumbered by it. "Entities. Items. Weapons. Anything you have the power to conjure." Tatterhoof explained. "You'll need a lot of magical energy, but you'll also need intimate knowledge of the games you're using. I tried it out myself and I was only able to create four-piece blocks." Topaz slowed down with her drink. The alcohol was already effecting her. "You talk about your dad a lot," She said, "Who was he? Someone I should know about?"

Tatterhoof smiled and leaned toward Dynamo with one eyebrow raised. "Not only is it a limited edition, it's also enchanted! The kind of enchantment you can only get with the help of yokai. No mere unicorn can pack the power this thing has." He hoofed the controller to Dynamo and waited for him to put it on. "Go ahead and try it out! It's called a Quest Controller, and it can create items and entities from the games you know best." The bartender nodded. Something strong meant something specific when serving Topaz. She had her regular orders. The bartender mixed up a fruity drink with three shots of different spirits on the counter and gave one to Topaz and Rose. Topaz took the first drink while saying. "My dad is boring. He only drinks his fancy liquor straight up. No cocktails." Dai shook her head, both at Draco's promise and his suggestion. "That's not the kind of help I'm talking about. You're not gonna spar your way to a victory against Nin. Like I said, he can just control your blood, make it come out your eyes or something like that. That'll be a decisive end to any argument no matter how many pressups you did the previous day. What you need is something that can protect yourself, make it so he can't use your blood, at least not while it's in your body. Get it?" @Unicorncob @Dynamo Pad @DwhitetheGamer @reader8363 @dragon4111 Shining Armor sat in the hotel room scanning through a stack of folders brought in by a tan mare with a black mane and red, square-rimmed glasses. He was awaiting the return of his team, but knew they had other matters to attend to first.

Dai sprung off Dracos head, landing face to face across from him after a backflip. She crossed her front legs and looked down, avoiding direct eye contact with Draco. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't deal with blood mages here on the surface. You don't know what they're capable of." She looked up and suddenly smiled, "But I can help you. At least a little bit, and then all that talk about being stubborn might actually mean something!" She suddenly snarled, "On the condition that you stop talking to me like some two-bit cassenova." Topaz blinked at Rose, taking a moment to consider the offer. "Well, I am already here, I guess. I could have a drink or two... And don't worry about paying, they're free for me." The bartender stepped up to Rose and made eye contact with Topaz. The two nodded at one another. "Whatever she's having," Topaz said. "I'm glad you asked!" Tatterhoof said while reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a plastic impliment that looked like a rectangular game controller with four colored buttons, a D pad and a joystick in the corner. It had a rubber strap that wrapped all the way around like a thick wristband. "Tada! Recognize it?"

"You're gonna die." Dai said bluntly. "You wont last a minute in the ring with Nin. He's a bloodmage. You know he can just boil your blood in your veins before you get a chance to fight back, right?"

"Your friend Ray brings me here." Tatterhoof said, leaning forward on his cane. "If it were up to me, I'd be out of this forest. Bad stuff happening here. Bad mojo. But I owe the Yokai I summoned a hefty debt and Ray made rather odd request. He wants me to use my expertice to help you and your friends survive the finals. And as it just so happens, I have just the thing for you!" "Well that's not the additude I expected." Topaz said with a sullen sigh. She could feel an uneasy tension around Rose. It was probably best that she didn't see Mason's fight. "I'm not really sure I understand what you mean by that, but I can feel what you're putting down. It feels like everyone around us is trying to turn the finals into the be-all-end-all. The innocent death matches are over." @Unicorncob Soon after Jade left Draco alone, he felt a slight pressure on the top of his head like some small creature had made it its nest. When he looked up, he'd see Dai doing a perfect hoof stand on his scalp, using her yokai cuffs to make herself as light as a feather. She looked down on him with wide, vulnerable eyes and a look of concern across her lips. "Good job. You helped her get ready. Now what are you gonna do?" She asked in a sullen, almost defeated tone.

"And what are you doing in here?" Topaz asked, "I bet the rest of your team is getting prepared. Do you feel like you're already ready?" "You've been making yourself scarce," Dynamo heard Tatterhoof say. The showboat pony was behind him, walking through the same hallway with his cane at his side. It looked like he'd been pacing for some time trying to find the blue unicorn. He had to stop to straighten his uniform and tophat when he finally caught up with Dynamo. He took a deep breath and tapped his cane on the ground before leaning on it. "Here I thought you'd be the easy one to find." @DwhitetheGamer @Unicorncob @dragon4111 @Arid_Blitz Rokata left the room now that his business was done, leaving Tricis' body alone and in peace.

Rail smiled, "Then what's to stop me from just seeking you out if I want your answer to be yes?" Nin walked through the door and Rauk followed bheind him. "You'll come to me if you make your decision. I don't make myself hard to find." He said before leaving Dynamo alone. By then, the stadium was mostly abandoned again. All the fans had plenty of time to leave after team Rokata's short fight. "You mean you didn't watch it?" Topaz asked, with a shocked expression. Then her expression softened and she turned to her drink. "I don't blame you for that. Though that was your only chance to see Mason fight before the finals. You were asking about him the other day." Rokata took one step closer to Copper, towering over him without saying a word. One might have expected him to say something like, 'It's a good thing I'm not seeking your approval,' but instead he just said, "Good," before walking out of the room. When copper checked her body, there was no pulse.

@DwhitetheGamer @Unicorncob @Dynamo Pad @reader8363 @Arid_Blitz @dragon4111 Rokata walked back to the side of Tricis' bed, standing between her and Copper. "You're persistent for someone who has no reason to be here. Even Jade knows not to interfere with this, but here you are." Rokata's eyes narrowed at the earth pony who barged in on this private encounter unannounced. "I only fight job assignments and ponies who take my interest. You're neither. Though I will admit that your arriving here is fortunate for me." Rokata stretched his clawed hand over Tricis chest and spread the talons. A glowing purple orb formed in his palm. "Tell Jade Lotus that I murdered her in cold blood. Tell her I liked it, and there isnt a drop of remorse in my soul," he instructed with a deep, gleeful smile. Was what he told him to say true? Motivations and truth were hard to pin down with Rokata, but Copper wouldn't be able to deny what he saw. Tricis was surrounded by a purple aura of light that shot from the orb in Rokata's claw like tendrils of lightning that surrounded her body. The old mare tensed up, rose slightly from her bed, and then went limp. Was she dead? It certainly looked like it, and Copper was no longer able to feel her presence. She looked peaceful as the time they first found her after Rokata attacked her. But something was also off. Something was more than it seemed. @reader8363 "Maybe you missed your calling. You know, you could win a lot of competitions with that iron stomach," Topaz said as she walked up behind Rose. She took up a seat next to her. @Dynamo Pad "Should I take your answer as a no?" Rail asked as he opened the door. He acted like he was about to leave Dynamo to his own devices now that he said all he needed to say.

@Unicorncob @dragon4111 @Arid_Blitz @Dynamo Pad @dwhite0590 @reader8363 Rokata entered the quiet hospital room where Tricis was staying. The mare slowly woke as he approached her bed, sensing his mere presence. "I wasn't expecting anyone but Jade to try to help you," he admitted. "She surrounds herself with ponies... who are as stubborn as she is," Tricis replied. "You're weak. You should have healed by now," Rokata said sternly. "All of that power is with Jade now." Rokata smiled, "Then... You really are just a shriveled old hag." His smile shifted to a frown. "You've let yourself become an insult to my father's memory." "You really are full of shit, you know? This isn't about anything but yourself!" Rokata walked past her bed and opened the blinds to the hospital window, staring out at the sunny landscape beyond. Tricis' expression softened. She slumped back in her bed, barely strong enough to stay awake. "Do ever even think about what you've thrown away." "I can't allow myself to be weighed down with thoughts like that. I've made too much progress." Rokata replied. "You're in over your head and looking for an out. You want Jade to kill you. That's why you're doing all this." Rokata rested a hoof on the windowsill and smiled. "Perhaps... Jade winning wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me, but I wont allow her to end my justified cause. I'll kill her if I can." "You don't have to act like a tough guy around me." Rokata held up his free hoof. It glowed and shook as it slowly transformed into his demonic claw. "No, you've always responded to action. We both know what's at stake here. Jade has to fight like she has nothing to lose." "I assure you, they all retain their freedom of will," Rail said, and he sounded honest. Though the reveal of how unhinged he was behind that formal exterior made him seem less trustworthy. "They had their reasons, all of them, to accept this gift, and they're all strong enough to control the nature of what they were given, and retain who they are. Nin created this technique to advance his studies and disprove the ponies who doubted him. Selene accepted this gift because she admires Rokata and wants to reach his end. Onyx accepted it because he hates Rokata and wants to kill him. Rokata had his own reasons, but hasn't explained them to anyone. Not even me." Nin walked to Rail's side and stared at Dynamo, creating an uneasy tension. "All of them chose this, and they wouldn't turn back from it if they could. I wager you'd have your own reasons to improve yourself. The average pony wouldn't be able to control this gift, they'd become mindless, uncontrolled. But you- you could become something beautiful. I could give it to you if you want." Rail stood up from his seat and started walking toward the door. "But you wanted to know what I was planning to play with you? It's a game for your entire team, but I wanted you to be the first to know. I bet Team Rokata will win the tournament." "My wager is Tricis' life against my own." Maybe he's right. Maybe Twilight can stop my plans. But no one will stop that if they fail. The stakes are high enough now.

"You mistake my motivations for altruism. I don't want to build a better world, and I'm tired of order." Rail sank in his seat, watching the crowds leave the stadium. "They're disgusting. But they're simply filling a natural world. The surface of this world is too clean. Ponies need a place to act like monsters. I realized that, and now I'm worth more than Equestria's gross domestic product. Imagine now if we lived in a world where ponies didn't need this tournamnet. A place less restrained some place where ponies arent suffocated by social values." Rail looked directly at Dynamo, revealing more of his unhinged tendencies. "Nin, the bloodmage, was able to create Team Rokata by awakening demons within himself, Rokata, Onyx and Selene. Now that that project was successful, I'm thinking on a bigger scale. Do you know why I've only used Nin's tequniues on a handful of ponies? Cost. The ritual requires energy, crystals, gold, blood. Attaching a demon to one pony costs about a million, but once my team wins this tournament I will have all the resources I need. I'll start by creating an army. Then I'll use that army to convert more." Rail spread his front legs and smiled, "Imagine a world where every pony had the power you saw today? Imagine the riots, the destruction. We'll see how long societal rule lasts when nopony can be forced to follow it! If it takes a pony like me to provide order to this world, then I say it doesnt deserve order at all. If it can never be fixed, then it should become what it was always meant to be. A world without rules." Rail sat back in his chair and let his legs rest at his side. "And in a few weeks it'll all be gone. One long party... and then nothing. I think the world will be much better that way, don't you? No one getting pushed around. Everypony equal. Everypony gone." The door to the viewing room swung open and Nin stepped inside. "I haven't made a mistake by telling you all this, have I?" Rail asked, "Surely you're as excited as I am."

"You've Identified the problem," Rail said, raising his glass. "Nothing can ever be fixed in this world. You find something you think will work, and it breaks." He took a sip and placed it on the table, leaning back in his chair and watching the end of the match. The three members of team Rokata were already leaving the ring. A dark shadow was cast from Rail's hair, obscuring his eyes in darkness. "And what would an ideal world even be? Something like Equestria where everyone acts like they get along and resolve petty differences while ponies like Mason lurk just bellow the surface? How could their be a world more beautiful than Equestria? A ruler more just than Celestia? And yet he exists. Nothing will ever change. There will always be a bully. But I've found a solution." Rail turned to Dynamo, the look in his eyes suggesting that he might not be as sane as he once seemed. "Mercenaries like your good friend Copper strikes might do their part, but you've seen how much one pony can do. Remember Cumulus? That pegasus Jade fought in the second round? He was from Trottingham, a place that until recently was ruled by corruption. He tried to fight back against the crime lords and "Mason"s of his city and became a martyr. But when I brought my criminal enterprise to Trottingham and crushed all the other gangs, the streets became peaceful, the back ally wars ended. The ponies were happy. That's how you stop bullies. You become the biggest bully of them all." Rail took a cigarette and pinched it between his teeth before lighting it and letting it rest on his lips.

"It's not just your life, or the lives of your friends on the line this time. I wouldn't let my last gamble have such low stakes, you understand," Rail explained, smiling as he watched the combatants position themselves underway. "Ponies like me who accumulate this much wealth have to have a vision for the future, otherwise it's just a waste. I wonder how you'd feel about a world without bullies." @Unicorncob @DwhitetheGamer @dragon4111 @reader8363 "I'll give you all a chance," Mason said to the remaining members of Forlorn Hope in a smug, condescending tone. "You all fight me at once. It wont be as impressive as when Rokata took on an entire team by himself, but I think you still deserve this." Mason leapt on the ring and started pacing around its edge, eyeing Sleipnir. "You've worked so hard to get this far. You're strong, as strong as Jade and her friends when they came here. As strong as Onyx and Selene when we first found them. Accomplishment like that deserves an eventful death." "You're acting like you understand honor, but you're speaking like this is a game," Sleipnir responded with visceral in his voice, "A little worm like you could never understand! That's why you're living on borrowed time!" "Isn't that scary?" Mason replied, bemused. "Come up then, teach me a lesson." Sleipnir stepped into the ring, and his Royal Guard teammates stepped in behind them. They'd all had experience in life or death combat, and they knew when they were getting into a final stand. "Whatever you are now..." Sleipnir said, stepping around the opposite edge of the ring across from Mason. "...It has survived for far too long. If we don't stop you, someone will." "So you're resigned, then?" Topaz cut in, enthusiastically announcing the fight. "The final match of the semi-finals will be Mason of Team Rokata versus Sleipnir, Tulpar and Kanthaka! You may begin!" The unicorns, Sleipnir and Kanthaka started at Mason, running toward his left side, while the pegasus Tulpar charged around the right. "Keep him guessing!" Sleipnir ordered, "Don't let up the pressure and he can't defend!" Sleipnir gasped as a shadowy figure swept over his head. He ducked just in time to avoid it, but he heard a sharp whoosh as it cut through the air. Then he heard a scream. The shadowy form attacked Tulpar, slashing his chest with a tendriled claw while ripping open his left front leg with what appeared to be a fanged mouth, but it was difficult to make out any body parts in the ever-changing form. Blood and viscera spilled onto the ring, but Sleipnir couldn't take a moment to dwell on that. This was his only opportunity to counter attack. Mason was standing in the open without his attack dog to defend him. "He's open! Kanth, Battering Ram!" He ordered. The two unicorns stopped their charge and pressed their horns together, gathering their energy for a massive attack. In moments, they generated a sizeable orb yellow orb with a blue core, wrapped in static bolts of electricity. Moments before they could attack, however, Sleipnir let out a cry of pain and the orb disappeared. The shadowy creature extended half a dozen long, sharp tendrils, which pierced the two unicorns from behind and shot straight through their bodies, easily piercing their armor. Sleipnier's chest was pierced in three places, including his liver and stomach. Kanthaka's skull was pierced, and he died in an instant. "Unfortunately for you, I'm quite the multitasker." Mason said as he stepped closer to his remaining victim. Tenebris retracted its tendrils from the deceased unicorn and he fell face fist on the ring, earning a squeamish gasp from Topaz as she backed away. Sleipnir tried to say something, but he didn't seem able to talk. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth, groaning. "What was that?" Mason asked, turning an ear to Sleipnir's mouth. One of Tenebris' shadowy tendrils wrapped around Sleipnir's right leg, and twisted until Mason could hear it pop. Sleipnir gasped, trying to scream. "Oh, I see the problem now." Mason said, pacing around his captured foe. Tenebris' tentacles retracted from Sleipnir's body, and the unicorn fell on the ring, blood oozing from his wounds. He grunted in pain as he tried to stand himself back up. "You must have a hole in one of your lungs. Here, let me plug it up for you." Mason said with a smile. Tenebris shot a tendril into Sleipnir's back, spraying out a mist of blood as Sleipnir let out a pained gasp. "It's so much fun when I'm down to the last victim. The last one always has the best reaction." Mason commented as he crouched down in front of the unicorn. His smug grin contrasted against the look of anger in Sleipnir's eyes. He slowly opened his mouth, struggling to speak. "I'm listening, boy. Make it something good." Mason ordered. "Honorless..." Mason silently chuckled before standing up and laughing loud enough for the audience to hear. "True, boy, never found a use for it!" He said as the tendrils wrapped around Sleipnir's battered body, lifting him high over the ring. "Good thing that isn't what this tournament is about!" He shouted before Sleipnir's body was hurled back down, crashing into the concrete with a booming thud. Tenebris retreated back into Mason's body, leaving three corpses behind. "E-eeh... um..." Topaz stuttered. She was standing near the edge of the ring, slightly shaking as the crowd erupted into mixed cheers. She slowly brought the mic to her mouth and said, "Wi-with that team Rokata advances to the finals! Be sure to tune in tomorrow for all the excitement, fans..."

"You wanna bet? You do that at the booth. That way there's someone to collect when you lose." The attendee turned back to the ring and chuckled to himself. "Postmortem." "I'm not being too subtle, am I?" Rail asked. "I picked you for a reason, and it's not because I dislike you. The crowds may cheer for your death, but you should see the betting odds. They've seen how much you win and they've started putting money on you. After your victory in the face of overwhelming odds against Team Lockdown, you've become a darling. I predict that more ponies will bet on you to win the finals than Rokata. Between my personal business, running this tournament, and betting on your team in every round, absorbing the fortunes of fools like Big Shot in one high-stakes bet, I have enough money to outspend Celestia if I wanted to, but that's still not enough for what I need." Rail leaned back and folded is front legs across his chest. "The prize money for winning the tournament is nothing, but the gambling, that's where I can multiply my wealth. You'll be favored to win the finals, but of course, I will be betting on my Team Rokata to win. I'll be betting all of it."

"Rokata? He's been in the tournament for five years," The spectator said. "Course, we already knew who he was before he showed up. I could tell from the moment he entered the ring that he was gonna be a champion!" The attendee leaned back in his seat and said, "Bad news for you, kid! Rokata's team never loses and they never leave an opponent alive! We've never seen what they're really capable of!" @Dynamo Pad @reader8363 @Unicorncob @dragon4111 "And we move quickly onto match two! Onyx versus Rocinante!" Topaz announced. Onyx was already in the ring, standing near some of the rubble from Selene's previous attack. He was squaring off against another member of Forlorn Hope, this time an older unicorn stallion with a rusty red coat. "That was some trick your friend pulled in the first round, but you'll see it's no coincidence that we got this far!" He said. "Alright, fighters, you may begin!" Rocinante whipped his head back and flicked his horn. A glowing beam of light shot from it, forming a bright array of interlinked yellow lines that looked like a glowing spiders web. The web landed on the ground of the arena, stopping right at Onyx's feet. It spanned from one end of the ring to the other, giving the minotaur no choice but to cross it. "Psychic Silk Web!" Topaz stepped back and adjusted her scarf before narrating. "We've all seen Rocin' use this technique earlier on in the tournament. That silk is like a bad habbit. You can't break it no matter how hard you try!" Onyx looked down at the glowing net at his feet. The ropes sparked with energy, singing the concrete they lay on. That's right, big guy. Step into the web. Nothing is strong enough to break from that spell, not even a dragon. Rocinante thought. The minotaur got down on his knees and grabbed the side of the net. A yellow surge of lightning immediately traveled up his arm from his hand and trapped his whole body in a bright, stinging aura. "Maybe not the smartest move! Onyx just touched the web!" Topaz announced. Got ya! The unicorn thought as he tiled his head and charged up a magical attack. Onyx gritted his teeth and kept his grip on the length of spectral rope. The unicorn's enchantment was a bit stronger than he expected. The spell was meant to paralyze him, and Onyx was finding it difficult to move. He flexed his muscles, veins bulging out as he let out a rumbling growl. Slowly he stood back up, straightening his legs and lifting the web in one hand. His whole body was glowing yellow as the unicorn's curse struggled to keep him contained. Rocinante inched back as a bead of sweat drip from his brow. "Oh... Oh damn." "RAAAH!" Onyx screamed, clenching his fist around the rope. The yellow aura around him shattered like it was made of glass, replaced by a bright purple glow that surged through his body. The Psychic Silk Web descentigrated in his hand bursting into threads and disappearing. Once he was free, Onyx lifted his left hoof and slammed it onto the ring, creating an thud that shook the whole arena and nearly knocked the glass off of Rail's table. The Quake sent a tile of the arena cascading upward beneath Rocinante, exploding beneath him and sending him flying into the air on a wave of dust and blood. Rocinante was sent flying out of the stadium, leaving behind his helmet and one of his legs which landed in the front rows of the stands. "Oh my... Celestia." Topaz said, nearly at a loss for words. "I don't think a ten count will be necessary. That was a ring out for the record books, ponies! And it looks like a lucky someone just got a souvenire! Onyx finishes Rocinante in one single blow!" Onyx returned to his side of the stadium, a loud boom sounding with each step he took. "I don't understand!" Sleipnir said, his voice slightly shaking. He pointed to Mason, standing in the center of Selene and Onyx. Even Selene, the small mare that she was, was staning well above Mason. "If those two fighters are so strong, why would they take orders from anyone? Especially that little rat?" Mason seemed amused by that, he ducked his head and laughed. "It's simple, boy. They're afraid of me." His eyes narrowed as a smile crept across his face. "But you already knew that didn't you? Because you're afraid of me too." Sleipnir almost lept across the ring at Mason right there, but his remaining teammate's held him back.

@Dynamo Pad Rail smiled at Dynamo's reaction. "Oh, but if only I could say that too," he said, extinguishing his cigarette. "It may be entertaining, but the outcome is too easy to predict. You wouldn't believe the betting odds on this match. No pony wants to bet against Rokata. I could bet my entire fortune on this match and only earn a few bits." Rail's smile deepened as he sat back in his chair, "What Rokata needs is a wild card, wouldn't you say? A team that just might beat them." @Unicorncob @dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer @reader8363 In the time Dynamo had his attention off the arena, the fighters had already taken their positions for their first fight. Selene was standing in the arena ring in place of Mason, squaring off aginst a pegasus mare wearing her Royal guard uniform. Sweat trickled down the mare's brow as she tensed her wings, just waiting for Topaz to start the match. "Your mind attacks arent gonna work on me like that trash from the Road Warriors." Simper warned, "I've fought psychics before!" "Without any more ado, it's time for the momentyou've all been waiting for! The first match of the finalround of the semi-finals!" Topaz announced. "The match is Simper versus Selene. Ready! Set! Go!" Topaz swung her hoof as if cutting an immaginary tape rope to start the match. Simper immediately took to the air and dove toward Selene who remained standing in place. "Looks like Simper is using her meteor attack!" Topaz narrated, "If Selene keep standing still, this isn't gonna last long!" Simper turned her wings to grind herself to a sudden mid-air stop and stared at Selene with a look of bewilderment. "Huh? Now what's going on?" Topaz asked. Simper slowly hovered to the ground and stared at where Selene was standing, but Selene started slowly walking to the side, and Simper kept her eyes focused on where Selene used to be standing. "What are you doing Simper?" her captain shouted. "Close the distance!" Simper started wildly scanning around the ring as if she was looking for something in a panic. "Where the hell did she go? I can't see her!" Topaz blinked in confusion and stared at Selene who was slowly circling behind Simper. "This is... bizzare. It looks like Simper has lost sight of her opponent. This is a rookie mistake if there ever was one!" "She's behind you, Sim!" Sleipnir shouted. Simper quickly turned around in time for Selene to deliver a swift kick to her neck. Simper flew back and slammed back-first onto the harsh concrete. The crowd cheered for the first strike being thrown. Simper slowly rose up, clearly injured but still able to fight. "You... li-" She was interrupted as Selene fired a sonic blast from her horn. There was a loud *BOOM* as concrete and dust exploded around her. Simper was pushed off the ring, slamming into the wall and creating a second earth-shattering thud. Golden strips of armor flung around the stadium, crimped like pot metal. By the time the loud echoing sound ended, Topaz had already started her ten-count. "Three! Four! ...FIVE!" The audience murmured as the count continued. Simper was showing no signs of getting up. "Did something seem weird about that fight to you?" "...NINE AND TEN!" Topaz finished. "The first fight is officially over! Rokata gets a point!"

"No no no no no." Tatterhoof said, shaking his head, "It's not for him. It's for you! Observe." He curved his left hoof and slipped the cuff on his foreleg. When it passed his hoof, it locked in place before creating a faint green glow. "This cuff channels the energy of the wearer and materializes something unique to your wavelength and personality. For every wearer, something different is created." He flicked his leg and a spectral whip shot out from the hoof cuff, smacking against the ground with a loud crack. "For me, I was able to forge one into my cane, but for you, it will probably make something quite different, and probably less spectacular." Tatterhoof slipped the cuff off and gave it to Canteen. @Dynamo Pad @Unicorncob @dragon4111 @reader8363 Topaz's ears perked up as she heard something in her earpiece. She jumped up on all fours and announced, "Yes, I've just gotten word, fans! This is the moment you've been waiting for! I present to you, team Rokata!" She gestured widely to the far end of the stadium as the massive doors slowly opened. The crowds started cheering, cheering so loud that even Rose, Jade and Draco could hear them from outside the arena. "RO-KA-TA! RO-KA-TA! RO-KA-TA!" The doors on Rokata's side of the arena opened fully, and three figures stood sillouetted against the backlight. Mason, Selene and Onyx stepped up to the ring. Mason was latched onto Onyx's back, holding on by the back of his neck and his left shoulder, emphasizing the size difference between them. "Wait a second, where's Rokata!?" A member of the crowd shouted. "Nin isn't here either! We never get to see their whole team fight!" cried a griffon. A wide smile crept across Mason's face as they approached the ring. Then he stood on his front hooves on Onyx's shoulders and flipped onto the ring. It looked like he was planning on acting as captain since was approaching Topaz. The captain of Team Forlorn Hope, Sleipnir, jumped on the ring and met him in the center, towering over the dark earth pony. "Is Mason acting as captain?" "I didn't even know he could fight!"

"You're on the right track, but It's not up to you whether or not he gets mad," Tatterhoof explained. "A berserker is in control of his emotions. That means he can use his own memories to bring out his trance, and I suspect Rokata is his source of anger, not you. Of course, he'll only bother with going berserk if you pose a challenge to him." Tatterhoof reached into his suit and pulled a golden hoofcuff out of his inner pocket. "Now for the assistance I promised. If you want to fight a raging bull, you'll need to break his momentum." "You're interesting, Dynamo. Your friends, I always know what they're going to do, but you, I can never guess how you'll react to something." Rail shifted in his seat and watched the crowd settle in their seats. "I'd like you to stay with me just a while longer and watch Team Rokata's semifinal match. After that, I have an offer for you. I'm interested to see if you want to play one of my games." @Unicorncob @dragon4111 @reader8363 Topaz took her place on the stadium ring while the final fans took their seats. It was only minutes before the match would begin between Team Rokata and Team Forlorn Hope. As was typical, Team Rokata was late. Their opposing team was already in their places across the ring, but on Rokata's side there was no one. Team Forlorn Hope was made up of vetarin Royal guards. Two pegasi and three unicorns. Judging by the way they were standing, a white unicorn stallion with Red hair and eyes was their captain. He stood in the center of them, staring sternly at the closed doors team Rokata should have emerged from. The crowd was spurratically chanting Rokata's name, interspursed with random cries and drunken boos. "Alright, fans, just five more minutes and the fight will be underway, so please be patient, okay?" Topaz announced before artfully dodging a half-full soda can that was thrown at her hooves. "They're trying to make us think we aren't important enough for them," The unicorn leader of Forlorn Hope said with distaste. "Calm yourself, Sleipnir. Their arrogance will only make this easier for us," said a pegasus beside him.

"My fellow executives. The ponies I allow to run the show under my supervision." Rail explained. He narrowed his eyes, watching the crowd pour into the stadium, filling its seats. "I detest those ponies. They have no love for the sport of gambling. They think they can play the odds, rig the game. But all they're cheating is themselves. You'll never experience the thrill of a gamble if you're playing with weighted dice." Rail sounded passionate, almost fanatical, when he spoke about his passion for dangerous games. "There are safer bets of course, but the roulette wheel lands on red plenty enough. Big Shot learned that the hard way when you fought his Team Lockdown." Rail gestured to a shallow glass of whiskey on the coffee table between them. "A drink? Don't wory if you aren't old enough." Zerra nodded and flew away, leaving Rose alone. Behind her, crowds of ponies started lining up for the arena. It looked like the final semifinal match would begin soon. "Indeed he was," Tatterhoof said, putting his weight on his cane yet again. "Because if a berserker is silent, that's a sure sign that he's holding back. See, a berserker is a warrior who fights angry. Angry and loud. It was a craft invented by the minotaurs themselves. You may think that's just bad form, that fighting in an enraged tizzy would just make a fighter sloppy. In most cases you'd be right, but in the berserker's case, that's not so." Tatterhoof stepped back and twirled his cane before tapping it on the ground. The jewel in his cane lit up, and it projected a spectral diagram of a featureless minotaur. "Berserkers who are fighting seriously will enter a trance. Through years of conditioning and disipline, they're able to focus on whatever enrages them, be it a certain pony, an idea, a memory, and they use that anger to transform themselves into a juggernaut." The minotaur projection glowed bright red, the red light started in its head, then spread along the structure of its muscles until its whole body was in an enhanced state. "This isn't just 'fighting angry' you see. The berserker doesnt let their emotions control them at all. The berserker harnesses their emotions and converts that rage into willpower, then that willpower is converted to raw power. This allows a berserker to fight in a trancelike state where they can fight with grace and technique while also carving through the battlefield like a raging bull." He twirled his cane again and the diagram disappeared. "And in case you're wondering, our friend Onyx isn't just any berserker. He's the best. And he has a lot of things to get angry about. Trust me. Our stoic friend is not so stoic."

Zerra could see that Rose was getting trapped in her own thoughts again, so she grabbed her attention one last time. "Allow me the pleasure of a few more words and I'll give you a warning," she said. "Mason has had over half a millenium to hone his craft. You haven't even had a fraction of that. You won't be the first pony who's tried to kill him, and if the solution was simple, it would have been done already." (Sorry! I completely missed this .3.) "Yes of course you're Dynamo. If you were anyone else my security wouldn't have let you come here," Rail said, looking out on the nearly empty stadium as early fans started taking their seats. "Come inside," Rail said, gesturing to the sat behind him. There were only two seats in the entire room, both angled toward the window with a small coffee table between them. "I feel like you've earned some hospitality at this point, after the way my colleagues have treated you." "Yes, less hits would be ideal, wouldn't it?" Showboat said with a smile. "Tell me, do you know much of berserkers? And more importantly, do you know of the art in their technique? I'm not talking about drugged up barbarians here. I'm talking about an ancient and deadly form of martial arts."

"Eager." Zerra said before reaching into her saddle bag with her wing and pulling out a rather short black knife. It looked like it was made of obsidian because it was pitch black and slightly reflextive. Both the blade and hilt were cut from the same stone. The handly had small groves in it perfect to be held in a pony's mouth, and the blade was curved like a tallon. The blade was... rather small. Too short to even be considered a daggar, it looked more like a pocket knife. "This is Etherite." Zerra explained. "As far as material for weapons goes, it's absolute garbage. It's fragile. Cracks if it gets hotter than 200 degrees. And it's so rare that this tiny pricker is the largest weapon you could ever make out of it. But it does have one powerful and unique property. It's strong connection to the spirit world. Etherite is used in incantations and divinations because of its ability to transfer otherworldly energy. This same property will mean that tenebris can't manipulate it. Tenebris, as a being of pure energy, would simply phase through it. That would allow you to slice through Tenebris and straight to Mason. In theory, at least." Tatterhoof tapped his cane and shifted to a showy pose. "Of course your grateful! You wouldn't have a chance without me!" He rubbed his collar and grinned. "We should make this brief, since Team Rokata is beginning their semi final match soon. I'm assuming you want to watch it." Leaning on his cane, Tatterhoof asked, "So, which member of their team are you going to fight? The bull? Robe mare? The blood mage?"