Literally Snails

"No, you've got this backwards." Zerra said, shaking her head. "See, since Tenebris doesnt belong in this world, it can't be harmed here either. It's basically indestructable as a law of reality, though it's a bit more complicated than that. What you need to do is kill Mason, that way Tenebris has nothing to tether it to this world. Problem is, of course, Tenebris protects him, and weapons from this world can't harm Tenebris. But there are weapons that can phase through it, and that's the key." @DwhitetheGamer Tatterhoof tapped his cane on the floor waiting for Copper to reply. @Unicorncob @dragon4111 It was getting later in the day and staff and spectators were waking up and heading to the stadium. It wouldn't be long before the final match of the semi finals would begin. But perhaps it would be wiser not to watch. @Dynamo Pad Rail sat in his private observation room, alone with nothing but a dim lamp and a small drink. He watched the clock wondering if Dynamo would arrive.

"Right you are, though that doesnt really answer why you're hanging around the Arena before any of the fights." Tatterhoof switched his cane to his other hoof and leaned back. "But I can tell you why I'm here. See, I owe a few favors thanks to a couple of deals I made, and the demon your friend Dynamo fought in the first round of the tournament has asked me to do everything I can to assist Dynamo and his friends. Of course, that puts me in an awkward positon, since I've never met you before." "I was about to get to that," Said Zerra. "Tenebris is a being with the power to influence this world. He can move objects, attack ponies, cause havoc and all that. However, he doesn't actually exist in this world. He's tethered to Mason, and without Mason, Tenebris can't exist in Equestria. That's why the creature has kept Mason alive for such an unnaturally long amount of time. It's also why Tenebris instinctively protects him."

Zerra seemed to visibly relax now that she didn't have to convince Rose to give her her trust. "The gift comes later. First, you need to know what Mason is," Zerra said as she leaned into a comfortable position. "The name Mason uses is a relic of the past. Maybe there was once a time when there was a stallion who looked like him named Mason, but that pony does not exist any more. The shadow creature that he controls is called Tenebris, and Tenebris is Mason. Mason isn't possessed by Tenebris, his body hosts it. He is the oldest member of Team Rokata by far. about six centruries ago, Tenebris entered Mason and became him, slowly consuming the stallions soul until all sense of individuality and morality was gone. Sources from that long ago are sketchy, but I believe Mason was a teaching assistant at Celestia's academy of magic. His exposure to Tenebris was likely the result of a careless professor experimenting with dark magic." Zerra took a deep breath and looked down at Rose. "Any questions so far?" Copper heard a voice speak to him from behind, the voice of a posh stallion who seemed to be playing up his voice to sound more showpony-like. "Show's not for a few hours." it said. It was the voice of Tatterhoof, and though Copper probably didn't recognize him, he was the team captain of the first team that Team Lotus faced off in the tournament. He was a unicorn dressed like a carnival barker with a red penguin tail coat and a tall black hat. He was standing up on his hind legs and leaning on a black and gold cane with a lage gem for a handle. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Tatterhoof."

@dragon4111 Shining Armor sighed and then looked at Jade with a more stern expression, taking on a more authorative role for a change. "Right, Tricis isn't here to say these things right now, so I'll do my best impression. Things are gonna be a lot worse for draco if you don't start acting now and move your little rear. Things are gonna be tough for the two of you because you decided to act tough, and that's what landed you in this situation in the first place. I thought things were serious enough for you by now, but if you're still in a state of mind where you can piddle away your last day of preparation because one of your friends isn't quite feeling well, then maybe you should go find Rokata and tell him he needs to up the stakes again. I'm sure he'd be happy to!" "Hah! Making sure you're okay? Yeah, like that's what I care about." Zerra snorted and paused for a moment before saying, "Fine. I guess I do care. But for completely selfish reasons, mind you." She leaned against the outer wall of the stadium and crossed her legs. "I guess I should explain what I want. See, the reason I joined this tournament isn't because I wanted to earn my freedom. As you can see by my standing here, I'm perfectly capable of escaping from prison whenever I want. I joined this tournament because I was contracted to kill Mason. This was my best chance to do it, since if I attack him anywhere outside of the arena, I'd have to fight his four very powerful friends at the same time. Obviously, I can't handle that, but I thought I would be able to kill Mason one on one. Since I lost to you, I'm starting to realize that I can't beat Mason on his own either. But you might have a chance to. See, I'll get paid as long as I make sure Mason dies. I don't have to be the one to put the knife in his heart. I'm here to propose a deal. I'll tell you everything I know about Mason. I'll tell you how to kill him. And I'll give you a weapon you can kill him with. All I need you to do in exchange is not lose."

"Because I dragged you here. As for why you were passed out in the ring, that's for you to answer." Zerra said bluntly. "The good news is you didn't try to fight me as soon as you woke up. That saves me the trouble of having to calm you down. Though I do hope you have more questions than that." Shining Armor shrugged and raised a brow to Draco. "You should probably go with him." He said, "This'll be the last day before you fight in the finals, though I'd recommend you watch the semifinal match when it starts at eleven."

@Arid_Blitz @DwhitetheGamer The sun rose over the horizon the next day as birds chirped and a warm glow spread over the arena. It was still hours before the stadium would open, but staff and combatants were already getting ready for their days. @Dynamo Pad Rail was already in his private booth overlooking the currently empty stadium, enjoying a morning coffee. He was ready for Dynamo to show up if he chose to, but he was also prepared to wait out the day alone. @Unicorncob @dragon4111 Shining Armor was still in the hospital red by Tricis' side, but he was more there to watch over Jade and Draco than the old mare. Tricis was hooked up to a respirator that she wasn't attached to when the two fell asleep, and her wounded torso was covered by a sanitary cloth. It was clear that she was out like a light. "Couple of close calls last night," Shining Armor explained while Jade and Draco woke up. "The two of you slept through it all though. You must have been a bit more exhausted than yout thought. Also, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use a talisman since her ribs aren't set properly. That could make the situation worse." @reader8363 Rose awoke, but not in the middle of the stadium where she passed out. She was tucked next to a row of bushes beside the arena. Someone must have moved her there. "Finally awake, huh? The hell even happened to you?" A voice asked. It was the voice of Zerra Stormblade, the assassin she fought in the second round of the Tournament against team Lockdown. She was standing over Rose before sitting back on her haunches. "Don't actually answer that. I don't care."

@dragon4111, @DwhitetheGamer @Unicorncob "Well, at least they don't seem too worried," Shining armor said to Jade after seeing the candid reactions of both Copper and Draco. Copper quickly left the room, but Draco would likely have to stay the night to recover his energy. "It looks like an acceleration of the normal healing process from what I understand," Shining Armor explained. "Extremely effective, but it can only heal injuries that the body can naturally recover from unless paired with other magic, but I'd say the pain is the real downside." Shining Armor glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late. "I suppose you can sleep here if you'd like." He said to Jade. "It's just as good as the hotel room and you'll always know what's happening here." @DwhitetheGamer Selene opened the door soon after, stared at Copper for a moment, then said, "Go to bed," and slammed the door shut. Looks like she didn't want to have any more lengthy talks.

Selene paused for a moment, not answering any of Dynamo's further questions about Rokata. She'd already explained as much as she was willing to. "You should get some rest." She finally said. "I'm sure Canteen has many plans for you tomorrow and you'll need your rest." Selene walked away, returning to her own hotel room while leaving Dynamo alone in the quiet hallway. Nin glared at Sueno when she mentioned his 'dual souls.' He folded his hooves on the table and said, "It's not a soul and it's not inside me." But he didn't elaborate further than that. He waited then for her to flip the last card. He leaned over the table and cocked an eyebrow at the card of "the Devil." The minotaur reminded him of someone else, but the knew that wasn't what the card was for. "Cute," he said before even listening to Sueno's explanation. He already started standing up while Sueno was describing what the card meant. He turned around when he heard her say the word "purification." He almost looked alarmed at first, but then he smiled and shrugged. "Thanks for the card game, but I think you're a headcase." He finally said before walking away. "Kid..." She said weakly, her voice sounding like a labored wheeze. It was visible on her face how much it strained her to speak. "She needs to be put under," One of the nurses said, she reached for an oxygen mask. "All that it took... to become what he is..." she labored. The nurse positioned the mask over her snout. "Forgetting..." She inhaled the anesthesia and fell asleep nearly instantly. Like when Jade found her before, she looked peaceful.

@dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer Draco was directed to a hospital bed that he could use to recover if he wanted. It was in the same room where Tricis was laid down. Two nurse unicorns stood on either side of her bed and surrounded her chest in blue healing light. They had some knowledge of healing magic, but it was nothing compared to what Tricis could do. The nurses moved around the bed and Shining Armor was forced to back away when one nurse pushed him away to get a needle and thread from the table beside him. She started stitching some of the smaller gashes in Tricis' body, but the largest gash had to stay open until they could repair the tissue damage. The nurses weren't saying anything, but they didn't look hopeful. After a long period of silence aside from the husting steps of the nurses, Tricis slowly and weakly opened her eyes until they were half-lidded. She took in a slow, deep breath. "Perhaps I spoke in a way that confused you." Selene replied, "Rokata is one pony. He has no dualing personalities or beings. He's resolute in what he is, and he knows that everything he does is just. But he carries an old life with him. A young stallion that the new Rokata exists to correct and to punish."

@dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer "You've just been lucky, Jade," Shining Armor said as he opened the door to the arena. They walked into a section of the massive building that looked like an abandoned hospital ward. Only three teams were still in the tournament, so there weren't any athletes using the emergency rooms. "You got forced into a death tournament and who have you had to fight? A circus jockey and foal-at-heart arsonist. You've made it all the way to the finals without facing anypony you needed to kill." Shining Armor calmly set Tricis down on a hospital bed in one of the empty rooms with the aid of Copper. There wasn't much else left to do now that they'd given her all the magic they could. Two nurses entered the room behind them to survey the situation. One nurse walked up to Draco and bluntly asked, "Treatment for you or just the mare?" "You are close to understanding us, closer than most, but you're still thinking from the wrong perspective," Selene explained. At first, it seemed like she was just talking to Dynamo because of her own curiosity about him, but now she was engrossed in talking about Rokata, like her whole focus had completely changed. "For Rokata, power is not the purpose for anything, It's the justification, the proof."

I got this picture of my babs

"You are interesting, Dynamo Pad, but not like him. Rokata is the reason Im here, and he is the sole reason I'm fighting here." Selene's eye widened. "He is perfect in ways you are too imperect to understand."

@Arid_Blitz "You werent far off with the past and present," Nin explained. He didn't seem insulted by Sueno's interpretation, more amused. "But you werent close with the emperor. It isnt Rokata. Ponies follow him, but he's not my crowning achievement. And before you take another shot in the dark, no, it isnt me either." He leaned back in his seat. "It seems like your powers are only good for predicting things that have already happened. Flip the last card."

"No, Tenebris is a creature but its also a name." Selene explained, "right now its name is Mason, ever since it became of him. It is not as important as it wants to think, but it is old, and powerful. I cannot say what he was like back when there was a stallion inside that body because there is nothing left of him. They have survived for too long." Selene finished gossipping about her teammate and leaned against the wall. "But you must have different questions. @dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer Shining Armor slowed down his pace as Jade stopped to help Draco. Draco would probably be spending the night in the infirmary with Tricis, but he was sure to recover quickly thanks to his energy keeping him alive. The four neared one of the rear entrances to the arena near the emergancy ward, though they probably wouldnt come across the room team Crimos was recovering in unless they knew where to look. A trickle of rain started to pour before they could enter the building. Nin stared at Sueno for a moment before cocking a smile and drawing his cards without looking at them. He placed them on the table in a row of four, flipping them down once at a time. Temperance in reverse. Ace of Wands upright. Then his future cards: The Emperor, upright. Death in reverse. Nin looked down at the row of cards, his brow raising at the emperor card. He knew who that was for, but said nothing. "Your cardboard pictures are giberish."

"You're fine." Shining Armor said, since Tricis wasn't around to say it instead. @DwhitetheGamer @Unicorncob Shining Armor lead them toward the back of the arena, but that would take them several minutes to walk with an injured pony in tow. "I don't know where Dynamo is. Rose either. The three of you were easy to find but I assume Dynamo is off doing something on his own. I trust it's important, whatever it is." "You're wise not to trust him," Selene replied, one eye glaring straight at Dynamo past her head coverings. "Creatures like Tenebris are attracted to Rokata's soul, as I am. But his intentions are less pure. Perhaps you felt the same thing that brings Mason to Rokata's side. Rokata has become something of a split being, and both sides are beautiful." Nin peered at Sueno while she set up her Tarot cards. He could always refuse, but he didn't really have a reason to. "Fine." He finally said before sitting down across from Sueno. "So, you want to read my hooves or something? Or are you just gonna start drawing cards and dramatize about 'sensing great turmoil' or some crap."

@dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer Shining Armor used his magic to gently lift Tricis without disturbing any of her broken bones. Her blood soaked body dripped onto the dirt while he carefully carried her. He looked at Copper, indicating that he could help him carry her with his own telepathy, then he started slowly walking back toward the Arena while talking to Jade who he expected to follow him. "I had my suspicions, alright? This situation has always been complicated." He explained solemnly. Selene raised an eyebrow at Dynamo, but nodded eventually. Then she glared at Nin. Though she didn't say anything, Nin got her message. "Right, and I'll stay here and keep team Crimos company," Nin said while dismissively waving one of his hooves. Nin stayed back and leaned against a wall next to Sueno, but he didn't seem to have anything important to say or do. Meanwhile, Selene stepped out of the infirmary room with Dynamo following. Waiting until they were in an isolated section of the arena hallway, then she spoke to him with her serene, soft voice. "You chose not to find Jade even when Mason told you where she was. I'm curious. Why?"

Selene was just staring back at him, probably not one for manners. In truth, she was upset that Nin, canteen and Sueno were in the room, all keeping her from having a conversation with Dynamo. Rail nodded at Dynamo's response. "Ten thirty AM tomorrow is when I'll be there, that'll give us plenty of time before the match begins. That is, if you can make it." He turned and left the medical room, Nin and Selene stayed in the room. @dragon4111 @Unicorncob Shining briefly noticed Copper's change in eye color but didn't focus on that since they had a more urgent matter to worry about. He turned to Jade and nodded, adding. "The only medical treatment we can take her to is in the arena." He used his magic to gently move Tricis to her side, getting a look at her wound. He didn't say anything, but the expression on his face showed that it clearly wasn't good. He was trying to keep his composure. "I hoped it wouldn't be like this..." He softly muttered.

@DwhitetheGamer @dragon4111 There were still no visible changes in Tricis condition, but she was still alive. While the three attempted to stabilize her, they heard another set of hooves approaching, but this time it was somepony friendly. Shining Armor was jogging toward them with a stern, businesslike expression on his face, the captain knew what was going on just from a quick assessment of what he was seeing and he didn't need to ask any questions.

When the plate of Canteen got near Nin's left leg, he extended his hoof out to Canteen to stop him from getting close enough to do anything. The underside of the leather implement had a folded blade that ran all the way along the underside of the leg strap. It looked like it could unfold in combat, but bizarrely, the blade was pointed inward and positioned in such a way that it would make an incredibly ineffective weapon. It seemed like the blade would be more likely to cut Nin himself than any opponent he would face, seeming like a poor design. Rail frowned and swilled the drink he had in front of him. "That's unfortunate. You'll have plenty of time to prepare tomorrow, I assure you the match will be short and you will benefit greatly from seeing it. But I'm not going to force you to do anything." He closed his eyes and took a modest sip of his drink. "Aside from competing, of course."

"Civil as always, Dynamo," Rail said as Nin returned to his side. Nin nodded when Sueno identified him by name. "And no, it's nothing like that. I'm here to invite you to my executive booth tomorrow, Dynamo, to watch my team in the semifinals." He opened his eyes and trained them on Dynamo, half-lidded. "As for Selene and Nin, they came here on their own accord and I assume they have their own reasons." @DwhitetheGamer @dragon4111 It was hard to tell if what they were doing was working. There were no visible signs of Tricis' recovery on the outside, but they may have still been stabilizing her condition. Her chest was barely moving with fast, shallow breaths. Rokata watched the scene unfold, the infighting and the desperate attempts to save Tricis. He'd seen scenes like this before, but it was never easy to watch no matter how detached he made himself. There was nothing more he needed to do now, not until the finals, so he turned around and started walking away from them all, trudging back into the thick brush.

@Dynamo Pad "Nothing for me?" Nin asked. He was that yellow unicorn with the red hair on Team Rokata who Dynamo had seen the least of. He was crouched in the windowsill in the opposite direction of the door they were focusing on. He had no distinct smell giving him away, and oddly, they couldn't sense him either, like he was no stronger than a regular pony. He must have been hiding his strength somehow. He was still wearing the same leather contraption on his left leg as before, which he seemed to always have. Nin jumped from the window and landed softly in the infirmary. "Please, don't let us intrude. You were talking about training with Canteen, correct? Don't you think it's a bit late for that?" "Intimidation is a tactic for the weak." Selene scolded. She was standing in the doorway next to a calm looking Rail. Nin smiled and arched his shoulders. "It's just a bit of fun. I'm not even fighting him."

@dragon4111 So... that was enough. Rokata's expression evened and he turned to Draco when he told him to leave the bloodbath to the finals. "Like I said, this is just the end of something that began before any of you were born. I came here for the tournament, and I intend to face Jade there." He turned his attention to Jade. "If her team can even get her that far. Your friends will need two wins before you can face me." This was an interesting development. Rokata expected Jade's friends to attack him outright, but one of them was furiously trying to keep her from fighting him. This gave him an idea, but he might not even have to act on it, so he waited and watched how the two would converse.

@dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer Tricis smiled at Jade. She came to this conflict expecting to die. Even wanting to die. Now she wasn't sure if she'd die or not. From this distance, it was clear to Jade that Rokata had wounded her extensively, piercing her lungs, liver and stomach with a single swipe, shattering her ribs, breaking major arteries, but thankfully missing her heart. Draco's talismans alone wouldn't be enough to save her, but she might still survive if enough ponies banded their magic together. The question might be if she wanted to be saved at all. "I've spent so long worrying..." She said weakly to Jade. "Now I can see that it will all work out. Just one piece of advice." Tricis reached out and stroked Jade's cheek. "Your cool head, you don't need it here. I know you're too cool to care, but... do yourself a favor and pretend like you do, okay?" As Tricis lowered her hoof, the bubble surrounding Draco and Copper burst, freeing them both. She lost consciousness, but she may not be dead. "Are we done here, Jade?" Tokata asked, his expression twisting to a smile. "Or do I need to kill another one of your friends for you to start taking yourself seriously?" @Dynamo Pad Rail sat behind the door of the infirmary, out of view of the two ponies conversing. Though they may have smelled the scent of his scotch or the cigarette he was calmly enjoying. He had Selene with him, standing up while he sat.

@dragon4111 Rokata acted like Copper and Draco weren't even present. He was almost done with what he came here to do, and Jade was the only one he planned to fight in the ring. He walked closer to Tricis who was barely hanging on to consciousness. "This has nothing to do with you, Jade." Rokata said, looking at the heavily wounded mare. Tricis reached out to Jade, looking like she wanted to say something to her, but she didn't have the strength to say it when she was so far away. "I didn't come to this tournament for her. But I'll admit that finding her here was an added bonus." Rokata didn't enter a fighting stance even though it was clear Jade could strike at him at any moment. He smiled at her, waiting eagerly to see how she would react. "It's so unfair, isn't it? All this time training and you didn't even get a chance to defend her life."

@DwhitetheGamer Draco was too injured to last another minute with Rokata. He'd bought Tricis some time, but now it was time for him to step down. Tricis knew he wouldn't. "Unfortunately I believe him," Tricis said, standing up while clenching her bleeding chest. She could feel that another one of Jade's teammates was rapidly approaching. "It's not time for any of you to get yourselves killed yet." Tricis flicked her horn and used her magic to envelop Draco in a glowing pink bubble of magical energy, slowly lifting the badly injured pegasus off the ground. The bubble wouldn't break unless she broke the spell or lost consciousness. With another flick of her horn, she sent Draco flying away toward Copper as he dove down at Rokata. With Copper flying too fast to change directions, he hit the bubble which expanded in size and trapped him as well. The two stayed hovering over the grove, trapped in the bubble that was hard as steel from the inside. @Unicorncob Jade emerged from the cave just in time to see Rokata charging at Tricis with his clawed leg clenched. Tricis' horn was glowing, ready to use the last magic she had left in her well. Rokata dragged his claw on the ground, chunks of earth flying in all directions from the explosive red aura surrounding the limb. Tricis fired a blinding blue blast at Rokata's chest right as his claw swung upward and dug deep into her chest, clenching her broken ribs while spraying out viscera before she was hurled away, landing on her back with an anticlimactic thud. Draco and Copper were still trapped in their bubble, so she couldn't be unconscious. But she wasn't moving. Rokata had a singed mark on his left shoulder where Tricis' blast landed, oozing purple blood down his size. He turned his head to Jade with a slouched posture. He didn't look like he was interested in attacking anyone else. @Dynamo Pad "Of course." Mason said with a smile. He turned to Dynamo. "It seems your teammates have made different plans. I'd suggest you stop making friends with ponies you beat. No sense in using someone who's weaker than you." He stood where he was while Dynamo and Sueno left.