open Bangcolt Arena! (Fighting/Sol) (RP)

[The Down Trotten 300]

@@Fractured,

"Thank you." he sat and looked around, normally he wouldn't bother coming into stores like this, not to buy anything anyway. Not only could he not afford anything but his repulsion to magic was enough to suffer inconvenience then to use the blasted stuff. Of course now he was facing more then inconvenience, for all Rhetoric was , he did not have a death wish.

"So I must let you know, don't feel too bad about pitying me. I mean what else is a decent pony to do when dealing with a stallion like me?" he wasn't a mind reader but his skills of deduction were fairly good. After all she had ignored his little statement when she hadn't been before, she seemed like a decent mare so he concluded that she was trying to spare his feelings

"I can't blame you for pitying me, I mean here I am trying to do the impossible and expecting to accomplish something. What kind of fool does that? I'm trying to take on titans when I myself am but an ant! yes its fustraighting to receive nothing but discomfort, contempt, or pity from my peers but there is nothing else I can expect!" he had lost himself and had said thing he hadn't meant to say, in truth it wasn't to Trixie per say, or too himself, it was just to anything that was listening "...My apologies Beatrix, I'm not like you, I can't control my emotions very well, I should probably be paying you for mental help as well." he was half joking half serious, serious enough any way to not follow that up with even a chuckle

Edited September 8, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[Not Yellow Diamond 925]

@@Unicorncob,

 

Doctor Whooves sighed as she hoped she was right, unfortunately he couldn't believe it. There were too many elements, too many components, and too many moving variables. It was too much to keep up with. He couldn't comprehend, "true love," or, "perfection." There was too much to account for, too much room for error. Even then he muttered, "I hope so..."

@@Unicorncob,

 

Amethyst flipped her dirty mane; "Gee, thanks for noticing." She said. "Tell me something I don't know."

 

Amethyst was rather offended by the statement, regardless of how true it was. "I use to be able manage a whole city; Now, I can't even manage myself." She tried to get up on her hooves again but staggered. She wasn't properly nourished so, she wasn't exactly, "keen," as far as stability goes.  

[Unicorncob 5,677]

@

 

Ditzy giggled, noticing the face the Doctor always put on when he was overthinking something. She leaned up and gave the good earth pony a peck on the cheek.

"You're the kindest and smartest pony in Equestria," she cooed, nuzzling him again, "And don't you forget it!"

 

------

 

Cloudkicker blinked at the unicorn's sudden snap, feeling a little regretful.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," she muttered, hanging her head a bit while still keeping her eyes on her, "I just thought you might want some help with something. You looked really troubled."

[Fractured 2,684]

@The Down Trotten
Trixie stopped in the middle of rummaging through the shelves, and paused for a moment. It was strange; as she watched him, it was almost like she had just been caught looking into a mirror. In fact, she could almost imagine this pony being herself, a little less than a month or so ago, so eager to fight a world that always seemed to to hold the cards in its favor. And, in her case, being frustrated at never quite stacking up to the challenge, no matter how hard she tried.
 
"It's...okay..."
 
She resumed searching. It took her an extra minute, but finally, tucked on the shelves in between a rather ornate looking sparkly star wand, and a set of four softly glowing green horseshoes, she found what she had been looking for. A glowing red monocle whose eyepiece shined with an odd light, and its supporting black headgear, with straps designed short enough to fit around the crown of a ponies head tightly while using it, but long enough to still slip up comfortably to the skull when not in use.
 
She put it on, just to make sure. And, as she looked around, the world seemed to have changed. Everything seemed to have faded into grayscale through the monocle, except Rhetoric Rash. In him, she could see a network of soft, lazy white lines pulsing gently throughout his body like threads, building up in certain places as he moved, and barely reaching in others. Magic. She had found the right object.
 
She gently gripped the object in her magic, slipped it off, and set the combined piece both down on the table in front of Rhetoric.
 
"Now, this is the first object. The Half-Light eye. Now, with a few exceptions, all things have magic running within and throughout them. Normally, it's impossible to see it, unless you trained for these sort of things, but the eye is special. It can detect magic wherever it's present, and, when you're wearing it, you'll be able to see a ponies magical signature, as well the build-up from any spells that have been cast or are being cast, inside or outside the body. The bigger the build-up, the brighter the glow, and the more powerful the spell."
 
Using magic, again, she gently floated the piece up into the air, within easy reach of Rhetoric.
 
"Go ahead, tell me what you see."
 
Meanwhile, behind the curtain and out of immediate sight, a small figure watched Rhetoric slowly. With a grin on its face, the figure tensed up. It was ready to pounce...
 
-------
 
@Star Saber
"You're welcome." Anette bowed, then; she didn't know why, she just though it might be appropriate, given the circumstances. She gave him one last smile, before she turned around and trotted off, heading to her new destination. The dolls followed lazily behind her. All except Glory. She floated up eye level to Calibur, staring at him with a hard, discerning look, before she turned around and floated away, joining the rest of the group momentarily.
 
--------
 

@J.R.
Silver Spoon had finally made it to Chatty Cathy, and now she stood outside the door on its highest floor; Diamond Tiara's office. Where she had been for several minutes already, trying to bring herself to move forward, but having had no luck so far. Finally, she knocked. She never knocked. She usually just walked inside. Why had she knocked.
 
"Come in," the voice called out, momentarily alive and active, and for yet another moment, Silver Spoon thought about turning around, about walking away from all of this and pretending it never happened. But, she pushed the door open anyway, and her feet still carried her out of the hall and into the room itself. Diamond Tiara actually smiled when she saw her.
 
"Hey, Silvs, what's going on?"
 
It took every ounce of Silver Spoon's energy not to break down and cry right there.

Edited September 9, 2015 by Fractured

[The Down Trotten 300]

He at first handled the object daintily. Both being magical and expensive made it something he normally didn't touch, (expect maybe that one time), but after a few seconds he slide it on. To say the least he was stunned, sure the maybe the magical objects gave off a few sparks here and there, but the center of attention was Trixie herself "...Beatrix, I do believe I found the source of your late great light shows, wow, pardon me for being forward but your stunning" he meant it both literally and figuratively. her magic was bright, almost bubbling and seething. If Rhetoric had to guess it almost looked like it was trying to break out and even seemed to crack and fizzle around her. "While I'll admit I'm not a fan of magic, its rather beautiful, and it seems to have a rather interesting touch on you..." he could feel the poet philosopher in him formulating words, that in Rhertoic's current state of mind, were simply to romantic, so he slide the piece off

 

"Simply amazing, I don't know if it reacts differently with each wearer but if you just saw what I saw, wow, gave me minor tingles." he patted his mane down at the mention of it "But its also practical, should help me avoid a few harmful attacks to be sure. " he placed them down, staring at Trixie for a moment trying to take in what he had just seen, also figure out if it had any deeper meaning at all 

@@Fractured,

Edited September 9, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[Fractured 2,684]

@The Down Trotten

The corners of Trixie's mouth lifted up slightly in spite of herself at Rhetoric's compliment. It was...nice to be appreciated for once, in her eyes, even if it was just flattery. She didn't leave herself- or him- any time to dwell on it, though. She simply nodded, and turned back to begin once again rummaging through the artifacts on the shelves.

 

"Now, there are a few issues with the eye. One, you can't see magic or magical signatures behind anything thicker than your average wall. Two, since your eyes haven't adjusted to it yet, it will tire them out really quickly. I suggest only using it for a few minutes at a time, infrequently, just so you can get used to it. And yes; it is slightly different for each wearer, although I can't exactly..."

 

She stopped, and frowned in confusion. What she was looking for wasn't here, in the last place she left it. She never moved her stuff.

 

"Where in Equestria-" she began. But, she never got to finish. From out behind the curtains, the shadowy figure pounced an incredible distance, easily clearing ten feet and eliciting a small cry of shock from Trixie as she landed on the back of Rhetoric's neck in a manner similar to a belly flop. She landed softly and hung there playfully.

 

"Looking for something?" The white earth pony filly chirped happily, smiling brilliantly as she peered over to look at him. In her hoof, she held onto a sparkling, beaded, sapphire necklace, and when Trixie's eyes locked onto it from back behind the counter, they narrowed intensely, the right one even twitching slightly. It's what she had been looking for... the whole time...

[The Down Trotten 300]

As he was tackled Rhetoric wobbled a little before steadying himself "And this must be your assistant, yes?" he left her hanging around his neck, he had a bit of a soft spot for cute innocence. Turning to the filly on his shoulder "And who are you little miss, that so craftily hide and misplaced Miss Lulamoons necklace?" it was both a compliment and a chide, but nevertheless he smiled at her, walking over yo Trixie so she could grab the necklace, he also took the chance to whisper to her

 

"I think there's a story here," which was true, it was slightly odd that Trixie had a young filly as her assistant, who did she belong to family wise? "but for now, let me entertain her eh?" he hoped that he could handle the situation with enough grace that would be a pleasant experience for everyone involved

@@Fractured,

Edited September 9, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[J.R. 3,183]

Ice was getting bored. Sitting in an alley was no fun, especially when you have such gross objects down there, "Ugh. This ground is unsanitary. I better get moving." He looked up. The walls of the alley weren't that far apart far apart from each other, so an idea was hatched in his head, "Wall jump!"

 

Getting up, Ice approached the wall, and jumped off. He went upwards at an angle towards the other wall, and repeated until he was on the roof of one of the buildings. It was an empty roof with not much up there besides vents and radiators. From up there, he could see all the way across town, including the mob that was still shouting and waiting at his apartment. He took out his ice binoculars, and looked towards them with enhanced zoom, "Hm. How long do they intend on staying there? I might as well take a nap, waiting for them to go away."

 

Tossing his binoculars, Ice decided to lay down on the rooftop, and get some rest, "Zzzzz...." Unfortunately, things weren't going so well. With all the stuff he had on his mind, taking a rest wasn't the best idea. After about a half-hour of resting, he started to have a strange dream. He was tossing and turning while sleeping uncomfortably. Then, it went a step further with turning into a full-on nightmare.

 

(Nightmare)

 

Ice was resting in a tree, minding his own business, when suddenly, the brach collapsed under him, causing him to fall to the ground a sprain his hoof, making him unable to walk, "Ow! What the--?! Where am I?" He suddenly found himself in an area riddled with fog, fog, and more fog. He could barely see anything, so he tried calling for help, "H-help! Someone? Anyone? Help!"

 

Suddenly, he could hear a voice, one that sounded of an angel, nearing towards him, and asking him to speak louder, "Huh? Yes! Over here! I can't walk! ...Ow." The pony who the voice belonged to got closer, and closer, it appeared to be Rarity. Ice's  saving grace in this situation, "Rarity? What are you doing here? Can you help me?"

 

Rarity didn't seem to say anything. She simply helped Ice up, and walked with him to go get him some help. Eventually, they stopped at what looked like her house, but the fog was still everywhere, and the skies were gray as an elderly pony's hair. Rarity brought Ice into her house, and told him to sit down in a chir while she went to get her medical supplies.

 

Although, something seemed...off. The house seemed to have stains everywhere, and the place seemed to have a weird rotting smell, "Yuck. What the heck....?" By now, it had taken Rarity almost ten minutes to get her medical stuff, and Ice wanted to see what was taking her, so he walked into the same room she did. Everything in the room was barely visible, until he flipped a lightswitch that turned on a light in the room. He could then see Rarity at a table, and her parents, and his own mother, hanging from the ceiling.

 

This was a shocker to see, even though they were all alive, they were barely breathing, and it didn't look right, "M-mom? Rarity...what the heck?" Suddenly, Rarity turned around, with a crazy smile. She was levitating a knife with her magic, "R-Rarity what's going on?" She was laughing like a madmare, and wanted Ice all to herself. She didn't nopony, not even her or Ice's own family to come between them.

 

"Rarity....put the knife down.....and we'll talk.." He could barely move because his hoof was in so much pain, but he tried to get close to Rarity to take the knife from her, but she pushed him far backwards into another table. He knew that she had gone crazy, but wasn't prepared to hurt her, "Rarity...stop...please.....I don't wanna hurt you...."

 

Ice tried to make a break for the door, because he had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, magic levitated him back into the room, face-to-face with Rarity, "Rarity..please let go of me." She figured that Ice was trying to run away from her, so she decided to keep him from moving ever again to have him to herself. She grabbed the knife, and prepared to lunge at him with it, but Ice managed to get out of the way, and the force of him rolling into the wall, made a knife land in his hoof. He knew what he had to do, but was hesitant. Out of nowhere, he felt a sudden prick in his body, from the knife Rarity had, and looked down. He tried to fight back, but couldn't, he was too weak from the level of pain he was being dealt.

 

Suddenly, the knife that was in Ice's hoof, was forcefully pushed into Rarity's body by her own magic. They were both damaged at the exact same time. From there, Rarity kissed Ice, and they fell on the ground together. Motionless.

 

 

Ice woke up out of his sleep in the real world, "Ah! What the--?" After looking aound for a few moments, he let out a sigh of relief, "Whew. It was just a nightmare." That suddenly changed when he looked over to his left hoof, which had a small kitchen knife placed in it, "Ah! No way in Tartarus....Did I....? Oh no....."

 

Frightened, Ice threw the knife as far away as he could, away from anyone who would get hit by it. From there, he sat in a fetal position on the rooftop with veiny eyes, and a shivering body. The idea that something like this would happen out of nowhere means something bad, "Maybe it's my lack of food. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Or maybe it's because thinking of Rarity is making me lose my mind. I don't know what it is." His stomach then grumbled loudly. It sounded like a bit of thunder covered by a bucket, "Nope. It's definetly my lack of eating anything. But that still doesn't explain how a knife ended up in my hooves in the real world. Sleepwalking, maybe?" He looked over the side of the building, and out over the city with his ice binoculars, "Damn. The mob's still there. I need to get something to eat before I get delirious from starvation."

 

He sat back down, not knowing what to do. He could go back to sleep, but doesn't want to after having such a terrible nightmare. He also wanted to go out and east something, but because of the mob chasing him, he'd never stop and get the chance. One thing's forsure: If Ice wasn't a nice guy, he'd probably file a formal complaint against Luna for the kinds of nightmares he and other ponies are probably experiencing. However, there was also the possibility that she needed some time to rest, which would also explain the reason why the moon hasn't rised in the sky yet, even though it's supposed to be the evening. Either way, Ice was still stcuk on top of the roof until things blew over. Yet ponies always think that the hero always have the best life of all time, with fame and fortune. Sure Ice, had a bit of both of those, but right now, his repuation was tarnished because of this newspaper.

 

Fortunately, Ice had some skills in surviving without food or water, but only time will tell if that has paid of enough for him to last until the public stopped chasing him.

[Not Yellow Diamond 925]

@@Fractured,

 

Minuette turned from her friends, however she was still listening to them. She began toying with her tools; she rinsed them off in a nearby sink before placing them back down in her tray.  

"A mini vacation you say?" She inquired to Minuette,"Is it the both of you or is this a, "Lyra," thing. If that's such a thing." She chuckled. She looked down at her olive dentistry chair and sighed. It had been a long day yet she kept waiting on her last patient-- "Slow, aren't they?" She thought. 

---

@@Fractured,

Night Tracer proceeded to sweep just as he was asked. Not a long or tiring task but it was boring. Night could name at least a million better things to do than sweeping floors but there is nothing he would rather do than earn his keep. It was a pride thing, any stranger walking down the street that happened to gaze upon him could tell that he was a hard worker. He would make it for himself because no one else would do it for him. 

After about 30 minutes he stopped sweeping the floors and finished cleaning the bar. He liked these tasks... quick and easy. It was enough to make him feel like he was holding his keep but not enough to be considered, "overbearing." It was a perfect amount. He was glad he could help out and even more ecstatic to know that he had a place to call a home-- even if it was for just a little bit. He wasn't all too concerned about the future; He was concerned about now and only now. Now, he was ok. And now, is all that mattered. 

Edited September 10, 2015 by Not So Nebula Wolf

[Unicorncob 5,677]

@ @@Fractured

 

"Well, I'm here more on business," Bonbon explained, lowering her sunglasses and shifting her eyes about, then focused them on Minuette with a smile, "But Lyra was coming out here anyway, so I thought, why not go together?" She turned her smile to her green coloured friend.

 

She leaned over toward the dentist, darting her eyes around again. "I don't suppose you've seen, or heard anything...?"

Edited September 10, 2015 by Unicorncob

[Not Yellow Diamond 925]

@@Star Saber,

 

"The question game!" She shouted. It was one of her favorite games surprisingly. It was by no means a party game but it was great for getting to know other ponies, or in this case, a dragon. "What you do is I ask you a question then you answer. Then you ask me and I answer. Then i ask you. You ask me. I ask you. You ask me. I ask you. You ask me, you get it?" She asked, "It's a great way for friends to become the bestest best of best friends!" She cheered. She was talking as fast as Usain bolt runs. Then again, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if she had him beat.    

[Vae Victis 742]

"Yeah, I'm a merc," Strix confirmed, unsheathing his sword with a slow, deep shwing and brandishing it, "And I wasn't exactly considering killing you..."

 

The stranger continued mocking him, revealing himself to be...old. Really old. The unicorn looked like he'd stepped out of a crypt after a century-long nap.

 

Nevertheless, the taunts continued, and the griffon, becoming rather irate, put the blade to the pony's neck.

"Though, you're really frigging tempting me," He snarled, eyes becoming slits as he stared down the almost dead eyes of the stranger.

 

He hesitated, taking in what the unicorn was saying. His expression loosened, and a smirk appeared on his chipped beak.

He was baiting him into attacking, sounding far too eager to die. Obviously this guy had a trick up his sleeve.

 

A hollow chuckled escaped him. "I didn't get this far by being reckless, grandpa. You unicorns and your magic, I've hunted down far too many of you not to smell a trap. Besides, I don't know who you are, so obviously you're not worth my time."

 

With that, he sheathed his sword, denying the unicorn of what he wanted.

"Besides, I'd feel bad if you broke your hip." He added mockingly.

 

 

 

Tyra quickened her pace from a walk to a full-on gallop as she tried to keep up with Lorec. As she did, she looked around and saw the fog begin to lift, making way to a beautiful sky of blue, purple and violet hues mixing and dancing together. A star stood solo, brilliantly gleaming amongst it all.

 

Tyra, looking past Lorec, could see a hill, which the two were swiftly approaching.

[uNKNOWN]

 

The stranger, still in complete control of his faculties, kept that grin across his gait as he turned his head back towards Strix slowly. chuckling in somewhat of a ghastly manner, who couldn't help but seem legitimately entertained at the griffon's musings.

 

" Oh, a ruthless mercenary who is actually afraid to cut the throat of one who was sincerely offering his neck? Are you actually an adherent of the law, or maybe..."

 

The stranger ceased all matter of joyous laughing and returned to his stoic, death-like gaze. While his eyes and hair suggested old age, his facial features would absolutely convince any that he was no older than 35 at the most. Was it because he suffered from some sort of unbearable stress and was in fact, losing his mind and causing him to seemingly age rapidly.... or was there another cause?

 

" You sense a fate worse than death being the only outcome of attempting to take my life?"

 

He paused, and became silent. The swathe of flame and burning debris reaching a crackling crescendo that tore into the silence of the area. The stranger only drilled the griffon with a piercing gaze, suggesting that he were waiting for something to happen between them.

 

And it would be at this interval of first contact, that eldritch would morph into some form of dementia, coming from the unknown unicorn. He broke the silence, slowly building up his grin again. 

 

" Oh, Strix Hellbeak... you should have seen the look on your face moments ago. For the briefest moment, you actually thought I was a legitimate threat to your existence! You've nothing to fear from me. 'twas but a lark, a little... test from myself, to you. And I must say, you performed quite well. As for what I was testing, well.... Avert your gaze to those around me."

 

He spoke of the floating orbs as if they were actual, living beings. Who was this pony? and was he truly trustworthy, or mad?

 

________________________________________________

 

[LOREC]

 

The fog, now starting to lift quickly as he scurried towards the hill at his fastest possible running speed, no longer inhibited Lorec's vision to a great degree. As the sky brightened all around them, one could not help but take in the grandeur and magnificence of this apparent haven for souls. 

 

The hill Lorec was running for was in the middle of a grassland, serene and peaceful. Lush with green prairie grass, It seemingly complemented the sky and gave one a sense of serenity. And on that hill.... sat a figure, sitting and the grass and turned away from Lorec. It was a figure that, from a distance, was quite pale and clad in black armor. A warrior? the figure was definitely a Minotaur. However, his coloration was quite strange, given that pale hides are actually quite rare among the Minotaur species. could he be Saduarian, like Lorec?

Edited September 10, 2015 by Hokuto's Heir

[Unicorncob 5,677]

[uNKNOWN]

 

The stranger, still in complete control of his faculties, kept that grin across his gait as he turned his head back towards Strix slowly. chuckling in somewhat of a ghastly manner, who couldn't help but seem legitimately entertained at the griffon's musings.

 

" Oh, a ruthless mercenary who is actually afraid to cut the throat of one who was sincerely offering his neck? Are you actually an adherent of the law, or maybe..."

 

The stranger ceased all matter of joyous laughing and returned to his stoic, death-like gaze. While his eyes and hair suggested old age, his facial features would absolutely convince any that he was no older than 35 at the most. Was it because he suffered from some sort of unbearable stress and was in fact, losing his mind and causing him to seemingly age rapidly.... or was there another cause?

 

" You sense a fate worse than death being the only outcome of attempting to take my life?"

 

He paused, and became silent. The swathe of flame and burning debris reaching a crackling crescendo that tore into the silence of the area. The stranger only drilled the griffon with a piercing gaze, suggesting that he were waiting for something to happen between them.

 

And it would be at this interval of first contact, that eldritch would morph into some form of dementia, coming from the unknown unicorn. He broke the silence, slowly building up his grin again. 

 

" Oh, Strix Hellbeak... you should have seen the look on your face moments ago. For the briefest moment, you actually thought I was a legitimate threat to your existence! You've nothing to fear from me. 'twas but a lark, a little... test from myself, to you. And I must say, you performed quite well. As for what I was testing, well.... Avert your gaze to those around me."

 

He spoke of the floating orbs as if they were actual, living beings. Who was this pony? and was he truly trustworthy, or mad?

 

Strix simply listened quietly to the stranger's musings, taking in how he looked so...young, and to have such a thin grey mane. Some kind of illness, maybe?

He met his cold glare with one of his own, not known to back down from a potential challenger. Wouldn't be much of a mercenary if he ran at the first sign of trouble.

 

He snorted at his final comment. "Well, glad to see I made you happy, old-timer. Alright, I'll humour you."

 

He looked around to the orbs surrounding the two...

 

 

[LOREC]

 

The fog, now starting to lift quickly as he scurried towards the hill at his fastest possible running speed, no longer inhibited Lorec's vision to a great degree. As the sky brightened all around them, one could not help but take in the grandeur and magnificence of this apparent haven for souls. 

 

The hill Lorec was running for was in the middle of a grassland, serene and peaceful. Lush with green prairie grass, It seemingly complemented the sky and gave one a sense of serenity. And on that hill.... sat a figure, sitting and the grass and turned away from Lorec. It was a figure that, from a distance, was quite pale and clad in black armor. A warrior? the figure was definitely a Minotaur. However, his coloration was quite strange, given that pale hides are actually quite rare among the Minotaur species. could he be Saduarian, like Lorec?

 

Tyra continued sprinting after Lorec to this hill, climbing it and keeping her pace. She watched, with a fond smile crossing her face, as the sky brightened up all around. This was starting to look more like the Hero's Realm to her.

 

She stopped by his side, and squinted at the large figure ahead. "Who could that be...?"

[Fractured 2,684]

@The Down Trotten

The filly beamed happily. While she talked, Trixie took the time to magically remove the necklace from her, placing it back down on the counter next to the Half-Light Eye. She stood by, waiting patiently while the filly spoke.

 

"Ponies call me Alula. Or, I guess they would, if more knew me. And, I didn't take the necklace." She paused, then tilted her head to the side in re-consideration. "Well, not really. I did, but I did it just so I could meet you, and I gave it back, so its not technically that bad." She looked back at him and shrugged, before smiling goofily. "I think?"

 

-------

 

@J.R.

"...You did what?" Diamond Tiara was frozen as she stood over the desk and stared down at her friend. Someone she thought had been her friend, at least.

 

"I...issued a retraction," Silver Spoon stuttered, looking down hard at the ground now. "Ice Blizzard's secret...everypony thinks its a lie now."

 

She heard the words again, clearly this time, and it was at this point that Diamond Tiara positively exploded, flinging the papers on the desk beside her in a rage.

 

"You did what?!" she screamed, loud enough to make Silver Spoon's ear ring. "You issued a retraction?! That was the biggest story that the Chatty Cathy has seen yet! No, Bangcolt! We were going to be famous! I was going to be famous! Why would you do this to me?!"

 

"I did it for you!" Silver Spoon shouted back suddenly, drowning out her friend in volume. It was shocking enough that Diamond Tiara simply fell back in her seat, giving her friend a chance to speak.

 

"I don't like this," she murmured softly, breaking the sentence with a sigh. "You've always had your obsessions, but ever since we came to Bangcolt, it's like you've become a different pony. You barely eat, barely sleep, you just work, and even then, you hardly talk to others. Even me."

 

She shook her head, trying her level best not to sob, and continued.

 

"And now you're out there, trading ponies lives away, to make a buck. Di, this isn't a game anymore. It's not picking on blank flanks, or swiping milkshakes from behind the counter. This is real, and you're hurting others. But the worst part is..."

 

She walked up closer to her friend, though the desk made it difficult, and looked her in the eye.

 

"You're hurting yourself. I know that you don't want to do this. Hurting others, betraying your friends, spending all of your time working here, day and night... I know its killing you inside. You may not show it, but I know. You haven't acted this way since Babs Se-"

 

"Don't say that name," Diamond Tiara replied immediately, and with a bitter coldness, and it was Silver Spoon's turn to fall silent. Diamond Tiara did too, her eyes closed and her brow creased in thought. Finally, she opened them.

 

"Silver Spoon?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"...Get out."

 

---------

 

@J.R., @Star Saber, @The Down Trotten,

 

-snip-

It had been little more than a few hours, but it had felt like a lifetime for Sunset Shimmer as she waited for Princess Celestia to return. That wait was short lived however, as right before her eyes, blackness started to spill out of the air above her, forming a pit similar to the one Celestia had used before. This one seemed different, however; it seemed to flicker, like it could go out at any second. As Sunset Shimmer watched in horror, a figure emerged; the broken body of Princess Celestia dropped heavily to the floor in front of her.

 

"Celes...tia?" she called out, walking over to her in a state of shock. Her former teacher hardly resembled the pony that had walked in earlier; bruises and and deep cuts marked nearly every inch of her body, and several of her bones appeared to be broken, one of them in her leg even sticking out at an odd angle to her body. But, it was the last thing that sent cold pulses of fear racing down Sunset Shimmer's spine. Her former teacher's body had changed; her mane and tail no longer glowed, just lay limp at her side, and she wasn't healing. Princess Celestia had no magic left... which meant she was dying. Sunset Shimmer let out a sob as she processed all of this.

 

"No..."

"Actually, no, Minuette, not one of "those ideas." Sorry." Lyra shrugged heavily, even though usually it would be. She was full of crazy schemes, like the time that she had tried to track down something mythical figure named Me-ghan through a magical portal, and nearly got arrested. But always, music had been her first and most special talent, and the lyre above all other things. But now, getting others to recognize it seemed to be lost to her forever.

 

"I'm just out here to work on a few things, and i'm staying with a friend while i'm doing it. That's all."

Edited September 11, 2015 by Fractured

[Fractured 2,684]

-snip-

Rain Shadow flew overhead, passing over buildings and ponies heads indeterminately. She was following something stronger then all of those things, stronger almost than her own impulses; the smell of another changeling. And, judging by the strength of the pheremones, more than one. And nearby.

 

Rain Shadow dropped down a small distance away from the source of the scent, two ponies who seemed to be heading to the arena. She walked up to them, not bothering to drop her pegasus disguise; if they were changelings, doubtless they'd be able to see through hers as well. She walked up to them nonchalantly, even bearing a small smile

 

"Hi, guys, i'm Rain Shadow. It's nice to meet you, and welcome to Bangcolt!"

-snip-

Sunset Shimmer stood off to the side as Lektra worked, taking deep breaths and greatly resisting the urge the panic. She chanted mantras in order to keep herself calm. Her princess was dying, but she could save her...her princess was dying, but she could save her... She drew herself into her own comfort zone, the world of cold, unfeeling logic and rules. And solutions. She walked over to Celestia when Lektra was finished, horn glowing as she magically scanned her former teacher's body.

 

"Okay," Suset Shimmer muttered, taking one more deep breath and closing her eyes before beginning. "So, her mana levels are low. But..." Another deep breath. "She's an alicorn, and her mana levels should be self-regenerating. She should be recovering. So..." She paused, deep in concentration. Her mind raced furiously, possibilities whirling through her mind at lightning speeds as she stood still, barely breathing.

 

"...Something's blocking her. It's stopping her magic," she muttered in conclusion as she arrived at the answer. And, to her, this answer was intuitive. Although she had never been to world that Celestia had gone to, she had heard about it, and she could make a safe guess what the cause was. And what the solution would be.

 

"Step back. I haven't tried this spell in a while," she warned Lektra, as she too stepped away from Celestia. Once she'd gotten to a far enough distance, she closed her eyes, and slowly, rhythmically, began waving her head around in a circle, building up a magical charge so thick it was tangible. Sparks began to fly from her horn, and the room began to grow noticeably colder.

 

--------

 

@J.R.

Silver Spoon's heart dropped. She coughed in disbelief, still struggling to hold back tears, and the reality of the situation.

 

"Di, please...I'm trying to-"

 

"-No, don't even say it. You're not trying to help." Diamond Tiara dropped down from the desk, landing on the floor with a soft plop, and marched up to Silver Spoon, closing the distance until the two were face to face.

 

"If you were trying to help, you would have supported me. You would have encouraged me to do this, because you knew what my goal was. To make my dad proud of me."

 

She squinted her eyes, real pain showing on her face for a brief second.

 

"I almost had that. I was so close. But you took it all away from me. You betrayed me. And I don't know what you call yourself, but that's not something that "friends" do," she muttered in a low voice, before walking back to her desk so she could stare down at Silver Spoon again

 

"I want you gone." Diamond Tiara said softly and openly, ignoring the tears that were now actively falling from Silver Spoon's space as she tried her best not to sob. "I don't know where you're going, and I don't care. I just don't want you here."

 

Silver Spoon choked once again. She lifted a shaking head up to look at Diamond Tiara's face for one brief moment, but what she saw scared her more than anything that had just happened. She was looking into a strangers eyes; there seemed to be nothing there left of her friend. Silver Spoon cast her head down, and turned, before fleeing the room. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew one thing; she couldn't stay here.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Fractured

[Unicorncob 5,677]

@@J.R. @@Fractured

 

Jade, being left alone and with nothing better to do with herself, decided to find her way toward the arena. She had come to Bangcolt for a reason, and it was finally time to sign herself up for the fights.

 

She walked up a street, passing a building that caught her attention. Well, the sign did at least.

The Chatty Cathy? She read in her mind, raising an eyebrow. A peculiar name.

 

She lifted a leg in surprise as a small, grey earth pony filly, sporting a large pair of blue glasses, stormed out the door, sobbing.

Having a bit of a soft spot for foals, she decided her registration could wait a little longer.

 

"Is everything okay, little one?" She asked softly, leaning down to get to her eye level, "May I ask why you're so upset?"

[J.R. 3,183]

@@Unicorncob, @@Fractured,

Ice was standing lonely atop the roof, when suddenly, another newspaper blews into his face via the wind, "Huh? Ah! I'm blind! I'm blind! Dear Celestia, where is mah light?!!?!??" Feeling his face, he could then tell it was but a newspaper, "Oh....let's see...." He read the article stating the retraction, and felt happy, "Whoopee! Yes! Haha! Oh, thank you Silver Spoon, hm. I should go thank her personally."

 

He backed up, got a running start off of the building, and lept off. Eventually, he came across Silver Spoon, and a mare. Interesting how she was sad. Maybe things with DT didn't go so well. If they looked up, they could see a bluish figure somersualting in the air, and landed on the ground nearby, "Dynamic entry..."

 

He then walked over to them both, "What up?" he greeted the mare before turning to Silver Spoon, "Double S? You ok? I saw the article you put in the paper, and I'm very grateful. But what's wrong? Did things not go well with Diamond Tiara? I'm your friend, you can tell me what happened if you want." He spoke compassionately. He always felt that if a friend did something for you, you should do something in return. Right now, he wanted to know what her problem is, so he could help.

[The Down Trotten 300]

He laughed her explanation, he liked her already. "Well Alula, I think its a matter of perspective, but a little mischief is allowable I believe. But I must say you went through a lot of trouble to just meet one pony." he put her down finally

 

"Not that I'm one to judge, after what I did to meet the Princes. Anyway nice to meet Trixie's assistant. Speaking of which, what would you suggest for a pony such as myself, whose about to face numberless battles and challenges. Which by the way if you find funny, please don't hesitate to laugh." smiled at her , then looked up at Trixie

 

"That goes for you too Miss Lulamoon, I'd rather you laugh then cry over me. For you must admit as serious as my situation is there is a certain humor too it. Why I can just picture the future now, whilst some agile and skillful opponent attacks, there I'll be , either trowing rocks at them or questions, or both." he chuckled at the thought, sure it was going to hurt but hey maybe it wouldn't be so bad

 

 

The filly beamed happily. While she talked, Trixie took the time to magically remove the necklace from her, placing it back down on the counter next to the Half-Light Eye. She stood by, waiting patiently while the filly spoke. "Ponies call me Alula. Or, I guess they would, if more knew me. And, I didn't take the necklace." She paused, then tilted her head to the side in re-consideration. "Well, not really. I did, but I did it just so I could meet you, and I gave it back, so its not technically that bad." She looked back at him and shrugged, before smiling goofily. "I think?"

Edited September 11, 2015 by The Down Trotten

[Star Saber 114]

@@Fractured,

 

Falling in darkness for what seemed like an eternity, the night blue unicorn descended into a void seemingly without end. How long had he been here? He couldn’t recall. An empty dream for an empty stallion. However the inconceivable happened; the stallion stopped falling. Instead he was now laying on a floor of chains in a world of shadows. For a while he just laid there unmoving like he wasn’t even alive.

 

Suddenly the stallion’s yellow eyes focused in alertness as he realized he was no longer where he had been for so long. He stood up and wearily inspected his surroundings. There were no words to describe the place, other than depressing. What caught his attention most though wasn’t the room rather it was who was in the room with him. Sleeping on a bed of chains...wrapped in a blanket of chains, there certainly was a lot of chains here, was the princess of the night.

 

“Princess Luna?!”

 

-----

 

@,

 

“Questions, I guess that can’t hurt.” Ash said; giving a quick scan around his surroundings, whether he was looking for threats or potential eavesdroppers, possibly both. He turned his attention back to Pinkie Pie, “Well then, what’s your first question?”

 

-----

 

Fuse didn’t know whether that gun-toting idiot was the only one in Bangcolt after him and that unfortunately made things complicated; should he skip town? No, he finally found a city that didn’t piss him off to no end, one filled with ponies that thought like him; no way was he going to go back

to a place like Vanhoover or Celestia forbid Ponyville. That place was like happiness cancer. If anypony else challenged him, well… Fuse would just have to roast them as well.

 

Fuse crept up on the edge of the alleyway and poked his head out to look up and down the street. No one that looked too dangerous so he stepped out and began walking down the street until something caught his eye. Printed on a seemly unimportant door into some building was the same symbol that was on the card he had in his…

 

Fuse checked his pockets and pulled out the card he had gotten from his last employer; slightly surprised that it hadn’t melted yet. He looked at the card then back at the door, remembering the message that came with it. It definitely gained his curiosity. Tentatively he stepped up to the door and grabbed the handle. Turning it slowly Fuse opened the door and it lead to… another street?

 

Through the door was an empty street, although it was night and the only building worth notice was what appeared to be a nightclub, The beat of heavy bass emanated from it. The word ‘Pandemonium’ illuminated the club’s front in bright neon lights. Fuse stepped through the door and looked around.

 

“Well… this is certainly interesting.”

 

-----

 

Calibur couldn’t help but return Glory’s stare with one of his own and then watched as they troted or floated away. He turned back to his open case; shuffled through his files for a moment before pulling one out the words ‘Mary Brightstrings Anette -50,000 bits-’ printed on it’s front. Calibur opened the file and almost immediately grit his teeth in internal agony.

 

“...You’ve got to be kidding me..” Caliber shakily muttered to himself; before tearing the file apart with his telekinesis and tossing it in a nearby trash can. He organized the rest of his files and closed his case. Calibur tossed the metal case over his shoulder as he began to somberly walk towards the Arena’s entrance, “I hate this city…”

[Vae Victis 742]

Strix simply listened quietly to the stranger's musings, taking in how he looked so...young, and to have such a thin grey mane. Some kind of illness, maybe?

He met his cold glare with one of his own, not known to back down from a potential challenger. Wouldn't be much of a mercenary if he ran at the first sign of trouble.

 

He snorted at his final comment. "Well, glad to see I made you happy, old-timer. Alright, I'll humour you."

 

He looked around to the orbs surrounding the two...

 

 

 

Tyra continued sprinting after Lorec to this hill, climbing it and keeping her pace. She watched, with a fond smile crossing her face, as the sky brightened up all around. This was starting to look more like the Hero's Realm to her.

 

She stopped by his side, and squinted at the large figure ahead. "Who could that be...?"

[uNKNOWN]

 

The stranger slowly closed his eyes and ceased all manner of grinning. His horn began to glow a somewhat silvery color, matching his eyes and his mane. It was at that point that he would speak again to Strix.

 

" Strix. At this point in time, you must be wondering who I must be, and why I have come here. Well... there have been many events that have disturbed the world's balance of power occurring in Equestria as of late. This nation's sovereigns... They are beginning to stray from their respective responsibilities in favor of tedious and unnecessary paths that shall lead them, and Equestria, to ruins. But this is not where the perdition quells... There are those who have gathered around this place... Beings who seek nothing but personal pleasure that is rooted in the destruction of others, regardless of who they may injure and what that may entail..."

 

He said, solemnly looking over to fluttershy's unconscious body resting near the burning house. Shaking his head slowly in a disappointed gesture, he looked back over to Strix, and started to finish his monologue.

 

" I have come to rectify a great deal of many perversions to both political and supernatural balance. and I shall begin my endeavor here. My name is Dran. I have come from an excessive distance. And I... Am most certainly not jubilant in regards to what I have observed."

 

He ended with that closing statement. Who was this this Dran fellow really, and why concern himself with the woes of others when he himself seemed like an insatiably indifferent being, and... If he had truly traversed a great distance in an attempt to remedy these mistakes, then what did that really mean for Equestria, and the world? Even if strix were to ask himself these things, he would not have time to demand an answer, for Dran had begun to cast whatever spell he was concocting.

 

" Thou souls whom hath lost thine coil

and remain shackled because of unjust roil

wander not formless only but to fade

I grant thee reprieve in the form of shade."

 

As Dran completed the incantation of this seemingly exotic spell, Multiple, small beams of light shot from his horn and began reaching for the floating orbs around him. one by one, these beams struck the dozens of orbs, and at that point, the orbs had begun flying lower to the ground and begun... Expanding into various shapes and sizes. When it was all said and done, all the orbs had disappeared, and were astonishingly replaced by what appeared as white glowing, translucent animals that stood behind Dran. Noticeably to his left, a small rabbit with wide eyes and a sullen look upon its face stared at the fallen Fluttershy, as many of the others did as well. birds, turtles, even a bear or two. there were animals of all kinds.

 

" These... are the souls that were lost in this very blaze. Their cry of distress caused me to quicken my journey. They have unresolved dealings in this world, and for them to pass on to the other side, must conclude their business in the mortal plane."

 

 

__________________________-

 

[LOREC]

 

The gargantuan minotaur reached the base of the hill, where the other had been sitting. Breathing a tad bit heavily, he looked up at the other minotaur who was sitting at its peak. Speaking out loud, Lorec throws his voice loudly upward toward this commanding presence.

 

" Where are we.... And who are you? from the armor, I take it that you are a Saduarian as well? Have I... passed away?"

 

​Without even turning to stand, this Minotaur answered Lorec shortly, putting up one of his hands nonchalantly, as if he were leading a regiment of soldiers and telling them to halt.

 

" Wait for your sworn to arrive..... Then you'll know. And quit acting like such a worried little runt. A 'taur your size ought to be the meanest of them all."

Edited September 11, 2015 by Hokuto's Heir

[Unicorncob 5,677]

[uNKNOWN]

 

The stranger slowly closed his eyes and ceased all manner of grinning. His horn began to glow a somewhat silvery color, matching his eyes and his mane. It was at that point that he would speak again to Strix.

 

" Strix. At this point in time, you must be wondering who I must be, and why I have come here. Well... there have been many events that have disturbed the world's balance of power occurring in Equestria as of late. This nation's sovereigns... They are beginning to stray from their respective responsibilities in favor of tedious and unnecessary paths that shall lead them, and Equestria, to ruins. But this is not where the perdition quells... There are those who have gathered around this place... Beings who seek nothing but personal pleasure that is rooted in the destruction of others, regardless of who they may injure and what that may entail..."

 

He said, solemnly looking over to fluttershy's unconscious body resting near the burning house. Shaking his head slowly in a disappointed gesture, he looked back over to Strix, and started to finish his monologue.

 

" I have come to rectify a great deal of many perversions to both political and supernatural balance. and I shall begin my endeavor here. My name is Dran. I have come from an excessive distance. And I... Am most certainly not jubilant in regards to what I have observed."

 

He ended with that closing statement. Who was this this Dran fellow really, and why concern himself with the woes of others when he himself seemed like an insatiably indifferent being, and... If he had truly traversed a great distance in an attempt to remedy these mistakes, then what did that really mean for Equestria, and the world? Even if strix were to ask himself these things, he would not have time to demand an answer, for Dran had begun to cast whatever spell he was concocting.

 

" Thou souls whom hath lost thine coil

and remain shackled because of unjust roil

wander not formless only but to fade

I grant thee reprise in the form of shade."

 

As Dran completed the incantation of this seemingly exotic spell, Multiple, small beams of light shot from his horn and began reaching for the floating orbs around him. one by one, these beams struck the dozens of orbs, and at that point, the orbs had begun flying lower to the ground and begun... Expanding into various shapes and sizes. When it was all said and done, all the orbs had disappeared, and were astonishingly replaced by what appeared as white glowing, translucent animals that stood behind Dran. Noticeably to his left, a small rabbit with wide eyes and a sullen look upon its face stared at the fallen Fluttershy, as many of the others did as well. birds, turtles, even a bear or two. there were animals of all kinds.

 

" These... are the souls that were lost in this very blaze. Their cry of distress caused me to quicken my journey. They have unresolved dealings in this world, and for them to pass on to the other side, must conclude their business in the mortal plane."

 

Strix gripped tighter onto his sword as the new pony's horn began to glow a ghostly white. This meant he was using a spell, but whether it was an attack or not, he couldn't say. Though, never hurt to be too careful.

 

He revealed himself to be named Dran, which the griffon internally admitted it wasn't the worst name he'd ever heard.

He lifted his sword higher as the spell began.

 

With the flash of light going off, he shielded his eyes slightly with his free claw. When it died down, he looked and saw the...eerily white, almost ghostly animals on the ground. A rabbit had approached the unconscious Fluttershy.

 

"So those orbs were their souls, huh?" He concluded, raising an eyebrow as he relaxed, "Can't you just, bring them back to life or something?" He asked, rolling his wrist in a nonchalant manner.

 

 

[LOREC]

 

The gargantuan minotaur reached the base of the hill, where the other had been sitting. Breathing a tad bit heavily, he looked up at the other minotaur who was sitting at its peak. Speaking out loud, Lorec throws his voice loudly upward toward this commanding presence.

 

" Where are we.... And who are you? from the armor, I take it that you are a Saduarian as well? Have I... passed away?"

 

​Without even turning to stand, this Minotaur answered Lorec shortly, putting up one of his hands nonchalantly, as if he were leading a regiment of soldiers and telling them to halt.

 

" Wait for your sworn to arrive..... Then you'll know. And quit acting like such a worried little runt. A 'taur your size ought to be the meanest of them all."

 

Tyra arrived alongside Lorec at the top of the hill, her eyes set on the other figure. She was almost overwhelmed by their sheer size, especially from her level.

 

She listened to his answer to Lorec's question, and stifled a snicker into her hoof at his being scolded like an impatient foal.

[J.R. 3,183]

@@Star Saber,

Electron was still on his craze of happiness after finally 'proving' that he was better than Ice Blizzard. He was flying all around the city, creating a streak of yellow in the sky, "Haha! Yes! Nothing will stop me now!" He everntually stopped flying until he saw a grayish pony walking. Having not seen they guy before, he was interested in wondering why he was here, "Hm...is he a fighter or a faker? Let's see..."

 

He dropped down, and started to descend until he began to hover in front of Calibur, "Well. You seem new. A new guy always means one of two things: A Newb or a threat the likes of the city hasn 't seen. Hm." He stopped hovering, and placed his hooves on the ground in front of Calibur, "Electron Wave Storm. What's your name, huh?" he asked confidently.

[Star Saber 114]

@@J.R.,

 

Calibur had been tinkering on his revolver, fixing the misfire it had earlier when the yellow pegasus landed in his way. He looked up, raising an eyebrow at the stranger.

 

“I would hesitate to call me either.” With a click Calibur spin the chamber of his revolver around and then holstered it, “It depends what you consider a threat I suppose.”

 

“The name is Calibur.” Again, this pony’s name sounded familiar to him as well; and considering his luck that meant Calibur had a file on him.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Star Saber

[J.R. 3,183]

@@Star Saber,

Electron smirked, "Well, if you don't know who you are, you better find out soon." He started to look Calibur over, and noticed how different he looked compared to all the others, "You're different from most of the others around here. But you better be worth something, or else you're wasting your time in this city."

 

He cleared his throat and elaborated, "The ponies who're here all have some kind of combat prowess and aren't a pushover. So you better be able to do" He snickered evilly, "Well, most of them do. If you meet a guy called Ice Blizzard, don't let his name stick. He's nothing but crappy a wash-out who's more pitiful than the dirt we're standing on. So yeah, don't care about him. Everone else? Good."

[Star Saber 114]

@@J.R.,

 

“Thanks for the advice.” Calibur responded flatly and sarcastically. As if he needed another reminder of just how flattened he got earlier. Sure Electron had a point but it was one Calibur had already learnt.

 

“As for Ice Blizzard, I already met him briefly, but from what I can tell he’s already a better pony than you.” Calibur’s eyes narrowed, “But to reference you earlier, yeah you’re worth more than him… about 19k bits more if my memory serves.”