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

[Literally Snails 2,307]

Jade was pushed back from Mni, and felt a quick distress as she realised she had been disarmed. Her sword was still lodged in the demon's chest... but not for long.

 

He removed the blade, and began licking his purple blood off of it. A look of disgust and concern came over Jade, and she shook her head, trying to focus on the battle and not on her opponent's apparent masochism.

 

I need my sword. It's the only way I can do damage to him.

 

She broke into a sprint, weaving in a zigzag formation before leaping up and darting for her sword's hilt. If she was fast enough, she could grab it.

"This fight has gone on for too long!" Mni declared in a voice that sounded like he was enjoying himself. With Jade's sword poised in his hoof, he charged at her as she ran at him in her zig zag pattern. He saw an opportunity where she was in range for him to hit her. She had just made a turn, which put her running right into his swing.

 

Mni wasn't able to make the sword glow, but instead, a red aura swelled around his front legs that gripped the blade as he swung at her. "Demon energy may not be as powerful as pony spirit power, but it gives A LOT MORE PLEASURE WHEN USED!"

 

Tricis had said that there was something strange about this place that increased your bodies spiritual power. Jade was feeling something unlock in her, brought on by her determination and emotion, her desire to keep Mni from winning. Time seemed to slow down around her, but in reality, she was just moving faster than she ever had before.

[Unicorncob 5,681]

"This fight has gone on for too long!" Mni declared in a voice that sounded like he was enjoying himself. With Jade's sword poised in his hoof, he charged at her as she ran at him in her zig zag pattern. He saw an opportunity where she was in range for him to hit her. She had just made a turn, which put her running right into his swing.

 

Mni wasn't able to make the sword glow, but instead, a red aura swelled around his front legs that gripped the blade as he swung at her. "Demon energy may not be as powerful as pony spirit power, but it gives A LOT MORE PLEASURE WHEN USED!"

 

Tricis had said that there was something strange about this place that increased your bodies spiritual power. Jade was feeling something unlock in her, brought on by her determination and emotion, her desire to keep Mni from winning. Time seemed to slow down around her, but in reality, she was just moving faster than she ever had before.

 

Jade gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes as Mni poised to swing her own blade at her. His hooves glowed with a red aura, seemingly powering up his swing.

 

But she couldn't lose. Not to this demon, and not to her own blade.

 

She blinked and widened her eyes as she felt something in her chest. Like something was unlocking within her. Mni's swing slowed to a snail's pace before her. She didn't have time to look around and confirm that time was brought to a near standstill around her; she needed her sword.

 

She leaped between Mni's forehooves and aimed a kick straight up at his jawbone. If she was lucky, his grip on her sword would loosen, and she could take it back and deliver a few blows of her own while she had the chance.

[P-Jay 1,987]

Carnelian took a seat in a nearby chair, reclining leisurely.

 

 

"I wish to make known a criminal.  His name is Raze, a black stallion armed with a Neighponese sword.  He should be registered here at the arena.  I would like to press charges against him, among which include assault in the first degree, destruction of personal property, felony armed robbery...and attempted murder.  I have multiple witnesses, including your pick of the guards stationed in the arena lobby yesterday whom, might I add, will more than likely also add the charge of evading arrest and aggravated assault as well.

 

"There is also the mare who saved my life, Sunset Shimmer.  From the way the nurses spoke of her, I would assume her word would carry some weight.  While we're talking about her, I wish to also add that when we are done here, I ask that you point me to her.  I owe her my gratitude."

 

He nodded, once she finished. 

 

"...While I understand your obvious concern for your safety, and...Obvious desire for this 'Raze' to be put in prison, I must say one thing in return..."

 

He stood up, walking with a spring in his step, to the drawers. Opening the bottom one, he pulled out a thick sum of folders, bringing them back to the desk. Each one was at least ten pages thick...

 

"...I'm afraid catching Raze can't be a top priority. I can assign one of my detectives, on your case, provided you--and all witnesses, including this Sunset--are willing to sit and be given an interview of all the information you hold. But it may be some time, yet. Even now, he may be escaping Bangcolt..."

 

"After a folder for his case is put together, I'll be sure to share it with the other Captains, of as many cities as I can reach. But even still, I do recommend hiring guards. All of mine are on these individual cases...And even I, myself am currently working on a disappearance."

 

He made a pained smile. Obviously, he felt rather...Uneasy, due to the fact that he could barely spare one detective. Truth be told, he wasn't solving just one--he was working on a multitude. And although he was making progress on each, it still drained his rest time, and personal time...

 

"Tea, before I go? And are you willing to accept a detective, to work on this case?"

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@P-Jay

 

Zenru's admittance made the baroness grit her teeth.  Raze can't be a top priority...how dare he?!  That bastard nearly KILLED her!

 

Thankfully, she calmed herself down before she could say anything brash.  She could still recover this.  If she knew Raze, he would already be back on the prowl, tearing the city apart for her.  Since a preempting him was off the table, Carnelian's only option now was to lay low and wait for this investigation to take its course, which shouldn't be more than a week.

 

 

"If that is the most you can do, I accept.  The same for the tea, excellent suggestion."  Excellent suggestion, indeed.  Aside from the baroness' extreme desire for a slow moment of small talk and refreshment, it was also a prime opportunity to build a network.  Simply reading the expression on the guard captain's face, Carnelian could tell that he was stressed.

 

Well then, how much would it take for her to win him over?

[P-Jay 1,987]

He smiled again. "Thank you for your patience, ma'am...I will assign..."

 

He took out a small notepad, flipping it once, twice, murmuring to himself. "...Does..." He frowned. "I can move Velma's case...And maybe change his..."

 

He cast her a grin. "Okay, I can assign you Flugel. He's a griffon, and rather trained in combat, so he very well might double as a bodyguard. Does that sound good?"

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@P-Jay

 

The baroness flashed a warm, gentle smile at the ever-so helpful guard captain.  "That sounds like a perfect choice, Captain Zenru.  I'm glad that at least one stallion in this city wants me alive."  

 

Play a tune to his machismo: make him feel powerful and needed.  Supplement with eye contact and a smile.  

 

Appearance is everything, and your body should always have more to say than your mouth.  Keep what you say to a minimum, then let your erogenous zones fill in the blanks.  Let him take the bait, and reel slowly.

[P-Jay 1,987]

The baroness flashed a warm, gentle smile at the ever-so helpful guard captain.  "That sounds like a perfect choice, Captain Zenru.  I'm glad that at least one stallion in this city wants me alive."  

 

Play a tune to his machismo: make him feel powerful and needed.  Supplement with eye contact and a smile.  

 

Appearance is everything, and your body should always have more to say than your mouth.  Keep what you say to a minimum, then let your erogenous zones fill in the blanks.  Let him take the bait, and reel slowly.

 

Zenru, as asexual, and humble as he was, picked up on none of the signs. At best, she came off as one with good manners. Rather then responding with words of comfort, he drank a cup of tea himself, and pulled a cape from a hanger, to fasten it around his shoulders. Obviously, he was getting ready for a patrol, or something of similar nature. 

 

He took a deep breath, and flashed a smile--as warm as a naive child's--at her. "By the way...Do you happen to know the absolute best way to deal with a threat, or enemy, even if it's not always guaranteed, ma'am?" He asked, setting his empty cup down, to begin moving slowly towards the door...

[Hazard Time 1,127]

Zenru, as asexual, and humble as he was, picked up on none of the signs. At best, she came off as one with good manners. Rather then responding with words of comfort, he drank a cup of tea himself, and pulled a cape from a hanger, to fasten it around his shoulders. Obviously, he was getting ready for a patrol, or something of similar nature. 

 

He took a deep breath, and flashed a smile--as warm as a naive child's--at her. "By the way...Do you happen to know the absolute best way to deal with a threat, or enemy, even if it's not always guaranteed, ma'am?" He asked, setting his empty cup down, to begin moving slowly towards the door...

 

Carnelian arched an eyebrow at his complete dismissal of her attempts at flirtation.  Was he really that stupid, or did he just have a lot on his mind?  Whatever, the war wasn't lost, and there would be plenty more opportunities to seduce him later on, should his loyalty continue to be of prime importance to her.

 

Bringing the tea cup to her lips, she took a few dainty sips as he dressed, nearly spitting it out.  Did this dreck seriously pass for tea in this part of Equestria?  What did Zenru just steep?  Mushrooms?!  Out of courtesy, she managed to make her reflex look like a cough as she wiped her lips and pretended to take a few more sips.  

 

"The best way to deal with somepony who names themselves your enemy?" she asked back.  "A simple answer for a simple question: you give them a reason to believe that it is within their best interests not to be.  Exactly what that implies is up to your own personal inclinations.

[Literally Snails 2,307]

Sederia nodded once. "Oh, don't worry. Once you garner enough attention towards the message I'm trying to put forth, you'll see what I mean when I say that this will cause a deep impact upon Bangcolt, and then upon all of Equestria. However, in order to win big, you have to start small. Got it?"

"I know too much about starting small." Snowstorm admitted with a hint of disappointment. "But mark my words! I will become famous regardless of whether your plan works or it turns out like my last alliance." He declared confidently. He considered himself to have gotten the better of the exchange. He may not have gotten exactly what he wanted, but it was a start. And he had learned a lot about his new 'partner's' abilities while she still knew nothing about the nature of his sword. Snowstorm bent his legs and then darted up into the sky to fly back to the city where he could take advantage of his looks to simply charm a few mares (and stallions) into taking the flyers, and maybe even holding them out for him.

Jade gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes as Mni poised to swing her own blade at her. His hooves glowed with a red aura, seemingly powering up his swing.

 

But she couldn't lose. Not to this demon, and not to her own blade.

 

She blinked and widened her eyes as she felt something in her chest. Like something was unlocking within her. Mni's swing slowed to a snail's pace before her. She didn't have time to look around and confirm that time was brought to a near standstill around her; she needed her sword.

 

She leaped between Mni's forehooves and aimed a kick straight up at his jawbone. If she was lucky, his grip on her sword would loosen, and she could take it back and deliver a few blows of her own while she had the chance.

Mni certainly didn't have time to block, and at that point, he was too close to her to have proper leverage to swing. The kick smacked into his jaw with shattering force, followed by another series of strikes to his head. He dropped the blade almost instantly, though to her it was still all happening in slow motion.

 

All Feather saw was a confusing blur, though Tricis seemed to be following the fight just fine. Time started to appear moving normally again as the demon flew back and landed on his back with a resounding thud.

 

Mni coughed and weakly lifted his head as Jade retrieved her sword. Those kicks had somehow effected him when all the others hadn't. "Impossible..." He grunted. "You weren't this strong before! You couldn't... Have hidden this from me!"

[Unicorncob 5,681]

Mni certainly didn't have time to block, and at that point, he was too close to her to have proper leverage to swing. The kick smacked into his jaw with shattering force, followed by another series of strikes to his head. He dropped the blade almost instantly, though to her it was still all happening in slow motion.

 

All Feather saw was a confusing blur, though Tricis seemed to be following the fight just fine. Time started to appear moving normally again as the demon flew back and landed on his back with a resounding thud.

 

Mni coughed and weakly lifted his head as Jade retrieved her sword. Those kicks had somehow effected him when all the others hadn't. "Impossible..." He grunted. "You weren't this strong before! You couldn't... Have hidden this from me!"

 

Jade easily took back her sword, catching it as it slowly fell from Mni's grip, and allowed a smirk to cross her muzzle as the demon flew onto his back, moving at a proper speed. Perhaps her adrenaline was wearing off?

 

She sheathed her sword and walked over to the weakened stallion, pinning his chest down with a hoof. "You shouldn't have underestimated a student of Xiang the Scaled Phoenix, demon."

 

Though, she kept it secret that she was rather surprised as well. She had no idea she could do that! Had this sort of power been inside her all her life? Did Master Xiang know about it and not tell her?

 

A look at Tricis gave her a feeling that she knew what was going on. Feather seemed completely clueless, the poor stallion.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

After a few moments, another portal appeared, and Agririon stepped out of it with a scowl. There was danger in this city, and he didn't like what he was effectively being chainganged into doing, but he didn't especially have a choice with a demon-slave of a hemomancer running around. Besides, she had her... condition. Let's see the Baroness's nasty surprise once she realized it was her own skill that spelled her demise.

 

Shaking his head, he stuck his head back into the portal. "Remember, little one, to stay to the side streets and avoid those two ponies I talked to you about. Other than that, keep calm and have fun. Plenty of people around here that are fun to talk to. I've also booked you a hotel room; feel free to return there whenever it becomes too difficult."

 

---

 

"Yes, Agi," Rosalia said with a soft smile as she glanced through the portal that Agririon stepped through. "But why aren't I going with you?"

 

"Because eventually I won't be around to help you, and you need to get ready for that. In addition, I've got some... unpleasant business to attend to involving those two ponies. So just remain calm and enjoy the city, alright? Who knows, you might learn something and meet some new people."

 

"... alright. Well, I'll see you around, then. Thanks for the meal."

 

"No problem. Enjoy yourself."

 

With that, Rosalia took a deep breath and stepped into the other portal with her bags piled into an unoccupied wheelchair, leaving the exit station of Mortus completely empty... and stepping out of what appeared to be a train platform. She glanced around quickly and carefully, seeing the crowded streets and the scent of food and drink. She quietly walked down the handicap ramp, pushing the wheelchair, and quietly entered a side street, watching the crowds as she quietly walked over to her hotel room to deposit her bags...

 

---

 

Agririon sighed as he dusted off his cloak and cracked his neck, pacing along the rooftops silently as he pondered what his next actions were to be.

((They'll be wandering around for a bit if anyone wants to interact with them. Otherwise, I'm gonna jump on the first bandwagon that seems to be at least somewhat interesting for them.))
 

[Jack Baker 698]

After wandering for a long while, Raze gave up looking for Lektra's shop. The city was too big, and it would take a while to scour the whole place.

 

Walking back, he found himself in deep thought. The baroness was probably already healed; she was possibly even looking for him now. He sighed, starting to wonder if this would ever end. He was such deep thought that he didn't even notice the wheelchair coming towards him.

 

At the last minute, he stopped walking, a bit startled when he finally noticed.

 

"...Sorry about that," he said to the pony in the wheelchair.

[Literally Snails 2,307]

Jade easily took back her sword, catching it as it slowly fell from Mni's grip, and allowed a smirk to cross her muzzle as the demon flew onto his back, moving at a proper speed. Perhaps her adrenaline was wearing off?

 

She sheathed her sword and walked over to the weakened stallion, pinning his chest down with a hoof. "You shouldn't have underestimated a student of Xiang the Scaled Phoenix, demon."

 

Though, she kept it secret that she was rather surprised as well. She had no idea she could do that! Had this sort of power been inside her all her life? Did Master Xiang know about it and not tell her?

 

A look at Tricis gave her a feeling that she knew what was going on. Feather seemed completely clueless, the poor stallion.

Tricis' shrill, loud voice shot out like a bullet. "The fight is not over until an opponent is incapacitated or dead!"

 

Mni smirked at this, though his facial muscles seemed to be twitching from all the stress put on his body. "Good luck... I don't sleep... Bitch!" He said, still insulting her when he clearly had the lower hoof.

[J.R. 3,183]

The fliers Sederia had given him were for Plant Preservation Control. However, like she said, he would have to start small...

 

Meanwhile, the famous colt, Jack Classic, aka The Batter Boy, was taking a lunch break at the cafe. Biting into a blueberry muffin, the colt looked through his schedule book to make sure he would be on time for his next photoshoot. He was very busy, as his baseball products had been selling better than hotcakes. So much so, that his face was on billboards around Bangcolt. On the flip side, he worked his butt off with little to no breaks. In fact, this break would only last so long anyway. However, he didn't mind. All he wanted, was to do a good job…

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@,

 

"Oh, it's no problem, sir," Rosalia said with a soft smile. "It's just..."

As she took a step or two back to let the stallion pass, the clouds lifted and a beam of sunlight illuminated the mysterious stallion's face, revealing his striped face and body, as well as the sword he carried on his back.

 

She mentally squeaked and took another step back before taking a breath or two. It's one of the stallions he warned me about! This early, too?! She took a breath and began mentally gathering power, just in case. I hope he doesn't come after me... just play it cool, don't panic.

 

"... just... wasn't expecting anyone down the street. Hehe..." She laughed nervously. "Go ahead, sir, you can go first..."

 

---

 

And just like that, Rosalia's mental patterns changed to fear. Was she cornered already? Carefully and quietly, Agririon leaped a few rooftops over before rubbing himself out with a shadow spell, watching invisibly from the rooftops above. Come on, Raze, just walk away... he thought to himself and only himself. Just a nervous invalid trying to make it to her hotel. Don't make me explain myself this soon, because it'll come with a fight... just walk away...

[Jack Baker 698]

Raze looked at the pony, and for a second her eyes had a look of shock on them. As if she knew him from somewhere...

 

No, that couldn't be right. He hadn't seen someone like her before around, had he?

 

He felt a presence above him, on the rooftops, watching. Taking note of that, he smiled at the pony in front of him, and silently passed along.

 

He walked into an alleyway and took an unlocked side entrance into a building where he began to climb up, finally reaching the roof. He began to search for the mysterious stranger watching him.

[Fractured 2,684]

@J.R.

Rarity mulled it over, giving it some thought. "A recommendation..." She looked back down to Ice Blizzard with a small smile. "I'd try the hoof massages. They're absolutely delightful." She looked back up again, remembering something that she in her short experience had happened to learn. "Oh; but if you're going to go, please do try not to go there after sundown. The particular variety of customer they serve their after dark is... quite rowdy, if you understand my meaning." She shot a knowing look over at Ice Blizzard; hopefully for his sake, he did.

 

-------

 

@Denim&Venom

The receptionist at the desk of the arena, a brown maned white bodied stallion with a scroll and pen for a cutie mark, waved at the mare as she entered the room; the fact that she was a machine or least part thereof had definitely not slipped his notice, but then, he wasn't the receptionist in charge of greeting visitors to Bangcolt. All of the oddities flocked here, sooner or later.

 

He smiled brightly. "Welcome, miss! Is there anything that I can help you with?" 

[J.R. 3,183]

@@Fractured,

Ice blinked and shuddered a bit, clearly receiving the message. ​"Oh....oh god. Nooo. I think I'll head over right now and save myself some of the trouble." ​he smiled at her, and gave her a quick hug, ​"But I will definitely go ahead and take the hoof massage or something. Maybe rest in the hot tub." ​He let go, and started walking in the direction of the spa, ​"Thanks for everything, Rarity. I'll see you later, alright?"

 

​​Jack sipped at a juice pouch he had with his muffin, and shot a look at the clock on the wall. Darn. Work was five minutes away. With quick succession, Jack sucked up the rest of the juice, and finished off his muffin. In no time flat, he had a black helmet on with three red stars like his cutie mark, and started rolling down the street on his skateboard.

@,

He slowly rolled along the sidewalk upon his board, noticing a girl in a wheelchair, and jumped on his board onto a nearby railing, grinding it, as to not get in her way.

​

[Unicorncob 5,681]

Tricis' shrill, loud voice shot out like a bullet. "The fight is not over until an opponent is incapacitated or dead!"

 

Mni smirked at this, though his facial muscles seemed to be twitching from all the stress put on his body. "Good luck... I don't sleep... Bitch!" He said, still insulting her when he clearly had the lower hoof.

 

Jade was left with a tough decision. She was taught to never kill without reason, and she had a feeling this demon could not be incapacitated.

Plus, if Mni managed to gain the upper hoof again, and even defeat her, who knows what could happen to her? Or the world?

 

She breathed a deep sigh. She had no other choice.

 

She drew her sword again, and pressed the tip of the tip of the blade against Mni's neck, right on the jugular vein.

"I have no other choice... may the spirits understand my decision and judge me well."

 

She made a swift swing right on the side of his neck, expecting this to be the final blow.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@,

 

She relaxed as the stallion passed her by without any further comments. Good... that's good. Just relax. Have fun! Besides, it's just a coincidence that that's the first stallion I met, right? I mean, it's a big place, and I am using a side street...

 

Just as she finished that thought, she heard the sound of a skateboard rolling down the hill she just came from. Stopping herself so that she didn't get in his way, he watched as he jumped up onto a rail and grind it. However... as he passed, time seemed to slow down, and he could see his face clearly. Green coat... blue hair... and a happy-go-lucky daredevil grin. In fact, he looked almost exactly like...

 

The Batter Boy!

 

She screamed internally- not one of fear, but one of excitement. Holy Celestia, it was really him! The foal star of sports! Heck, he was famous enough where she could find merchandise of him in Mortus! She dashed down, using the wheelchair and gravity to help her stay behind him, and quickly fumbled out a piece of paper and a pen. Momentum increasing, she controlled the cart the best she could while charging down the street. "Hey! Sir! Would you... woah!"

 

The hill suddenly steepening, she careened through the streets, attempting to maintain control, until suddenly the road made a sudden right turn and she slammed right into a wall. Landing in a crumpled heap next to her hotel and with her bags going flying everywhere, she attempted to stand up, dazed, and slowly righted her wheelchair from the ground. As she did so, she watched as the Batter Boy approached her with his skateboard- she had managed to pass her due to her forward momentum. She waved a greeting at him, not expecting him to stop or to even notice- but seeing him by itself had put a spring in her step. If people like him were here, she'd make it her goal to meet everyone here like him that she could!

 

---

 

Agririon chuckled as Rosalia went careening away down the streets and Raze walked away. He carefully paced along the edge of a rooftop, considering his options, until he heard footsteps. Smiling to himself, he glanced over his shoulder, his glow still completely suppressed, before saying, "Good thing you know how to stay the hell out of other pony's business. Oh, wait. There's still that Baroness thing going around, isn't there? Hmm... too bad. At least you've learned some maturity. You literally six months ago would have poked your nose in that poor filly's business, and then I would have had to beat the crap out of you to maintain the facade." He sniggered quietly to himself, looking back and finding that she had disappeared further down in the street. He sighed and shook his head with a smile.

[J.R. 3,183]

@,

Jack kept riding along on his board until he heard the sound of something slamming into a wall. Hearing the sound, the colt's ears flicked in her direction, and his head followed, turning to look at her. ​"...!" ​She probably was hurt, which meant she may have needed help. Seeing her bags fly around made him realize that she probably was a visitor here. But regardless of the situation, he wanted to help.

 

​With a quick flip, Jack jumped off the railing, spinning 360 degrees, and landing flawlessly. From there he rolled up to her, and kicked up his board against the wall. After which, he would remove his helmet, showing off his messy head of hair, and spoke to her. ​"Woah, you alright there? Looks like you took a nasty crack to the face." ​He made his way closer to her, seeing if she was injured in any way.

[Jack Baker 698]

"Hey there, Ag, 'ol buddy 'ol pal!" Raze said, approaching him. His words had a sarcastic ring to them. "Fancy meeting you here! Ya know, it's pretty weird for someone like you to be hanging around rooftops, especially over the edge! People might think you're spying on someone!"

 

He cleared his throat, then changed his expression to a more serious one. "Alright, start talking. What are you doing here?"

Edited July 12, 2016 by Detective Adachi

[P-Jay 1,987]

Carnelian arched an eyebrow at his complete dismissal of her attempts at flirtation.  Was he really that stupid, or did he just have a lot on his mind?  Whatever, the war wasn't lost, and there would be plenty more opportunities to seduce him later on, should his loyalty continue to be of prime importance to her.

 

Bringing the tea cup to her lips, she took a few dainty sips as he dressed, nearly spitting it out.  Did this dreck seriously pass for tea in this part of Equestria?  What did Zenru just steep?  Mushrooms?!  Out of courtesy, she managed to make her reflex look like a cough as she wiped her lips and pretended to take a few more sips.  

 

"The best way to deal with somepony who names themselves your enemy?" she asked back.  "A simple answer for a simple question: you give them a reason to believe that it is within their best interests not to be.  Exactly what that implies is up to your own personal inclinations.

 

Zenru drank from his cup, and set it down. "Well. That could be taken in a multitude of ways. Intimidation, threatening, laws..."

 

He smiled. "Although I was always a personal fan of the option to try and make your enemies into friends. Not only do you not have to worry about them...But you gain an ally, as well. But we've talked enough, if I don't hurry, I'll miss my patrol. I wish you the best of luck, in this situation."

 

He dipped his head, turning to stride out. A few words were heard spoken outside, and a few minutes later, a griffon walked in, looking at her. He had a white and gold color scheme, with a scar running across his cheek. Curiously enough, only one wing, as well...

 

"..." He cleared his throat. "...I'm Flugel. Can you tell me about the incident?" 

[Literally Snails 2,307]

Jade was left with a tough decision. She was taught to never kill without reason, and she had a feeling this demon could not be incapacitated.

Plus, if Mni managed to gain the upper hoof again, and even defeat her, who knows what could happen to her? Or the world?

 

She breathed a deep sigh. She had no other choice.

 

She drew her sword again, and pressed the tip of the tip of the blade against Mni's neck, right on the jugular vein.

"I have no other choice... may the spirits understand my decision and judge me well."

 

She made a swift swing right on the side of his neck, expecting this to be the final blow.

Mni had made a fatal lapse in judgement. His assumption was that she would never kill him because of her code of ethics. He planned to fake being incapacitated by her and then strike from behind when she let her guard down, something that probably would have worked if she hadn't made that hard but wise decision. Mni's eyes were wide with shock as they both heard a solid thunk, the sound of her blade hitting the ground underneath his neck after passing through it.

 

Then his eyes rolled back. Jade felt the firm flesh that her blade was stuck into begin to soften as Mni's whole body started to transform into a colored ash that withered and blew away with the wind. Beneath the ash a figure was slowly uncovered as the flakey remains that covered it blew away. A stallion much smaller than Mni, curled up in a fetal position, clearly dead, but without any wounds. The unicorn was a darker tone of green than Mni had been and wore a bright blue cowl with symbols on it that Jade couldn't recognize.

 

"An abomination!" Feather gasped after processing what he was seeing. "Unicorns that are so powerful in magic that they attract malicious apparitions that take over their bodies! Mni wasn't a demon at all... Not a true one."

 

"Likely a foolish boy who began research into things he wasn't supposed to." Tricis added, seeming like she knew this the whole time. "His body may look young, but he's really much older than I assumed. That robe he's wearing predates Equestria."

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@,

 

"First off, shut up. You don't know what's going on here. Secondly, shut up, I don't want... her to know I'm here. Next, stop freaking out my ward, she's in a bad enough state as it is. Then, know that I'm already in hot water because of Mr. Bounty Hunter The Oh So Intelligent, which resulted because I bailed you out of a situation that YOU inflicted on YOURSELF." He paused for a moment, collecting himself, before glowing green again, identifying himself as, well, himself, before turning around to face him. "Next, she's basically a walking biohazard, a medical enigma. Don't touch any of her blood if you want to live to see the next sunrise. She came here to relax and have some fun- which, ironically, leads into my next point."

 

Summoning his scythe, he marched up to Raze and, with a glare that could kill weaker beings with fear, jabbed his hoof into his chest. "Don't even talk like you're my superior, Mister "I Can't Control Myself Around Corrupt Nobles." It was all fun and games before, but now she's launched a manhunt and I'm under the knife myself to make sure that everything gets righted out the way it was before you caused this mess. If I need to, I can fix it in a a pair of well aimed swings towards you two morons' f***ing necks. Don't make me do that."

 

He turned around and walked away as his scythe vanished back into shadow. "Well, now that we have that over with... I'm sure we can move onto more... friendly topics, yes?"

 

---

 

@@J.R.,

 

Wow... omigosh, I can't believe it's really him! He's so large and handsome and energetic and he's RIDING A SKATEBOARD!

 

"Heh... heh..." Rosalia giggled between breaths as her nose started bleeding from the crash. "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine... thank you." She slid off the back of the wheelchair and, walking a little bit better then she was before- still limping, but able to move- she began to pick up her equipment and quietly put it back. Eventually, she smiled and pulled out the piece of paper she was fumbling with when she was attempting to control the cart. "Mister... um... Mister Batter Boy, you inspire me to do so much, even when I can't do the things that you can do. I... err..." Rosalia paused for a moment as she quietly considered her next words, before just sighing aqnd giving up any hope of tact. "I know it sounds corny, but... can I get your autograph?" She smiled wide and honestly- the smile of a wide-eyed fan.