private Artificial Love. (with Dynamo Pad)

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Dynamo's scream was the final limit that the four mares could take. First to react was Sunlight, Cheap was stupid enough to forget to block her magic in any way, so she formed a thick orange smoke around herself, and as many cries of pain and thuds were heard from said smoke as there was ponies holding her, after which she walked out of the smoke with red running down from the tip of her horn, having no other way to move, she had stabbed the ponies with her horn to get off their grip, nothing too bad, only enough to hurt them, after which she had knocked them out. Her face was lacking of any emotion, only her eyes burning with deep rage.

Then there was a louder thud from opposite direction, as one of the guards was thrown to ground by a kick, and in his place was Lunar with red glowing bat wings and a red glow on her forehead where horn of an Unicorn would be, next to her was Frail, her horn glowing with magic too, they both seemed to be bit shocked when they saw Sunlight. Golden was a bit more to the side, sending some kind of visible waves of magic towards one of the guards, causing them to hold their ears in pain.

"That's cheap, Cheap, Come pick on somepony of your own size." The tone was cold but hostile, something that sounded so unfitting to Sunlight's mouth that even all the three of her friends were visibly shocked by it.

Jade:
"Why didn't you say so right away, of course we can leave if you're getting cold." cold not bothering him, Jade hadn't even realized Dew could get cold here "Sure, we can go there." He said smiling, helping Dew off the Ice before following her.

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad: 
As Cheap kept trying to get the necklace from Dynamo, he didn't notice his guard were being taken down one by one. All that mattered was getting some payback for Cosmic and Frozen. "Come on, Dynamo! You'll have to give it up eventually!" He exclaims, while continuing to stomp on Dynamo's front hooves. Dynamo could only grit his teeth as he fought against the pain. Cheap was beginning to get furious, so he decided to kick it up a notch. He sent a rapid flurry of kicks to Dynamo's hooves. "I'm not going to ask you again. NOW! GIVE! ME! THAT! NECKLACE! RIGHT! THIS! INSTANT!" As his onslaught came to an end, he grinned in satisfaction. Dynamo let out one final scream of pain, before curling up into a ball. He held the necklace close to his heart. Making absolute certain that he would never let go.

"Oh, now I feel somewhat satisfied. Nothing like messing with the old punching bag to take out my anger and aggression." He says, turning around to see chaos going through the entire arcade. His jaw dropped slightly as he saw Sunlight and some other mares had begun taking the guards down. He held a hoof to his ear as he heard the wave of magic in the air. "W-What just happened!? What did you do to my guards!?" He demanded, but noticed Sunlight's appearance. She looked visibly angry and the tone in her voice was hostile. "O-Oh yeah?" He grins, trying to hide the fear in his voice. He backed away slowly, but kept his eyes on Sunlight and the others. "What? Do you think you'll be the one to stand up to me? Oh, please. What can somepony like you possibly do, huh?"

Dew Drop:
Dew could only smile sheepishly and giggle, while listening to Jade's statement. "I-I guess I was just enjoying s-skating on the ice. It also h-helped that it was fun to s-skate with you, jade." She says, smiling as he agreed to their next place to visit. "Okay! A-After we hand the skating g-gear in, then we can get g-going." She says, taking her ice skates and scarf off. She walked over to the counter and returned the rental gear to the clerk. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Lunar took a step towards Cheap but Sunlight stopped her by saying "He's mine, keep your focus on his worthless pawns." again, her friends were clearly taken aback by this, but decided to listen to her. Sunlight kept moving towards Cheap, her eyes locked on his, she didn't say anything, but she lit her horn and a shape of a sun appeared above it, she then threw said sun right at Cheap's face, again, it didn't do any damage, but it would blind him long enough for her next move, which was to charge at him and slam him with her whole body weight "You stallions are all the same.". When Cheap eventually was away from Dynamo, Frail ran to Dynamo poking him gently "Where and How bad does it hurt?"

Jade:
Jade smiled and nodded to Dew's statements, not having anything to add. He gave his skates to the clerk, he kept the scarf since he bought it, but he took it off and tied it around his leg. He then would follow Dew, only speeding up to get past her if there was a door that needed opening. "You are actually the first mare I have found cute, ever."

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
Dynamo winced in pain from all of the damage the red earth pony had caused. "Don't cry. Just don't cry. It's not worth it to get upset." He whispered quietly to himself to try and keep his composure. He bit his lip as he willed himself not to cry. After taking a deep breath, he felt his strength leave him as the hot, stinging tears welled up in his eyes. The tears soon cascaded down his cheeks as he felt utterly defeated. Cheap narrowed his eyes as Sunlight was his target. "I guess it's just you and me. You'll be sorry that you picked a fight with me." He says, his face becoming pale as he saw the orange unicorn creating a sun. He shielded his eyes from the bright light, but soon realized too late that it was a part of her plan. He gasped as he flew back from being hit by a body slam. He slid to the other side of the arcade, until sliding to a stop against an arcade machine. He looked up to see Sunlight walking towards him, while he tried to gather his bearings. "What is that supposed to mean? Cosmic, Frozen and I are all the lowest of the low? How about you enlighten me, girly." He huffs in frustration, before continuing. "If you think stallions are all the same, then what about Dynamo? What is he to you? A prince charming? He lost the battle, so he lost you! You don't deserve each other!" He exclaimed as he made sure that Dynamo could hear him. He then stood up and began to charge at Sunlight. All the while, he pulled back a fist to throw at her. "Not only that, but that wasn't very nice! Let's return the favor!"

Speaking of Dynamo, he tensed as he felt a hoof poking his arm. He didn't bother to look up as he couldn't move. At first, he was motionless. Almost as if he was broken physcially and emotionally. Upon hearing that it was Frail, his shoulders shook as he was still trying to hold back his tears. "M-My front hooves. I-I can't feel my front hooves." If Frail had looked, then she would see that his arms were both red and bruised. Cheap had made sure to damage and bruise the gaming unicorn.

Dew Drop:
Dew smiled as she saw Jade had tied the scarf around his leg. "I-I think the scarf r-really suits you. It's nice t-that you get to take that scarf with you." She says, following Jade to the exit of the skating ring. She smiled softly as he opened the door for her to walk through. "T-Thank you and you're q-quite the gentleman." She says as she blushed from his comment. "T-That's really kind of you. A-Although, I don't think I'm that cute. There m-must have been some other mare that you found cute." She says, running a hoof through her mane.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Frail could tell Dynamo was fighting the tears, and after seeing the damage herself, she could see why. She gently stroked Dynamo's mane and spoke softly as she tried to comfort him "It's okay to cry, you have been hurt and it eases the pain, everything will be aright, the help is coming." while she had said that, she had changed looks with Lunar, who in turn had gone to Golden to tell her to get the guards and a doctor, and Golden had headed out of the arcade. Lunar had moved to patrol around Dynamo, Frail and Sunlight to make sure that any of Cheap's group didn't try to do anything.

Sunlight didn't give Cheap the pleasure of hearing her to explain herself, only thing she said was "I never agreed to be a trophy on something so worthless as a video game." and when he charged at her, Sunlight again created a thick orange smoke around herself, Cheap's hit did hit somewhere, but due the lack of visibility and no sounds from Sunlight, it was hard to say where exactly. Then from the orange smoke an orange hoof came and struck the earth pony to the chin. 

Jade:
Jade nodded thankfully at Dew's comment on the scarf, and at her gentleman comment, he bowed with humorous smile on his face.
"No there hasn't." Jade argued, not realizing that her saying that was most likely again just her trying to feel less embarrassed "Like I told earlier, being busy taking care of my sister, I haven't really been than interested in getting into a relationship, so I have never looked at mares in...that way." 

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

Dynamo Pad:
Dynamo continued to shake from both the pain and the sadness of what had happened. He felt Frail had stroked his mane gently, but he still never turned around. He listened to her statement and wanted to respond, but he didn't know what to say. He was told that it was okay to cry, but he wanted to hold it all back. He had failed Sunlight and he felt like he couldn't even help and/or protect her. "P-Please..." He slowly mumbled out to Frail, before continuing. "T-Take the necklace. I-I'm afraid that I might lose it. J-Just don't let Sunlight see it. It was a necklace t-that I wanted to give her." He slowly said, trying to moves his front hooves away from the necklace. What he said was true, but it was only as a half truth. He felt that after all that had happened, he felt as if he lost Sunlight and didn't deserve her. What Cheap had done had really hurt Dynamo in both mind and spirit.

Cheap Shot smirked as he heard his hoof had made contact, but frowned as he attacked a thick orange smoke around encircling him. He looked around, trying to hear everything around him. "Oh, that? I just trying to mess with Dynamo. That way, I could catch him off guard and get what I want in the end. I didn't think I'd win that easily, but I guess one has to fall from grace, right?" He chuckled slightly, but he soon frowned as she didn't answer him. "You know it's rude to not answer a question. Now give me an answer, brat!" The lack of visibility and no sound in the smoke was aggravating him. From out of nowhere, a swift strike from an orange hoof came from the smoke. Cheap felt the attack to his chin as he was sent upwards. He grit his teeth and threw a back hoof out to make sure he would strike her in the stomach. 'If I'm going to take a hit, then I'm at least making a trade.' He thought as he was sent backwards, before landing squarely on his back.

Dew Drop:
Dew giggled sweetly as she saw Jade bowing with a humorous smile. "D-Did anyone tell you that y-you're really sweet and charming?" She asks, being surprised by his earlier response. Her cheeks blushed slightly at his comment, while she smiled softly. "I-I'm glad you think that way. I've met other stallions, b-but I've never really f-felt a sort of c-connection to them. Y-You're different, in my opinion. I-I've never met a stallion who's so k-kind, caring and h-handsome." She says as she exits the building with Jade. As they stepped outside, the ebony mare had spread her wings and took to the skies. "C-Come on, Jade. We still have some d-daylight out. We should be a-able to make it to the statue i-if we fly over there."

Edited March 8, 2019 by Dynamo Pad

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Frail took the necklace "Don't worry, I'll keep it safe." she felt a sting in her heart when she realized that this is why Dynamo let himself to get hurt "I know she will love it when you give it to her."

Cheap's strike made contact again, but there wasn't even a single grunt from Sunlight, and instead when she came to view and walked over Cheap she just coldly stated "Such manners, haven't your father taught you how to tread a lady, such a useless parent." she then brought her hoof down on on Cheap's body, hitting the air off from Cheap's lungs, and keeping it there to stop him from getting up and to make getting air harder to him.  She just stared down on him, her expression still unchanged, there was two bruises on her indicating where cheap had hit, but she didn't look like they bothered her. 

Lunar had noticed where the fight was going, and was ready to intervene if it seemed sunlight would go too far, as she clearly wasn't being herself.  

Jade:
"I don't know about charming, but few older ponies have told me that I'm 'such a sweet young stallion'"  Jade replied clearly joking  "Again, I don't know if I'm necessarily handsome..." he said rubbing his neck a bit shyly. He followed Dew, again matching his flying speed with her so they would fly next to each other.

 

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
Dynamo barely nodded as Frail assured him that she'd keep the necklace safe. "T-Thank you..." He whispered softly, his eyes wincing slightly as he listened to her other statement. He didn't even know if it was a good idea to give Sunlight the necklace now. He had lost, so Cheap had won in the bet. He lost her and felt like he had let her down. He knew he shouldn't have been so difficult on himself, but he he didn't know what to do or even say. All he could do is lay on the ground in a fetal position, until help had arrived.

Cheap had felt his attack had landed, but it looked like the attack did nothing. 'This doesn't make sense. She's just a unicorn. They aren't made to be physically strong. What's going on?' He thought, scoffing at Sunlight's comment. "Oh, please. My father is a great stallion! Don't you talk to me like I should learn respect. When my father hears about this, he's going to..." He didn't finish his sentence as Sunlight brought her hoof down on his chest. The red earth pony gasped as the air had suddenly left his body. He gasped for breath, while trying to push the mare off of him. "For a u-unicorn, you have such incredible strength. W-What kind of monster a-are you? W-Why do you go so f-far for s-someone like him?" He asks, while still trying to figure out what had happened earlier in the battle against Dynamo.

Dew Drop:
As the duo began to fly in the air, Dew giggled as Jade had put air quotes around his statement. "I-I guess that was when you were younger. T-The one's who said that must have s-seen how great of a brother you are to y-your sister." She says, smiling softly as she saw him rub the back of his neck. She took his hoof into her own as they matched each other's flight speed. "I-I think you are, b-but looks aren't everything. I l-like your personality and h-how passionate you are. I also like h-how you're very accepting to others." She says, closing her eyes to think of a question to ask. She soon opened her eyes and gave Jade an apologetic look. "I want to get to know you m-more, but I d-don't know what to ask. I-Is there anything you want to know from me?" 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Frail kept stroking Dynamo's mane to calm him down, but she didn't say anything and just looked around to see when the guards would come.

"It's called caring about somepony." Sunlight simply stated, only pressing more of her weight on Cheap as he tried to push her off "And you should stop underestimating other pony races and mare's, it's bad for your health." she added even more pressure and spat at him. Lunar had made her way bit closer, but she didn't do anything yet, Frail had started observing the situation now too. 

Jade:
Jade just smiled, he didn't want to say yeah or anything like that because that would have been a lie, since he had never been younger...he would need to see if that became something he would need to tell at some point. "I really appreciate you saying that, it means more to me than you think." He said after Dew's praise, and he really meant what he said. Jade thought for a moment "Nothing really comes to mind, I'm not really good at asking questions.....is there something you think I should know that you've yet to mention?"

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
Cheap winced as she pressed more of her weight onto his chest. "O-Oh, please. What does c-caring get you? Absolutely n-nowhere! M-Money, power and e-effective strategy always wins, i-in the end." He rolled his eyes at her other comment, while huffing in disgust. "I c-care so little for such things of that degree. All I want is to g-get my revenge. T-That, and to get everything I could e-ever want. My father gained it and will d-do anything for his son. So, what do you know?" He seethed with anger as she spat on him. He realized that she threw her hooves upon his chest, but not his hooves. He reared back his rear hooves and kicked with all of his might. As he pushed Sunlight off of him, he coughed and gasped, while trying to regain his breath. "Y-You're going to pay for that, brat." He took a few deep breaths to get air back into his lungs.

As he stood up, he soon began to realize why he had won the fight. He thought back to notice that Dynamo had a fearful look upon his face. Almost as if he was lost and unsure of what to do. He recalled that Dynamo had faced Cosmic from a few days ago and it all made sense. A brief chuckle escaped from his lips, before it turned into a full on laughter. "Oh, I see now. Now I can tell why I won so easily. I'm guessing you and Dynamo haven't been able to figure it out yet, huh? Even after the answer was right under your noses." He grinned wickedly as he knew the couple would want answers. "Now if you ask nicely, then maybe I'll tell you. Granted, if you have manners, that is." He narrowed his eyes as he knew he placed his cards on the table.

Dew Drop:
As they continued to fly, Dew smiled and nods at Jade's remark. "I-It's okay and it's true. S-Sometimes I see rude ponies in Manehatten. Whether t-they rip other ponies off from a deal, or have a b-bad attitude. It's sometimes rare to s-see nice ponies in town nowadays. I'm glad to see t-that there are some decent ponies like you here, Jade." She thought for a moment as she listened to his other statement. "It's l-like I said before. Nothing really comes to mind. I k-know you told me about don't have a preference in favorite color. That, a-and you told me about your cutie mark and s-special talent." She says, replaying the conversation from earlier. Her eyes brightened as an idea came to mind. "Oh, I know! R-Remember when you told me about listing o-off the stuff you don't like? M-Maybe you can do that. That way, I-I know the opposites of what you do like of that subject. How does t-that sound?" She asks with a soft smile. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
There was a clear sound that the air was pushed out of Sunlight, but she still didn't gasp, or even flinch in that matter, she seemed to be unfazed by the fact that her breathing was broken for few moments. Cheap was wrong to think he had the advantage in the situation, sure Sunlight wanted to know what was wrong with Dynamo, but not only was she not being herself at the moment, but she also knew that having most information a member of public can gather in her head would her her to solve it eventually. "What about you tell me and I don't break any of your bones?" Lunar wanted to intervene now, but decided against it because she didn't want to give Cheap the joy of humiliating Sunlight, which she figured was what he would do if Sunlight would comply. But before anything else could happen, Sunlight suddenly stopped and raised a hoof on her head before staggering a bit, Lunar came next to her just as she collapsed on her panting. Frail stopped trying to calm Dynamo down and looked up to them, ready to act if Cheap tried something.

A crowd had gathered outside the arcade at this point, and it wasn't hard to guess who looked and in this case was the bad guy in the situation, so if Cheap tried to flee he would find it hard with crowd of ponies making an effort to stop it. None of them dared to intervene in other ways though.

Jade:
"Sure, I can answer that, though it won't be a long answer." Jade said "My dislikes are mostly pony related, there isn't really any activity I dislike, and in short it's ponies who do bad things to others." "That includes everypony from those who are simply greedy to those who purposely cause harm to others." He seemed to remember something that didn't make him exactly happy, but he tried to hide the fact that he did. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
Upon hearing her threat, Cheap threw his front hooves into the air. "Just take it easy. I'm not trying to mean harm." He tried to act innocent, but his smile was fake. "Still, you've got quite the anger. You can be pretty feisty. I like that." He grinned slightly, before continuing. "Now, this might be difficult to take and hurtful, but I think I can live with that." He says, glancing to the side to see the entrance to the arcade was blocked. He grit his teeth as he knew he was stuck, but he knew it didn't matter. "Okay, then. You noticed that he had been having a moment of being frozen? As if he stops in place with a lost look in his eyes? Well, I hate to tell you this, but he's afraid. Afraid for his own life. I'm guessing his mind keeps flashing back to that point of fighting Cosmic. Being trapped in that world and not knowing what's real and virtual? He's afraid that if he fails, then he'll just lose it all. I can tell that he must have told you that fear. True, he doesn't need a crowd, but imagine if you took everything away. What do you get with what's left? I can tell you in two words. A failure." 

He looked over to Dynamo to see that the job had been done. "I can guess that Cosmic's goal was completed, right?" His eyes widened slightly in fake shock. "Oh, did you not know? Cosmic lost, that's for sure. However, that wasn't the only goal. That amulet amplified his magic and as a result, allowed him to create that world. The world was all of his magic and it could drain the magic of others. If you stay in that world for too long, then you know what could happen." He shook his head, before continuing. "At this point, Dynamo has been infected by Cosmic's magic. Any dream or nightmare may be his own, but Cosmic's magic makes it even worse. Now, Dynamo can't even play his game or be what his destiny tells him to be! It's like being afraid of your own shadow!" He chuckled, looking back to Sunlight. "I wouldn't even be surprised if Cosmic could get into his mind at this point. The longer the magic courses through his body, the worse he'll be. The magic may leave eventually, but who knows? It's like a poison running through his systems. We don't even know of a cure. All that mattered was that we got what we wanted. Sure, we lost the fight, but we won the entire battle. A simple trade if that makes sense. So, your ex coltfriend can't play games, he has his nightmares and he's lost everything. There's nothing you can really do. Just leave him already. What's honestly left, huh? Tell me, if you can even give me an answer." He says, giving Sunlight a smug look. 

Dew Drop:
Dew smiled and shook her head. "T-That's okay and I understand. I want to know as m-much as I can about you, Jade." She says, listening intently on what he liked and didn't like. She nodded at each thing he listed off, frowning as she knew how he felt. "I-I'm glad to know that you're okay with any activity. I guess it won't be boring, while going around town." She says, nodding in agreement about how being greedy and harming others was bad. "I-I don't like that either. I find it b-better to be nice and kind, instead of being greedy or harming others. It's better to be k-kind, caring, helpful and be there for others. It's a t-time for everypony to be in friendship and harmony. I-I know not everyone agrees, but it's better to be together as as friends, family and a community. I-I remember when Rarity and Applejack had visited Manehatten. I t-think it was something about the Midsummer theater revival. A-As they helped the method actors put on a play, they helped in g-getting the community of Manehatten to work together." She says as the Statue of Harmony was within their sights.

She wanted to tell him that they were almost there, but stopped as she noticed his face. She almost could see a far off look. As if he was trying to forget something that didn't make him feel happy. "H-Hey Jade? Are you okay? Is there something you want to talk about? I-If not, then that's okay. I just want you to know that I'm here for you." She says, not noticing that her stuttering was becoming less present. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
"So it was what I thought." Sunlight said after she had stopped panting an regained her balance "You really only confirmed my suspicions." she raised her voice to make sure Dynamo would hear her next words "And you're more stupid than I though if you think I'll leave him because he's having hard time in life. No, quite opposite. Because what ponies like you don't realize is that hard times are what bring ponies closest to each other. And besides, I don't and never cared about his game abilities or what he had, only thing I want of him is he, and that's not going anywhere regardless of how many times you try to ruin his life." "He has helped me through nightmares you can't even imagine, and I be damned if I didn't return the favor, and now that you foolishly told the exact cause for his problems, you made it quite lot easier for me." it was her turn to look smug "But I don't know why I'm telling you this, you have clearly never been liked by anypony, so you can't understand what I'm saying."

Jade:
"Well, actually yes." he sighed "It's related to what I said at the cafe, about me failing my sister." "But I'd like to land somewhere before I go to any details, it may affect my flying if I start explaining in the air."

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
Cheap continued to grin as if he had finally earned a victory. As he listened to Sunlight, his grin had slowly faded away. "What? It's as you thought? What are you talking about? What suspicions did you have?" He constantly asked, while feeling more and more confused by the minute. As he listened to her speech of how she felt for Dynamo, he rolled his eyes and gagged. "Ugh...spare me from the heartfelt nonsense. What? You trying to make me sick in order to win?" He asks, before continuing. "So, you never cared about his abilities or what he had? So that means you don't like him in the slightest. I mean, let's be honest. How could you ever love someone like him. Cosmic, Frozen and I enjoyed making him our punching bag. It honestly felt good to make him the punching bag once more." He says, trying to twist her words to have the opposite effect. However, what he had said at that point would be the biggest mistake of his life. 

"Oh, really? How about you enlighten me and what, pray tell, can you do to fix the damage that's been caused?" He growled as he grabbed the nearby controllers and thew them at Sunlight to hit her. "You be quiet! My daddy loves me dearly. He clearly trusts me with the guards and the money, so you don't know anything! I should say the same to you. Your super strength, the look in your eyes. Even the same can be said to Dynamo. Who could ever love a monster and a failure? I guess that's what makes you perfect for one another." He chuckled as he soon lost his balance and fell to the floor. He was rolling on the ground as he enjoyed his joke. "Oh, stop it. My sides are starting to hurt me. I think I might pass out." He says, continuing to wheeze at his joke. As the conversation continued, Dynamo had heard Sunlight was talking louder to address him. He closed his eyes tightly as he heard Cheap's comment. However, what Sunlight had said to him really touched Dynamo's heart. The tears he had held back had finally fell. The suffering he had been going through had finally been let out.

Dew Drop:
As they neared the location of the statue, Dew nods as they began to make their descent. "O-Okay and I understand Jade. I know that l-letting your emotions get the better of you w-will affect the way you fly. J-Just tell me if you don't want to discuss this. I-I'd hate to make you feel bothered, or upset f-from the memory." She says, remembering their earlier talk at the flower shop about his failures. As they arrived at the Statue of Harmony, Dew had slowed down her descent as she finally had touched the ground.

Edited March 8, 2019 by Dynamo Pad

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
"Simple really, I could tell it wasn't just some bad memories returning to mind, I admit I didn't expect Clown to be so intelligent that he would do it in purpose, but I figured it was a problem with magic relating to the amulet." she gave a insulting laugh and shared looks with Solar who was still next to her at Cheap's try to twist her words "You really are hopeless, you're clearly lacking braincells to think that abilities and what somepony has is all that matters. Oh and thanks for admitting what kind of pony you are in front of tens of ponies."

To him asking what her solution was she smirked "Sorry, unlike you, I'm not stupid enough to tell my plans to my enemies." after catching the controllers from the air with her magic, sunlight looked just slightly amused at Cheap's insult and sudden laugh explosion, she said to Lunar "I think I hit a nerve" Cheap's insults didn't really have effect on Sunlight, partly because it was coming from him, somepony who nopony took seriously at this point thus didn't raise the risk of somepony believing him, but also thanks to the time spend with Dynamo that had helped her to accept herself. 

She addressed Cheap again "Rather monster dating a failure than being you." "Look at yourself, your oh so great guards are all either knocked out or hiding in the crowd because of four mares, and here you are humiliating yourself by showing everypony how terrible and awfully stupid pony you are." there was movement in the crowd, the guards were coming.

Jade:
"I'll remember it regardless of if I talk about it or not, such is the life when you remember everything." Jade simply replied. When they were on the ground he started "The first few times aren't anything special, just bad experiences with close ponies which forced us to move town, my sister was down for a long time after each one, and though I couldn't help, they weren't that bad." his gaze turned distant "But then was the Manehattan, the apartment before our current one, I foolishly decided to go shopping alone, and when I returned I regretted that decision right away. One of the neighbors had gone to our apartment, I to this day don't know what happened, but my sister was scared of her own shadow for over a week, and she never got over it, as proven by something that happened some days ago, she saw the said neighbor again and got very serious flashback." "Then there was a situation at Ponyville arcade, I didn't act quickly enough and she was put in serious danger."

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

Dynamo Pad:
Cheap rolled his eyes as he listened to Sunlight's statement. "You seriously underestimate Cosmic. He may not look like it, but he's pretty intelligent. He was born with a gift for magic. Something that nopony could ever fathom." He scoffed at the insults, before continuing. "It really is all that matters. How can you be anything if you have nothing? You're either born for greatness, or you're born to be destined for failure. You can clearly see that Cosmic, Frozen and I were gifted for glory. For your information, we were always bullies. Everyone has been a bully at one point or another in school. Sometimes we change and sometimes we stay who we are. One can never run away from their past."

He wanted to make a comeback statement, but noticed that his guards were knocked out or standing aside. "Come on! Where are you going, you fools!? My father and I didn't pay you guards to just stand around! You need to at least get me out of here! Do something useful for crying out loud!" He began to panic slightly as he saw movement from within the crowd. As the authorities were on their way, Cheap's guards began to make their way out of the arcade. "Great. Never trust your own guards to take care of your work." He says, noticing that Sunlight had caught the thrown controllers in her magical grasp. As she admitted that she wasn't telling him of her solution, he began to grow furious. "So, you won't tell me huh? Well, then I"m going to have to force you into telling me!" He took another controller and threw it in front of him. It was to be used as a diversion, so he could throw a punch to Sunlight. He knew that this was now or never. He had to make a breakaway, so he could escape the arcade and to flee the scene. 

Dew Drop:
As they landed on the ground, Dew nodded in understanding. She remembered him telling her about his memory. She had to assume that this was something that he couldn't forget even if he tried. As she listened, she couldn't help, but feel sorry for him and his sister. She had never heard of anyone going through a difficult time. At the mention of Manehatten, she gasped softly at what she had heard. "I-I'm so sorry. I g-guess that memory is still a haunting reminder of sorts? W-What about your parents? Did they move to M-Manehatten with you, or did they s-stay back at their original home?" She asks, placing a hoof upon his shoulder to give him a form of comfort and reassurance. "I-It must have been a s-shock to see that neighbor again. W-Was there ever a reason as to w-why he was in Ponyville? Also, w-what happened at this arcade? Was y-your sister hurt, or did she turn out o-okay, in the end? I-I'm guessing that her s-special somepony was there for her during t-these time."

Edited March 8, 2019 by Dynamo Pad

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
"Oh, such glory indeed, rotting in dungeon." Sunlight simply replied, her voice dripping from sarcasm.
As expected, Sunlight caught the controller, and Cheap's distraction would have worked, if it wasn't for the fact that Lunar was still next to Sunlight. Lunar grabbed Cheap's hoof with her own before it made contact with Sunlight, and started twisting it until Cheap would be forced to his knees from the pain. 

At this point the guards had gotten through the crowd, and after Golden't description of her friends and Dynamo, they scattered around the arcade, some going to Frail, Sunlight, and Lunar to take their versions of what happened, some talking with various ponies in the crowd, some restraining Cheap and his guards, one going to talk to the owner, mostly about the claim that he was paid to ignore what was going on and rest keeping the crowd under control. Few paramedics came too, two of them helping Dynamo, and one checking on all the knocked out guards, including the ones Sunlight had to hit with her horn. 

Jade:
"Well, like I told before, our parents weren't the best, they stayed when I moved with my sister, and we haven't contacted them since."  Jade replied "I investigated it and it seems he was just visiting the market, why? I don't know, but there didn't seem to be any other reason. And the arcade...well, it's not my place to talk about the details, but there was m sister's stallionfriend's old bullies, and long story short, they had the Alicorn amulet with them and they wanted to torment her stallionfriend, so we got mixed up into the mess. She wasn't harmed in the end, but the risk was high, and the fact is that in both cases I was pretty much useless, as the situations would have most likely ended in the same way even if I hadn't been there.

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
"Just keep talking. You won't have much to say when you're finished!" He grinned as saw his plan was coming to fruition. What he didn't expect was for Luna to quickly intercept him and grab his hoof. As she twisted his hoof, Cheap's eyes shrank from the sudden pain. He screeched as he was forced to his knees. "G-Get off of me, you peasant! Y-You're hurting me!" He used his free hoof to grab Lunar's arm to make her let go of him. He had thought of sweeping her legs with his back hooves, but was against it. If he did, then she might have twisted his arm even more and he'd be in serious trouble.

As the authorities arrived at the arcade, Cheap was torn away from Lunar from the guards. He was instantly restrained and was ordered to follow them. He limped from the pain and growled. Knowing that he had not other way of escaping as he had lost. His only hope was that his father could bail him, Cosmic and Frozen out. "I won't forget this! Do you hear me!? I will find you all and I will make sure you regret getting in my way!" He called out to them as the guards dragged Cheap away. Dynamo was instantly rolled over to his back as the paramedics came to check on him. After a brief diagnosis of the damage, the paramedics concluded that Dynamo's hooves weren't broken. They were, however, pretty swollen and bruised from the consecutive hits from Cheap. 

One of the paramedics had used their healing magic, as well as some ice to reduce the swell and heal Dynamo up. The bruises were still noticeable, but they weren't as bad. After wrapping his arms up in some gauze bandages, "You should be good to go, but don't overdo it on the walking. We made sure to heal you up, but we used a lot of your stamina to do so. It's never too good to force healing for the patient, but it's out of our hooves. Just make sure to rest up and you should be back to your old self in not time. If you still feel pain in your front hooves, if there's any infections, or even the bones break, then go to the hospital right away." The doctor informed him as Dynamo nods. The medic's had soon packed up and began to check if anyone else was hurt. Once they did their initial check ups, they started to make their exit of the arcade. It seemed as if everyone in the arcade was still trying to leave, so it would take some time.

Dew Drop:
As Dew continued to listen to the explanation, she frowned and felt worried about this neighbor. "T-That's just way too w-weird, if you ask me. I-If there wasn't a reason, t-then it makes n-no sense for him to know where you two are." She wondered, her eyes widening dangerously in worry. "Y-You don't suppose he's been keeping t-track of her, do you? Y-You seem to be the type to c-cover your tracks. I-It's just scary to have that p-possibility in the air." She says, listening to the other recent event that happened. "An a-alicorn amulet? I have heard of those, b-but I thought they were a legend. I-I guess they aren't much of a myth anymore." She says, nodding in understanding as he finished his explanation. "I-I may not know the f-full details of the neighbor like you do. H-However, I don't think you w-were useless about the arcade. I know you e-explained it to me before. I-It's just there had to be more than one b-bully, right? You were able to stop o-one of them so you could t-try and help your sister and her stallionfriend. S-So, the way I see it. You weren't useless, Jade. Y-You did everything in your ability t-to help your sister and her s-stallionfriend."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
All the mares told the story from their perspectives, and since they matched each other, and several witness reports from the crowd, and even from some of the Cheap's guards who had hid in there matched too, it was pretty clear case. Sunlight also told about the situation back in Ponyville, and also mentioned Cheap's father's name and what Cheap had told about him. A paramedic had came to check on her bruises too, but since they were just that, bruises, it didn't take long, but she did ask about and got reply for Dynamo's situation, and after all that was done, she walked to Dynamo and hugged him tightly, breaking into tears "I was so worried, I'm sorry I let it go so far."

Jade:
"There is no reason to believe he knew where we were, we met at a market." Jade pointed out "And though it's not out of the question he's trying to find us, it clearly wasn't his purpose back then, and trust me, I'm the last pony to defend him in any way." there was a flash of hatred as he said the last part. "There's only one left as far as I'm aware, but that's beside the point." Jade shook his head "Firstly, don't call them bullies, they are criminals, and second...no, the moment she was put in danger was when I failed my duty as her brother, sure I technically stopped one of them, but at that point it didn't matter anymore, because at that point there was only two possible outcomes, either she would get hurt regardless of the fate of the other criminal, or she would handle herself, regardless of the criminal's fate."

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
Dynamo sat there in the middle of the arcade, while looking down at his bandaged front hooves. He didn't think something like this would ever happen. He sighed soflty and closed his eyes, before opening his eyes moments later as he heard someone walking towards him. As he saw the individual's shadow, he looked up to see Sunlight, who looked a little bruised from the encounter with Cheap. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but was surprised as she wrapped her arm around him in a hug. Every time she sniffed or cried was like a pain in his heart. He felt disgusted at himself for feeling like he failed her. He wrapped his arms around her, but frowned as his front hooves felt numb.

As he pulled back from the hug, he used his arm to help wipe her tears away. "I'm sorry if I made you worry. I was trying to avoid him altogether, but I guess he didn't see things in his way. You don't have to apologize for anything, Sunlight. I didn't see any fighting as I was mostly hurt. So, I didn't want to move around and injure myself further." He chuckled slightly, but it was a hollow feeling as he looked at the bandages. "D-Did you really mean that?" He asked, hesitation starting to settle into his voice. "I-It's just...I feel like I failed you. I wanted to try so much to win. To do everything in my power to keep you safe. He was just better than me, but I guess I know the truth. I heard him and I didn't know that Clown had done so much damage. I-I know I heard what you said, but I can't help in worrying. After all that had happened, I...I just don't know if I deserve someone like you." His eyes glistened with tears as he lowered his face further to look at the ground. His mane covering his eyes, so Sunlight and her friends couldn't see the pain and sadness in his eyes. A single tear was able to escape as it cascaded down his cheek.

Dew Drop:
Dew nodded as Jade had disbanded her questions of worry. "I-I guess you mean a market in Manehatten, o-or a market in Ponyville. Either way, i-it still seems rather strange for him to be there." She could hear the sense of hatred in his voice from his statement. She did know that it was directed at this neighbor, but it still worried her somewhat. "S-So, these bullies became criminals from what they did, huh? I-I guess that makes sense and I can see w-what you mean by that. I guess t-they chose their own fate of what they wanted. I-It's rather sad that they could have c-changed for the better." She nods with a small smile as Jade explained about stopping one of the criminals. "At least e-everything had turned out okay, in the end. There m-may have been possibilities, but it's better to not l-let go of hope." She says, motioning the green Pegasus to follow her as they made their way towards the Statue. 

Edited March 9, 2019 by Dynamo Pad

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Sunlight smacked Dynamo on his cheek, tears still flowing out "Don't you even dare to think something like that, don't you dare to think so lowly of yourself." "If you think that anypony deserves anypony, you're just as bad as scum like them, I'm not some price to be deserved, I chose you because I wanted to, not because you deserve me." she seemed angry through the tears, but she wasn't angry at Dynamo, or even herself, she was angry at the situation in general "And for Celestia's sake stop apologizing, it's you with the wrapped up hoofs not me, you need to allow yourself to be the victim for once.".

Jade:
Jade sighed as he followed Dew "After seeing how much she suffered because of my failure before, hope was meaningless." he stated rather coldly "When you have done everything in your power to protect somepony for your whole life, failure is crushing, it doesn't matter how much positive thinking you do, it will stay in the back of your mind forever."

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad: 
Dynamo winced as he felt someone smacking the side of his face. He hissed from the stinging sensation as he wondered what had happened. He looked up to see Sunlight, who was the one that hit him with tears in her eyes. His lips quivered as he felt he was the one to make her cry. "W-Why did you hit me for? W-Was it something I did or said?" He asks, listening to what she had to tell him. He didn't speak until she was done talking about her feelings. "I-I wasn't trying to say deserve as like a trophy. I see you as a mare, a pony and as an individual. It's like what I told Cheap before when he challenged me. I would never bet you on anything that involved losing you or anything like that. When I said I don't deserve you, I meant that I feel like I lost your love. I know that I earned your love, trust and friendship. To me, it just felt like Cheap had taken that away. When he beat me, i-it felt like I lost you and everything." He says, shutting his eyes tightly as he saw her angry gaze. He felt like her anger wasn't directed at him, but he wasn't in the right state of mind.

With the way she said he'd be scum if he thought in the way of deserving anyone. It made him think she actually thought of him as scum. At the mention of being the victim, he slowly opened his eyes, while looking down at his hooves. "I-I get what you're saying, b-but...I've always been the victim. Being the victim to no magic when I was born. Being the victim to all the bullying and harassment. Granted, this was from Cosmic, Frozen, Cheap and the rest of the school from when I was younger. It only stopped when I finally gained both my magic and cutie mark." He says, placing a bandaged hoof over his heart. "Even when my mom and dad tried to get the bullying to stop, it would always keep on happening. My dad had told me to just laugh in the face of bad times and to never stop being you. He always was there for his racing buddies and helped them to smile when they were in trouble. I didn't understand it at first, but I soon learned what he meant. It was his way of letting others know that even in the bad times, there will always be good times. While the bad times are going to happen. He knew that one shouldn't let the bad times get you down. Even in his last moments, he made sure to put the happiness and worry for others above his own." He says, while not understanding why he was telling her this. He felt like he should have stayed quiet as he felt he caused enough damage.

Even though he thought that, he still persisted. "I wasn't trying to follow in my dad's example, but I want other's to know that they aren't alone. I guess I'm afraid to be a victim because I have never had anyone to talk about it with. I had my parents, but I never wanted to bother them. I just want to reassure others that that the good times will be there among the bad times, no matter how difficult it can be." He says, looking back up to her gaze with worry. "If I lost you because of everything that has happened, then I won't blame you. No matter what, I will always love you, Sunlight. I love you and chose you because I wanted you. I didn't choose you just to reassure you like how my dad reassured his friends. I wanted you because you gave my life meaning. When I met you, I thought you were funny, sweet, beautiful, kind and intelligent. Even now, my feelings for you haven't changed. Even back then and even now. I have fallen in love with the mare, who has taken my heart. That mare has, is and will always be you, Sunlight." He shut his eyes and winced, while he waited for an answer as he was afraid of being smacked again.

Dew Drop:
Dew's ears fell as she heard his cold remark. She felt bad for asking, but she wanted to know why Jade had felt the way he did. "W-What about your sister's stallionfriend? H-Hasn't he been able to bring hope for b-both you and your sister again? I r-remember you telling me that your s-sister was being so much happier." She says, frowning, but nods at his statement. "I-I guess that would be true. S-Since you said that you can remember everything y-you've ever known. Sometimes, I-I can forget about my failures. T-That's what happens over time, b-but I understand it's different for you. I d-do know how it feels to fail. Whether it was when I lost a flower, or when my sister got hurt f-for not watching where she was going. E-Even when the failure seems so insignificant, y-you still can't help but feel like you failed." She says, turning back to him with a curious, yet hopeful look. "I-I tend to think of my failures are the p-past. The failure happened, b-but it's never good to dwell on it. I-I get that it's in the back of your mind, b-but it's never good to remember it. I-I guess I try to be optimistic because I'm here now, in the present. A-All of my goals, all that I have now with my family and friends. I-It's all I know that will lead me t-to a better future. I know that s-some things can't always work out, b-but you never know unless you try." She says, getting in line to be able to go up the steps to the Statue of Harmony.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
"I told you to stop thinking like that!" Sunlight said, hitting her hoof on the ground "Because the fact that you even entertain the idea that I would just..stop loving you shows that you either don't trust me, or believe that you don't deserve happiness, and both cases are heartbreaking to me." "And so what if you have already been a victim, that doesn't give you any more reason to apologize being one now." "Do you think I should apologize for what that pony at the market did to me in the past? no? Then why do you feel that you should do so for things others did to you?" she hadn't stopped crying at any point "Would you just leave me if he did it again? If not, why do you even consider that I would do that to you?" Sunlight knew exactly why he did so, after all, she had been in similar situation before meeting him, seeing her true self as something to be ashamed of, feeling like she shouldn't exist, seeing just a machine watching back from the mirror, and that was exactly why she was so angry.

Jade:
"He brought hope and happiness for my sister yes, but not to me, why would it bring those to me? He is her stallionfriend." Jade stated "Small failures are easy to think as a past yes, and trust me, I would give anything to stop those failures from haunting me, but the fear and misery in her eyes when I got home, and knowing that all could have been avoided if I had just taken her with me like I always had before, and not being able to do anything about it..." He kept a pause, looking into the opposite direction from Dew, before turning back towards her, "...that feeling, it doesn't leave you, and every further failure makes it only worse."

[Dynamo Pad 11,307]

@Catpone Cerberus

Dynamo Pad:
As Sunlight hit the ground with her hoof, Dynamo winced from hearing the impact. He opened his eyes and almost had a somewhat look of confusion. At the mention of both cases being heartbreaking to her, his eyes widened as he quickly shook his head. "No. I do trust you! I guess that after everything Cosmic and the others put me through. From both in the past and now. Sometimes, what they say can get to me. T-They always try to put some form of doubt into my mind. I know I shouldn't listen to them, but after so many years of their bullying and torment. I guess there's always that form of worry that they could be right, in a way." At the mention of leaving her if Cosmic or the others did their stunts again, Dynamo shook his head without a doubt. "Never. I would never leave you, Sunlight. I..." He stopped as his eyes widened. Upon listening to everything she had been telling him, it was like a switch had been flipped in his mind.

He soon had flashbacks of every moment from when he spent time with Sunlight. From the times of when they sat upon the hill to watch the sunset. To watching anime and going on jogs. To chasing each other and laughing in the flower field. To staying up late and helping each other in the old library ruins. No matter what they had gone through, they were always together. Even when she showed him her true self, he never ran away. Even when she saw that stallion in the Ponyville market, Dynamo had chased after her to comfort her. He hadn't given up on her, so why would she give up on him. A few tears had welled up in his eyes as realization had dawned upon him. Soon a tear had fallen down his cheek, before looking back to Sunlight. "I-I get it now. You're absolutely right, Sunlight." He says, taking a deep breath to stay calm, before continuing.

"I never left you after everything we went through together. Even when all this happened, we were there for each other. I was with you because of how kind, sweet, caring and loving you are. I loved you for who you are and I still do. If that's the case, then that means you would be the same way. Even after I've hit probably the lowest moment. Y-You wouldn't leave. If this ever happened again, then you wouldn't leave because of Cosmic and the others trying to get me to doubt anything." His voice began to crack as he felt like a fool for doubting himself. "I guess the possibility was there because e-everyone I knew back then had left me instantly, or over time. I was always used in relationships, or taken advantage of for my kindness. For that reason, I always felt like I was never meant to have friends, or love, or even happiness. I do have friends like Starlight, Button, Golden and the others. It's just...I guess I never knew what it was like to have a true friend. " He says, everything was now starting to piece itself together.

"Starlight, Button and the others will always be my friend. That much is true. When I see you, Sunlight. I see a true friend and someone that love me for who I am. I don't have to be someone that I'm not when I'm with you. This past week or two has been complete and utter joy, in my opinion. Thinking back on it, I can tell that my feelings for you are there and real. My feelings were never lies or made up. These feelings are real and they are still real for you, even now. I guess all this worry and/or doubt is from what Cheap had said. Both of his words getting into my mind, as well as the whole Cosmic's magic is cycling through my mind." He says, before shaking his head at the idea he fabricated. "No. That, right there, doesn't make sense. I need to really stop listening to others putting me down, or those making me doubt myself. What happened back then in the past is in the past. I can never change the past. I need to live my life and continue to be myself. All the while, making small changes to be a better individual to live in the present. I don't blame you that you didn't forgive that pony at the market for what happened in the past. I may not know exactly what had happened, but I would feel the same way when it comes to Cosmic and the others. I need to learn to better myself, as well as to stop apologizing for being a victim here and now."

He soon nods as he gave Sunlight and apologetic look. His eyes were puffy and red from all of the crying he had gone through. "I'm beginning to realize that I've been a fool for all of this doubt and worry, that's been plaguing both my heart and mind. There's no need to doubt anything, or myself for all the good things that I have right now in front of me. All that matters is that I have the one pony that's made every day a joy. I love you, Sunlight. You'r my best friend, my girlfriend and you mean the absolute world to me. I know video games make me happy, but that's my talent and destiny. For you, this is genuine happiness and love that I would never trade away to anyone." He sighed softly as he hoped that everything would be okay from here on out. "I-I know that I shouldn't say sorry so often. I do want to ask you something and I don't know if it's the same as sorry. If so, then that's my bad. Even so, can you forgive this stallion for being a fool in the bad sense? Can you give me another chance and can we still keep this relationship going? I understand now what you're trying to say, but I still wanted to ask. I don't want to ask because of any doubt, but I wanted to ask that everything is okay now and that we can keep moving forward together." He says, holding his arm out in hopes of being able to give Sunlight a hug. He wanted to give her the necklace, but he knew that giving it to her now wouldn't solve anything. 

Dew Drop:
Dew raised an eyebrow, while tilting her head in confusion to his statement. "I-I get that he's her stallionfriend. However, i-isn't he like a f-friend to you. H-Has he ever called you a friend, o-or even hang out with each other?" She wondered, before nodding in understanding to his remark. It broke her heart to see Jade in the state he was in. Having to turn away from her and looking back at her with almost a look of pain in his eyes. "I-I get what you're saying. It's just...it can't be just like t-that. S-Something like that happening c-could have happened to anyone. T-There shouldn't be any what if's, or could have b-been. The only thing that y-you can do now is trust in yourself to n-not let that happen again. I-If you become so fixated on failure, t-then you'll miss out on everything that's around you." She says, sighing as she knew there might not be any way in talking him out of it. She decided to drop the subject as they were meant to enjoy the day.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Dynamo Pad
Sunlight:
Sunlight didn't say anything, she didn't want to interrupt Dynamo who seemed to finally have listened her, and she still didn't say anything after he finished, and instead hugged him tightly, again, not saying anything, until after spending rather a long time in the hug she whispered "Of course idiot, you really think I would go through all that just to dump you after it?".

As the two had their conversation, Frail had collected Dynamo's stuff back into their bag, putting also the necklace back there, and Lunar had been quietly thinking about something, waiting until the two were done with everything, as she had something to tell.

Jade:
"Sure, he's a friend, but a new friend doesn't sadly change much when it comes to something like that." Jade simply said, and as he too was getting tired with the topic, he simply closed the conversation with "I assure you, if I could just stop thinking about it, I would, but it is out of my control." He wasn't sure if Dew would understand it, since he wasn't fully sure how biological memory worked with things like this, so part of the reason he was glad the conversation ended was that he wouldn't end up saying too much.