open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Samurai Equine 51,415]

@Jack Baker

Samurai just shakes his head. "Oh no, this is not three times the payment. This is half, like you said before. The other half is the customers you'll get. At least, I hope you'll get some. This has been a largely peaceful town, so I can't say for sure how much work you'll get. Still, I hope you get plenty." Samurai says with a smile. He invites him inside to take a tour.

"Hmm? How did I do this? Easy. I wake up at the crack of dawn every day." Samurai explains. "Now, the first room in here is the reception where customers can wait. Back there is your main office, with a privacy door. And over there in that other door is storage, for any documents or weapons you might need. I installed radios for your customers to listen to while they wait; that's my favorite feature. And the gumball machine... Well, that was just a donated bonus. You'd be surprised what ponies in this town want to part with sometimes." Samurai comments.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos looked up from his zither to come eye to eye with the citizens. He stopped his instrument, kicked it upward and sheathed it on his back. 
 

“Sure,” Kronos replied to the citizens, “Ask me whatever you want.”

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Dynamo Pad

Pencil smiled back and replied,

“Yeah, that is cool when you think about it! That’s really what I like most about my town: it values where it came from. It values all the ponies and all the talent that worked to build it. I can see why they’re trying to modernize, but I can’t help but feel like keeping the historical aspect would make tourism so much better. It’d be nice to teach other ponies about what we do rather than forcing the modern world down our throats,”

She took a small bite of her frozen yogurt then moved on to her snow cone slowly so as not to cause a brain freeze. She took another bite of her frozen yogurt and savored it, letting the chocolate and vanilla blend together. Pencil thought deeply about this feeling and decided to draw something symbolic about it later. For now, she set her spoons aside and focused on her conversation.

“So, what makes Fillydelphia special? I’ve heard of it a little bit but I’ve never been there myself. What’s it like?”

[Windy Breeze 15,189]

@Samurai Equine

“Yes!” Shadow was so happy that she unconsciously hugged Trilby “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! The foals will totally love you for you generousity!” she blushed and immediately remove herself “Well, I'll buy some tools for the swing if you guys have a shop selling building supplies” 

[Samurai Equine 51,415]

@Windy Breeze

Trilby smiles from ear to ear and gives a happy laugh at being hugged. "Oh, well~ You know! A well-to-do haberdasher like me should invest in charity once in a while." Trilby explains. "Are you going to be okay with this? It might take a few hours to set everything up. If there is something else you want to do in the meantime, I don't mind."

@Kronos the Revenant

"Are you sure this is the pony we should be hiring?" One of random citizens asks her friends. "Yes! You saw him, didn't you? Ahem... Sir, please forgive us, but we saw you at the restaurant the other night, including your quite capable skills. We were wondering if we might be able to hire you to perform a job of espionage." The leader of the group asks Kronos.

Edited March 17, 2020 by Samurai Equine

[Windy Breeze 15,189]

@Samurai Equine

“How about when school is over. I don't want the foals going near anything sharp enough to hurt them” Shadow suggested “I still got enough hits to buy some nails and a hammer and nails” 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos looked at the pony with a suspicious squint, tilting his head to the side. 
 

Seems like a shady bunch, he says to himself, but it’s a job their offering, and i dont really say no to a job. 
 

“Where and when?” Kronos inquired the citizens. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,306]

6 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

@Dynamo Pad

Pencil smiled back and replied,

“Yeah, that is cool when you think about it! That’s really what I like most about my town: it values where it came from. It values all the ponies and all the talent that worked to build it. I can see why they’re trying to modernize, but I can’t help but feel like keeping the historical aspect would make tourism so much better. It’d be nice to teach other ponies about what we do rather than forcing the modern world down our throats,”

She took a small bite of her frozen yogurt then moved on to her snow cone slowly so as not to cause a brain freeze. She took another bite of her frozen yogurt and savored it, letting the chocolate and vanilla blend together. Pencil thought deeply about this feeling and decided to draw something symbolic about it later. For now, she set her spoons aside and focused on her conversation.

“So, what makes Fillydelphia special? I’ve heard of it a little bit but I’ve never been there myself. What’s it like?”

Dynamo smiled and nodded as he replied,

"Exactly. It's never a good idea to force an idea into being. I guess becoming a part of the here and now is inevitable. Since nopony should ever stick to living in the past. I think it's a good idea to have a sort of middle ground for Sire's Hollow. Having the past, but to have a sort of present and future for the village. It would help the tourists to visit and learn it's history, while maybe finding inspiration to live there, as well. A way to help build that sense of community and value that you were speaking of."

Dynamo took a bite of his ice cream and sighed happily. It had been a while since he had eaten ice cream, but it was just as great, nonetheless. As he savored his dessert, he looked back over to Pencil as he pondered on her question.

"Hmm...I'm not really sure, to be honest. The only thing I could think of would be its parades and terrible traffic. I can't tell you how bad taxi driver's are to where everypony is yelling at everypony else to move." He chuckled, but shook his head. "There are a few malls, but I've only gone to them from time to time. I never really had anyone to hang out and to just look around and shop. I had mentioned before that there were parades. Some are just for celebrating one thing or another, while some are for holidays. I remember on New Year's there is a Mummer's parade. It's always fun watching everypony dress up in costumes, while helping to carry floats and balloon shaped characters in a line. One thing that's special to me is that there's an arcade right around where I used to live in town. It held almost every kind and any kind of video games you could think of. It was there I managed to discover my magic and my cutie mark. There was even the arcade over, who was very kind, warm and welcoming to any and all ponies and creatures, who had a love and understanding for games."

[Astral Vision 286]

9 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

"Oh, I see." Dynamo responded with a nod. "With a library like that, I guess it's more about historical section. I suppose there might be other sections in said library, but I guess I would have to visit the town sometime." He would say, taking note of Pencil's description of her town. "I can understand that. Considering that a smoothie shop is more about opening up new business, instead of creating of expansion. It would work well in a mall, but then you'd have to think of renovation if you mentioned Sire's Hollow being a small town. It seems like the town wants to be two different things, but to overall have a sort of end goal. To be modernized like other places in Equestria, but to stay old to have that historical value. I think that's pretty cool when you think about it." He smiled, following Pencil as the group made their way back towards their table. 

After a bit of walking, Dynamo took notice of a parked travel cart around town. The roof was blue and tiled, while sporting a brown glazed wooden exterior. "So, this is your home, huh? I never really had a traveling home, but this looks really impressive. It goes to show that you've taken a lot of time and effort into this caravan." He smiled, walking into said home as Astral ushered the group inside. The home was a bit cramped, but there was enough space for him and Pastel to walk through. "Glad to know that you keep everything organized. I tend to do the same, but sometimes I forget to clean up the storm of a mess that is my video games." He chuckled as Astral looked through the books he had in a stack. He took notice of one book that seemed old and worn out. All the while wondering what kind of books Astral had pointed out were about. "That book looks to be a prized possession. I'm guessing it's a good read from time to time?" He wondered, remembering having his own prized collections in both games and stuffed animals. 

"A spell that isn't just for combat? I wonder what kind of spell would do something like that. I never knew that calling out the spell would help in the incantation. My mother would always tell me to look within myself and call upon the magic. It's what she would always do whenever she used her magic for dancing." His eyes widened slightly in realization as the Harry Trotter books were probably similar to actual spell casting. He held back a chuckle on the mention of dramatic effect. He could understand as some video game character would do something like that. As he listened to the incantation, the gamer pony narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to decipher the words. He didn't have time as Astral had vanished into thin air. Almost as if he had teleported once again. "W-What the..." He looked around, while blinking in surprise. "H-He just disappeared. Did he just teleport? You normally hear the poof from when you teleport."

Dynamo turned back to Pastel as she described the premise of the game. He thought for a moment as the game sounded even more familiar to the blue unicorn. "Do you happen to know the name of this game? To be honest, it sounds like a crossover between the Prince of Persia and Shadow of the Colossus. Both games are pretty unique in their own right and provide interesting gameplay." He smiled, before nodding in understanding. "I hope you won't have to make that choice either. I can't imagine having to make a choice like that. Glad to know that the heroine did save her loved on in the end. Sort of reminds me of Salior Moon where true love and justice conquers all."

He almost had a forlorn look as the difficult choice reminded him of his family, in a way. It wasn't the same choice, but to be put in that position would be almost too much to bare. The look was almost unreadable as he shook his head to shake away any sort of worry in his heart. "It seems like your grandpa is the kind of pony who's actions speak louder than words. Thank you for the warning and hopefully he won't go that far. I'd be worried if he damaged our home and/or the arcade. I could only imagine how long it would take to get some new arcade and gaming machines, as well." He chuckled sheepishly as he didn't want to put that thought to the test.

He watched as the young filly swiped a few random books, before using them as stacked seat. "You're not useless, Pastel. I thought Earth Ponies have magic too, but it's more about physical strength and being in tune with the earth. Also, you know about Princess Twilight?" He whistled as he thought that was both awesome and very impressive.

Dynamo's ears perked, while his eyes shrank in shock to Pastel floating. "Pastel! You're floating in mid air? How in the world are you doing that?" He asks in shock, before seeing her flailing her legs and squirming to break free. "Hold on, Pastel! I'll help save you!" He reached out to help grab Pastel and to try and pull her away from whatever had it's hold over her. "Oh, I wish I had Luigi's flashlight and poltergust 3,000. Then, I would be able to stun and defeat the ghost like in the video games." He heard the silly noises, but he raised an eyebrow as something didn't add up. "Wait a minute. The only ponies that know my name right now are Pastel, Samurai, Astral and Pencil. Samurai just left and I haven't seen Pencil today. Pastel is with me, so the only one left is Astral. The only problem is that he's not here." He could almost feel his brain begin to fry in confusion as to what was going on. "Hey, Astral? Are you still there?" 

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

Dynamo began to hear laughing close by, and the force that held Pastel gently returned her to the ground. As the magic faded, the form of Astral was once again visible.

"Sorry about that you two, maybe I got a little carried away there. That's the invisibility spell. It can give you an edge in combat, but it can also be utilized when you don't wish to fight. Some unicorns use it for pranks, others for research, but it takes a calm mind to master this spell all the same. The best part is that this spell can be cast onto other ponies in close range, so Pastel could be invisible too. Do you think you're up for learning it?" Astral said questioning the gamer pony.

[Pastel Heart 6,466]

@Dynamo Pad @Astral Vision

Pastel ran frantically in a circle after being put down and pointed at Astral.

"Ooohh, just you wait, you'll pay for that someday~"

She winked, swaying her tail with a giggle as she sat down, watching the complicated conversation.

"Oohh, I could be invisible too!? I could like, be a master thief if I could do that! Or stealthily sneak my way across the kingdom to assassinate the one who took my throne~"

She seemed to be having fun.

[Samurai Equine 51,415]

@Windy Breeze

Trilby nods, but then shakes his head. "Don't worry about that, my dear. I'll be hiring construction crews that know what they're doing. The only thing you might need to buy are some toys. Balls, dollies, buckets and pales; that kind of stuff. You can buy that kind of stuff in bulk where we're going." Trilby shows her the way to special supply shop with contractors and various other things.

Hiring the contractors to build a kid's play area at the local school is too easy. It only takes a few minutes to hire the builders and pay for their fees. After that, Trilby and Shadow go to the school and get permission from the staff to do this. In fact, it's too easy. The staff easily agree to it. But the principal wants them to stay at the school for a while as invited guests.

Together, Trilby and Shadow just wait in the hallway. "Hmm... Well, this is strange. I wonder why the principal wants us to stick around... Do you want to explore the campus?" Trilby asks.

@Kronos the Revenant

"When? Uh... Now, if possible!" The leader and earth pony of the group says, taken aback but happy that Kronos is willing. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Jon Surplus, owner of Jonny's Imports & Crafts. My retail store offers some of the finest imports from all across Equestria, and we also make a few furniture and decor pieces ourselves. These here are my associates... Quick Figures takes care of all our bills, records, and anything that requires number crunching." Jon introduces him. "Nice to meet you. Just call me the quickest calculator in Friendshire." Quick the unicorn introduces himself, adjusting his glasses. "And this is our company spokesmare, Fancy Breeze." Jon introduces her. "I'm basically just a glorified mascot. It's amazing what a pretty face and a modeling career can do." Fancy the pegasus says with a flick of her locks.

"I know all that seems uninteresting to you, but if you'd be willing to come with us to the store... I have reason to believe that somepony or something is stealing our company secrets." Jon Surplus explains.

[Windy Breeze 15,189]

@Samurai Equine

“Sure, I would love to see the campus” Shadow accepts the offer as she walk beside Trilby.

While they were walking to the campus, a called out for them “Tril, Black mare!” Shadow turn around to see a unicorn stallion approaching them with a small box floating beside him in pink aura. Trilby knew this stallion. He is Calm Scoops, and the small box beside him is an ice cream box “A gift from our manager” he moved the ice cream box infront of them. 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos nodded as the ponies introduced themselves. When they explained their dilemma, Kronos willingly followed them. 
 

Humph, Kronos said to himself, It’s been a while since we’ve had to track someone or something down. 
 

Plus, a voice replied, we get to get a glimpse of what some of the cultural pieces are like here. 
 

Umm, sure. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,306]

On 3/17/2020 at 7:39 AM, Astral Vision said:

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

Dynamo began to hear laughing close by, and the force that held Pastel gently returned her to the ground. As the magic faded, the form of Astral was once again visible.

"Sorry about that you two, maybe I got a little carried away there. That's the invisibility spell. It can give you an edge in combat, but it can also be utilized when you don't wish to fight. Some unicorns use it for pranks, others for research, but it takes a calm mind to master this spell all the same. The best part is that this spell can be cast onto other ponies in close range, so Pastel could be invisible too. Do you think you're up for learning it?" Astral said questioning the gamer pony.

Dynamo's ears twitched as he could hear the faint sound of laughter that was close by. He was thankful as it seemed the force holding Pastel had let go. All the while, placing Pastel's hooves back onto the ground. All before seeing Astral had reappeared out of thin air. "Hey, it's okay. I would have said that a little warning would help, but I guess that would have ruined the surprise." He gave an understanding smile with a nod. "I never thought there would be an invisibility spell. It does work when fighting opponents, or even for reconnaissance. While it would be cool to cast that spell on others. I'd be worried if I didn't know where my friends are if I were to recast the spell to make them visible." He chuckled, feeling nervous about the mention of a calm mind to master the spell. "I don't know what I'll be able to do, unless I give it a try. So, I'm up to learning this. Along with any and all other kinds of spells." He would say, giving his friend an affirmative nod.

11 hours ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad @Astral Vision

Pastel ran frantically in a circle after being put down and pointed at Astral.

"Ooohh, just you wait, you'll pay for that someday~"

She winked, swaying her tail with a giggle as she sat down, watching the complicated conversation.

"Oohh, I could be invisible too!? I could like, be a master thief if I could do that! Or stealthily sneak my way across the kingdom to assassinate the one who took my throne~"

She seemed to be having fun.

After placing Pastel back on the ground, he held back a chuckle as the young filly raced around in a circle. The gamer pony couldn't blame her for the initial reaction she had just had. "It sounds like Astral had pulled a prank. However, one prank begets another. So, it seems like you have a plan in mind for the future." Upon hearing the mention of a master thief, Dynamo gasped as he turned to Pastel with a grin. "Did you say master thief!? As in the Sly Cooper games!? I remember being such a big fan for that series. I haven't played that game in such a long time, but it's such a classic. It seems like you have many enemies who have wanted to steal your throne. Hopefully, you'll be able to one day take back what was once rightfully yours." He chuckled, joining in on the fun. 

[Samurai Equine 51,415]

@Kronos the Revenant

The group of ponies lead the way to furniture store. Indeed, the place has lots of pieces for sale; items from as far as Saddle Arabia all the way to Las Pegasus, as well as some locally made pieces. "We can talk about it more in my office." Jon steps into his office, leaving the door open as he takes a seat as his desk.

"For years, we've been offering some of the most high quality pieces in town. But it began a few months ago, when one of our supply shipments went missing..." Jon begins.

"A simple shipping mistake doesn't equal corporate sabotage~!" Quick Figures calls out from his station. "BE QUIET, QUICKY! Anyways, after that, we noticed our rival store was starting to get more business. Daring Decor, a place that only sold mediocre pieces, suddenly had a larger stock. And in the weeks that followed... They started releasing items that were suspiciously similar to our own!" Jon explains.

He pulls out some photos. "See this? This was our 5-seater curved couch, and this is the 6-seater model offered by our rival. Other than the seat number, it's the exact same shape and design! And that's not all; look at these photos. Our 4 foot adjustable-height office desk? His 5 adjustable-height office desk. Our magic-enhanced water fountain/bird feeder combo set? His magic-enhanced water fountain/bird feeder combo set. All similar. And if that wasn't enough... Lately, our custom-made furniture pieces have been falling apart in record time. Usually, when we make furniture, it's made to last for many years. These days? We're lucky if a piece lasts one year. Somepony's leaking our company secrets and replacing our raw materials with faulty materials! And I would be surprised if it's somepony at Daring Decor." Jon finishes explaining.

@Windy Breeze

Trilby stops when he hears a voice call out to them. "Her name is Shadow Trail! You should... Oh, hello Calm Scoops. ...Ice cream?" Trilby went from a little offended, to confused. "Oh, well, I'm not really hungry for ice cream. But Shadow, if you want some, go right on ahead." Trilby says. "...This can't be why the principal asked us to stay, is it?" Trilby thinks to himself.

But after Shadow's had time to either get her ice cream of choice of turn it down, more ponies start to show up. It's a camera crew and a mare who's all dressed up. "Hello! Yes, excuse me. Are you the two ponies making a large donation to this school? Would you be willing to answer some questions for the local news?"

[Windy Breeze 15,189]

@Samurai Equine

“Oh, I'm glad to accept the offer, Sir Scoops” Shadow took the ice cream box from Scoops “Pistachio? Oh, I love pistachio, that's my favorate ice cream flavor”

Scoops “I'm happy to hear that” he left as the local news approach them. She turn to face the group of ponies.

“Yes, ma'am. I'm very glad to answer any of your questions” she said. 

[Astral Vision 286]

20 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

Dynamo's ears twitched as he could hear the faint sound of laughter that was close by. He was thankful as it seemed the force holding Pastel had let go. All the while, placing Pastel's hooves back onto the ground. All before seeing Astral had reappeared out of thin air. "Hey, it's okay. I would have said that a little warning would help, but I guess that would have ruined the surprise." He gave an understanding smile with a nod. "I never thought there would be an invisibility spell. It does work when fighting opponents, or even for reconnaissance. While it would be cool to cast that spell on others. I'd be worried if I didn't know where my friends are if I were to recast the spell to make them visible." He chuckled, feeling nervous about the mention of a calm mind to master the spell. "I don't know what I'll be able to do, unless I give it a try. So, I'm up to learning this. Along with any and all other kinds of spells." He would say, giving his friend an affirmative nod.

After placing Pastel back on the ground, he held back a chuckle as the young filly raced around in a circle. The gamer pony couldn't blame her for the initial reaction she had just had. "It sounds like Astral had pulled a prank. However, one prank begets another. So, it seems like you have a plan in mind for the future." Upon hearing the mention of a master thief, Dynamo gasped as he turned to Pastel with a grin. "Did you say master thief!? As in the Sly Cooper games!? I remember being such a big fan for that series. I haven't played that game in such a long time, but it's such a classic. It seems like you have many enemies who have wanted to steal your throne. Hopefully, you'll be able to one day take back what was once rightfully yours." He chuckled, joining in on the fun. 

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

Astral smiled knowing that Dynamo was willing to learn, but he also wondered what Pastel had in mind for vengeance.

"Great to hear Dynamo. Now then, just so we don't cause too many magical mishaps inside my home, how about we do this outside?" Astral said as he placed the book in his satchel. However, before turning to leave, Astral grabbed on more book off the shelf and handed it to Pastel.

"'Equestrian Folklore & Legends', a real adventurous treat for anypony. Feel free to read this while you watch Pastel."

[Dynamo Pad 11,306]

2 minutes ago, Astral Vision said:

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

Astral smiled knowing that Dynamo was willing to learn, but he also wondered what Pastel had in mind for vengeance.

"Great to hear Dynamo. Now then, just so we don't cause too many magical mishaps inside my home, how about we do this outside?" Astral said as he placed the book in his satchel. However, before turning to leave, Astral grabbed on more book off the shelf and handed it to Pastel.

"'Equestrian Folklore & Legends', a real adventurous treat for anypony. Feel free to read this while you watch Pastel."

Dynamo chuckled as he started making his way out of Astral's home. "Good idea and you can say that again. We wouldn't want to have your place damaged and/or destroyed. That's the last thing we would need. If that did happen, then you're welcome to stay at our place. Pastel and I looked through the house and there's a guest room. So, it's there if you or anyone else needs a place to stay." He would say, making sure to grab his book as Astral grabbed more books for Pastel. 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

As the ponies explained the reasons for suspected sabotage he adjusted his limbs for espionage and made modifications to his armor. He even tinkered with his eyepiece to have enhanced night and thermal vision for his upcoming mission. 
 

“I hope you dont mind....” he requested as he went up to the furniture pieces and scanned them, “Hmm.....” He nodded and looked around. He touched one of the pieces of furniture the pony told him about, and sure enough it fell apart. He inspected the material that was utilized. It was extremely soft, definitely not the kind of material any pony with even a hint of common sense would use. “Ever considered galvanizing? It reinforces material to allow them to resist many forms of degradation.”

He then went over to the rival furniture store. When he went inside, he had to regain his bearings because those ponies were right, the pieces in this store were so similar to theirs that he thought he circled back into the same exact store. He examined each piece that was there as if he were window shopping. 
 

Sturdier laminated wood? he thought, Brass fastenings that are flush with the foundation? This looks like very masterful craftsmanship. 
 

He walked around and cased the store. He discreetly took photos of his examinations with his eyepiece. 
 

He came back to the initial store with pictures of his preliminary findings. “So far,” he told them, “the furniture in their store seems very masterfully crafted. Im talking the works: laminated woodwork, flush fastenings and a foundation that seems to mesh perfectly. If i’m to determine possible sabotage, im gonna have to check their stockroom at night, see if it’s consistent.” And to be sure that his photos didnt seem edited in any way, his photos taken were always timestamped. 

[Astral Vision 286]

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

"Thanks Dynamo, I'll keep your offer in mind. Now come along, I know a good spot for practice"

Astral led Dynamo and Pastel to the outskirts of town, and stopped once they reached a large tree. Green fields surrounded the area, and the sun shined brightly above.

"Perfect, we're here, I saw this place when I first pulled into Friendshire. Now Dynamo, to start with the spell, you first need to concentrate. And remember, magic is a matter of mental willpower; so if you think you can become invisible, you will. Now try an attempt, I'll let you know if you succeeded." Astral stood patiently, watching for any signs of progress.

[Pastel Heart 6,466]

@Dynamo Pad

"I missed out on that series, ahaha~ I was thinking more like, uhh, I'm the master of the thieves guild! Uh... what am I referencing again?"

Looks like the spinning of subjects confused her. Wouldn't take much. She fainted holding a phantom dagger, however.

"I will avenge my mother!"

...And she was back.

@Astral Vision

"Oohh, neat!"

She happily took the book and balanced it on her back. She prolly should have brought a saddlebag.

Skipping along to follow them, she decided to simply observe for now, this was total unicorn stuff. She felt like the dwarf of the party, not that that was a bad thing! Dwarves were cool.

"Yeah, you can do it Dyny! You'll max out your sneak skill in no time then!"

Edited March 20, 2020 by Pastel Heart
oops

[Samurai Equine 51,415]

@Kronos the Revenant

Jon nearly cries when he touches a piece and it turns to dust. "It never happened like this before. We have some of the best craftsponies on our staff! Even they are confused how this happened." But Jon notices he was gone just as fast as Kronos gave him some advice. "Uh! But... He didn't even ask for an address."

Apparently, Kronos didn't need it. He found the rival shop, Daring Decor, without a problem. "Hello! And welcome to..." The pony working at the shop starts to greet him, but quickly goes ignored. Kronos arrives, does his business, and leaves just as quickly without purchasing anything. And the pony that tried to greet him? He just scowls and disappears into the shadows...

"Oh, wow! Back all ready?" Jon asks Kronos when he returns, but gets his answer pretty quickly. "Laminated woodwork? Flush fastenings? That's OUR design! Thievery! I knew you were good. Whatever price you have, I'll pay it! Just find the source of the sabotage and shut it down!" Jon says, stamping his hoof on his desk. "...Come to think of it, I didn't get your name. May I know the pony I am hiring?"

@Windy Breeze

"Heh... A news team. I should have known. Well, that makes this easier." Trilby thinks to himself with a smirk before nodding.

The earth mare smiles and looks at her team as they get ready to take photos and start recording. "Are we ready to go? Good. ... Hello, everypony! I'm Elusive Facts, reporting live for the Friendshire Local News. I'm standing here with two amazing ponies who have donated over 5 thousand bits to give the local school some new playground equipment and toys. Could you introduce yourselves, please?" Elusive asks, holding up a microphone.

"I'm Trilby Hatter, owner of Trilby's Hats & Clothing. And this is Shadow Trail." Trilby introduces them both. "And what inspired you to give so willingly like this?" Elusive asks, but Trilby turns to Shadow and lets her answer this.

[Dynamo Pad 11,306]

23 hours ago, Astral Vision said:

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

"Thanks Dynamo, I'll keep your offer in mind. Now come along, I know a good spot for practice"

Astral led Dynamo and Pastel to the outskirts of town, and stopped once they reached a large tree. Green fields surrounded the area, and the sun shined brightly above.

"Perfect, we're here, I saw this place when I first pulled into Friendshire. Now Dynamo, to start with the spell, you first need to concentrate. And remember, magic is a matter of mental willpower; so if you think you can become invisible, you will. Now try an attempt, I'll let you know if you succeeded." Astral stood patiently, watching for any signs of progress.

"You're welcome and just let us know Astral. You are our friends. So, the offer to stay is always available to you. If you know the place, then lead the way, my good sir." 

Dynamo bowed and held a hoof out to allow Astral to lead. All the while, chuckling as he followed along side Pastel to the outskirts of town. Upon reaching a large tree, Dynamo was in awe at their surroundings. He turned around with every step as he a lush green field surrounding them. "This place is amazing. This field looks like it stretches for miles without an end in sight. If I can say one thing, then I can definitely say this. Friendshire has such a beautiful environment when looking around. I can only wonder what it would look like when the town would get turned back to normal." He would say, but decided to let the thought go for another time. He knew that the mystery could be brought up later. For the moment, he knew training was the main focus.

12 hours ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad

"I missed out on that series, ahaha~ I was thinking more like, uhh, I'm the master of the thieves guild! Uh... what am I referencing again?"

Looks like the spinning of subjects confused her. Wouldn't take much. She fainted holding a phantom dagger, however.

"I will avenge my mother!"

...And she was back.

@Astral Vision

"Oohh, neat!"

She happily took the book and balanced it on her back. She prolly should have brought a saddlebag.

Skipping along to follow them, she decided to simply observe for now, this was total unicorn stuff. She felt like the dwarf of the party, not that that was a bad thing! Dwarves were cool.

"Yeah, you can do it Dyny! You'll max out your sneak skill in no time then!"

Dynamo thought for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't remember anything on a master of thieves guild. The only thing that sounds close to that would be Assassin's Creed. Granted, I never played that game all too much. I don't recall what you might be referencing, but whatever it was. I can imagine it sounds really cool." He smiled, thankful for the vote in confidence. All the while, nodding as he took note of Astral's advice and placed the book upon the grass. "Thanks, Pastel and okay. Let's see what I can do." Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes as his horn began to glow with magic. As he concentrated, he strained his eyes as he tried to allow the spell to take form. What he thought was an invisibility spell was a laser spell that seemed half hearted. He opened his eyes and gasped as he looked at his friends. "What happened? Did I manage to do it?"

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

”Kronos is the name,” he answered, “and if im to shut this sabotage down, im gonna have to wait until they get their next shipment, and preferably work in the shroud of darkness. So, payment will have to wait until the job is done. It’s just my principle.” He looked back and took a look at the exterior of the rival shop for any possible vantage points, even looking around the shop to find other objects that could conceal his movements. 

[Astral Vision 286]

23 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

"You're welcome and just let us know Astral. You are our friends. So, the offer to stay is always available to you. If you know the place, then lead the way, my good sir." 

Dynamo bowed and held a hoof out to allow Astral to lead. All the while, chuckling as he followed along side Pastel to the outskirts of town. Upon reaching a large tree, Dynamo was in awe at their surroundings. He turned around with every step as he a lush green field surrounding them. "This place is amazing. This field looks like it stretches for miles without an end in sight. If I can say one thing, then I can definitely say this. Friendshire has such a beautiful environment when looking around. I can only wonder what it would look like when the town would get turned back to normal." He would say, but decided to let the thought go for another time. He knew that the mystery could be brought up later. For the moment, he knew training was the main focus.

Dynamo thought for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't remember anything on a master of thieves guild. The only thing that sounds close to that would be Assassin's Creed. Granted, I never played that game all too much. I don't recall what you might be referencing, but whatever it was. I can imagine it sounds really cool." He smiled, thankful for the vote in confidence. All the while, nodding as he took note of Astral's advice and placed the book upon the grass. "Thanks, Pastel and okay. Let's see what I can do." Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes as his horn began to glow with magic. As he concentrated, he strained his eyes as he tried to allow the spell to take form. What he thought was an invisibility spell was a laser spell that seemed half hearted. He opened his eyes and gasped as he looked at his friends. "What happened? Did I manage to do it?"

@Dynamo Pad

Astral looked shocked, but then smiled from ear to ear. He nearly choked from trying to stop his laughter, as he didn't want to seem rude.

"Well Dynamo, the spell sorta worked. *snort*, but only on your legs." Astral thought Dynamo kinda looked like a duck, but he only hoped that this wouldn't discourage him, magic was difficult to master after all.