open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Ragland Tiger @Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

"I remember helping my mom out in some of her dance classes. She went around and helped encourage, yet pushed her students to strive into doing better. She was firm, but she always tried to be kind and fair. So, I can get what you mean when you mention about the instructor during circuit training." He would say, his ears falling as the male griffon explained what basic training was like. It reminded him of how Cosmic and the others had treated him when he was younger. His eyes almost looked like he was staring off into space as the thought started getting to the gaming unicorn. He suddenly blinked after a moment as he brought back into reality. "O-Oh. I-I'm sorry to hear that, Thundy. I-I mean, I don't know what that's like, but it seems somewhat familiar. My dad knew some of the Wonderbolts when he was at the flight racetracks with some work buddies. The Wonderbolts would show up from time to time when they wanted to race, while my dad helped to assign flight numbers. Since it was a straightaway flashlight start, so it was only two racers at a time. There was a regular race track like for kart races, but for pure flight. However, most of the bolts wanted to test their speed and flight time." He explained, before continuing. "My dad would take me to the track when I was younger to meet some of his work buddies. That, and to show me how flashlight races worked. I met some of the Wonderbolts and they explained that their flight routines and such were sort of like basic training. I'm not sure if it's the same as to what you've told me, but it seems relatable, in my opinion."

As he heard Samurai's voice calling out to Thundy, Dynamo had turned his head to the side to glance at the asian pony. As he heard that Samurai was a soldier, Dynamo's eyes shrank to the size of peas in worry. After what he had explained, he hoped that he didn't say anything to offend Samurai or anyone else for that matter. However, he noticed the smirk and the tone in the asian pony's voice didn't sound as if he was offended. This caused the fear of worry to slowly ease away from his mind. Even so, Dynamo felt as if he owed him and apology. "Hey, Sam? I-I'm sorry if I said anything wrong before. I actually didn't know that you were a soldier in Equestria's military. Did you work for the guard in Canterlot, or I guess they have their own guard in Japone? I remember seeing you in your armor before, but I wasn't sure if that was soldier armor. That, and I wasn't sure if you had mentioned being a soldier before, but please correct me if I'm wrong." He would say, an apologetic expression upon his face. He wasn't sure if Sam had mentioned being a soldier before, but he felt as if the asian pony had said something before. After his bombardment of questions, the gaming unicorn blinked as Samurai had said that it was time to go. "I guess it's time to get going, then. We wouldn't want to be late for the opening announcements, or to not be allowed to fight after signing up." He explained, turning towards Bluebell as their eyes met. "Looks like we got to go." With the foreleg he had around her, he used his other foreleg to pull her into a hug. He slowly leaned forward as he kissed the bespectacled mare on the mouth. All the while smiling softly at the mare who captured and held his heart. "That was for luck. I promise that I'll be careful and I'll come back to you safely. I'll see you soon, Bluebell." He says, slowly pulling back from the hug. When the time would come for Dynamo to follow Samurai and Thundy into the building. He would turn and give Bluebell a wave to let her know that he'd see her soon.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Pencil Pouch]

@Starforce @Courageous Thunder Dash @Samurai Equine @PawelS

Pencil nodded her head off to the music as Chelsea began to start the car. As she sat there quietly, Sparkly was talking to her while rubbing her back. The affection was a bit strange to her since they just met, but there was no harmful intent to it, so she didn’t worry too much about it.

She turned to look at Sparkly when she tried to show her something. Beneath the mare’s coat was a scarred Cutie Mark, but not just any scarred Cutie Mark, but the mark of Princess Twilight Sparkle! She couldn’t believe it nor could she imagine how it was possible. Pencil held in a gasp in order not to alarm the others.

“D-does Starlight know about this? I know you don’t want the attention, and I’m not gonna tell anypony if you don’t want…but should she be aware there’s a Twilight clone in her presence?” she whispered. “Also, I like how you came up with the name, that’s a clever idea!” she then commented.

[Chelsea]

@Starforce @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @PawelS

Chelsea listened to Sparkly and Pencil. She sighed. She witnessed the two mayors fuse in to one being but wasn't sure if she should tell it or not. "There are some things I want to say too...but I don't know if I should tell..." Chelsea said. 

[Samurai Equine 52,150]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS, @Starforce

Starlight listens closely. ""...I've faced off against shapeshifters, a magic-stealing kid, a reality-changing draconequus, and the forces of time and space. Pretty sure I can handle whatever you have to say." She also notices they are about to arrive at the tournament grounds.

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@Windy Breeze

"You think so?" Trilby asks, thinking about the possibility of setting up a store here. But for now, Shadow's right. He nods and keeps following Keen's lead. "Note to self... Do something extra special for Shadow when this is all over..." Trilby thinks to himself.

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@Dynamo Pad, @Ragland Tiger

Samurai doesn't seem offended by anything Dynamo said. He asked Thundy, but didn't get a response. Still, he is happy to answer all of Dynamo's questions as they head inside. "I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that I was a soldier before. I'm a samurai in the Japonies military. Even though our forces are different in style and presentation, we swear loyalty to Celestia, Luna, and whoever they tell us to follow. In a sense, we are not much different than the royal guard, though we tend to protect Japone most of the time. Still, my #1 loyalty is to Celestia. If she tells me to leave Japone and be her personal royal guard, I will do so in a heart beat! And yes, getting armor like mine is proof that you are part of the Japonies military. I've never trained in Canterlot, barely travel outside of Japone most of the time, but I wouldn't mind visiting."

By the time Bluebell makes it to the western entrance and gets her ticket, she finds none of the spectators are in the stands just yet. They are all in lobbies, snack vendors, and other such rooms with televisions. Why? Because...

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@Kronos the Revenant, @Dynamo Pad, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @Ragland Tiger

"All right. Cameras ready? Mic ready? Lighting good? All right then. 4... 3... 2..." Elusive Facts walks into the preliminaries area with her camera crew, checking to make sure all her equipment and everything is ready before she takes a breath and prepares to report. "Good morning, Friendshire! This is Elusive Facts, your star reporter for the Friendshire News, coming in LIVE to cover Friendshire's first ever Grand Fighting Tournament! What you see behind me is the sight of the preliminary rounds. Many friendly battles will take place here before we eventually get to the finals. The event is moments away from beginning, and I'll be giving you the play-by-play as it happens... Let's watch together, shall we?"

As Thundy, Samurai, Dynamo and many others make themselves comfortable in the fighter's area, we see that it's a rather LARGE room. At the center are 3 separate fighting arenas; caged off by metal fencing but still have just enough standing leg room between the arenas and the fences. Each cage seems to correspond to an area that is lightly blocked off with walls; but each wall has wide open double-doorways without any actual doors. As they walk and talk, Kronos, Dynamo, Samurai, and Thundy can't help but notice that they've gained some fame in Friendshire. Whenever they pass someone, there is happy whispers and chatter. Citizens and fighters saying things like "I know him from that event!", or "That guy is so cool~", or "Should I go say hi to him?". Etc., etc. About the only reason the fame doesn't result in tons of admirers asking for autographs is because they are in a tournament right now, and they don't know the rules. Speaking of which...

A hush comes over the crowd as hype music begins to blare through the PA system. A single pony enters one of the arenas with a big stadium microphone...

"Welcome fighters far and wide to the first ever FRIENDSHIRE GRAND FIGHTING TOURNAMENT! I am your host and tournament judge, Straightaway Fairplay. Before the battles begin, allow me to explain the basics. To start things off, we've somehow managed to have over 100 fighters enter into the tournament. Wonderful attendance, but it's far too many for the main tournament. So we'll be having preliminary matches in here first, to condense the numbers down to the best fighters here. When we have reached 12 to 14 remaining fighters, we'll move on the finals, which will take place elsewhere. THE RULES are as follow... 1) No Fighting Outside the Arenas. We will have tournament staff watching you. If you are caught fighting before it's your time in the ring, you will BOTH be disqualified! 2) No killing. This is a civilized fighting event. Killing an opponent will get you an automatic disqualification and imprisonment. 3) Only mele weapons are allowed. However, they cannot be used to kill or dismember your opponent. They can only be used an an extension of hoof-to-hoof fighting; meaning that anything outside of stunning and regular physical strikes will get you automatically disqualified. 4) No outside interference! If you are caught siphoning magic from spectators, sneaking in other fighters into the ring, or bringing in anyone that was not approved before hand; you will be disqualified. 5) No harming spectators and anyone outside the arena during your match. You are only suppose to fight your assigned opponent. Attacking anyone else is against the rules and will get you disqualified. And finally, 6) Don't destroy tournament property. It's fine if the arena sustains some damage; that's expected. However, if the arena is completely destroyed beyond reuse, and if any other part of the tournament ground is excessively damaged or destroyed, you'll be disqualified. Outside of that, the rules in a match are exactly what you expect. If your opponent passes out or if they step out of the ring in any way, then you win and you'll move on to the next round." 

As Straightaway Fairplay explains the rules, tournament staff go around giving letters to each fighter. For example... Samurai, Tiger Muscle, and Brain are given the letter A. Dynamo, Thundy, and Wrath are given the letter B. Kronos, Greed, and BK Pony are given the letter C. Seems A-C are the only letters being given out. "As we speak, you are each being assigned a block. Some of you will be grouped in to Block A, Block B, and the rest into Block C. Three blocks, three arenas, three 1v1 battles happening at the same time. This is exactly how we will be speeding up the process of narrowing down the total number of fighters. However, if it's not your turn to fight yet, then feel free to chat an interact with your fellow fighters while you watch the matches play out. Just remember the rules, and remember that there will always be staff watching to make sure you follow the rules. We've assigned Friendshire's best unicorns and Earth Ponies to handle security detail. We also have a well trained staff of medical ponies and medical unicorns on hand. If you have any additional questions, please find my desk and feel free at any time. And without further ado... Freidnshire, LET'S GET READY TO BATTLE!!!" Straightaway announces before stepping out the arena he's standing in, escorted away by security.

And with the crowd sufficiently hyped, Samurai bows to his friends. "Ganbatte. Good luck, my friends. I shall cheer for all of you. Let's make it to the finals together." Samurai says before heading to his own block, much like many of the other fighters do.

As soon as all of the fighters separate and go into their respective blocks, the first matches are announced. "For the first round of matches... In Block A, we have Brain VS Pillow Hollow. In Block B, we have Easy Emerald VS Neon Lights. And in Block C, we have Kronos VS BK Pony! Fighters, report to your arenas immediately!"

[Pencil Pouch]

@Starforce @Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

“Yup, you’re right. No better time to tell her than now.” Pencil agreed. She looked towards the front of the vehicle, idly listening to the beginning of a discussion.

“Sparkly, Chelsea, what are you talking about regarding the mayors? And what do you mean Black and White aren’t there real names? Did you guys see something happen that I didn’t?” she asked out of both curiosity and concern when both girls brought up the mayors. Pencil felt like she was missing something important, and she didn’t want to fall behind on important news regarding the town.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos hears about the melee weapons only rule, so that cancels out his zephyr zither, which only slightly disappointed him; but it was not enough to deter him, for he had an arsenal with him, which was rather vast and full of potential bone breakers. 
 

“Welp,” he said, “That’s a little disappointing, however, i feel like i can still maim my opponents in other ways.” He looked into his arsenal and found plenty of weapons to choose from. For his first opponent, he’ll use a simple pole staff. A simple weapon, to be sure, but wielded effectively can prove a very formidable weapon, which Kronos is very effective with. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Ragland Tiger @ExplosionMare @Starforce @Samurai Equine @PawelS @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

As they head inside the arena, Dynamo's eyes widened as he listened to the asian pony's explanation of his career. He had heard Samurai mention that he was a soldier before. From what Dynamo could remember, it was probably around the time he had to leave to intercept Snow Leopard. "Oh, okay and now I see. I remember that the royal guard swears loyalty to both Princess Celestia and Luna. However, the guards in the golden armor protect Celestia. At the same time, there are night guards, or I think bat ponies in blue armor that protect Luna. I remember learning about some of that in my history classes in school. I don't believe they ever covered anything from Japone, though, but I'm happy to learn some of this from you, Sam. It sounds like the samurai soldiers show a very strong sense of loyalty and justice. I actually wasn't sure if the armor you wear is from the Japonies military, or if it's regular armor that's used for fighting. That's still very interesting from what you've explained." He would say, raising an eyebrow as his jaw dropped slightly in surprise. "You've barely traveled outside of Japone? So, is Friendshire the only place you've been to, or have there been other places? It would be pretty neat for all of us to help in showing you around Equestria like Ponyville, Canterlot and others."

Dynamo couldn't help in giving a loud whistle as he saw the layout of the room. It was a rather large room which housed many fighters all gathered around in one area, or another. It was as if they were walking through a sea of crowd. Three separate fighting arenas were stationed with a metal fencing, double doorways without doors, and walls. "It looks like the preparations for this event have gone above and beyond for the tournament. I remember how the kart race looked when  the whole town became a race track, but this tournament takes the cake." He would say, his ears perking as he heard other citizens and fighters talking about him, or the others. They were all happy chatter or comments, which surprised the gaming unicorn. He could only blush and fidget slightly as he was trying to be modest, but he wasn't used to this kind of attention before. As a song began to start playing, Dynamo smiled as he recognized the song almost immediately. "Oh, I love this song. My dad used to play this song a lot when I was younger. Now that's what I call a song to get you hyped." He tapped his hoof to the beat, while a singular pony entered the arena with a big microphone. The pony, now known as Straightaway Fairplay, seemed to be the host and judge for the event. The gaming unicorn had become quiet as Straightaway had begun to explain the rules. Glancing around, Dynamo gave another whistle as it was mentioned on how many fighters that were competing. "With how this crowd looks, you'd think there's way more than over one hundred." He whispered, his eyes glancing from side to side at the competition. 

As the rules were explained, Dynamo made sure to keep everything that was said in mind. 'So, that means that some of my gaming abilities won't work in this situation. Seems I might be a bit limited, but I guess that means I'll have to improvise.' He thought, nodding as he would have to be careful to not damage tournament property. He blinked in surprise as he turned towards tournament staff, who had been going around giving fighters a letter. Dynamo had taken his letter to be known as B. Once Straightaway began to explain the reasoning behind the letters, Dynamo looked back to the three arena stages. "Oh, I get it. This way, it makes the fighting go a lot more quickly. If they want to have about 12 to 14 fighters, then we'll have about 4 winners from each block." He explained, while happy to know there would be medical staff on hand. Dynamo could only grin as Straightaway got the crowd hyped. Turning towards Samurai, Dynamo nodded as he returned the bow. "Ganbatte, Sam. We'll try and watch your fights if we aren't fighting yet. We'll see you in the finals!" He says as Samurai headed towards his own block. This gave Dynamo the thought that the asian pony wouldn't be in his block. Considering he was starting to head towards Block B.

Meanwhile, Cosmic and his team were waiting impatiently for the festivities could begin. "Ugh...how much longer do we have to wait?" Cheap called out, while gaining looks of annoyance from the crowd around them. "Do you want others to hate us before the whole thing starts? That strategically makes it so that everyone will be fighting more and more to make sure we get eliminated from this tournament. I suggest you be quiet and wait for an announcement." Frozen rolled his eyes, while watching as Elusive Facts had appeared with camera crew in hand. Cosmic was about to respond to Cheap's list of complaints, but stopped as he saw the pony he was looking for. "Both of you shush! Look over there." He exclaimed in a hush whisper, while pointing a hoof over towards a specific part of the crowd. Just like Cosmic had said, they were able to see Dynamo walking alongisde Samurai and Thundy into the arena. "So, he did show up. Now the fun will really begin as things get interesting." Cosmic grinned as he rubbed his two front hooves together. Once Straightaway began his announcements, Cheap gave a long, winded sigh. "It's about time things got started. I was about to riot." He was promptly shoved by Cosmic to get him to cease with the antics.

Frozen had listened intently at the rules. Standing still and unblinking as if he was either turned to stone, or that he was a robot pony. He knew he'd have to keep the rules in mind as Cosmic and Cheap would most likely try and mess with the rules. Upon hearing the rule of no outside interference, Cosmic could only click his tongue. "Darn. Which means our little gift might be more tricker to use than we thought. Oh, well. Guess that means we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Most of these fighters here are no competition for us." He sighed, but knew that they would be just fine. They'd make sure to figure out a way to use their gift in the finals. As each team member were handed out letters, Cosmic was B, Frozen was A and Cheap was C. "Hmm...a divide and conquer strategy. A most useful and effective way to get to our end goal. Whichever arena Pad is in, then we can mess with him." Frozen explained, Cheap crossing his hooves as he hoped that Dynamo would be in his quadrant. "Oh, please, please, please. Let Drool Pad be paired with me, or let him be in my fighting block. I want to get reacquainted with the old punching bag again so badly." Cosmic held up a hoof to try and calm the burgundy earth pony down. "Patience, Cheap. Your opportunity will come in due time. For now, we divide and conquer like Frozen said. Just make sure that you try and blend in with the crowd. Give Kyubiki a reason to fear, before we make our move." Each remaining member nodded with a sinister smile, before they made their way to their specific fighter's block.

As Dynamo started making his way towards the crowd, he nearly stopped in his step as he thought he had seen a familiar face from his past. He blinked as he rubbed his eyes with his front right hoof frantically. Trying to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but the pony was gone. "W-What was that? Was I just seeing things, or am I getting paranoid?" He whispered softly to himself, taking a deep breath as he continued to make his way over to Block B. Once he was at his assigned block, Dynamo waited patiently as Easy Emerald and Neon Lights were called up to fight. Once Cosmic made it to Block B, he had to quickly dart towards the back of the crowd in the corner of the wall. He didn't want to give his presence away as he saw Dynamo standing near the front. "Oh, this is too perfect. This is either fate smiling down upon me, or this must be karma. Either I fight him and knock him out of the tournament, or I get to mess with him a little. Either way, it's as if I hit the jackpot. Wait until the guys see and hear this.” He grinned widely that his face looked like it was about to split in two. From the looks of the way the blocks were set up, he could come and go as he pleases. He’d have to go to each block as he had to relay the information. He wasn’t up yet, so it meant nothing to him as they would call him eventually. Speaking of the others, Frozen looked up to hear that his code name was called. Signaling that he’d be the first to fight, while having to fight someone named Pillow Hollow. “Guess I’m the first to start it off for the team. Also, seriously? Pillow Hollow? What? Is this some kind of scary story in the form of a pony name? Are they going to fight me with a hollowed out pillow?” He would say as he made his way onto the arena block.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@ExplosionMare @Starforce @Samurai Equine
 

“Well…all I can say is…a transformation happened…but I’d rather not say anything else…” Chelsea said as she continued to drive. 
 

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine @Ragland Tiger

Thundy walked into the arena. “Ahhh! Let’s go!!” He exclaimed in a hype mood. He was thirsty for a good fight. He turned to Dynamo. “You ready for this buddy?” He asked. 

[Silly Druid 7,116]

@Samurai Equine @Starforce @ExplosionMare @Courageous Thunder Dash

Tree Song doesn't have much to say, but she listens closely to the conversation, and awaits Starlight's reaction to Sparkly's big reveal.

@Windy Breeze @Samurai Equine

"You're welcome, miss Sundae." Nopony feels a little overwhelmed by the mare's gratitude. "Well, I must be going now, take care!" He leaves the hospital, and walks through the town towards the tournament grounds. He arrives at the spectator entrance. He is a little late, but he hopes he can still enter.

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

Dynamo winced and gritted his teeth as he heard Thundy's scream of exhilaration. The gaming unicorn's ears had fallen as he threw a hoof over his ears to block the assault on his eardrums. He still rolled his eyes playfully as he couldn't blame the griffon. "It sounds like someone is enthusiastic about competing in this." He would say, taking notice that Thundy had joined him at Block B. "I guess I'll be as ready as I can be for this." He replied with a shrug. He gave an expression that showed he was going to do his best, but he still felt nervous. "Don't get too hyped, Thundy. You should save that energy and hype for when you're in your match. Also, I thought you said you would be my hype guy." He chuckled as he joked on the last part. Knowing full well that they never had the discussion on being one's hype guy. However, the hype that the male griffon was giving off had given Dynamo the same sense of enthusiasm. In the back by the wall, Cosmic had narrowed his eyes at the griffon's cheers. "Ugh...can you be any louder? I get everyone's excited to participate, but give me a break. Everyone from the other blocks could practically hear you shouting your nonsense." He whispered to himself, while trying to keep an eye on both Dynamo and the fighters currently in the ring.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

"Fights like this always get me excited. I guess you could say that I'm like Goku in a sense..." Thundy said with a chuckle as he looked at Dynamo. "The one thing I wonder is what kinds of abilities the others would bring to the fight...not just raw strength..." Thundy added. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

"I guess that's one thing you have in common with Goku. The never-ending need to test yourself in a fight." He chuckled, shaking his head as he smiled in agreement. Looking at all the fighters available, he shrugged his shoulders as he really couldn't say. "Whatever these abilities are, then I guess we'll find out soon enough. Everyone here must be pretty self assured that it'll be enough for them to win. Raw strength can be enough at times, but only if they know how to overwhelm their opponent. Good strategy, tactics and such can help keep the fighter in their momentum. At the same time, their opponent will be kept guessing, while staying on their hooves."

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

"Yea...I wonder what power you'll use from your belt..." Thundy said softly. He then came in really close. "I have a feeling you may either use Deku or something from Kingdom Hearts..." He whispered into Dynamo's ear. 

[Samurai Equine 52,150]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS, @Starforce

Starlight's eyes widen at the revelation, and even smiles widely. "Oh. You're a Twilight clone! NO WONDER you know so much about me! That completely explains it now." She says to Sparkly before she starts to contemplate. "Hmm... But what should I tell the my Twilight? Should I tell her anything at all? Even if I don't, she'll come here eventually." Starlight also isn't sure what to say about the information Chelsea shared. "Transformation, huh? Can you at least tell us if this transformation is something we should be worried about?"

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@Kronos the Revenant, @Dynamo Pad, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @Ragland Tiger

Samurai watches with vested interest as the three matches unfold, as do the various other fighters waiting their turn.

In the A Block arena,
As soon as Brain enters the arena, he finds he is joined by a smaller pony. Must be Pillow Hollow. He's not quite a foal, but how he is dressed doesn't help. He is wearing a big, floppy, stripped shirt. Looks like something you'd wear to bed. He has messy hair and he's rubbing his eyes with one hoof, while his other hoof clutches a very long pillow. "Umm... Pwease, mister... Could you just lemme win? Pwease?" Even worse, he has a young sounding voice. But he's really not that short, and he does have a cutie mark. How odd. Easy match, maybe?

In the B Block arena,
Easy Emerald is just a normal looking pegasus, but any strikes he is about to make, he quickly backs off when Neon sings some soothing notes.

In the C Block arena,
"COME ON! COME ON!" Turns out BK Pony is actually Daring Decor wearing a cast iron skillet as a helmet and various other pieces of house-hold metal as a make-shift suit of armor. He has an extra skillet, and he is banging it against the windchimes in front of his chest. It seems Daring Decor signed up under an alias. "Black Knight Pony is not afraid of ANY opponent! Bring on my first opponent! I don't-- Wait, did the announcer just say Kronos?" Daring Decor turns around to see him entering the ring as well.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Samurai Equine @Ragland Tiger @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

Upon hearing what Thundy was wondering, Dynamo raised an eyebrow with a slight tilt of his head. "Hm? What do you mean, Thundy?" He asks, before the male griffon moved in closely until he was next to Dynamo's ear. He blinked in surprise, before taking note of two specific powers that the gaming unicorn had used before. "Are you a mind reader, or was that a guess?" He responded with a playful smirk, "I mean, they are powers I might use, but they might not be all the power I'd be using. I have a few ideas in mind, but it depends on who I'm fighting. It's just like I was mentioning before." He says, looking down as he placed the driver around his waist. " The powers do have power, but there's also strategy, in a way. It's all about figuring out the right strategy to win the match, while also having that element of surprise. Sure, I might have about three uses of the Driver, but I still have options on who I can transform into. Which leaves my opponent guessing as they try to figure out what my strategy could be."

In the A Block arena,
Upon waiting for his opponent to show up, Frozen was finally met with Pillow Hollow. What he didn't expect was to see a smaller pony appearing on the other side of the ring. Gauging his appearance, Frozen had concluded that Pillow didn't seem quite like a foal, but the way he was dressed didn't match up. Pillow's cattier was a big, flopped, stripped shirt. As if the foal was ready for either a nap or bed. As the foal was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one hoof. Frozen had noticed a very long pillow clutched in his other hoof. Hearing the foal's young sounding voice, Frozen rolled his eyes as he adjusted his glasses with his hoof. Any normal pony would try and take it easy on their opponent. Especially if their opponent happened to be a foal. However, the addition of a cutie mark was something that wouldn't throw Frozen off. Not only that, he wasn't the type of pony to show mercy. "Sorry, squirt. I'm not here to make friends with the competition. If you want to win, then go ask someone else. You're fighting me the old fashioned way, so drop the act." He spread his wings out slightly as he would get ready to fly at any moment. His eyes taking on a cold, calculating glare as he waited for his opponent to make the first move.

In the B Block arena,
As Dynamo's attention was moved from Thundy towards the arena, he watched as Easy was about to make a move. Ultimately stopping as he saw Neon was singing some notes. "Huh. The pony who's singing sounds and looks somewhat familiar." He pondered as he tried to recall where he had seen them before. With a sudden gasp, Dynamo had come to a startling realization. "Now I remember!" He exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "That's Neon Lights, a famous DJ that's known throughout Equestria. I think he's also worked alongside Vinyl Scratch, or DJ Pon-3. I've never seen them live, but I remember loving the song Pony Rock Anthem. What I'm trying to wonder is how he got to Friendshire and why? I guess word about town has spread through Equestria and it's why we have so many fighters participating." He shrugged his shoulders as he wasn't sure. Even so, he was still psyched as he tried to learn as he watched the two contestants fight.

In the C Block arena,
Cheap snickered as he tried to hold back a laugh at the way BK looked. From the way Daring Decor was dressed up, he was wearing house-hold metal with skillets for a helmet. He was even banging an extra skillet against a set of windchimes that were located on the front of his chest. If he didn't know any better, Cheap thought that Daring was trying to be a knight. His assumptions were later revealed to be true as Daring had called himself the legendary Black Knight. 'Oh, please. You call that a suit of amor? My father could have a suit made that puts what he's wearing to shame. Sure, it would cost a hefty amount of bits, but anything to look more intimidating than an entire kitchen's utensils. This BK fighter looks absolutely ridiculous.' He thought, before Daring had stopped in trying to intimidate his opponent. Seeing this had turned the burgundy earth pony's attitude sour. "Boo! Come on! You said you weren't afraid of any opponent! Let's go! I want to see action! I want to see hooves flying at each other's faces! I want to see a slugfest! Come on! Let's do this! You're BK, the legendary Black Knight, aren't you!? If so, then prove that bravery of yours isn't just for show!" He exclaimed, while trying to get Daring back into the game. It seemed that Daring lost his confidence the moment that Kronos had stepped up to the ring. Seeing that Kronos was the robotic pony he and the others had met before, Cheap had assumed that the winner was already decided. However, he wanted this to play out as he knew that this would help in gaining information for his teammates. It still wouldn't change the fact that he was jumping upon and down in place, while waiting for the fight to get underway.
 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos stepped into the ring with thunderous steps, loud enough to intimidate even the bravest of ponies, as if his hulking stature wasnt enough. However, when he stepped into the ring, he shed his massive armor which then confided itself into a box, put on a cloak and spun around a simple pole. That was literally it. Kronos simply armed himself with essentially a stick up against a crude suit of armor. Was Kronos trying to lose? No, this is simply one of his intimidation tactics as he smirked towards his opponent with a “yeah, im gonna beat you with a stick and win” aura about himself. His confidence was overwhelming. He spun his staff around him with fluid dexterity and slammed it onto the ground. A magical aura around him glowed a brilliant gold. He taunts his opponent, giving a “come hither” gesture with his robotic claw.

 

“Bring it on.” He taunts towards his opponent.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Samurai Equine @PawelS @Starforce

"Well, Mayor White and Mayor Black actually fused together, which created someone new. When they split again, Mayor White was all healthy again. It was really weird." Chelsea stated. 

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine @Kronos the Revenant

Thundy decided to go spectate Kronos's match. He saw his opponent that looked familiar. "Hold on...is that that Daring Decor pony from the game?" Thundy asked. 

[Chelsea]

@Starforce @Samurai Equine @PawelS

"Yep. Thundy comes from there too. I've asked him to take me to earth before, but he said he'll think about it. He may even take Samurai and the rest of us back to Earth someday for an exploration and an adventure." Chelsea stated. 

[Pencil Pouch]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Starforce @Samurai Equine @PawelS

Pencil nodded along to the conversation, listening with interest. She was relieved that Starlight didn’t seem to surprised by the Twilight clone—she assumed Starlight would freak out and try to send Sparkly away. Thankfully, she seemed to be supportive of keeping Sparkly’s identity a secret as well.

She was curious about the issue between the two mayors and was a bit disappointed that Chelsea wanted to keep that information secret. Thankfully, she told everyone eventually that the two mayors were actually one mayor split into two. That sounded pretty weird to Pencil, but considering how polar opposite they are, it made a little sense.

“Hey Chelsea, where are we going anyways? Just driving around?” Pencil asked the griffon curiously. She then turned to Starlight and asked her a question as well.

“Twilight’s coming here, too? Is she coming here to solve a friendship problem or put this place on the map or something?”

[Chelsea]

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine @Starforce

"For a little bit. We were gonna go into town actually to have a look. I could turn around to go back to the tournament if you wanna go spectate that instead." Chelsea stated as she slowed down to a stop, awaiting a decision. 

[Samurai Equine 52,150]

@Courageous Thunder Dash, @ExplosionMare, @PawelS, @Starforce

Hearing more about Sparkly's situation makes Starlight rub her head. "I think I've all ready been to this Earth you speak of, at least once. But I don't remember being able to watch Equestria like you're talking about. ...Are you some kind of magic spy or something?" She asks, very curious. The word about the two mayors is also interesting. "Whoa. A fusion, huh? Guess they're nothing like Celestia and Luna, then." Starlight then turns to Pencil "I have no doubt that Twilight will visit eventually. No idea when. There is no friendship problem per se, but an agent of hers got lost here. When Twilight couldn't find a current map leading to this town despite tons of research, and when she found magic interference as well, her curiosity was peaked to the maximum! It's like she's got a new research project, and you know Twilight just loves doing research." Talking about her friend brings a sly smile to Starlight's face.

Then Chelsea brings up a question and slows down the vehicle, causing Starlight to raise her hoof and speak up.  "Excuse me! Did everypony forget? I still need to purchase a ticket to the tournament before we check out the rest of the town. I'd like the option of watching the tournament when we're all done. It shouldn't take but a second. Be right back!" With the vehicle stopped, Starlight undoes her safety belt and runs off to the tournament ground. It doesn't take her long to find the correct entrance, get in line, and purchase a ticket. Once she has a spectator's ticket, she teleports back to the car, gets back in, and buckles up once more. "Thank you for the wait. I have my ticket now. You may continue driving, Chelsea. Maybe we can hit the major corners of the town? Basically, any place where the most traffic happens." Naturally in this context, traffic means places where ponies gather in large groups.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@Kronos the Revenant, @Dynamo Pad, @Courageous Thunder Dash, @Ragland Tiger

In the A Block arena,
Pillow Hollow was not expecting Brain to let him make the first move. "Okay..." With a shrug, he plops his long pillow down. With a heavy clang, it is clear that this long pillow is actually full of heavy amounts of metal! Pillow gets behind his pillow, ready for anything. But mostly, he is hiding his shaking legs.

"Seems Pillow Hollow is taking a defensive stance! Will that hidden shield of heavy metal be enough to save him?!" Straightaway commentates.

In the C Block arena,
Likewise, Daring Decor gulps hard, surprised Kronos is letting him make the first move. "I wasn't ready for this~! Oh... But I don't wanna be weak against evil invaders again! I did this to be stronger, for the town! Guess I have no choice..."

With a mighty yet flawed yell, Daring raises his spare skillet over his head with both hooves and runs towards Kronos, his eyes closed. He's not a fast runner, and he has easily left himself WIDE open to many different kinds of attacks. This should be too easy for Kronos. One strike to win? Two at most?

Edited July 16, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[Windy Breeze 15,190]

@Samurai Equine

As they galloped towards their destination, Trilby would come across a few clothes stores, something which Shadow gave an eye at before looking back at Trilby, checking for his reactions.

However, it seems their adventure has come to an end. Only for a while.

They had come across busy traffic, ponies walking on the streets left and right. Keen waited for the opportunity to cross, stomping her front hooves in excitement to see her friend again.

“Feeling happy?" Shadow asked her.

“Yeah. I never felt this happy. I'm just so happy I will be living with Maya again!”

 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos raised an eyebrow at the kitchen-clad pony’s charge and simply spun his staff around to avoid his opponent’s assault. Counterstrike. Dodge after dodge after dodge until finally he spun himself around swiftly, stunning his opponent then quickly swept his opponent’s legs, knocking him to the floor. Before his opponent could recover, he held his staff to their chest and said, “Just try to get up. I’ll sweep you again just like last time.”

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Ragland Tiger @Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

As Dynamo was continuing to watch Neon vs Easy, his ears had perked as he heard Thundy's question. Turning away from the match, he saw the male griffon heading over towards one of the other arena blocks. "Hey, Thundy? Where are you going?" He asks, hoping that his voice would be able to reach Thundy.

In the A Block Arena,
Frozen kept his eyes on Pillow, who had dropped his pillow towards the ground. Ears perking at the noticeable heavy clang, Frozen could easily tell that the pillow wasn't just for show. 'Perhaps it's a pillow full over heavy amounts of metal, or it's all one big metal object. Given his stature, one would be shocked he can wield it so easily for a foal. What I find hard to believe is that this kid is a foal, but I beg to differ.' Frozen trained his eyes to see if he can find a simple weakness in his opponent. Gauging that he held the pillow in front of him, he imagined that the pillow was being used as a shield. What Pillow wasn't able to hide from Frozen was the noticeable shaking legs. 'Interesting. So, it's either that pillow that's making his limbs tired from holding it, or he's trembling in fear. If those legs are taken out, then it's done deal. That pillow needs to go first, of course.' He thought, almost feeling impatient at the lack of a fight. "Well? Are you going to stand there all day hiding behind a worthless object, or do I have to put you down for a nap?" He smirked, baiting his opponent to move as he took a step forward. If one would notice with each step he took, it looked as if Frozen was quickly moving from side to side. Giving the impression that he would be difficult to hit if one were to guess incorrectly.

In the C Block arena,
Upon hearing Kronos' thunderous steps, Cheap could only grin in excitement. He could hear some whispers among the crowd as they knew they didn't want to fight that guy, but it caused Cheap to only feel more of a thrill. The burgundy earth pony was mostly too foolish to feel fear. So, even the thunderous claps of Kronos' walking wasn't enough to intimidate him. 'Oh, this is going to be so good. It's like watching a mosquito attacking an elephant. It doesn't take a genius like Frozen to know that this match has already been decided.' He thought, raising an eyebrow in confusion as the robotic pony had shed his massive armor. He wanted to question why such a pony would rid himself of his armor. As Kronos put on a cloak and spun around a simple pole, Cheap wondered if he was watching a stage performance. "Are we having a fight, or using street magic!? Let's get on with the fighting already!" He called out, while noticing that Kronos would use a pole, while BK would just use his makeshift armor. "Oh, and that's just precious." He chuckled, the added insult to injury was painfully obvious. He couldn't tell if Kronos was arrogant, or if he was confident that his weapon of choice would be all that he would need.

Cheap had to lean forward slightly as he thought he could hear BK was talking to himself. This only caused him to groan with a roll of his eyes. "Oh, great. We got ourselves another mumbler. I thought it was bad enough with Drool Pad talking to himself, but this knight wannabe makes him look good." He shook his head, snickering as he tried to hold back a laugh from BK's attempted, yet flawed yell. With how he was running straight forward and eyes closed, Cheap knew that this wouldn't end very well for the knight. Each attack was dodged by Kronos over and over, until he found the moment to strike. Cheap could see that BK was wide open, but as he blinked he saw that the kitchen-clad pony was knocked towards the floor. "What was that? I blinked and it was over." He commented, taking notice that BK had a lot of openings to be countered so easily. It was as if he was asking for Kronos to take him down, before he swept his opponent's legs into a pin with his staff. If BK was able to get out of this, then the burgundy pony would be impressed, but he had a feeling that this fight was a foregone conclusion.

[Thundy]

@Samurai Equine @Dynamo Pad @Kronos the Revenant

"Just gonna watch Kronos's match. I have a feeling this is gonna be a really interesting match." Thundy stated. He suddenly overheard someone talking and mentioning "Drool Pad", which alluded that he had something against Dynamo. Thundy growled to himself softly.