open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Samurai Equine @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

"You mean, you're not going to stay and watch the match?" He craned his neck to look at the two fighters. From the looks of things, they were both at deadlock. It looked like things weren't going to change anytime soon, so Dynamo could understand Thundy's departure. "Hey, hold up! I'm going to go with you. You said Kronos is fighting, right? I want to check out how his fight is going. It's always good to look at how the competition will stack up, but Kronos is still a friend. So, it's always nice to give our support." He explained, smiling as he caught up to the male griffon. He knew Kronos was strong, while remembering how they fought against each other in the game world. So, it would definitely be a great fight for the cyborg pony. As they were making their way over to Block C, Dynamo raised an eyebrow as he heard what sounded like growling. "You okay, Thundy? Is your stomach growling?"

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Kronos the Revenant @Samurai Equine

"I heard someone say "Drool Pad" and I knew that could be trouble." Thundy said looking at Dynamo, hoping that Dynamo wouldn't get upset. He'd be ready to comfort Dynamo if he indeed got upset. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Samurai Equine @Kronos the Revenant @Courageous Thunder Dash

"Drool Pad?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow at the odd choice of name. From the way it was said, it sounded like the name was being referred to the gaming unicorn. 'Drool Pad? What kind of a name is that? The only one who called me that was...' He stopped in his step, his eyes beginning to shrink slightly. He felt his mouth part as his jaw dropped from its hinges, while his heart began to pick up the pace with each beat. '...N-No...no, no. I-It can't be. They wouldn't know that I'd be here, would they? W-Why would they show up here, or now of all times?' A bead of sweat began to form, before trickling down the side of his face. "Y-Yeah, you're right. T-That's a bit weird as it c-could be trouble." He stuttered slightly, his eyes glancing from side to side amongst the sea of fighters. With so many competitors in the building, it was difficult for him to make out who was trying to search for.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad

Thundy could see the fear in Dynamo's eyes as he began to sweat. He stooped down and gently brought Dynamo in for a gentle warm hug. "It'll be okay Dynamo. Please don't work yourself up. I want you to do awesome out there. Would you like to find a place and talk about this?" He asked. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash @Kronos the Revenant

Dynamo's breathing was erratic as he could feel himself panicking slightly. If they were here, then everything would be over. He was brought out of his train of thought as he felt a sudden embrace. He jumped back slightly with a gasp, but let out a sigh of relief as the hug was from Thundy. "S-Sorry about that. I think it's just my nerves getting to me. I tend to get nervous during a tournament or competition." He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his front left hoof. He knew it was probably a terrible excuse, but he hoped that the male griffon would buy it. Even so, he wrapped his arms around the griffon as he returned the embrace. "Thanks for the concern, but I think I'll be okay, Thundy. Trust me. Now, let's get going. We still have to see the rest of Kronos' fight." He gave a small, shaky, yet reassuring smile to let Thundy know that he'd be okay.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine @Kronos the Revenant

"I have a feeling that Kronos may come out on top. By the looks of it, he's got his opponent right where he wants him." Thundy stated as he heard Kronos taunting his opponent. "This honestly reminds me of some of those movies where the hero gets cocky and starts laying a one way beatdown on the villain." Thundy observed.

[Silly Druid 7,116]

@Samurai Equine @Starforce @ExplosionMare @Courageous Thunder Dash

Tree Song didn't see what happened to the mayors, and she is interested to hear more about it. "They fused together? That's a really interesting thing to know, it should help us figure out what's happening to this town... Also I'd like to know why it happened and why they split again..." (OOC: I really didn't read the posts about it, so please update me by telling the story to Tree.)
 

@Samurai Equine

Meanwhile, Nopony purchased the ticket and is approaching the audience area.

Edited July 15, 2021 by PawelS

[Samurai Equine 52,150]

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

Starlight looks over at Tree Song. "I guess learning about these fusing mayors is a surprise revelation for more than just me. Chelsea, were you keeping it a secret for their sake?" She asks.

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

@PawelS

At the West Entrance, getting in line was all too easy. It moves super fast. By the time it's Nopony's turn for a ticket, it is really cheap and affordable. The front desk pony thanks him for his purchase and tells him to enjoy the show, but also there will be delay before the main event. He explains that the fighters are currently doing preliminary battles to shorten the number of contestants; the finals will happen later. Til then, Nopony is free to watch in one of the lobbies or leave to do something else for a while. So long as he has that ticket, he can get back in to watch the show at any time.

However, before he can decide what to, Nopony catches something out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know how you got in here, but there's no free admittance here! You HAVE to buy a ticket!" A security guard escorts a teenage pony to the line. "OKAY, OKAY! Jeez-uh! I'll pay for a ticket. If I knew it was going to be like that, I would have stayed at the primitive Dragon Lands." The teenager that somehow snuck in is a blue unicorn with a black, messy mane. He is wearing a long black coat with a repeating clock-face pattern printed on it, and he is wearing a waist coat under that. He has braces, so his speech is slightly slurred. And yet, Nopony can't help but feel an odd sense of deja vu around him. And maybe a unique yet familiar magic signature too. Still, the teen pays for a ticket and clears the matter up easily.

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

@Windy Breeze

Shadow's interest do not go unnoticed at all. Trilby looks at the shops, sees Shadow's interest in them, and nods. "We'll go there first thing after we finish helping Keen. Promise." He whispers to her.

Right now, this is Keen's moment, and Trilby sees how happy she is. He puts on a sympathetic smile. "I hope everything works out for you, Keen. But just know, even if this is a dead end and we can't find Maya here, I won't stop. I'll keep doing my best to help you find her, somehow. Cause that's what a friend should do." Trilby promises.

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

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

In the A Block arena,
Oh yes, Pillow Hollow is afraid. Frozen wasn't sure before, but he's about to get confirmation. For as soon as he starts to move side to side, Pillow goes blue in the face and chokes up, huddling behind his metal pillow shield and ducking his head, eyes closed. The dumb stallion acted to soon to defend himself. Kicking him out the ring will be way too easy; especially if Pillow isn't even paying attention with his eyes closed like that!

In the B Block arena,
It's over. Neon Light's dope melody has put his opponent to sleep. And with a gentle nudge from his foot, Neon is able to push Easy out of the ring with ease.

"And that's a knock-out and a ring-out! Easy Emerald is defeated! The first victory goes to Neon Lights!" Straightaway commentates. Neon just shrugs and leaves the arena. Staff have to clear Easy Emerald out to make room for the next to fighters. "The next fighters for the B-Block are Thundy and Panda Bao!" Taking the arena after Neon and Easy is a... Giant panda? Seems so! And he's wearing a mask adored with peacock feathers.

In the C Block arena,
Somehow, dodging works too well! Each time Daring Decor swings and misses, he just repeats the same move, blindly swinging and yelling. However, it all becomes pointless when Kronos sweeps the leg. For Daring doesn't just fall; oh no. With a startled yell, he tumbles, rolling around until he falls on his butt outside of the ring. Yep, with one move, it's over.

"And that's a ring-out! Kronos wins, BK Pony is eliminated!" Straightaway commentates. For a moment, Daring seems sad. But then he looks at Kronos, smiles, and nods with his eyes closed. "I wanted to get stronger, but if I was going to lose, then I'm glad I lost to one of Friendshire's best defenders."

Samurai Equine, who has been watching this whole time, cheering congratulations at both Kronos and Neon. Though, it's doubtful either of them can hear Samurai all the way from the middle of A block.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Samurai Equine

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

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

In the A Block arena,
As Frozen continued to close the distance between him and Pillow, he noticed the young earth pony was going blue in the face. It was one of the few sure signs that Pillow was becoming afraid. It didn't help that the young stallion ducked behind his pillow, and closed his eyes. He could easily just kick his opponent out, but he wanted a more fitting victory. "Sorry kid, but it's time for you nap. You're hiding behind that pillow so badly, then you can have it." His eyes flashed red for a second, but the illuminating lights from above the arena had given a glare to his glasses. As he finally reached the other side, he leaned down until he was in Pillow's face. "Boo." Quickly turning around, he pulled back his hind legs to angle the trajectory of his kick. Extending his legs outward, he kicked the pillow with all of his might. If his guess was correct, his kick would hit the pillow as it would cause a domino effect. The metal substance in the pillow would hit Pillow, before ultimately sending the young stallion out of the ring. 

In the C Block arena,
"I wouldn't underestimate his opponent, or any opponent that one would face. However, I'm going to agree with you on that. Kronos was a tough opponent when we faced him in the game world. So, he seems like the type of opponent would be come out victorious in his fight." Dynamo explained, raising an eyebrow as he glanced towards the male griffon. "I think I've seen those kinds of hero films. If the hero gets overconfident, then wouldn't that mean that the villain would turn the whole fight around?" His question was soon answered as he heard a thud on the side of the arena. Looking back, he saw BK tumbling, before rolling around and landing outside of the arena. "I guess not." He would say, giving a round of applause to the cyborg pony. "Congratulations, Kronos. You were awesome out there. You were also pretty brave out there, BK. Nice fight, sir knight." He says, not wanting to leave BK out as he wanted to give him praise. Hearing this, Cheap rolled his eyes as he chuckled slightly. 'Oh, please. You call that a nice fight? That fight was a joke. It's like that robot wasn't even trying. That knight wannabe wants to get stronger? Sorry to say, but that ain't happening anytime soon.' He thought, shaking his head in disappointment. "What a fool." He would say, whispering the last part under his breath. He soon began to feel impatient as he wanted he next fight to start.

In the B Block arena,
Dynamo's ears perked as he heard Straightaway, who announced that Neon had won his fight against Easy Emerald. "It would have have been cool to see the outcome of the fight." He sighed, at first. Wishing he could have seen the fight in B Block. However he soon smiled as he felt in his heart that he had done the right thing. "It was definitely worth it. There will always be other opportunities to see some fights. Plus, it was worth it to watch Kronos' fight and to provide some support." He says as he was honestly happy to support a friend from a different block. As the next fighters were announced for B Block, Dynamo placed a hoof upon Thundy's shoulder and gave the griffon a slight nudge. "It looks like you're up next, Thundy. We better make it back over to our block so you don't become disqualified." 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Dynamo Pad

[Forest Storm]

@Samurai Equine

When I arrive at the entrance of the spectator area, I can see a teenager arguing with a security guard. Then he goes to the line and buys the ticket. There is something strange yet familiar about that pony.

"Final Premonition, is that you?" I ask softly, not wanting to bring too much attention to this conversation.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

@Dynamo Pad @Kronos the Revenant @Samurai Equine

Thundy clapped his talons when he saw Kronos emerge victorious. "Awesome job out there Kronos." He said. He heard some sort of melody coming from somewhere, then an announcement of a win. "Hmmm, this Neon Lights pony seems like he could be a worthy opponent." Thundy said looking at Dynamo. 

@Samurai Equine @Starforce @PawelS

"Yea...I really don't want things to spread around. I feel like I can trust you guys, which is why I told you. But please promise me you won't spread this all around. I do think that Nopony stallion would be quite intrigued to hear about this info." Chelsea stated.  

[Chelsea]

@Starforce @Samurai Equine @PawelS @ExplosionMare

"Well, I promised myself that whatever things are said between Mayor White and I, especially private stuff, I'd keep to myself." Chelsea stated as she heard Sparkly talk about the multierses and dimensions. 

[Tree Song]

@Samurai Equine @Starforce @ExplosionMare @Courageous Thunder Dash

"So you won't tell us anything more about what happened to the mayors?" I say to Chelsea, disappointed. This kind of knowledge could be useful to solving this town's mystery...

[Chelsea]

@PawelS @Starforce @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

"You're my friends, so I'll tell, as long as you promise me you won't tell anypony you're not familiar with." Chelsea said as she arrived at the Town Square. "Well...here we are at the Town Square." She said. The art museum was just a few blocks down the road. 

[Chelsea]

@Starforce @ExplosionMare @PawelS @Samurai Equine

"Alright, well, wanna stop by the art museum first? I know Pencil would love to show you around. She is the curator of the museum after all. Thundy and I have some art stuff there. I have a undersea experience room while Thundy has some of his art cars and other stuff there." Chelsea explained. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

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

As Neon's melody had come to an end, Dynamo had watched as staff had cleared Easy out of the area. The gaming unicorn had recalled that Neon was playing a sort of song/melody as Easy was kept at a distance. "You can say that again, Thundy. I wonder if Neon has other kinds of songs that he can use to fight. Sort of like waves of sound like blasts, or maybe songs to help give him strength in a fight, or even ways to make the opponent weaker." He gave a few ideas, but he wasn't sure as he didn't see the entire fight. That, and it only seemed like Neon had used a song to put Easy to sleep. However, a sudden thought had occurred to Dynamo. "Wait a second. From the way that you're saying that, then it sounds like you don't know who this Neon pony is. Have you never heard of Neon Lights before?" As he removed his hoof from Thundy's shoulder, he began to wonder if Thundy had ignored his explanation of Neon from before. His ears fell slightly, before shaking his head. 'No, that's not true. Maybe it was because I was being soft spoken. We are around a huge crowd and loud music going on. So, maybe Thundy didn't hear me all that well.' He remembered that Thundy had heard someone call him 'Drool Pad.' Even though Dynamo didn't hear him before, but he tried to erase any doubts that were invading his mind. As he looked towards the ring, he had noticed that the next opponent was a panda. "O...kay. Now that was something I wasn't expecting to see. This is my first time seeing a panda up close, so this fight will definitely be interesting. I will say that the mask looks pretty cool, in my opinion." He explained as Panda Bao stepped onto the arena stage.

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine @Ragland Tiger

"Music as a weapon...I can work with that." Thundy stated. He then heard Dynamo's comment about seeing a panda. "Hm? Oh yea! I remember having to fight a panda when I played Sly Cooper and The Theivous Racoonous back in my younger days." Thundy said. 

[Pencil Pouch]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Samurai Equine @PawelS @Starforce

Pencil was a bit taken aback when Sparkly suggested that everyone skip watching the tournament altogether. She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her ticket, disappointed in the possibility of it going to waste. Thankfully, Starlight was in disagreeance with the option and hopped out of the car to buy her own ticket.

She listened passively to the conversation the girls were having, most of it having to do with the two mayors. Pencil wished she knew more about the mayors other than the very basic information. She would like to help with the conflict it created in the town if she could. She was a bit put off by Chelsea’s secrecy on the matter, but given the fact she’d spent a lot of time with Mayor White, perhaps there are some painful memories involved she is not willing to bring up yet. Pencil would wait until a better time to ask questions if she wanted to get more of the story.

Eventually, the vehicle stopped and the group arrived at the museum. Pencil beamed. If she wasn’t sitting in the car, her tail would be wagging. She clapped her hooves softly before she hopped out, excited to show her new friend around. Turning towards Sparkly, she said,

“This place is still under development, but I’d love to show you what we have so far! I can show you Chelsea’s exhibit first, since that one’s the most interesting.”

[Chelsea]

@ExplosionMare @Starforce @Samurai Equine @PawelS

"I can lead the way to my exhibit." Chelsea said as she parked the car in the parking lot. She opened the door and got out after unbuckling her seatbelt. She then folded her seat down so the ponies in the back could get out. 

[Pencil Pouch]

@Courageous Thunder Dash @Starforce

“In that case, lead the way, Chelsea!” Pencil exclaimed.

She waited for Sparkly to get out of the vehicle herself. When she arrived next to Pencil, she stated that she had no genuine interest in spectating. Pencil felt that was fair, but was a little sad that she would be watching without her. At least, that is what it seemed like. Pencil couldn’t remember if Sparkly bought a ticket.

“Chelsea said the fighting might not be all just bickering, so I’m remaining hopeful as well. Still, if you don’t wanna watch it, that’s your choice. I’ll be watching, though, since I already have a ticket.” she responded, waving the ticket she bought in the air with her magic for emphasis as she sported a sheepish grin.

Sparkly also took an interest in Pencil’s hometown. Pencil would love to show her around, even if there is not a whole lot to do there. She’d also like to introduce her to Granite Rose, her best friend. That is, if he is willing to meet somepony new. However, a trip like that seemed far off in the future, especially with Pencil’s current commission.

“I think that would be nice, showing you around my hometown. I’m sure Chelsea and the others would like it too, but I probably won’t bring them all at once…unless they wanted to. I’m not sure when that’ll happen, though, my main focus right now is to work on this big commission of mine. Day by day it gets trickier to complete it, so I really have to stay on top of it.” she spoke. She trailed off on the last sentence, hoping Sparkly wouldn’t question the commission further, since it was difficult to talk about right now.

Pencil nodded at Sparkly’s last sentence, then tilted her head curiously. She wondered what the mare meant by joining her in “examining mysteries”. Whatever it was, it sounded intriguing.

“What exactly would I be doing if I joined you in that?” she asked inquisitively.

[Chelsea]

@ExplosionMare @Starforce @Samurai Equine

Chelsea smiled when Pencil told her to lead the way, and that's exactly what she did. She slowly started to walk forward, looking back and making sure the others would follow. She stopped however, when she heard Sparkly's statement. "We'll eventually head on back to the arena. I imagine preliminaries are going on now..." Chelsea added. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Ragland Tiger @Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

"I'm not exactly sure how music can be used as a weapon. I know of certain games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band that involves playing music. Although, I remember one of the Devil May Cry games had used music as a weapon before. Not sure if the same rules would apply with what Neon had done, but it's still a food for thought." Dynamo explained, raising an eyebrow at Thundy's comment on the Sly Cooper games. "Oh, I've played those games." He smiled in nostalgia, before nodding at Thundy's desctiption of the particular boss fight. "Oh, that's right. I remember it was the fourth boss in the first Sly game. I believe his name was called the Panda King. I will have to say that was an easy boss, in my opinion. It's a bit safer when you have the lucky charm in case you get hit. Especially with how the flames he throws out almost track you. However, his flame-fu techniques felt sort of choreographed, or something along those lines. I'm not entirely sure, but it was a pretty fun boss fight."

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine @Ragland Tiger

"The Panda King was an easy boss, I agree. And there is one game where there was this weapon called the dubstep gun that emitted powerful waves of dubstep drops that dealt destruction to a sick dubstep beat. The game is called Saints Row 4." Thundy explained. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,391]

@Ragland Tiger @Samurai Equine @Courageous Thunder Dash

"Glad to know that it wasn't just me who felt the same way about that boss." Dynamo smiled, before the smile disappaited into an expression of curiosity. He had never heard of the weapon that the male griffon had described. However, he soon recalled the game title that had been mentioned. "Oh, I've heard of the Saints Row series, but I never actually played any of the games. I guess that's why I never knew of the weapon you had mentioned. I think I saw someone play it once, but it was more of a bunch of moments they had discovered in game. I will say that I had a few good chuckles when witnessing what they were trying to show me. I guess I never found the time or reason to try the game out. Maybe I can try and look into the series sometimes. It's still pretty interesting how a weapon that uses music can do something like that." He explained, while learning something new of a game he had never played before. "Oh, that's right. Maybe we can discuss more about games a little later. Right now, you should go and head up to the ring. You wouldn't want to get in trouble for showing up late, or to get disqualified." He would say, while trying to get back on track to the main topic at hand.

[Thundy]

@Dynamo Pad @Samurai Equine

Thundy gasped. "Oh! You're right! I'm up...against the Panda." Thundy stated. "Wanna come watch me?" Thundy asked as he headed for the B-Block. He was already stoked about the fight. "Of course Imma stay in base..." He thought to himself.